Three days had passed since the Charity Gala. The fallout was swift and brutal.
Mark was already on a plane to the Congo, reportedly crying in the economy cabin because Julian had frozen his personal accounts. Chloe had locked herself in the guest villa, refusing to see anyone, claiming "fetal stress."
Peace, it seemed, had finally descended upon the Qin family.
Or so Aria thought.
[Qin Corporation - Top Floor]
Aria walked out of the elevator, carrying a sleek, insulated bento box.
In the past, when she brought food to Mark, she had to sneak past receptionists who looked at her like she was a delivery girl. Today, the secretaries on the top floor stood up and bowed so low their heads almost hit their desks.
"Good morning, Madam!"
"Is Julian in?" Aria asked, adjusting the strap of her bag.
"CEO Qin is in a video conference with the European branch," the head secretary, Linda, said nervously. "But... he has a guest inside."
Aria paused. "A guest? During a conference?"
"Yes. She... she said she had an appointment. She went in about ten minutes ago." Linda looked uncomfortable.
Aria's intuition pricked. Julian was a notorious workaholic. He didn't allow anyone—not even his mother—to interrupt his international meetings.
"I see," Aria said calmly. "I'll go in."
She pushed open the heavy double doors.
The office was vast, dominated by a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the city. Julian sat behind his massive ebony desk, wearing a Bluetooth headset, speaking fluent German.
But he wasn't alone.
Sitting on the edge of his desk—on the desk—was a woman.
She was stunning. She wore a white cashmere dress that screamed "old money," and her long, dark hair cascaded over her shoulders in perfect waves. She was flipping through a file, her legs crossed elegantly, looking entirely at home.
Hearing the door open, the woman looked up. Her eyes were almond-shaped and sharp. She didn't look surprised; she looked annoyed.
Julian glanced up, saw Aria, and immediately held up a hand to the camera. "Entschuldigung. Einen Moment, bitte." (Excuse me. One moment, please.)
He muted the call and took off the headset.
"Aria," Julian said. His voice was calm, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes. Warning? irritation?
The woman on the desk slid off gracefully. She walked toward Aria, looking her up and down with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"So," the woman said, her voice smooth like velvet. "This must be the little wife everyone is talking about. The one who sent Mark to Africa."
Aria held her ground. "And you are?"
The woman laughed softly. She extended a hand, her wrist adorned with a jade bracelet that looked like an antique.
"I'm Isabella Gu," she said. "I suppose you could say... I'm the one who should have been sitting in that chair."
Isabella Gu.
Aria froze internally. She knew that name. Isabella was the daughter of the Gu banking family. A famous violinist who had gone to Vienna three years ago to tour the world. The tabloids used to call her and Julian the "Golden Couple" before she left.
Aria ignored the extended hand. She walked past Isabella and placed the lunch box on the coffee table.
"I see," Aria said, turning back with a polite, professional smile. "Miss Gu, it's a pleasure. I've heard Julian mention you."
Isabella's eyebrows shot up. "He talks about me?"
"Yes," Aria lied smoothly. "He said the Gu family sends excellent tea leaves every year. He wondered why the quality dropped recently."
Isabella's smile stiffened.
"You have a sharp tongue," Isabella noted. She took a step closer, lowering her voice. "Listen, Aria. I know why Julian married you. You were convenient. You were angry at Mark, and Julian needed a shield against his grandmother. It's a perfect symbiotic relationship."
Isabella leaned in, smelling of expensive rose perfume.
"But I'm back now. And unlike you, I don't need a contract to be by his side. Julian and I grew up together. We share a history you can't even imagine."
"Is that so?" Aria asked.
"Look at him," Isabella whispered, nodding toward Julian, who was typing something rapidly on his keyboard. "He hates interruptions. Yet he let me sit in here for twenty minutes. Do you think he would let just anyone do that?"
It was a subtle, psychological attack. Isabella was marking her territory.
"Aria," Julian's voice cut through the tension.
He stood up and walked around the desk. He didn't look at Isabella. He walked straight to Aria.
"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" Julian asked.
