Rain battered the windows of the cab like bullets.
Lily sat curled in the backseat, her drenched form trembling as she stared at her phone. The soft hum of the heater was no match for the dread freezing her blood.
99 missed calls.
43 WeChat messages.
All from one contact:
Mrs. Liang – Stepmother.
She hesitated, then tapped the thread open with shaking fingers.
"YOU UNGRATEFUL CHILD."
"Is this what we raised you for!?"
"WHERE ARE YOU!?"
"The press got hold of the photos."
"Come home. Now. Or don't come back at all."
The phone slipped from her hand and hit the cab floor with a soft thud.
Her fingers flew to her lips as her eyes welled up in silent panic.
Photos.
Paparazzi. Zichen. The car. The wine. The rain.
And now this.
What would she say? Where would she go if they cast her out? The Liang family name was sewn into every thread of her identity—every school admission, every opportunity, every ounce of legitimacy.
If they erased her… she'd be nothing.
The cab slowed to a stop.
She looked up.
The Liang Family Estate stood like a fortress cloaked in storm.
Beyond the massive wrought-iron gates shimmered a marble mansion beneath the downpour—white, cold, and perfect. Untouchable.
Mr. Hangman, the family chauffeur, stood waiting, umbrella in hand. His face broke into relieved surprise when he saw her.
"Miss Liang," he said softly, opening her door. "You disappeared last night—we were worried."
"I'm sorry," she whispered. It was all she could manage.
He offered the umbrella.
She shook her head.
She needed the rain. Let it brace her for the storm inside.
As she walked toward the house, Zichen's coat still draped around her shoulders, Mr. Hangman hurried to shield her anyway.
The ornate garden passed in a blur—fountains she wasn't allowed to touch, a tennis court no one used, perfectly trimmed hedges that felt like walls.
At the top of the marble steps, the mansion doors were already open.
Waiting.
Inside, the air was colder than the rain. It smelled of cinnamon and iron.
And there they were.
The Hyenas.
Mrs. Shu Liang stood at the center of the grand foyer, clad in blood-red silk and heels like daggers. Her hair was twisted into a cruel crown, her expression colder than stone.
Beside her stood Han Liang, her half-brother, arms crossed, face tight with satisfaction.
Their uncle and aunt, Jietang and Hayu Liang, lingered in the background, silent shadows in the drama.
Lily took a step inside.
The silence was worse than shouting.
"You've humiliated this family," Shu Liang said coldly, voice echoing in the vaulted foyer. "The photos are everywhere."
She tossed a folder onto the floor. Pages spilled like spilled secrets.
Lily looked down. Her in Zichen's car. Her laughing. Her close to him.
"I…" she murmured. "I didn't know—"
"Of course you didn't," Han Liang cut in, his voice sharp. "Because you never think."
"I just wanted to feel something," Lily said, her voice cracking. "To feel like a normal person. Just for one night."
Her stepmother stepped closer.
"We're not normal people, Lily. And we don't get nights off."
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to bring shame…"
"Shame is already here," Shu Liang replied. "Our investors have seen the headlines. Our phones haven't stopped ringing."
Her brother scoffed. "You've caused a mess. One we can't afford right now. You think grandpa will swoop in and save you like last time little sister!?"
IMMEDIATELY, the memories rushed back
Five years ago.
She was just thirteen. Skinny knees. A black eye from a private school brawl. The family had convened in the mansion's grand hall to discuss her future — which really meant find a way to get rid of her.
"She's a disgrace," one aunt had hissed. "She picks fights, lies, skips etiquette classes—"
"She's not even legitimate," her uncle added. "Why are we wasting resources on a mistake?"
"She's nothing but a walking reminder of Chairman Liang's shame!" her stepmother had shouted, triumphant.
The house buzzed with venom. Her father remained silent, not once looking at her.
And then—
CRACK.
The sound of a cane slammed against the marble.
Chairman Liang rose from his seat like a storm incarnate.
"You dare," he thundered, "say this child is unworthy?"
Everyone froze.
"You think this girl is shameful? Then let me tell you shame—shame is using my wealth to polish your failures. Shame is dining on my legacy while throwing out the only one among you with a spine."
"Father—" someone tried.
He cut them off. "If you ever, EVER speak of casting her out again, I will strip every one of you of your inheritance. She stays. And she carries my name."
--------
Brought back to the present, Lily was filled with a new conviction to prove herself innocent. To fight for herself the way her grandfather had 5 years ago.
"I didn't do anything!," Lily said, desperate. "He's my friend. That's all. He invited me to celebrate his bday."
"And now everyone assumes worse," Shu Liang said sharply. "The damage is done."
"I'm trying," Lily said, tears slipping down her cheeks. "I've always tried."
"Trying doesn't erase consequences," her uncle muttered.
The tension in the room pulled tighter.
"I just wanted…" Lily's voice wavered. "I wanted you to love me."
Everything went quiet.
Shu Liang tilted her head. "You dare ask for that now?"
Lily trembled.
"I'm your daughter."
"You are not my daughter," Shu Liang said icily. "You are a responsibility I accepted under pressure. And one I regret, more with each passing year."
Lily's world tilted. The air thickened.
"Please don't send me away," she whispered. "This is my home."
"No," Shu Liang said. "This was never your home. It was borrowed time."
"She didn't mean harm," Mrs. Hayu Liang said gently. "She's still young—"
"She's old enough to ruin us," Han Liang snapped. "And if she stays, she'll keep doing it."
Lily's knees hit the floor as the weight of the words pulled her down.
"I'll be good," she choked out. "I'll fix it. Please… please don't make me leave."
Then—
Footsteps.
Measured. Intentional. Echoing through the corridor.
The room froze.
And then he appeared.
Liang Xinyu.
The patriarch.
Sharp as a sword in a midnight-black suit.
His presence silenced the storm outside.
He walked into the room, expression unreadable, gaze sweeping across the chaos.
The moment he laid eyes on Lily, something shifted. Just barely.
"Dad…" she whispered.
He didn't answer.
He simply stepped forward.
And spoke in a voice that silenced time.
"You will not be thrown out," he said.
Hope flickered in her chest. Her fingers twitched.
"...On one condition."
She held her breath.
"I'll do anything."
Liang Xinyu straightened the cuffs of his suit.
His voice was cool, final.
"You will marry Lihyun Shulong," he said, "son of the head of the Shulong Group."
A single heartbeat passed.
Then the room exploded.
"What—?!"
"She's just a child—"
"You can't be serious—"
"That's impossible—!"
But he didn't flinch.
Only Lily remained silent, the breath stolen from her lungs.
Liang Xinyu's eyes cut through them all.
"The wedding will be announced this week."