2025-09-13 18:26:22The Nobody Son-in-law
Leon Gray sat at the end of the long dining table, his chair a little lower, his plate untouched. The Collins family dinner was always the same—a battleground disguised as fine dining. Crystal chandeliers lit the golden hall. Silverware clinked. Laughter echoed. Yet all of it pressed down on Leon like chains. “Leon, pass the wine,” Brandon Collins, Emily’s younger brother, ordered without looking at him. He didn’t ask. He commanded, like Leon was the butler. Leon picked up the bottle carefully, poured it into Brandon’s glass. The moment he did, Brandon sneered. “Careful. Don’t spill it. Expensive stuff. More than your entire year’s allowance, right?” Snickers rolled down the table. Leon lowered his eyes, jaw tightening. Miranda Collins, Emily’s mother, leaned back with a sigh. “Why my daughter still keeps you around, I’ll never know. A useless man who can’t even provide pocket change, and we have to look at your face every day.” Even though the words were as painful as knives, Leon's face remained the same.. His wife, Emily, sat beside him. She was dressed in sleek navy blue, her posture perfect, eyes glued to her phone. Not once had she looked his way. “Emily, honestly,” Miranda pressed on. “You should’ve divorced him already. This family carries enough burdens. Why chain yourself to this—” she gestured at Leon, “—nobody?” Heat crawled up Leon’s neck. His hand tightened around his fork until his knuckles whitened. But still, he said nothing. He never did. Inside, though, the silence burned. Three years. Three years of being their son-in-law, their punching bag, their shame. He’d endured because Emily’s father—the only one who treated him like a human being—had arranged the marriage before his death. He owed the old man a debt of respect. But patience had a limit. And Leon was almost at his. Brandon leaned forward suddenly, waving a piece of steak on his fork. “Hey, Leon. Want a bite? Oh, wait—you’re probably not used to food like this. Don’t choke.” He popped it into his mouth and chewed with exaggerated satisfaction. Laughter exploded around the table. Emily set down her phone at last. Her voice was low, flat. “Enough, Brandon.” For a moment, Leon almost looked at her, almost grateful. But then she added, “It’s embarrassing for me too. Don’t make it worse.” That hurt more than the insults. Leon’s throat worked, but no sound came out. He lowered his eyes again. The room blurred with heat. How long…? The Awakening The laughter dimmed in Leon’s head. His pulse pounded like war drums. And then— [System Activation Detected.] Welcome, Host. System Condition: Years of accumulated humiliation detected. Host compatibility—100%. The voice wasn’t spoken. It thundered directly inside his skull. Leon froze, his fork halfway to his mouth. His gaze darted around, but no one else reacted—only him. What…? Words shimmered before his eyes in faint golden text only he could see: [Humiliation Reward: +10,000 credits.] [System Feature Unlocked: Basic Wealth Exchange.] Leon briefly believed he had gone insane.. But then, something buzzed in his pocket. His phone. He slid it out under the table. A new app glowed on his screen—black and gold, with a single word: System. His thumb trembled as he tapped it open. Numbers stared back: Balance: $10,000. Cold spread through Leon’s veins. Real. It was real. Another notification blinked: [Quest: Endure the scorn of a family gathering. Reward: $5,000 + 1 random item.] Leon inhaled sharply. His chest tightened, but this time it wasn’t despair. It was fire. Brandon’s mocking voice snapped him back. “What’s with that look, Leon? Planning how to beg for scraps tomorrow?” [Quest Progress: 80%.] Leon almost smiled. Almost. He gripped the fork tighter. “Leon,” Miranda snapped, her sharp voice cutting the air. “Don’t just sit there like a mute. At the very least, say thank you to Emily for letting you stay in this house. A man should show gratitude for his charity.” [Quest Completed.] Reward: $5,000 + Item Drop.] A faint ding rang in his ears. Leon’s phone buzzed again. Another $5,000 appeared in his balance. And beneath it, a digital card shimmered: Silver Watch – Business Class. His lips parted. His pulse thundered. It was real. All of it. To conceal the storm in his eyes, Leon lowered his gaze once more.. Inside, though, something unfurled—something that had been caged for too long. No one at that table noticed. Not Emily scrolling her phone again. Not Miranda basking in her own disdain. Not Brandon, grinning with his wine glass raised. But Leon knew. The cage had cracked. The Silent Vow Dinner dragged on, every insult another lash. But now, each lash was a coin dropping into his unseen chest. Every sneer, every jeer—worth something. By the time the plates were cleared, Leon’s phone balance had climbed to $20,000. His new watch card pulsed faintly in the System, waiting to be claimed. He walked Emily back to their room in silence. She never glanced at him. Not once. She went inside, set her phone on the bedside table, and started taking off her earrings.. “Leon,” she said suddenly. He looked up, hopeful despite himself. Her back was to him. “Tomorrow, don’t come to the Collins’ shareholders’ meeting. You’ll only embarrass me.” The words were soft, almost tired. But to Leon, they were a blade. “I see,” he murmured. Emily didn’t notice the shift in his tone. She climbed into bed, pulling the blanket over her shoulder. “Good night.” Leon stood by the window, staring out at the city lights burning against the night. His bare suit, weary eyes, and hunched shoulders were all visible in his reflection. But only he could see the faint golden interface glowing in the glass. Balance: $20,000. Unclaimed Item: Silver Watch – Business Class. He tapped Claim. A flash of light. The weight of cool metal settled on his wrist. Leon lifted his arm, staring at the sleek silver watch ticking softly. Real. Tangible. His lips curled into something darker than a smile. “He said to the glass, "They assume I'm a nobody at all.". His voice was low, steady, different. Behind him, Emily was already asleep. Leon’s eyes burned with a quiet fire. “They’ll see. Soon.” > [System Update: First Step Complete.] [Next Quest: Attend Collins Group Meeting in Silence.] Reward: ???] Leon’s reflection smirked back at him, faint and dangerous. The silent son-in-law was gone. The Silent King had awakened.
