Pretending to Be an Untouchable Crime Boss-Chapter 42: Friends forever.

Marcello was just a friend to James, a very good friend and the only one he truly trusted.

They became friends during the one year James spent at university.

Both of them were the kind of guys who struggled with their future, unsure of what they wanted to be.

Their only option was to study, but getting into university on a scholarship meant they had to maintain high grades. When their grades started dropping dramatically, they were faced with a harsh reality, they had to pay a lot of money to keep up, money they simply didn’t have.

Marcello was the kind of guy who laughed even when everything was falling apart.

He accepted his fate with a grin, pretending it didn’t bother him. And people like that, you had to pay attention to them.

Because beneath all the laughter and easygoing attitude, the pain was there, buried deep. And when it built up too much, when there was no more room to hold it in, the floodgates would open, and emotions would collapse.

James, on the other hand, wasn’t like that. He didn’t just accept failure, he owned it. He knew it was his fault. He knew he had messed up, big time.

Their shared struggles became their bond. It was what connected them.

Two messed-up guys. A friendship that would last a lifetime.

So they spent every remaining time together, pushing each other beyond their limits, trying to escape the cycle of failure. But in the end, it wasn’t enough.

They dropped out.

That was when they made a promise, to work, save up, and get back to university. To prove to their families that they weren’t failures. To take a step toward a better life.

For Marcello, that meant finding whatever job he could to scrape by.

For James, fate had other plans.

A simple job at a coffee shop became the first step, not to a better life, but to a bloodstained one.

James never forgot the look on Marcello’s face when he told him he had found a job.

"A coffee shop?" Marcello laughed. "Man, you? Serving lattes and smiling at customers?"

"It’s not that bad."

Marcello shook his head, still grinning. "You? Not that bad? Come on, you barely have the patience to deal with me, and I’m your best friend."

"It’s just a job. A way to keep busy, I guess." James said smiling.

"Yeah… I get that." His voice had lost some of its humor, turning quieter, more thoughtful. "You ever think about what we’re doing, man? Like, what’s the point of all this?"

James glanced at him. "You mean… university?"

"Yeah. Life. Everything." Marcello waved a hand vaguely. "I mean, we’re just barely scraping by. Even if we make it through this degree, what’s next? More struggling?"

James didn’t answer right away. He had thought about it too, late at night when the weight of everything pressed down on him.

"Guess we just keep going." James finally said. "What else is there?"

Marcello huffed out a laugh. "Yeah, just keep going. Keep pretending like we got it all figured out. Man, I swear… sometimes I think the people who just give up have it easier. Just say ’screw it’ and stop trying."

James frowned. "That’s not you."

Marcello smirked, but there was something tired in his eyes. "Yeah? And what about you, James? You got some master plan you’re not telling me about?"

James scoffed. "If I did, you’d be the first to know."

Marcello sighed, rubbing his face. "Damn, man. We really messed up, huh?"

James didn’t answer. They both knew the truth.

Two guys, broke and barely holding on, trying to find their place in a world that didn’t seem to care whether they made it or not.

But at least they had each other.

Marcello let out a long breath, then turned his head to James. "You ever think about running away?"

James raised an eyebrow. "Running where?"

"I don’t know. Anywhere. Somewhere where no one expects anything from us. Where we’re not just some guys trying and failing to make it."

James thought about that for a moment. The idea of leaving it all behind, no responsibilities, no expectations, no disappointment. Just freedom. It sounded tempting. But at the same time, it felt… empty.

"Nah." James finally said. "Running doesn’t change anything. We’d still be the same messed-up idiots, just in a different place."

Marcello chuckled. "Yeah… figures you’d say something like that." He rubbed his hands together. "Damn, it’s late. You working tomorrow?"

James nodded. "Yeah. Morning shift."

Marcello snorted. "God help the customers."

James smirked. "Shut up."

For a while, they sat in silence, listening to the faint sounds of the city.

Then Marcello spoke again, quieter this time. "You ever wonder if we’re gonna make it, man?"

