The Invincible son-inlaw's Secret Identity

Chapter 5:The First Target;Leo!

Ethan sat in the commander's seat—a massive, high-backed chair made of black leather and steel—in his Sky Citadel office. The window view showed the entire city, tiny and unaware of the powerful person watching over it.

General Varis stood beside him, holding a slim tablet. It was 6:00 AM sharp. The market had just opened.

"General, confirm the status of Leo Harrison," Ethan commanded. His voice was calm, almost bored, as if he were discussing the weather, not someone's total ruin.

"Confirmed, Commander," Varis reported, swiping the screen. "Phase Alpha, 'The Humiliation,' is active. Leo Harrison has been publicly detained by the city police regarding the fraudulent charity reports we leaked. His corporate accounts are locked. And the final touch is about to go live."

Ethan watched a massive, digital clock on the wall count down to zero. The time for three years of endless insults was over.

In the lobby of Leo's exclusive high-rise, Leo Harrison stood in handcuffs, shouting at two stone-faced police officers. His expensive suit was wrinkled, and his face was pale with panic.

"This is a mistake! My lawyer will crush you! That money was just a loan! The Thompson family will back me up!" he yelled.

Just then, three huge television screens mounted on the lobby wall, usually showing stock market updates, suddenly changed. They showed a live feed from a different location: Leo's garage.

On the screen, two men in mechanic uniforms were standing by Leo's bright red, luxury sports car. The word "TRASH" was still visible on the roof in dripping paint.

One of the mechanics spoke into a microphone, loud enough for the camera. "As agents of the Central Revenue Service, we are here to execute the immediate repossession of this vehicle. It was purchased with funds illegally diverted from a children's medical charity."

Then, the real humiliation began.

The mechanic opened the trunk and pulled out a small, velvet bag. He looked straight into the camera. "We also found this."He opened the bag. Inside was a tiny, gold charm—the matching half of the one Leo had given Clara last night, the one he had bragged about.

The mechanic sneered. "For everyone wondering why a successful executive is trying to marry into a struggling, third-rate family like the Thompsons, here is your answer: His own life is a lie. His wealth is fake, and he planned to use the Thompson deal to cover up his crimes. He's not a success story; he's a criminal."

The cameras then zoomed in on the car, showing the word "TRASH" one last time before the car was hooked up to the tow truck.In that very moment, Leo felt a sharp tug on his arm as the police officers pulled him toward the exit. He saw his face on the huge lobby screen, next to his ruined car, and next to a flashing, digital banner that read: “Harrison Group: From Hero to Zero in 60 Minutes.”

He realized the entire public spectacle was designed for maximum shame. He looked at his ruined car and then at the cameras. He knew who did this. There was only one person he had wronged so completely, only one person who saw him as 'trash.'

"Ethan! You useless rat! I know it was you!" Leo screamed, thrashing as the police dragged him away. But no one heard him. Everyone was staring at the screens.

Meanwhile, back at the Thompson house, the chaos was reaching a fever pitch.Margaret and Mr. Thompson were in a panic room, huddled around a single laptop, watching the live news coverage of Leo Harrison's dramatic arrest.

"Leo is ruined!" Margaret cried, slamming her hand on the desk. "He's not just ruined; he's a criminal! He can't save us! We were tied to him! We're finished!"

Mr. Thompson looked like he was about to faint. "The press is already calling. They know we were days from signing the deal with him. They're calling it a 'hostile entanglement.' We're going to lose everything."

Suddenly, Mr. Thompson remembered something. "The divorce! Where is the divorce paper? We can still save Clara if we can prove she cut ties with Ethan, maybe we can cut ties with Leo faster!"

Margaret grabbed the papers from the desk. "Yes! She is legally free! We have the signed document!"

Just then, Clara walked in. She was dressed, carrying a small backpack. She looked at her parents' terrified faces with cold, quiet anger.

"Where do you think you're going?" Margaret snapped, momentarily forgetting the ruin.

"I’m leaving," Clara said simply. "A deep voice on the phone told me to get out of this house before the market opened on Monday. I think I will take that warning."

"You listen to a stranger's voice over your own mother?!" Margaret shrieked. "Look at this!" She shoved the divorce paper toward Clara. "Ethan signed it! He abandoned you! He left you with us!"

Clara looked at the signature. "Yes, he left. And while he was gone, someone paid off my grandfather's debt. The one that was ruining us all." She pointed to the red 'PAID' stamp. "Did you two do this?"

Margaret scoffed. "We didn't have a penny! Why would we? We were focused on the Everest deal!"

"Exactly," Clara said, her voice shaking with revelation. "Whoever did this cares about Grandpa and about me. And whoever crashed the Everest deal cares about destroying you."

The phone rang—a special, urgent ring reserved for only the highest connections. Mr. Thompson snatched it up."Hello? Oh, Mr. Elder! Yes, sir, thank you for calling. We are in a disaster—"

The voice on the other end was clear, ancient, and terrified. "Thompson! Are you mad? You are ruined! Do you know who you offended?"Mr. Thompson froze, his eyes wide. "Offended, sir? Who? We just broke ties with Leo—"

"Leo is a mouse! You offended the Lion! The entity that just swallowed Leo’s entire firm in an hour! They are known as The Shadow Monarch's Hand! You should have kept that worthless boy, Ethan! That boy was your shield! The moment he signed those papers, your protection was canceled!"The line went dead.

Mr. Thompson let the phone drop. He looked at his wife, whose face was now a mask of absolute horror. He looked at his daughter, who was staring at the divorce papers, slowly connecting the dots.

"Ethan..." Margaret whispered, her voice cracking. "The wine, the insult... He didn't just leave. He divorced us."

Clara’s phone buzzed with a text. It wasn't the mysterious commander's number. It was a normal, local number.

She opened it. It was a single-word message from the last person she ever expected to hear from. The name on the contact said: Ethan.The message read: "Clara. Look outside your window. Top of the Sky Citadel."