The man lounged back in his chair like a king surveying his court. Although Selene sat across from him as an equal, she could feel his contempt bearing down on her from above, as if she were a mere subject beneath his notice.
Before Harrison could say another word, Victor Thompson shot to his feet, slamming his fist on the table.
“Do you even hear yourself? Turning the world upside down! A woman talking about not submitting to a man–are you trying to rebel?”
He kicked his chair aside and stormed around the table, heading straight for Selene.
Felicity bit down hard on her lower lip, terrified she’d burst out laughing if she let
- go.
Daphne set her spoon down, her eyes fixed on Victor as he closed in.
Victor reached out, ready to grab Selene by the collar.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
A commanding voice broke through the tension–Leo had arrived.
“Grandpa!” Daphne was already standing on her chair, her small hands gripping Victor’s arm, stopping him mid–reach.
In the private dining room, the air crackled with tension, as if a brawl could erupt at any second.
Just then, Leo’s assistant–a towering, broad–shouldered ex–special forces soldier–pushed him into the room in a wheelchair.
Leo sat tall, exuding an effortless authority that bent the very rules of the world to his will. Dressed in a black turtleneck and impeccably tailored slacks that
emphasized his long legs, he was impossible to ignore.
The moment Felicity saw Leo’s face, she instinctively held her breath.
It had been ten years since she last saw him.
Leo was only two years older than Harrison, but even a decade ago, he’d been striking–someone no one could forget.
Even as kids, when the rest of them were playing with Legos, Leo had been absorbed in studying the movement of the stars.
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Chapter 144
Felicity could still recall that summer after first grade, when she and Natalie stayed at the Vaughn family estate. Harrison had taken them down to the creek to catch minnows and crayfish.
When they returned, passing by a ground–floor study, they’d glimpsed Leo standing at a blackboard covered in equations. He was surrounded by a dozen elders, all clutching printouts and heavy laptops, passionately debating with him.
“What are they doing?” young Felicity had whispered, drawn to Leo’s striking looks and wanting to drag him outside to join them at the creek.
Natalie had leaned in, eyes wide. “All those old guys? They’re Uncle Leo’s students. He’s not like us–he’s different.”
The memory flickered in Felicity’s mind, frozen in time.
Now, Harrison immediately stood and approached Leo, bowing his head in deference. “Uncle.”
Victor Thompson was momentarily dumbstruck at the sight of Leo. “Ah! Dr. Vaughn!”
He hadn’t expected to meet Leo in person.
“Dr. Vaughn, it’s been far too long!” Victor hurried over, forcing a grin, desperate to ingratiate himself.
Leo’s gaze locked onto Victor, unwavering. “What exactly were you about to do?”
Victor’s smile faltered. “Selene was being disrespectful, so I thought I’d teach her a lesson. I’m sorry you had to see that.”
Leo’s eyes weren’t cold like Harrison’s, but meeting them was unnerving–there was a sense he could see right through you.
“You raise a hand to your own daughter. Is that what you call being a father?”
The words landed like an arrow in Victor’s throat. He couldn’t utter a sound.
“I… Selene refuses to go with Harrison to the Tech Innovation Summit. Harrison was gracious enough to give her such an opportunity, and she’s ungrateful-”
Under Leo’s icy stare, Victor’s voice faded to a mumble.
“Selene is twenty–seven years old. And you still scream at her and raise your hand against her? That’s not just disgraceful, it’s shameful.”
Victor’s face burned red. “I-”
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“I won’t allow you to shout at her, much less lay a hand on her. Is that clear?”
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