The Thompson family dinner was a glittering circus of fake smiles and condescending laughter. Ethan Reed, the live-in son-in-law, kept his head bowed, exactly where they wanted it.​For three years, he had endured this. Three long, brutal years of insults and relentless humiliation.​"Ethan, " his mother-in-law, Clara, cooed ,her voice dripping with venom as she addressed the table. "Did you manage to fix that leaky sink? Try not to break anything this time, you know how fragile old pipes are when someone with... your experience handles them."​The entire table erupted in laughter. His wife shifted uncomfortably in her expensive silk dress, but she said nothing this time .​Ethan stared at his untouched plate,they called him trash,called him a mooch and a useless man.They believed he was a poor orphan, brought into the family as a walking, breathing burden.​Clara leaned over, her perfume suffocating. "Still silent? Good. Just remember your place, Ethan. You eat our food, you live

The black car was completely silent. It wasn't just quiet; it seemed to eat sound. Ethan sat in the expensive leather seat, the fresh air from the car’s vents a sharp contrast to the stale smell of the Thompson house. His wine-stained shirt felt cheap and ridiculous against the luxury. He didn’t care.The two men, built like statues and dressed in dark suits, sat in the front. They hadn’t spoken another word since handing him the black Everest card. They were waiting. They weren't servants; they were soldiers.Ethan pulled the cheap, cracked phone from his pocket. The screen still glowed with the word “BEGIN.”He didn't touch it. Instead, he pulled out the thin,expensive black card the man had just given him. He ran his thumb over the small, engraved symbol: the eagle holding a mountain. The symbol of the Everest Corporation, the company that was supposed to save the Thompson family. It was a funny joke.He held the phone up, not to make a call, but to look at his face in the reflectio

Ethan sat in the commander's seat—a massive, high-backed chair made of black leather and steel—in his Sky Citadel office. The window view showed the entire city, tiny and unaware of the powerful person watching over it.General Varis stood beside him, holding a slim tablet. It was 6:00 AM sharp. The market had just opened."General, confirm the status of Leo Harrison," Ethan commanded. His voice was calm, almost bored, as if he were discussing the weather, not someone's total ruin."Confirmed, Commander," Varis reported, swiping the screen. "Phase Alpha, 'The Humiliation,' is active. Leo Harrison has been publicly detained by the city police regarding the fraudulent charity reports we leaked. His corporate accounts are locked. And the final touch is about to go live."Ethan watched a massive, digital clock on the wall count down to zero. The time for three years of endless insults was over.In the lobby of Leo's exclusive high-rise, Leo Harrison stood in handcuffs, shouting at two sto

Clara didn't hesitate. She looked at the red-haired woman, whose confident, severe face showed no trace of mockery or greed. This woman wasn't part of her mother's world. This was the world of the Sky Citadel. She opened the door and slid into the back of the sedan. The car was silent, instantly cutting her off from the noise and chaos of her family’s ruin. "Who are you?" Clara asked, her voice shaking. "And where is Ethan?" The woman in the suit turned slightly. "My name is Anya. I am an aide to... The Commander." She didn't use the name Ethan, as if it were a weakness, a ghost of the past. "As for the Commander, he's busy setting the groundwork. He knew you would leave once you saw the debt was cleared." "He... he paid it?" Clara whispered, clutching the faded hospital bill in her backpack."The medical debt for your grandfather was paid in full yesterday, just before he signed the papers," Anya confirmed. " It was the Commander's last order as the 'worthless son-in-law.' He wan

The dining room looked the same, but the atmosphere was a toxic, heavy shroud. The polished silver and crystal seemed to mock the three people sitting around the long table.There was no glittering circus tonight. Only silence.Margaret sat at the head, her expensive dinner dress looking like a shroud. She wasn’t wearing any jewelry. Every diamond, every gold chain, was already flagged for liquidation. She didn’t scold or scream; she just poked mechanically at the expensive food. She was utterly broken.Mr. Thompson, across from her, kept checking his phone under the table, hoping for a miracle that would stop the torrent of bad news. Every message was a hammer blow: another company asset seized, another account frozen.The family was financially burning down around them, and the only one who seemed to understand the flames was Clara, who had returned to the house to gather her final things before making a decision about The Commander's offer.Clara sat silently, watching them. She wa