Marcus Lu chose the revolving restaurant atop the Su Corporation building for our "important conversation.
The elevator doors slid open, and I paused at the sight before me. The entire restaurant had been transformed into a r
"So
I resisted the urge to pull away, feigning surprise. "This is...
"A new beginning for us." He dropped to one knee and pulled a velvet box from his pocket. "Marry me."
The ring inside shimmered in the candlelight—a rare blue diamond cut into a lotus shape. My stomach twisted. That design... it was a clear imitation of the Stone of Destiny.
"This is so sudden..." I stepped back slightly, lowe
Marcus froze for
He leaned in to kiss me. I stumbled back, pretending to lo
Inside, I splashed cold water o
My phone buzzed. A message from Xiaotao:"Mr. Su had a heart attack. He's been taken to Central Hospital."
The wo
I didn't even say goodbye to Marcus. I ran straight out of the
"I heard what happened. Your f
How
The corridor outside the emergency room stretche
"Miss!" she ran to me. "The doctor said it's a myocardial infarction. He's in surgery right no
"What happened?" I grabbed her shoulders. "Why did he collapse?"
Xiaotao handed me a document. "President Su received this right before he fell ill..."
It was a takeover bid from Lu Group—an acquisition of 51% of Su Corpor
"This is forged!" My hands shook. "Dad would never have signed this!"
"But the signature and compan
The surgical light still glowed. I collapsed onto a bench, suddenly more exhausted than ever. For the first time since my rebirth, I doubted my path. If I couldn't even pro
"Miss Su?"
I looked up to see Zhou Yuchen. Pale,
"H
"Chen Mo told me." He sat beside me, maintaining a respectful distance. "I called in th
I tried to respond, but no words came. The strength and composure I'd held together shattered. Tears fell as I covered my face.
Zhou
"Let it o
I sobbed in his embrace, no longer the calm strategist, but a broken daughte
"Marcus pr
Zhou's
"I don't know..." I looked up, tears blur
"But you don't want to marry him." He finished for me, his gaze trouble
"Such as?"
Before he could answer, the operating room door opened. A doctor stepped out, removing his mask."The surgery was successfu
Relief hit me like a wave. M
"May I see h
"Five minutes."
Da
"Dad... I'm here..." My voice crac
His eyelids fluttered. He struggled to speak. I leaned in close.
"Do
"I know. I won't agree." I stroked his t
He fell unconscious again. As I stepped out of the wa
"What do you need? I'll have someone arrange it."
"I'm fine. Xiaotao can handle it." I paused. "Where's Chen Mo?"
"Inv
My blood ran cold. "Where?"
"Not certain yet. But
I recoiled. "What?"
"It's only temporary," he said quickly. "Once we confirm her location, we'll extract you."
"And what? You'll rescue me from the Lu family mansion like last ti
"I'd rather you hate me than watch you die!" His voice rose. Then he inhaled, trying to calm h
We stood in silence, the soft beeping of machines the only sound. Finally, Zhou reached out, cupping my cheek. "If you choose this path, I'll protect you every step of the way."
His touch was warm, calloused from years of training. I closed my eyes, letting myself lean into the fleeting safety.
"Giv
He nodded, then handed me a small box."Whatever you decide, take this."
Inside was a delicate silver earring."A nano-communicator,"
The device glinted faintly blue—just like Zhou Yuchen's eyes.
"Thank you," I murmured. "But I have one condition."
He tensed. "What is it?"
"Tell me the truth.
His expression froze.
"Thirty years ago," he finally said, "our grandfathers were business pa
I stared at him. "So... you approached me for revenge?"
"At first," he admitted. "But then I realized something—Lu Zhentian's role in it all... it's darker than either of our families knew
"You think he orchestrated the feud?"
He nodded. "I'm not sure yet. But the truth is hidden within the Stone of Destin
I was still absorbing his words when Xiaotao ran over, panic on her face."Miss—bad news. It's all over the internet..."
She stopped, glancing nervously at Zhou. I took her phone.
The headline blared:"Zhou Family Heir Caught with Multiple Women—Private Photos Leaked."
I scrolled through the images—Zhou Yuchen w
"This..." I looked up.
Zhou's face darkened as he examined the photos. "Photoshopped. This one was a charity gala—I helped a lady who fell. That's my sister outside the bar..."
"No need to explain," I said, handing back the phone. "I believe you."
"You... do?" he asked, stunned.
"If we don't ha
Xiaotao whispered, "All the women in the photos had business ties with Zhou Group."
"Classic smear tactic,"
Just then, my phone rang. Marcus.
I glanced at Zhou before answering.
"Sophia, have you seen the news?" Marcus sounded concerned, too concerned. "I didn't expect Zhou to be this kind of man..."
"Shocking," I replied coolly. "What did you want to discuss?"
"About your father... I'm sorry. Maybe
"What kind of document?"
"Proof the guarantee agreement was forged. Meet me tomorrow? Same place, noon?"
After hanging up, I turned to Zhou.
"He claims to have proof the contract was faked."
"It's a trap," Zhou said flatly.
"I
"Too dangerous." He grabbed my wrist. "At l
"Alright." I held his gaze. "But if it's clear, I'll go."
He frowned, then reluctantly nodded. "Wear the earring. I'll be with you."
Xiaotao returned with some documents. As she left, Zhou asked quietly,"Do you suspect her?"
"I'm not sure." I sighed. "But to
Late into the night, the hospital quieted. Zhou insisted on staying. We took turns resting in the small lounge outside the VIP ward. At 3 a.m., I got up to check o
He was stable. Peaceful.
"Dad," I whispered, holding his hand, "I will protect Su
As I turned to leave, his bedside phone lit up. A new message from contact "L":
"Change of plans. Marcus i
I went cold.
L... Lin Yurou? What action?
"Wanqing?" Zhou appeared in the doorway.
I showed him the message.
His face turned
"No. That
Zhou raised a brow. "What kind?"
"We pretend I wal
"Too dangerous," h
"That's why I need your support." I stepped closer. "Trust is mutual. Remember?"
T
"Promise me—call for help if anything goes wrong."
Pressed against his chest, I nodded."I promise."
And in that quiet moment, I understood: no matter the family feud or the secr