The underground parking garage was still, cloaked in shadows.
As the car engine hummed to life, Ethan Jiang cast a sidelong glance at the girl beside him. His voice was calm, but beneath it stirred something quieter, heavier.
"Had a fight with Adrian?"
Elena Shen shook her head, eyes downcast as she absently fidgeted with her phone.
"No."
More than two decades ago, the Shen and Jiang families reigned supreme in Huaihai City's elite circles. Their longstanding alliance culminated in a marriage arrangement the moment Elena was born.
But the fairytale didn't last.
At ten, Elena lost her parents in a tragic accident. The Shen enterprise collapsed almost overnight. The Jiang family stepped in, using their influence to rescue what remained of the company—and took Elena in as one of their own.
The Jiangs had two sons. Ethan, seven years her senior, was already studying abroad when she arrived. The one she saw every day, shared meals and seasons with, was Adrian Jiang—Ethan's younger brother, just two years older than her.
They'd grown up under the same roof, their lives stitched together by routine and shared memories.
In school, Adrian was her quiet guardian.
At home, her steady companion.
On stormy nights, when the mansion echoed too loudly with silence, it was Adrian who sat with her until she could sleep.
Everyone thought they were meant to be. Elena thought so too—until everything changed two years ago.
Adrian became distant, almost cold.
It took time for her to understand. When the truth landed, it left cracks she hadn't expected.
He didn't want the engagement.
He didn't want a life already decided for him.
And she—the girl promised to him since childhood—had become the symbol of that unwanted future.
She'd never imagined breaking off the engagement. It had been part of her identity, a silent thread in every family gathering, every fond smile from the Jiangs.
But once reality set in, she didn't cry or plead. She simply packed her things and moved out under the pretense of needing to be closer to university. That way, she and Adrian could spare each other the daily awkwardness.
She hadn't planned on returning for the Mid-Autumn Festival either. After weeks of grinding academic deadlines, she'd looked forward to a break in solitude.
What she didn't expect was Ethan's return from abroad.
Maybe this was the moment she needed. The right time to end the engagement, once and for all, with dignity.
—
The Jiang estate was nestled in the heart of Huaihai's most exclusive district. The villa loomed ahead, every line of its architecture speaking of old money and tradition.
As the car rolled into the driveway, Elena stared at the familiar façade—unchanged, intimidating in its grandeur—until Ethan parked in front of the house.
The mansion was unusually quiet.
No Mr. or Mrs. Jiang. Just the soundless movement of the house staff.
Seeing her glance around, Ethan removed his coat and said casually, "Their flight was delayed. They'll be back in the morning."
Elena nodded politely.
Ethan's gaze lingered. Though this was the house she'd grown up in, she stood at the threshold like a guest—tense, uncertain.
For a fleeting moment, he almost reached out to pat her head, the way Adrian used to when she was upset. He wanted to tell her to relax, that she didn't have to tiptoe around.
That this was still her home.
But the moment passed. He didn't move.
They had never been close.
And he wasn't Adrian.
Instead, he said quietly, "You've been quiet all the way here. Tired?"
He studied her face.
"What would you like to eat? I'll have Uncle Li arrange it."
Her lips curved into a faint, polite smile—gracious, distant.
"I already ate at school. No need to trouble Uncle Li."
She added quickly, "Your phone's been ringing nonstop. You probably have urgent work. I'll head upstairs, so I don't disturb you."
Without waiting for a reply, she turned and climbed the spiral staircase, never once looking back.
Uncle Li appeared just then, but Ethan stopped him with a quiet question.
"She always goes straight to her room like that?"
The old man paused. It wasn't often Ethan asked about anyone.
"She doesn't come home often. But when she does, after a quick chat with Mr. and Mrs. Jiang, she usually heads straight upstairs."
Ethan said nothing.
After a long silence, he began rolling up his sleeves.
He was a hard man to read—Stoic, reserved. Even Uncle Li, who had served the Jiang family his whole life, couldn't quite decipher him.
As the housekeeper debated whether to prepare dinner, Ethan's phone rang again.
He answered.
"Mr. Jiang, the cross-border conference starts in thirty minutes," his assistant Eric reported.
"Proceed as scheduled or should I postpone?"
Ethan checked his watch.
"Proceed. Notify the board."
Before heading to the studies, he gave Uncle Li one last instruction.
"No dinner for me. But prepare a late-night snack for Elena."
—
Upstairs, Elena lay sprawled on the bed, chin propped in one hand, phone pressed to her ear.
"I got the USB," she said. "Want me to drop it off tomorrow, or wait till we're back at school?"
Annie groaned at the other end.
"Ugh, no chance. My dad's lost his mind, and my brother's only making it worse. I argued with them all day, and now I'm basically under house arrest."
Elena laughed softly, twirling the USB drive between her fingers.
As always, Annie's mood flipped like a switch.
"Hey," she said suddenly, mischief in her voice.
"Heard Ethan Jiang's back."
Elena hummed in acknowledgment.
Annie's family moved into the same elite circles, and her older brother was close friends with Ethan. Of course, she knew about the engagement pact between the Jiang and Shen families.
Elena thought it was a casual comment.
Until Annie said, "I have an idea."
"What idea?" Elena asked, already suspicious.
There was a rustle on the other end—like Annie was moving around, plotting something ridiculous.
Then her voice came through, gleeful and unhinged.
"If Adrian doesn't want the engagement... why not try Ethan instead?"
Elena sat bolt upright.
"Annie! Are you out of your mind?"
Was she serious?
She and Ethan were practically strangers. In the past ten years, they'd exchanged fewer words than she could count on one hand.
He was distant, unreadable, and frankly... intimidating.
But Annie wasn't done.
"Come on. Just think about it. Ethan checks every box—tall, rich, dangerous—"
"Stop." Elena cut her off, nearly shouting. "Enough with the terrible ideas." Go deal with your dad. I've got things to do. Bye."
She hung up, sighing as she massaged her temples, Annie's words still echoing in her skull.
Then came a soft knock at the door.
Startled, Elena got up and opened it.
Uncle Li stood there with a tray in hand.
"Miss Elena," he said kindly. "Mr. Ethan had the kitchen prepare a snack and some fruit for you."
Elena blinked in surprise, then stepped aside.
"Thank you, Uncle Li. And… please thank my brother for me."
As he set the tray down, something occurred to her.
"Ethan just got back. He probably hasn't eaten either. Could you have something prepared for him too?"
Uncle Li smiled.
"The kitchen already has. But Mr. Ethan is in a meeting. I'll deliver it to him later. Get some rest, Miss Elena."
The house was vast and quiet, too quiet.
Though her body begged for rest, her mind was still alert. She picked up her laptop and moved to the couch, editing her research project until time slipped away.
When she finally looked at the clock, it was past ten.
Exhausted, she tossed the laptop aside and reached for her phone to reply to Annie's string of dramatic voice notes.
Her eyes were dry from staring at screens. She stood, still texting, and made her way toward the stairs for some water.
It was 10:18 p.m.
She didn't bother turning on the hallway lights—afraid of disturbing Ethan. The soft sconces lining the wall were enough.
Eyes on her screen, she was too distracted to notice the figure coming up the stairs from below.
The collision happened in an instant.
She stumbled forward—straight into a hard chest.
Her phone slipped from her fingers. She gasped, lurching back—only to remember too late that the stairs were behind her.
But before gravity could take her, a hand shot out and caught her waist, steadying her with swift precision.
Her phone clattered against the railing and began to fall—but Elena managed to catch it just in time.
Heart hammering, she looked up.
Straight into Ethan Jiang's eyes.