"What are you mumbling about? Did you bring the contract?"A smooth, confident voice cut through Perry Bailey's frantic internal monologue. He jumped, spinning around to see Goldman Galt standing behind him, holding a glass of champagne.Perry wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and grabbed Goldman's arm, his voice trembling with desperation."Young Master Galt! Is it true? Can you really get me and my family to Snowland?"The past forty-eight hours had been a nightmare for the Bailey family. They had packed their bags and rushed to the provincial airport, intending to flee the country before the financial implosion of Bailey Pharma became public knowledge.But at the immigration checkpoint, their passports had triggered an alarm. They were on the "No Fly List." Their assets were frozen. They were trapped like rats in a cage, waiting for the exterminator.It was in that moment of absolute panic that Goldman Galt had contacted him."Relax," Goldm

Tia Sutton stumbled across the polished marble floor, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Tears streamed down her face, ruining her makeup and leaving black streaks of mascara on her pale cheeks. She looked like a flower crushed in a storm—disheveled, missing a shoe, and trembling with terror.She ran straight toward Ruby Jordan, seeking sanctuary.Behind her, the heavy mahogany doors of the VIP lounge swung open.Ethan Wolfe walked out. He looked immaculate. His hair was perfectly styled, his clothes unwrinkled, and his expression was one of cool, detached disappointment.Trailing him was his manager, a heavy-set man with a greasy face, holding a single high-heeled shoe by the strap as if it were a piece of evidence in a murder trial."Sister! What happened to you?!"Claire Lynch, who had been standing nearby, saw the commotion first. Her eyes widened in shock. She rushed over, catching Tia just as her legs gave out, pulling her into a protective

The ballroom fell into a silence so profound you could hear a pin drop. It was a vacuum of shock, sucking the air out of the room.Five years ago, Ethan Wolfe had exploded onto the scene with a hit TV drama that swept across The Republic like a wildfire. He became an overnight sensation, the face of a generation. At that time, the Lynch Group was at its zenith, a titan of industry in Northriver.They had spent millions on a marketing campaign to announce Ethan as their new brand ambassador. Billboards were rented, commercials were filmed, and the hype was astronomical.But then, abruptly, the deal was dead.The Lynch Group canceled the contract without explanation. Rumors swirled in the tea houses and boardrooms of Northriver. Some said it was a money dispute; others whispered about creative differences. But the truth remained buried in the corporate archives.Now, Claire Lynch, the former CEO herself, stood in the center of the room and accused the supersta

At the lavish banquet hosted by Ted Wolfe, the richest man in Northriver, a shocking scene unfolded.Ethan Wolfe, the top-tier idol who had just signed a massive endorsement deal with the Wolfe Group, stood frozen in disbelief. His manager—the man who controlled his schedule, his image, and his dirty secrets—had just been slapped into oblivion by Jack Brooks.That slap wasn't just a physical blow; it was a thunderclap that shattered the social order of the room.The ballroom fell into a silence so deep it felt like a vacuum. The only sound was the wet, gurgling moan of Manager Wang, who lay amidst the ruins of the seafood buffet, covered in crushed ice and cocktail sauce.Clink.A champagne glass slipped from a socialite's hand and shattered on the marble floor. No one moved to clean it up. Most of the guests were staring with their mouths agape, their eyes wide with a mixture of horror and disbelief.Tia Sutton felt her heart stop. The bloo

"I don't have the patience to bicker with a child," Jack Brooks said, meticulously wiping each of his fingers with a white napkin. He tossed the soiled cloth onto the table, his expression bored."Tell your father, Ted Wolfe, to roll over here. And tell him to do it on his knees."The ballroom of the Northriver International Hotel froze. It was as if someone had pressed the pause button on reality.For a few seconds, there was no sound—no breathing, no clinking of glasses, no rustling of fabric. Just absolute, suffocating silence.Then, the dam broke."What the fuck... did I hear that right?""This guy... he isn't just arrogant. He's clinically insane! He's a lunatic!""Does he know who Ted Wolfe is? That's the Richest Man in Northriver! He controls half the city's economy! And this kid wants him to kneel? Who does he think he is? The Northern King? The Emperor?"The guests looked at Jack with eyes wide with disbelief and pity. They had