The helicopter touched down on the private helipad atop the Qin Corporation tower. The blades chopped the air with a deafening rhythm that matched the pounding of Aria's heart.
They weren't going home to unpack. They were going straight to war.
Julian stepped out first, his hand extended to help Aria. He looked impeccable in a fresh navy suit, his eyes hidden behind dark aviators. Aria smoothed her dress—a sharp, charcoal grey number that looked more like battle armor than maternity wear.
"Ready?" Julian asked, his voice fighting the wind.
Aria gripped the clutch bag that held the silver USB drive. It felt heavy, like carrying a grenade.
"Ready," she shouted back.
[The Boardroom - 88th Floor]
The Emergency Board Meeting was already in session.
At the head of the table sat Qin Wei—Mark's father and the head of the Second Branch. He was a bloated man with thinning hair and eyes that constantly darted around the room.
"As you can see," Qin Wei announced, gesturing to a chart, "CEO Julian has been absent for three days. No emails. No calls. He is frolicking on an island with his new... wife... while our stock prices fluctuate."
The directors murmured.
"I propose," Qin Wei continued, his voice rising with confidence, "that we temporarily transfer executive power to the Second Branch. We need stability. My son, Mark, is currently overseeing our international mining operations. We are dedicated to this company."
"Dedicated?"
The double doors swung open with a bang.
Julian walked in, removing his sunglasses. He didn't look like a man who had been frolicking. He looked like an executioner.
Aria walked a step behind him, her chin held high.
"Second Uncle," Julian said, his voice echoing in the silent room. "I wasn't aware that 'smuggling' was part of the company's dedication statement."
Qin Wei froze. "Julian? You... you're back. I was just covering for you."
"Covering for me?" Julian walked to the head of the table. He didn't sit down. He stood over his uncle. "Or covering your tracks?"
Qin Wei laughed nervously. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't play dumb, Wei," Julian said coldly. "We know about the shipment. We know about the 'special cargo' moving through Vincent Chen's ports."
Qin Wei's face drained of color. He stood up, knocking his chair back. "Vincent? You spoke to Vincent? That snake is a liar!"
"Is he?" Aria stepped forward.
She placed the silver USB drive on the mahogany table. It clattered loudly in the silence.
"This drive contains audio recordings, bank transfers, and shipping manifests," Aria announced to the stunned board members. "It details how Director Qin Wei authorized the transport of illegal firearms hidden inside our textile containers."
The room erupted.
"Firearms?!" "Is this true?" "This will destroy the company!"
Qin Wei was shaking. He pointed a trembling finger at Aria. "You... you bitch! You planted this! You're trying to frame me because I'm Mark's father!"
"I'm not framing you for being Mark's father," Aria said calm as a frozen lake. "I'm exposing you for being a criminal. And... a murderer."
"Murderer?" A director gasped.
Julian stepped closer to his uncle. The temperature in the room seemed to drop below freezing.
"Three years ago," Julian whispered, but everyone heard him. "My brakes were cut. I went off the ravine. I survived, Wei. But you never stopped trying to finish the job, did you?"
"Lies! All lies!" Qin Wei screamed. He looked around the room, sweat pouring down his face. "Security! Remove them! They are slanderers!"
"Security is busy," Julian said.
The doors opened again.
This time, it wasn't a family member. It was a squad of uniformed police officers, led by a stern-looking captain.
"Qin Wei?" the captain barked. "You are under arrest for arms trafficking, conspiracy to commit murder, and corporate embezzlement."
Qin Wei's eyes bulged. He looked at the police, then at Julian. He realized it was over. The game he had been playing for decades—the jealousy, the plotting, the attempts to steal the throne—had failed.
"No... no!" Qin Wei lunged for the USB drive. "Give me that!"
But before he could reach it, Julian caught his wrist.
Crack.
Julian twisted. It wasn't enough to break the bone, but it was enough to make Qin Wei scream and drop to his knees.
"You should have stayed in your lane, Uncle," Julian said, looking down at him with disgust. "You tried to kill me. You tried to ruin the company. And worst of all... you raised a son who insulted my wife."
He shoved Qin Wei away.
The police swarmed in. They handcuffed the screaming man and dragged him toward the door.
"Julian! I'm your blood! You can't do this!" Qin Wei howled as he was hauled away. "Father will never forgive you! Mark will come back! Mark will kill you!"
The doors closed. The screaming faded.
The boardroom was dead silent. The directors were pale, terrified that they might be next.
Julian adjusted his cuffs. He looked around the table.
"Does anyone else have a motion to transfer executive power?" Julian asked.
"No, sir!" "Absolutely not, CEO Qin!" "We are 100% behind you!"
"Good," Julian sat down in the head chair. He gestured to the empty seat next to him. "Aria, sit. We have a company to clean up."
Aria sat down. She looked at the empty chair where her former father-in-law had just been sitting.
Revenge. It tasted cold, sharp, and incredibly sweet.
[The Parking Garage - One Hour Later]
The meeting was over. The company was in chaos, but it was controlled chaos. Julian had already appointed a crisis management team.
They walked to their car in silence. The adrenaline was fading, leaving Aria exhausted.
"Are you okay?" Julian asked, opening the door for her.
"I think so," Aria said, leaning against the car. "That was... intense. I've never seen someone arrested before."
"He deserved it," Julian said grimly. "He's been a cancer in this family for twenty years."
Aria looked at him. "What about Mark? When he finds out his father is in prison..."
"Mark is stuck in the Congo with no passport and no money," Julian shrugged. "He isn't a threat. He's a cautionary tale."
Suddenly, Aria's phone buzzed.
She pulled it out. It was a text message.
Unknown Number: You think you won? You just cut off the head of the snake. But the venom is already in the system.
Aria frowned. "Julian?"
"What is it?"
She showed him the screen.
Julian read the message. His eyes narrowed.
"Who sent this?"
"I don't know. It's blocked."
Before Julian could respond, another message popped up. This one was a picture.
It was a photo of a medical file. Specifically... Aria's medical file from the Qin Private Hospital. The one Dr. Wu was supposed to have destroyed.
And the text below it read:
I know the truth, Mrs. Qin. You aren't pregnant. And I'm going to tell the Old Master tonight. Unless you meet me.
Aria's blood ran cold.
"Isabella?" Aria whispered. "But you fired her."
"Isabella doesn't have access to these files anymore," Julian said, his voice tight. "Dr. Wu is gone. Someone else dug this up."
"Who?"
"Meet me where?" Julian asked, taking the phone.
The next message arrived with coordinates.
The Old Pier. Midnight. Come alone. Or Grandfather gets the file.
Julian stared at the screen. He recognized the location. It was an abandoned industrial zone.
"It's a trap," Julian said instantly. "We aren't going."
"If we don't go," Aria said, panic rising in her chest, "Grandfather finds out. He'll disown you. You'll lose the company right after you just saved it."
"I don't care about the company," Julian snapped. "I care about you. You aren't going to a warehouse in the middle of the night."
"We have to do something!"
"We will," Julian said. He pocketed her phone. "We're going to pay a visit to the only person who hates us enough to pull a stunt like this."
"Who?"
"My mother," Julian said.
Aria blinked. "Your mother? But she's in Europe."
"She came back yesterday," Julian said grimly. "And she was the one who introduced Dr. Wu to the family."