Chapter seven: The Heiress Returns
1378 Words
Chapter Seven: The Heiress Returns
I woke to the sound of silence.
For a second, I forgot where I was.
The sheets were too soft, the air too still. No faint hum of traffic outside my window, no familiar creak of my apartment’s pipes. Only luxury and quiet.
Right.
I was in Wu Zihan’s penthouse.
In his world.
In our fake life.
I rolled onto my side and stared at the ceiling, trying to gather the courage to face the day. Last night’s conversation still clung to me like a second skin. His words echoed through my mind, refusing to fade.
“You’re not alone anymore.”
But weren’t I? Still?
Because what was this really—this arrangement, this fragile closeness? A lie we’d wrapped ourselves in, thin as silk but strong enough to strangle.
I swung my legs out of bed and padded barefoot to the window. Below, the city buzzed to life, unaware of the war waging in my heart.
Was it possible for something fake to start feeling real?
And worse—was it possible that I wanted it to?
By late morning, I was dressed and seated at the kitchen island with a mug of jasmine tea in my hands. Zihan had already left for the office, his departure quiet, professional. Like always.
I tried not to let that disappoint me.
I was halfway through an email to my assistant when the front door opened.
I turned instinctively, expecting to see Zihan.
It wasn’t him.
A woman walked in as if she owned the place—heels clicking across the marble floor, long hair cascading in perfect black waves, an expensive beige trench coat draped over her shoulders.
I recognized her instantly.
Lin Yunmei.
The heiress to Lin Group.
The woman Wu Zihan’s family adored.
The woman who was supposed to be standing in my place.
She stopped when she saw me, her lips curving into a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
“Well,” she said slowly, in that honey-dipped voice of hers. “This is unexpected.”
I rose to my feet, heart thudding. “What are you doing here?”
She arched a brow. “I could ask you the same thing. But then, I suppose you’re playing house now, aren’t you?”
Her gaze swept over me—my loose sweater, bare feet, the tea on the counter.
“I must admit,” she added, stepping further into the penthouse, “Zihan always did have a soft spot for strays.”
I clenched my fists. “You have no right to be here.”
“Don’t I?” she purred, taking off her coat and tossing it over a nearby chair like she owned the place. “Zihan and I have known each other since we were children. Our families are practically bound together. You’re the outsider here, Li Xue.”
She said my name like it tasted bitter on her tongue.
“I may be the outsider,” I said, lifting my chin, “but I’m the one he chose.”
Something flickered in her expression, but she recovered quickly, smiling again.
“For now,” she said. “But we both know how these things go. Eventually, the novelty wears off. Zihan gets bored. Or worse—he realizes you were never meant to stand beside him.”
“That’s enough,” came a cold voice from the doorway.
We both turned.
Zihan stood there, briefcase in hand, eyes like sharpened ice. He looked first at me, then at Lin Yunmei, his jaw tight.
“Yunmei,” he said curtly, “what are you doing here?”
She moved toward him with the grace of someone used to being welcomed. “I was just checking in on you. It’s been a while since we talked. I thought—”
“You thought wrong.”
His voice cut like glass.
She froze, clearly not used to being dismissed.
“I’ve made myself clear,” he continued. “This is not your place. You don’t show up uninvited.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Your mother told me to come.”
“I don’t care,” he said. “I decide who comes into my home. And I never gave you permission.”
For a moment, there was only silence.
Then she turned back to me, her smile returning, colder now.
“I hope you’re enjoying the role,” she said softly. “But remember—some masks aren’t meant to stay on forever.”
With that, she grabbed her coat and walked out, leaving the scent of expensive perfume and venom behind her.
After she left, I sat back down, pretending to read a message on my phone. Zihan didn’t speak for a while.
“You okay?” he asked finally.
I hesitated. “Is this going to keep happening?”
“What do you mean?”
“Women walking in here like they belong.”
He stepped closer, his eyes unreadable. “No. That was the last time.”
“She said your mother sent her.”
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “My family doesn’t approve of this engagement. They think I’m being reckless.”
“And are you?”
His gaze locked onto mine. “No. But it’s making them desperate.”
I looked away. “You said this was to protect me. That I wasn’t safe. But now I’m wondering if being with you just puts a bigger target on my back.”
He was quiet for a long time.
Then he said, “You’re right.”
I turned to him in surprise.
“I can’t promise you safety, Li Xue. Not completely. My world—it’s filled with enemies, with expectations, with people like Yunmei who will do anything to control the narrative. But what I can promise is that I won’t let them break you.”
The words wrapped around me like armor and chains all at once.
That night, I couldn’t sleep.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Yunmei’s smirk, heard her voice telling me I was just a placeholder.
I tossed and turned until I finally gave up and walked out into the living room.
To my surprise, Zihan was already there—sitting on the couch, shirt unbuttoned at the collar, drink in hand, staring at nothing.
“Can’t sleep either?” I asked.
He looked over, eyes heavy with exhaustion. “No.”
I crossed the room and sat beside him.
“Was she telling the truth?” I asked quietly. “About your mother?”
He nodded. “My mother thinks she’s ideal. Polished. Powerful. Perfect for business mergers. Lin Group and Wu Corp would become untouchable if we were married.”
“And yet, you chose me,” I whispered.
He turned his body toward me fully.
“I didn’t choose you for business, Li Xue.”
I stared at him, searching his face for any sign of dishonesty.
“I chose you because I wanted to,” he said. “Because when I look at you, I don’t see a pawn. I see a woman who looks at me like I’m more than a name. I chose you because I trust you.”
My throat tightened.
“And you…” he added, brushing a knuckle down my cheek, “you’re the only one who’s ever looked at me without fear or ambition.”
I didn’t mean to lean into his touch.
But I did.
I didn’t mean for my lips to part or my breath to catch or for my body to lean just a little closer.
But it all happened.
And then—his lips were on mine.
The kiss was soft at first. Tentative. Like a question waiting to be answered.
Then it deepened, hands tangling in hair and breath hitching in throats.
But just as quickly, he pulled back, his chest rising and falling fast.
“This changes everything,” he murmured.
“I know,” I whispered, lips still tingling.
He stood, stepping back, as if distance could undo the moment.
“We should get some rest,” he said, voice low.
I nodded, heart pounding.
But sleep was the last thing I found that night.
- Writer
