The world tour finale had brought Ella Lin to the heart of Paris.
Under the dazzling lights of the Louvre, she stood tall before a roaring crowd. Behind her, the majestic glass pyramid glowed like a symbol of her triumph.
She had it all—fame, power, the love of the people…
And yet, as she walked down the grand steps toward her awaiting car, a familiar chill ran down her spine.
A shadow detached itself from the darkness.
Leon Xu.
He looked nothing like the proud emperor of the past. His once sharp features were gaunt, his eyes bloodshot from nights without sleep. But even in his ruin, he still carried an air of dangerous beauty—a fallen angel begging for redemption.
"Ella..." His voice was barely a whisper against the cool Parisian night.
She stopped but didn't turn.
"You've already lost everything, Leon. What else could you possibly want from me?"
His footsteps echoed behind her, closing the distance.
"Just one last thing," he breathed against her ear, his voice trembling. "One last kiss… before I disappear forever."
Ella closed her eyes, her heart pounding painfully against her chest.
This was his final play—the last desperate act of a man who had fallen too far.
"You think a kiss could undo years of pain?" she bit back, her voice icy.
"No," Leon admitted, his voice raw. "But maybe… it could remind you that even in my darkest moments, I never stopped loving you."
Before she could pull away, his lips crashed against hers.
It wasn't the gentle kiss of a repentant man.
It was desperate. Bruising.
A plea.
A punishment.
A goodbye.
When he pulled away, his eyes shone with tears he refused to let fall.
"Goodbye, Ella."
And then, before anyone could stop him, he vanished into the crowd, swallowed by the night like a ghost never meant to be saved.