Dominic, sensing the thick silence in the room, took a deep breath and pressed on, "Colby, did youe back to handle some urgent business?"


    "Yeah, something pressing needs my attention," Colby replied, almost too casually. "Bring them in."


    Outside, a few burly guys were dragging Dominic''s wife and daughter up the stairs.


    Hailee, her makeup smeared from crying, was tightly bound, her plump figure shaking with fear. Beside her, Jasmine, also tear-streaked, pleaded desperately, "Dad! Help me, Dad!" Jasmine was still in her school uniform, clearly pulled out from ss.


    "My wife! My sweet girl..." Dominic''s voice cracked with terror. "Colby! What the hell is this? I''ve busted my ass for you for years, why are you doing this to my family?"


    "Dominic, let''s get one thing straight. Have you been working your ass off for Colby, or for the Pord family?" Sophie''s voice was soft but had a razor-sharp edge.


    Hearing the name "Pord family," the color drained from Dominic''s face.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    "Colby... Please, let me exin..." Dominic''s legs buckled, and he crumpled to his knees.


    Colby was notorious for his ruthless handling of traitors. Dominic stuttered, "It was the Pord family... They approached us for a partnership. Mr. Elwood, when he was still around, always had good rtions with them. They came to me recently to coborate, and in a moment of madness, I agreed. I thought it was just a minor thing. You were in Devonport, and I didn''t want to bother you with such trivial matters,


    so...


    "So, you decided for me, huh? You went ahead and struck a deal with the Pord family, letting the Minton family''s underground casino operate on my turf?" Colby''s words cut deep, and Dominic knew all too well the rules Colby hadid out.


    Ever since the White family got absorbed into Colby''s empire, he had decreed that no part of the overseas Costello Corporation would run secret casinos.


    By defying Colby, Dominic knew his fate would be grim, no better than Mr. Elwood''s...


    "Colby, I know I messed up, but I did. it for our guys! They work so hard all year and barely make ends meet. Without the casino, how are we supposed to survive?"


    "Ten million a year, and that''s not enough for you? Dominic, you greedy bastard." Colby''s tone was dripping with menace.


    Dominic was shaking, terrified that Colby might end his life right then and there.


    After all, Colby had taken down his own friends and even the mentor who had raised him, Mr. Elwood. What chance did a small fry like him have?


    Fighting his fear, Dominic said, "Colby, I did it for the Costello Corporation, so we could make more money, so our guys could have a better life..." Before he could finish, Sophie stood up from beside Colby.


    She walked over to Hailee and Jasmine, scrutinizing them. "The ne Hailee''s wearing is worth millions, the jade bracelet on her wrist is now probably a seven-figure sum, and those Australian white


    opal earrings and the emerald ring, tsk tsk... Her whole getup could buy a beachfront property."


    Hailee, feeling the weight of her guilt, couldn''t meet Sophie''s gaze.


    Sophie then turned her attention to Jasmine. The young girl, probably seventeen or eighteen, had a simple, pure beauty, her big, watery eyes making her look especially pitiful. en.swhovels