The Chen Group headquarters towered over the skyline like a monument of glass and iron — ruthless, immaculate, and alive with ambition.
Inside its topmost floor, a single file lay open on the long black marble table.
A photograph rested on top of it — Xu Ling's face.
Older, sharper, serene.
She looked nothing like the trembling girl who'd disappeared years ago.
And yet… she was unmistakably her.
-
The five Chen brothers stood around the table, their expressions as different as their roles in the empire they ruled.
Chen Wei, the eldest, leaned against the edge, fingers steepled. "So it's true," he said finally. "She's alive."
Chen Rui, the second, head of international expansion, exhaled sharply. "Alive… and running a jewelry business under another name. Xu Ling. Ling Atelier."
"Xu Ling." The name felt like glass between their teeth — fragile and painful.
At the far end, Chen Heo, the third brother — quiet, composed, eyes deep with guilt — stared at the photo longer than the rest.
"I told you," he murmured. "That necklace we found wasn't a coincidence."
Chen Rui's voice rose. "And you didn't think to tell us immediately?"
Chen Heo met his glare calmly. "I did. You dismissed it, remember? You said I was obsessed with a ghost."
Silence.
Chen Wei broke it. "Enough. We're not repeating the past. We lost her once because we argued instead of acting."
Chen Zian, the fourth, usually carefree, looked unusually serious. "If she's really our sister, then she's been alone all these years. How do we even face her?"
No one answered.
Because every man in that room knew — their wealth couldn't undo what had been done.
Chen Heo opened another folder and slid it across. "Her business was featured in The Artisan Weekly last month. She works with Han Group's fashion subsidiary now. And…"
He hesitated, then placed a second photo on the table — Xu Ling standing beside Wang Zheng.
"…this man has been by her side for years. Wang Zheng. He owns half of Wang Holdings in the southern province. Their family is old money."
Chen Rui leaned forward, scowling. "You're saying she's with him?"
"Possibly," Chen Heo said evenly. "They live together in the same estate, along with her two sons."
The room froze.
"Sons?"
Chen Wei's tone sharpened.
"Twin boys," Heo said quietly. "Around five years old."
No one breathed for several seconds.
---
Chen Zian was the first to speak. "Twins… That means she's—"
"Married," Chen Rui interrupted bitterly. "While we were busy searching the world for her, she was raising another man's children."
Chen Wei's jaw clenched. "You think she owed us her life's details? We let her disappear."
Chen Rui slammed his palm against the table. "We were deceived! She was kidnapped—"
"She ran," Chen Heo said, voice soft but steady. "Not kidnapped. She ran from us."
That stopped everyone.
Chen Heo continued, gaze distant. "I investigated the files. The truth is… she wasn't taken. She chose to disappear after what happened that night. After Li Wei."
Every brother stiffened at that name.
The Li Group's heir. The man once engaged to their cousin.
The man whose scandal nearly destroyed their family's reputation.
And now, the same man whose twins bore Xu Ling's blood.
-
Chen Wei walked toward the window, hands buried in his pockets. "All of us were too busy saving face to save her."
His reflection looked older than he remembered.
"When she needed us most, we called her a disgrace."
Chen Rui fell silent. Chen Zian swallowed hard. Even the youngest, Chen Yiran, looked away.
It wasn't wealth or power that haunted the Chen family — it was guilt.
---
Finally, Chen Wei turned back to them. His voice was cold again, controlled.
"I don't care who she's with. I want her protected."
Chen Rui frowned. "Protected? You mean watched."
"No," Wei said sharply. "Protected. We lost her once. I'll burn the city before it happens again."
Chen Heo's eyes flickered. "You still intend to bring her home?"
"She's our sister."
"But she doesn't remember," Heo reminded him quietly. "And even if she did… she may not want to come back."
Wei's lips thinned. "Then we'll remind her why she should."
---
Private Conversation
After the meeting, Chen Heo lingered alone in the boardroom, staring at Xu Ling's photo.
He reached out, tracing the faint curve of her smile.
"She looks stronger," he murmured. "Maybe stronger without us."
Yiran entered quietly. "Do you think she'll hate us?"
Heo sighed. "If she doesn't, she should."
---
In Another Country
Far away, a courier sealed a confidential letter with the Chen insignia.
Destination: Capital City, Golden Spoon Academy.
Recipient: Madam Song Lihua.
Inside:
> "A woman under your mentorship may hold ties to the Chen family.
Please confirm discreetly.
— C.H."
---
As night fell, Chen Heo stood by the balcony of his private villa, phone in hand.
He typed a single message but didn't send it:
> 'Ling, it's me. Come home.'
Then deleted it before pressing send.
Some wounds, he realized, could only heal when the one who left decided to be found.