The 33rd floor of Marvel Industries was supposed to be Tian's new domain.
The glass walls gleamed, the floor shone with freshly polished marble, and the furniture screamed luxury—an expensive cage.
His "office" was a corner room with a view of the city skyline, but no real power came with it. Just a sleek desk, a chair, and a company-issued laptop that might as well have been a prop.
Tian threw his leather bag onto the chair and ran a hand through his red hair, smirking. This was the "throne" they'd given him.
He stepped out into the hallway, lights buzzing overhead, when the elevator dinged open.
She stepped out, sharp-heeled and sharper-eyed—Jin Mei Xue.
Tall, poised, businesslike. A smart suit that didn't need to shout. Eyes that saw everything but wasted nothing on small talk.
Tian froze for a moment. She didn't recognize him—or she was good at pretending. Her gaze slid right past him as she pressed the button for the 46th floor.
He followed her inside. The elevator hummed as the doors closed.
"What floor's the crown on again?" Tian asked, his smirk widening.
Mei Xue glanced at him briefly, cool and cutting.
"Buried under ego, I'd guess."
No hint of warmth. No trace of the childhood rivalries they'd once shared. Only sharp edges.
The elevator climbed.
The silence between them was charged—not with romance, but with the kind of tension that precedes a storm.
When the doors opened, she stepped out without another word.
Tian watched her walk away, a slow grin spreading across his face.
"Finally, someone with a backbone," he muttered under his breath.
*
The ballroom at the Four Seasons Shanghai gleamed like a polished lie.
Photographers prowled like wolves in tuxedos. A string quartet played a song no one was listening to. Giant banners reading "Marvel Cares" hung like silk masks above tables where billionaires pretended to care about the children they were here to help.
At the center of it all stood Vivian Park—sleek, ruthless, unflinching in a midnight-blue gown, flanked by Marvel executives and donors. But her eyes weren't scanning the cameras or the mayor's scripted praise. They were locked on the entrance.
Because Li Tian Marvel was late. Again.
Exactly fifteen minutes after the gala began, he arrived.
He stepped out of the black Maybach like a prince late to his own coronation. Black silk suit. No tie. Crimson-tinted sunglasses even though it was nearly 9 PM. He was chewing gum. There was a cigarette tucked behind his ear.
The cameras exploded.
Inside the Gala
It was suffocating. Glittering suits. Polished plastic smiles. Kids in uniforms handed him flowers like he was royalty. Photographers begged him to pose. The Marvel logo was projected on the walls in soft gold.
He walked like the ground belonged to him.
They pushed him toward a photo line with charity donors and executives. A reporter asked, "Mr. Marvel, how does it feel to support underprivileged youth?"
Tian squinted into the camera lights. "Tragic. I almost had to fly commercial last week."
A few people laughed. Nervously.
Then he lit the cigarette.
On stage.
Next to the mayor.
Vivian lunged toward him mid-snap, yanking it out of his mouth. "Are you insane?"
"I thought we were keeping it real."
Back at Marvel Tower – Midnight
His office was dark except for the city lights outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Mr. Zhi entered silently and placed a sealed envelope on his desk.
"From your father," he said, then left.
Tian opened it. Eight words in bold, black ink:
One more stunt and your place is reconsidered.
He read it twice. Snorted. Then crumpled the paper and walked to the koi pond in the lobby, tossing the ball of threat into the water like a coin into a well.
The koi ignored it.
Later That Night
Vivian stormed into his office, shutting the door behind her.
"You humiliated the board, the mayor, and me."
"I was charming."
"You were a fire hazard in designer shoes."
She paced, heels sharp against the marble. "You think this is power? Playing rebel prince at press events? This isn't even influence. You're a prop."
Tian leaned back in his chair. "Then stop dressing me like one. Give me something real."
She paused. Something flickered in her eyes. Maybe it was curiosity. Or the first hint of respect.
"You want real? Then earn it."
Tian glanced at the city lights below and muttered, "Good. I'm done smiling for cameras."