The air in the tiny room crackled with a new, dangerous energy. The confession was over; the battle plan was now being drawn.
"What do we do?" Jia asked, her voice steadier than she felt. The world was collapsing, but for the first time, she wasn't facing it alone.
Leo was already tapping commands into his device. "They've made their move. Now we make ours. They think they're framing a helpless man. They have no idea what they've unleashed." He looked at her, his eyes blazing with intensity. "I need you to trust me, Jia. Completely. It will get worse before it gets better."
"What does 'worse' mean?" she asked, a shiver running down her spine.
"It means we let them believe they've won." He typed a final command. "Finch. Initiate 'Operation Chimera.' And send a car. It's time to leave the broom closet."
Within minutes, the sound of a powerful, quiet engine purred outside. Leo opened his door. Mr. and Mrs. Chen were still in the foyer, pale and terrified, watching the news broadcast on a tablet.
"Where are you going?" Mr. Chen demanded, his voice trembling. "The police will be here any minute because of you!"
"They're not coming for me," Leo said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "They're coming for a story. And we're going to give them a better one. Jia, with me."
To her own astonishment, Jia didn't hesitate. She walked to his side.
"Jia, no!" her mother cried. "Don't go with him! He's a criminal!"
Jia looked at her parents, her heart breaking for them even as her resolve hardened. "He's the only one telling the truth. I'm choosing to believe him."
As they stepped outside, a sleek, black luxury car idled at the curb, so discreet it seemed to absorb the light. A chauffeur held the door open. As they slid into the opulent interior, a swarm of media vehicles rounded the corner, cameras flashing.
The timing was perfect. The press captured the "disgraced" son-in-law and the "duped" heiress fleeing the scene in a vehicle that screamed of hidden wealth. The narrative was shifting already.
The car didn't take them to a hideout. It drove to the towering, gleaming skyscraper that housed the headquarters of Aurelius Ventures. They were whisked to the penthouse suite, a minimalist masterpiece of glass and steel with a panoramic view of the city.
"Welcome to my office," Leo said softly.
Before Jia could process the view, the large screen on the wall lit up, splitting into multiple feeds. One showed a live news channel. Another showed David Wei, celebrating with Mr. Ling in a plush office, smug satisfaction on their faces. A third showed Selina, looking anxious, speaking rapidly on her phone.
"How… how are you doing this?" Jia breathed.
"The walls have ears," Leo repeated his earlier cryptic words with a small smile. "And now, so do we." He picked up a remote. "Watch."
On the news channel, a special report interrupted the coverage of the Chen scandal. The anchor looked stunned. "We are receiving breaking financial news. An anonymous consortium has just launched a hostile takeover bid for Wei Global Industries. The bid is backed by staggering financial resources, dwarfing the Wei family's holdings."
The camera feed from David's office showed his face morphing from triumph to utter shock as aides rushed in, showing him tablets. Mr. Ling's celebratory drink slipped from his hand.
Leo picked up a secure phone. "Finch. Release the first packet."
A moment later, the anchor's voice turned grave. "And in a stunning development related to the Chen case, financial documents have just been leaked to this network. They appear to show a long-standing pattern of embezzlement by CFO Mr. Ling, with funds being funneled into accounts linked to David Wei."
The faceslap was not a slap anymore. It was a thunderclap. It was a lion's roar that shook the city.
Jia watched, mesmerized, as the predators who had hunted her family were publicly eviscerated in real-time. She looked at Leo, who stood calmly, orchestrating the downfall of empires with the push of a button.
The man she had married was not just rich. He was a force of nature. The suspense had exploded into a breathtaking display of power. The revenge was unfolding before her eyes, and the romance she felt was now mixed with a awe so profound it stole her breath. The divorce papers were ashes. She was standing beside an emperor.