how did astor make his money

Layla Nott has been infatuated with Seth Upton since she was a teenager and even willingly gives him her vast inheritance to help him build Upton Group, transforming the Upton family into one of the most prominent families in Yeldon. However, ever since she married into the Upton family,her health has deteriorated. One day, after a visit for medical treatment, she returns home to find Seth fooling around with her stepsister,Sharon Black. Septh's mother, Susan Upton, is at home and clearly condones the affair. After being humiliated by Sharon and Susan, Layla is left shaken by Seth's confession—he has only ever been interested in her wealth and has never loved her. He has even purchased a massive life insurance policy on her and is now waiting for her death to cash in on the payout. Heartbroken by the revelation, Layla feels her life is pathetic.Impatient for her demise, Seth takes her to the rooftop and pushes her off. As she plunges to her death, Layla swears that if she were given another chance, she would exact her revenge and make sure they pay for their betrayal.

I am diagnosed with severe systemic lupus erythematosus, and I only have three days left to live. When my husband rejects my 188th plea for help, I take my test results and enter the hospice care center. "Hello, I'd like to schedule my own cremation process and apply for government aid." Ten minutes later, they arrive. Before I can speak, my lawyer husband, Jasper Horton, coldly slaps me across the face. "You're faking a terminal illness just to steal attention from Janice?" My doctor brother, Casey Carter, snatches the medical report from my hand and scoffs at it. "Lupus? If you're going to fake being sick, at least make it believable. Only one in a million people gets this." I endure the pain in my body, return to the counter, and hand in the application form and my medical records once more. The staff member sees the butterfly-shaped rash on my wrist and sympathizes with me. "I have no family left," I say. "I'm requesting cremation in three days, location doesn't matter. I just don't want my death to burden anyone."

Attending the ten-year high school reunion for the cheerleading squad and football team, I arrived in an old domestic Ford, while the parking lot was filled with Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Maybachs, and even a gold Bugatti. It was as if I were the only relic from another era. The moment I stepped out of my car, a former classmate, whose name I could no longer remember, looked at me with a sneer. “Well, if it isn’t the coach’s pet. How is it that after all these years, you’re still driving this beat-up old Ford?” “This thing looks like it belongs in a scrapyard from the last century!” During dinner, everyone gathered around the Bugatti owner, raising their glasses in celebration, while I was left ignored at the side. Only the cheerleading assistant sat next to me, raising a glass in my direction with a comforting smile. “Don’t let it get to you. Your car may be old, but I believe you’ll be driving a luxury car one day.” I let a small smirk curl at the corner of my lips and lowered my voice. “This car may look unimpressive, but it’s been fully upgraded with a carbon fiber body. It’s already worth over half a million dollars. Too bad, none of you even recognized its true value.”

Ian Cowan transmigrates into a live-in son-in-law in a wealthy family,suffering his wife's infidelity and his in-laws' humiliation. At his lowest point, the "Wife-Spoiling System" awakens. However, Ian quickly discovers a system bug—married women other than his wife also qualify! He begins lavishly spending on every married woman except his cheating spouse. His mother-in-law, his rival's wife, businesswomen tycoons, underworld lady bosses, they all become targets of his "affection". The scorned son-in-law achieves an overnight reversal, tearing apart his unfaithful wife, crushing his enemies, and building his own commercial and social empire in the city.

Hilbert Rider takes the fall for his brother-in-law and goes to prison.Three years later, his ex-wife Tilly Jameson abandons and divorces him upon his release. At a major business summit, he reveals his true identity and dominates his rivals, leaving his ex-wife filled with regret. When his biological father dies, he returns to the family to battle his father's mistress and illegitimate son for inheritance and wins. By then, his ex-wife's remorse comes far too late.

Kayden Cooper, son of the nation's Commander-in-Chief, is raised by Camellia Grant, enduring Justin Steele's humiliations in silence. To protect his mother and Holly Becker, he secretly hones his martial arts. In the martial arts tournament, he reveals his true power, defeats his arrogant rival,and is finally recognized by his long-lost father. Kayden reclaims his identity, avenges his family, and seizes the authority he was born to wield.

Yunus's five-year old daughter was critically injured in a car accident, but his wife was next door, threatening all the doctors, demanding they check her white whale and his dog for injuries. Yunus buried his daughter with tears in his eyes, but his wife insisted on digging up the grave to bury the dog of her white whale! Yunus felt an intense hatred for his wife. And after returning to the wealthy elite, he went on a rampage and took revenge on his wife!

Leo, the young heir of a powerful family, was framed by his first love and thrown into prison. After that, except for his aunt, his entire family died tragically in an "accident", and his legacy was seized by his ex-girlfriend, Jenny. While Leo was in prison, he mastered various skills, from antique collection to medical treatment. Invincible as Leo was after he was released, Leo protected his last family, dominated the city, and started his revenge...

To fulfill a vow to his fallen mentor, transmigrated martial artist Hugo Norris endures three years of humiliation as Yulia Sutton's simp.Once his system awakens, granting him supreme power, he publicly reveals the truth, rejects his former tormentor, and shocks all with his might. Taking up his mentor's legacy, he begins a legendary rise, facing clan conflicts with his newfound strength.

