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The Underdog Turned Kingpin Chapter 75: Mama Lets Them Hang
Ethan Langford stormed through the ballroom like a hurricane in designer shoes, bourbon fumes trailing in his wake. His perfect hair had come slightly undone – the first crack in a facade that was about to shatter completely.The sight of Mason lounging at the King family table, radiating casual power like he'd been born to it, sent Ethan's blood pressure through the gilded ceiling."Well, well." Ethan's voice carried enough venom to stock a pharmacy. "If it isn't Chicago's trending thief."Mason didn't even glance up from his conversation with Helena. Just kept talking, soft and easy, like Ethan was nothing more than background noise.That casual dismissal hit Ethan harder than any punch. His face flushed red."Mrs. King." Ethan switched targets, aiming for charm but landing somewhere around desperate. "I must speak with you about this... situation."Charlotte's phone appeared like a weapon, recording light blinking red. Eve's fingers tapped a silent rhythm against her champagne flute
The Underdog Turned Kingpin Chapter 76: Now's My Turn
The live stream chat exploded. Olivia's face went from designer bronze to ghost white faster than a stock market crash. Her mouth opened and closed but no words could come out. Behind her, Ethan's face went from smug to stunned faster than a South Side minute."Mother." Mason's voice carried that dangerous quiet that made smart people reach for their lawyers. "Don't waste your breath. Some folks can't tell the difference between cubic zirconia and diamonds." His smile sharpened. "No matter how many times life tries to teach them.""How dare you!" Ethan started forward, but Eve's quiet cough stopped him cold. The way her hand rested on her clutch—just so—reminded everyone that South Side girls carried more than lipstick in their evening bags."Perhaps," Mason drawled, channeling every ounce of Leo's aristocratic arrogance, "y'all should reconsider your position here. Geographical and... otherwise.""Are you threatening us?" Ethan's voice cracked like cheap crystal."Nah." Mason's smile
The Underdog Turned Kingpin Chapter 77: From Wealth to Knees
"Kneel."Helena's command cut through the ballroom like a blade. The single word carried enough authority to make generals snap to attention.Ethan Langford, who'd spent his life believing money could buy respect, found himself facing something his millionaire cards couldn't touch – real power."I... what?" Ethan's face went from red to white faster than a traffic light."Your hearing seems impaired, Mr. Langford. Perhaps I should speak with someone more... responsive. Your father, perhaps?".The threat slithered through the air like a designer-clad cobra. Around them, phones appeared, everyone hungry for a piece of this latest King family drama, desperate to capture the moment Chicago's golden boy got his crown knocked sideways."Kneel." Helena stood, every inch the queen in her domain. "And apologize to my son."The crowd's collective gasp could've sucked the oxygen from the room. Whispers rippled through the crowd like wind through autumn leaves. "Is that really Leo King?" "The son
The Underdog Turned Kingpin Chapter 78: The Fall of House Influencer
Olivia's world crumbled in real time. Her phone buzzed incessantly – notifications from her "besties" unfollowing en masse, brand deals evaporating, and her carefully curated image dissolving with each refresh.Mrs. King had barely coughed and she was already disappearing."Three million followers," Charlotte mused, swirling her champagne while checking her phone. "Down to two point eight... two point five... sweet Jesus on a jewelry heist." Her laugh tinkled like crystal breaking. "They're dropping faster than bodies during Prohibition."Eve crossed her legs, South Side confidence in a North Shore setting. "Baby girl, where I come from – and trust, that ain't nowhere near your zip code – we got a saying: karma ain't just a bitch, she's a whole damn collection agency. And today?" She smirked. "She's come to collect."Mason hadn't moved from his chair, hadn't even looked at Olivia directly. His attention seemed focused entirely on adjusting his cufflinks – Leo's cufflinks – with the sa
The Underdog Turned Kingpin Chapter 79: The Weight of a Single Call
Mason watched Olivia crumble with the detached interest of a man studying a particularly fascinating car crash. The designer dress that had once made her feel invincible now looked like expensive wrapping paper after Christmas – beautiful, but ultimately disposable."You know what's funny?" His voice carried that particular South Side quiet that made smart people nervous. "All them followers, all them likes... and not one of them's gonna help you up off that floor."Charlotte's livestream count hit six figures. Comments flew past faster than bullets on a bad night:"THE QUEEN OF INSTA IS DEAD 👑💀""karma serving LOOKS tonight 💅""this tea is nuclear ☢️"Eve's laugh sparkled like broken glass. "Sugar, where I come from, we call this a biblical dropping of receipts.""Mr. Langford. Ms. Parker." Her voice cut through. "I believe your... performance has concluded. Though do remember – social media is forever. And Chicago..." Her smile promised winter in August. "Chicago never forgets."
