The Underdog Turned Kingpin

Chapter 25: Different Devil

Twenty minutes later, Maria clicked her way into Ramirez's study, trading her "tactical black gear" for a slinky red dress that hugged her curves like a Ferrari on Lake Shore Drive.

The mansion rose like an old-world castle transplanted to Chicago's Gold Coast - all limestone and arrogance. The foyer's marble floor, imported straight from Carrara, Italy, spread beneath her feet like frozen music. Crystal chandeliers dripped light onto oil paintings worth more than most people made in a lifetime. Renaissance masters stared down from gilded frames - silent witnesses to decades of deals and deaths.

Armed guards stood at attention, their respect genuine. In Ramirez's world, Maria had earned her stripes the hard way. The study itself was a testament to power - Brazilian walnut panels lined walls thick enough to muffle screams, while floor-to-ceiling windows offered panoramic views of the city Ramirez helped rule. Books nobody read filled custom shelves, their leather spines more prop than