Leo walked through the Zhao estate gates, the place that once felt like a prison, with an expression of separate calm. The guards barely glanced at him, his face now a faded memory in the Zhao family archives. He had come unannounced, a face in the crowd, yet he had no illusions about what lay ahead. The Zhao family was ruthless, and he knew they would treat him no differently now than they had all those years ago.As he reached the main hall, voices drifted out, loud and dismissive. A laugh echoed from inside, and a familiar voice—a voice that once haunted him—spoke with an air of authority.“I told you all,” Elder Zhao was saying. “Our family’s strength is unmatched. We built this empire on discipline, hard work, and a readiness to cast out the weak.”Leo slipped in unnoticed, positioning himself near a doorway where he could observe the family without being seen. There was Amara, his estranged wife, seated next to her father, her posture rigid, and her eyes focused and impassive. S
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