2025-09-13 18:45:00Betrayal and Revelation
The annual charity gala hosted by the Collins Group was a power parade. Under chandeliers, the glittering ballroom echoed with the laughter of politicians, tycoons, and celebrities.. Leon stood near the back, dressed in a simple black suit. To the guests, he was invisible—just the Collins family’s unwanted son-in-law. Emily walked ahead of him, radiant in a sapphire gown. She held her chin high, but her eyes darted nervously whenever they brushed against Leon. Miranda hovered at Emily’s side like a hawk. Brandon moved through the crowd with a champagne glass, his smile sharp as a knife. “Ladies and gentlemen!” Harold’s voice rang out as he stepped onto the stage. “Tonight, the Collins Group pledges its continued strength and commitment to the city. My daughter Emily will now introduce our new development partnership.” Applause. Emily stepped forward, a faint tremor in her hands as she held the microphone. “Thank you, Father,” she said smoothly. “Tonight, I am proud to announce that Collins Group has secured a joint venture with—” Her voice faltered for a second. Leon’s eyes narrowed. “—with Sterling Enterprises.” Gasps rippled through the room. Sterling—the company Leon had destroyed from the shadows. Brandon smirked, whispering loudly enough for nearby guests to hear: “Of course, our useless brother-in-law had no part in this. Emily is the face of our family, not the dishwasher.” Laughter followed. Emily forced a smile, though her eyes flickered toward Leon briefly—hesitant, guilty. The humiliation cut sharper than usual. Not because of Brandon’s words, but because Emily herself had chosen Sterling. Chosen, the very enemy Leon had warned about. He stood in silence, jaw tight, heart steady. The System pulsed softly in his pocket. [Quest Triggered: Betrayal in the Bloodline.] Condition: Public humiliation acknowledged. Response required.] Leon’s eyes cooled. His silence tonight would not be weakness. It would be a blade. The Hidden Shareholder After the gala, the family gathered in Harold’s private lounge. The air was tense. “Emily,” Harold said, his voice hard. “Do you realize what you’ve done? Sterling is collapsing. Their stocks are toxic. This partnership could ruin us.” Emily’s face paled. “But—Father, Brandon told me—” “Don’t blame me!” Brandon snapped. “I told you Sterling had problems. You insisted!” “That’s a lie!” Emily shot back. The argument spiraled, voices rising. Leon stood at the edge of the room, watching. Then, calmly, he stepped forward. “Sterling’s finished,” he said softly. “The partnership will fail before it begins.” Miranda scoffed. “Here comes the prophet again. Why should we listen to you?” Leon’s gaze was steady. “Because I’m not just your son-in-law.” He reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone, and laid it on the table. The screen displayed a stockholder’s certificate, Collins Group emblazoned in bold. Gasps erupted. Harold froze. “This… this can’t be real.” Leon’s voice was calm, cold. “I now own fifteen percent of Collins Group. More than Brandon. More than Emily. Enough to vote.” The room fell into stunned silence. Emily’s lips parted, her eyes wide. “Leon… what have you done?” Brandon surged forward, fury twisting his face. “You snake! You bought shares behind our backs?” Leon’s gaze cut to him like steel. “I bought what you were too blind to protect.” The System pulsed. [Quest Progress: 70%.] Reward Pending.] The Collins family was no longer laughing. The Silent Avenger The meeting descended into chaos. Miranda screamed, Brandon cursed, and Harold shouted for silence. With his hands in his pockets, however, Leon stood composed. “You mocked me for years,” he said evenly. “Called me useless. Trash. A burden. But out of arrogance, you sold me the exact thing you walk on.” Harold’s fists trembled on the table. “You think you can control this family?” Leon leaned forward slightly, his voice low, dangerous. “I don’t need to control it. I only need to own it. Piece by piece.” Emily flinched, her heart pounding. She searched his eyes, but found no trace of the meek man she once ignored. Only ice. Only resolve. Miranda’s voice cracked. “You… you planned this from the start.” Leon’s lips curved faintly. “No. You planned it for me—with every insult, every humiliation. The System simply kept score.” Brandon lunged forward, but Harold held him back. The older man’s sharp eyes locked on Leon. For the first time, there was no dismissal—only fear. The System chimed softly in Leon’s pocket. [Quest Completed: Betrayal in the Bloodline.] Reward: Skill Upgrade – Negotiator’s Edge Lv 2.] New Quest Unlocked: Blood Ties, Broken Chains.] Leon straightened, turning toward the door. Emily’s voice followed him, breaking, trembling. “Leon—wait. Please… tell me the truth. Who are you?” He stopped with his back to her in the doorway. The silver watch gleamed in the dim light. “He muttered, "I'm the man you chose to betray." "And the guy who'll make you regret it." He walked out, leaving the Collins family fractured, Emily trembling, and the shadows of his empire growing ever larger.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
CHAPTER 11
The Underground AuctionThe city above glittered with neon, but beneath its surface lay a world most never saw. The underground auction was no place for the faint-hearted—it was where fortunes changed hands in whispers, where art, relics, and even businesses were sold like trinkets.Leon received his invitation in silence. A sleek black envelope had arrived at his apartment, slipped under the door without a name. On the inside, a single card bore an embossed crest: The Black Dragon Auction House.He hadn’t planned to attend. Not yet. But the boardroom debacle had stirred whispers; Brandon was bleeding, and vultures would gather. If Leon wanted to stay ahead, he needed to see which predators were circling.Emily, however, had different plans. She stormed into their bedroom that evening, her heels clicking sharply against the floor.“Do you know what your little stunt at the meeting cost me?” she demanded.Leon looked up from the invitation card, his expression unreadable. “You did
