The storm had barely begun to ease when the two titans stood face-to-face under the flickering estate lights.
Leon Xu, soaked and disheveled, his once-perfect image in ruins.
Damien Xu, cold as ice, dressed impeccably despite the raging weather, his every movement exuding deadly precision.
And between them… Ella Lin.
Her fragile figure was pressed against Leon's chest, his grip vice-like around her waist. She struggled, her wrists red from the force, but he refused to let go.
"Let her go, Leon," Damien's voice was low, but the threat behind every word was as sharp as a dagger. "She's not yours to keep."
Leon's lips curled into a dangerous smile, his eyes burning with madness.
"Not mine?" he scoffed, pulling Ella even closer. "Damien, have you forgotten who she chose first? Who she gave everything to? This woman is mine—body, soul, and heart."
Ella's chest heaved with panic and rage.
"I'm not some damned property to be owned!" she screamed.
But neither man moved.
Damien took a slow, deliberate step forward, his eyes never leaving Leon's.
"You've already destroyed her once. Are you planning to keep her locked away until she dies of despair? That's not love, Leon. That's pure insanity."
Leon's grip only tightened. His voice dropped to a chilling whisper.
"You think I care what you call it? Love… obsession… possession… I only know one thing: she's not leaving me again."
Suddenly, a piercing sound cut through the tension.
Click.
Ella had somehow freed one wrist, and in her trembling hand was a small, silver pistol—a last line of defense she had hidden after the first night of her captivity.
Her hands shook violently, the gun pointed directly at Leon's heart.
"Let me go, Leon. Or I swear… I'll pull the trigger!"
For the first time, Leon faltered.
His eyes scanned her face—tears mingling with rain, eyes filled not with fear but with raw defiance.
"You wouldn't…" he breathed.
Her finger tightened around the trigger.
"Try me."
In that split second, Damien moved.
A single, sharp punch landed on Leon's jaw, sending him stumbling backward.
Ella collapsed into Damien's arms, her body trembling violently.
"It's over, Leon," Damien hissed through clenched teeth. "Touch her again, and you'll lose more than just your empire."
But Leon… Leon only stood there, wiping the blood from his split lip, his eyes burning brighter than ever.
"This isn't over, Ella. You can run to him, hide behind anyone you want—but in the end… you'll always come back to me."