Chapter 118: I’m Leaving My Company To You
Chapter 118: I’m Leaving My Company To You
Diane’s life was turning into a huge ss, and she was getting tired of it...
One thing after another, it was getting exhausting ever for soone like her.
There were two places where Diane felt like she was in peace-her garden and the office.
Diane arrived at the company earlier than usual.
She wasn’t sure why though...
Maybe it was the leftover frustration from Gabriel leaving in the middle of the night, or the lingering unease in her gut that she hadn’t been able to shake since Adrian’s escape.
Or maybe it was the fact that, for the first ti in years, she felt restless.
She stepped out of the car, adjusting her coat as she walked through the glass doors of Hoffman’s building.
The mont she entered, the familiar scent of polished floors and freshly brewed coffee hit her, along with the usual hushed conversations of employees pretending not to gossip.
But today, sothing else caught her attention.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted her father.
Leon was standing near the elevators, deep in conversation with a man in a white coat.
Diane’s steps slowed. ’A doctor? Here?’
Leon’s face was unreadable, his posture looked firm but his eyes—his eyes looked tired.
The doctor nodded, speaking in low tones. Leon listened intently, then shook the man’s hand before the doctor turned and left.
Diane imdiately changed course.
She wasn’t about to ignore this.
The mont she reached Leon, he glanced at her, his features shifting into sothing unreadable—then into a smile.
A practiced one. The sa kind she had perfected herself.
"Diane," he greeted, his voice smooth as ever. "You’re early."
Diane crossed her arms. "What was that about?"
Leon tilted his head. "What was what about?"
"The doctor," Diane said flatly, gesturing toward the man who had just left. "Why is a doctor eting you here?"
Leon chuckled, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. "You really are sharp, aren’t you?"
Diane narrowed her eyes. "Don’t change the subject."
Leon squeezed her shoulder lightly, a small smirk on his lips. "You look so much like your mother sotis."
Diane stiffened at the ntion of Rachel. "I’ll take that as an insult."
Leon laughed, shaking his head. "Co to my office, Diane. There’s sothing I want to show you."
Diane didn’t move imdiately. Sothing wasn’t right.
But this was Leon.
And she was running out of reasons to keep doubting him.
-Leon’s Office-
Diane stepped inside, imdiately recognising the organised ss of her father’s workspace.
Stacks of papers, confidential reports, and several unopened letters cluttered the massive desk.
The large windows overlooked the city skyline, casting golden light over the deep mahogany furniture.
Leon walked behind his desk and sat down, motioning for her to take the seat across from him.
Diane did—but her suspicion remained.
"What’s this about?" she asked, studying him carefully.
Leon leaned back, his fingers steepled. "I want to talk to you about the company."
Diane’s brow furrowed. "I already know how it works."
Leon smirked. "You know what’s on the surface. But there are things about this company that only I know."
Diane arched a brow. "Like?"
Leon reached for a locked drawer in his desk, pulling out a black ledger.
He placed it on the desk between them, sliding it toward her.
Diane hesitated before opening it.
Inside were pages upon pages of handwritten notes, codes, financial trails, and things she couldn’t imdiately make sense of.
"What is this?" she asked, flipping through.
"The real way we run this company," Leon said smoothly.
Diane looked up. "What do you an?"
Leon exhaled, leaning forward. "This company has always operated with... certain advantages. Things I never docunted anywhere else except for here." He tapped the ledger. "Connections. Backdoors. Financial maneuvers that keep us ahead of everyone else."
Diane frowned. "Illegal things?"
Leon smirked. "No. Strategic things."
Diane wasn’t convinced. "Then why keep it a secret?"
Leon’s expression softened slightly. "Because not everyone deserves to know everything."
Diane flipped through the pages again, her mind was occupied with too many questions.
She had worked for this company for years. She knew it inside and out.
Or at least, she thought she did.
Sothing felt off.
"This isn’t just about running the company," she said, studying him.
Leon exhaled, closing the ledger gently. "You always were quick."
Diane’s fingers curled around the arms of the chair. "Then tell
why you’re really showing
this."
