The Billionaire's Debt-Bound Lover

008

"That’s impossible! My mother loved my father—she would never destroy someone else's family!" Lanyou could not believe that her mother was the "other woman" who had torn a home apart. It was impossible; she refused to believe it.

​"If it weren't true, why were the two of you kicked out of the Yi family sixteen years ago?" His smile was chilling, each word like an icicle piercing deep into Lanyou's heart.

​"No... no, it wasn't like that. There must be a misunderstanding!" She still couldn't accept that her mother was that kind of person, yet she found herself without the words to defend her.

​"A misunderstanding? Why do you think that old man of yours sent you here!" He didn't miss a single chance to humiliate the Yi family.

​"If things are truly as you say, then Grandfather must have intended for you to project your hatred for the Yi family onto me—thereby saving his company!" she said faintly, her voice devoid of emotion. She was indeed innocent, but she was not a fool. The truth was laid bare before her; whether she wanted to believe it or not, she was merely a pawn to be moved at will.

​She felt a surge of regret. Her peaceful life had been utterly shattered. The man her mother loved might not even have been her father, and her grandfather clearly cared nothing for blood ties, seeing her only as a tool for corporate survival. Was the family affection she cherished truly so cheap?

​Now that everything was out in the open, was it worth sacrificing herself for such a ridiculous family? If they could treat her this way, why shouldn't she be a little selfish too?

​Her heart began to sink into an abyss.

​No, wait. Calm down, Yi Lanyou. If her mother didn't love her father, she wouldn't cry while clutching his photo; she wouldn't have remained faithful to his memory for sixteen years. Even Han Yuming admitted he hadn't fully uncovered the truth! She couldn't allow the one-sided accusations of these men to make her doubt the mother who had raised her alone for sixteen years. That would be an injustice to her mother.

​She couldn't let go of a single clue. This involved her mother’s reputation and the truth behind her father’s death. Others might disregard family ties, but she could not. She couldn't stand to see her loved ones in pain or humiliated. She had to find the truth, and to do that, she had to stall Han Yuming. Until the truth came to light, the Yi family had to be preserved.

​"Please, spare the Yi family. I will bear the burden of the debt they owe you." She looked directly into Han Yuming’s probing eyes, her own filled with iron-clad resolve.

​"And what makes you think you have the right to bear it? You don't seem that important to me." Han Yuming was surprised by her sudden transformation. One moment she was a discarded child; the next, she was as resilient as a warrior.

​"You said it yourself—my mother broke up your family, and I am the person she cares about most. To torment me is to torment her heart. Furthermore, I am the sole heiress of the Yi family. To humiliate me is to humiliate the Yis. Is it not?" Lanyou knew that her identity was her only bargaining chip.

​"Oh? So you’re actually helping me." Han Yuming had to admit he had thought the same. Yi Lanyou was an excellent pawn.

​"No, I am helping the Yi family. I am atoning for the sins of the Yis and my mother." Seeing that Han Yuming was interested in her "value," she didn't rush him. "You don't have to decide now. Take your time to consider my proposal."

​"Haha—Miss Lanyou, you are truly clever. You know exactly how to play hard to get. I quite like this high-stakes game of revenge, especially with an enticing 'accessory' like you. Why wouldn't I agree?" Stroking her alluring cheek, Han Yuming was already impatient to begin.

​"Fine. Then it’s a deal. During the time we are together, you must halt all acquisitions of the Yi Corporation!" she emphasized once more.

​"I understand, my little babe. I will keep my promise. I hope you won't disappoint me." What a fascinating little prey, he thought.

​She hadn't expected that in a single night, she would give herself to the same man twice. She didn't know if she was doing the right thing, but she had to find the truth.

​The following day, Han Yuming took the initiative to formally propose to Master Yi. Yi Bao hadn't expected Han Yuming to be the first to speak. Although he knew things weren't as simple as they seemed, he had achieved his goal. He chose not to look too closely at the details.

​In the days that followed, both the Yi and Han families were busy preparing for the engagement ceremony, set to take place in two weeks. Meanwhile, Yi Lanyou simply waited in silence for the inevitable to arrive.