The helicopter blades cut through the night air, the loud whirring doing little to drown out the thoughts racing through Ivy's mind. She was seated in the plush interior of the private chopper, gripping her seatbelt so hard her knuckles were white. Outside, the sprawling city below glittered like a million scattered diamonds, but all she could focus on was the man beside her, Lu Cheng.
He was barely conscious, his breathing shallow, but his hand still rested protectively on her arm. Even in his weakened state, he was guarding her, refusing to let go. She stole a glance at him, her heart aching at the sight of the blood soaking through his suit.
"Stay with me," she whispered, more to herself than to him.
The urgency in the pilot's voice came through the intercom. "We're almost at the private hospital, Miss Ivy. Hold on."
She nodded, though the pilot couldn't see her. Lu Cheng had been silent since the attack at the estate, his stoic exterior slipping into something she hadn't seen before—vulnerability. She wasn't used to seeing him like this, and it terrified her.
The chopper landed on the hospital roof, and within seconds, a medical team was rushing toward them. The doors swung open, and Ivy was gently pulled from the chopper, but her gaze never left Lu Cheng.
A flurry of white coats surrounded him, lifting him onto a stretcher. They moved swiftly, speaking in urgent tones as they wheeled him into the building.
Ivy tried to follow, but one of the nurses blocked her path. "Miss, please, we need you to wait here. He's in good hands."
Her stomach churned. She didn't want to wait. She didn't want to stand helplessly while Lu Cheng fought for his life, but the nurse's firm grip on her arm told her she had no choice.
Ivy slumped into a nearby chair, her hands trembling as the events of the night replayed in her mind like a nightmare she couldn't wake up from. The gunshots, the blood, Lu Cheng risking his life for her—it was too much. How had things spiraled so far out of control? She had known there was more to him than met the eye, but she hadn't been prepared for this.
Hours seemed to crawl by, every minute feeling like an eternity. She was barely aware of the passage of time, too consumed by worry. The coldness of the hospital and the sterile smell did little to comfort her.
Finally, a doctor emerged, his expression unreadable as he approached her. Ivy stood up immediately, her heart pounding in her chest.
"Miss Ivy?" The doctor looked at her with professional calm. "Mr. Lu is stable. The bullet wounds weren't fatal, though he's lost a considerable amount of blood. He's unconscious, but he should make a full recovery with rest and care."
Relief flooded through her, and Ivy's knees nearly buckled. "Thank you," she breathed, the weight of the night suddenly crashing down on her. But there was no time to celebrate. Something about all of this still felt unfinished.
Two days passed.
Ivy was back at Spring Entertainment, but it wasn't the same. Lu Cheng's absence hung over the office like a storm cloud. Everyone knew something was off, but no one dared to ask questions. His sudden disappearance was met with uneasy glances and hushed whispers, but Ivy kept her head down, focusing on work while constantly checking her phone for any news.
The tension was palpable, and Ivy couldn't shake the anxiety gnawing at her. She hadn't seen or heard from him since that night. The silence was unbearable. And the more she thought about it, the more she realized just how much he had come to mean to her.
"Still no word from the boss?" Lin Wei, one of Lu Cheng's assistants, asked her as they passed each other in the hall. His voice was casual, but the concern was evident.
Ivy shook her head. "No. I... I'm just waiting."
She hated how helpless she felt, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something bigger was at play. That attack hadn't been random. It had been calculated, precise, someone had wanted Lu Cheng dead, and that terrified her.
As the day dragged on, Ivy found herself back in Lu Cheng's office, staring at the desk that now felt too empty. She hadn't dared to sit in his chair, afraid of what it might mean to step into his world fully. But being in the room made her feel closer to him, even though he was miles away.
Her phone buzzed on the desk, breaking the silence. Ivy lunged for it, hope sparking in her chest. But when she saw the number, her heart sank.
It wasn't Lu Cheng.
"Hello?" she answered, forcing her voice to remain calm.
"Ivy, it's Lu Feng."
Lu Feng. His voice immediately set her on edge. She hadn't seen him since the night of the attack, but she could feel the tension between him and his brother, the secrets they both carried. She hadn't expected to hear from him, especially not now.
"I need you to come to my office," he continued, his tone serious. "There's something we need to discuss. It's about Lu Cheng."
Her heart skipped a beat. "Is he... okay?"
"Just come."
The line went dead.
Ivy stared at her phone, her mind racing. She had no idea what to expect, but she knew one thing for certain: whatever Lu Feng had to say, it wasn't going to be good.
---
Ivy arrived at Lu Feng's office, her nerves on edge. The door was slightly ajar, and she hesitated for a moment before pushing it open.
Lu Feng sat behind his desk, his eyes sharp and calculating as they locked onto her the moment she stepped inside. There was an air of danger about him, one that was even more palpable than his brother's. Where Lu Cheng was cold and controlled, Lu Feng was unpredictable, a storm waiting to break.
"Sit," he said, his voice leaving no room for argument.
Ivy sat, her heart pounding. "What's this about?"
Lu Feng leaned back in his chair, his gaze never leaving her. "Lu Cheng's disappearance, it's more complicated than you think."
Her breath caught in her throat. "What do you mean?"
"There are forces at play, Ivy, that go beyond just business deals and corporate rivalries. My brother and I... we've been involved in things you can't even begin to understand."
Ivy's stomach twisted. She had suspected that there was more to their world than she knew, but hearing it out loud made it real. "What are you saying?"
Lu Feng leaned forward, his eyes dark. "I'm saying that if you want to survive in this world, you need to start asking the right questions. Because the people who came after us, they're not finished. And if you think my brother can protect you forever, you're wrong."
His words hung in the air like a threat, and Ivy's mind raced with the implications. She had known that working for Lu Cheng would be complicated, but this... this was something else entirely.
And for the first time, Ivy wasn't sure she could handle it.