Reborn Heiress Is Remarrying
Chapter 120: The Game Begins

Chapter 120: The Game Begins

Chapter 120: The Game Begins

Sitting in her father’s office, her fingers curled tightly around the edges of the black ledger.

The room smelled of old wood and expensive whiskey.

Leon was sitting across from her, looking at her as if he was waiting for her to process what he had just revealed.

But she wasn’t processing.

She was thinking of every single move she could make against him without affecting Gabriel.

Everything about her father’s confession felt like a puzzle piece that had been missing for years—one that, now placed, changed the entire picture.

She swallowed hard. "So, what you’re saying is that this entire time, everything has been connected?"

Leon nodded slowly, taking a sip of his whiskey. "That’s exactly what I’m saying."

Diane clenched her jaw. "And you’re just telling me now?"

Leon sighed. "Would you have listened to me before?"

Diane didn’t answer.

Because the truth was?

No.

If her father had told her years ago that Victor Frost and Rachel Hoffman had been allies, that he himself had once stood beside them in power, she wouldn’t have believed him.

She would have thought it was just another manipulation—another way to control her.

But now?

Now, she saw it.

The city had always belonged to a few men. Richard. Victor. Leon. And when Richard overstepped, when he grew too ambitious, the balance collapsed.

And she was a product of that collapse.

Diane exhaled sharply, placing the ledger on the desk between them.

"What exactly did Victor and Rachel do together?"

Leon leaned back, placed down his cigar. "Rachel was ambitious. Too ambitious. She wanted more than money—she wanted influence. Power."

Diane smirked bitterly. "That sounds about right."

Leon nodded. "Victor needed someone like her. Someone who could move money without raising alarms. Someone who could make things disappear."

Diane felt a cold chill creep up her spine. "Disappear?"

Leon’s lips pressed together.

"Rachel laundered money for Victor’s campaigns, his backdoor deals, his hidden investments. She built entire companies under fake names, filtered illegal funds into legitimate businesses. She made sure no one could touch him."

Diane clenched her jaw.

She wasn’t surprised.

Rachel had never been the kind of woman who simply stood by and let men run things. She had always been the one pulling the strings.

And now, even after her death, Diane was still cleaning up her mess.

She exhaled slowly. "And my father? Where did you fit in all of this?"

Leon chuckled darkly. "I played my part. I made sure Rachel and Victor’s money wasn’t just clean—but untouchable. Offshore accounts. Private holdings. I knew how to make a dollar invisible."

Diane stared at him, a thousand questions running through her mind.

Her father had always been a powerful man, but she had never truly understood how deep it went.

Until now.

"So what happened?" Diane asked quietly. "Why did it all fall apart?"

Leon’s gaze darkened.

"Richard happened."

Diane’s stomach twisted. "What do you mean?"

Leon exhaled. "Richard saw what we were building. He saw how much control we had, how much money was flowing between us—and he wanted in."

Diane frowned. "Wasn’t he already part of it?"

Leon smirked. "He thought he was. But the truth? We never trusted him."

Diane blinked. "Why?"

Leon’s ehesy turned cold. "Because Richard wasn’t like us. He wasn’t careful. He wasn’t calculated. He was reckless. And that made him dangerous."

Diane stayed silent, letting him continue.

"Richard didn’t want to be a silent partner," Leon murmured. "He wanted control. And when we refused to give it to him, he started making his own deals. He went behind our backs, partnered with people who had nothing to lose. And then?"

Leon’s voice lowered.

"He disappeared."

Diane exhaled. "And Adrian?"

Leon tilted his head slightly. "Adrian was never meant to take over. He wasn’t built for it. He didn’t have the mind for business or the patience for politics. Richard knew that."

Diane’s lips curled slightly. "Then why did Adrian think he had a claim to everything?"

Leon smirked. "Because Richard filled his head with lies. He made Adrian believe he was the rightful heir to an empire that was never his."

Diane breathed out, leaning back in her chair.

The weight of history pressed against her.

She had spent years fighting battles she didn’t even realise had started long before she was born.

She had thought she was fighting for her future.

But the truth?

She had been fighting for her father’s past.

Diane stared at Leon for a long moment before speaking.

"So now what?"

Leon smirked slightly. "Now? We wait."

Diane’s brows furrowed. "Wait for what?"