The Underdog Turned Kingpin Chapter 80: The Battle for the Aurora Borealis Diamond
Eve moved with the grace of a street cat in designer heels, increasing the room's heartbeat, the small velvet box cradled in her hands."Mrs. King. Since we ain't been properly acquainted till now, I thought it right to mark the occasion." She extended the box with practiced elegance. "Something to show proper respect."Helena's fingers accepted the offering with aristocratic grace. "How... thoughtful." Her tone carried decades of social superiority. She paused, studying Eve with the intensity of a jeweler examining a suspicious stone. "Though one wonders what could warrant such... generosity.""Consider it a down payment," Eve purred, the street's edge barely masked by designer vowels. "On future family dinners."Charlotte perked up like a shark scenting blood. "Oh, this gonna be good." Her phone stayed steady, catching every micro-expression. The box opened with a whisper of expensive hinges.Light exploded.The Aurora Borealis Diamond caught the chandeliers' glow and multiplied it
The Underdog Turned Kingpin Chapter 81: The Stranger's Charm
While Mason and Eve claimed their spot on the dance floor, Olivia dragged what remained of her dignity toward the restroom. The walls of the Drake seemed to close in, each step on Italian marble echoing her downfall. No escape route tonight – not with Ethan locked into this circus of a party. Her only refuge? The powder room, where at least she could fall apart in private.She stumbled inside, her dress snagging the door like some bargain basement knockoff. Cold marble bit into her palms as she gripped the counter, staring at her reflection through tears that turned five grand worth of makeup into abstract art."Pull yourself together," she hissed, voice raw. "You're Olivia fucking Parker. You don't break. You break others."But the mirror wasn't buying her tough act. Designer dress, couture makeup, social media throne – all of it crashing harder than her her father's career. Fresh tears carved new paths down her cheeks, and this time she didn't fight them.The bathroom door creaked.
The Underdog Turned Kingpin Chapter 82: Sweet Poison
Charlotte King wasn't the type to stumble. Not in six-inch Louboutins, not in business, and definitely not into strange men at charity functions. But those eyes - deep brown with flecks of gold, like expensive bourbon in crystal - they made her forget about steady feet."Adrian De Silva." His voice carried Old World charm wrapped in New Money confidence. "And you must be Charlotte King." He caught her elbow as she steadied herself, his touch precise as a surgeon's."Must I?" Charlotte's eyebrow arched with practiced disdain, but her pulse quickened traitorously. The velvet box felt warm in her hands."The camera loves you," Adrian gestured to her phone. "Though it hardly does you justice.""Smooth." Charlotte's laugh held razors. "You practice that line in the mirror?""Only for the past hour." His smile turned self-deprecating. "Was it too much?""Honey, everything in this room's too much." Charlotte glanced around the opulent ballroom. "That's kind of the point."Adrian stepped clos
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Chapter 137: Burning Rubber, Burning Hearts
The air in the room shifted. Mason's eyes locked onto Eve while Sister Agnes's prayers buzzed in the background like white noise. The space felt cramped as a jail cell and big as Lake Michigan all at once, like the universe had condensed to focus on this single, volatile moment."Gotta lay this out straight," Mason said, voice rough as Chicago asphalt. "This ain't some walk in the park for me. These feelings for you... wanting you... still been burning me up inside for years. But I can't let you fall for some counterfeit Leo version of me. Not like this."Eve cocked her head, eyes sharp as a street hustler's. "You think you got exclusive rights to damaged goods, sugar?" Her words cut deep as a switchblade. "Maybe if you'd put in more effort finding me. Wasn't like I vanished into thin air."Mason's jaw clenched tight enough to crack teeth, her words stinging worse than he'd expected. "I busted my ass looking," he growled, frustration bleeding through. "Hit up every damn foster joint,
