September in Liverton was bitter, with autumn winds stripping the dying leaves from the trees. Robert Depp stood like a steel spear outside the doors of a dilapidated clinic, a heavy black trench coat draped over his broad shoulders as the dead leaves settled on him."Take this lunatic you birthed and get the hell out of the Depp family of Kingston. Never come back."At thirty-four, the echoes of his banishment still haunted him. Ten years ago, he had been a member of the Depp family, one of the Three Great Families of Kingston. But a rare, volatile psychological fracture—the Rage Disorder—had seen him and his mother violently exiled to Liverton, forced to scrape by running this tiny clinic.Their fragile peace had shattered when the Rage Disorder relapsed. In a blind fugue, Robert had defiled Lily Lohan, the prized jewel of the Lohan family, earning himself an eight-year prison sentence. His mother had crawled back to Kingston on her knees to beg for mercy, only to be ruthlessly humi

"Fifty thousand dollars..."Jenna reached up with a trembling, dirt-smudged hand to touch her burning cheek, bursting into terrified tears. Her family had absolutely nothing. Her mother worked herself to the bone every single day just to afford Grandpa's medical bills and their rent. Just days ago, Jenna had seen her mother swallowing her pride, begging people for loans. If her mother found out they now owed fifty thousand dollars, she would be devastated."Uncle, my family has no money," Jenna pleaded, sitting on the cold pavement and clutching her bag of plastic bottles with white knuckles. Her eyes were red and swollen. "My mommy needs it for Grandpa's medicine and the rent. Can I... can I owe you? Once I sell these bottles, I'll pay you right back. I just don't want my mommy to work so hard. Please.""Not a chance in hell," the heavy-set man roared fiercely. "You had no money and still dared to hit my car? If you don't pay up, nobody can save you."A crowd had rapidly gathered aro

By 9:00 PM, the neon lights of Liverton flickered to life, signaling the start of the city's unapologetic, chaotic nightlife.Inside the opulent VIP room of the Riverstone Restaurant, the air was thick with the suffocating stench of expensive liquor, cigar smoke, and unchecked arrogance. John Campbell, the bloated, overconfident owner of Radiant Media, sat at the head of a sprawling banquet table. He was surrounded by a degenerate circle of cronies, all of them violently gorging themselves on premium food and alcohol."Hey, John," one of his half-drunk associates slurred, leaning across the table with a lecherous grin. "That woman at your company... Lily Lohan. Have you finally managed to get her into bed?""Not yet," John waved his hand dismissively, though a nasty sneer twisted his lips. "Damn it, don't let her erratic, unstable reputation fool you. That bitch is incredibly stubborn. I tossed a bank card with two hundred thousand dollars right in her face, and she still wouldn't bit

The next morning, sunlight cut through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Chairman's office at Northgate Group.Nicholas Hoult, the Chairman, bowed respectfully to the towering man standing before his mahogany desk. "Mr. Depp, thank you for agreeing to join Northgate. With you here, I am confident we will become the absolute apex of Armeria."Robert tossed the unsigned equity contract onto the desk. "I won't be signing this. I have no interest in sitting on your board as Chairman," Robert stated flatly. "Instead, you will hire me on a salary as the President of Northgate."Nicholas was stunned but immediately agreed. Securing Robert as a protective umbrella was a monumental victory for the company, regardless of the official title he demanded. "Of course! However, we already have an active President," Nicholas suggested cautiously. "Replacing him outright might trigger unnecessary corporate backlash. How about we establish a Co-President structure with equal authority?"Robert nodded

The stinging heat across her cheek snapped Lily Lohan back to reality in an instant."Mr... Mr. Muniz, didn't you ask me to come?" Lily pressed her palm to her face, her voice trembling with confusion and hurt."I asked you to come?" Frankie Muniz let out a laugh that was almost mocking, cold and sharp. He leaned back against his desk, arms crossed, his eyes cutting through her like glass. "I graduated from a top-tier university in the States. I'm a legitimate overseas PhD. And you?" He gestured dismissively toward the folder on his desk. "Take a look at your own resume. What exactly are you?"Lily felt her throat tighten. She wanted to respond, to defend herself, but the words wouldn't come."A street thug would have a more impressive resume than yours," Frankie continued, his tone laced with disdain. "And didn't you suffer from severe depression at some point? Did that old man send you to my office on purpose? Is he trying to push me out? Does he really