Editing Jim (section)

=== [[The Great Breakup]] ===
Jim had known for a while that the Big Four was coming apart. The Ron and Archie incident had only widened the cracks, and there was no trust left between them. He had tried to keep things balanced, but diplomacy no longer worked.

After the deaths of the Blaine County officers, there was a brief period of peace, but Jim knew it wouldn’t last. When Giuseppe returned to Los Santos on October 27, 2024, he seemed done with syndicate politics. Edward tried to pull him back in, but Giuseppe refused.

Edward was struggling to hold onto Claymore MC. Members were leaving, and when Billy and Edward brought in a newcomer, Jeff Cooper, an ambush at an abandoned government facility confirmed that defectors had turned against them. These defectors formed their own motorcycle club; the Alamo Hellraisers. Tensions escalated further when Claymore MC and Billy retaliated against the Alamo Hellraisers, a move Jim watched from the sidelines, knowing it was leading toward something worse.

On November 8, Edward called a Big Four meeting. Alexa doubted his ability to control the situation, and Edward, already unstable, lashed out. Later that night, Jim met with Edward at Videogeddon and suggested Alexa was trying to stop another war. But Edward had already made up his mind—diplomacy was over.

Billy, meanwhile, had his own revelation. That night, he met the Alamo Hellraisers’ leaders and learned that Edward had abandoned two of his own men. To Billy, betrayal was unforgivable. He called for a meeting, and Jim already knew what was coming. Billy declared that money had destroyed their friendship and left the Big Four. Edward followed. Jim sat there for a moment, taking it all in. Then, without a word, he stood and walked away. Alexa, the last one at the table, eventually did the same. This marked the end of the formal alliance between the four. Despite the collapse, Jim remained on good terms with everyone, and while the others suffered heavy losses in the fallout, the breakup hit him minimally. His neutrality ensured he walked away with his businesses intact and his influence unshaken.

In the aftermath, Claymore MC fell apart. Edward’s business empire crumbled in a mutiny, and only Jeff and Jim stayed with him. Jim helped where needed but kept his distance, refusing to be pulled into the wreckage.

Giuseppe returned shortly after and quietly reclaimed Paleto Bay. His silent takeover angered Alexa, who saw it as opportunism, but Jim only watched. The fractures between them all had only grown wider.

Jim, however, did what he had always done best; he adapted. The Big Four were gone, but he was still standing. While others fought for dominance, he secured his businesses, cutting ties where necessary and ensuring that whatever came next, he would not be caught off guard.

The underworld of Los Santos had changed, but Jim knew one thing for certain; this was far from over. The city never stayed quiet for long, and sooner or later, the past would come knocking once again.