Billionaire in Kingsman with a Marvel System

"Very well, I'm not unreasonable. While your life may belong to me, you are not my slave," William said, playing with his glass as he looked at John Wick with a hint of amusement. "But you should still keep your promises, shouldn't you?"

William knew perfectly well that just because he had saved John Wick's life, it didn't mean he could oppress him without consequence. What truly angered William was the challenge he saw in Wick's eyes earlier. Giving up a career for love was understandable, but that didn't give John Wick the right to go against his employer.

After carefully considering his words, John Wick replied, "Mr. Devonshire, even after I retire, I can continue to serve you. Besides being an assassin, I can do other things as well."

"Hmph," William snorted, recalling how this guy had turned New York upside down over a dog. Now, for a woman, it was even more predictable. As long as anything stood in the way of him and his beloved, John Wick would undoubtedly turn against William.

This solidified William's belief that dealing with assassins and gangsters was not about morals or promises—only naked transactions mattered. Promises were sacred when needed but became burdens and chains when they were no longer useful. People like John Wick, driven by love, believed that any chain should be broken.

Staring into John Wick's eyes, William asked with keen interest, "Besides killing, what else can you do?"

"I could become the secret guardian of the Devonshire family. I could move to Oxford with Helen and work for you. I could live a normal life and, when necessary, eliminate any threats to the castle," John Wick replied quickly. He knew that someone like him couldn't expect a peaceful life without the protection of a powerful backer.

But Wick had his own thoughts, and William wasn't foolish either. Although he was somewhat surprised that Wick wanted to hide away in Oxford, his instinct told him that having Wick near the castle would be a liability.

The mere sight of Wick's face, which looked exactly like a certain troublemaker, made William uneasy. John Wick was naturally a magnet for trouble, and William didn't want to find himself dealing with Wick's enemies or getting caught up in his messes.

Moreover, William remembered that Wick's girlfriend, soon-to-be wife, would eventually die from cancer. William would be damned if he brought such a source of misery to the castle, especially since he already disliked that woman, once known as Ava Fontaine Orlov, now called Helen.

Shaking his head at the thought, William softened his tone, considering that he still needed Wick to handle the Polar Bear gang situation. "Having you as a mere bodyguard at the castle would be a waste of your talents. Given my sensitive position, I need you to handle matters involving Viggo and Abram's gang. This shouldn't be too difficult for you."

This statement made it clear that William was excluding John Wick from his core team. The 30% of profits from the Polar Bear gang was ostensibly going to Winston, and only Caron knew about William's connection to Winston. In the future, any dealings with the gang wouldn't be linked to William on the surface.

This outcome wasn't what John Wick had hoped for. He truly wanted William's protection, but he had encountered a highly suspicious and overly cautious employer. However, managing the gang's affairs wasn't difficult for Wick, and having this relationship would make his life in New York safer. Given the circumstances, Wick had no choice but to agree, and he certainly didn't dare harbor any rebellious thoughts.

Firstly, Wick knew he couldn't beat William. Secondly, his desire to retire was driven by his love for Helen, and Helen was his greatest weakness.

"Understood, sir," John Wick replied.

"I trust that with you overseeing things, the accounts will remain in order, right, Mr. Tarasov?" William asked Abram softly.

"Of course, Mr. Devonshire. I guarantee I'll work well with John," Abram hastily agreed. Even if he had other thoughts, he wasn't foolish enough to voice them now.

As long as Abram agreed, William had plenty of ways to force the Tarasov brothers to keep their promises. If they didn't comply, he could always resort to war. In William's eyes, a regional gang was nothing. With Sunday's help, finding someone was easy, and once a gang leader's location was known, taking him out wasn't difficult. No one could escape Carlos the Cross's sniper rifle.

The only downside to killing a gang leader was the chaos it would cause in the underworld for a while, which might displease certain officials. That's where Bryan Mills would come in. Although a New York senator wasn't a particularly powerful figure, the position would make it easier to push through initiatives that could benefit both parties.

This was also one of the reasons William wanted the evidence held by the Tarasov brothers—he needed leverage. As long as Bryan could smooth things over and not push too hard, New York's elites wouldn't have the desire to engage in a destructive showdown.

"Since we've settled everything, I suggest you start preparing. The sooner you take action, the better, to avoid keeping the Tarasov brothers up at night."

After exchanging a few perfunctory goodbyes with Abram, William instructed Caron to provide the Tarasov brothers with two sets of suits rated at Level III bulletproof protection as a parting gift from him.

After hearing Caron's introduction to the suits, Abram was pleased with the idea of having suits that could stop handgun bullets without injury. However, the price tag of five million dollars per suit made him wince. Despite the cost, Abram decided to buy two more sets, in addition to the ones William had given them, for the sake of their safety.

After sending off Abram and John Wick, Winston chuckled and shook his head. "You really are a shrewd businessman. I remember you priced those Level III suits, which can't even stop rifle fire, at two hundred thousand pounds each. Converted to dollars, that's less than two hundred fifty thousand. So, the two suits you 'gave' the Tarasov brothers weren't really gifts at all, yet they're still grateful to you."

"Haha, dear Winston, you have to understand that people don't value things they get for free. Only when they've paid a hefty price will the Tarasov brothers truly appreciate them. I'm doing them a favor. If they're smarting over the cost, they'll wear the suits every day. And we need those brothers alive to keep making us money. It would be a shame if they kicked the bucket before we got what we wanted," William replied with a grin.

"You're something else," Winston sighed, exasperated by William's money-grubbing ways, cloaked in righteous rhetoric. "Are you really planning to work with the Tarasovs? Don't forget who you are. If your dealings with them come to light, it won't do you any good."

"No, I'm not interested in a couple hundred million dollars in dirty money. That's why you'll be handling that part. The brothers do have something I'm interested in, but it's not the right time to bring it up. Asking for what you want most at the first meeting would only make someone like Viggo Tarasov try to extort you. Besides, the timing isn't quite right," William replied.

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