As for Ralph, Alexander would put the matter aside for two days and see what Margaret wished to do.

Ralph drove aimlessly, pulling over to the curb when his car sputtered to a near-stop. Midnight. The starless sky was dark. Several food trucks lined the roadside, offering midnight snacks; the appetizing smells reaching Ralph's rumbling stomach.

He exited his car and took a seat at a table. "I'd like three bacon cheeseburgers and a dozen beers," he ordered.

The owner quickly returned with the food and beer. Ralph devoured the burgers and beer, finding a temporary respite from his troubles and humiliation. Lost in the boisterous crowd, he remained unnoticed.

He finished more than half his beer, becoming slightly intoxicated. A wave of sadness washed over him. No one had contacted him since he'd been gone. "All that talk about Mom's love...she's the one who caused my downfall," he thought bitterly. "Liars, all of them!"

He angrily munched on his burger, forgetting his phone was switched off. He downed two more beers, watching fashionably dressed individuals enter and exit a nightclub across the street. He barely glanced at the place; once a regular haunt, it now only served as a backdrop for his sorrow, his future uncertain.

"Six double cheeseburgers. Send them to the private room," someone ordered, gesturing toward the nightclub.

The food truck owner accepted the order. As the customer turned to leave, he spotted Ralph. Hesitantly, he cocked his head, studying Ralph before approaching and playfully wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "Hey, aren't you from the Russell family? What are you doing here, sitting like a commoner?"

Ralph barely lifted his eyelids. He recognized the man: Sean Miller, a wealthy but relatively minor figure from Kingsland. They'd clashed before; Sean had backed down then, outmatched by the Russell family's power.

"This world is small as hell," Ralph thought.

"Fuck off!" Ralph growled, staggering to his feet.

"Hey! You haven't paid!" the food truck owner shouted, hurrying out.

Ralph hadn't intended to skip payment; he'd simply forgotten. Sean, however, restrained him. "What? Can't even afford burgers? Run out of money? Oh, yeah, I heard someone from the Russell family is a fraud. Thought you were wealthy, but you're worthless," Sean jeered, laughing.

Ralph whirled, throwing a punch. "Fuck you!"

Unprepared, Sean took the blow. He recovered, cursed, and retaliated. A brawl erupted.