The silence in the penthouse was profound. On the screens, chaos reigned—David Wei being led away in handcuffs, news anchors tripping over themselves to dissect the downfall of a dynasty, the stock market graphs of Wei Global flatlining. But inside, there was only the quiet hum of the climate control and the sound of two people breathing.
Leo was the first to move. He walked to the panoramic window, staring out at the city his family had helped build, and that he had just helped reshape. His shoulders, usually held with such disciplined control, held a new tension. The mask was off. The world now knew a version of the truth, and there was no going back.
Jia watched him, her mind still processing the whirlwind of the last hour. The kiss. The confrontation. The utter demolition of their enemies. She walked to stand beside him, their reflections ghostly in the glass.
"What happens now?" she asked softly. The question was about everything: them, the company, the future.
"Now," Leo said, his voice low, "the real players will show themselves. David was a symptom, not the disease. My father… the Liang Corporation… they won't ignore this." He turned to her, his eyes serious. "The life you knew is over, Jia. I've dragged you into my world, and it's far more dangerous than yours ever was."
Instead of fear, a strange sense of calm settled over Jia. The uncertainty of the last two years—the scorn, the financial dread—was gone. It was replaced by a clear, if terrifying, purpose. "I'm not afraid," she said, and meant it. "As long as we're together."
A genuine smile, warm and unguarded, touched his lips. It transformed his face, erasing the last traces of the meek son-in-law. This was Liang Leo. Her Leo.
Their moment was interrupted by a discreet chime. A screen lit up, showing Alistair Finch in the building's lobby. "Sir, the… guests… from the Liang Corporation have arrived. They are insisting on an audience."
Leo's smile vanished, replaced by a look of cold anticipation. "So soon. Send them up, Finch." He looked at Jia. "The first wave. Are you ready?"
Jia smoothed her dress, a simple gesture that felt like donning armor. "Let them come."
Minutes later, the elevator doors opened. Instead of corporate lawyers or stern executives, two people stepped into the penthouse. The man was in his late forties, impeccably dressed, with a sharp, calculating face and a smile that didn't reach his eyes. The woman was younger, stunningly beautiful, with an air of icy elegance that made Jia feel instantly underdressed.
"Cousin," the man said, his voice smooth as silk. "It's been too long." His eyes flickered over Jia with dismissive curiosity. "And this must be the… wife."
"Jia," Leo said, his tone neutral but his posture defensive, subtly moving to stand slightly in front of her. "This is my cousin, Liang Kai, and his sister, Liang Mei. They handle 'special projects' for my father."
"We saw the entertaining spectacle on television," Liang Mei said, her voice a melodic chill. "Quite the dramatic unveiling. Your little revenge project was successful. Father is… intrigued."
"It wasn't a project," Leo countered. "It was justice."
"Semantics," Kai waved a dismissive hand. "The point is, the board is nervous. Your public reappearance, coupled with this… aggressive move against a minor competitor… it creates instability. Father wants you to come home. To discuss the future."
It wasn't a request. It was a summons.
"The future of the Liang Corporation is not my concern," Leo said.
"Oh, but it is," Kai's smile widened. "You see, with all this excitement, people have been talking. Asking questions. For instance, about the unfortunate death of your mother."
The air in the room turned to ice. Leo went perfectly still. Jia felt a jolt of protective fury.
"What about it?" Leo's voice was dangerously quiet.
"Just that old rumors have a way of resurfacing at inconvenient times," Kai said innocently. "A unified family front helps quiet such rumors. A fractured one… well, it gives them oxygen. We wouldn't want the world digging into that tragic accident, would we?"
The threat was clear, vile, and expertly delivered. They were using the mystery of his mother's death as leverage.
"We leave in the morning," Liang Mei stated, her tone leaving no room for argument. "The corporate jet is waiting. Bring your wife. Father is eager to meet the woman who finally managed to tame his runaway heir."
With a final, condescending nod, they turned and left as quietly as they had arrived.
The penthouse felt different now. The victory over David Wei seemed small, insignificant. They had been playing checkers, while the Liang Corporation played a game of 3D chess with lives as the pieces.
Jia moved to Leo's side. He was staring at the spot where his cousins had stood, his hands clenched into fists. The pain and anger radiating from him was palpable.
"We don't have to go," she said.
"Yes," Leo said, his voice thick with emotion. "We do." He finally looked at her, and in his eyes, she saw the boy who had lost his mother, and the man determined to find out why. "This was always the real battle. Everything else was just the prelude."
The suspense had just been amplified a hundredfold. The action was moving to a global stage. The romance was now a bond being tested by the darkest secrets of a powerful dynasty. The faceslapping in City A was over. The war for the soul of the Liang Empire was about to begin.