All Chapters of The Masked Tycoon: Chapter 21
- Chapter 30
72 chapters
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
The boardroom was still ringing with silence.No one dared to talk.Victor sat slumped in his chair, face pale, sweat running down his temple. Mrs. Westwood’s lips trembled as she stared at Leonard like she’d just seen a ghost.Elena stood near the window, her hands clenched, her eyes darting between her husband and her family.Leonard adjusted his cufflinks slowly. “Now,” he said quietly, “shall we continue the meeting?”Robert Westwood swallowed hard. “Leonard… you’re the new chairman of Kane Consortium?”Leonard met his gaze. “Was. Now I’m simply the man who owns half the companies in this room.”Mrs. Westwood’s voice broke. “You deceived us. You ”“I survived,” Leonard interrupted calmly. “There’s a difference.”Victor slammed his hand on the table. “You think this changes anything? You married into us! You ”Leonard’s eyes snapped toward him, cold and sharp. “Careful, Victor. You’re still standing because I haven’t decided how hard you’ll fall.”The words hit like a blade. Adrian
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
Inside the glass tower of Kane Consortium, the lights burned through the storm. The war had begun.Adrian stood by the window, phone pressed to his ear. “Yes, freeze every Stonecliff account that moves through our network. No exceptions.”He ended the call as Leonard walked in, his expression carved from steel.“Status?” Leonard asked.“Stonecliff just dumped another billion in assets. They’re trying to crash the market,” Adrian replied. “But we’re countering every move.”Leonard loosened his tie, eyes fixed on the map of glowing red indicators across the wall screen. “They’re not doing this alone. Someone’s feeding them inside information.”Adrian frowned. “A mole?”Leonard nodded. “Find them. Fast.”The door opened and Elena stepped in, soaked from the rain, hair clinging to her face. “You didn’t come home.”Leonard didn’t turn. “I told you I’d be late.”She took a few steps closer. “Late? Leonard, it’s three in the morning.”Adrian glanced between them, then muttered, “I’ll check o
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
CHAPTER 23The woman’s heels clicked slowly as she stepped closer, her gaze fixed on Leonard.“Still don’t recognize me?” she asked softly. “After all the nights we planned how to destroy Stonecliff together?”Leonard’s jaw tightened. “You’re supposed to be dead.”Elena froze. “What does she mean?”The woman smiled. “He didn’t tell you, did he? Typical. Always hiding pieces of the truth until it’s too late.”Leonard’s tone sharpened. “Say what you came to say.”“I came to finish what we started,” she replied, tossing a small flash drive onto the table. “That’s every document tying Stonecliff to the massacre of your family. Every account, every name, every government rat that helped cover it up.”Elena looked from the drive to Leonard. “Then she’s helping you?”The woman’s smile faded. “Helping? No. I’m trading.”Leonard’s voice dropped. “For what?”Her eyes turned cold. “For your loyalty again, Leonard. You walk away from the Westwoods. From this company. From her. You come back to me
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
The night refused to end.The rain had slowed, but thunder still rolled across the skyline.Leonard sat alone in his office, the flash drive resting on the table like a loaded gun.He hadn’t moved in an hour.The door opened quietly. Adrian stepped in, his shirt torn, blood dried near his collar. “You should’ve told me she was alive.”Leonard didn’t look up. “You’re lucky you are.”Adrian walked closer, grimacing. “She moves like a ghost. Two of her men are ex-Stonecliff security. They knew our systems too well.”“She trained me,” Leonard said. “It makes sense she’d know how to break through my walls.”Adrian’s voice lowered. “She left this?”Leonard nodded. “The flash drive.”Adrian frowned. “You opened it?”“No.”“Why not?”Leonard finally looked at him. “Because she said what’s inside would burn everything. Including Elena’s family.”Adrian scoffed. “You think she’s bluffing?”“I don’t know.” Leonard rubbed his temple. “But if she’s telling the truth, then everything I’ve fought fo
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
Elena’s car tore through the night, headlights cutting through the rain.She didn’t even remember how she got behind the wheel. One moment she was standing in Leonard’s office, his words still echoing in her head, and the next she was driving like her life depended on it.By the time she reached the Westwood estate, the guards were already awake, waiting. They stepped aside as soon as they saw her face.She didn’t knock.She stormed into the mansion, heels clicking on marble floors, soaked through but not caring.“Father!” she shouted.Robert Westwood appeared at the top of the staircase, dressed in a silk robe, confusion flashing across his face. “Elena? What on earth ”“Don’t,” she snapped, voice breaking. “Don’t you dare pretend you don’t know why I’m here.”He frowned. “Elena, you’re shaking. Sit down ”“Did you fund Stonecliff?” she demanded. “Answer me!”His hand froze on the banister. “What did you say?”She walked closer, tears mixing with the rain. “Did you fund the massacre
