After becoming rich overnight, I handed over the system.

Chapter 429 I've been looking for you

“Force resonance.” Leon’s voice was filled with awe. “The bloodline nurtured by nature is more powerful than any experiment.”

The optical network lasted for a few seconds before gradually dissipating.

Maxi and Lila looked both excited and exhausted, while Leon's expression was almost pious.

"What, what is this?" Aria asked, her voice unsteady.

“Proof,” Leon carefully released the children’s hands, “that they are genuine Force-sensitive individuals, not lab-made. Someone will do anything to get them.”

Suddenly, the roar of an engine came from afar.

Leon's expression immediately turned alert: "Reconnaissance drones. We have to go, now!"

This time, Arya did not hesitate.

She took the children's hands and ran with Leon toward the spaceship.

As they rushed through the hatch, she saw several black dots appear on the horizon, rapidly approaching.

The spacecraft's interior is more spacious than it appears from the outside.

Leon slid quickly into the driver's seat, his fingers flying across the control panel.

"Sit tight and fasten your seatbelt," he said without turning his head. "Takeoff will be a bit bumpy."

Arya helped the children secure themselves to their passenger seats, and then sat down next to them.

As the spaceship's engines roared to life, Lila's little hand found hers.

"Mommy, are you scared?" the little girl asked softly.

Arya watched the drone getting closer and closer outside the porthole, then looked at Leon's focused profile: "Yes, baby. But sometimes, we have to take risks to be safe."

The spaceship shot into the sky at a near-vertical angle, and the inertia pressed Aria into her seat.

Maxi, however, shouted excitedly, as if this were the most fun ride ever.

Through the side window, Arya saw several laser beams glide past the ship, but Leon skillfully maneuvered the ship to evade the attacks.

"Invisibility mode activated." Leon pressed the last button, and the spaceship was suddenly enveloped in a layer of blue light. They then plunged into the clouds, leaving their pursuers behind.

Once the spaceship entered a stable period of space travel, Leon switched to autopilot and turned to face Arya and the children.

His gaze darted between the three men, as if he couldn't believe they were really there.

“There’s food and water.” He gestured somewhat awkwardly to the rear cabin. “And, uh, children’s nutritional supplements. I just don’t know what flavor they like.”

Aria couldn't help but raise an eyebrow: "You prepared children's nutritional supplements?"

“I’ve been preparing all along,” Leon’s voice became very soft. “Every time I go on a mission, I hope to find you all this time.”

Maxi had already unbuckled his seatbelt and was curiously examining the various control devices in the cockpit.

“This is much faster than Uncle Hawke’s ship!” he exclaimed excitedly. “Can we see the faster-than-light engine?”

“Maxi!” Arya warned, “Don’t touch it—”

“It’s alright,” Leon said unexpectedly, crouching down to be at Maxi’s eye level. “You’re interested in the engine?”

The boy nodded, his eyes sparkling. "I can make the machine work better. Mom says it's a talent."

“Indeed.” Leon smiled and stood up, extending his hand to Maxi. “Come on, young engineer, I’ll show you the engine room. But promise me you won’t touch any buttons randomly?”

Maxi nodded solemnly, as if accepting an important task.

Arya watched in surprise as Leon naturally took his son's hand and led him to the rear cabin.

For six years, Maxi had never shown this kind of trust to any stranger.

Lila tugged at her sleeve: "Mommy, Daddy is very sad."

"What?"

“In his heart,” the little girl pointed to her chest, “there were many dark places, like wounded stars. But when he saw us, those places began to brighten.”

Aria didn't know how to respond.

Looking into her daughter's clear eyes, she realized that what Lila was perceiving might be an emotional dimension that she could never fully comprehend.

When Leon and Maxi returned, the boy was excitedly explaining his ideas about ion thrusters, and Leon was actually listening attentively, nodding or asking questions from time to time.

The scene was so natural, yet so surreal.

“He’s right, you know,” Leon said to Arya. “The thruster efficiency can indeed be increased by at least 15%. You’ve done a good job educating him.”

Arya suddenly felt a surge of inexplicable anger: "I did what I had to do. Unlike some people who can just disappear for six years as they please."

The temperature inside the cabin seemed to drop instantly.

Max looked at his mother in confusion, while Lila quietly moved closer to her brother.

Leon's expression turned serious: "We need to talk, to talk alone."

He led Arya to a small compartment at the rear of the spaceship, and after closing the door, the atmosphere between the two immediately became tense.

"You think I haven't tried to contact you?" Leon broke the silence first, his voice trembling with suppressed emotion. "From the day you disappeared, I've used every resource I have—"

"All the hidden resources, right?" Aria sneered. "After all, the empire can't let the esteemed Second Prince know he has a commoner illegitimate child, can it?"

A flicker of pain crossed Leon's eyes: "You know it's not like that. If I openly search, others will find you faster than I can; I can't take that risk."

He took a deep breath. "For six years, I've built my own intelligence network, bribed officials in over a dozen star systems, and even secretly gained control of the Imperial genetic database. But every time I get close to you, you vanish again."

“Because we were being hunted!” Arya’s voice began to tremble. “Your good fiancée sent at least three special agent teams. We almost—”

“I know,” Leon interrupted her. “The last member of that squad to return alive reported the children’s abilities. That was also the first time I confirmed their existence.”

His voice softened, "Aria, that squad wasn't sent by my fiancée."

"What?"

“They’re mine.” Leon’s words struck like a hammer blow. “My men, my orders—find and protect you. But the leader is a double agent; he reported to Ster.”

Aria felt dizzy and leaned against the bulkhead: "The agent said before he died, 'The agreement has changed; protect the target.'"

“Colton,” Leon said, closing his eyes, “one of my most trusted men, who tried to correct a mistake at the last moment.”

Aria was overwhelmed by too much information.

The understanding she had built up over the past six years began to crumble, and she needed to reassess everything.

Arya could smell the familiar scent on Leon, mixed with the metallic smell unique to interstellar travel.

The memory of that night six years ago suddenly came vividly to her, making her chest tighten.

“I need time,” she finally said, taking a step back. “The children too. This is all so sudden.”

Leon nodded. “I understand. But we have a common goal now—to protect Maxi and Lila.” He hesitated for a moment. “Do they know who they are?”

“All I know is that you are their father.” Arya shook her head.