The sound of the torn divorce papers settling on the marble floor was the only sound in the foyer. Jia's defiance hung in the air, a tangible force that left her parents speechless. Her eyes, however, were locked on Leo, demanding an answer to her question: *Who are you?*
Leo looked from Jia's resolute face to the shredded documents, and something in his own carefully constructed armor cracked. The time for shadows was over.
"Not here," he said, his voice low but firm. He turned and walked toward his small room, not as a subordinate retreating, but as a man leading the way. After a moment's hesitation, Jia followed, leaving her sputtering parents behind.
He closed the door, not locking it this time, and turned to face her. The small, sparse room felt different now—not a prison, but a confessional.
"My name is Liang Leo," he began, the name spoken with a weight that seemed to change the very air in the room. "My father, Liang Guo, was the man who orchestrated the hostile takeover that destroyed your grandfather's company and led to his suicide."
Jia gasped, stumbling back a step as if struck. The name Liang Guo was a legend in the business world, a titan known for his ruthlessness.
"I had nothing to do with it," Leo continued, his eyes pleading for her to understand. "I was young, but I saw the devastation it caused. My father's empire is built on the ruins of families like yours. I renounced it. I came here to understand the damage, to find the person within your circle who helped my father execute the plan—the traitor who provided the insider information."
Jia's mind raced, connecting the shattered pieces. "Mr. Ling... the CFO."
Leo nodded. "He was my father's man on the inside. And he's been working with David Wei to finish the job. David's father was a minor partner in the original takeover. This has always been about swallowing what's left of the Chen empire."
"But... why?" Jia whispered, her world tilting on its axis. "Why live like this? Why not just expose him?"
"Because evidence against a man like Ling is elusive. And because," he paused, his gaze softening as it rested on her, "I needed to see the true character of the people my family had destroyed. I found a daughter with more integrity in her little finger than my father has in his entire empire. I found a reason to fight for something, rather than just against something."
He reached into the hidden compartment and pulled out the sleek communicator. With a few taps, he brought up a holographic display showing real-time financial data, security feeds, and communications intercepts. It was a command center fit for a king, hidden in a pauper's room.
"This is who I am," he said, his voice quiet but filled with undeniable power. "And I am done hiding."
Just then, Jia's phone buzzed violently. It was Selina. A message flashed on the screen: *"You stupid, stupid girl. You should have signed the papers. Now you'll all pay. Check the news."*
A cold dread washed over Jia. She fumbled with her phone, pulling up a news channel. A breaking news banner scrolled across the screen: **"SCANDAL ROCKS CHEN ENTERPRISES: CFO ALLEGES FRAUD, IMPLICATES FAMILY MEMBER IN EMBEZZLEMENT SCHEME."**
A live press conference showed Mr. Ling, flanked by lawyers, pointing a trembling finger at the camera. "The pressure from the family was immense! They forced me to hide their losses! The son-in-law, Leo, he was the mastermind! He threatened me!"
It was a preemptive strike. David and Ling were framing Leo, turning him into the scapegoat for their own crimes.
Jia looked from the phone to Leo, her heart pounding. The man she had just chosen to stand by was now publicly accused of a crime. The suspense had just exploded into a full-blown crisis.
Leo's face hardened, not with fear, but with cold, focused resolve. The game was now in the open.
"Their move is predictable," he said, his voice like steel. "But they've just made a fatal mistake. They've attacked me directly. Now, they get to see what happens when the lion is forced out of the shadows."
The romance was now a partnership forged in fire. The faceslapping was over. This was war.