CHAPTER TWO: UNSEEN REFLECTIONS

The air in Country E smelled different—less dust, more metal and steel. The buildings loomed taller, the cars sleeker, the people faster. Everything here moved like it had somewhere better to be.

Lin Wei stepped off the bus with a single bag and a steel determination behind her eyes.

She had left everything in Country W—the mansion, the memories, her brother’s hug, her mother’s tearful goodbye—and carried only the weight of a new beginning. The bus station buzzed around her with voices, suitcases, engines, and impatience.

She clutched a folded page in her hand: the name of a hotel she’d booked last night. Something modest but safe, with a small elevator and a desk clerk who didn’t ask too many questions.

By the time she arrived, the sun was dipping below the skyline of Country E. Her shoulders ached from the ride, but her eyes stayed alert. The hotel lobby was clean and quiet, with polished marble floors and soft golden lighting. A chandelier hung overhead—nothing too grand, but elegant in its simplicity.

“Room 703,” the receptionist said with a polite smile.

She nodded, taking the keycard and quietly walking toward the elevator.

At the same time, across the hotel lobby, Sheng Tiaorun stepped through the glass doors, trailed by his assistant and two men who walked like power belonged to them.

He was dressed in all black—custom tailored, precise. His hair was neat, but his eyes were tired. Behind those quiet, calculating irises was a storm: family drama, board pressure, and another corporate deal on the verge of collapse.

“Sir, the meeting is scheduled for 7:30,” his assistant said, tapping quickly on a tablet.

Li Wen, his assistant, was sharp and loyal. A walking brain in a suit—efficient, emotionless, and always twenty steps ahead.

“I want it wrapped in thirty minutes,” Tiaorun muttered, pressing the elevator button.

Just as the doors opened, Lin Wei stepped inside, unaware of the presence behind her.

He entered as well, followed by Li Wen and one of his close friends—Zhou Xinyan, the quiet strategist who often spoke in riddles. The other friend, Jovia, had taken a call and stayed behind.

Tiaorun glanced at the girl standing at the far end of the elevator. She didn’t turn. Didn’t look. Just stood there with her bag clutched to her chest, eyes focused on the soft glow of the numbers above.

Then he saw her reflection in the elevator’s glass wall.

It wasn’t beauty that struck him—it was calm. She didn’t fidget. She didn’t look around, pose, or check her phone. She simply was. Silent. Still. Soft.

For some reason he couldn’t explain, his chest loosened.

For the first time in a long time, he felt… quiet inside.

The elevator dinged.

She stepped off first, unaware that someone had just memorized the shape of her silence.

---

The next morning, Lin Wei stood outside the glass doors of a towering building in the heart of Country E’s financial district. The sign at the top read:

Tiaorun Development Group

One of the top real estate empires in the country, known for owning half the skyline and building luxury estates across the continent.

She had done her research. She knew this wasn’t an easy place to walk into. But she also knew they were hiring.

Secretary, front desk, assistant—even an entry-level job would be a stepping stone. She straightened her blouse, tucked her credentials under her arm, and walked in.

The lobby was more beautiful than she imagined—white stone floors, a massive waterfall wall, and employees moving around like they all knew their purpose. She didn’t.

Not yet.

A kind-faced receptionist looked up.

“Do you have an appointment?” she asked gently.

“No. I… I’m here to apply. For the secretary position.”

She held out her documents with both hands.

The woman blinked, took them, and quickly scanned the papers.

“You’re… Lin Wei?”

She nodded.

The woman’s eyes softened. “Wait here a moment.”

---

Upstairs, in a high-level meeting, Sheng Tiaorun sat at the head of the table, discussing estate permits and international partnerships. But his mind flickered—just for a second—back to the girl in the elevator. The calm. The silence.

He didn’t know her name. Didn’t even know why he kept remembering her.

But fate did.

And fate was about to bring her right into his world.