The Hidden Benefactor
The 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 then she dismissed it with a shake of her head.
No. Impossible. Leon couldn't even afford a decent car. But the seed of doubt had been planted.
Emily's Hunt
Later that day, Emily retreated to her office at Collins Group headquarters.
She couldn't let the humiliation of last night's party—or the morning's collapse—drag her down. She needed answers.
Her assistant, nervous and sweating, handed her a file. "Ma'am, we did some digging.
The anonymous investor who outbid us goes by the name… L.C. Holdings."
Emily's chest tightened. She had heard that name whispered in business circles before—always in tones of respect, sometimes in fear.
She flipped through the documents. Shell companies. Offshore accounts.
No clear ownership. Yet every thread she tugged seemed to lead to the same place: a network so wide, so deeply rooted, it was like chasing shadows in a maze.
"Who are you, L.C.?" she whispered.
At lunch, she met with an old college friend who worked at the bank. Over coffee, Emily leaned in. "You've heard of L.C. Holdings, right?
Tell me what you know."
Her friend hesitated, glancing around. "Off the record? Word is they have government backing. Some say military contracts.
Some say foreign money. No one knows for sure. But one thing's certain—when L.C. moves, entire companies fall."
Emily's blood ran cold.
Back at the office, she stared at her phone. Against all reason, against all logic, Leon's calm face surfaced in her mind.
His unbothered tone at breakfast, his quiet remark about "the right hand pushing."
She shook her head violently. No. It couldn't be him. Leon was nothing. Just a… parasite.
And yet—her instincts screamed otherwise.
Moves in Silence
That evening, while the Collins family gathered in the living room to argue about their next steps, Leon excused himself.
He walked to the balcony, phone in hand, and typed a short, coded message. Within minutes, a reply came back:
"Mission status: complete. L.C. Holdings has secured 12% additional shares. Collins Group stability—critical."
Leon slipped the phone back into his pocket just as Emily appeared in the doorway.
"What are you doing out here?" she asked, her tone sharp but laced with something else—curiosity.
"Enjoying the air," Leon said smoothly.
Her eyes narrowed. For the briefest moment, she considered asking him about L.C. Holdings. But pride strangled the question in her throat
. Instead, she scoffed. "Don't pretend you care about business. Just stay out of the way."
She turned and left.
Leon remained on the balcony, watching the city lights flicker. A faint smile touched his lips.
Stay out of the way?
No. He was already inside every wall of the Collins empire.
And when the time was right, they would realize the parasite they mocked was the hidden benefactor pulling all their strings.
The silent king wasn't waiting anymore.
He was building.