Jillian's expression hardened. "Then he'll know what it feels like to be hunted."
Leo's phone dinged. He glanced at the screen, then looked up with a smirk. "Well, this just got interesting. Your father's been making some large, untraceable payments. Guess who's on the receiving end?"
Jillian's stomach tightened. "Who?"
Leo turned the phone toward her.
"Well, there is no name!"
Silence hung between them for a moment.
Dante let out a low whistle. "Guess your father's been playing a more dangerous game than we thought."
Jillian clenched her jaw. "Then we make our next move carefully. If Harlond and the other person are connected, we're not just going up against one enemy. We're stepping into a war."
Jillian took the phone from Leo, her grip tightening as she read the transaction details. Payments disguised under shell companies, sent in increments—enough to fund something big. But what?
"We need to know what he's buying," Jillian said.
Leo nodded. "I can dig deeper, but if I push too hard, they'll know someone's watching."
Dante crossed his arms. "Then we don't just sit around waiting. If Harlond is working with someone, we need a plan before they realize we're on to them."
Jillian exhaled, her mind racing. "Harlond summoned me today. He wanted answers. But I think it's time I start asking the questions."
Dante raised an eyebrow. "You're walking straight into the lion's den?"
Jillian met his gaze. "Not without a safety net. If something happens, you'll know where to find me."
Leo sighed. "This is reckless."
"This is necessary."
Dante smirked. "Then let's make sure you don't walk in empty-handed."
Leo glanced at his phone. "There's someone in Harlond's company—an assistant who suddenly disappeared a year ago. No records, no resignations, just gone."
Jillian's pulse quickened. "Then that's where we start."
Leo grinned. "I'll find them."
Dante cracked his knuckles. "And I'll make sure Harlond knows he's not the only one with power."
Jillian nodded. "Then it's time to turn the game in our favor."
The next evening, Jillian stepped through the grand doors of the Smith estate, her heart steady but her mind sharp. She wasn't here as a scared girl—she was here to uncover the truth.
Harlond Smith sat in his leather chair, fingers steepled, his gaze unreadable as he watched her approach. The room smelled of old wood and power, a silent reminder of everything he controlled.
"You've been busy," Harlond said coolly.
Jillian didn't flinch. "So have you."
His lips curved into something between amusement and warning. "I summoned you for answers, not attitude."
She folded her arms. "Then let's trade. You want to know where I've been. I want to know about the missing assistant from your company."
For the first time, a flicker of something—hesitation, perhaps—crossed Harlond's face.
"That has nothing to do with you," he said.
Jillian leaned forward. "Then why did they disappear right before these secret transactions started?"
The room tensed.
Before Harlond could respond, a voice from the shadows interrupted.
"You ask dangerous questions, Jillian."
She turned sharply. A figure stepped into the dim light, their face partially obscured, but the presence was unmistakable.
This was someone else. Someone unknown.
And they knew exactly what she was looking for.
Harlond's voice was dangerously quiet, the kind of calm that came before a storm. "Jillian," he said, setting his glass down with a deliberate clink. "I'm telling you this once—stop digging. Walk away now, or you will regret it."
Jillian held his gaze, her hands clenched at her sides. "And if I don't?"
Harlond exhaled, rubbing his temple as if she was a headache he wished would go away. "Then I will break ties with you." His next words were colder, sharper. "To avoid going down with you."
The room went still. Dante and Leo stiffened beside her, but Jillian's pulse stayed steady. She had expected resistance. What she hadn't expected was how easily he was willing to throw her away.
"You'd really do that?" she asked, her voice deceptively calm.
Harlond's expression didn't change. "I built this family, Jillian. I won't let your recklessness destroy it."
Jillian let out a hollow laugh. "Recklessness? Or the truth?"
His jaw tightened, but he didn't answer.
Leo scoffed. "Wow. Some father you are."
Harlond's gaze flickered to Leo before returning to Jillian. "Not if she stops now."
The challenge hung heavy in the air.
Jillian could stop. Walk away. Keep whatever was left of their fragile connection.
But then she remembered—her grandmother's house burning, the attempted kidnapping, the secrets buried beneath carefully crafted lies.
She lifted her chin. "If breaking ties is the price of the truth, so be it."
Harlond's face hardened. "Then you've made your choice."
Jillian turned without another word, her steps steady as she walked toward the door. Dante and Leo followed, silent but unwavering at her side.
But as she stepped into the cold night air, one thing was clear.
This wasn't just about secrets anymore.
She had just declared war on her own blood.
Early the next morning, the news spread like wildfire.
Harlond Smith, the esteemed businessman and head of the Smith family, had made a bold and unexpected announcement. Standing before a gathering of reporters and influential figures, his expression was composed, but there was no mistaking the finality in his tone.
"Effective immediately, I am severing all ties with my daughter, Jillian Smith. Her recent actions do not align with the values of this family, and I cannot, in good conscience, continue to associate with someone who chooses a path of recklessness and disgrace."
The room buzzed with murmurs, the weight of his words sinking in. Reporters scribbled notes furiously, cameras flashed, and the whispers of scandal began to swirl.
Jillian, watching from the small television in Dante's hideout, felt her stomach tighten. She had known this moment was coming, but hearing it spoken so publicly was different.
Dante crossed his arms, his eyes dark with irritation. "Well, that's one way to make sure the whole world knows you've been disowned."
Leo muttered something under his breath, shaking his head. "That bastard didn't even hesitate."
Jillian exhaled slowly. She should have felt hurt, but all she felt was… liberated.
"No more pretending," she said, standing up. "No more being careful."
Dante smirked. "So, what now?"
Jillian turned off the TV and faced them. "Now we make him regret ever thinking he could erase me."
With no ties holding her back, Jillian throws herself fully into uncovering the truth. If Harlond was willing to publicly disown her just to stop her from digging, then whatever he's hiding must be big.
She starts by retracing his business dealings, looking for any hint of corruption or buried scandals. With Dante and Leo's help, she finds old records, hidden transactions, and a few suspicious disappearances tied to the Smith family name.
Then, she stumbles upon something even worse—evidence that links Harlond to someone dangerous. Maybe it's a deal he made with a criminal organization, a betrayal of a trusted ally, or even involvement in something darker, like the reason Lillian really died.
As Jillian pieces it together, she realizes Harlond didn't cut ties with her out of anger. He did it out of fear. Because if she keeps pushing, she might just bring down the entire Smith legacy.
The real question is—what will she do with this information? Will she expose him, or is she now in even more danger than before?