"Can I have a moment alone with the boy?" Ladina said finally, her voice taut with barely concealed frustration.
"If you don't mind...?" she added, glancing at Principal Alric.
Alric pointed at his own face in confusion, then looked around the office as if making sure she was indeed talking to him.
It was his own damn office— and yet here he was, being asked to leave like a guest overstaying his welcome.
"Sure... I'll be waiting in the lobby outside," Alric said after a pause, suppressing his irritation as he stood up and made his way toward the door.
Normally, he wouldn't have agreed so easily to such a request.
However, Ladina Horizon wasn't just anyone.
She was the damn CEO of the Horizon Dominion Group and when she asked you to lend her your office, you simply did it. No questions asked.
He didn't know what she wanted to say that he couldn't hear, but whatever it was, it was clear that it wasn't meant for him.
*Click*
As the door clicked shut behind him, the atmosphere in the room shifted almost instantly.
The soft, understanding smile Ladina had worn all evening vanished.
Her eyes sharpened, turning cold, professional, and predatory as she stepped closer to Leo.
"Boy," she said, her voice low and cutting, "don't think for a second that Horizon Dominion doesn't know what you are— and what you've done."
Leo's brow lifted slightly, genuine surprise flickering across his face.
He had no idea as to where this sudden anger was coming from.
"You are wanted on Planet Terra Nova for leaking classified government documents and defrauding the state," Ladina continued coldly.
"And there's an open investigation linking you to the deaths of two security officers."
Her words hit like thrown daggers, but Leo didn't flinch.
"You're no knight in shining armor, Skyshard.
So cut the crap."
She stepped closer still, standing so near that Leo could feel the faint warmth of her skin against his own.
Despite her modest height—barely reaching his collarbone—Ladina didn't hesitate to meet his gaze directly, the sheer weight of her presence doing what her size could not.
"The only reason you're not under investigation by the universal government right now," she hissed, "is because Horizon wiped your crime records clean before the Circuit Finals."
"We did it," she emphasized, jabbing a manicured finger lightly against his chest, "because you were a good investment. Our rising star."
"And as long as you keep shining, we'll keep protecting you."
Her voice dropped even lower, almost to a growl.
"But do something stupid like joining the Black Serpents— and I'll personally rip that shield out from under you."
For a moment, Leo felt a dangerous heat stir within him.
The urge to kill— to rip apart the woman daring to threaten him— flickered dangerously beneath the surface.
But he didn't move.
Didn't blink.
He simply stared at her, cold and still, his murderous instinct buried under layers of absolute control.
Ladina smiled thinly, mistaking his restraint for submission.
"After the terror attack at the Arena, a full background sweep was conducted on every single participant," she said.
"You somehow slipped into Rodova's ranks with your history, but without Horizon's quiet intervention, you wouldn't have made it out of the Sky-God Arena without being detained."
"You owe us a debt of honor too, Skyshard.
And I suggest you focus on repaying it first." She said flatly, as for a moment, the room remained frozen.
Then—
Leo threw his head back and laughed.
A low, sharp, almost feral sound that made even Ladina take half a step back.
Because in that laugh... there was no fear.
Only contempt.
"Did you just admit to committing crimes and tampering with government records... right in front of me?" Leo asked rhetorically, his voice flat with disbelief as he stared at Ladina.
Ladina's frown deepened, but she said nothing.
"I have no memories of my past. That much is true. I walked into Rodova with a wiped mind, and everyone knows it."
He stepped forward, the air around him growing heavier.
"If I truly were a criminal, I would surrender myself to the government the moment those accusations surfaced," he said, voice steady.
"Because those are the standards of honor and moral integrity I live by."
Ladina's eyes widened in horror as she realized where this was heading.
"And I'm more than willing to do it right now," Leo continued, his tone almost casual.
"I'm not afraid of prison. I'm not afraid of punishment."
He smiled thinly, like a predator baring his teeth.
"But I think the authorities would find it even more interesting to learn about the Horizon Dominion Group— and how you altered my records without my consent."
He let that hang in the air for a beat, before driving the dagger in deeper.
"After all, I have a rather sizable following now, don't I?
How about I call up a few media channels and give them an exclusive?
Tell them how the great Horizon Dominion tampered with state investigations to cover up for a 'star product' they barely understood?"
Ladina visibly paled, her professional mask starting to crack.
"You're bluffing!" she snapped, trying to regain control.
"You wouldn't do that. Why would you? Why would you willingly throw yourself into prison?"
Her voice was tight, disbelieving.
To her, it made no sense.
Why would anyone, when faced with a clean escape, deliberately choose chains over freedom?
But as she stared into Leo's calm, unreadable face... she couldn't tell if he was bluffing or not.
For that cold, calculating gaze of his betrayed nothing.
"Am I really?" Leo asked softly, tilting his head with a mischievous glint, his voice almost playful— but the danger behind it undeniable.
Ladina felt her stomach drop.
Because deep down, her instincts screamed the truth:
Leo Skyshard wasn't bluffing.
And by opening this door— by trying to intimidate him— she had dug her own grave.
If Leo exposed the cover-up, the government would not forgive the Horizon Group easily.
They would uncover how Horizon had orchestrated the murder of the lead investigator, how they bribed officials, falsified records, and spent millions cleaning up a mess they never fully understood.
In the current political climate— with the Universal Government desperate to crack down on corruption after the Sky-God Arena attack— Horizon Dominion would be dragged into the light and torn apart piece by piece.
And Ladina Horizon... would be the one blamed for it.
*Gulp*
She gulped nervously, as what started as a move to intimidate Leo, had backfired so catastrophically now that she was becoming the one being intimidated instead.
"Since you call yourself my 'big sister' and since the Horizon Group wants nothing but the 'best' for me.
I'll let your crimes slide just this once, only for as long as you don't bother me.
I'm going to find Darnell Nuna and save him, and until I do, I expect the Horizon Group to not send any stupid gear testing summons my way.
I know it's written in my contract that I am to show up for exhibition matches as and when needed, but you can forget about it now.
I'll show up for them once I'm morally free after saving Darnell, but not before—" Leo said, as he patted calmly on Ladina's shoulders, before turning to leave.
"See you around, Mrs. Ladina, it was a pleasure to meet you today!" He said before leaving the room, as it was only now that Ladina realized that Leo was not a fool at all, but rather a tiger hiding in pig's clothing.