เข้าสู่ระบบ...continuation"Jinyan, I...""We’re going to have dinner tonight," he interrupted, his gaze intense. "Just us. No board members, no grandmother, no business talk. I want to talk about the future. Beyond the contract."Panni felt a tear prick her eye. The kindness in his voice was more painful than any threat Chen could make. "I’d like that."The dinner was held in the small, private conservatory of the mansion, a room filled with rare orchids and the soft glow of candlelight. It was intimate, a far cry from the cold, grand dining hall where the Lu family usually conducted their "negotiations" over soup and salad.Jinyan sat across from her, his blazer removed, his tie loosened. He looked younger in the candlelight, the sharp edges of the CEO softened by the flickering shadows."You haven't touched your wine," he noted, swirling his own glass."I’m still a bit lightheaded from the fever," Panni said, forcing herself to take a bite of the sea bass. It tasted like cardboard. All she co
[The Mirror's Edge]The dawn was a jagged line of grey and violet against the horizon, cold enough to make the moisture on the white marble of the south garden fountain shimmer like crushed diamonds. Panni pulled her wool coat tighter around her chest, the fabric doing little to stop the tremors that started deep in her marrow. She wasn't sure if it was the lingering chill of the fever or the sheer, paralyzing terror of what she was about to do.She stood by the fountain, the sound of the cascading water echoing through the silent gardens. This was the moment of the "Mirror’s Edge"—the sharp, narrow point where her two lives were colliding. In her pocket, her phone felt like a hot coal."You’re early. I suppose the fear of being unmasked is a better alarm clock than any butler could provide."Panni spun around. Chen Lu wasn't dressed in his usual sharp corporate attire. He wore a heavy black overcoat, his hands shoved deep into his pockets, and his eyes—dark and predatory—were fixed o
...continuationPanni felt the world tilting. "What do you want, Chen? Money? Shares?""I want the Lu Corporation," Chen said, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "And I want Jinyan to lose the one thing he’s finally allowed himself to care about. I want you to give me the password to his private server. The one that holds the grandmother’s true testament. Give me that, and this envelope goes into the incinerator.""I can't do that," Panni whispered. "That's his life's work. His legacy.""And what is your life worth?" Chen countered. He stepped closer, his hand reaching out to tilt her head up. "You’re trapped, little bird. You’re falling for a man who loves a mask. Even if I don't tell him, how long can you live like this? Every kiss is a lie. Every 'I love you' is stolen.""She isn't stealing anything."The voice was like a thunderclap. Both Panni and Chen spun around to see Jinyan standing at the edge of the path. His face was a mask of cold fury, his fists clenched at his sides
The morning light in the Lu mansion didn't arrive with the warmth of a new day; it pierced through the heavy velvet curtains like a cold, clinical interrogation. Panni sat at the edge of the sprawling silk-covered bed, her thumb hovering over the glowing screen of her phone. The anonymous message felt like a physical weight in the room, more suffocating than the high-thread-count sheets or the scent of expensive lilies on the nightstand.I saw you at the gala, Panni. Meet me at the fountain tomorrow, or Jinyan Lu gets a copy of your real birth certificate.Her heart performed a slow, sickening roll in her chest. For weeks, she had walked this tightrope, mimicking her sister Annie’s effortless grace, her sharp tongue, and her penchant for vintage Chanel. She had studied Annie’s handwriting until her own fingers cramped and memorized the names of people she had never met. But a birth certificate—that was a piece of reality she couldn't forge or hide with a clever retort.A sharp rap on
..continuation"Leave," Jinyan said, his voice dropping to a dangerous, low growl. "Now.""I’m going, I’m going," Chen said, raising his hands in mock surrender. He paused at the door, glancing back at Panni. "Rest well. We have the quarterly board meeting tomorrow. It would be a shame if the future Mrs. Lu wasn't there to support her husband. There are so many questions the board wants to ask about your... background."As the door clicked shut, the air in the room felt thinner. Jinyan turned back to her, his gaze searching. He didn't ask about Chen’s comment, but the suspicion was there, a shadow in the corner of his eyes."He’s trying to rattle you," Jinyan said, though he sounded like he was trying to convince himself as much as her. "He’s been looking for a weakness since the day I announced the engagement.""He’s dangerous, Jinyan," Panni whispered, leaning her head back against the pillows. "He doesn't just want company. He wants to destroy you.""He can try," Jinyan said, his h
[The Fever of Deception]The limestone walls didn't crumble; they dissolved. The terrifying blue glow of the bio-tracker, which had felt like a brand of fire against her skin, flickered once and then vanished into a void of velvet blackness. The sound of the gunshot—that final, deafening crack of a cave-in—stretched and warped until it became the rhythmic, steady ticking of a grandfather clock.Panni’s eyes snapped open.She wasn't in a damp cavern. She wasn't bleeding. Her shoulder, which she had dreamt was shattered by a bullet, was perfectly intact, though she was drenched in a cold, clinging sweat. Above her, the dim light of a crystal chandelier cast long, elegant shadows across a ceiling painted with gold leaf."Panni? Panni, stay with me!"The voice was like a bucket of ice water poured over her racing heart. It wasn't the distorted, mocking lilt of the woman from her nightmare. It was deep, resonant, and laced with a frantic edge that didn't belong to the cold, untouchable CEO







