The press conference hall glimmered with camera lights.
Chenxuan stood at the podium, his tailored suit immaculate, his aura sharper than the steel-and-glass towers that bore his name. To the world, he looked unshakable. Inside, however, fury churned like a storm.
Today was supposed to be about a new international contract—a show of strength after weeks of scandal. Instead, whispers had already spread: Vice President Liang had accused Chenxuan of corruption, painting him as a CEO willing to manipulate stock values for personal gain.
The betrayal was a knife buried deep.
Reporters crowded forward, questions slicing through the air.
"Mr. Lu, how do you respond to Vice President Liang's allegations?""Has your ex-wife influenced corporate decisions?""Are the rumors true—that Lu Corporation is on the verge of collapse?"
Chenxuan gripped the podium. His gaze flicked to the edge of the stage where Yuexi sat, calm on the outside but pale beneath the lights. She hadn't wanted to come, but he had insisted. If Liang is using her as a weapon, then she deserves to see the truth for herself.
He leaned toward the microphone, voice low but thunderous.
"Every accusation is a lie. Every rumor a fabrication. And those who betray my company—those who attempt to drag the innocent into their schemes—will regret it."
The hall trembled with the weight of his words.
Behind the glitz of cameras, chaos brewed.
Yuexi had stepped into the hallway for air when a hand suddenly seized her arm. Before she could cry out, another clamped over her mouth.
She struggled, heart hammering, but two men in dark caps shoved her into a side corridor. One hissed, "Stay quiet, or this gets messy."
Fear stabbed through her veins. She had been ambushed before—by paparazzi, by cruel words—but this was different. This was danger that reeked of deliberate intent.
"Boss wants her rattled," one muttered. "A few photos, maybe a bruise. That'll send Lu Chenxuan spiraling."
Liang. It had to be him.
Her pulse roared in her ears. No… not again. I won't be a pawn.
Summoning strength, Yuexi stomped on one man's foot, twisting free enough to bite down hard on his hand. He cursed, shoving her against the wall, but she screamed—loud, desperate, raw.
"Chenxuan!"
The sound sliced through the press hall like glass shattering.
Chenxuan's head snapped up. He didn't hesitate. Abandoning the podium, he bolted through the side doors, the stunned press left buzzing behind him.
The corridor was chaos.
Yuexi struggled as the two men tried to drag her toward an emergency exit. But then Chenxuan was there—fury incarnate.
He grabbed one assailant by the collar and slammed him into the wall. The man crumpled with a groan. The other swung at him, but Chenxuan caught his fist mid-air, twisting until bone cracked.
"Touch her again," Chenxuan snarled, voice lethal, "and I'll end you."
The men scrambled, fleeing down the corridor.
Chenxuan turned immediately to Yuexi, hands brushing over her shoulders, her arms, as if to reassure himself she was whole. "Are you hurt?"
Her eyes brimmed, voice shaking. "I'm fine… just shaken. But Chenxuan—this isn't random. Someone sent them."
"I know," he said, rage simmering beneath his calm. "And I know exactly who."
That night, in the boardroom, Liang faced him with a smirk.
"Resorting to violence now, CEO Lu? A shame. The board won't like hearing their fearless leader is running around like a thug instead of protecting company interests."
Chenxuan slammed the damning documents Xu Ming had gathered onto the table. "Offshore accounts. Wire transfers. Payments to paparazzi, to thugs, to tabloids. All signed by you, Liang."
For the first time, Liang's smile faltered.
Chenxuan leaned forward, eyes ablaze. "You wanted to break me. You thought using Yuexi would make me weak. But all you've done is guarantee your own destruction."
"Careful," Liang sneered, regaining composure. "If you expose me, the board will fracture. Stocks will plummet. Lu Corporation may not survive the scandal."
Chenxuan's reply was ice-cold. "Then we'll rebuild from the ashes. But you—" He jabbed a finger at Liang. "—will never rise again."
Later, in the silence of his mansion, Yuexi found him staring out at the city, shadows etching his face.
"You left the press conference," she said softly. "You abandoned everything to come for me."
He turned, eyes unreadable. "What good is an empire if I can't protect the woman I…" He cut himself short, the word dying on his lips.
She swallowed, heart twisting. "Chenxuan…"
For a fleeting moment, the distance between them seemed to vanish, the years of hurt collapsing under something raw and unspoken.
But then his phone buzzed, shattering the fragile air. Xu Ming's urgent voice spilled through: "Boss, it's Liang. He's filed a lawsuit. He's taking this public war to court."
Yuexi's breath caught. The battle wasn't over—it was just beginning.