The banquet hall glittered with chandeliers, each crystal reflecting a brilliance that mocked Cole Brady’s existence. Laughter and applause echoed across the grand room, but none of it belonged to him. He stood at the edge of the crowd, a glass of water in his hand, as if he were nothing more than a servant instead of the man who had once been promised a future.“Cole, don’t just stand there like an idiot,” Fiona, his wife, hissed under her breath. Her gown shimmered with gold embroidery, making her look like the perfect daughter of the wealthy Parker family. She glanced at him with eyes colder than ice. “At least pretend to be useful. People are watching.”Cole forced a small nod. He was used to this. Three years of marriage had taught him exactly what role he played in this family: not a husband, not a partner, but a discarded burden they could mock whenever they pleased.Across the hall, a tall man in a designer suit raised his glass. Blake Morgan the city’s golden boy, heir to the

Morning sunlight crept through the curtains of the small apartment, painting the walls in a pale glow. Cole Brady sat at the edge of the bed, fully awake long before dawn. He hadn’t slept. The call from the mysterious ally still rang in his ears, and Fiona’s bitter words from last night played on repeat.Worthless. Nobody. Pet.Every insult had become a chain wrapped around his soul. But now, he felt the first link snap.The sound of footsteps approached. Fiona emerged from the bathroom, dressed elegantly despite the early hour. Her phone was glued to her ear, her voice sweet in a way she never used with him.“Yes, Mr. Morgan… Tonight? Of course. I’ll make sure to be there.”Her eyes flicked toward Cole briefly, then away as though he were invisible. She ended the call with a soft laugh.“Blake invited me to dinner,” she announced flatly. “Important business. Don’t wait up.”Cole said nothing. His silence seemed to irritate her more than any words could.“Honestly, Cole, can’t you at

The Parker family’s banquet hall was packed again, less than a week after the last one. This time, it wasn’t for business negotiations but for a “celebration dinner” Blake Morgan had personally arranged. Everyone in Westbridge’s upper circle had been invited.But Cole Brady knew better.This wasn’t a celebration. It was a stage. And he was meant to be the fool dancing on it.He sat quietly near the end of the long table, dressed in the same plain suit he’d worn for three years. Around him, the wealthy elite of the city drank, laughed, and flattered Blake.“Mr. Morgan is too generous.”“With him guiding the Parkers, their future is limitless.”“Fiona is truly blessed to be so close to him.”Cole’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing. He had promised himself tonight, he wouldn’t break first.Blake sat at the head of the table, oozing confidence. Fiona was beside him, her laughter bright and sharp, every smile directed toward Blake. She hadn’t spared Cole a single glance all evening.Half

The Parker household was restless.Ever since Cole had returned from the police station, whispers swirled among the servants. Some pitied him, others mocked him. But one truth spread through every corridor: Blake Morgan had declared war, and the Parkers were caught in the crossfire.At breakfast the next morning, Fiona sat across from Cole, her face frosty. She pushed her food around her plate without touching it, the sound of silverware scraping against porcelain grating through the silence.“Do you enjoy it?” she asked suddenly.Cole looked up. “Enjoy what?”“Dragging us all down with you.” Her eyes were sharp, her voice laced with venom. “My father can barely sleep. My mother’s in tears. And you sit there, calm as if none of it matters.”Cole set his chopsticks down carefully. “I don’t sit calm because it doesn’t matter. I sit calm because panicking won’t help anyone.”Fiona scoffed. “Typical. Always pretending patience is strength. But the truth is, you’re powerless. You’ve been p

The Parker household was a tomb of silence. Newspapers littered the coffee table, each headline another dagger:Parker Enterprises on Verge of CollapseSuppliers Withdraw Amid Morgan InfluenceFuture of Parker Family in DoubtFiona sat curled on the couch, her eyes red from sleepless nights. Henry paced the room, muttering numbers under his breath. Cole, as always, sat quietly at the corner, sipping tea as if the world wasn’t crashing down.Finally, Henry snapped. “Do you feel nothing, Cole? Do you see what’s happening? We’re about to lose everything, and you sit there like a stone!”Cole placed the cup down gently. “What would you have me do, Henry? Crawl to Blake and beg? That’s exactly what he wants.”Henry’s face flushed with anger. “Maybe that’s what we should do! At least then we’d survive.”Fiona’s voice was sharp. “And if you really cared about us, Cole, you’d leave. Do you understand? You’re the poison Blake wants purged. Once you’re gone, he’ll stop.”Cole looked at her for