Chapter 10 – Breaking Point
The morning sun filtered weakly through the heavy curtains of Mo Chen's mansion, but the warmth didn't reach Lin Yue's heart. She sat at the long dining table, her untouched breakfast cooling on the porcelain plate before her. Across from her, Mo Chen read the newspaper as though nothing in the world could disturb his calm.
The silence between them was suffocating.
Lin Yue clenched her fists under the table. Last night's confrontation still burned in her mind—his mocking smirk, his cutting words, the way he always reminded her that this marriage was nothing but a chain binding her to him.
"Eat," Mo Chen said suddenly, lowering the paper. His eyes met hers, sharp as blades. "You look pale."
"I'm not hungry," she replied flatly, pushing her plate away.
Mo Chen's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly, but he said nothing more. He folded the newspaper neatly and stood, adjusting his cufflinks with his usual cold precision. "If you faint in public again, it will reflect badly on both of us. Don't test my patience, Lin Yue."
Her eyes flared. "Do you care about me, or just your reputation?"
The question slipped out before she could stop it. For a moment, Mo Chen's hand froze mid-motion. His gaze darkened, unreadable, but instead of answering, he turned on his heel and walked out, his footsteps echoing through the vast hall.
Lin Yue's chest tightened. Every interaction with him left her torn between rage and… something she refused to name.
---
That afternoon, she visited her best friend, Su Mei, at a quiet teahouse downtown. The familiar warmth of Su Mei's smile was a balm to her bruised heart.
"You look exhausted, Yue," Su Mei said gently, pouring tea into her cup. "Living with Mo Chen… it's really that unbearable?"
Lin Yue let out a humorless laugh. "Unbearable is an understatement. He destroyed my family, Mei. Every day under that roof feels like a prison."
"But…" Su Mei leaned closer, lowering her voice, "do you ever feel he's hiding something? The Mo Chen I hear about in the news—ruthless, merciless—he doesn't quite match the man you describe when you're… softer."
Lin Yue stiffened. "Softer? When have I ever—"
"You may not say it outright, but I can tell. Yue, maybe there's more to the story than you know."
Lin Yue's heart twisted uncomfortably. Could it be true? No. She shook her head firmly. "Even if there is, it doesn't change what he did to my family. I can't forgive him."
---
When she returned home that evening, the atmosphere in the mansion felt… off. The staff whispered nervously as she passed, their eyes darting toward the study. Lin Yue's instincts prickled.
She pushed the door open without knocking.
Inside, Mo Chen stood by the desk, his expression like thunder. Opposite him, a man in a black suit bowed slightly before leaving hastily, brushing past Lin Yue without a word.
"What's going on?" she demanded, stepping inside.
Mo Chen's gaze snapped to her, cold and guarded. "Stay out of things that don't concern you."
Her anger flared. "Everything concerns me now—we're married, whether you like it or not!"
"That was your choice," he shot back, his voice like steel. "Don't regret it now."
"I never had a choice!" Her voice trembled with fury. "You forced me into this, Mo Chen. You ruined my life, and now you act like I should be grateful to sit quietly in your cage!"
For the first time, his mask cracked. He strode toward her, each step heavy with restrained emotion. He stopped only inches away, his eyes burning into hers.
"You think I wanted this marriage?" His voice was low, almost a growl. "You think you're the only one who lost something?"
Lin Yue's breath caught. She searched his face, but his walls slammed back into place before she could read him. He turned away, his broad shoulders stiff.
"Go to your room, Lin Yue. Don't make me repeat myself."
Her lips parted, but no words came. Her chest heaved with the weight of everything unspoken. She wanted to scream, to demand the truth, to tear down whatever secrets he kept locked behind those eyes.
Instead, she spun on her heel and stormed out, her vision blurring.
---
That night, alone in her room, Lin Yue sat on the edge of the bed, her fists buried in the sheets. Mo Chen's words replayed in her mind. You think you're the only one who lost something?
What did he mean? What had he lost?
Her heart warred with her hatred. She had sworn never to forgive him, but doubts were beginning to crack the foundation of her resolve.
And somewhere deep down, a terrifying question whispered:
What if marrying her enemy was the only way to uncover the truth?