Chapter 61: Before the Storm

Leo's study.

Leo sat on the leather sofa across from him, leisurely smoking a cigar.

He didn't speak, just quietly watched George.

"Leo, I'm warning you—you'd better let me go right now."

George was tied to a chair, but still shouted fearlessly, "I'm the heir of the Adams family! No matter how high your rank is, you can't illegally detain a civilian!"

"The Adams family may not be as powerful as the Rosenberg family, but we're still somebody in New York. If you dare hurt me, I guarantee you won't make it out of New York!"

"Is that so?"

Leo exhaled a puff of smoke, a playful smile curling at the corner of his mouth. "So what are you going to do? Sue me?"

"You..."

George gritted his teeth, a flash of fear in his eyes, but still tried to act tough. "My uncle won't let you get away with this!"

"Your uncle?"

Leo laughed, his laugh full of disdain. "That major general who just saw my badge and nearly lost it?"

"You think he'd dare come rescue you?"

George's face stiffened.

Leo stood up, slowly walked over to him, bent down, and stared at him with cold eyes.

"Let me ask you—who told you to come cause trouble for me tonight?"

"What... what?"

George instinctively turned his head away, not daring to meet Leo's eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about..."

But his heart was in turmoil.

How does he know?

Did he see through it from the start?

"Don't know?"

Leo straightened up, turned, and walked back to his chair, crossing his legs.

"Fine then."

He flicked his cigarette ash, saying casually, "I really can't do anything to you. After all, you're a civilian, and I'm military."

"So..."

Leo raised his head, a cold gleam in his eyes.

"I'll let you go."

"Really... really?"

A flash of joy appeared in George's eyes.

"Of course it's real."

Leo exhaled a puff of smoke. "But on your way home, you should be careful."

"What do you mean?"

An ominous feeling rose in George's heart.

"New York has a lot of gangs."

Leo said deliberately, "What if on your way home, you get robbed by a gang, and then accidentally die..."

"That wouldn't be my fault."

"You... you're threatening me?"

George trembled all over, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.

"Threatening?"

Leo stood up and walked to the door, pushing it open.

"I'm just giving you a friendly reminder."

"Go on."

George froze.

He hadn't expected Leo to actually let him go.

A bodyguard came in and untied the ropes binding George.

"What are you waiting for?"

Leo urged, "Hurry up and leave. It's getting dark, and the roads aren't safe."

"I..."

George stood up and instinctively walked toward the door.

One step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

His footsteps grew slower and slower.

Leo's words kept echoing in his mind: "robbed by a gang, and then accidentally died."

The more he thought about it, the more scared he became.

With Leo's power in New York, getting rid of him would be a piece of cake.

And...

If it really was done by a gang, no one could trace it back to Leo.

"Wait... wait!"

George suddenly turned around and dropped to his knees with a thud.

"Mr. Ashford! I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"

A satisfied smile appeared at the corner of Leo's mouth as he walked back to the sofa and sat down. "Speak. Who put you up to this tonight?"

From George's behavior alone, it was obvious someone had been pulling strings behind the scenes.

This kind of spoiled rich kid—where would he get the guts to provoke Leo on his own?

"It was... it was my uncle..."

George knelt on the ground, trembling all over. "He came to see me this afternoon and said Ms. Black is the heir of the Rosenberg family, and if I could marry her, it would be very beneficial for the Adams family..."

"And then?"

"Then he said there would definitely be many people pursuing Ms. Black at tonight's party, and told me to take the initiative and show off my advantages..."

George swallowed. "He also said if anyone tried to stop me, I should bring up my uncle..."

"So you just did what he said?"

Leo exhaled a puff of smoke.

"I... I did get a bit carried away when I saw her..."

George kept his head down, not daring to look at Leo. "But mainly it was my uncle who kept egging me on..."

"What's your uncle's name?"

"Malcolm Adams."

A gleam flashed in Leo's eyes.

Just as I thought.

"Good."

Leo stood up, walked over to George, and patted his face. "Remember, about tonight—you know nothing. When you get home, just do whatever you normally do."

"Otherwise..."

Leo's voice turned ice cold. "Tomorrow morning, every New York paper will be talking about the Adams family's son found dead in the street."

"I... I understand! I won't say anything!"

George was so scared that he was shaking and scrambled out of the room.

Leo sat back down in his chair and took a deep drag on his cigar.

"Boss."

Olivia emerged from the shadows. "Should we investigate Malcolm?"

"No need."

Leo shook his head. "If they dare to test me so openly, it means they're prepared to be discovered."

"Digging into Malcolm would only tip them off."

"Then what do we..."

"Wait and see."

Leo stubbed out his cigar and stood up. "They want to know my identity, so let them investigate."

"The deeper they dig, the more scared they'll be."

Just then.

Chloe walked in from outside, her face showing some worry. "Leo, what's going on? Why would the person behind George do this?"

"Because the Nightfall organization has made its move."

Leo walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the night outside.

"What?"

Chloe's face changed. "Aren't they supposed to be in Europe?"

Leo turned around, his eyes showing a hint of gravity. "So this has to be the work of the people behind the Nightfall organization."

"The people behind them?"

Chloe paused, then understood. "You mean the people behind the Nightfall organization are taking action themselves?"

"Exactly."

Leo lit a cigar and exhaled a puff of smoke.

"Tonight was a test."

"They used George's uncle to push George into provoking me."

"Then, through George's uncle, that major general, they tried to probe my identity."

Chloe was silent for a few seconds.

"So now they..."

"Now they should already know my rank is higher than a major general."

A cold smile appeared at the corner of Leo's mouth. "But my exact position—they still can't find."

"Because my file is top secret."

"So next..."

"Next, they'll be more cautious."

Leo walked over to Chloe and gently embraced her.

"But at the same time, they'll speed up their actions."

"Because they know the longer they wait, the worse it is for them."

Chloe leaned into Leo's embrace and said softly, "Who do you think is really behind the Nightfall organization?"

"Don't know."

Leo shook his head. "But anyone who can control the Nightfall organization, who can have such deep connections in America..."

"Is anything but ordinary."

"But it doesn't matter. Whoever it is, if they dare touch my people, I'll make them regret ever being born."

Night settled deeper over the city.

Something bigger was on its way—what had happened tonight was only the beginning.