Three weeks had passed since that night in Paris.
Leon Xu… vanished.
No news. No sightings. Not a single trace of his existence.
It was as if the man who once shook the foundations of the business world had melted into the shadows, taking his sins and regrets with him.
But Ella Lin couldn't breathe easy.
Because the storm wasn't over.
It was only gathering strength.
That afternoon, a black velvet box arrived at her private estate.
No sender. No markings.
Only a single card tucked neatly under the ribbon.
"For the day you choose to remember me."
Ella's fingers trembled as she opened the box.
Inside was a thick envelope stamped with the insignia of an elite private law firm.
She unfolded the legal documents, her eyes scanning the lines—each word heavier than the last.
Final Testament of Leon Xu.
Her heart froze.
He had signed everything over.
His last hidden offshore assets. The remaining shares in dormant companies.
All of it… left to her and the twins.
But that wasn't what made her legs buckle.
It was the handwritten letter folded carefully at the bottom of the box.
"Ella,"
"If you're reading this, it means I've finally found the peace I couldn't have in this lifetime. I won't ask for forgiveness—I know I don't deserve it. But there's one thing you should know before you close the final chapter of us."
"That night, when I told you I wanted just one last kiss… I wasn't asking for your forgiveness. I was saying goodbye."
"And maybe, just maybe… in the next life, if fate allows… I'll meet you again as the man you always deserved, and not the monster I became."
"Until then… I'll love you in silence."
—Leon
Ella's vision blurred as the paper slipped from her fingers.
Her knees hit the cold marble floor, her sobs tearing through the silent estate.
This wasn't victory.
This was the price of a war no one truly won.