Late at night, Thanh Viên Estate gleamed beneath a silver wash of moonlight. A black sports car rolled slowly into the courtyard of the Lăng family's villa.
Inside the grand living room, the founder of the Lăng Group, Mr. Lăng Hồng, sat rigid with anger. His expression darkened the moment his eldest son stumbled in, clearly drunk.
"Nam," his voice thundered, palm striking the table, "you've gone too far. Today was your wedding day. How could you abandon your bride and drown yourself in alcohol? Look at yourself—this is how you return home on your first night of marriage?"
Lăng Nam narrowed his eyes. The sight of flowers, candles, and glittering chandeliers—remnants of a celebration he despised—made his skin crawl.
"I came home, didn't I? What more do you expect?" His tone was clipped, the chill in his words cutting through his haze of alcohol.
"Brother," Lăng Nghi interjected, frustration lacing his voice. "Father only worries for you. You vanished right after the ceremony. How do you think that made Vy feel?"
A sharp, humorless laugh escaped Lăng Nam. His black eyes, sharp as a hawk's, flicked between them."She agreed to marry me. She should be prepared to live with the consequences. And as for you—" his words slurred with a dangerous edge—"rest assured, I'll treat the bride you offered me very well."
Without waiting for a response, he turned, his tall frame weaving unsteadily toward the bridal suite.
"You—" Mr. Lăng's voice shook with fury as he pointed after his son.
"Father, let it go," Lăng Nghi urged softly, catching his father's arm. "At least he's home now. It's late—you should rest." Yet even as he said it, his eyes lingered on his brother's fading figure, unease gnawing deep inside him.
Lam Vy sat quietly on the edge of the ornate wedding bed, a faint, bittersweet smile on her lips. The vastness of the mansion pressed down on her, making her feel even smaller, even lonelier. And yet… when she thought of Lăng Nam, her lips curved in a soft, tender smile she couldn't quite suppress.
She remembered the first time she saw him—at her father's company's year-end banquet. One glance had been enough. The aura he carried, the way he commanded a room without a word, had stolen her heart.
Her father, Kỳ Tân, had built the Kỳ Group from the ground up. In hopes of taking the company to greater heights, he pursued collaboration with the powerful Lăng Group. Because of his long-standing friendship with Lăng Hồng, a marriage alliance was proposed.
She had never blamed her father. If anything, she was grateful—because marrying Lăng Nam was her own secret wish fulfilled. Even though he had vanished after the ceremony, leaving her to sit through the day alone, she believed she could one day win his heart. She believed she could prove she was more than just a decorative heiress.
The thought warmed her chest. Her beautiful eyes widened as she took in the suite around her, opulence glittering in every detail.
"It really is… extravagant," she whispered to herself. Before the wedding, she had heard whispers of the Lăng family's wealth. But witnessing it firsthand was still overwhelming.
The design of Thanh Viên Estate was both romantic and intricate. The architect had used an artistic approach, turning one enormous mansion into a network of smaller, interwoven spaces. That was why the estate stretched across such vast land. Every corner revealed a new detail, every pillar, balcony, and carved window frame crafted with precision. Even the expansive garden had been shaped to reflect both elegance and power—an embodiment of wealth that could not be ignored.
Lam Vy walked to the window. A soft breeze slipped past the sheer silk curtains, teasing loose strands of her hair. She lowered herself onto the seat by the frame, her thoughts drifting.
Nam… where did you go?
The memory of him leaving the ceremony that morning, his face cold and unreadable, pressed heavily on her chest. She knew—he didn't care for this marriage. To him, it was nothing more than obligation, or worse, a burden.
But for her… it meant everything.
Resting her head lightly against the windowpane, she let herself sink into the tide of her thoughts, the night air cool against her skin, the silence around her both comforting and unbearably lonely.