LOGIN"Breaking news. A massive earthquake has struck Chicago's business scene.Pamela Crawford, founder of the 'Pamela Beauty Empire,' was taken into custody by the FBI this morning, facing charges of massive tax evasion, commercial fraud, and market manipulation.""According to insiders, the evidence of her crimes is ironclad. Prosecutors say this operation will tear out the brand's gray-market industry by the roots, and they are seeking the maximum sentence. All her assets have been frozen."I sat on my velvet sofa and hit mute on the remote.On the giant flat-screen TV, Pamela's hands were cuffed tightly behind her back. Two massive FBI agents roughly shoved her into an armored police vehicle. Her face was swollen like a purple pumpkin. That arrogant swagger was totally gone. That smug expression as she held up her phone, livestreaming and calling me a "poser" and "wannabe"—all that remained in her eyes was a deeply satisfying, absolute despair.It had been three days.The storm sparked
With the hotel manager dealt with, my gaze fell back onto Pamela and Carl.Seeing this, Pamela quickly crawled over and started bowing like her head was on a spring."Mr. Ricci! Please give me a chance to make this right!"She smacked her forehead on the floor so hard it bled. Her voice trembled violently."I'll give you everything I own! I have connections at the Chamber of Commerce! I can be a mole for the Ricci Family!""I have proof of other businesses evading taxes, competitors' scandals—I can give you all of it! I was blind to call you a suite-renter! Just give me one chance!"I looked at this pathetic, begging dog with total disgust."Do you really think the Ricci Family needs a backstabber like you? A two-bit hype-beast who built her empire on stealing formulas?"Pamela went dead pale. She knew damn well that to the Mob, a traitor is far worse than an enemy.I spoke slowly, every word carrying the weight of a death sentence."First. The documents you destroyed involved a twenty
The screams had drawn attention.Heavy footsteps echoed as the hotel manager, Marcus Morrison, rushed out of the stairwell, panting, a walkie-talkie in hand."What's going on? Someone said the penthouse..."He stopped mid-sentence. He took in the scene and froze solid.A dozen men in black, locked and loaded.A floor covered in blood and shattered glass.A half-dead Carl.Pamela, licking blood off the floor like a feral dog.And the terrifying Romano.Marcus's legs turned to jelly. He collapsed onto the floor, a dark wet stain instantly spreading across his crotch.Then, the elevator doors opened again.A silver-haired man in a flawless suit rushed out, sweating profusely. He completely ignored Pamela's silent pleas and walked straight up to me, giving a deep bow."Mr. Ricci. I'm Aaron Morgan, the Consigliere of the Ricci Family. I also own this hotel. The second I heard what was happening, I rushed over."Aaron looked up, sweat beading on his forehead. "This is a failure of my managem
The hallway was dead silent. The only sound was Pamela's high-pitched panting and her smug little chuckles.I leaned back in my lounge chair, coldly watching this pathetic circus. My gaze swept over Romano.Just one look.The blood in Romano's veins practically turned to ice. He didn't dare waste another second talking. He swung his massive arm back and put every ounce of his strength into it.Smack!Pamela, in her Chanel suit, slammed hard against the wall, leaving two streaks of blood on the wallpaper. Her phone shattered. The livestream cut to black."Ahhh!" She let out a bloodcurdling scream like a slaughtered pig. Clutching her face, she looked up in total shock and disbelief."Mr... Romano? You... you hit the wrong person, didn't you? The one who messed up my livestream is over there!"Before she could even process what happened, Romano was on her like a rabid beast. He raised his custom leather shoe and stomped ruthlessly on her face, grinding it into the floor."If you want to
The elevator light stopped at the penthouse.Ding.The metal doors slowly slid open."Who the fuck is messing with my husband?!"A woman in a Chanel suit and oversized sunglasses stormed out. She was dripping in designer labels, teetering on ten-inch heels, holding up the latest phone—already livestreaming—with two camera operators trailing behind her.It was the "unstoppable" influencer-turned-businesswoman, Pamela.She screamed into her camera: "Look, my followers! It's this nobody renting a suite to play rich, bullying my husband! Everyone help me dox him! Make sure he never works in this industry again!"But the moment she saw the hallway, she froze.Over a dozen heavily armed mobsters were staring dead at her.Over a dozen dark gun barrels aimed right at her chest.Pamela trembled in terror. Her foundation caked as cold sweat broke out.But then she spotted Romano, who had just stood up from the shattered glass. Because Romano had been kneeling with his back to the elevator, Pamel
When Carl heard me call Romano, he acted like it was the joke of the century.He was laughing so hard he was crying, slapping his thigh. "My God! You can't be serious. You're calling Romano? Hahahaha! A nobody renting a suite for clout knows Romano's name? What gangster movie did you pull that from?"The security guard cracked up too. "You're quite the actor, Mr. Ricci! Do you have any idea who Mr. Romano is? You think dropping his name scares us? Mr. Romano sneezes and this whole city shakes. And you? You're just some guy in a rented suit posing by the pool. I've seen your type a thousand times—stay two days, take a few hundred photos for social media, think that gets you into high society."Carl was breathless from laughing. "You think that name scares us? Romano owns the entire South Side. He sneezes and the whole city trembles. And you? Who the hell are you? A two-bit wannabe renting a suite for photo ops—you're not even fit to mention his name.""My wife Pamela is one of his peopl







