| October 1, 2023 – 2:00 AM
Lin was half-asleep, slumped over her desk with her laptop still open, spreadsheets blurring together on the screen.
Her phone buzzed violently against the wood.
She groaned, blindly reaching for it. Who the hell was calling her at—
She squinted at the screen. Lucas Fang.
Lin sat up immediately, rubbing her face before answering. "You better be bleeding."
Lucas's voice came through, low, tense. "Vivian is sitting in my living room. What do I do?"
Lin blinked. "…Excuse me?"
Lucas let out a slow, controlled exhale. "I walked in. She was already here. Sitting on my couch like she owns the place. Smiling like she didn't just break into my damn house."
Lin was fully awake now, already moving to her kitchen to splash cold water on her face.
"Alright," she said, gripping the counter. "First question—how is she dressed?"
Lucas hesitated. "What?"
"You heard me. Is she in a business suit? A casual 'oh, I was just in the area' outfit? Or a dress that says 'I'm here to ruin your life'?"
Lucas let out a humorless chuckle. "The third one."
Lin grimaced. "Great."
She paced, thinking. "Okay. Listen carefully. Do not—under any circumstances—get into any 'hanky stuff' with her."
Lucas scoffed. "Do I seem like a moron?"
Lin ignored that. "You need to act hostile but polite. No anger, no insults, but also no warmth. Keep it cold. Professional."
Lucas exhaled sharply. "And if she tries something?"
Lin smirked, rolling her neck. "Then you give me five minutes, and I'll make sure she never tries again."
Lucas let out a low, tired laugh. "You really don't hesitate, huh?"
Lin leaned against the counter, smiling slightly. "No hesitation. No second chances."
A pause.
Then—Lucas sighed. "Alright. I'll handle it."
Lin's fingers drummed against the counter. "Call me after. And if she leaves something behind 'by accident,' don't touch it. Bag it."
Lucas chuckled. "You make it sound like a crime scene."
Lin smirked. "That's because it is."
She hung up, already calculating the next ten moves.
| October 1, 2023 – 2:30 AM
Lin sat at her desk, phone in hand, waiting.
Five minutes.
Ten minutes.
Still no callback.
Her fingers tapped against the wood, impatience creeping in. She wasn't worried—Lucas wasn't the type to let Vivian manipulate him—but the fact that she was there at all? That was a problem.
Her phone buzzed.
Incoming Call: Lucas Fang.
Lin answered on the first ring. "Well?"
Lucas exhaled, voice tight. "She's gone."
Lin smirked. "And?"
"And," Lucas muttered, "she spent twenty minutes trying to get under my skin. Said she 'missed me.' That she's been thinking about the past. That she regrets how things ended."
Lin rolled her eyes. "Right. And when that didn't work?"
Lucas's voice flattened. "She tried the guilt angle. Said she was 'so sorry' for what happened. That she made a mistake. That she's 'changed.'"
Lin snorted. "Classic. Did she cry?"
Lucas scoffed. "Teared up. Just enough to be believable."
Lin leaned back. "Predictable. And when that didn't work?"
A long silence.
Then—"She tried to kiss me."
Lin sat up, suddenly wide awake. "She what?"
Lucas's voice was sharp now, edged with something he was trying to keep in check. "She got up, walked over like she had all the time in the world, and tried to kiss me."
Lin's fingers tightened around the phone. "And?"
"I moved back. Told her to leave."
"And?"
Lucas exhaled. "She laughed. Like it was funny. Like she knew I wouldn't do anything about it."
Lin's jaw clenched. "And then?"
Lucas went silent for a moment. Then, his voice dropped.
"She pulled something out of her bag. A small, silk bundle. Smiled. And put it on the table."
Lin's stomach dropped. "Tell me she didn't."
"She did."
Lin exhaled slowly. "Underwear?"
Lucas let out a low, humorless laugh. "Red lace. Brand new. Expensive."
Lin rubbed her temple, heart pounding in irritation. "Jesus Christ."
"Said she wanted me to 'keep them.' To remember what we had."** Lucas's voice was flat, like he was reliving it in real time.**
Lin resisted the urge to punch something. "And then?"
Lucas let out a slow breath. "Then Jake walked into the hallway half-asleep, rubbing his eyes, asking for water."
Lin froze.
"...That's what saved you?"
"That's what saved me."
A long silence stretched between them.
Then—Lin laughed, sharp and cold. "That's the funniest, most horrifying thing I've ever heard."
Lucas let out a short, exhausted chuckle. "Yeah. I think Jake saved my life tonight."
Lin shook her head. "You better buy that kid a present."
Lucas sighed. "Already planning on it."
Lin's fingers drummed against the table. "And the underwear?"
"Still on my table."
Lin smirked. "Burn it."
Lucas huffed a tired laugh. "Tempting."
Lin leaned forward, voice smooth and deliberate. "She left it there to mark her territory, Lucas. To test you. You keep it, even in a drawer? She wins."
Lucas was silent for a moment. Then, finally—"I'll throw it out."
| October 1, 2023 – 2:35 AM
Lin exhaled sharply, gripping the phone. "Good. And next time? Don't let her in."
Lucas scoffed, voice low, still tense. "You think I invited her?"
Lin pinched the bridge of her nose. "No, but the problem is that she thinks she can just walk in like she owns the place. This isn't just 'unwanted attention' anymore, Lucas. This is stalking."
Lucas was silent. Not in disagreement—just processing.
Lin tapped her fingers against the counter. "She's your boss's wife. That makes this even worse."
Lucas let out a slow, measured breath. "I know."
"Do you?" Lin pressed. "Because I don't think you get how bad this is. She's using her husband's power as leverage. She's testing boundaries. She's playing games that could ruin your life if you make one wrong move."
Lucas's jaw tensed audibly through the phone. "You think I don't know that?"
Lin's voice flattened. "Then act like it."
A heavy pause.
Then—Lucas exhaled sharply. "What do you suggest?"
Lin leaned against the counter, smirking slightly. "Easy. Get a girlfriend or quit your job."
Lucas choked. "Excuse me?"
Lin shrugged. "She thinks you're an option. Make yourself unavailable. Find someone—real or fake—who makes it crystal clear you're off the market."
Lucas let out a tired, humorless chuckle. "So you want me to fake a relationship?"
Lin smirked. "Or get a real one. You're not bad-looking."
Lucas snorted. "That's the worst compliment I've ever gotten."
Lin grinned, but her tone turned serious again. "Or you quit. Walk away before she tries to set you up for something worse."
Lucas was silent for a long time.
Then—"I can't just quit."
Lin tilted her head. "Why not?"
Lucas exhaled. "Because I have a kid to raise. Because it's not that simple. Because people like Vivian don't just let things go."
Lin went quiet, thinking.
Then, smooth as ever— "Then we make her let go."
Lucas chuckled, low and tired. "You always have a plan, don't you?"
Lin smirked. "Always."
And this time? She was going to make sure Vivian Zhao got the message.