The confrontation in the car left a silence between Elara Meng and Kian Huo that was as taut as a piano wire. He no longer feigned gentleness, and she no longer hid the defiance in her eyes. They were like two opponents in a silent game of chess, each awaiting the other's next move.
Elara knew she couldn't win this game alone. He had power, money, and an invisible network that blanketed all of Port Sterling. She had only shattered memories and an iron will. She needed an ally. Someone who could see what was happening behind Huo Enterprises' velvet curtain.
And a name came to mind.
Liam Feng. Her childhood friend, the son of the Feng family, a clan that had once held status but had withered after a fierce rivalry with Huo Enterprises years ago. He was the last warm remnant of her past before she was locked in this gilded cage.
Using the tablet Kian had "gifted" her (and was undoubtedly monitoring), Elara searched for information on an upcoming art exhibition. She knew Liam, with his refined taste, would be there. She needed an excuse to get out, a reason legitimate enough that Kian couldn't refuse.
"I want to see the Vú exhibit," she told him over breakfast, her tone casual.
"There are pieces inspired by classical ballet."
Kian looked up from his financial paper. His eyes scanned her, probing.
"I'll go with you."
"No need," Elara replied with a smile.
"I'd like to go alone. Just a relaxing afternoon. Don't you think I need a little space, or... are you afraid I'll run away?"
The last question was a clear provocation. Kian set the paper down. He knew she was testing him. Caging her too tightly would only make this butterfly struggle harder.
"Fine," he said, his decision a cold calculation.
"The bodyguards will go with you."
Elara nodded.
She had won the first step.
***
Detective Julian Zheng sat in his dark office, the monitor's glow illuminating his tormented face. He had just received two files from his hacker source.
The first: An internal police report stating that Director Li from Sterling Dynamics had been in a "car accident" on his way home last night. Condition: deep coma, prognosis poor.
The second: A short, low-quality audio clip from a nearby security camera. The terrible screech of metal, and then a cold voice just before the recording cut out: "...no one is to mention that name again..."
He recognized that voice. It belonged to Kian Huo's closest aide.
Julian slammed his laptop shut, burying his face in his hands. He'd seen this too many times. A warning. An "accident." Everything swept clean.
Kian Huo was more ruthless and powerful than he had imagined. How could a lone detective stand against such a monster?
He looked up at the board, at his mentor's eyes. The oath he'd sworn echoed in his mind. If he backed down now, his mentor's death would be meaningless. Justice would remain buried.
Gripping the fountain pen, Julian made his decision. He couldn't fight him head-on. He needed another way. He needed someone on the inside.
He opened an old file, searching. And then, he stopped at a name.
Elara Meng. The daughter of the first victim, and now the "fiancée" of the prime suspect. She was the key. He had to reach her.
***
At the exhibition, Elara drifted past the paintings, two black-suited bodyguards maintaining a precise distance. She pretended to be absorbed in the art, but her eyes were constantly scanning.
And then she saw him.
Liam Feng.
He stood before an oil painting, tall and slender, with a scholarly, gentle air. He wore a simple white shirt, a soft smile on his face as he chatted with an acquaintance. He looked like a tender memory from the past, a cool patch of shade in the burning desert of her life.
"Liam?"
He turned at her voice. Surprise registered on his face, quickly replaced by a warm, genuine smile.
"Elara? I can't believe it's you."
"Me neither," she replied, her own smile one of rare sincerity.
They made small talk about the art, about old memories. Under the watchful eyes of the bodyguards, their conversation seemed entirely innocent. But Liam was perceptive enough to notice something different in her eyes.
"You seem... troubled," he said quietly when they found a more secluded corner.
Elara looked directly at him.
"Liam, I need your help."
Liam's smile faltered slightly. He glanced at the bodyguards.
"What is it, Elara? Is Kian Huo... is he not treating you well?" His voice was filled with concern.
Elara shook her head.
"It's more than 'not well.' It's bigger than that. It's about my mother's death."
At this, a complex emotion flickered in Liam's eyes. He knew about the feud between his family and Huo Enterprises. The thought of using Elara to find a weakness in Kian Huo had crossed his mind before. But now, looking into her desperate yet resolute eyes, something else stirred within him.
"Tonight, eleven o'clock," he said very quickly, his voice a whisper.
"Check your phone. Don't let anyone see. I'll send you something."
He didn't say what it was. He just gave her a deep, meaningful look—a silent promise—then quickly stepped back, melting into the crowd before the bodyguards noticed anything unusual.
Elara stood there, her heart pounding.
She didn't know if she could trust him.
She only knew that this was her first glimmer of hope.
A fragile hope.
Offered from the shade of her past.