The conclusion came quickly—too quickly. For Sean, there was only one name that made sense.

Clara.

He stared at the digital board in his office. The connecting lines converged at the single point he considered most logical: Leo. And behind Leo, of course, was Clara.

"She learned from me," Sean muttered.

"She knows how I work."

He ignored one crucial fact: Clara never played dirty like he did. But Sean had never been good at distinguishing between morality and strategy. To him, everyone was just waiting for their turn to become as ruthless as he was.

Sean grabbed his car keys without giving any orders. No plan. No assistant.

This wasn’t a business matter.

This was a matter of a wounded ego.

★★★

Clara’s apartment was already lit up when Sean arrived. This time, he didn’t ring the doorbell politely.

The first knock was loud.

The second knock made several residents open their doors.

"CLARA!" Sean’s voice echoed down the hallway. "Open the door!"

Soon after, the door opened.

Clara stood there—calm, composed, and not alone. It wasn’t Leo, but a building security guard standing slightly behind her, keeping watch.

"What’s going on?" Clara asked coldly. "You’re making a scene."

Sean let out a short laugh. A laugh full of anger.

"You still dare to pretend?" he said, stepping forward, causing the security guard to reflexively step in to block him slightly.

"You think I’m stupid, do you?"

Clara looked him straight in the eye. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"Don’t lie!" Sean snapped. His face twisted. Those eyes—the eyes that used to always be so intense—were now filled with uncontrollable rage.

"Roberto doesn’t make a move without a reason. Leo wouldn’t dare without your backing. This is your doing, isn’t it? You’re the one who told them to attack my business!"

A few seconds of silence.

Clara gave a small laugh. Not because it was funny—but because she was sick of it.

"This is funny," she said softly. "You come here, flying into a rage, accusing me of playing dirty... when throughout our entire marriage, I was the only one who always played fair."

Sean moved closer again. His voice dropped, dangerous.

"Don’t act so holy. You know I won’t forgive betrayal."

"Betrayal?" Clara repeated. Her eyebrows rose slightly.

"You locked me up. You manipulated me. You married the woman who slept with you while I was still your wife. And now you come here, accusing me of conspiring?" Clara’s tone didn’t rise. "You’re the traitor!"

It was precisely those words that made Sean feel even more insane.

"You’re enjoying all this, aren’t you?" Sean sneered. "You’re happy seeing me attacked from all sides?"

"I enjoy only one thing," Clara replied. "I enjoy life without you."

That sentence was like a spark.

Sean slammed his hand against the hallway wall.

CRASH!

A few residents let out small screams. Security staff immediately went on high alert.

"You think I’m going to let you destroy me, then live in peace?" Sean glared at Clara with a look that was almost savage. "You’re dead wrong."

Clara took a step forward. Unfazed.

"You’ve lost control over my life, Sean," she said firmly.

"And tonight, you’ve also lost control over yourself."

She turned to the security staff.

"Please contact building management. If this man doesn’t leave now, I’ll report him for harassment and disturbing the peace."

Sean fell silent.

It wasn’t because she was afraid of the police.

Rather, it was because, for the first time, Clara wasn’t speaking as the woman he had once possessed—but as someone who was truly free from him.

Sean stared at her for a long time. His breathing was heavy.

"This isn’t over, Clara," he said softly.

Clara replied briefly, without emotion,

"For me, all of this has long been over."

The door closed in Sean’s face.

It wasn’t slammed.

It was closed with complete control.

And in that apartment hallway, Sean finally realized something that made his chest burn even more: he had the wrong target. But his ego was too big to back down. And that mistake would make everything much worse—for everyone and for himself.

★★★

The next day.

Sean stared at the tablet screen, his jaw clenched.

The graph didn’t lie. Three projects in Latin America had collapsed within two weeks. The pattern was the same.

Roberto Alvarez.

"He couldn’t have acted alone," Sean muttered.

He stood up and walked over to the window. The city spread out below, like a chessboard.

"Roberto is an opportunist," he said coldly to his team. "He wouldn’t burn bridges without a guarantee."

