The news of Mark's suspension spread through the Qin family like wildfire, but it didn't leave the corporate tower. Julian had placed a gag order on the press. He wanted Mark to suffer in silence, slowly roasting over a low flame.
In Mark's private villa—which was significantly smaller than the one Aria now lived in—bottles of expensive scotch littered the floor.
"It's her fault!" Mark slurred, throwing a glass against the wall. "That woman... she memorized my spreadsheets! She set me up!"
Chloe sat on the sofa, scrolling through her phone. She looked at Mark with a flash of disgust. Useless, she thought. I seduced him because he was the heir. Now he looks like a beaten dog.
She placed a protective hand over her stomach. This baby was her only ticket to the Qin fortune now. If Mark couldn't secure his position, she had to do it for him.
"Mark, stop drinking," Chloe said, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. "Tonight is the Angel Charity Gala. Everyone will be there. Including Grandfather."
Mark groaned. "I can't go. Aria will be there. Uncle Julian will be there."
"Exactly," Chloe's eyes gleamed. "Mark, think about it. Aria is arrogant now. If she bullies a pregnant woman in front of the entire city... do you think Grandfather will forgive her? Do you think the media will let the 'Demon King's' wife get away with abusing her pregnant sister?"
Mark paused. He looked at Chloe.
"You mean..."
"I mean," Chloe stood up, smoothing her white dress, "weakness is a weapon, Mark. And tonight, I am going to be very, very weak."
[The Angel Charity Gala - Grand Ballroom]
The gala was the social event of the season. Chandeliers the size of small cars hung from the ceiling, and the room smelled of lilies and money.
When Julian and Aria arrived, the room went quiet.
Aria wore a midnight-blue gown that shimmered like the night sky. It was conservative but fitted to perfection, making her look regal. Julian, as always, looked like a predator in a tuxedo.
"Stay close," Julian murmured, his hand resting on the small of her back. " The sharks are circling."
"I brought my harpoon," Aria whispered back.
They mingled for twenty minutes. Julian introduced her to key business partners, solidifying her status. Aria was charming, intelligent, and spoke perfect French to the foreign ambassadors. The whispers shifted from "Who is she?" to "She is impressive."
Then, Chloe made her move.
She wasn't wearing expensive jewelry. She wore a simple, pale yellow maternity dress and flat shoes. She looked fragile, harmless, and pitiful.
"Sister!"
Chloe's voice rang out, trembling slightly. She pushed through the crowd, heading straight for Aria. Mark trailed behind her, looking appropriately somber.
Aria turned, her champagne glass pausing midway to her lips.
"Chloe," Aria said coolly. "I believe I am Mrs. Qin now. 'Sister' is a bit informal for a public setting, isn't it?"
Chloe stopped a few feet away, her eyes instantly filling with tears. She bit her lip, looking like a frightened deer.
"I... I know you hate me, Aria," Chloe sobbed, loud enough for the nearby circle of socialites to hear. "I know you blame me for Mark falling in love with me. But please... don't take your anger out on Mark's career. He worked so hard for that report!"
The crowd murmured. Oh? Was the suspension personal revenge?
"He made a mistake," Chloe cried, clutching her stomach. "But he is your nephew! How could you be so cruel? Is it because... is it because I'm pregnant and you couldn't give him a child?"
Gasps rippled through the room. It was a low blow. A vicious, targeted strike at Aria's "infertility."
Aria didn't flinch. She stared at Chloe's performance with the detached interest of a biologist studying a bug.
"Chloe," Aria said, her voice steady. "Are you finished?"
"No! I'm begging you!" Chloe lunged forward, grabbing Aria's hand. "Please, just forgive us! Hit me if you want, punish me, but leave Mark alone!"
Then, the classic move.
Chloe squeezed Aria's hand tight, then suddenly threw her own weight backward.
"Ah!" Chloe screamed, flailing her arms. "Sister, don't push me! My baby!"
She fell back.
It was a text-book setup. If Aria stood still, it would look like she shoved her. If she pulled back, Chloe would fall harder.
But Aria did neither.
In the split second before Chloe lost her balance, Aria stepped forward. She used her other hand to grab Chloe's elbow with a grip of steel, jerking her upward.
It wasn't a gentle save. It was a forceful yank that snapped Chloe's head back and stopped her fall instantly.
Chloe froze, dangling awkwardly in Aria's grip, her "fall" interrupted.
"Careful," Aria said into the silence. She didn't let go. Her fingers dug into Chloe's arm, painful and tight.
Aria looked around at the stunned crowd, then back at her stepsister.
"You have a habit of falling, Chloe," Aria said, her voice projecting clearly. "You fell into my husband's bed. Now you're falling on the dance floor. You really should check your equilibrium. It seems your inner ear is as unbalanced as your moral compass."
Some people in the crowd snickered.
"Let go of me!" Chloe hissed, realizing her plan had failed. She tried to pull her arm back, but Aria held fast.
"And as for your accusation," Aria continued, her eyes turning to ice. "Mark wasn't suspended because of me. He was suspended because he tried to pass off a four-million-dollar loss as a profit. If you want to beg for his job, don't beg me."
Aria released Chloe's arm with a shove, sending her stumbling back into Mark's chest.
"Beg the shareholders he defrauded."
Chloe's face was red. The crowd wasn't looking at her with sympathy anymore; they were looking at her with judgment. She had tried to play the victim and got crushed by facts.
"You... you heartless..." Chloe sputtered.
"Enough."
A deep voice rumbled from behind. Julian stepped forward. He hadn't interfered, allowing his wife to handle the skirmish, but now he was here to end the war.
He didn't look at Chloe. He looked at Mark.
"Mark," Julian said. "Your woman is making a scene at a charity gala. She is accusing the Hostess of the Qin family of assault."
Mark was sweating bullets. "Uncle, she... she just tripped..."
"Take her out," Julian ordered. "And Mark? Tomorrow, HR will be sending you the transfer papers."
Mark's eyes widened. "Transfer? To where?"
Julian took a sip of his wine, his eyes cold.
"Africa," Julian said. "Our mining division in the Congo needs a new manager. I hear the signal is terrible there. It will be good for you to focus on your work without distractions."
"Africa?!" Chloe shrieked. "But I'm pregnant! I can't go to the Congo!"
Julian finally looked at her.
"You aren't going," he said simply. "Mark is going. You can stay here and wait for him. Unless... the love isn't real?"
It was a checkmate. If Chloe refused to go, she looked like a gold digger. If she went, she would lose her life of luxury.
Mark looked at Julian, defeated. He knew there was no arguing.
"Let's go, Chloe," Mark whispered, grabbing her arm.
"No! Mark, do something!"
"Let's GO!" Mark dragged the sobbing, humiliated Chloe out of the ballroom.
As the doors closed behind them, the ballroom burst into applause—not for them, but because the drama was over and the "Queen" was still standing.
Aria let out a breath and looked at Julian.
"Africa?" she whispered. "That's harsh."
"He needs to build character," Julian shrugged. Then he offered her his arm. "Shall we dance, Auntie?"
Aria couldn't help it. She laughed. A genuine, bright laugh that made several men in the room envious of the Demon King.
"Lead the way, Nephew."