Chapter 24 — She's the Only One
The phone rang in the quiet of Yichen's dim apartment in Italy.
It was his mother. She never called this late.
He answered without greeting. "What happened?"
Her voice cracked, trembling between words. "Yichen… your brother—he… he's been arrested."
He froze. "For what?"
Her sob on the other end was sharp and ragged. "They said… smuggling weapons… illegal trade… and—" Her breath hitched like she was choking on the truth. "—he… he hurt a girl. The daughter of one of the underworld leaders. She's dead, Yichen… they said she was…" Her voice dissolved into weeping.
Yichen's grip tightened around the phone. "How did they find out?"
"The police raided a warehouse… they have proof. He's already sentenced to life in prison. But…"
"But?" His tone was flat, but the muscle in his jaw twitched.
"Your grandfather… and father… they pulled strings. He's been smuggled out of the country. But HYU…" Her voice broke again. "…HYU is falling apart."
A long silence filled the line before Yichen said, "Put Father on the phone."
"Yichen…" she pleaded softly, "Your father—he… he's in the hospital. He was in an accident yesterday. The doctors say… it's serious. He can't handle the company right now. Please—"
The line went dead.
Two days later, another call came. This time, it was his grandfather's voice — Zhen Haoran, cold and unyielding, the man whose approval he never sought.
"Come back home," his grandfather ordered. No greeting. No pause.
"I'm not interested," Yichen replied.
"Your father is in no condition to lead. Your brother is gone. HYU needs an heir."
"There are other options."
"There are no other options." The man's voice hardened, like steel grinding. "And if you want to take over HYU, you will get married immediately. To the Mo family's daughter."
Yichen laughed — not because it was funny, but because the absurdity burned. "You think you can order me around with that condition?"
"You think you can play games while HYU is crumbling?" His grandfather's tone was razor-sharp. "This marriage will stabilize the company. They have influence and clean reputation — things you don't have. Your father agreed. Your mother agreed. Only you are acting like a child."
"I'll pass," Yichen said, and hung up.
But the pressure didn't stop.
The next day, his mother called again. This time, she didn't even try to sound composed. He could hear her crying in the background before she even spoke.
"Yichen… your grandfather is right. This is not just about you anymore. You're twenty-seven, it's time you settled down. Please, listen. If you don't marry, the company will…" Her words tumbled in desperation. "I've never asked you for anything. I'm begging you. Don't let HYU fall apart because of stubbornness."
"Mother—"
"Do it for your father. Do it for me. Even if you hate the idea… just marry her."
He ignored the calls for a week.
Until his father called.
Yichen answered, expecting a lecture, but what he heard nearly shattered him.
"Yichen…" His father's voice was weak, broken, nothing like the man he'd grown up with. "…HYU is losing everything. Stocks are crashing. External competitors are attacking from all sides. I've tried… but I can't…" His breath faltered. "…Please. I'm not asking as your father… I'm begging you as a man who has failed. Come back. Take over. Save it."
There was silence. Yichen could hear the faint beeping of hospital monitors in the background.
That night, Yichen sat in his apartment, the dim light casting sharp shadows across his face.
He poured himself a glass of whiskey, took a slow sip, and dialed his grandfather.
"I'll take over HYU," he said, his tone like ice.
"Good," Zhen Haoran replied.
"But," Yichen cut in sharply, "I'll choose my wife. No matter her background. No matter what you think."
The line was quiet for a few seconds. Then his grandfather said, "Fine. As long as it's a woman."
The call ended.
He leaned back in his chair, the weight of the decision pressing against his chest. For the first time in years, he allowed himself to think not just about the company… but about the life he'd be walking into.
The image of Celia came to mind — her warm smile, her calm voice, the way she never fawned over him like others did. He knew her past. Separated. Older. A single mother. But she was steady. She didn't need him — which was exactly why she could be trusted in a world where everyone else wanted something.
His lips curved into a faint, humorless smile.
She's the only one that can help me.