The city had always been loud, but today, it roared with Qin Yue's name.
Every bus stop advertisement, every online forum, every headline on the glowing screens seemed to whisper her story — sometimes as praise, sometimes as ridicule, but always with her name attached.
> "The girl who defied the board."
"Han Jin's mysterious assistant steals the spotlight."
"Was it love, manipulation, or strategy?"
Qin Yue stood at the bus stop the next morning, her phone clutched tightly in her hand, her reflection staring back at her from the glass. For the first time in her life, she wasn't invisible. For the first time, people weren't just walking past her as if she were part of the scenery.
And it didn't feel like victory.
It felt like fire licking at her heels.
A group of university students waiting for the bus behind her whispered a little too loudly.
"She's pretty, but she looks ordinary in person."
"Do you think she really seduced President Han? He's way out of her league."
"My cousin says their company lost investors because of her."
Qin Yue's fingers curled into fists. She told herself not to listen, but their voices sank under her skin like poison. She wanted to tell them they didn't know the truth, that she hadn't asked for any of this, that she wasn't the monster Lin Jia had painted her to be.
But what was the point?
The bus arrived with a hiss, and she stepped on quickly, hiding in the crowd.
---
At the Office
If the city was on fire, then the office was the hearth where all the sparks gathered.
As soon as Qin Yue entered the sleek, glass-walled building of Han Corporation, dozens of eyes tracked her. Some were curious, some openly hostile, and a few — surprisingly — filled with admiration.
"Good morning, Assistant Qin," one junior secretary greeted nervously.
Another whispered to her colleague, "She's braver than I thought… Did you see how she talked back at the board?"
But there were darker mutters too.
"She's nothing without him."
"She's ruining our company's reputation."
"President Han must be blinded."
Qin Yue swallowed hard, keeping her head high as she walked to her desk. She had promised herself she wouldn't shrink anymore. Not after what happened in that boardroom. Not after she had seen Lin Jia escorted out, powerless at last.
Still, her heart hammered in her chest.
Her computer pinged with new messages. She clicked them open hesitantly — some were from colleagues offering encouragement, others were veiled criticisms. One anonymous email made her freeze:
> "Enjoy your moment. The higher you climb, the harder you'll fall."
Her stomach twisted.
---
Han Jin's Shadow
It didn't take long before Han Jin's presence descended like a storm cloud.
Around mid-morning, she was sorting files when the office doors swung open and he walked in. The atmosphere shifted immediately. Conversations died. The whispers stopped.
Han Jin wore his usual black suit, sharp and commanding, but there was something different about him today — colder, more dangerous.
"Morning meeting," he said curtly, and the staff scrambled to obey.
Qin Yue glanced up at him, uncertain. He didn't look at her directly, but she noticed the subtle flicker of his eyes when he passed her desk — a quick check, as if ensuring she was still there, unharmed.
The meeting itself was brutal. Han Jin cut down any shareholder who dared bring up the scandal. He presented facts, financial projections, and legal evidence with ruthless precision. By the end, no one dared mention Qin Yue's name.
When the meeting ended, Qin Yue overheard one senior manager muttering, "President Han is terrifying when he's angry. I almost pity anyone who crosses him."
Almost pity. But not quite.
Because pity required believing he had a heart to soften.
---
Lunchroom Whispers
At noon, Qin Yue decided to eat in the company cafeteria instead of hiding at her desk. She wanted to prove — if only to herself — that she wasn't afraid of being seen.
Tray in hand, she searched for a seat. Most tables were full, and though some people shifted uncomfortably under her gaze, no one invited her to join.
Finally, she spotted a small corner table and sat down.
Almost immediately, two interns at the next table began whispering.
"I heard she cried in front of the board."
"No, I read she shouted at them. So disrespectful."
"Either way, she's just riding on President Han's favor."
Qin Yue stabbed at her rice, trying to block them out. But her appetite vanished.
A shadow fell across her tray.
"Move."
Her head jerked up — Han Jin stood there, expression like granite, his presence silencing the entire cafeteria. Without waiting for her reaction, he placed his own tray beside hers and sat down.
Gasps rippled through the room. The interns who had been whispering turned pale.
Qin Yue blinked rapidly. "P-President Han—"
"Eat," he ordered simply, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
The entire cafeteria stared. Some people looked envious, others resentful. But none dared speak.
Qin Yue's cheeks burned. She lowered her head and ate quietly, the food tasting strange under the weight of so many eyes. Yet at the same time… a small part of her felt safer than she had all day.
Han Jin's presence was a shield. A heavy, immovable shield.
---
The Balcony
That evening, Qin Yue found herself once again on the balcony of Han Jin's penthouse. The city lights glittered like jewels below, the night breeze carrying the scent of rain.
She wrapped her arms around herself, her thoughts heavy.
"Do you regret it?"
The deep voice behind her made her turn. Han Jin stepped out, holding two cups of tea. He set one on the railing beside her before taking a slow sip of his own.
"Regret… what?" she asked softly.
"Standing up yesterday. Facing them all. Choosing not to run."
Qin Yue stared at her reflection in the tea's surface. Her voice trembled. "I don't know. Part of me wants to hide forever. But another part… feels like if I had backed down, I'd have lost myself completely."
Han Jin's eyes softened, though his tone remained steady. "You didn't lose yourself. You found yourself."
She blinked at him, startled.
He leaned closer, his words brushing against her like the wind. "The girl in that boardroom wasn't weak. She was fire. Maybe you don't see it yet, but I do."
Qin Yue's chest tightened painfully. Her hands gripped the railing, her heart hammering. She wanted to deny it, wanted to laugh, but the warmth in his gaze silenced her.
For the first time, she wondered if he didn't just protect her out of arrogance or dominance. Maybe… he believed in her.
And that was far more terrifying than his power.
---
The Unseen Threat
Later that night, after Han Jin had gone inside to take a call, Qin Yue's phone buzzed. She unlocked it absentmindedly — then froze.
A new message. No name, no number. Just words.
> "Lin Jia was only the beginning."
Her breath caught. Her fingers trembled as she clutched the phone tighter, her eyes darting back toward the penthouse.
The city lights glittered far below, but suddenly they felt like watchful eyes. Cold. Unforgiving.
She wasn't safe.
And she realized with a chilling certainty: Lin Jia's downfall wasn't the end.
It was just the opening move.
---