Empire

The film opens with Vic Rosa running Empire heroin in the South Bronx. He and rival dealers maintain a fragile truce because they all buy from La Colombiana. The neighborhood's drug trade is volatile and Vic is looking for bigger opportunities.

Carmen invites Vic to a chic white-collar party hosted by her friend Trish and Jack Wimmer. At this event, Vic's world expands beyond the street and he begins to consider his future. The social scene also sets up connections with Jack and Rafael.

Vic asks Rafael, La Colombiana's younger brother, for permission to assassinate local kingpin Tito. Rafael grants approval, giving Vic the green light to target Tito. The decision marks a turning point from drug dealing to violent actions to consolidate power.

Tito is killed in a shootout, along with his young son, during the ensuing violence. The killing destabilizes the local drug trade and triggers a chain of consequences for Vic and his rivals. The event shifts Vic from a street dealer toward a more dangerous path.

With a baby on the way, Vic decides to go straight and begins investing his money with Jack Wimmer. This new lifestyle brings Vic into contact with wealth and a higher-stakes world, while straining his relationship with Carmen. The decision marks a major life shift away from street dealing.

Jack pitches an opportunity with over 300% returns, but requires a minimum buy-in of 4.5 million dollars, far beyond Vic's funds. Vic weighs the risk of stepping into high finance while his past may catch up with him.

Vic seeks a loan from La Colombiana, who agrees to lend the money in exchange for a 500% return and a vow to end the feud with Hector. The arrangement ties Vic's fate to the drug lord's demands and the volatile alliance network.

The feud grows hotter and Jimmy kills Hector, escalating violence among the dealers. Vic struggles to keep peace as rivalries erupt into lethal confrontations.

La Colombiana orders Vic to kill Jimmy to satisfy the loan terms, but Vic chooses mercy and tells Jimmy to leave town. The decision preserves some loyalty while complicating his obligations.

Vic receives the loan funds and hands them to Jack, who disappears the next day with the money. The loss triggers Vic to take drastic steps to reclaim the funds and preserve his new life.

Vic tracks down Jack and Trish and, when they resist, he kills both of them. The brutal act demonstrates Vic's complete immersion in the criminal world and destroys the remaining ties to his former life.

Vic escapes with Carmen's family to Puerto Rico and opens a bar on the south side of the island with what little money he has left. The exile marks a bleak, hard-won attempt at a fresh start away from his past.

Vic heads to the hospital to see the birth of his child, but Rafael arrives first and shoots him in the head. The fatal shot ends Vic's life and the story on a grim, conclusive note.