Leon smiled—but it didn’t reach his eyes. "Because I need you to be ready."
Diane’s chest tightened.
Ready for what?
She didn’t ask that question outright. Instead, she leaned forward. "Is everything okay?"
Leon chuckled, the sound almost too casual. "Of course."
Diane didn’t believe him.
She knew when soone was hiding sothing.
And right now? Leon was hiding sothing big.
A Father’s Lie
Leon could see the suspicion in Diane’s eyes.
She was too smart, too observant—too much like him.
But he couldn’t tell her.
Not yet.
Not when she already had so much to carry.
So he smiled, tapping the ledger. "This will help you when you eventually take over."
Diane’s gaze sharpened. "Take over?"
Leon smirked. "You think I’ll run this company forever?"
Diane exhaled. "I thought you’d at least give
a warning before passing down an empire."
Leon chuckled. "Consider this your warning."
Diane leaned back in her chair, watching him carefully. "You’re being too careful with your words."
Leon raised a brow. "I always am."
"You’re hiding sothing."
Leon’s expression didn’t change. "Diane."
She t his gaze. "Just tell
the truth."
Leon smiled. "I already have."
Diane clenched her jaw.
Diane didn’t believe him. But for now, she would let it go. Because one way or another?
She was going to find out what he was hiding.
Sitting at her desk, fingers drumming against the polished surface, her thoughts spiraling.
Her father was hiding sothing.
That much was obvious.
Leon had always been secretive, always operated with control, but this? This was different.
The way he had looked at her. The way he had spoken. It was as if he was preparing her for sothing.
But for what?
She flipped the black ledger open again, scanning the handwritten notes, looking for anything that stood out.
But nothing here was shocking—just carefully docunted connections, financial loopholes, and strategic alliances that ensured the company’s survival.
It was smart. Ruthless. It was Leon...But there had to be more.
Diane shook her head and breathed out sharply, leaning back in her chair.
She ran through everything again—her father’s conversation with the doctor, the way he had brushed off her questions, the way he had told her she looked like her mother.
Diane clenched her jaw.
If Leon had ever ant that as a complint, she would have laughed in his face. But the way he had said it...
It hadn’t been admiration. It had been sadness.
Almost like... regret. Her stomach twisted in multiple directions at the sa ti.
Leon never spoke about the past unless he had a reason.
Diane flipped another page in the ledger, but her vision blurred slightly. She wasn’t reading anymore—she was thinking.
What if this wasn’t about the company at all? What if this was about him?
Diane’s pulse quickened.
’No. That wasn’t possible. It couldn’t be...’
Leon was powerful. Indestructible. He had survived everything Rachel threw at him and still managed to co out on top.
He wasn’t weak. He wasn’t sick.
Diane swallowed hard.
’But what if he is?’
Her mind reeled, running through every detail she had ignored.
The doctor...The exhaustion in his eyes...
The way he was giving things away—his company, his power, his secrets—like a man who didn’t expect to hold them much longer.
A lump ford in Diane’s throat.
She stood up abruptly, shoving the ledger closed. She couldn’t sit here anymore.
She needed answers. Diane needed to know the truth.
She grabbed her phone, about to call Leon—
Then—
A knock at her office door disturbed her, and Diane exhaled for a minute longer. "Co in."
The door opened slowly, and her assistant, Laura, peeked inside, looking unusually nervous.
"Madam, there’s... soone here to see you."
Diane frowned. "Who?"
Laura hesitated. "I don’t know. He won’t give a na."
Diane’s heartbeat quickened. "What does he look like?"
Laura bit her lip. "Older. Tall. Looks important."
Diane’s eyes narrowed.
A powerful man who wouldn’t give his na?
That was never a good sign.
She closed the ledger and stood. "Where is he?"
Laura hesitated again. "He’s waiting in your father’s office."
Diane’s stomach felt like it was ready to turn around any mont now. That ant Leon knew who he was. And that ant this was personal.
Diane took a slow breath.
Sothing was wrong.
And she was about to find out exactly what...but there was this weird feeling...the feeling Diane really didn’t like.
"No...this can’t be..."
What if she was right? What if her father was really going to die...?
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