Tommy had been living an exhausting schedule lately. During the day, he accompanied Thea all over the city, and at night, he engaged in strenuous physical activities with Laurel. He no longer had the energy for bars or nightclubs.
Perhaps because Oliver had once cheated on Laurel with her own sister, Laurel—driven by a mix of resentment and the desire for revenge—had fallen into Tommy's arms after just a few sweet words from him.
In Western culture, there's hardly any concept of "don't covet your friend's woman." Haven't you seen how, in the original plot, even John Diggle—the loyal and kind-hearted ally of Green Arrow—almost ended up with his deceased brother's widow? He practically made his own nephew call him "Dad"! And our so-called heroic Green Arrow didn't think there was anything wrong with that—he even cheered his friend on.
So while Tommy did mourn his friend's death, he felt no psychological burden about dating his friend's ex. After all, Laurel was the future Black Canary—fiery and tireless when things got wild! After several days of "intense exercise," Tommy had visibly lost weight.
Thea more or less understood what was happening, but she despised the hypocrisy of someone who mourned a dead friend while simultaneously sleeping with his ex. So, seeing that Tommy wasn't about to collapse, she kept dragging him around the city every day—determined to make sure Malcolm would hear about it if he had even one informant in town!
Today, Thea had traded her usual suit for a sleeveless tank top. The weather was getting hotter, and she had accepted showing her arms.
Staring at the modest curve of her chest, she had to face a harsh truth: she would never be a man again! Fortunately, her current body wasn't overly busty—barely a B-cup. It might grow a bit more in the future, but it would stay within normal limits—at least she wouldn't be giving people nosebleeds during martial arts training. What a relief! If she'd been saddled with two giant "basketballs," she'd have had to give up combat training altogether.
Knock, knock, knock.
Hearing the sound, she pulled herself from her thoughts and opened the door—only to find a middle-aged man standing there.
"Hey, Thea. Looks like you're recovering well," the man said with a slight smile that barely softened his otherwise stern expression.
Finally—the big boss himself! Thea had been running herself ragged with Tommy all over the city just to draw him out. Sometimes she even wondered if Malcolm was still in town or off scheming somewhere else.
She had rehearsed this moment countless times. Taking a breath, she replied evenly, "Good morning, Uncle Malcolm."
The greeting was perfectly natural, matching the history between their families. Malcolm didn't say much, only nodded with a faint smile as Thea stepped aside to let him in.
The moment of truth had come. Pretending to watch TV, she secretly observed him out of the corner of her eye as he entered her mother's room. Then she grabbed a teacup and crept closer, barefoot, pressing her ear to the door. She wasn't sure how advanced Malcolm's martial arts were—or how much he'd learned from Ra's al Ghul—so she had to be careful not to get caught.
"Hey, Moira, you look stunning," Malcolm said cheerfully. For a man who hadn't smiled since his wife's death, this was about as good a mood as he could show.
"Mr. Merlyn, what are you doing here?" Moira's voice was wary. Every previous meeting between them had taken place on some deserted road or hillside—this formal visit was highly unusual.
"Heh." Malcolm chuckled, pouring himself a drink instead of answering.
"You know, Moira," he said, "aside from my late wife, you're one of the few women who can still captivate me. I actually planned to marry you—but… haha, I've discovered something quite interesting!"
Moira ignored his mention of marriage, staring at him intently. "What is it? Our deal is complete. You can't interfere in my life anymore!"
Malcolm's smile thinned. "What do you think of Tommy and Thea? Isn't it perfect? You have only a daughter, I have only a son. There are no obstacles left! Merlyn Global and Queen Consolidated could unite—completely!"
Outside the door, Thea froze. So, Malcolm didn't know the truth! Her mother hadn't told him. Beautiful women truly are master deceivers, she thought. My mother's a real expert at manipulation. No matter how cunning men think they are, they always end up being the ones in the dark.
Hearing that proposal, Moira snapped. "No! Absolutely not!"
Such a fierce reaction caught Malcolm off guard. No one—not since Ra's al Ghul, who had once scared him so badly he'd wet his pants—had ever dared raise their voice to him. If he'd had his bow with him, he might've shot an arrow on the spot.
Realizing she'd gone too far, Moira tried to regain her composure, though her glare remained sharp. "No. I won't agree to that."
"My requests are not up for debate, Moira Queen." Whatever tenderness he'd once felt was gone. When it came to standoffs, Malcolm Merlyn never backed down.
Outside, Thea knew the real drama was about to start. She raised her teacup a little higher—ready for the classic TV moment when someone drops a cup in shock. Let's hope the wooden floor doesn't ruin the effect, she thought. Please don't make me look stupid in front of the villain!
"Let me explain," Moira stammered, shaken by Malcolm's piercing stare. Flustered, she grabbed the bottle and gulped down a drink, desperately searching for the right words.
Noticing her strange behavior, Malcolm's instincts kicked in. Years of training under Ra's al Ghul, a man who had lived for centuries, had honed his perception to a razor's edge. He sat back, waiting.
Moira's mind raced. Why was she so opposed to this marriage? She had already silently sent her husband and son to their deaths—what reason could she possibly give now? If she refused, Malcolm might turn his wrath on Thea. That would be true tragedy.
After much inner struggle, she realized the secret that had once belonged to two people was now hers alone. Revealing it would make it a secret shared by two again—and that, she could live with. As long as Thea never learned the truth…
"Thea is your daughter."
She whispered it, then sank into the sofa, closing her eyes as though a great weight had finally lifted.
Outside the door, Thea couldn't see Malcolm's face. Worried he might not have heard clearly, she decided to act. She dropped the teacup—thud! A dull sound. Damn wooden floors! No satisfying crash at all!
Hopefully, Malcolm wasn't about to calculate the drop height and impact force like some kind of physics detective. After all, he was the Dark Archer, not Detective Conan.
Hearing the sound, Malcolm—ever the elite assassin—reacted instantly. Though his mind was reeling, his body moved on reflex. He rushed to the door, yanked it open—and there stood Thea, feigning confusion.
For once, even a seasoned villain like him was stunned—caught between fury, shock, and sheer embarrassment.