Chapter 136: A Thirty-Three-Year Secret
Agnes’ trembling hands gripped the edge of the garden bench like it was her last lifeline, her eyes playing ping-pong between Mason's burning stare and the dirt she looked ready to sink into."Aha, it's you, ain't it?" Mason's voice sliced through the silence, raw and unyielding. "You're the one behind all this shit. The reason I got dumped there… abandoned. Split from my own brother, from a mother who—damn her struggles—at least wanted to step up! But you—" His voice broke, but not his anger. "You still got no kids of your own, right? Now I see why."Agnes took the hit like someone catching a bullet, her oversized outfit couldn't hide how bad she was shaking. Even Eve felt that one land. She moved in quick, laying a steadying hand on Mason's arm. "Easy, Mace. Look at her... she's breaking apart here."Just then, Agnes crumpled to the garden soil, folding in on herself like a house of cards. Her lips moved without sound, hands pressing against her ears like she could block out Mason's
Chapter 135: The Road to Reckoning
"Jesus H. Christ," Eve breathed, the words hitting the air like bullets. "Your life's one hell of a mess, ain't it kid?" Her eyes stayed fixed on Agnes, watching for any sign of deception.Mason's face hardened into concrete, jaw working overtime as his teeth ground together. "The fuck you trying to tell me?"Agnes met his gaze. "I'm saying you're the product of a night Ramirez will never admit to, a drunken encounter with Camila. She worked as domestic staff in his residence." A pause to make sure that part sinked. "Camila possessed both beauty and an uncommon kindness. She remained beneath his notice until that particular evening when alcohol clouded his judgment. He..." Her voice wavered slightly. "He took advantage of her. The following morning, in what I can only describe as a fit of shame-induced rage, he had her forcibly removed from the premises. He claimed she... disgusted him, that she had provided him with what he termed 'the poorest sexual experience of his life.'"Mason's
Chapter 134: Between Two Worlds
Sister Agnes sat there looking like death warmed over, her face drawn tight as Mason and Eve leaned in close enough to catch a whisper. The old garden bench creaked under the weight of more than thirty years' worth of secrets.Agnes's fingers wove together like she was about to start praying, maybe for strength to get through this. "I wasn't meant to make it this far. Helena King, she made sure to clean up after herself - and we were the mess she needed gone." Her voice stayed level, but Mason caught that telltale shine in her eyes, the kind of tears tough old broads learn never to let fall.Eve stood rigid, immune to the waterworks routine. She'd seen enough crying games in her time to last several lifetimes. "If you're done with the drama show, maybe get to the part about how you're standing here breathing if you ain't meant to stay breathing this far."A sound escaped Agnes that might've been a laugh in another life. Her head shook slow, like she was trying to clear old cobwebs. "D
Chapter 133: The Truth in Tears
Mason nodded slow, hands still reaching for mercy. "I'm telling it straight. I'm Mason Rivers. Not Leo King. Never was."Eve's eyes narrowed to slits, her mind churning like the dirty waters of the Chicago River. Old memories leaked through the cracks in her armor - glimpses of a skinny kid with fire in his eyes who refused to let the orphanage break him down."Prove it," she spat, her voice a brittle edge. "Tell me something only the real Mace would know."Mason seized the lifeline like a drowning man. "Found you hiding in Sister Agnes's garden after you smashed that fancy china plate. Instead of selling you out, I split my chocolate bar with you." His lips twitched, remembering the exact words he used. "Told you sisters couldn't yell if your mouth was full of candy.""Fuck you!" The gun barked, sending dirt flying at Mason's knees. "I handed you that story myself at the damn luncheon, you two-faced bastard!""Wait... please... I'm not lying." Mason's whole body trembled, sweat mixin
