The dim corridors of the Zhao mansion whispered of secrets, each shadow cast by the ornate lamps seeming to move with a life of its own. Zhao Lan felt a strange chill, an unspoken warning in the air, as she made her way back to the study later that evening. The memory of the hidden ledger weighed on her mind, and the closer she got, the more certain she was that it held only the beginning of what she was meant to find.
The old leather book she'd found earlier had raised more questions than answers. Her mother's handwriting, delicate and neat, outlined intricate business dealings, concealed wealth, and a network of connections stretching far beyond what Zhao Lan had ever known. And, in the margins, hints of a family fortune her mother had kept under wraps, something tied to her maternal lineage that seemed worth protecting at all costs. But why? And from whom?
Her hand reached out to open the study door when she froze, hearing voices drifting from within. She pressed herself against the wall, her heart pounding.
"You know why she's here," Lin Meiyu's sharp tone sliced through the air, laced with irritation. "She wants to dig up everything Mother left behind… the inheritance. She thinks it's hers."
Zhao Qingyuan's voice came next, calm but filled with a tired edge. "Let her search. She'll find nothing that concerns her."
The air in Zhao Lan's lungs felt heavy. An inheritance—one her father knew about, one her mother must have hidden from him in some way. But Lin Meiyu? How much did she know? And why was her father so intent on keeping it hidden?
She gritted her teeth and forced herself to stay quiet as the conversation continued.
"Father, if we don't keep her under control, she'll ruin everything," Lin Meiyu pressed. "She's not stupid; she'll piece things together if we're not careful. That ledger was already too close of a call."
Zhao Qingyuan's answer was a sigh, laced with irritation. "She's been gone for so long, Meiyu. What could she really uncover that's useful now? Besides, it's nothing she can act on. And if need be…" he hesitated, his voice darkening. "We'll handle her, as we should have long ago."
Zhao Lan's heart lurched, but she quickly steadied herself. So they had anticipated her discovery. But what was it that they were so desperate to keep from her? And what did her father mean by "handle"?
She turned away, her fists clenched tightly. She could feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins, urging her to move, to act. But patience, she reminded herself, was her greatest ally. She needed to bide her time, gather more information, and piece together the puzzle before confronting them.
As she left the study door and walked back down the hall, a sense of clarity washed over her. She wasn't alone in this fight, she realized. She had Liang Chen—someone she was slowly learning to trust, someone who seemed to understand her without the need for explanations.
Stepping out onto the porch, she found Liang Chen waiting by the car, his gaze softening as it met hers. "How did it go?"
She hesitated, searching for the right words. "They know," she finally whispered, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside her. "They know I'm digging."
Liang Chen's brows furrowed, a protective glint in his eyes. "So what's the plan now?"
Zhao Lan took a deep breath, her gaze drifting toward the darkened horizon. "We keep digging," she said, determination hardening her tone. "There's more here than they want me to see. My mother… she left me something. Something big. And I'm not stopping until I understand what it is."
A quiet moment passed, and then, almost instinctively, Liang Chen reached out, his hand finding hers. The warmth of his touch surprised her, grounding her in a way that made her heart ache with something she hadn't felt in a long time: hope.
"Then we'll face it together," he murmured, his voice low and filled with a sincerity that made her pulse quicken.
Zhao Lan's gaze met his, and for a brief moment, she allowed herself to trust, to believe that she didn't have to carry this burden alone. She squeezed his hand back, feeling an unspoken promise settle between them.
---
Back inside, Lin Meiyu watched from the upstairs window, her eyes narrowing as she took in the scene below. Her hand clenched around her phone as she typed a quick message, sending it off with a look of satisfaction.
A reply came almost instantly, and a slow, calculated smile spread across her face. Her father might be underestimating Zhao Lan, but she wouldn't make the same mistake. If her stepsister wanted a war, Lin Meiyu would give her one.