The towering glass structure of Voss International HQ stood like a monument to arrogance in the heart of the city. Its steel frame caught the morning sun like a sword raised high. Leon Voss sat silently in the back of the black SUV, eyes on the building he had once called his future.

Now it was war.

“Security teams have already been briefed. Camille made sure your new ID checks out, sir,” said Thomas, his right-hand man. “You’ll walk in as Leon Graves—silent investor. New board seat confirmed under the holding company in Zurich.”

Leon didn’t respond. He adjusted the cuff of his tailored black suit and reached for the cufflink that once belonged to his father. A symbol of the legacy stolen from him.

His voice was calm but razor-sharp. “What time is the board meeting?”

“In twenty minutes. And your brother is chairing it.”

Leon smirked.

David Voss.

The golden boy who betrayed him. The one who sat in his place for the last five years. The one who smiled into cameras while Leon was chased through the slums of Shanghai and hunted in the deserts of Damascus.

Today would be the first strike.

Inside the building, whispers followed Leon as he stepped through the executive floors. They didn’t recognize him—yet. But they felt him. The way he moved. The way security made way without a word. The way Camille appeared at his side in heels sharp enough to cut diamonds.

“Looking sharp,” she whispered. “Boardroom’s ready.”

Leon’s jaw twitched slightly. “I don’t care about their approval. Just their silence.”

Camille arched a brow. “You’re aware this is technically illegal.”

“Only if I fail,” he said.

Conference Room: 68th Floor A long mahogany table stretched across the center, polished to perfection. Eleven seats. Eleven board members. Nine of them older men with thinning hair and wrinkled suits. David sat at the head, a tailored navy suit and a false air of control cloaking his nervous fingers tapping under the table.

When Leon entered, the room fell silent.

David’s eyes narrowed. “And who the hell are you?”

Leon stepped forward slowly. Calm. Calculated.

“Leon Graves,” he said smoothly. “I believe you were notified of my new position—major shareholder through Arcadia Holdings.”

David blinked. “I wasn’t told—”

“Camille?” Leon didn’t look at her, but her voice rang like a gunshot.

“Filed last week. 15% acquisition. Completely legal. Zurich confirms it.”

David’s face paled. The other board members began murmuring, checking emails on their phones.

Leon took the seat at the right-hand side of the head. Not at the end—but close enough to dominate the view.

“Let’s begin,” he said.

For the next forty-five minutes, Leon said little.

He let them talk—about quarterly profits, projections, supply chain issues in Asia. But he watched. Studied. Measured.

The CFO was stealing funds. The logistics head was leaking info. The PR director was sleeping with David. He didn’t need a private investigator to know. Their body language said it all.

Leon’s silence was his weapon.

Then, the moment came.

“I suggest we revisit the strategic direction of the company,” David announced, adjusting his tie. “We’ve expanded aggressively in tech, but I think it’s time we scale back and consolidate—”

“That would be a mistake,” Leon interrupted flatly.

Heads turned. Even Camille raised an eyebrow.

David forced a smile. “Excuse me?”

Leon folded his hands. “You’re talking about scaling back, when the industry’s moving faster than ever. You’re playing defense. That’s what weak men do.”

The room froze.

David’s voice tightened. “Who do you think you are to speak to me like—”

“I’m your biggest shareholder now,” Leon said coldly. “And unless you want your entire tenure questioned by Zurich, I suggest you sit down and shut up.”

Silence.

The old men at the table didn’t blink. Most of them hated David anyway. He’d played favorites. Lied. Made enemies. Leon was the storm they had been waiting for.

David sat down slowly, his face white.

Leon smiled without warmth. “Camille, you’ll send my restructuring plan after this meeting.”

“Yes, sir.”

After the meeting, David stormed into the private hallway.

“What the hell are you doing?” he hissed. “You don’t belong here!”

Leon finally let his mask slip.

He stepped close. His voice low and venomous.

“I built this company with Father. You stole it. Lied to him. Had me branded a traitor. Sent me into exile with a death sentence on my back.”

David’s face paled. “You were reckless. You would’ve destroyed everything—”

“I survived worse than this building can throw at me,” Leon growled. “And now I’m back. Every deal you made behind my back. Every enemy you left alive. I’m cleaning it up.”

“You’re bluffing.”

Leon chuckled. “Am I?”

He handed David a sleek black envelope.

Inside: a photo of David meeting with their father’s killer five years ago.

David’s face drained of color.

“You set him up,” Leon whispered. “But I’m going to burn you down slowly.”

Leon turned and walked away, leaving his brother choking on fear and silence.

Later That Night – Skyline Penthouse

Camille poured two glasses of scotch, handing one to Leon as he stood by the massive glass windows overlooking the city.

“You know, you scared the hell out of them today.”

“That was the point.”

“You sure you don’t want to just take the company over directly?”

Leon took a sip. “Not yet. David needs to feel the walls close in first. Then I’ll crush him.”

She stared at him for a long moment.

“You’ve changed,” she said softly. “You’re colder. Sharper.”

“I had to be,” Leon said.

She stepped closer. “You know I was ordered to keep tabs on you five years ago.”

“I know.”

“I never told them everything. I never betrayed you.”

Leon turned toward her slowly. His voice dropped.

“Why?”

Her eyes met his. “Because I believed you would come back.”

He stared at her for a long moment. Then turned away.

“I don’t need belief. I need loyalty.”

Camille swallowed hard.

He walked away, leaving her standing alone in the silence.