CHAPTER 10
Divorce Me, I Will Think About ItThe Fracture at HomeThe Collins mansion, though bathed in warm lamplight, felt like a mausoleum.Silence clung to its high ceilings and marble floors, a suffocating silence—not the comforting kind after a long day, but the brittle quiet of a battlefield where the smoke had settled, yet the corpses still lay unburied.Emily sat rigid on the living room sofa, still wrapped in the tailored navy suit she had worn to the boardroom. The collar pinched at her throat; her hair, perfectly coiled in the morning, was now a tired knot stabbing her scalp. She had kicked off her heels hours ago, but her calves still ached from standing too long, smiling too long, pretending too long.Her hand trembled faintly as she lifted a glass of red wine. She hadn’t wanted wine tonight—it dulled her edge, and Emily Collins lived on edges. But the bitterness on her tongue was better than the bitterness still lodged in her chest.The door clicked open behind her.Leon entere
CHAPTER 9
The Boardroom ShowdownThe Collins Group boardroom gleamed like a battlefield dressed in glass and mahogany. The long oval table shone under the overhead lights, polished until it reflected the faces of the men and women who sat around it. Shareholders in tailored suits lined the seats, their watches glittering with diamonds and gold, their expressions expectant. This wasn’t just a meeting—it was a trial.At the head of the room stood Brandon Collins, puffed up like a general before his army. His navy-blue suit was cut to perfection, his silk tie blindingly bold, his every gesture a performance. He slapped a thick folder of documents onto the table, letting the sound echo like a gavel.“Ladies and gentlemen,” he declared, his voice booming with the false ease of a man who rehearsed in the mirror. “Today, we make history.Today, we decide the future of Collins Group.We stand on the edge of unprecedented growth, and under my leadership, we will leap into a new era of dominance.”
CHAPTER 8
The Hidden BenefactorThe morning sun poured into the Collins dining hall, but the air was heavy with tension. Emily’s mother slammed her hand on the table, rattling the porcelain teacups.“Who is doing this to us?” she demanded, her voice shrill. “First the project, now the investors pulling out. Brandon, explain!”Brandon rubbed his temples, his face pale from lack of sleep. “I don’t know! Last night, three of our shareholders got anonymous offers. Higher buyouts, better terms. By morning, they switched sides. This isn’t chance—it’s a deliberate strike.”Leon, sitting quietly at the far end, stirred his tea. The spoon clinked softly against porcelain, a small, steady rhythm that grated on Brandon’s nerves.“Can you not do that?” Brandon snapped. “We’re talking about millions here!”Leon looked up, mild and unbothered. Millions can be easily moved with the right hand pushing.”Brandon froze. Emily’s gaze sharpened on Leon. For a fleeting second, suspicion flickered in her eyes—but
CHAPTER 7
The Welcome PartyThe Collins mansion glowed that evening, its chandeliers blazing like suns. Cars lined the driveway, polished to mirrors, each one announcing the arrival of the city’s elites.Inside, servants moved like shadows, refilling crystal glasses and adjusting velvet drapes. The Collins family spared no expense—this party was their attempt to prove they still belonged at the center of power.Leon arrived last. He wore the same black suit from the rooftop dinner, the one tailored to silence rather than boast. It wasn’t flashy, but the way it clung to his shoulders and moved with him gave off an air few noticed consciously yet couldn’t ignore.The first voice that sliced through the crowd was Brandon’s.“Ah, the dishwasher made it!” Laughter rippled across the room. Guests turned, amused. Brandon strolled forward, his glass of champagne tilting dangerously close to spilling. His smug grin widened as he looked Leon up and down.Emily followed at his side, glittering in silve
CHAPTER 6
The Anonymous InvitationThe morning after Brandon’s latest display of arrogance, Leon found a slim, cream-colored envelope slipped under his bedroom door. No seal, no signature—just his name in neat, sharp handwriting:“Mr. Leon Gray.”Emily was still sleeping next to him, her hair matted on the pillow and her breathing quiet. He didn’t want to wake her, so he slipped out quietly and stepped onto the balcony, holding the envelope against the rising sun.Inside was a single card, its edges embossed with gold:“A private dinner. The Tower, Skyline Rooftop, 8 p.m. Come alone.”No name. No host. No explanation.Leon’s lips curved faintly. He already knew.The Tower was the most exclusive building in the city—only billionaires and foreign tycoons dared to host dinners there. Whoever sent this card wasn’t inviting a nobody son-in-law. They were calling for him.For L.C.The Collins family downstairs had already begun their daily chaos. Brandon’s voice thundered through the hall, barking
You may also like
Becoming A Trillionaire After Divorce
Esther Writes70.0K viewsReturn of the son-in-law
Chessman75.5K viewsUnderrated Son-In-Law
Estherace106.0K viewsRise of the Student Trillionaire
Ty Writes150.3K viewsRobert McAfee; The New Student Trillionaire
Billy Pen197 viewsSupreme Commander Damian
DarkGreey7.5K viewsThe Indestructible Alexander
Adam Aksara86.5K viewsThe Masked General: Tale Of Vengeance
Nova5.0K views