Chapter 1 Chapter 1

10 years after graduation, I drove my old Ford to the reunion. My former classmates arrived in Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Maybachs, and even a gold Bugatti. Compared to their cars, mine looked downright pathetic. Their words were laced with mockery, barely concealed beneath thinly veiled smiles. The only one who comforted me was Dolly Stevens, the former cheerleading assistant, who even hinted that I would be driving a luxury car someday. Back in high school, I had top grades and was in great shape, which was why the cheer coach personally recruited me onto the team. However, my personality never quite fit in with the other girls. If it were not for Dolly's constant messages, I would not have bothered coming tonight at all. I had canceled an important meeting with overseas investors just to spare two hours for this event. Alas, instead of the long-lost camaraderie I had hoped for, I was met with relentless boasting and empty chatter. Inside the banquet hall, champagne flowed freely, laughter filled the air. Conversations revolved around luxury cars, investments, and social status. I hated this atmosphere. Turning around, I prepared to leave. Dolly immediately reached out to stop me. "There's nothing shameful about driving a cheap car, Nicole. Don't be in such a rush to go." I was just about to respond when a former male classmate, who had mocked me, glanced at me with a sneer. "Yeah, yeah, we haven't seen each other in years. Don't you want to catch up? "Though… It looks like no one really wants to talk to you anyway. I mean, showing up in that broken old Ford? How can you even compare to us 'successful people'?" By the end of his sentence, he had already burst into laughter. I looked up at him and said coldly, "No need. I only came as a favor to Dolly. Next time, don't bother inviting me to gatherings like this." The moment I said that, Merla Ivanov, the one everyone had been fawning over, suddenly stood up. "What do you mean by that, Nicole? Are you saying we're not worthy of having dinner with you?" Merla stood tall, her gaze filled with contempt. Once the captain of the cheerleading squad, she had always been stunning and arrogant. At this moment, her fiance was the heir to the powerful Reno crime family, one of the most notorious in the city. Naturally, everyone flocked around her. She deliberately twisted my words, and the crowd quickly chimed in. "Oh wow, driving a beat-up Ford and still looking down on us?" "Before I came, I thought our top-performing, coach's favorite team member would've turned out impressive. Guess not." "Good grades in school don't mean a thing. After graduation, you're just another nobody who left home only to be grinding away in New York." Left home? They were not wrong. In a city like New York, no matter what job a person had, they would always feel like an outsider, never truly belonging. "Grades mean nothing now. Once you step out of school, it's all about money and power." I took a deep breath, eager to escape this pretentious gathering. "Everyone, I sincerely apologize, but I have an important meeting coming up. This dinner is on me. Order whatever you want. Just send me the bill later." I reached for the door handle, ready to leave, but Merla suddenly blocked my way. The next second, the doors swung open. A dozen burly men in black suits entered in formation, each wearing a golden badge on their chests, a symbol of the Reno Family. One of the city's oldest and most powerful mafia clans. Merla downed the rest of her drink, wiped the corner of her lips, and spoke in a chilling tone, "Did I say you could leave, Nicole? "This meal alone is worth at least a hundred thousand dollars. Do you think your measly salary can cover that?" At that moment, a man with an eagle tattoo on his chest, his low-cut shirt revealing part of the ink, pushed me back into my seat. Lifting my chin, he leaned in close. "After all these years, you're still just as pathetic."

