*Chapter 17: The Weight of Silence*
Back in the penthouse, silence thickened like fog. Zhao Liang retreated into his study, leaving Li Xue alone in the glittering emptiness. She curled on the couch, Mei Yan's words echoing in her mind: Don't let him erase you.
She opened her sketchbook — one of the few remnants of her old self. Her pencil moved hesitantly at first, then more freely, tracing lines of a face she could never forget. His face.
When she realized what she had drawn, her hand trembled. She tried to rip out the page, but Zhao Liang's voice cut through the silence.
"Don't."
She froze, her heart racing as he approached. His eyes flickered to the sketch — his own likeness, softened by her gaze, captured with the care of someone who loved too deeply.
For a long moment, he said nothing. Then, with a low scoff, he turned away. "You waste your talent on lies."
The words stabbed deeper than any blade. Tears welled in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She pressed her hand to the page, silently promising herself she would not let his cruelty destroy the fragments of her that still remained.