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
“WESTWOOD EMPIRE COLLAPSES LINKED TO STONECLIFF’S BLACK OPERATIONS.”Reporters swarmed the streets outside the Westwood estate. Drones hovered over the gates. Cars lined the road, cameras flashing every second.Inside the mansion, chaos reigned. Phones rang, alarms blared, and lawyers shouted over each other.Robert Westwood stood in his office, tie undone, staring at the breaking news. His empire, his life’s work was burning live on television.“Shut it off!” he barked.The assistant hesitated. “Sir, it’s everywhere ”“I said shut it off!” he roared, throwing a glass against the wall.The assistant fled.A moment later, the door opened again and Victoria, his wife, stepped in. Pale, trembling. “It’s true, isn’t it?” she whispered. “Everything they’re saying…”Robert didn’t answer.Her eyes filled with tears. “My God, Robert. What did you do?”He turned away, unable to meet her gaze. “What I had to.”She shook her head. “No. What you chose to.”Across the city, Leonard and Adria
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
Leonard stood at the edge, coat soaked, eyes fixed on the building opposite. The top floor glowed faintly in Marina's office.Adrian’s voice crackled through the earpiece. “You’re already in position?”Leonard’s tone was flat. “She’s expecting me.”“Then it’s a trap,” Adrian shot back. “Let me send backup ”“No.” Leonard adjusted his gloves, eyes never leaving the window. “No backup. No witnesses.”Adrian cursed quietly. “You don’t need to do this alone, boss.”“I started this alone,” Leonard said. “And I’ll end it the same way.”He cut the line and moved. One silent leap from the ledge to the fire escape, boots hitting metal. He climbed fast, steady, until he reached the penthouse balcony.Inside, the lights were low. Music played something soft and haunting.Marina sat behind her desk, glass of wine in hand, smiling as though she’d been waiting hours.“I was wondering when you’d stop lurking in the shadows,” she said.Leonard stepped inside, rain dripping onto the marble floor. “Y
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
By the time dawn broke, the city was hushed, the streets still wet, the sky pale gray. Inside the safehouse, the silence was heavier than the rain outside.Leonard sat at the long table, fingers wrapped around a cup of untouched coffee. The screen before him flickered with files, encrypted folders, time stamps, coded signatures. Marina’s final gift.Adrian paced nearby, restless. “I don’t like this. Whoever shot her wasn’t just cleaning up a loose end. They knew exactly when you’d be there.”Leonard’s eyes didn’t leave the screen. “Someone’s feeding them my movements.”“An inside leak?”“Has to be.”Elena stood near the door, arms crossed tightly. Her face was pale, hair still damp from the rain. “Then start talking,” she said quietly. “Because if I’m being hunted too, I deserve to know why.”Leonard finally looked up at her. “You already know why.”“No,” she said sharply. “I know pieces. Rumors. Shadows. You keep telling me you’re protecting me, but from what? From who?”Adrian shift
CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
Leonard dove behind a rusted support beam as bullets sparked against concrete. The air filled with dust and the sharp scent of gunpowder. Somewhere in the dark, footsteps echoed too many to count.“Leonard!” Adrian’s voice crackled through the earpiece. “Get out of there! You’re surrounded!”Leonard coughed, pressing a hand to his ear. “Working on it.”He rolled out from behind the beam, fired twice, then sprinted toward the old maintenance tunnel. The floor was slick with rainwater leaking from the cracked ceiling. Shadows flickered everywhere.A voice followed him with the same distorted tone from before. “Running again, Kane? Just like your father did?”Leonard froze mid-step. “You don’t get to say his name.”“Oh, but I do,” the voice taunted. “Because I was there when he begged.”Rage flashed through him. He turned sharply, firing into the darkness but the bullets hit nothing. Only the sound of laughter answered him.Then something hissed a gas canister rolling toward him.L
CHAPTER THIRTY
“Adrian, status.” Leonard’s voice was tight, low.“We’re at the service entrance. Two guards at the back, one on rotation. I’ve got a man on the roof for extraction,” Adrian replied, breath controlled. “I’ll move the first pair when I give the signal.”“Do it now,” Leonard hissed.There was the sound of a suppressed commotion muffled footsteps, a soft scuffle. Then: “Clear. Moving to the north corridor.”Leonard’s palms were slick. He listened to the wet echo of boots down the hall beyond the door. The ropes cut into his wrists, but he kept steady. He needed every second.A faint scraping, then a whisper through the wall Elena, near, breathing hard. “Leonard… I’m okay. I can hear them.”“You stay quiet,” he breathed back. “Adrian’s almost in.”Outside, metal groaned. A lock clicked. A soft voice: “Adrian, now.”“Copy,” came the reply. In the corridor, a pair of guards were taken down with one swift knot and a soft thud. Footsteps approached the room.Quinn’s voice floated in from