The next day, a new announcement shook the entertainment industry.
"Zi Ning signs major contract with international luxury brand!"
Pictures of her in an elegant black dress, posing for the brand's new campaign, spread like wildfire.
The public's reaction was immediate.
"She's not just back—she's winning!"
"Wang family tried to ruin her, and she still landed the biggest deal of her career!"
"A true queen."
In the Wang estate, Wang Yingying threw her phone against the wall.
"She's supposed to be finished! How is she still standing?!"
Her assistant hesitated before speaking. "Miss, should we continue with the plan to expose her past?"
Wang Yingying's eyes were filled with hatred.
"Of course."
She would make sure Zi Ning lost everything.
That night, Zi Ning received a message from an unknown number.
"Meet me. I have information about your past."
Her fingers tightened around her phone.
Who was this?
Her heart pounded, but she forced herself to stay calm. This could be a trap.
But… if there was even a chance that she could uncover the truth about her past, she had to take it.
She texted back.
"Where?"
The reply came instantly.
"Midnight. Abandoned warehouse near the docks."
Zi Ning hesitated. She knew this was dangerous.
But she had come too far to back down now.
Zi Ning stared at the message on her phone, her heart pounding.
"Meet me. I have information about your past."
She knew it was risky. The location was suspicious—an abandoned warehouse near the docks, at midnight. Everything about it screamed danger.
But she couldn't ignore it.
Her past was a puzzle with too many missing pieces. If there was even a small chance that this meeting could give her answers, she had to take it.
Taking a deep breath, she picked up her coat and checked the time. It was already late.
Before she could leave, her phone rang.
Lu Yichen.
She hesitated, then answered.
"Where are you?" His deep voice carried a sharp edge.
"At home," she replied. "Why?"
There was a pause. Then, "Don't go anywhere tonight."
Her grip on the phone tightened. "Why not?"
"I have a feeling the Wang family is planning something." His voice was calm but firm. "They've been too quiet today."
Zi Ning's eyes flickered toward the phone screen. She couldn't tell him about the message. Not yet.
"I'll be careful," she said.
"That's not an answer."
She sighed. "Yichen, I know you're worried, but I can handle myself."
"You don't understand," he said. "They are desperate now. That makes them more dangerous than ever."
Zi Ning's chest tightened. She knew he was right. The Wang family had already lost too much. If they wanted to strike back, they would go all out.
But the message…
Her past was calling her.
"I'll be fine," she said again. "I won't take any risks."
She hung up before he could argue further.
Dressed in black, Zi Ning drove toward the docks. The streets were eerily empty. The closer she got, the darker and quieter everything became.
She parked a short distance away and got out of the car. The warehouse stood at the edge of the water, its windows shattered, its walls covered in graffiti. The air smelled of salt and rust.
Her fingers curled into fists.
She walked toward the entrance, every step cautious.
A single light flickered inside.
She stopped just outside the door. "I'm here."
Silence.
Then, footsteps.
A man stepped out from the shadows. His face was partially hidden by a hood, but she could see a long scar running down his cheek.
"You're brave," he said, his voice hoarse.
"Who are you?" Zi Ning asked coldly.
The man smirked. "Someone who knows the truth about you."
Her heartbeat quickened. "What truth?"
The man took out a folder and tossed it toward her feet.
"Everything is in there."
Zi Ning didn't move. "Why should I trust you?"
The man chuckled. "You shouldn't. But you will."
She bent down and picked up the folder, flipping it open.
The first thing she saw was a photograph—an old picture of a little girl.
Her blood ran cold.
The girl in the picture…
It was her.
Zi Ning's hands shook as she flipped through the documents.
Birth records. Hospital reports. Newspaper clippings.
Each one pointed to a shocking truth—
She wasn't just an ordinary woman.
She was the lost heiress of two of the most powerful families in China.
Her breath came in short, sharp gasps.
"No… this…"
Her real name was Zi Yan.
A name she hadn't heard in years.
She staggered back. "Where did you get this?"
The man's smirk disappeared. "I was paid to deliver this to you. But I also have a warning."
Zi Ning's head snapped up. "What warning?"
"They are looking for you," he said. "And not just the Wang family."
A chill ran down her spine. "Who else?"
The man hesitated. "The people who took you away when you were a child."
Zi Ning's world tilted.
Took her away?
"You mean…" Her throat felt dry. "I was kidnapped?"
The man's expression darkened. "You don't remember, do you?"
Zi Ning's head spun. Flashes of her childhood came back in broken fragments—whispers, cold hands dragging her away, the sound of sirens.
But nothing clear.
Nothing that made sense.
The man sighed. "You need to be careful. The truth is dangerous."
Zi Ning clenched her fists. "Tell me everything."
The man hesitated, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small USB drive.
"This has the full story," he said. "But once you watch it, there's no turning back."
Zi Ning took the USB drive.
The man stepped back into the shadows. "Good luck, heiress."
And then he was gone.
Leaving her alone with a past she barely understood.
Zi Ning drove back, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.
She felt like she was in a dream.
She was the lost heiress?
Everything she had believed about herself… was a lie?
She needed answers. Now.
As soon as she got home, she locked her doors, turned on her laptop, and inserted the USB drive.
A single video file appeared.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard before she finally clicked play.
The screen flickered.
A news broadcast appeared—dated fifteen years ago.
"Breaking news! The daughter of the Zi and Bai families has gone missing! Authorities believe it was a planned abduction…"
Zi Ning's breath hitched.
The video cut to security footage. A small girl, her face blurred, was being carried away by a man in a mask.
The screen shifted again—her parents, their faces filled with desperation, pleading for their daughter's return.
Tears stung Zi Ning's eyes.
She had a real family. A family that had never stopped looking for her.
Her entire body trembled.
She wasn't just Zi Ning.
She was Zi Yan.
And the people who had stolen her life…
They were still out there.