Chapter 85: The Underground Emperor of New York

"Mr. Ashford..."

Alan swallowed hard, forcing a smile on his face that looked worse than crying.

"Let's talk this through... it's all a misunderstanding..."

"Misunderstanding?"

Leo sneered and strode toward the main building.

"Your brother hijacked the Vanderbilt family's shipment and laundered money through Nightfall's channels."

"You call that a misunderstanding?"

"No... it wasn't..."

Alan waved his hands frantically. "That was all Malcolm acting on his own! I had no idea!"

"Yes! Yes!"

Malcolm immediately dropped to his knees. "It's all my fault! The family had nothing to do with it!"

"Mr. Ashford, I have evidence on Nightfall!"

He shouted desperately, like grabbing a lifeline.

"I know their contact person! I can identify them for you!"

"Just spare me, and I'll tell you everything!"

"Is that so?"

Leo reached the entrance of the main building and stopped.

He snapped his fingers.

Olivia immediately waved her hand.

Two Shadow team members emerged from behind the armored vehicle, dragging a limp figure.

It was Stinger.

Both his kneecaps were completely shattered, and his whole body was dragged like dead weight.

"The contact person you mentioned..."

Leo said flatly, "Is it him?"

The moment Malcolm saw Stinger, he was struck as if by lightning.

"No... impossible..."

He collapsed to the ground, completely hopeless.

"Mr. Ashford! Have mercy! Please have mercy!"

Malcolm kowtowed frantically, his forehead bleeding.

"I was wrong! I was really wrong!"

"Please... for my brother's sake... spare me..."

"Shut up."

Leo drew a black handgun from his waist.

"Your life is worthless!"

He aimed the barrel at Malcolm's forehead.

"No!"

A gunshot rang out.

Malcolm's forehead exploded with a bloody hole.

His eyes widened, his body stiffened, and he slowly fell backward.

"Thud."

The corpse hit the ground heavily.

Blood slowly trickled down the marble steps.

The scene fell deathly silent.

"You... you..."

Alan's legs went weak with fear, nearly collapsing.

Leo holstered his gun and slowly walked up to Alan.

"Now..."

He exhaled a puff of smoke, his eyes ice-cold.

"Let's talk about your situation."

"Mr. Ashford..."

Alan trembled all over. "I... I'm willing to compensate..."

"Compensate?"

Leo scoffed. "What do you have to compensate for?"

"I... I..."

Alan gritted his teeth and finally made up his mind.

"I'm willing to... transfer half of the Adams family's business shares to you... for free!"

"And from today on, the Adams family will serve Mr. Ashford!"

"We'll follow your lead completely!"

"Good. Olivia, draft an agreement. I want to see all the share transfer documents by tomorrow."

Leo turned and walked toward the armored vehicle.

"Yes!"

Olivia responded immediately.

"Also..."

Leo didn't look back.

"Clean this place up."

"Yes!"

Leo strode away from the Adams Group.

Behind him, Alan collapsed to the ground, staring at his brother's corpse, his eyes filled with despair.

One of New York's five major families, the Adams family...

This shocking news exploded like a nuclear bomb on Wall Street: the Adams family announced they were transferring 50% of all their business shares to a mysterious person for free!

Once the news broke, all of Wall Street went crazy.

"Are they insane? Has the Adams family lost its mind?"

"Transferring half their shares for free? Was this signed at gunpoint?"

"Who is this mysterious buyer? How could they make the Adams family willingly cut off their own flesh?"

"I heard something big happened at the Adams Group last night. Malcolm... is dead."

"What? Dead? How?"

"Apparently, he was shot on the spot. And Alan, to save his life, gave away half the family business."

Every major exchange, investment bank, and private equity fund on Wall Street was frantically trying to find out the mysterious buyer's identity.

But everyone got the same answer: confidential.

Absolutely confidential.

Even the law firm partners handling the deal had signed the highest level of non-disclosure agreements.

...

Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Presidential Suite.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, Manhattan's skyscrapers gleamed in the spring sunlight.

Leo sat on the leather sofa, holding a copy of the Wall Street Journal.

The front page headline was about the Adams family share transfer.

He glanced at it and casually tossed the newspaper on the table.

The soft click of high heels came from the bedroom, accompanied by a warm scent mixing expensive body wash with a woman's unique fragrance.

Leo looked up.

Ivy walked out of the bedroom wearing silver stilettos.

She wore only Leo's oversized white dress shirt.

The shirt's hem barely covered the top of her thighs, the collar open, revealing large expanses of skin and her collarbone peeking through.

Her golden hair was still slightly damp, casually draped over her shoulders—she'd clearly just showered.

She held a cup of freshly brewed coffee, but when she reached Leo, she didn't sit obediently to the side as usual.

"Here..."

Ivy bent down, carelessly setting the coffee on the table.

With this movement, the open collar fell completely open, giving Leo a full view of that stunning sight.

Before Leo could speak, Ivy suddenly reached out with slender fingers, snatched the newspaper from his hand, and tossed it onto the carpet.

The next second, she boldly straddled Leo's legs, sitting directly on his lap.

The oversized shirt immediately slid up to her waist, completely exposing those long, straight, toned legs.

The tips of her silver stilettos lightly hooked around Leo's calf with a blood-pumping teasing quality.

"Leo..."

Ivy's voice was husky and seductive, her azure eyes surging with undisguised desire and infatuation.

She urgently leaned down, her soft arms tightly wrapping around Leo's neck, her warm red lips directly sealing the man's mouth.

It was an aggressive yet utterly pleasing kiss.

Ivy panted urgently, unreservedly pressing her burning body against Leo's solid chest.

Her hands restlessly roamed across Leo's broad back, feeling the explosive power in his muscles through the shirt, her body involuntarily trembling in waves.

"I finished what you asked, so give me..."

Leo's eyes darkened slightly, a flash of fire in his deep gaze.

He didn't refuse, his large hand naturally gripping Ivy's slender waist, his rough palm caressing the delicate skin of her inner thighs.

Feeling his response, Ivy let out a helpless moan, meeting him even more actively.

She impatiently began unbuttoning Leo's shirt, her fingertips trembling slightly with excitement.

Time passed.

The embarrassing sounds from the presidential suite finally gradually subsided.

Ivy lay like a satisfied Persian cat on Leo's broad chest.

The white shirt had long disappeared, her golden hair scattered messily, her tender skin still showing a faint blush from their pleasure.

Her rapid breathing gradually steadied, slender fingers idly drawing circles on Leo's solid chest.

"You're absolutely a devil..."

Ivy looked up, gazing at Leo's perfect jawline with hazy eyes, planting a light kiss on his chin before contentedly getting to business.

"Congratulations, Leo. The Adams family share transfer procedures are all complete."

"All documents have been given to Olivia for review—no problems. From today, the Adams family's seventeen companies, one hundred twenty-three properties, and stocks and funds worth eight hundred million dollars... are all yours."

"Well done."

Leo leaned back on the sofa, responding flatly, his large hand naturally caressing her smooth, graceful back.

"Mm..."

Receiving Leo's praise, Ivy contentedly closed her eyes, pressing her cheek more intimately against his chest, listening to that strong heartbeat, her eyes shining with pride.

"Leo, now the Romano family, the Vanderbilt family, and the Adams family—three major families are under your control. Plus our Drake family and the Rosenberg family... of New York's five major families, four are in your hands."

"You're already this city's underground emperor."

Leo didn't respond, his deep gaze looking toward the bustling city outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.

A woman in his arms, incredible wealth in his hands, yet his stern face showed no trace of intoxication.

To him, these so-called families, powers, wealth—even this utterly seductive woman in his arms—were merely tools toward his ultimate goal.

What he really needed to do was completely uproot that behemoth Nightfall.

Avenging Luke—this was just the beginning.