The next few days flew by quickly. News of Elena’s embarrassing scene at Maison De Royce spread everywhere. Blogs, gossip pages, even fashion accounts posted the video. Each time, the comments were worse than before.“She really got thrown out like a thief.”“That Leo guy didn’t even raise his voice.”“Power move. Cold and clean.”Elena avoided the internet completely. She stayed indoors, fuming, until her grandmother burst into the room one morning.“Stop hiding like a coward!” the old woman barked. “Do you want everyone to think you’re dead?”Elena groaned and pulled the blanket over her head. “I’m not going out there. They’re laughing at me.”“Then give them something else to talk about!” Grandma slammed her cane on the floor. “Imperium Holdings is hosting their event tonight. The biggest company in the world! Do you hear me? Silas Hamilton himself is naming his successor!”Elena peeked out from under the blanket. “That old man again?”“Don’t be stupid,” Grandma said. “The successo

Elena’s breath caught. “You...You're not him?.”He didn’t answer at once. He placed the jacket on the chair, adjusted his cuff links, and finally spoke, voice dry and almost amused.“I wanted to see how you planned to explain last night.”Her stomach twisted. “Leo, it was a mistake. I just—”He laughed softly, not kindly. “A mistake? Drugged wine, hidden cameras, a paid clerk, and a man you didn’t even bother to recognize before climbing into his bed. That’s not a mistake, Elena. That’s strategy. A bad one.”She flinched at the calmness in his tone. “How… how did you know?”He leaned against the table. “Your mole at the company should learn to whisper quieter. I heard about your plan before you even left home. And the receptionist you bribed? She called me right after you slipped her the envelope. You really should tip better.”For a second she could only stare, mouth open, heart hammering. “You changed the rooms.”“Of course.” His smile widened. “Why walk into a tra

He hung up. He had all the ammunition he needed.He looked back at Chloe, who was still trapped between his arms, looking flushed and flustered.“We’ll continue this another time,” he said, his voice promising. “Right now, I have some business to handle.”He reached out and gently tapped the tip of her nose with his finger. Then he stood up, grabbed his shirt from the chair, and walked out without putting it on.Chloe sat on the couch, touching her lips, her whole body buzzing with confused energy.In his car, Leo’s cold demeanor returned completely. The playful man from Chloe’s study was gone. He was going to the war front. He put on his shirt, buttoning it up with sharp, efficient movements.He arrived at the towering skyscraper that housed Imperium Holdings for the very first time. He was met in the lobby by a nervous assistant who led him to the top floor.“The conference room is just down this hall, sir,” the assistant said, pointing.Leo nodded and walked down the plush, silent

Leo just stared at the photo on his phone.Everything around him went quiet. Silas was gone. Really gone.The anger in him didn’t burn anymore—it froze.“Chloe,” he said, his voice rough. “I need to go to the hospital. Drive me, please.”She didn’t ask why. She just grabbed her keys and ran for the car.The drive was fast and tense. Nobody spoke. When they got there, the hallway outside Silas’s room was already full of people. Reporters, nurses, some of the board. Leo saw two faces he knew—Robert Walsh and that sharp-eyed woman who liked to whisper behind closed doors. She was crying hard, loud enough to shake.He didn’t stop to greet anyone. He walked straight for the door.The woman saw him and froze. Then she rushed forward, voice breaking. “You! You can’t go in there!”Leo didn’t slow down. “He named me his successor,” he said. “That gives me the right.”She blocked the way, shaking. “I’m family. You’re nothing to him. You have no right!”Chloe tried to calm her

The TV blared in the background, showing the dramatic arrest. Red and blue lights flashed across the expensive furniture in Adrian and Elena’s penthouse. Elena watched, her face turning a ugly shade of red.“This is a disaster!” she shrieked, her voice hitting a high note that made Adrian wince. She snatched a decorative vase from a side table and threw it at the wall. It exploded into a thousand pieces. “You idiot! You told me this plan was perfect! You said that woman would put Leo away for good!”Adrian flinched away from the flying porcelain. “Would you shut up for one second?” he yelled back, his own patience gone. He started pacing across the plush rug, his mind racing. “It doesn’t add up! Silas is gone. Leo should be nothing. A nobody. He should be easy to crush.” He stopped, staring at the broken vase. “Someone else is helping him. Someone with real power.”Elena snorted, crossing her arms. “It’s that Chloe woman. It has to be. Who else has that much money and doesn’t seem afr