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

"First! I’m not your wife anymore. I was the one who went to Leo and asked for his help. He was never a hero to me!" Clara retorted.

"Second, Leo never interfered with your business affairs or partnerships with the people around you. What happened to your stocks and business a few days ago... has nothing to do with Leo or me!" the woman asserted.

"Third, think clearly so that your stupidity fades from your mind. Roberto... the mafia guy messing with your business has a close connection to your wife, Moana. Are you so dumb you can’t see the pattern in Moana’s game? Or... has your love for Moana made you deaf and blind?" She laughed, a mocking laugh.

Sean fell silent. He was quite surprised to hear Clara speak so eloquently and with such precision in every word. In fact, the woman who was once considered a pushover and just a dumb housewife now dared to discuss business, stocks, and mafia affairs.

"Who taught you to talk so smart?" Sean smirked.

"I don’t have time to argue with you for too long. Let Leo go!" Clara glared.

"Wow, it seems you’re really worried about that scumbag."

"You’re misanalyzing this situation. You’ve got the wrong target and the wrong person, Sean."

Sean laughed. "Clara, what if I change my mind now? I don’t care about whatever the truth is regarding Leo. All I know is this: he’s had the nerve to get close to you."

"You bastard!" Clara looked up and glared at her ex-husband with pure hatred.

"Clara, calm down. I know how to make all this stop," said Sean. "Let’s make a sweet deal."

Sean gave a small smile. A smile that once made Clara fall in love with him, and now made her hate him.

"Leo will come back. I’ll release him safe and sound," he said. "Yes! Sound. Safe."

Clara glared at Sean. "At what price?"

Sean didn’t answer right away. He stared at Clara for a long time, as if making sure every word that followed would bind her for life.

"Come back to me," he said finally.

"Come back as my wife. Officially. No drama. No Leo. No resistance."

Clara took a step back. "You’re crazy, Sean."

"Maybe I am crazy," Sean shrugged. "But you know I never joke about a deal."

He moved a little closer, his voice lowering.

"If you refuse," he continued, "I can’t guarantee who else will get hurt. Leo, that so-called great guy, is now in my grasp. I could do the same to your mother or... to anyone and anything that might bring you back to me." Sean laughed.

Clara felt the world spinning. This wasn’t a direct threat. It was an offer wrapped in calmness.

"Are you blackmailing me? Are you threatening me?" Clara whispered.

Sean looked at Clara gently, even too gently.

"I’m saving you, Darling," he said. "Just like before. The difference is, now you know the price. And it’s not that expensive, you know. You just need to come back into my arms and be Mrs. Sean again."

"No! I’ll never go back to you!" Clara replied firmly.

Sean was furious. He grabbed Clara’s chin and clamped down on it hard.

"If you don’t want to come back to me, no man will ever be able to have you! Leo’s life will be the price!" he threatened.

Clara didn’t scream. She showed no fear in front of Sean.

The pain in her chin was sharp, but what hurt even more was the conviction in Sean’s eyes—the conviction that he still had a claim to the body and life of the woman standing before him.

With a swift movement, Clara knocked Sean’s wrist aside. It wasn’t a strong blow, but it was startling enough. Sean was caught off guard for a moment.

"Don’t touch me again," Clara said coldly. "If you think I’ll submit out of fear, you’ve got the wrong person."

Sean stared at his ex-wife wildly, breathing heavily. His anger hadn’t erupted yet—and that was what made it dangerous.

"You’ve changed, Clara," he said slowly.

"You never used to dare to look at me like that."

"Because I used to love you so much," Clara replied. "But not anymore."

Those words hit harder than a slap.

Sean chuckled, but his laugh was hollow.

"Do you know what your mistake is, Clara?" he said. "You trusted a nobody more than you trusted me."

Clara looked Sean straight in the eye.

"Leo might not be as strong as you," she said. "But he never uses people as bargaining chips."

Sean smirked. "We’ll see about that."

He stepped back, straightening his jacket as if nothing had happened.

"I’ll give you time," he continued. "Twenty-four hours. Think it over carefully. Come back to me—or be prepared to face the consequences."

Sean walked toward the door. Before leaving, he paused for a moment.

"Oh, and one more thing," he said without turning around.

"If you’re planning to report this to the police or seek help... believe me, I’m already one step ahead of you."

The door closed.

And the silence that followed felt suffocating.

As soon as Sean left, Clara slumped onto the sofa. Her hands were shaking violently, but her mind was working faster than her fear.

She grabbed her phone. One name. One encrypted message.

"Execute the contingency plan. Do it now. Sean is moving faster than ever!"

The reply came quickly.

"Stay calm. We anticipated this. Leo isn’t alone. But our time is indeed running out."

Clara closed her eyes for a moment. "Thank goodness. This means... Leo isn’t completely defeated yet."

★★★

Leo came to from his faint, a throbbing pain pressing against his temples.

The smell of metal and car paint filled his senses. A dim light shone from one corner of the room. His hands were bound to a metal chair. And the restraints weren’t just haphazard ties. They were neat and precise. The work of someone who knew exactly how to restrain a person without leaving permanent marks.

Footsteps sounded. Unhurried. Unpanicked.

Leo slowly raised his head.

Sean suddenly stood before him.

No suit. No polite smile. Just a dark shirt with rolled-up sleeves, an expensive watch still circling his wrist—as if this were just an ordinary business meeting.

"You woke up sooner than I expected," Sean said calmly. "I haven’t even finished my coffee yet."

Leo glared at Sean. Even though his head was still throbbing, his mind was working.

"So... you finally decided to handle this yourself," he said hoarsely.

"I thought you always had others do your dirty work."

Sean gave a small smile.

"There are some things that are too enjoyable to delegate," he replied. "Clara is one of them."

Leo gave a short laugh. "You’re completely crazy."

Sean moved closer. He pulled out a chair and sat right in front of Leo. They were too close.

"You know what pisses me off the most?" Sean said softly.

"It’s not that you’re close to Clara. It’s that you make her look safe and happy without me."

"That’s none of your business anymore," Leo retorted. "It’s her right. She deserves to be happy."

Sean slapped Leo’s face.

SMACK!

Not hard. But enough to remind him who was in control.

"Shut your mouth! You talk too much for a man whose life is in danger," he said coldly.

"I could take your life tonight. Without a trace. Without a name."

Sean stood up, pacing back and forth, as if presenting a proposal.

"But I won’t do it," he continued. "Because you’re far more useful... alive."

Leo lifted his head. "What do you want, Sean?"

Sean stopped behind Leo. His voice was right in Leo’s ear.

"I want Clara back!"

Leo fell silent.

"I’ve offered her a solution and a way out," Sean continued.

"Marital status. Clara’s standing in society. Clara’s safety and my good reputation. Everything has to go back to normal."

"You call that a way out?" Leo gave a weak grin. "That’s a shackle. That’s a prison."

Sean grabbed Leo’s hair from behind, forcing the man to look up.

"A comfortable prison. I’m restraining Clara because I care about her," he whispered.

"And you... are the intruder."

He released his grip and stepped away.

"I’m giving Clara time," Sean said casually.

"If she comes back to me, then you can go home as the hero who survived a mysterious kidnapping."

He turned to face him. His gaze was flat.

"If not," he continued,

"I’ll make sure she sees the consequences of her refusal with her own eyes."

Leo glared at Sean with hatred. "Do you think she’ll forgive you after this?"

Sean smiled thinly.

"I don’t need Clara’s forgiveness," he said. "I just need her to come back."