Harry and Mia had just left the diner, she waved him goodbye as he got into his car.As he drove away, Harry thought long and hard about the nightclub idea. He knew needed to build something useful for himself. He needed a front for his money, a way to make his growing fortune look legitimate. And after watching enough crime dramas, Harry knew exactly what that was: a nightclub.It was perfect. The cash flow would be believable, the clientele high-end, and no one would question where the money came from. The only catch? The building he owned wasn’t zoned for that kind of thing, mainly because it's in a school environment. Harry knows there's a loophole to this because the building isn't entirely in the Crestview University area. He remembered one time during his sophomore year when the school wanted to buy the diner/building, but the now deceased owner refused to sell.All Harry needed to do was get the necessary permits and that meant paperwork, and cut through a whole lot of Burea

Harry sat waiting for an update, trying to stay patient. While he waited, he decided to text Melissa.It was nothing fancy, just a simple “Hi.” But that tiny message had her smiling at her phone like a teenager with a crush. That was exactly the moment Frank had seen her grinning earlier.Harry leaned back with a small breath. He knew this was just the beginning of his journey. Sure, he could’ve blown his money on random women online or paid content creators, but that wasn’t his goal. He planned to climb high in life, really high, and he couldn’t afford to have receipts of those things floating around.People only start remembering every little interaction once you’re famous. The last thing he wanted was to have his image ruined by screenshots showing him paying for sex or being associated with those kinds of people. That kind of stain would stick.Meeting women in real life was different, no paper trail, no proof. And even then, memory wasn't always reliable.Still, none of that matt

Harry pulled up outside Brandon’s workplace, nothing fancy, nothing eye-catching, but dependable enough to keep his friend’s household running month after month. The building looked tired, the paint starting to peel and the sign outside slightly faded, but the place still had a humble charm. Brandon was the manager of a small hardware store, the kind locals visited only when they didn’t feel like driving to the giant home improvement chains two districts over. It was steady work, not glamorous, not particularly profitable, but it paid just enough to keep the lights on. And no matter how tight things became, Brandon always made sure his kids got a decent education, even if it meant sacrificing everything else. He saw it as an investment, something that would pay off someday, even if he never lived to see the full reward.When Harry parked and stepped out of his car, a few people outside stopped what they were doing to stare. This wasn’t the kind of neighborhood where someone in a fi

Harry had been productive all day, ticking off more from his growing list than he expected. His plans to lay down the groundwork for his cover story were moving along nicely.But one thing kept crossing his mind, Melissa. It had been a while since they’d seen each other, and Harry decided she deserved a surprise visit at work. He could already imagine her reaction, the way her face would light up when she saw him.“I wonder what she’ll do when she sees me,” he thought with a faint grin. Unlike Alicia, there was something refreshing about Melissa, something genuine he couldn’t help but like.He parked near her workplace, careful to stop just before the corner so no one would spot his car. He wanted this to be an honest surprise. Then, taking his time, he strolled around the block, his mind half-amused at the thought of her reaction.He considered picking something up for her, flowers, maybe coffee, but quickly decided against it. Melissa wasn’t the kind of woman who melted over gifts o

It didn’t take Harry long to reach his destination, barely ten minutes. Alan was already waiting outside, wearing the same wrinkled suit from earlier that day. Somehow, it looked even worse under the streetlight.Harry sighed. He just wanted to get this meeting over with so he could go home, unwind, and wait for Mia to bring his clothes and of course woo her. He unlocked the car door and motioned for Alan to get in.The moment Alan sat down, an awful smell hit Harry like a slap. It was so strong he almost gagged. Jesus, doesn’t he know what deodorant is? he thought, regretting his decision immediately. He knew the smell would cling to his car long after Alan was gone.“Glad you came so quickly,” Alan said cheerfully, flashing a grin as if they were old pals.Harry didn’t care for small talk, his eyes went straight to the stack of papers in Alan’s hands. That was the only thing he wanted right now. Once he confirmed the permit was legitimate, construction could finally begin.“Is that