"For Victor to make his next move."

Diane clenched her jaw. "You’re just going to let him come to us?"

Leon chuckled. "Oh, Diane. He already has."

Diane’s heart pounded. "What do you mean?"

Leon took a slow sip of his whiskey before setting the glass down.

"Victor isn’t just making moves in business. He’s moving people."

Diane’s blood ran cold. "What kind of people?"

"The kind of people who kill for money."

Diane’s stomach twisted. "You mean—"

"Yes," Leon interrupted. "Victor isn’t just planning a corporate takeover. He’s planning to eliminate threats."

Diane breathed out sharply, gripping the edge of the desk.

Threats.

As in Gabriel.

As in her.

Leon leaned forward, raising his eyebrows. "And if we don’t stop him first?"

Diane’s pulse quickened. "Then what?"

Leon smirked slightly, his fingers tapping against the desk.

"Then this war doesn’t end in a boardroom."

Diane swallowed hard.

It ended in blood.

Later That Night – Diane’s House

She was sitting by the window, staring at the city skyline, with too many questions.

Victor wasn’t just coming for the company.

He was coming for Gabriel.

For her.

And now?

She had a choice.

She could play this game like her father. Careful. Calculated. Patient.

Or—

She could end it before it even began.

Diane grabbed her phone and dialed.

Gabriel answered on the second ring. "Diane?"

Her voice was steady. "We need to talk."

Gabriel exhaled. "About?"

Diane’s eyes darkened.

"Your father."

There was a long Silence...Diane didn’t know if Gabriel agrees with this or not. But there was this feeling in her chest that Gabriel wanted to get rid of his father also.

Then—

"I’ll be there in ten."

Diane set the phone down, her grip tightening.

They had no more secrets...No more waiting for each other.

It was time to move first.

Diane poured herself a drink, staring out over the garden.

She heard the sound of the front door shutting, followed by the familiar footsteps behind her.

Gabriel.

She didn’t turn. "You got here fast."

Gabriel’s deep voice was steady. "You sounded serious."

Diane smirked, swirling the amber liquid in her glass. "I usually am."

Gabriel stepped closer, standing just behind her. "So? What did you find out?"

Diane exhaled, finally turning to face him. "Victor isn’t just coming for the company. He’s coming for you."

Gabriel’s expression didn’t change, but something dark flickered in his eyes. "I figured."

Diane arched a brow. "And you weren’t going to tell me?"

Gabriel sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I didn’t want you to worry."

Diane scoffed. "That’s funny. Because I just found out that my father and your father were practically running the city together before everything fell apart."

Gabriel exhaled. "I know."

Diane narrowed her eyes. "Of course, you do."

Gabriel smirked slightly. "Diane."

"What?"

Gabriel’s voice was lower now. "I’m going to take over his part."

Diane froze.

She blinked, processing his words. "What?"

Gabriel took a step closer, his presence overwhelming. "My father’s empire. The influence he still has. The power Victor wants so badly." His jaw clenched. "I’m going to take it."

Diane’s pulse quickened. "You can’t be serious."

Gabriel tilted his head. "Why not?"

Diane exhaled sharply. "Because you just got out of this mess. You just got away from your family’s legacy."

Gabriel’s smirk faded. "I never got away, Diane. I was always meant to inherit it."

Diane shook her head. "No. That’s not—"

Gabriel reached for her, his hands resting on her waist. "You said it yourself. Victor won’t stop. The only way to win is to own the board."

Diane clenched her jaw. "And what happens when you become exactly like him?"

Gabriel’s grip tightened. "That won’t happen."

Diane searched his face. "How can you be so sure?"

Gabriel exhaled. "Because I have you."

Diane’s breath hitched slightly.

Gabriel smirked. "You’d never let me lose myself."

Diane exhaled slowly. "You’re impossible."

Gabriel leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her temple. "I know."

A moment of silence stretched between them before Gabriel spoke again. "There’s something else."

Diane pulled back slightly. "What?"

Gabriel’s expression softened. "I found a new scar treatment."

Diane stilled.

Gabriel ran a hand gently down her back, his fingers ghosting over the scars she had carried for years.

"It might actually work this time," he murmured.

Diane swallowed hard. "Gabriel..."

His voice was soft. "Just think about it."

Diane closed her eyes.

For the first time in years, she actually wanted to.