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CHAPTER 94
Emily’s DecisionThe night was quiet, too quiet, the kind of silence that stretched out and wrapped around you like a shroud. I sat at my desk in the dim light of my apartment, the letter in front of me, trembling fingers hovering over the pen. I’d rewritten these words a dozen times, each version heavier than the last, but none could capture the turmoil raging inside me.What do you say when you’re about to walk into a storm that might never end? What words could possibly prepare someone for the unknown? I had no idea if I’d come back, if the meeting with my father would shatter everything or finally piece it together.But I owed it to myself. To Leon. To the fragments of trust I still clung to. I had to know the truth.I picked up the pen and began writing again, my hand steady now.Leon,If you’re reading this, it means I’m about to make a choice—one that could change everything between us. I don’t know what my father will tell me, or what kind of danger I’m stepping into, but I
CHAPTER 93
Leon’s WarningEmily’s POVLeon didn’t raise his voice.That was what frightened me most.The penthouse was quiet in the way only expensive places ever were—thick walls, muted lights, the city reduced to a distant glow beyond glass. I stood by the window, pretending to watch traffic bleed through the streets below, while my pulse hammered so loud I was sure he could hear it.He could always hear things others missed.“Emily.”Just my name. Soft. Controlled.I turned slowly. Leon stood near the doorway of his office, jacket discarded, sleeves rolled to his forearms. He looked calm, but I knew the signs now—the stillness, the way his eyes tracked me without blinking, the tension coiled tight beneath his skin like a weapon waiting to be drawn.“You’ve been quiet,” he said.“I’m tired,” I replied too quickly.His gaze sharpened, not angry—assessing. “You’re not tired. You’re hiding.”My throat closed. I forced myself to breathe, to keep my face smooth. “I don’t know what you want me to sa
CHAPTER 92
The New AllianceEmily’s POVI never imagined the first people I would trust outside of Leon would be his shadows.Not the faceless enforcers who bowed and vanished at his command, not the cold-eyed operatives who treated the city like a chessboard—but two agents who looked at me like a human being, not a liability.It started quietly. Carefully. The way all dangerous things do.Leon was still unconscious when I made the decision.Machines hummed softly around his hospital bed, the steady rise and fall of his chest the only proof that the man who ruled Shadowline was still here. Still breathing. Still holding the city together by sheer will.And I knew—deep in my bones—that if I waited for him to wake up and take control again, whatever was coming would already be too late.The hacker ring was moving faster now. Smarter. Bolder. They weren’t just watching Shadowline.They were inside it.The first agent found me near the private elevators, pretending to scroll through my phone while a
CHAPTER 91
The CaregiverI don’t leave his side.They tell me I should—soft voices, careful words—but I shake my head every time. Someone brings me a chair, then a blanket. I don’t notice until hours later when my legs finally stop trembling and the room smells faintly of antiseptic and ozone from overheated machines.Leon lies still on the bed, monitors humming around him like a quiet chorus. His chest rises and falls in shallow, measured breaths. Each one feels borrowed.The Silent King of Shadowline. Reduced to silence for real.I sit close enough to hear him breathe, close enough to see the faint line between his brows even in sleep. He looks younger like this. Less carved from steel. More like a man who has been carrying too much for too long.I roll the bandage between my fingers, hands steadier than I expect them to be. The medic showed me how—gentle pressure, clean wrap, no hesitation. I do exactly as instructed, even though my chest aches with every movement.“This might sting,” I mur
CHAPTER 90
Leon’s Breaking PointEmily’s POVLeon disappears without announcing it.Not dramatically. Not with slammed doors or shouted orders. He simply fades out of my reach, retreating into the steel-and-glass heart of Shadowline like a ghost who refuses to be seen.The first night, I tell myself it’s temporary.Leon works best in silence. In isolation. He’s always been like this when pressure mounts—strategic, distant, controlled. I wait for the sound of his footsteps outside the bedroom. I keep my light on far too late, pretending to read while my eyes drift to the door every few seconds.He doesn’t come.By morning, the bed beside me is still cold.The second day, the rumors begin.“He hasn’t slept.”“He hasn’t left the command floor.”“He rejected medical clearance.”I overhear agents whispering in corridors, voices low, glances darting toward the surveillance cameras. Shadowline still moves with terrifying efficiency—orders are executed, threats neutralized, digital fires contained—but s
CHAPTER 89
Father’s Group MovesEmily’s POVChaos doesn’t arrive all at once.It creeps in through screens, sirens, fractured voices over encrypted channels—until the city feels like it’s breathing wrong.I wake to Leon already gone.The space beside me is cold, untouched, like he never slept at all. That alone tells me everything. Leon only disappears like this when something has gone catastrophically wrong—or when he’s trying to stop it from getting worse.Shadowline headquarters is in lockdown by the time I reach the main floor.Red lights pulse along the corridors. Armed agents move with surgical urgency, eyes sharp, hands never far from their weapons. Screens flicker with cascading data—maps, financial charts, surveillance feeds, threat indicators blinking from green to amber to red.“Emily,” one of the analysts murmurs when she sees me. “You shouldn’t be here.” “What’s happening?” I ask, already knowing the answer will hurt.She hesitates.Then the screen answers for her.COLLINS GROUP STO
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