The Hidden Dragon Son-in-Law

The Man He Really Is

Chapter 4: “The Man He Really Is”

Ivy stared at the steel case sitting in the center of Jaxon’s empty apartment.

The rest of the place looked untouched by life — no clothes, no documents, no signs anyone had lived here for the past three years. It was sterile. Cold. Like a ghost had just vanished.

Her trembling fingers hovered over the latch.

She opened it.

Inside was a matte-black tablet, a leather-bound folder, and a single photograph.

The photo hit her like a punch to the chest.

It showed Jaxon — but not the Jaxon she knew. He wore a tactical vest, kneeling beside an overturned SUV. His face was bloodied, eyes blazing. Around him were men in masks—kneeling.

In submission.

Stamped at the bottom was a red seal: 9th Pavilion, Ghost Monarch.

She opened the folder next.

Her breath caught.

It held classified military contracts, photos of billion-dollar seizures, encryption clearances, and a target list—names crossed out in blood-red ink.

Ethan Xu was the most recent.

She dropped it all back into the case and staggered backward, one hand to her mouth.

Her husband… wasn’t just someone important.

He was something dangerous.

—

Meanwhile, across the city…

Xu Group HQ – Underground Chamber

Ethan Xu descended into the hidden chamber beneath his skyscraper, flanked by two private bodyguards. In front of him stood a wiry man with a scar across his left cheek — Anton, an ex-mercenary hacker known in the underworld as “The Scrambler.”

“You said you could find him,” Ethan growled.

“I said I could try,” Anton replied coolly. “But I didn’t expect your 'son-in-law' to be a shadow-ranked name. Every digital trail leads to encrypted dead ends. This guy’s buried in ghost layers. Whoever he is, he’s above military clearance.”

Ethan slammed his fist into the concrete wall.

“I need leverage. Anything.”

Anton raised an eyebrow. “There is one thing. A name popped up repeatedly in a hidden server we cracked—connected to the Ninth Pavilion. Ivy Lin.”

Ethan froze.

“His wife?”

Anton nodded. “Looks like she’s either the weakness—or the bait.”

Ethan’s lips twisted into a cruel smile. “Perfect. If I can’t attack the shadow… I’ll drag him into the light.”

—

Later That Night – Ivy’s Apartment

Ivy locked the case and tossed it under her bed, heart pounding in her throat. She didn’t know whether to scream, cry, or run.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed.

Unknown Number: You looked inside the case. Now you understand. Come to 87 Hanbei Street. Alone. Don’t tell anyone.

She bit her lip.

A part of her wanted to ignore it — to hide in denial. But something else stirred inside her now: the need to know the full truth.

Minutes later, she slipped on a coat and left.

—

Warehouse – 87 Hanbei Street

Ivy stepped into the dimly lit warehouse.

It was empty, except for a single hanging light above a leather chair.

Jaxon stood there, waiting.

But it wasn’t the Jaxon she’d known.

This man radiated control. He wore a black turtleneck beneath a tactical coat, hair swept back, no warmth in his eyes.

“I thought I married a man who couldn’t even afford lunch,” she whispered.

“You did,” he said. “That was the point.”

“And now you’re what… some underground king?”

“Ghost Monarch,” he corrected. “A title I buried three years ago.”

Ivy shook her head. “Why did you hide it from me?”

Jaxon stepped closer, voice low. “Because the man you were forced to marry was meant to die in silence. But now the enemy’s awake. Ethan knows. And he’s coming for you.”

Her breath caught.

“Ethan?”

Jaxon nodded. “I exposed him. He’ll retaliate.”

Suddenly, his phone buzzed.

He picked it up and his face darkened instantly.

Ivy could hear the voice on the other end:

“Sir. Ethan just moved. He kidnapped Ivy’s cousin, Aria Lin. Sent us a live feed. He says he’ll start sending pieces of her back unless you show up. Alone.”

Ivy’s legs buckled.

Jaxon crushed the phone in his fist.

No emotion. Just pure rage.

Then he turned to her, voice like thunder:

“Get in the car. We end this tonight.”

Back in Ethan’s private torture chamber, Aria whimpered beneath a dangling light, bound to a chair.

Ethan smiled into the camera.

“Come, Ghost Monarch,” he said. “Let’s see how far you’ll go for family.”

Behind him… a bomb timer started ticking.