Before love Lies のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 41 - チャプター 50

Sarah Clifton’s POVI honestly didn’t think what I said would ever reach my father.When I stepped out of the bright red Bentley and saw the Japanese girl standing beside the others, I assumed she was just hired help—someone brought along to serve tea, translate, or stand quietly in the background. In our world, appearances often told a story, and I believed I already knew hers.So I spoke without thinking.Now, standing in the middle of the Wang estate courtyard, I realized how wrong I had been.The sound of my father’s voice still echoed in my ears from the phone call. I had never heard him that angry before. Not even when business deals collapsed or rivals betrayed him. The rage in his voice was something deeper—something personal.And it was aimed entirely at me.My hands were still trembling as I lowered the phone. My chest felt tight, my stomach twisted in knots, and the weight of what had just happened slowly began to settle over me.I had just lost my freedom.No money. No ind

The conference room had gone from calm to chaos in seconds.The moment Jacob Zhou spoke, the entire energy of the room shifted. Chairs scraped against the marble floor as one after another the elders of the Zhou Family slowly stood.One.Then five.Then twenty.Within seconds nearly ninety percent of the room was on their feet.Voting.Against their own leader.Against Mei Xui Ting Zhou.Her eyes widened in disbelief.“Do you really think,” she shouted, her voice shaking with anger, “that you can kick me out of my own company?!”Her hands slammed onto the table.“I BUILT THIS FAMILY BACK UP!” she continued. “When the Zhou name was falling apart, when our factories were failing, when the elders couldn’t agree on anything—I rebuilt everything!”Her voice cracked with fury.“I brought us back to the 15th strongest family in China!”Several elders refused to meet her gaze.But Jacob Zhou only smiled.Not a friendly smile.The kind of smile that came from years of waiting.“We’ve been wait

The office remained quiet for several long seconds.Then Charlie Huang leaned forward in his chair, his hands pressing firmly against the glass desk.“Yes.”The word came out fast.“I agree to your terms.”Across the table, Alexander Huang exhaled in disbelief. The tension that had hung over the room moments earlier seemed to crack like ice breaking on a frozen lake.Charlie turned quickly toward the door.“Call my assistant.”Within seconds the door opened and a young assistant hurried inside.“Prepare the partnership paperwork immediately,” Charlie ordered. “Forty-nine percent silent partnership agreement with Edison Shipping.”The assistant nodded and rushed out.Charlie looked back at me, his eyes carrying something that hadn’t been there when I arrived.Relief.“Three days,” he muttered quietly. “Three days away from losing everything.”I simply nodded.Before I could respond, Sam’s voice quietly spoke in my ear.“Master John.”I kept my face neutral while he continued.“This agr

Howard Johnson’s office erupted in chaos.Glass shattered across the marble floor as another vase slammed against the wall. The sound echoed through the massive room, leaving shards glittering under the lights.Howard’s chest rose and fell with rage.“How did he escape death?!” he roared.The assistants standing near the door didn’t dare move.“Sixteen men!” Howard shouted, his voice echoing through the office. “Sixteen trained killers went to that estate!”His fist slammed against the desk.“And somehow he walks away while all sixteen of them die?!”No one answered.Howard’s breathing slowly steadied as the rage in his eyes turned cold.“I think,” he said quietly, “it’s time to bring out our trump card.”He turned toward his chief assistant.“Call him.”The assistant hesitated.“Sir… you mean—”Howard’s glare silenced him.“Ray Moore.”The assistant quickly dialed the secure number.The phone rang only once.Then a deep voice answered. Calm. Heavy. Like distant thunder.“How can I be

The engines roared as the small aircraft cut through the night sky, leaving the lights of China far behind. I sat in the cockpit, hands tight on the controls, my mind racing faster than the plane itself. Below us the dark land stretched endlessly toward Mongolia.Sam’s voice finally broke the silence.“Master John, global network monitoring indicates a massive response from the Consortium.”“How massive?” I asked quietly.“Every major intelligence network is now searching for you.”Screens inside the cockpit lit up with intercepted transmissions.Interpol alerts.Government bulletins.Military radar notices.Sam continued calmly.“The Consortium has officially initiated a global manhunt.”I exhaled slowly.“So it begins.”Behind me, Jasmine and Mei sat quietly, the weight of everything pressing down on us.⸻Switzerland – The Consortium ChamberInside the hidden council room, the five most powerful men in the world watched the situation unfold.At the center sat Howard Johnson.He sla