The heavy oak doors of the Yorkers City Bank executive conference room creaked open, revealing a room steeped in opulence. The long mahogany table gleamed under the light of an ornate chandelier, its surface reflecting the smirks of the gathered executives. Charles Redford, the CEO, sat at the head of the table, his chair larger, more commanding than the others. Damon walked in, his tailored suit crisp and his expression calm, though his jaw tightened ever so slightly at the sight of Charles’ smug grin.“Ah, Damon,” Charles said, rising from his seat with exaggerated warmth. He extended a hand that Damon ignored. “Welcome. Please, have a seat.” Damon slid into the chair directly across from Charles, his eyes scanning the room. The other executives barely glanced at him, their attention fixed on the screens of their laptops or the untouched coffee cups before them. “I’m not here to exchange pleasantries,” Damon began, his voice steady. “I want to discuss the Duston and Cooper compani

“So, let me get this straight, ” Damon said, leaning back in his chair and his fingers folded behind his chin. “I have seventy nine percent of Yorkers City Bank, but I can’t take any action? ”Felix nodded grimly, his face pale and bored. “That’s pretty much what happens, sir, ” he said, grimacing sharply. The remaining twenty one percent goes to a few smaller shareholders, each with right to vote in proportion to the value of his share. Charles has built a strong relationship with them over the years and they’re all loyal to him.“And they're scared of him too? ” Damon asked with an undertone of doubt.“Not scared of course, ” Felix reassured as he adjusted his spectacles. “More like... beholden. Charles is a master at making people feel they are indebted to him. Faxes, contacts, inside info... whatever he can get his hands on to keep his grip on power.”Damon ticked his fingers on the desk, cramming what was to come. “So we could just buy them out, then? ”“Of course, in theory, ” h

The soft hum of the server filled Damon’s mansion office, the glow of multiple monitors illuminating the focused expressions on Damon and Felix’s faces. Lines of code scrolled across the screens, complex algorithms churning through mountains of financial data. Damon’s Wealth Generation System, usually employed for identifying lucrative investment opportunities, was now being used for a different purpose: uncovering the rot within Yorkers City Bank.“There!” Felix exclaimed, pointing at a string of highlighted figures. “Off-the-books transactions, routed through a series of shell corporations. Look at the dates and amounts. They correlate perfectly with the Duston and Cooper bailout packages.”Damon leaned closer, his eyes scanning the data. “And the recipients?”“Charles Redford, along with several members of the board,” Felix confirmed, his voice grim. “Bribes and kickbacks, disguised as consulting fees and performance bonuses.”Damon let out a slow breath, a grim satisfaction se

The black town car purred to a halt before the ‘Golden’ Conservatory, a shimmering dome of glass and steel that reflected the twilight hues of the East River. Paparazzi swarmed, their flashes momentarily blinding as Damon stepped out, offering Aria his hand."Ready for the lion's den?" he murmured, his voice barely audible above the clicking cameras and the distant strains of a violin quartet.Aria squeezed his hand, her smile a delicate balance of confidence and apprehension. "As I'll ever be. Remember, they're just… my family.""Right," Damon said, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "Just your family who happen to think I'm a particularly sly poor boy he lied his way to the elites."They walked the short red carpet, the flashes intensifying, the air thick with perfume and anticipation. Inside, the Conservatory was a breathtaking spectacle. White orchids cascaded from towering arrangements, gold-dusted tablecloths shimmered under the soft glow of chandeliers, and the air hummed with th

The spotlight itself was like a weight, so heavy that it gripped Damon so tightly, that he stood next to Harold Golden on stage. James Golden, the brother of Harold, came over quickly, stroking a microphone in his hand as if it were magic. The violin quartet had stopped playing, a loud silence had filled the room.“So Damon, ” Harold screamed, his throat soaring through the Conservatory like a rocket. “How exactly did you make your first million on your own? Was it luck, were you a genius? Or was there a little...serendipity?Damon shrugged slightly. " A bit of both, Uncle Harold. A good idea, a lot of hard work and a little bit of being in the right place at the right time. ""Right place, right time, " James repeated, occasionally laughing. "And what about this... 'luck' you had with the banks? Consolidating those loans and those investments -- quite extraordinary for someone of your... background.Behind Damon, a lamp flickered on and displayed a scrolling list of photos curated by