INICIAR SESIÓNThe aftermath of the gala was quiet, heavy, and drenched in a dull, lingering pain that seemed to seep directly out of the villa's walls.Liam had carried Jacyn out of the hotel through a private exit, ignoring the flashing cameras of the press. He hadn't spoken a single word during the entire drive back to Lee Villa. His focus had been entirely on her—on the way her small hands wouldn't stop shaking, and how she clung to his jacket as if the fabric were the only thing keeping her anchored to the earth.Once they were upstairs, he didn't leave her side for a single second. He didn't change out of his clothes. He simply discarded his heavy tuxedo jacket, rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt, and sat in the armchair beside her bed. For hours, through the dead of night and into the gray dawn, he watched her fitful sleep. Every time she whimpered or flinched from the fading echoes of those phantom gunshots, his grip on her hand would tighten, silently reminding her subconscious that h
The atmosphere inside the mahogany‑lined walls of Liam’s private study was suffocating. While Jacyn slept soundly upstairs, exhausted from the emotional whiplash of her fragmented memories, Liam stood by the floor‑to‑ceiling window, a burner phone pressed to his ear.For a moment, he didn’t speak. His gaze lingered on the faint glow of her bedroom window above, the fragile peace he had fought to protect. Only when the line clicked alive did his voice drop into its cold, commanding register.“Speak.”On the other end, his head investigator, Uncle Chen, spoke in low, hurried tones. “Young Master, we managed to track down the retired forensic accountant who handled the Lou family’s estate liquidation after the accident eleven years ago. He confirmed what you suspected. The white van that chased her parents car was funded through a shell company registered in the offshore accounts of the Lou Group’s rival at the time—the old Han Syndicate.”A cold, lethal fury bloomed in Liam’s chest. His
The morning coffee at the executive desk was usually a quiet affair, but today, Jacyn was on a mission."Young Master Lee," she said, marching into Liam’s private office without knocking, holding a massive, neon-pink binder. "I have compiled a comprehensive, foolproof strategy for the upcoming cross-border merger. It involves exactly fifty-two color-coded tabs and a very aggressive timeline."Liam looked up from his tablet, his expression unreadable, though the faint twitch at the corner of his lips betrayed him. "Fifty-two tabs, Miss Lou? Isn't that a bit excessive for a preliminary brief?""A true professional is never under-tabbed," Jacyn countered smoothly, leaning over his desk to place the binder down. As she did, her sleeve caught on his heavy fountain pen, knocking it off the mahogany surface.Both of them reached for it at the same time.Their fingers brushed—her warm, nimble hand wrapping over his cool, steady knuckles. A sudden, sharp jolt of electricity snapped through Jac
The following morning at Lee Group, Jacyn arrived twenty minutes before her shift, her steps brisk and purposeful. She was determined to keep her focus sharp after last night’s unsettling encounter in the lobby. Work was her safe haven, a clean slate where numbers always added up, unlike the confusing, heavy tension between Liam and Xueqin Yan.But the moment she sat down, she noticed a small, elegant package sitting right in the center of her blotter. It was wrapped in heavy ivory paper, tied with a simple silver ribbon.Jacyn frowned, pulling it closer. Inside lay a delicate silver pendant shaped like a star. It looked old, the metal polished but bearing the tiny, faint scuffs of something that had been handled for years. A note accompanied it, written in precise, deliberate strokes:For the brightest star I once knew. — Xueqin YanJacyn stared at the silver star. A strange, fleeting sensation tugged at the back of her mind—a faint echo of laughter and a wide, open field—but it vani
The day at Lee Group had finally ended, but the night was only beginning.After finishing up her tasks on the top floor, Jacyn grabbed her bag, stepped into the private executive elevator, and rode it down to the ground floor. But the moment the doors slid open into the massive, high-ceilinged main lobby, she froze.Standing near the glass revolving doors was a tall figure. His stride was slow and completely unhurried as he turned to face her, wearing a warm smile that didn't quite reach his sharp eyes.“Miss Jacyn,” Xueqin Yan greeted smoothly, his voice easily carrying across the quiet marble room. “It’s been far too long. Allow me to properly introduce myself this time.”Jacyn blinked, caught off guard. His presence was undeniably striking, but she felt absolutely no pull toward him. She tightened her grip on her bag and straightened her posture, her tone polite but completely cool. “Mr. Yan. I appreciate the gesture, but I’m just heading home. Coffee invitations really aren’t on m
The morning at Lee Group started like any other day. Papers shuffled, managers hurried down the hallways talking fast on their phones, and the office was filled with the usual busy hum. But Jacyn brought a bright energy with her that always made the place feel a little less rigid.She walked past Jawn Ng’s desk, where he was already buried under a massive stack of reports.“Don’t drown in all that paperwork, Mr. Ng,” she said with a bright smile, setting her bag down. “I don’t know CPR.”Jawn blinked, adjusting his glasses and looking a bit defensive. “Miss Jacyn, I assure you, I am perfectly capable of swimming through numbers.”“Swimming?” Jacyn teased, leaning against the edge of his cubicle. “So that’s why you wear those long ties. Lifelines.”Through the open double doors of his private office, Liam heard her bright voice. He didn't look up from the tablet on his large desk immediately, but a tiny smirk tugged at the corner of his lips at her wit.The playful mood shifted the mom
"Oh no!" Jacyn exclaimed as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. There were black circles around her eyes. She couldn't sleep when she got back to her room last night. She already counted a hundred sheeps but she remained awake. Now she looked like someone had punched her. She quickly moistur
Jacyn followed him as Liam entered a two story villa. It was the Lee Villa. It's an hour drive from the business district. It was on top of a hill and was surrounded by trees.It was a modern designed house. It has neutral colors in it which make it appear classy and manly. It was so spacious inside.
Jacyn was too shocked. She couldn't understand why she had to live with him. Did she really have to do this? Was she really this desperate that she could trade her freedom and her privacy, just to learn and be personally trained by the legendary William Lee? She shook her head in disbelief. She look
"Kring…kring…"Jacyn's standard ringing tone loudly rang. She was still sleepy as she answered the phone without looking at the caller's ID."He-hello!" She was half asleep. She couldn't sleep the night before. She just turned and turned and turned. It was already dawn when she finally fell asleep. "J