"Your assumption?" asked one of the directors.

Sean smiled wryly.

"Clara must have had Leo’s help to bring Roberto on board."

The room fell silent.

Sean closed his eyes for a moment. Old memories flashed by—how Clara was always calm, how she ended relationships without drama, how she never asked but always got what she wanted.

"She doesn’t attack directly," Sean continued. "She has others do her dirty work."

"Clara...! What did you offer Roberto in return, that he’s willing to cooperate with you and Leo?!"

---

Meanwhile, in a grand building in another city. Leo was reading the same report. About the plummeting stock numbers. But this was from a different perspective.

"This isn’t the usual Roberto," he said to Clara. "I know how he operates. But this is too polished. Too personal."

Clara nodded. "Sean thinks... the two of us are the masterminds behind all this."

"Us?" Leo raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," Clara replied calmly.

"He always assumes I never act alone when seeking revenge against him."

Leo sighed. "The problem is, he’s incredibly stupid. He believes in assumptions without looking for evidence?"

"I know Sean. He’s blind and deaf. Stubborn and hard to reason with. So, everything is considered true once it’s in his head." Clara paused.

"Crazy! Sean’s ego is way too big!"

"He does have a huge ego. That’s why, actually, I’m worried. I’m afraid something might happen to you, Leo. To the reputation you’ve built, to your career, and to your life." Clara looked anxious.

********

The next threat didn’t come as a subtle warning. It came out of nowhere.

That morning, Leo didn’t show up at the office.

At first, Clara thought there was an impromptu meeting. Leo was often like that—acting on a whim, without much explanation. But an hour passed. Then two. Leo’s phone was off. His assistant began to panic.

After some of Leo’s trusted associates were dispatched, Leo’s driver was found on the side of the highway. His face was bruised, the car was empty, the door was open—Leo was nowhere to be found.

Clara stood frozen in Leo’s office, her hands trembling as she clutched her phone.

"Mr. Leo was attacked," the company’s head of security said in a low voice. "There were four people. They were quite professional. No clear witnesses. No complete footage. The highway CCTV suddenly malfunctioned."

"Was Leo kidnapped?" Clara’s voice barely came out.

"It seems so," the security officer said.

"It must be Sean." Clara whispered.

The news hadn’t leaked to the media yet. But Clara’s world crumbled in a matter of minutes.

After leaving the office, she locked herself in her apartment. The apartment door was locked. The curtains were drawn tight. Her mind was racing. She recalled every threat, every look from Sean, every sentence she’d once dismissed as mere ego.

And that’s when the apartment doorbell rang.

Once.

Twice.

Clara tried to stay calm. And patient. She didn’t move.

The bell rang again.

"I know you’re in there, Clara!" Sean’s voice came from behind the door. Not loud. Not forceful. That was precisely what made it sound terrifying.

Clara opened the door with a blank expression. She hid her fear.

Sean stood there. He looked neat, his face calm, almost too relaxed for someone who’d just lost several major projects. His eyes scanned Clara’s face, catching the panic even though it was neatly concealed.

"You look... tired and sad," he said.

"What are you doing here?" Clara tried to sound firm, but her voice cracked.

Sean stepped inside without being invited.

"I came to offer a solution," he said softly. "Not as an enemy or as the arrogant man you described."

Clara gave a short laugh. She could already guess what Leo would say.

"Leo’s gone. And you’re here to offer a solution? That’s just great!"

Sean turned, staring at his ex-wife wildly.

"Turns out you’re pretty smart too, Clara. Don’t play dumb anymore."

Clara’s heart was pounding.

"Don’t hurt Leo," she said. "He never meddled in your life."

Sean moved closer. He didn’t touch her. He didn’t threaten her physically. But the distance was enough to make it hard for Clara to breathe.

"What did you say? You said Leo never interfered with my life? He played the hero when I was at odds with my wife. He also ruined several businesses and partnerships I’d built over the years with important people. Do you still want to say Leo is a good person?" Sean screamed.