NEVER AGAIN

The rain poured down mercilessly, as though the heavens themselves were mocking her pain. Lora stood barefoot in the mud, her soaked dress clinging to her trembling body. Her hair stuck to her face, mixing with hot tears that refused to stop. Behind her, the mansion glowed with warm golden light — a home she had never truly belonged to. Sarah’s voice cut through the night like a whip. “Lora, Lora… you are so naïve. Everything here belongs to me — this house, this family, even Mr. Edward.” Sarah’s cruel laughter echoed down the hallway. “You? You’re nothing but a charity case! A piece of dirt Father picked up from the streets.You should’ve been thrown away!” Her words stabbed deeper than any knife.Lora’s lips trembled, but she refused to cry in front of them any longer. Lora’s voice broke as she shouted: “I will leave! And I will never come back!” The door slammed shut behind her, shutting out Sarah’s mocking laughter. Lora stood under the heavy rain until her body went numb. Then, step by step, she walked away from the house — from her past — from everything. The streets were empty, the city cold and silent. She cried until her voice was hoarse, until her tears ran dry. And then… she smiled. It was not a smile of joy, but of something darker. Something sharper. Slowly, she picked up her phone from the wet pavement. Her reflection stared back at her in the black screen — broken, but alive. Lora whispered: “This is the last time I cry because of them. The last time they humiliate me. Lightning flashed across the sky, lighting up her tear-streaked face. Lora’s voice grew colder: “Never again.” She clenched her phone, turned her back on the mansion, and walked into the darkness — into the unknown — into the beginning of her own story. (Five Years Later) Xinyang City never slept. Its neon lights glowed like fireflies over the wet asphalt as expensive cars lined the street outside Club Serpent, the most dangerous yet most exclusive nightclub in the city. Inside the VIP lounge, the air was thick with cigar smoke, power, and fear. At the center of the room sat a woman — legs crossed, black silk suit hugging her figure, a diamond necklace glinting under the dim lights. Her crimson lips curved into the faintest of smiles as she rolled a glass of whiskey in her hand. She was no longer the helpless orphan girl crying in the rain. She was Lora James, but everyone in Xinyang’s underworld called her Hei Nu — Black Fury. Youngest mafia boss in the East. Owner of half the city’s underground gambling dens. Feared by rivals, respected by allies, untouchable by the police. Her right-hand man, Chen, leaned close and whispered. “Boss, the Crimson Dragons have intercepted one of our shipments.” Lora’s smile didn’t falter, but her grip on the glass tightened until a crack formed. “And?” she asked with no emotion “Their leader is here tonight. Li Tian. He asked to see you.” Chen said trembling slightly Lora’s dark eyes glinted. She set the glass down gently, stood, and straightened her suit jacket. “Bring him in.” The door opened, and in stepped Li Tian. He was taller than she imagined — broad-shouldered, dressed in an impeccably tailored suit. His expression was cold, his steps measured, and yet… there was something magnetic about him. He was the kind of man who didn’t need to speak to own a room. “So, this is the infamous Hei Nu. You’ve been making a lot of noise lately.” Li Tian said leisurely Lora arched a brow, her voice silky smooth. “Noise? I call it business.” He smirked — just barely. “Your ‘business’ interferes with mine. That shipment was worth thirty million. I don’t like losing money.” She stepped closer, her heels clicking softly against the marble floor. “Then take it back… if you can.” For a brief second, silence hung between them — sharp, dangerous. And then, for the first time in five years, Lora felt something unexpected: her heart skipped a beat. Li Tian (calmly) said “You’re bold. I like that. But this city isn’t big enough for two of us. Choose carefully, Hei Nu — war or… alliance.” Her lips curled into a slow smile. “I never back down from war. But an alliance? That depends.” While they banther neither of them noticed the figure watching from the shadows — a woman with the same sharp smile as Lora, the same cruel glint in her eyes. Sarah. Lora’s sister. The woman who had driven her out five years ago. Now married into one of the country’s most powerful political families, Sarah had her own plans. And if it meant destroying both Lora and Li Tian’s empires to protect her status… she would do it without hesitation. The game had just begun. And Lora was no longer the girl who could be broken. Lora whispered to herself as she watched Li Tian leave: “Never again.”