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

I studied the guy from head to toe but could not recognize him at all. "What's with that look? Don't tell me you don't remember me?""Sorry, I've met too many people over the years. It's hard to keep track." The truth was, I had zero idea who he was. He raised an eyebrow, let out a mocking laugh, and said, "Oh, cut the act, Nicole. You chased after me for three whole years in high school." The moment he said that, a familiar image surfaced in my mind. Nonetheless, the man standing in front of me now was nothing like the one I remembered from back then. "You wouldn't happen to be Conway Hastings, would you?" Hearing me say his name, he immediately looked smug. "After all these years, you still can't forget about me, huh?" Halfway through his sentence, Conway suddenly changed his tone. "But let me remind you—don't get any ideas. I'm already engaged, thanks to the beautiful Merla. She introduced me to a Reno family heiress." So the former high school football star had turned into someone absolutely repulsive. Everyone knew he and Merla had been fooling around for years. Joining the Reno family was just a convenient excuse to continue their affairs. "That gold Bugatti at the entrance? It's hers. You could never afford one in your lifetime." Noting my prolonged silence, Conway patted my shoulder with his strong arm. "But there's one way you could get behind the wheel of a Bugatti: be Merla's chauffeur. The salary alone would be way better than whatever you're making as a low-level employee." As soon as he said that, the room erupted in laughter. I did not understand why these people needed to humiliate others just to feel superior. I swore I would never attend another reunion like this again. Ignoring their taunts, I picked up my coat and slipped it on. "Are you done? If so, move aside. I have things to do." However, the men at the door did not step aside. Merla leaned back slightly, her tone amused. "The entire restaurant, along with this entire block, belongs to the Reno family. Do you think you can just walk out whenever you want? "You're not leaving this place unless I say so." The air grew tense. Sensing something was off, Dolly quickly stepped in to ease the situation. "Come on, we've all been classmates for over ten years. No need to ruin the mood over something so trivial." She turned to me, speaking in a softer, persuasive tone. "Nicole, it's rare for everyone to get together. Why ruin the fun? Just sit down, have a drink, and chat for a bit." I knew she was trying to help, but I had a meeting to attend. People were waiting for me. "Sorry, Dolly." I gave her a small smile, my tone calm. "I really am the one killing the mood, but I have more important matters to handle. "The family meeting has already started. The top leaders are waiting for me." The moment I finished speaking, Merla's expression turned ice-cold. With a loud crash, she smashed her glass onto the floor, shards scattering everywhere. "A family meeting?" She scoffed. "Nicole, you're just a lowly employee. What kind of 'family meeting' could you possibly attend?" Her eyes were full of disdain, her lips curled in mockery. "You must be delusional. What leader would ever wait for you?" I was about to respond when Dolly quickly grabbed my arm, whispering urgently, "Nicole, don't mess with Merla. You know how powerful the Reno family is." She hesitated, then lowered her voice even more. "If you cross her, you won't just be forced out of this city… You won't even have a way to survive." I knew exactly how powerful the Reno family was. Too bad… they were not powerful enough to touch me. I gently patted Dolly's hand to reassure her, then lifted my gaze, locking eyes with Merla. "Merla, if your hostility toward me is because I once had a crush on Conway… Then let me make one thing very clear, he was never good enough for me." I did not intend to provoke her, but from the start, this so-called reunion had felt like a low-grade trial. I came with the hope of clearing up misunderstandings, but some people simply refused to face reality. Merla's expression darkened completely. Her eyes burned red with fury, and the killing intent in them was unmistakable. "Heh. Nicole, you wretch! Are you saying I stole your man? My fiance is the heir to the Reno family! Do you even realize what you're saying? Do you want to die?!" The laughter around us grew louder, as if everyone was waiting for me to be humiliated. I could have hit her with a sharp, mocking remark, one that would crush her completely, but I had no interest in entertaining her any longer. "I don't have time for this nonsense. Tell your people to get out of my way."

