Chapter 3

I didn’t cry, nor did I throw a dramatic tantrum like a shrew.

Looking at Leonardo’s utterly selfish face, I only found it laughable.

I, Aria, the sole heiress of the mighty Franklin Corporation, had wasted five years of my youth on a blind, ungrateful fool.

“Alright, I understand.”

I calmly put away the ultrasound report, not sparing them another glance, and turned to walk out of the office.

Behind me, Tiffany’s sweet, deliberately provocative voice carried:

“Leonardo, is Aria mad at me? Her eyes were so scary just now; will she get revenge on us…?”

“Forget about that crazy woman.” Leonardo scoffed, his tone full of certainty.

“She’s useless without me; she can’t survive. Just scare her a bit, and she’ll calm down. Tomorrow, she’ll definitely go to the hospital obediently.”

Listening to Leonardo’s conceited mockery, a cold smile touched my lips.

Can’t survive without you?

Leonardo, you overestimate yourself.

You think you stand at the pinnacle of this city, but you don't realize that the entire empire beneath your feet belongs to my family, the Franklins.

Stepping out of the Leonardo Group building, the sunlight outside made me squint slightly.

I took a taxi directly to a top-tier private hospital with extreme privacy.

I didn’t get an abortion. Instead, I had the chief physician personally perform the most comprehensive prenatal check-up on me.

After confirming that the baby was perfectly healthy, merely a little unstable due to my emotional fluctuations, I walked to the hospital's quiet VIP garden and dialed a number I hadn't called in five years.

The phone rang three times before it was answered. A voice, old but incomparably authoritative, came through, tinged with unconcealed excitement and trembling.

“Aria? Is that you? Is it really you?”

Hearing my grandfather Spencer’s voice, my feigned strength instantly crumbled. My eyes welled up, and I fought back tears.

“Grandpa, it’s me. I was wrong.”

“I shouldn't have disobeyed you back then, insisting on marrying that animal, Leonardo.”

There was a two-second silence on the other end, followed by a heavy sigh, and then the distinct thud of a cane hitting the ground.

“Just come back! It’s good that you’re back! The Franklin family doors are always open for you.”

“Did Leonardo hurt you? I knew that mean-looking boy couldn’t be trusted!”

“Yes.” I took a deep breath, wiped away my tears, and my eyes became cold and sharp.

“Grandpa, I want Leonardo to lose everything, to be utterly disgraced. I want him to kneel, begging for death but unable to find it.”

“Good!” Grandpa’s voice was firm and powerful, carrying the authority of a superior.

“Anyone who dares to bully my granddaughter, Spencer's granddaughter, I’ll make their whole family pay! It’s time for a shake-up in Las Vegas!”

“Mr. Harrison will contact you in ten minutes. Just tell him what you need to do.”

“All of the Franklin family’s resources are at your disposal!”

After hanging up, I felt the five-year-long burden on my heart finally lift.

Leonardo thought I was a soft touch, easy to manipulate.

He had no idea that sixty percent of the dark shares in his proudly built Leonardo Group were under my name, Aria’s!

He was only able to sit securely in the CEO’s chair because I had been secretly controlling the capital behind the scenes.

With just one word from me, his commercial empire would collapse tomorrow.

But I didn't want him to die too easily.

I wanted to watch him bleed out slowly, to see everything he owned turn into smoke, making him experience true despair.