Chen Ying sat propped up against the pillows, her eyes focused on the swirling patterns of steam rising from her bowl of the Bird's Nest soup. The "Empress's Gaze" was still active, casting a faint golden hue over the world, allowing her to see the emotional turbulence radiating from the hallway.
The door didn't just open; it seemed to sag under the weight of the men standing behind it.
Chen Heng, the patriarch whose word was law in the business capitals of the world, was the first to enter. He looked old now. The sharp, tailored lines of his suit were rumpled, and his hair, usually silvered and perfectly slicked, was disarrayed by the wind. Behind him stood Chen Shao, the cold-blooded CEO, and Chen Jue, the idol whose face launched a thousand luxury brands.
The atmosphere in the room instantly became suffocating. It was the collective weight of years of neglect, now crashing down in a small, sterile space.
