The visitor's room at Riverside Correctional smelled like disinfectant. Secretary Lin sat upright on the plastic chair, briefcase balanced on her knees. The clock on the wall showed she had been waiting twenty-three minutes.
She had begged CEO Zhang to let her handle this meeting. In Lin's opinion, someone had to protect Yun Xi from Yang Wei's attempts to talk his way back into her life. She had watched Yun Xi cry herself to sleep in her office too many nights to let that man hurt her again. She had seen enough of him over the past three years to know he was dangerous.
The door opened with a mechanical hiss.
Yang Wei entered, escorted by a guard. The orange uniform made his skin look pale, but he moved steadily, head held level. The guard unlocked the cuffs and stepped back. There was a brief pause before he stepped away — almost like he was waiting for Yang Wei to nod.
Yang Wei looked at Lin and smiled. "Secretary Lin. Did Yun Xi send her regards?"
His voice was calm, with the same slight accent he had always had. "Mrs. Zhang sent me to deliver your divorce papers."
Yang Wei's smile widened slightly. "Mrs. Zhang. Formal."
Lin placed the envelope on the table. "Sign these. This will be over."
Yang Wei opened the envelope carefully, reading each page. His expression did not change until the second page. Then his eyebrows lifted.
"She wants everything," he said.
"You embezzled from her company—"
"Allegedly."
"—embarrassed her in public, and damaged her reputation. What did you expect?"
Yang Wei closed the file and set it down. "Did Yun Xi write these terms herself?"
"That is not your concern."
"Or did you?"
Lin's throat tightened with fury. "The terms are legally sound."
"Page four, item thirty-seven," Yang Wei said. "You are claiming my mother's recipe box."
Lin blinked.
"She died when I was twelve," Yang Wei continued. "That box is the only thing I have left of her. Do you think Yun Xi cares about that box?"
Lin said nothing.
Yang Wei leaned back. "I understand. You've been waiting a long time for this."
Lin narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"
"You never liked me. Fine. But these terms go beyond business. My photography gear, my grandfather's watch, my books. You want to erase everything I own."
Lin stayed silent. She had pushed for those clauses.
"Sign the papers," she said finally.
"No."
Lin stared at him. "What?"
"If Yun Xi wants to end the marriage, she can come here herself. I want to hear it from her directly."
Lin grabbed the papers, her hands shaking with barely controlled anger. "She doesn't owe you anything. You are a convict—"
"I am still her husband," Yang Wei said, looking her in the eye.
The guard stepped forward. "Time's up."
Yang Wei stood. As the guard reattached the cuffs, Yang Wei said, "Tell Yun Xi I asked about the pendant. The lotus one."
Lin frowned. "What pendant?"
"She will know." Yang Wei's tone softened. "And Lin—next time, let her decide the terms herself."
The guard took his arm. His posture was straight, precise. Lin noticed it again. The whole exchange looked too careful for a routine escort of an ordinary inmate.
Traffic was slow on the drive back. Lin kept thinking about Yang Wei's words. You want to erase everything I own. Maybe she had gone too far with the settlement terms. But watching Yun Xi's shoulders shake with silent tears for months after his arrest—no. He didn't deserve mercy. Yun Xi deserved a clean break.
The elevator ride to the executive floor was silent. Lin went over what she would say: Yang Wei was stalling. He was manipulating. They should take legal action without his signature. She couldn't let him hurt Yun Xi anymore than he already had.
Yun Xi's office overlooked the city. She was on the phone when Lin entered.
"—the merger timeline is fixed. If they can't deliver by Friday, we find someone else." She ended the call and sat down.
"Well?" she asked.
"He refused to sign," Lin said.
Yun Xi's jaw tightened. "Refused."
"He wants to see you. He said if you want a divorce, you have to ask him yourself."
Lin leaned forward, her voice urgent. "This is a tactic. We can file for abandonment or mental cruelty—"
"What else did he say?" Yun Xi interrupted.
Lin hesitated. She decided not to mention the pendant. She had no idea what game Yang Wei was playing, but she wouldn't give him any ammunition. "Nothing important. He looked... smaller."
Yun Xi was quiet for a moment. Then she said, "Schedule me a visit for tomorrow."
"CEO Zhang, you do not have to agree to his demands. Please don't let him manipulate you again—"
"Schedule it," Yun Xi said.
Lin nodded reluctantly and left, her heart heavy with worry.
Yun Xi sat back and touched her collarbone. She pulled out a gold chain with a small lotus pendant. She had worn it every day for three years. Yang Wei had given it to her on their wedding night. "It was my mother's," he had said. "I want you to have it."
Tomorrow, she would return it.
But as she sat in her office, looking out at the city lights beginning to flicker on, a small voice in the back of her mind whispered a question she didn't want to acknowledge: What if Lin was wrong about everything?
She pushed the thought away. Lin had been her anchor through the worst period of her life. Tomorrow would end this chapter for good.