The downtown bar was dimly lit, casting an intimate glow. Dennis sat alone at the bar, nursing his drink with a brooding expression.
A month ago, he had bought this bar.
But whether it was open or not depended entirely on his mood.
Tonight, he was drinking alone again.
He still hadn't found the girl who had stolen his family heirloom.
Dennis had sent people to look for her, hoping to find her soon.
Before long, his bodyguard reported that they had found the cab driver who had driven the girl that day.
When the driver arrived, Dennis asked coldly, "Where did the girl go?"
The driver, in his forties with a scruffy beard and a weathered face, looked puzzled. "Sorry, sir, which day are you talking about?"
Frustrated, Dennis glanced at his bodyguard, who nodded slightly and pulled out a phone, showing the driver a side profile photo.
The driver leaned in to take a closer look and finally responded.
"That girl was drunk and heavily made-up. I thought she was in that line of work and asked her how much for the night. She hit me and demanded to get out halfway, didn't even pay the fare. Look, she did this to me!"
The driver lifted his hair to reveal a 3-4 centimeter scabbed wound on his forehead.
"What do you mean by 'that line of work'?" Dennis pressed.
The driver, realizing Dennis wasn't some naive young man, smirked. "You know, selling herself. Nowadays, young girls who need money do that. I've been with a few when I'm lonely. They're pretty good, soft skin, good skills, make you feel like jelly."
"Enough!" Dennis snapped, waving his hand.
The bodyguard escorted the driver outside.
Soon, the bodyguard returned. "Mr. Gonzalez, the driver says he doesn't remember. He was crying, saying he didn't offend us. Should we..."
The bodyguard made a throat-slitting gesture.
"No, this is Shadow City. We can't make a scene," Dennis shook his head and pulled out some cash.
"Yes, sir." The bodyguard took the money and went outside.
Seeing the cash, the driver's eyes lit up. "Rainbow District."
"Are you sure? If you're lying, we'll find you and your family no matter where you go," the bodyguard warned before letting the driver go.
At the location, a supermarket's surveillance camera had captured the girl.
Dennis scrutinized the footage, confirming she was the one who had stolen his family heirloom.
Further investigation revealed her name: Claire Murphy.
Dennis, the sole heir to a billion-dollar fortune, was used to being the prince among women. Losing the family heirloom for over a month was a humiliation he couldn't bear.
He vowed to find the girl and make her pay.
As he flipped through the documents, his gaze lingered on "Beck Murphy."
Claire's father, Beck, was the chairman of two publicly traded companies. Once a high-flyer, he had fallen into debt, owing the bank two billion dollars due to poor management.
Desperate to save his company, Beck sought a marriage alliance, planning to marry Claire off to Otis Jenkins, the heir of the Jenkins family.
However, just before the wedding, Claire disappeared, and her whereabouts remained unknown.
Beck and his wife, Sabrina, were frantic, speculating that Claire had run away because she was unhappy with Otis's appearance.
Late one night, Beck received a chilling phone call: "The Murphy Group has been bought out. All your funding projects are canceled."
Beck was stunned, realizing his company was finished.
The Murphy Villa was brightly lit but filled with a tense atmosphere.
The next morning, Beck received another call from his creditors.
They had jointly sued the Murphy Group, demanding immediate bankruptcy liquidation.
Beck's world collapsed. He knew someone was orchestrating this.
A friend hinted that he might have offended a powerful figure.
That day, the police stormed the Murphy Villa, arresting Beck on charges of commercial fraud.
Sabrina cried out their innocence, but the media frenzy couldn't be stopped.
The Murphy family became the center of national and international attention, the once-mighty Murphy Group crumbling overnight under a thirty-billion-dollar debt.
Former sycophants now avoided them like the plague.
Dennis, however, smiled with satisfaction.
He sat on the bar's sofa, playing with a gold lighter, his eyes gleaming with a sense of revenge.
All because Claire had stolen his family heirloom and disappeared, he had taken his anger out on the entire Murphy family. He vowed to make Claire pay for her actions.
His plan was already halfway successful.
Only by pushing the Murphy Group to the brink could he force Claire to show herself.
He waited to see Claire's reaction when she returned. He wanted her to understand the cost of crossing him.
Meanwhile, Raymond invited Dennis to lunch.
They sat by the window in a restaurant.
Raymond half-jokingly asked Dennis what gift he planned to give Sam.
Dennis was taken aback.
Raymond mentioned that Sam liked Lego sets and jokingly told Dennis to remember to bring a gift for his son when he got married.
Getting into the spirit, Raymond invited Dennis to be his best man.
But Dennis declined, saying he didn't want to steal the spotlight.
The two bantered back and forth, the atmosphere light and friendly.
But when the topic turned to the Murphy Group, Dennis's expression hardened.
He made it clear that his drastic actions were to force Claire to come out of hiding.
It was Claire who had angered him.
Raymond looked sympathetic, knowing that once Dennis made up his mind, it was hard to change.
Far away in Thalassia, Claire held a newspaper, shocked.
Her face showed disbelief.
The paper reported Beck's arrest and the company's bankruptcy.
Only then did she realize the damage her runaway act had caused her family.
Claire was filled with regret.
She decided to return home immediately and face everything.
She hurriedly packed her bags and rushed to the airport.
On the plane, Claire sat anxiously, her mind racing.
She couldn't imagine Beck being taken away and Sabrina being left alone and helpless.
Claire kept flipping through the news about Beck.
Her heart was filled with guilt and self-blame.
She wanted to appear before them immediately and tell them it wasn't her fault.
Claire clenched her fists, vowing to uncover the truth and clear Beck's name.
When the plane landed at Shadow City International Airport, Claire hurried out. But as she neared home, three black Mercedes blocked her cab.
A group of men in black suits surrounded her cab.
One of them approached, knocked on the window, and said sternly, "Ms. Murphy, someone wants to see you."
In the dark night, Claire stood by the roadside, anxiously waiting.
A black Bentley slowly approached, the window half-open. A deep voice came from inside, "Ms. Murphy, please get in the car if you want to save your father."