Three days before my marking ceremony, someone set fire to the bridal shop while I was inside trying on my ceremonial dress. Alpha Marcus threw the arsonist into the pack prison, sentencing them to the harshest punishment our laws allowed. I lay in the hospital bed, my body covered in third-degree burns, refusing to wake fully as the reality of my disfigurement sank in. In my semi-conscious state, I heard Marcus speaking with the pack's healing witch. "Alpha, we can still heal her completely with the ancient magic. If we wait any longer, Sarah will bear these scars for life! You just want Miss Rachel to be your Luna at the marking ceremony. This is cruel beyond measure!" "Let her keep the scars. I'll provide for her for the rest of her life, but if she's healed, she'll definitely cause trouble at the marking ceremony." "I promised Rachel that her pup would be welcomed into the pack with full honors. Only when Sarah is completely disfigured will she be grateful enough to raise Rachel's child as her own. The scars are necessary - at least this way, she won't dare mistreat the pup." In the corner of the room, where no one was watching, a tear slid down my burned cheek. So this was the truth. The marking ceremony I'd dreamed of was nothing but a lie. The mate bond I longed for would be my death sentence. If that's how it had to be, I would give him what he wanted.

John Foster is actually a super-rich second-generation heir, but his parents deliberately raised him in poverty, so he remains unaware of his true background. As an adult entering society,John never feels inferior about his poor status and instead earns the favor of beautiful CEO Cora Bradley. The two pretend to be boyfriend and girlfriend when meeting each other’s parents, which attracts jealous villains who plot against them. Through his exceptional wit and his parents’ secret assistance, John gradually breaks through each crisis. John finally realizes his extraordinary origins and, after understanding his parents’ intentions, accepts his new life.

When the apocalypse hits, the university campus turns into a zombie nightmare. Carson Langster, just an ordinary education major, gets betrayed by his ex-girlfriend Linda Larrow and his rich so-called friend George Tarren. Nearly dead, his roommates sacrifice themselves to save Carson—only to turn into a zombie.But Carson awakens the Dorm Manager System,giving him the power to control zombies and build bases. He turns the dorm building into his headquarters and brings his zombified roommates—Finn, John Nestle,Rowan, and the others—under his control. Carson builds a full apocalypse survival base with a cafeteria,livestock operation, and factories. His only goal:collect enough cores to upgrade the system and turn his buddies back into humans.

In a world of advanced martial arts and military prowess, Matthew Gilmore serves three years in the military in place of his brother,rising to Six-Star General. Upon his triumphant return home, his father Benjamin Gilmore coldly demands that Matthew transfer all his military achievements and honors to his favored son Zachary.Heartbroken, Matthew severs all family ties. Benjamin steals Matthew's military credits for Zachary. When Matthew tries to expose this conspiracy, Benjamin uses an enemy invasion as cover, deploying nuclear weapons to kill Matthew and silence him. Matthew survives but loses an arm.Matthew returns and exposes his father's crimes. He then travels to the capital with his close friend for the Star Generals Tournament, fighting his way through each round and emerging as a top-tier general. Having achieved vindication, Matthew protects the nation's peace and begins a happy life with his trusted companion.

The U.S. nuclear medical professor Charlie Clare quits his career for family, but is abandoned as his wife and daughter favor his love rival Isaac. After suffering his family’s ignorance, he decides to leave for the Unicorn Project, which he designed for healing his daughter’s neuro-skel birthmark as his life work. But unaware that Charlie’s burning his life for them, his wife and daughter deepen the rift with Charlie upon reunion and eventually destroy everything Charlie left for them with their own hands before realizing their errors, only to find it too late.

Cast out by his parents' old friend, Sean White awakens as an SSS-Rank Insect Tamer, yet is scorned by all as worthless. His engagement is broken, his inheritance seized, leaving him with only a withered mantis. However, when the system activates and the insect nest descends, his forces multiply by one every minute! On the trial grounds, his endless swarm crushes former prodigies.Before his family's gates, void-borne insects tear through space itself. Only when the entire Clark family is shrouded in the shadow of his swarm do they realize in terror: this so-called "waste" has long held the power to overturn the world.

Caden, the youngest scientist, faced a tragic life due to family conflicts. After being reborn, he decided to distance himself from his original family and live for himself. In this new life, Caden no longer remained weak; he proved his abilities to his deskmate, his family, his classmates, and even to the entire nation and the world. He established himself as a once-in-a-millennium genius.

Caden, the youngest scientist, faced a tragic life due to family conflicts. After being reborn, he decided to distance himself from his original family and live for himself. In this new life,Caden no longer remained weak; he proved his abilities to his deskmate, his family, his classmates, and even to the entire nation and the world. He established himself as a once-in-a-millennium genius.

Five years ago, Jeffrey Reid's wife betrayed him, his parents were murdered, his sister was abducted, his family destroyed. He barely escaped with his life. Five years later, he returns after martial training, carrying the oath "A World Without Darkness" as he infiltrates Rising Dragons. At a funeral, Jeffrey defeats assassins barehanded and becomes famous overnight, rising to a head. Jeffrey uses violence to fight violence, eliminating evil wherever he finds it. As his enemies fall one by one and the mastermind behind everything surfaces, he will use his own methods to restore peace to Houndvale City and honor his fallen family.