The drive back to Lex's home was a blur. The small notebook from Dr. Ivanov felt like a bomb in Anya's hands. Its pages held not just her mother's story, but the key to a truth that would shatter her family and reshape Lex's empire. She was numb, a ghost in her own body, as the car glided through the city streets. The man she once knew as her father was now a stranger, a monster.
Back at Lex's house, the atmosphere was a mix of cold strategy and fierce protection. Lex called his lawyers. His voice was all business, but his eyes never left Anya's face. He was a king in his castle, a general planning a war. He didn't need to fight with his hands; his power was in his mind, his words, his money.
"Get me the full history of Petrova Company," he said into the phone, his voice sharp and clear. "Every single document, every contract. I want to know who owns what. I want to know about a man named Dr. Ivanov. Find him. Protect him. And get me the best team of lawyers. We're going to war."
Anya watched him, a new kind of respect and love filling her. He wasn't just a powerful man. He was a strategic man. He was a man who could handle things, a man who could protect her.
He hung up the phone and walked over to her, his face a hard mask of control. "Your father's company," he said, his voice low. "I saved it once. He was losing money, losing contracts. I bought almost all the shares. He doesn't know. He thinks I'm just a silent partner. He thinks he's the boss. He thinks he's the king. But he's not."
Anya's breath caught in her throat. Her father's company was his. The man who had betrayed her mother, the man who was living a lie, was a puppet. A puppet whose strings were held by the man she loved.
"We need to meet him," Anya said, her voice full of a new kind of power. "We need to go to his company. We need to tell him. We need to tell him we know."
Lex shook his head. "Not yet. We need to be smart. We need to have all our cards ready. We need to have the lawyers, the documents, everything. We can't just walk in there and tell him. He's a dangerous man. He's a desperate man. He'll do anything."
The next few days were a blur of work and strategy. Lex's team, led by Leo, worked tirelessly. Leo was a young man, but his eyes were old. He was a master of secrets, a master of finding things that were not meant to be found. He found every document, every contract, every secret about the Petrova Company. He found every secret about Anya's father, Sergey.
One day, Lex's friend, Mark the superstar actor, came to the house. He was dressed in a simple, expensive t-shirt and jeans, but he was a king in his own right. He was charming, funny, and full of a quiet strength.
"Lex," he said, his voice full of warmth. "I heard about the new girl. She's a stunner. You're a lucky man." He gave Anya a warm, genuine smile. "I heard you're going to war. Can I help? I'm good at playing a part."
Lex smiled, a rare, beautiful thing. "You're a superstar, Mark. You have to protect your public image. You can't be a part of this. But thank you."
Mark just shook his head. "A public image is nothing. A friend is everything. You helped me once. You saved me. I'll help you now. I'll play any part you want. I'll be a part of your war."
Anya watched them, two powerful men, a king of the shadows and a king of the light, united by a bond of friendship. The world was a complex thing, a mix of good and bad, of love and hate. And she was in the middle of it all.
Leo came into the room, his face serious. "Boss, the documents are all ready. The lawyers are ready. The Petrova Company is yours. You own it all. You can take it whenever you want."
Lex nodded, a cold, hard look on his face. "Good. The time has come. The show is over. It's time to meet the puppet."
Anya's heart was a drum. The time had come. The time to face the man who had betrayed her, the man who had killed her mother.
They went to the Petrova Company. The building was big and beautiful, a symbol of a lie. Sergey, Anya's father, was in his big office, a king in his fake kingdom. He was laughing with his wife, Yelena, a woman who looked like a queen, but who was a murderer.
Anya and Lex walked into the office. The laughter stopped. Sergey looked at Anya, then at Lex, his face a mask of shock and fear.
"Anya," he said, his voice a shaky whisper. "What are you doing here? Who is this man?"
Lex smiled, a cold, dangerous thing. "He's the man who owns your company. He's the man who owns you. He's the man who owns everything."
Sergey's face went white. He looked at Anya, a look of betrayal and hate in his eyes. "You... you little liar. You brought him here. You're a snake. You're just like your mother."
Anya's eyes filled with fire. "My mother was a good woman. She was a good woman who you betrayed. You killed her, Father. You and Yelena. For her money. For her company. For a life of luxury. And I have the proof."
She put the notebook on the table. Sergey's eyes went wide with terror. He knew what it was. He knew his life was over.
Lex's lawyers walked into the room, their faces serious and cold. "The game is over, Sergey. You're no longer the boss. The company is now officially in the hands of its true owner, Anya Petrova."
Sergey's face was a mask of pure terror. "No! It's mine! It's mine! I built this company! I built it all!"
Lex just smiled, a cold, beautiful thing. "You built a lie, Sergey. A lie that is now over. And the money you've been spending... the yachts, the houses, the cars... they're all gone. They're all mine. I'm taking it all. You're no longer a king. You're a beggar."
Yelena's face was a mask of pure terror. She looked at Sergey, then at Lex, then at Anya. "Anya," she said, her voice a low plea. "Please. We can work this out. We can be a family. We can be happy."
Anya just looked at her, her eyes cold and full of hate. "You are not my family. You are a murderer. And you will get what you deserve."
The police walked into the room, their faces serious. They had a warrant. They had the evidence. They had everything.
Sergey and Yelena were arrested, their faces a mask of terror and hate. The queen and king of a lie had fallen.
Anya watched them, her heart a mix of sorrow and justice. Her mother had been avenged. But the war was not over. The true enemy, the man with the bird button, was still out there. And he was now angrier than ever. He had lost his pawns, and now he was going to come for the queen.