Chapter 14: Chloe’s Background

In the restroom.

Victoria handed the black encrypted hard drive to Leo, blinking at him. "What's inside will blow your mind."

Leo took the drive and asked coldly, "What do you mean?"

"Your girlfriend Chloe—she's not who you think she is."

Victoria deliberately leaned in closer, her perfume wafting over faintly.

"She's not just some ordinary person. She's the long-lost daughter of the Rosenberg family from New York—missing for over twenty years!"

Leo frowned slightly. "The Rosenberg family?"

"One of New York's five major families, controlling a third of Wall Street's capital. Over twenty years ago, Mira's only daughter disappeared mysteriously with her newborn baby and was never heard from again. The whole family searched for twenty years, offering a ten-million-dollar reward."

Victoria leaned back against the sink, crossing one leg over the other. She lit a cigarette and slowly exhaled smoke. "The hard drive contains complete DNA comparison reports, birth certificates, and the truth about that car accident years ago. Chloe's mother didn't die by accident—she was assassinated. The killer was the Drake family."

Leo slapped Victoria's thigh. "Why would the Drake family kill her mother?"

He had no doubt about Victoria's abilities as a top-tier information broker.

This kind of woman, who only cared about profit, was often more reliable than so-called allies.

"Because the Rosenberg family controls Wall Street's largest investment bank, and the Drake family wanted to take it over. Kill the heir, create chaos within the family, then swoop in and acquire it. Too bad the baby was rescued by a nanny—that baby was Chloe."

Victoria flicked her cigarette ash, straightened up, and walked over to Leo in her high heels. Her finger traced lightly across his chest. "Darling, now do you understand why I called this a 'gift'?"

Leo tucked the hard drive inside his jacket.

He turned to leave.

"Wait!"

Victoria grabbed Leo's arm and stood on her tiptoes, planting a lipstick kiss on his chiseled jaw. With a seductive smile, she said, "Darling, you haven't agreed to my payment yet. After the Drake family falls, I want their three arms bases in Europe."

Leo stopped, pulled out a neatly folded silk handkerchief from his pocket, and elegantly wiped the lipstick mark from his cheek. "Being too greedy isn't a good habit, Victoria."

"But considering this generous gift... deal."

Leo adjusted his collar and waved dismissively over his shoulder as he walked away.

In the restaurant, the melodious sound of a cello filled the air.

When Chloe saw Leo return, she asked nervously, "Leo, that woman just now..."

"Just a difficult informant. Don't worry about her."

Leo naturally pulled out his chair and sat down, pouring her some red wine with elegant composure.

He cut a piece of steak, then looked up casually, meeting Chloe's eyes directly. "Chloe, now that I think about it, I've rarely heard you mention your family. How much do you know about your mother's past?"

"My parents died when I was very young. I was raised by a relative, but she passed away last year."

Chloe took a small sip of red wine, somewhat surprised. "Why are you suddenly interested in this?"

"No reason."

Leo nodded and gently took her hand. "Are you free tomorrow?"

"A surprise." Leo's eyes gleamed mysteriously. "You'll find out tomorrow. Come to my apartment."

"Go... to your place?" Chloe froze for a moment, a faint blush crossing her cheeks.

"Yes." Leo stood up and picked up his suit jacket from the back of his chair. "I have something very important to show you."

For him, this was the perfect opportunity.

Only by relying on the power of families like New York's Rosenberg family could he achieve perfect revenge!

The next morning, at Leo's apartment.

Chloe sat on the pure black leather sofa, holding the hot coffee Leo had just handed her, looking somewhat uncomfortable.

Leo didn't waste words. He plugged the black, encrypted hard drive directly into his laptop and turned the screen toward Chloe.

"Look at this."

Chloe leaned forward, puzzled.

On the screen was an extremely detailed file: a newspaper clipping from twenty years ago, classified photos from an assassination scene, and a DNA comparison report stamped with an official seal.

"What... what is this?" Chloe's voice began to tremble as she saw her own name on the report.

"This is your past, and your blood debt."

Leo lit a cigarette. "Your birth mother was the sole heir to one of New York's five major families—the Rosenberg family. And twenty years ago, the mastermind behind the highway ambush that killed your mother and forced you to hide under a false identity for twenty years was the Drake family."

Like a thunderbolt, Chloe's coffee cup shook violently, brown liquid splashing onto the carpet.

New York's five major families? The Rosenberg family? The Drake family?

These names, which to her had only existed in financial newspapers as massive entities, were now the blood feud she carried!

"This can't be... I'm just an ordinary person..."

Chloe covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face, unable to accept this cruel reality.

The mystery of her identity over the past twenty years had been revealed in an instant, bringing with it dripping blood and endless darkness.

Leo pulled out some tissues and handed them to her, his tone carrying a rare heaviness. "In this world, coincidences are often carefully disguised conspiracies. The Drake family didn't just kill your mother... they also drove Luke to his death."

"Chloe, we have the same enemy."

"Now you know everything. I need to ask you a question—what do you want to do?"

"But if you don't want to spend your whole life hiding like prey, if you want to collect that blood debt for your dead mother and take back everything that belongs to you... I'll help you."

The room fell into deathly silence, with only the faint hum of the computer fan.

Chloe looked at the photo on the screen of her birth mother, whose face bore a seventy percent resemblance to her own.

The twenty years of feeling adrift without an identity transformed in this moment into bone-deep pain.

After a long while, she slowly raised her head.

"I want them to pay."

Chloe said through gritted teeth.

Hearing this answer, a satisfied smile curved Leo's lips.

He liked smart women, and even more, he liked brave women.

He extended a broad hand toward Chloe, as if sealing some sacred contract.

"A wise choice."

Chloe placed her trembling hand in Leo's palm, using his strength to stand up, gripping his hand tightly.

"By the way, go pack some clothes. At two this afternoon, a private jet will be waiting for us at the airport."

"Where are we going?"

"New York."

Leo turned his head, his gaze reaching toward that eastern center of power—the most prosperous and dirtiest place in all of America.

"To meet your real father and reclaim your identity. And to get... justice for Luke."