Chapter 132: The Trigger and the Cross
Mason stood frozen, hands raised toward the sky. His mind raced through a lifetime of close calls, but this time felt different. This time, death wore Eve's face. His lips moved in a silent prayer - the kind reserved for men staring down the barrel of certainty.Eve's finger danced on the trigger, her eyes locked on Mason's every breath. Her chest heaved with each sharp intake of air, matching the hurricane of thoughts tearing through her head. Leo. Her teacher. The man who'd shown her how to survive when the streets wanted her dead. The same Leo who'd left bodies cooling in Chicago's darkest corners. Her head snapped side to side, trying to shake the memories loose. If she didn't end him here, now, she'd be next on his list. No way he'd let her walk after this.But before her finger could finish its deadly arc, Sister Agnes darted forward, her arms spreading wide like wings, standing guard against the violence crackling in the air."What are you doing?" Eve's words cut sharp. "Move i
Chapter 131: Checkmate in the Garden
She edged closer to the glass, assessing her surroundings. The garden was dense, its shadows deep and concealing. Perfect for an ambush if she played it right. Her eyes tracked possible escape routes as her mind tallied the odds. Agnes was terrified, which meant this could be a setup. Experience screamed that she needed to secure the perimeter before making her move. One wrong step now would get them both killed.Mason, unaware of Eve’s presence, leaned forward, closing in on Agnes like a shark that's caught the scent of blood, his gaze locking onto Agnes. "Why'd you do it?" he pressed. "Why'd you do it?" His voice scraped low, rough as broken glass. "Who's this woman you're talking about? The one you switched the babies for?"Agnes stuttered, her breath catching. "I... I was young." Her voice came soft, cultured - a reminder of her life before all this. "I didn't know better then. Could've gone to the authorities, yes, but..." She gave a bitter laugh. "They owned this city. What coul
Chapter 130: Between Lines and Choices
Agnes stumbled, her foot catching on an upturned root as she fled through the back garden. Mason stalked behind her, his breath coming in slow, measured exhales. He had no intention of harming her. His presence alone was a suffocating weight pressing down on her shoulders. When her knees finally gave out, she collapsed onto the damp earth, trembling hands clutching the hem of her worn skirt. Her tear-streaked face turned skyward as if seeking divine absolution. The garden's mint and lavender - normally so soothing - mixed with the metallic tang of fear coating her tongue."Please..." Agnes sobbed, her voice thin and cracking. "Don't kill me! I'll confess. I'll tell you everything. Yes... I switched... him. I switched him!" The words spilled from her like a prayer, desperate and raw.Mason crouched before her, his expression unreadable. Inside, his mind raced through possibilities he'd never allowed himself to consider. The words tumbling from her mouth were erratic, but the fragments
Chapter 129: More Pieces Missing Than Whole
Mason tore through the orphanage's corridors like a man running from his own shadow. He found Sister Margaret in the courtyard, her hands deep in the dirt, tending roses that had seen better days – just like everything else in this joint."Sister Margaret." The words came out with urgency."Mace?" She turned, concern etching lines in her face. "Didn't expect to see you back so quick."His throat worked like he was choking down bad booze. "Eva – she say anything about me? Anything strange?" The desperation in his voice would've gotten him killed in his other life, the one where Leo King ruled the Underworld with an iron fist.Margaret wiped earth from hands that had dried more tears than he could count. "You're shaking like a junkie in withdrawal, boy. Eva dropped by, played Santa Claus to the kids, took a walk in the garden. Nothing worth getting your shorts in a twist over." Her eyes cut through him sharper than a switchblade. "Though she seemed... thoughtful but harmless.""The gard
