Miyu instinctively squeezed her eyes shut and ducked her chin, bracing her entire body for the sharp sting of Annie’s palm hitting her cheek.For years she had avoided places like Atlantic View because of situations like this and to show that she had not been completely paranoid, her first foray back into this world and she had to deal with this.S prepared herself for the worst, waiting for the humiliation that was sure to come. But after a long, agonizing second crawled past and the expected physical impact failed to arrive, she slowly opened her eyes. Straightening her spine, she froze at the thoroughly surprising, surreal sight materializing directly in front of her face.A tiny, remarkably compact woman dressed in a sharp, unbranded black blazer had come between them, catching Annie's flying wrist mid-air in a flawless, vice-like grip.Annie’s pristine face was completely white with a mixture of shock and sheer, unadulterated rage.She grunted under her breath, her chest heaving v

The newcomer storming into the foyer was Marcus Vern, the aggressive, iron-fisted CEO of Hitmaker Studios, one of Ruby City's top-tier independent entertainment labels which churned out highly successful acts.While Hitmaker didn't quite possess the global reach of a mega-syndicate like More Heat Entertainment, they were still a formidable force to be reckoned with within the urban entertainment sector. They controlled over forty percent of the local airwaves, and their absolute crown jewel, their top-earning chart-topping talent, was Annie.For years, there were a lot of underground rumors suggesting that Marcus and his star protégée were engaging in a highly toxic, transactional secret relationship behind closed doors.Seeing the unhinged, deeply possessive way he immediately reacted toward her theatrical tears seemed to instantly confirm the media's worst suspicions.Marcus’s cold, predatory eyes aggressively swept over the faces standing before him, seeking a target to crush.He s

The restaurant manager’s face entirely lost its remaining color, transforming into a sickly, translucent mask of sheer panic.His knees practically knocked together beneath his pressed trousers as he turned toward the smug CEO, his hands raised in a desperate, trembling gesture of supplication.He could aready see the headlines, the social media posts."Atlantic View, location for street fight."He shivered at the thought of his precious restaurants being dragged through the mud, of the always filled reservation lists drying up and his contstantly filled tables turning to a barren wasteland never to be rated highly."Please, Mr. Vern," the manager pleaded, his voice cracking and shaking violently as he practically went on his knees to beg the man."I implore you, let us please deal with this situation in a civilized manner. We are a world-class establishment. There is absolutely no need to bring the underbelly into a high-society dining room, please!""Oh, please! Maybe your pathetic,

With Leon’s massive, imposing shadow looming over their trembling frames and his unspoken threat of violence hanging heavily in the quiet air, Marcus and Annie were completely broken.Stripped of every single ounce of their high-society pride, they could do nothing but lower their heads toward the marble floor, their voices cracking as they softly muttered a desperate, hurried apology."We... we're sorry," Marcus whispered, his blood-smeared face burning with a profound, unprecedented level of shame."You call that an appology?" At his bellowing, the manager flinched and almost started crying."Does that honestly sound like a legitimate, heartfelt apology to any of you?!" Leon roared, his face contorting into an expression of sheer disgust as he drew his heavy boot up, delivering a sharp, agonizing kick directly to Marcus’s already sore bottom.The physical impact sent the CEO sliding a few inches forward against the stone.Terrified out of their minds of receiving another brutal, ear

Attention, all active administrative personnel and contracted talent. You are hereby ordered to immediately assemble in the main executive boardroom within the hour, or else penalties will be issued."The cold, perfectly synthesized corporate voice blared out simultaneously through the premium internal audio networks placed across the luxury talent lounges, the glass-walled creative offices, the state-of-the-art streaming booths, and the private rehearsal studios.It echoed everywhere, slicing through the standard midday hustle of the building.Almost immediately after the broadcast finalized, a massive, automated flood of priority emails and urgent texts was blasted out to every single individual directly affiliated with the systemic ledger of Hitmaker Entertainment.One of the prominent individuals who received the sharp vibration of that priority notification was Annie.Inside her private, velvet-accented dressing room, her personal assistant slowly glanced up from Annie's vibratin