Although Leonard Yan had fiercely insisted on staying by Sophie Lin's side, he eventually gave in to Madam Yan's gentle urging and returned home to rest. But the moment he stepped into the Yan Residence, he knew rest was impossible.
Leonard didn't head to his room. Instead, he went straight to the living room, where Madam Yan and Grandfather Yan were already seated, their expressions tense. It was as if they had been waiting for him, knowing something needed to be said.
Leonard stood in front of his mother and grandfather, his eyes clear and focused. He took a deep breath and spoke in a calm, steady voice.
"Mom. Grandpa. I need to tell you something important—and you both need to hear it in full."
Madam Yan leaned forward, a frown tugging at her brow. "Leonard, what is it?"
He didn't hesitate. "The truth is… I've been pretending."
She blinked. "Pretending?"
Leonard nodded. "I've been acting like I'm still mentally impaired ever since the accident—but it was a choice. I needed to protect myself. I knew someone in the family was trying to hurt me, and I couldn't expose them without being sure."
Madam Yan gasped softly. Grandfather Yan's eyes narrowed. "Go on," he said, his tone suddenly deadly quiet.
Leonard continued, "There weren't just two incidents. There were three. First, my father's sudden death—it was too abrupt, too suspicious. The second was the accident that nearly killed me a year ago. And now, Sophie. She was the target of a hit-and-run meant for me."
Madam Yan stood up slowly, her hand covering her mouth. "You think… Victor?"
Leonard nodded again, this time with conviction. "I know it was him. I've had my assistant collecting proof for months—financial records, altered documents, surveillance footage. He's lost billions, and he tried to trick me into signing over my shares to keep control. When I didn't… he retaliated."
Grandfather Yan gripped his cane tightly, rage simmering beneath his calm voice. "Are you certain?"
Leonard's gaze didn't waver. "Yes. Sophie was nearly killed because she stepped in front of me. It should have been me, and I can't let that go. I won't."
Madam Yan's face turned pale, then red with fury. "We thought it was just bad luck… But it was Victor. Your uncle. My brother-in-law This whole time? To go that far—."
Leonard's jaw clenched. "He's not family anymore."
Her voice shook. She turned to Grandfather Yan. "We can't let this go, Dad. Not after what he's done. Sophie almost died."Her eyes welled with tears.
Grandfather Yan sat still, then let out a long, deep breath. His face hardened into stone. This was no longer a family conflict. It was criminal. "This isn't about inheritance anymore. This is attempted murder," he said flatly. "And if we don't act now, who knows what Victor will do next." His eyes sharpened as he turned to Leonard. "You said you've gathered evidence?"
Leonard nodded. "Yes. I've already sent it to my assistant. He's delivering it to the authorities. The police should be moving in soon."
"Good," Grandfather Yan said, his voice like steel. "We will not confront Victor directly. Let him squirm under the weight of an investigation. Let him realize that the very heir he underestimated is the one bringing him down."
Leonard nodded. "I've stayed quiet long enough. Now it's time to take everything back."
And in that moment, as Leonard stood there with the full support of his family and the fire of resolve in his chest, it became clear—he was no longer the boy hiding behind a mask. He was the rightful heir of the Yan family. And he would stop at nothing to protect the woman he loved… and destroy the man who tried to take everything from him.
The room fell into a suffocating stillness.
*****
That night, Victor Yan didn't return home—but it no longer mattered. Acting swiftly on the evidence Leonard's assistant had collected, the police had tracked him down at a secluded villa on the outskirts of the city. Victor had been relaxing with a drink in hand, unaware of the silent storm closing in. By the time officers swarmed the property, he didn't have time to resist. He was handcuffed, read his rights, and escorted into custody—bewildered, outraged, but powerless.
The charges were damning: attempted murder, criminal conspiracy, corporate fraud. The arrest sent ripples through the city's elite. The Yan name, once synonymous with power and legacy, was now splashed across headlines in a scandalous storm.
The next morning, under tight security, Victor sat in the cold, windowless visiting room at the police station. His appearance was disheveled—tie loosened, hair unkempt, his confident smirk replaced by a sour scowl. When the door opened, he looked up—and froze.