James could have lied, told him they’d be fine, that everything would work out. But Marcello wasn’t the kind of guy who wanted lies.

"I don’t know." James admitted. "But if we don’t… at least we tried."

Marcello nodded slowly, as if turning those words over in his mind. Then, after a long pause, he grinned again, punching James lightly on the shoulder.

"Yeah. At least we tried." Marcello leaned back on the beanch, stretching his arms behind his head. "Man, sometimes I think about what it’d be like if things were different. Like, if we had rich parents or some kinda golden ticket. You ever think about that?"

James scoffed. "What, like being born lucky?"

"Yeah. Like… waking up one day and not having to worry about rent, grades, or if you can afford lunch tomorrow."

James stared at the sky for a moment. "Can’t miss what you never had."

"That’s some depressing shit, man."

James smirked. "You asked."

Marcello shook his head, grinning. "Yeah, yeah. But still… would be nice, wouldn’t it?"

James didn’t answer right away. He’d never let himself think about a life that wasn’t this one. Because what was the point? Dreaming about what could’ve been didn’t change what was.

"You ever gonna give up?" Marcello asked, his voice quieter this time.

James turned his head toward him. "Are you?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "No. I don’t think I know how to."

"Then neither do I."

Silence settled between them again, but this time it felt different, heavier, but solid, like an unspoken promise.

Marcello reached for the last cigarette on the table.

He took a slow drag, then offered it to James.

James hesitated before taking it, inhaling deeply.

Marcello grinned. "We’re gonna be fine, man."

James looked at him, at the way he said it, not like he believed it, but like he needed to say it out loud just to keep going. He didn’t say anything back, just took another drag and passed the cigarette back.

Marcello let out a slow breath, watching the smoke swirl upward. "You ever wonder what we’re really doing here?"

James leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. "What do you mean?"

He flicked ash into the tray. "I mean… this. The late nights, the stress, the barely scraping by. What’s the point? What if we’re just wasting time?"

James was quiet for a moment before shaking his head. "I don’t think it’s a waste."

Marcello raised a brow. "You actually believe that?"

James shrugged. "I think… as long as we keep going, it means something."

Marcello let out a soft laugh. "Damn, that’s deep."

They sat there in silence for a while, the only sound being the faint hum of traffic. It was moments like these that made everything feel less heavy, like as long as they had each other, they could keep pushing forward, even if the road ahead was unclear.

"Hey, James?"

"Yeah?"

"No matter what happens, don’t turn into one of those assholes who pretend they never struggled."

James scoffed. "You think I would?"

Marcello grinned. "Nah. But if you ever do, I’ll come back and kick your ass."

James shook his head, a small smirk tugging at his lips. "Noted."

Marcello closed his eyes. "Good."

This was their last real conversation before James Bellini became the ruler of the city. Before the name carried weight, before it was whispered in fear and respect.

After that day, life pulled them in different directions.

Marcello got a job in another state, working long shifts just to get by.

James… well, James walked a path that led him somewhere else entirely.

They didn’t see each other for a while.

Not until James Bellini had become the boss of the city.

And when they met again, James wasn’t the man Marcello had known.

The friend who once laughed with him over late-night meals, who complained about exams and the weight of the future on their shoulders....he was gone.

In his place stood someone colder, sharper. Someone whose presence carried an unspoken authority, whose eyes had seen too much, whose silence was heavier than words.

Marcello looked at him, searching for the traces of the man he used to call his best friend.

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But James Bellini had become something else.

Marcello forced a grin, the same easygoing smile he always wore, but even he couldn’t hide the slight tension in his eyes.

"Long time, huh?" He said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Guess you’ve been busy…."

"You shouldn’t be here."

Marcello scoffed. "That’s how you greet an old friend?" He gestured around. "What, your new life doesn’t have room for the past?"

James exhaled slowly, glancing away for just a second, just enough for Marcello to catch it. That hesitation. That crack in the armor.

"You have no idea what kind of life this is."

Marcello tilted his head, eyes narrowing. "Then tell me. Because all I see is a guy who used to be my best friend, now acting like a stranger."