Intelligence was the key. Silas's team, using the supercomputer built from burned server parts, had managed to breach Thorne Global's internal network. What they found was a web of deceit that went deeper than Mo Chen had ever imagined.
Julian's father, Alistair Thorne, wasn't just after the Yun-Mo wealth. He was on the verge of financial collapse. A series of disastrous investments and hidden debts had left Thorne Global teetering. The "merger" was a Hail Mary pass—a way to acquire the Yun-Mo empire's liquid assets to cover his debts and then dismantle the rest.
But the files also revealed a more chilling detail. The Thornes had a contingency plan. If the gas explosion was foiled, they had snipers positioned to take out Ye Xia, Mo, and Ye Tian during the ceremony itself. The wedding was a kill box.
" We have to call it off," Mo Chen said, her voice trembling as she looked at the schematics of the sniper positions.
" And then what?" Silas countered, his face grim. "They retreat, they regroup, and they come for us another day, when we are less prepared. We have the element of surprise now. We know their playbook."
He laid out his plan. It was audacious and incredibly dangerous. They would allow the wedding to proceed, but they would neutralize the snipers silently before the ceremony began. They would let Julian believe his plan was on track, right up until the moment he tried to lead her to the west wing.
" Then," Silas said, his eyes cold, "we spring the trap. We take him alive. We get a confession. And we end the Thorne family."
It was a gamble with the lives of everyone she loved. But it was the only way to end the threat permanently.
Mo Chen took a deep breath, the heat of her power simmering under her skin. "Alright," she said. "Let's do it."