2025-09-13 18:37:43The First Move
Dinner with Daggers The Collins mansion gleamed under the soft glow of chandeliers, but to Leon it was a battlefield. Every evening at that table meant blood—not spilled on the floor, but carved into his pride. Tonight was no different. “Leon,” Miranda’s voice rang sharp as a blade, “you didn’t speak a word during the meeting. Do you think you’re mute, or are you really that stupid?” Brandon leaned back, swirling his wine. “Don’t be so harsh, Mother. Our dear brother-in-law has an important role—he’s the mascot of failure. Without him, how would we know how successful we were?” Laughter rolled down the table. Emily sat stiffly, her fork moving mechanically through her food. She hadn’t supported him since the car park dispute. Leon lowered his gaze. He could almost feel the System waiting, humming in the background, rewarding his silence. But tonight… he had something more. His phone buzzed faintly. He slid it from his pocket under the table. The words pulsed in gold: [Quest Reminder: First Move – Use your new skill within 24 hours.] Leon’s thumb brushed the screen. A surge of warmth spread through his chest. Skill Activated: Negotiator’s Edge. The room seemed to sharpen. Voices slowed, expressions deepened, hidden motives flickered like neon signs above each person’s head. Miranda: contempt, insecurity. Brandon: arrogance, hunger for validation. Emily: pride… but something else. Fear. Leon’s lips curved faintly. “Mother-in-law,” he said suddenly. His voice was soft, yet it cut through the laughter. All eyes snapped to him. “What did you say?” Miranda demanded. Leon lifted his gaze, calm, steady. “You’re right. I don’t contribute much. But if I told you I could bring in new investment for the Collins Group—would that still make me useless?” The room went still. Brandon snorted. “You? Investment? Don’t joke.” Leon tilted his head. The Negotiator’s Edge pulsed. His words slid like silk. “Some doors open to silence. Not to noise. Maybe one of those doors is ready to open for the Collins Group.” Miranda frowned, caught between scorn and curiosity. Even Emily’s fork paused midair. “Explain yourself,” Miranda demanded. Leon only smiled faintly, eyes dropping back to his plate. “You’ll see.” [Quest Progress: 60%.] The table buzzed with whispers. Brandon scoffed, but doubt flickered in his eyes. Emily’s gaze lingered on Leon a fraction longer than usual. And Leon chewed his food slowly, savoring not the taste—but the silence he’d weaponized. The Hidden Network Later that night, when the mansion finally quieted, Leon sat by the window again. The silver watch ticked softly, steady as his breathing. His phone buzzed. The System glowed. [Quest Completed: First Move.] Reward: Access to Hidden Network.] Leon tapped. The screen shifted. A new menu unfolded—encrypted chats, anonymous profiles, lines of data, and opportunities blinking like stars in the void. Hidden Network: A marketplace of shadows. Buyers, sellers, informants, investors—all cloaked behind code names. Leon’s pulse quickened. He clicked a random listing: “Short-term investment opportunity. Entry: $10,000. Return: $30,000 in 48 hours. Risk minimal. Verified by System.” Another: “Corporate intel on rival companies. Price: $5,000.” Leon leaned back, heart pounding. This wasn’t just money. This was power. The System buzzed again. [Special Offer: First Trade Discount – 50%. Limited time.] Leon didn’t hesitate. He tapped to purchase intel on Collins Group’s biggest rival—Sterling Enterprises. Within seconds, a file appeared. He opened it. Charts, reports, hidden scandals. Sterling’s CEO secretly funneled company money into illegal offshore accounts. One exposure, and Sterling would crumble. Leon exhaled slowly. Tomorrow, Brandon and Miranda would laugh again. But tomorrow, Leon would carry a knife beneath his silence. Shattered Masks The next day, Leon accompanied Emily to another meeting. She tried to protest, but he simply said, “I’ll stay quiet.” Emily’s lips pressed thin, but she didn’t argue. The meeting began. Brandon boasted of Sterling Enterprises’ “flawless” strategy, mocking Emily’s failures again. The board chuckled, eager to see her squirm. Leon sat still. Silent. Until the moment was perfect. He leaned toward Harold, his voice low, words wrapped in the glow of his Skill. “Check Sterling’s offshore accounts. You’ll find something interesting.” Harold blinked, startled. He studied Leon’s calm face. Then, curiosity won. He signaled his secretary. Within minutes, whispers flew across the table as documents loaded onto screens. Sterling’s scandal glared back at them. Gasps erupted. Brandon’s smug smile froze. Miranda’s face drained of color. Emily stared at Leon, eyes wide, lips parted. “Impossible,” Brandon muttered. “How did he—?” Harold slammed the gavel. “This changes everything. We’ll launch an investigation immediately. Sterling will bleed.” The board whispered with amazement and wonder.. For the first time, their gaze was drawn away from Brandon and Miranda and toward Leon. He lowered his gaze again, calm, silent. [System Update: Quest Chain Unlocked – The Silent King’s Rise.] [New Title Earned: Shadow Investor.] Emily touched his arm when the meeting ended. Her voice trembled slightly. “Leon… how did you know?” He caught her eyes, a small curve on his lips. “Some doors open to silence.” Her hand fell away slowly. Confusion, doubt, maybe even fear flickered in her eyes. As they left the building, Brandon stormed behind them, fury twisting his face. “You think this makes you somebody?” he hissed in Leon’s ear. “You’re still nothing. You’ll always be nothing.” Leon turned his head slightly, his silver watch catching the sunlight. His tone was steady, serene, and as silent as death. “Then why are you shaking?” Brandon flinched. Leon walked on, Emily trailing behind him in silence, the city’s shadows stretching long before them.
