Chapter 149 The Only Partner

Chapter 149 The Only Partner
"Alright, I'm tired," I said, suddenly feeling the exhaustion hit me. "Don't have time to play games with you here."

I tucked my gun away and stood up from the floor. Carlos caught my expression and gave his men a subtle nod. Immediately, Alberto and his men were dragged away, leaving nothing but bloodstains on the floor.

By the time I made it back to the hotel, it was three in the morning. I showered quickly and collapsed face-first onto the bed, falling into deep sleep before Alexander even finished his shower. I slept like the dead until eleven the next morning. When I finally opened my eyes, Alexander was already up, chatting with Bill.

"Why are you sleeping so much lately?" Alexander reached out to stroke my hair. "Have you been feeling unwell?"

I shook my head drowsily, still fighting to fully wake up.

"Ms. North, Alberto confessed everything," Carlos announced, entering our hotel room. He handed me and Alexander a tablet showing Alberto's interrogation video. "It's exactly as we suspected. He wanted to kidnap you and keep you as his mistress."

"His mistress?" I let out a cold laugh. The audacity of this man was truly impressive. "Does he not know his own place?"

"Alex, do you see how attractive your wife is?" I asked with a knowing smile.

I glanced at Alexander, whose gaze had darkened considerably.

"Give him to me," Alexander requested, looking to me for permission.

"You don't need to get your hands dirty," Carlos replied firmly. "I won't let him walk out of my territory alive. You're a legitimate businessman. Don't soil your hands with this kind of trash."

I could tell Carlos recognized Alexander as a businessman, though not of the same nature as himself. Every businessman had some blood on their hands, but compared to what Carlos had seen, Alexander's would be practically clean.

"You beat him to this state. Will that be a problem?" I asked after watching the video, looking up at Carlos.

"To the outside world, Alberto pretends his Mexican operations are substantial," Carlos explained. "But here, he's nothing but a small-time dealer. In our circles, arms dealers look down on drug traffickers."

I nodded thoughtfully.

"If I'm not mistaken, you came here to understand the operational scope of each family in the region," Carlos observed.

Smart man. He'd been accompanying me for two days and had already pieced together my intentions.

"What else have you figured out?" I kept my face impassive as I encouraged him to continue, curious to see how much he'd deduced.

"You dislike drug traffickers. After learning about them, you plan to cut off all transactions with them," Carlos said after a moment of contemplation.

"You really are perceptive," I nodded slightly, impressed by his accuracy. He'd read me perfectly.

"I have a list here," Carlos motioned for one of his men to bring over a laptop. "It contains all the notable families in Mexico, marked with their specific business areas, channels, target demographics, and operational directions." He handed the computer to me.

I took the laptop but closed it immediately without looking at the screen.

"Name your terms," I said flatly.

I knew perfectly well that this kind of information was confidential. Carlos offering it freely meant he had an agenda.

"I wouldn't call them terms—more of a request. Whether you agree or not, the information is yours to review," Carlos said with a slight shake of his head.

Interesting. He never intended to use the document as leverage.

"Let's hear it," I took a sip of whiskey, eyeing Carlos lazily.

"Vanguard Kingdom would like to be Phoenix's exclusive arms dealer in Mexico," Carlos stated directly.

I saw Alexander raise his head slightly, looking at Carlos, then at me. I had to give Carlos credit—the man certainly had guts to make such a request.

Even Isabella and the others froze, silently watching me for my reaction.

I responded with a faint smile, opening the laptop and quickly scanning through the files. The information was comprehensive and exactly what I needed. I handed it to Isabella.

"Make a copy," I instructed. "When we get back to Italy, upgrade the system. Carlos is Phoenix's exclusive partner in Mexico."

I could feel everyone in the room freeze, including Carlos himself. I'd said "exclusive partner," not "exclusive arms dealer." And I'd specified Carlos, not Vanguard Kingdom. The distinction was significant.

"Phoenix doesn't lack for business globally," I explained, rising from the sofa. "The same is true in Mexico—countless families want to do business with us. But Mexico is special—too close to the United States. I don't want to dance in a minefield."

I took a few steps forward, making sure my point was crystal clear.

"So having you as our sole contact here provides security for me too. But understand this—I'm doing business with you, Carlos, not Vanguard Kingdom. If you ever step into my minefield, I can eliminate you just as easily."

"That much is clear to you," I concluded.

I extended my hand. Carlos broke into a genuine smile.

"Your current position is well-earned. You're no ordinary person," he said, grasping my hand firmly.

"Dancing in minefields doesn't interest me," Carlos assured me.

We exchanged knowing smiles before releasing our handshake and returning to the sofa.

"Since we're here anyway," I turned to Isabella, "pick a few families from the list that regularly deal in drugs and organ trafficking with the U.S. Take some brothers and shut down their operations."

"If you need weapons or ammunition, get them from our new partner," I added with a smirk. "At least we won't have wasted the trip."

Isabella nodded immediately. "No problem."

"If you need manpower, you can use mine," Carlos offered, gesturing to one of his men to coordinate with Isabella.

"We won't need your men," I declined with a wave of my hand. "After all, I can leave immediately after the raid. Your base is still here." I gave him a genuine smile.