Leonard entered first, flanked by Madam Yan and Grandfather Yan. None of them spoke at first. The silence in the room felt suffocating.
Victor sneered. "So this is how you treat family now?" he spat. "Dragging your own blood into a cage like some criminal?"
Grandfather Yan stepped forward, his cane tapping sharply against the floor. "You stopped being family the moment you tried to kill my son and grandson," he said coldly.
Madam Yan's eyes were glossy but hard. "You would've let Leonard die. And Sophie… she nearly did. How could you? What did we ever do to deserve this betrayal?"
Victor laughed bitterly, though it held no humor. "Oh please. You pampered that boy like a golden calf. He was the crown prince, even when he couldn't string a sentence together. You all overlooked me. Always."
Leonard's voice cut through the tension—quiet, calm, but with steel beneath it. "You wanted power. So you murdered my father, nearly killed me, and now Sophie is in a coma because of you."
Victor's expression twisted, but he didn't deny it. "That girl threw herself in the way. I didn't tell the driver to aim for her."
Leonard's eyes burned. "But you gave the order to destroy me. You never cared who got hurt in the process."
Victor scoffed. "Business isn't clean, Leonard. You of all people should understand that."
"I understand it better than you think," Leonard replied, his tone sharp. "Which is why you'll never set foot in the boardroom again."
Grandfather Yan turned to the officer standing nearby. "We'll cooperate fully with the investigation. Make sure every document, every bribe, every shell company is uncovered. He doesn't just answer for this as a family member—he answers for this as a criminal."
Victor's face drained of color, realization dawning too late. "You'd really destroy me like this? I'm your son!"
Leonard took one last step forward, locking eyes with him. "You destroyed yourself, Uncle. I'm just making sure you never hurt anyone else again."
With that, Leonard turned on his heel and walked out of the room, his mother and grandfather following in silence.
*****
For the past few days at the Yan Residence, Leonard was alone in his dark room. He couldn't sleep. He laid in bed, wide awake, his mind replaying the day on an endless loop—Sophie's laugh that morning, the panic in her eyes as she pushed him away, the sickening sound of her hitting the ground, and her pale, motionless face in the hospital. His chest felt heavy, weighed down by guilt and helplessness. She had saved him without a second thought—and now she was the one lying unconscious, fighting to survive.
He turned to his side, fists clenched in the sheets, jaw tight.
Please, he begged in his heart, every word breaking him a little more. Please let Sophie wake up. Let me tell her I love her. Let me protect her, just once.
That night, after hours of restless tossing, Leonard finally drifted into a light, troubled sleep. But even in slumber, his mind found no peace. Instead, it pulled him back—years ago, to the quiet hallways of his high school.
He found himself standing by the old staircase near the library, a familiar corner where he used to pass between classes. Voices echoed ahead—sharp, mocking. A group of girls had cornered someone smaller, a junior trembling against the wall, clutching her books to her chest. Without a second thought, Leonard had stepped in. He didn't raise his voice or scold them—he simply stood between the girl and her tormentors, his tall frame and calm stare enough to make them scatter.
He remembered glancing briefly over his shoulder. The girl stood frozen, clutching her books, eyes wide and shining with unspoken gratitude. Her lips parted, as if she wanted to say something—to thank him.
But Leonard had already turned and walked away. He hadn't waited for her thanks.
But in the weeks that followed, he noticed her. In the hallways, the courtyard, the lunchroom—always a few steps away, always quick to look down if their eyes almost met. She would steal glances at him when she thought he wasn't looking. She never spoke to him again, but she was always there. Quiet. Shy. Watching.
In his dream, Leonard watched this play out like a movie he had forgotten. But now, with time and clarity, he knew—that girl had been Sophie.
He stirred in bed, breath catching slightly. The dream began to blur and fade, but the feeling it left behind stayed strong. Long before fate had bound them together, Sophie had noticed him. Admired him. And maybe… maybe she had cared for him all along.
Leonard's eyes blinked open to the dim light of dawn. He turned his head slowly toward the empty space beside him, his heart aching with longing.
Sophie, he thought. Come back to me.