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CHAPTER 52
Emily’s Unexpected Defense The atmosphere in the grand conference hall was electric, charged with tension and whispered speculation. Industry leaders, executives, and media personalities had gathered for a high-profile business summit, a stage where power plays unfolded under the polished veneer of civility. Leon Gray, the man who had quietly but decisively shaken the foundations of the corporate world, was at the center of the storm once again.Emily adjusted her dress nervously, feeling the weight of countless eyes on her. She was here because of Leon, by his insistence, though the thought made her stomach twist. She had never been comfortable in such environments — the subtle games of influence, the veiled barbs disguised as polite conversation, the constant scrutiny. Every glance, every whisper seemed loaded with judgment, curiosity, or disdain.As Leon stood near the stage, calm and collected, Emily noticed the sharp eyes of a rival CEO cutting toward him like daggers. Marc
CHAPTER 51
The Corporate Duel The boardroom was tense, suffused with a heavy, silent anticipation.Brandon stood at the head of the long mahogany table, trying to command the room with a forced confidence that didn’t quite reach his eyes.His recent losses had bruised more than just his ego—they threatened to unravel everything he had built.Tonight was his chance to reclaim his power.“Ladies and gentlemen,” Brandon began, voice steady but sharp, “I’m proud to introduce the next big project that will revolutionize our market and restore our dominance. The Phoenix Initiative.”Murmurs rippled through the room.Several board members exchanged uncertain glances, clearly skeptical.Leon sat quietly at the far end of the table, watching.His posture relaxed, but his eyes were sharp—calculating every reaction, every twitch of doubt.Brandon continued, outlining grand plans, flashy figures, and promises of unparalleled returns.But beneath the surface, Leon knew the truth.Brandon’s so-called investo
CHAPTER 50
Rumors and Realizations The office buzzed with hushed conversations and sideways glances the moment Emily stepped through the glass doors. She could feel the tension like static in the air—curious eyes tracking her every move. She wasn’t sure if they were looking at her or through her, as if the presence of Leon Gray, her husband, had somehow shifted the entire atmosphere.Emily’s steps slowed as whispers floated around her, carried like secrets between cubicles and whispered in quiet corners.“Have you seen how fast Leon’s influence is spreading? It’s like he’s untouchable.”“They say he’s got connections no one can even guess. Not just in business — something deeper.”Emily clenched her purse a little tighter. She had heard these rumors before, but now they felt more personal.She found her desk and sat down, trying to bury herself in her work. But the words stuck in her mind, gnawing at her like a restless shadow.Across the room, two colleagues leaned in, speaking in low tones.
CHAPTER 49
The Gala of MasksThe Collins Group’s annual charity gala was the city’s most anticipated event.Velvet curtains, shimmering chandeliers, and the soft murmur of the city’s elite filled the grand ballroom.Emily stood near the entrance, her heart thudding unevenly.She wasn’t used to this world—the glittering gowns, the carefully practiced smiles, the whispers that floated like shadows.And tonight, she was forced to be here… beside Leon.Her hand trembled slightly as she adjusted her evening dress.She wasn’t sure if it was the nerves or the weight of everything that had happened between them lately.Leon, on the other hand, looked calm. Too calm.His dark suit was tailored perfectly, but his eyes held a cool detachment, as if he belonged nowhere and everywhere at once.Emily glanced around, noticing the sideways glances they drew.Whispers darted across the room like invisible arrows.She caught fragments—“That man isn’t ordinary,” one voice said.“And who is he really?” another whi
CHAPTER 48
The Fall of Brandon’s Allies The city glittered with late-night lights, but inside the Collins Group headquarters, the air was thick with gossip.Everyone had heard the news. Brandon’s humiliation at the board meeting had gone viral among the elite. The once–golden heir of the Collins family was now a shadow of himself, and people were already picking sides.Unfortunately for Leon, or so they thought, most of Brandon’s old friends were ready to strike back.“Leon is nothing without Emily,” one of the CEOs sneered, swirling his wine glass. “A stray dog who got lucky marrying into the family. It’s time someone puts him back in his place.”“Agreed,” another laughed. “Let’s hit him where it hurts — his company. Crush his tiny business, and the mutt will crawl back under his rock.”They clinked their glasses and sealed the deal.What they didn’t know was that Leon was already watching them.Inside a dimly lit office downtown, Leon leaned back in his chair, eyes half-lidded as data stream
CHAPTER 47
EMILY’S SHOCK The news spread faster than wildfire.By morning, the entire city was buzzing.“Brandon Collins removed from office after financial scandal!”“Anonymous investor rescues Collins Group from collapse!”Emily read the headlines in disbelief, her fingers trembling as she scrolled through her phone.Every article spoke of the mysterious intervention that saved the company — an unnamed figure who had quietly exposed Brandon’s embezzlement and stabilized the board’s finances overnight.She knew that calm, deliberate pattern.That unseen hand behind chaos.Leon.Emily sank onto the edge of her bed, her heart pounding.She couldn’t understand it. The man she married was quiet, distant, and painfully ordinary… wasn’t he?But this — this was power.Calculated. Ruthless. Invisible.The very thing Leon always claimed not to be.She glanced toward the hallway. His study door was closed again, as always.That door had become a symbol — a barrier between her world and his secrets.Lat
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