Author's point of view... Leo and Jessica reached the subway entrance just as the goons closed in. Leo shoved a token into the turnstile, pulling Jessica through. The platform was crowded, small mercy that might give them the cover they needed. “There!” Leo pointed to an approaching train. The doors slid open with a hiss, and he hurriedly pushed Jessica inside. Literally shoving her inside it. Jessica tensed. She thought they would escape together but Leo had other plans. “Go! Stay on the train, no matter what happens, don't get down or let them catch you!” Jessica’s eyes widened in panic. “Leo, no! You can’t—” she screamed in fear, not for her life but at that very moment, she felt as though she would never see him again. “I’ll distract them!” Leo interrupted his voice firm. “I’ll find you, I promise. Now go!” The announcement was made, and the doors began to close; Jessica tried to get off but was pushed by a huge crowd of people running to get in. "No...Leo..." she sc
Author's point of view... “Look at you...! You’re in no position to make threats.” Leo’s vision swam from the rough treatment, but he forced himself to stay conscious. He couldn’t afford to black out again. Not now. “This is nothing. I’ve been through worse,” Leo hissed, though the effort of speaking sent a fresh wave of agony throughout his battered body. “Oh, I don’t doubt it,” the man replied, a smirk on his lips. "I heard you fought with many of the powerful gangs alone...! Ha...! But..." The man scoffed disdainfully. “But you’re not as strong as you think you are. At least, not anymore.” The man applied force on Leo and his cheek scratched against the rough wall. Leo’s heart sank. The hopelessness of his situation hit him like a sledgehammer. Without his abilities, he was just a man, vulnerable and broken. “I'll be straight with you. Just tell me the answer and I will let you live for now." The man continued. Leo groaned in pain, the force that the man applied
Author's point of view... Leo was now completely familiar with their plans. They were actually going to burn the entire place along with him. And he can never let them win. He had many incomplete missions that he had to complete in his life. How could he die, just like that...! “Come on, Leo,” he whispered through gritted teeth. “Just a little more…” With a final, desperate lunge, Leo reached the window. He grabbed hold of the bars, pulling himself up until he was level with the small opening. It was narrow, but just wide enough for him to squeeze through if he could remove the bars. The scene looked familiar. Just like in the past. He scoffed. Why the hell he always end up in situations like this? Leo fumbled at the bars, trying to find a weak spot, but his hands were slick with sweat, and he could feel his strength fading fast. The door behind him creaked open, and he heard the voices grow louder, more urgent. “He’s trying to escape!” "Damn it...! They found me...!" L
Author's point of view... Leo's mind spun. Hundred billion dollars? That was more money than he could ever imagine. And his powers—having them back, even if only partially, would make him nearly unstoppable. The logical choice seemed obvious. Yet, something inside him hesitated. There was a catch, and his gut told him that the system wouldn’t offer such an option lightly. With a furrowed brow and a deep breath, Leo asked, "Can I know what is in store for me if I choose Reward B?" While announcing the reward, the system had already treated all his wounds. Relieved of the pain, Leo could now think clearly. The system paused, a silence that seemed to stretch for an eternity before the response came, this time softer, almost reverent. {Your real identity. Your family name.} Leo’s eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat. His family name. The very thing he had longed for his entire life. As an orphan, he had grown up with nothing but questions, all questions about
Author's point of view... Getting out of the village, Leo hurried towards the city. He had been trying to reach out to Daniel and Jessica all this while, but none answered his calls. He couldn't help but feel uneasy about this. "Something might have happened there..." The moment he stepped out of the train, he hired a taxi to his restaurant. In the meantime, Leo also tried to call James, and soon James received his call. But before Leo could talk, he heard a sharp and painful cry followed by some commotion in the background. "Hello, James..." Leo called out desperately but James didn't respond. Soon after, the call got disconnected. When he reached the restaurant, he saw that something was not right. His heart pounded as he took in the scene outside the restaurant. A mass of people had gathered, shouting insults and throwing punches at James and Hannah, that young girl. "What the hell is happening...!!" He ran towards it. Hannah’s face was bruised, her clothes torn
Author's point of view... Leo stood there, phone pressed to his ear, as Jessica’s frantic voice echoed through the silence. He had shown the screen to Daniel, and even though Daniel didn't know anything about their relationship, he gestured to Leo not to answer it. However, Leo had something else in his mind. He wanted to hear her voice as if through that, he wanted to test the woman he loved. The weight of everything he’d just learned, that name, Jessica's name at the top of the complaint list, the accusations, the betrayal, hung heavily in the air between them. He felt like laughing in anger. Maybe he would get crazy if he didn't talk to her right now and there. He clenched his jaw, trying to suppress the swirl of emotions coursing through him. Confusion, anger, disbelief, how could this all be happening? Was that really her, who was behind all this? What does she have now to tell him?? “Leo, are you there? Please, say something!” Jessica’s voice cracked, sounding almost
Author's point of view... This was his first time visiting this place yet these people acted as if they knew he was a criminal or something. As he was here already, Leo decided to follow suit. There was no point in fighting back now. He’d known what was coming the moment he agreed to meet Jessica here. And he needs to act along to unveil the person, the one behind it. Once and for all. Inside the mansion, the sneers and contemptuous glares from the other family members made his skin crawl. They all stood there, gathered as though awaiting his execution, ready to pounce at the first sign of weakness. Thomas, Margaret, and almost all the peers were here. But what astonished Leo the most was a man standing with an imposing aura, Dave. They were all there, faces twisted in disgust and anger. Just as the guards dragged Leo inside, someone almost lunged at him. “You bloody scoundrel...!! How dare you cheat us?!” Margaret was the first to lunge at him, her fingers curling around
Author's point of view...Leo’s heart clenched. He had come here to confront them, to demand answers. But now, he couldn't wait any longer. With a grunt, Leo pushed himself up from the ground, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His voice, hoarse but determined, cut through the violence. “Enough!” Leo shouted, his voice carrying an authority that made the room fall silent. “If you want to blame someone, blame me. But Jessica has nothing to do with this. She was trying to help Mrs Connard. So if you want to finish this, let’s finish it. But leave her out of it.” The room stilled, tension thick in the air as the family members exchanged glances. Jessica, still on the floor, looked up at Leo, her eyes filled with gratitude and sorrow. And for the first time since he walked into the mansion, Leo felt a sense of clarity. He knew what he had to do. As Dave’s men raised their fists, ready to strike Leo, Jessica’s heart raced. She thought Leo was already wounded and vul