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Faced with Merla's repeated provocations, I was not angry. Instead, I chose to tolerate her entirely. After all, this was a class reunion. I did not want to ruin the atmosphere. However, before I could take a few steps, Merla's bodyguards grabbed and restrained me. She strutted up to me arrogantly and slapped me hard. "You really think you're somebody, huh? You think you can just leave whenever you want? You loved tattling back when we were on the cheer squad, didn't you? Well, let's see who in this circle is going to stand up for you now?" I stared at her coldly, my voice low and steady. "Merla, this is my final warning. Back in high school, you loved playing your little clique games, turning the cheer squad into your personal team, teaming up with your lap dogs to isolate any girl who didn't bow to you. "But you're an adult now. You might want to start weighing the consequences of your actions." Hearing this, Merla let out a short laugh as if I had just told the most ridiculous joke. Her gaze swept over the former classmates gathered around us. "You all heard that, right? She told me to consider the consequences! Hahahaha! "Even if I kill you today, what could you do to me? I'm going to be the future lady of the Reno family. Taking care of you would be as easy as squashing an ant!" I slowly lifted my head, suppressing the fury burning inside me. "Merla, have you ever heard the saying, 'There's always someone stronger'? Some people are simply not to be messed with. I suggest you let me go now. Otherwise, the one who'll regret it won't be me. It'll be you." Our former classmates started whispering among themselves. "A nobody like her acts tough? What a joke.""So what if she works in New York? Without power or connections, she's nothing more than a stray dog." The former class president, clearly panicking, lowered his voice and urged, "Just apologize. Don't go against her. The Reno family is ruthless! Even people with higher status than you have had to kneel and beg for mercy after crossing Merla." I scanned the faces around me that were once so familiar but were filled with nothing but mockery and cowardice. So this was what they called 'classmate camaraderie'? All I had done was try to leave early, yet they insulted and humiliated me over and over again. They called me poor and said I drove a cheap car. I did not care, but… Someone actually dared to lay hands on me? When she noticed my silence, Merla assumed I had backed down. She pulled out a thick stack of cash from her pocket. "Nicole, here's a hundred grand. All you have to do is lick the dirt off my high heels, and the money's yours.""Otherwise…" She drew out the word, amusement flickering in her eyes. "Consider it your medical bill." My expression turned ice-cold. "Merla, you're really digging your own grave. Do you have any idea who you just laid hands on?" Instead of backing down, Merla's arrogance only grew. "You? Who could you even be?" She lifted her chin, signaling toward the entrance. "That Bugatti over there? A single drop of its paint costs more than your entire car!" I could not help but laugh. She didn't know what that old Ford of mine really represented. Every mafia family in the world would be bowing in respect the moment they saw the license plate. Merla's ignorance was not the scary part. The scary part was that she did not even realize she had just made the worst mistake of her life.

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

As soon as the words left my mouth, the private lounge erupted into thunderous applause. Merla's former cheer squad, her so-called 'sisterhood', grinned excitedly, clapping and showering her with praise like they were worshipping their queen. "Merla was born to be a queen! She's marrying a mafia heir at such a young age, driving million-dollar sports cars. She's an inspiration to all of us!""Exactly! Who would've thought our old cheer captain would become a true high-society lady?""Nicole, stop acting tough! Just get on your knees and apologize to Merla already! A single coat of paint on her car is worth more than what you make in years!" Their laughter was filled with malice, like a flock of vultures circling, waiting to see me humiliated. Merla basked in their admiration, lounging lazily on the sofa with a smug smirk. "Nicole, weren't you acting all tough just now? What, cat got your tongue?" She lazily lifted a hand, gesturing toward me with a disdainful look. "If you don't kneel and apologize, I'll have your car smashed to pieces. Do you believe me?""I don't." Merla's expression darkened instantly, her eyes flashing with cruelty. After a moment of thought, she waved her hand decisively, her tone arrogant and ice-cold as she said, "Everyone, follow me. Let's give our classmates a little show. Watch me wreck her pathetic car." Her former cheer squad shrieked in excitement, rushing outside as if they were about to witness some grand execution. The night air carried a sharp chill. The headlights illuminated Merla's face, her expression full of arrogant delight. "Smash it." Her bodyguards stepped forward, swinging iron rods straight at the windows and hood. However, after just a few blows, their movements slowed, and their triumphant expressions turned to confusion. "Ms. Ivanov, this car… won't break." Merla frowned at their hesitation, snatching an iron rod herself. Gritting her teeth, she swung down hard. Once. Twice. Three times! Sparks flew, the impact numbing her hands, but the car remained almost untouched. Apart from a few scratches, even the windows were completely intact. She panted, sweat forming on her forehead, her expression twisting with frustration. "What the hell? What kind of crappy car is this?!" Just then, my phone vibrated in my pocket. As I watched her increasingly frantic performance, I casually answered the call. "Yeah, I've run into a bit of a problem. I won't be able to make it back." The voice on the other end was calm and steady. "Location.""The Reno family's hotel. Bring everyone here." Ending the call, I pocketed my phone and met Merla's furious gaze with a faint smile. "I don't know about steel reinforcement, but this car is bulletproof and worth quite a bit." She sneered. "Stop bluffing. It's just an old Ford. How expensive could it be?" Just then, a gasp rang out from the crowd. "Look!" Everyone turned at once, their expressions instantly stiffening. A fleet of black SUVs, all bearing the emblem of the Genovese Family, roared down the street. Like a pack of silent panthers, they closed in under the night sky.