The Silent RewardThe boardroom’s laughter and whispers still echoed in Leon’s ears as he stepped into the long corridor.The heavy oak doors closed behind him, shutting out the chaos, leaving him alone with the silence he had mastered. As if the world hadn't suddenly turned out well for him, his shoes clicked gently against the smooth marble floor, steady and unhurried.A faint sound echoed in his head.[System Notification: Congratulations, Host. Task Complete.][Reward Unlocked: 500,000 System Credits. New Skill – Stakeholder Manipulation.]Leon's lips wrapped slightly, acknowledging inevitable events without quite smiling. He saw the system screen floating in front of him, its golden text glimmering like fire.Stakeholder Manipulation.He glanced at the specifics: the power to quietly sway investors' and shareholders' choices. He wasn't a tyrant; he didn't have absolute power. It operated through nudges, whispers, and the sowing of doubt that would grow into votes of rejection o

Emily’s POV Fractures Beneath the SurfaceThe Collins mansion was too quiet that morning, the kind of quiet that carried weight. Emily sat at the edge of her bed, her silk robe slipping from one shoulder as she stared at the sunlight pooling through the curtains. She should have been getting ready for work—her calendar was stacked with client calls and contract reviews—but her body felt leaden, her mind caught in the whirlwind of yesterday’s boardroom disaster.The meeting replayed like a brutal movie in her head.Raising his voice and bursting with anger, Brandon demanded to know the identity of the "silent investor" who had taken their family by surprise.The disapproving looks of the shareholders. When Emily gave up in her defense, her mother's gaze was like a dagger.Her family had always trusted her to be the capable one. Her father, who used to be proud, had become more submissive in recent years, Brandon was careless, and her mother was controlling. The Collins Group's repu

Emily’s POV Sleepless WallsThe house was quiet, but my thoughts were not.I lay on my side in the dark, staring at the faint pattern of shadows cast by the curtains.I could still hear Brandon's drunken words, his threats, and the way he pushed Leon as usual, as though my husband were just a bothersome holding on to the coattails of our family.But tonight, I wasn't haunted by Brandon.. It was Leon.The look in his eyes when Brandon pressed him against the wall—I felt uneasy about it. It was because he hadn't lashed out, not because he had. His composure was strange, disturbing.Those eyes were not the eyes of a weak man. They were steady. Cold. Almost… calculating.I pulled the blanket tighter around me. No. It couldn’t be. Leon was—Leon was Leon. The man who washed dishes without complaint. The man my mother called a beggar every morning. The man who, for years, sat at the dinner table and swallowed every insult without protest.Still, I couldn’t shake the image. Brandon’s h

The Shadow in the Room-Dinner with LionsLeon Gray thought the Collins dining hall was a cage, even though it shone brightly under the chandeliers.The gleam of diamond timepieces, the laughter of the elite, and the arrogant pride of those who thought he was worthless were all reflected in the polished marble floors.With her lips pursed as though she were daring him to speak, Emily sat opposite him with impeccable posture. As expected, Brandon was loud as he described his most recent business victory, as if he were the only person in the room.Leon’s hands rested on the table, calm, unshakable. Within, the system silently whirred, awarding points for each insult, sneer, and statement that labeled him as "useless."“Leon, can you pass the salad?” Emily said coldly, not even looking at him.He reached slowly, his fingers grazing the silver serving spoon. His silence was deliberate; every move was a statement of restraint.Million-dollar deals and covert alliances were being made behi

The Masked WarningThe rain hammered down on the Collins estate, its silver streaks running across the tall windows like prison bars. Leon sat in the darkened study, the glow from his laptop illuminating his face. He wasn’t supposed to be here—this wasn’t “his room.” The Collins family had made it clear: the son-in-law was not worthy of offices, studies, or even locked drawers. But tonight, Leon didn’t care.His fingers flew across the keyboard, lines of encrypted data flickering past his eyes. The system had just detected another intrusion attempt—cleaner, sharper than the last. Whoever was after him wasn’t a common hacker. This was someone trained, someone who understood the art of digital shadows.Level 4 Intrusion Detected.System Task Generated: Defend and Trace Hacker. Reward: +10,000 Prestige Points.Leon’s jaw tightened. The Collins family thought humiliating him at dinner was the worst of his problems. They had no idea that in the world of silent empires, enemies were s