"I wanted to surprise you with lunch," Aria said, watching his face closely. "But it seems I interrupted a reunion."
Julian finally looked at Isabella. His expression was bored.
"Isabella, are you still here?" Julian asked.
Isabella blinked, her poise faltering for a second. "Julian, we were discussing the partnership for the upcoming gala—"
"My secretary handles gala partnerships," Julian said coldly. "I let you in because you said your father had a heart attack. I called the hospital. Your father is currently playing golf."
Aria almost laughed out loud.
Isabella's face flushed a delicate shade of pink. "I... I may have exaggerated. I just wanted to see you, Julian. It's been three years."
"And now you've seen me," Julian said. He put a hand on Aria's waist, pulling her flush against his side. "Now, please leave. My wife brought lunch, and I don't like eating with an audience."
Isabella's eyes widened. She looked at Julian's hand on Aria's waist—possessive, firm, natural.
"Julian," Isabella said, her voice trembling with hurt pride. "Grandmother invited me to dinner tonight. She said she missed me. She said... the house feels empty without a real lady present."
It was a direct shot at Aria's background.
Julian's eyes narrowed. "If Grandmother misses you, go visit her. But this is my office. Get out."
Isabella clenched her fists. She glared at Aria—a look of pure venom—before spinning on her heel and marching out.
The door clicked shut.
Aria let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She looked up at Julian.
"She's beautiful," Aria said quietly. "And successful."
"She's annoying," Julian corrected. He led her to the sofa and sat down, opening the lunch box. "And she lies."
"She said you two were the 'Golden Couple'," Aria probed, testing the waters.
Julian paused, holding a pair of chopsticks. He looked at Aria seriously.
"Aria, listen to me. The Gu family and the Qin family have been business partners for decades. Isabella thinks that entitles her to my personal life. It doesn't."
He picked up a piece of braised pork Aria had cooked.
"I married you," Julian said, his eyes locking onto hers. "Not her. Not anyone else. If you are insecure, tell me, and I will have security ban her from the building."
Aria looked at this man—the ruthless Demon King who had just lied to an international conference just to talk to her.
"I'm not insecure," Aria smiled, picking up her own chopsticks. "I just think... tonight's dinner at the Old Manor might be interesting."
Julian groaned. "You want to go?"
"She challenged me," Aria's eyes glinted with a dangerous light. "She said the house needs a 'real lady.' If I don't go, I'm admitting defeat."
Julian smirked. He leaned over and kissed her forehead.
"That's my girl. Eat. You'll need your energy. My grandmother is much worse than Isabella."
[That Evening - The Qin Ancestral Manor]
The atmosphere in the main dining hall was suffocating.
At the head of the table sat Old Madam Qin—Julian's grandmother. She was a formidable woman with silver hair and eyes that judged everything. She had never liked Aria when she was Mark's wife, and she hated her even more now.
To her right sat Isabella, looking demure and pouring tea for the Old Madam.
To her left sat Julian and Aria.
"Isabella has won another award in Vienna," Old Madam Qin said, breaking the silence. She didn't look at Aria. "She is the pride of our circle. Unlike some people, who only know how to cause scandals."
Isabella smiled modestly. "Grandma, you flatter me. I just do what I love."
"Julian," the Old Madam snapped. "You should learn from Isabella. Marriage is about merging noble bloodlines, not picking up strays."
Clang.
Aria set her spoon down. The sound echoed in the silent room.
"Grandmother," Aria said, her voice sweet. "Are you referring to me?"
"Who else?" Old Madam Qin scowled. "You were Mark's wife. Now you are Julian's. It's disgusting. It's incestuous."
"Actually," Aria said, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "Legally, there is no blood relation. And historically, in powerful dynasties, staying within the inner circle prevents assets from leaking out. I am simply... keeping the wealth in the family."
Julian coughed to hide a laugh.
Isabella intervened. "Aria, Grandma is traditional. You shouldn't talk back. In Vienna, we learn that silence is a virtue for a supportive wife."
"In Vienna?" Aria asked, feigning innocence. "That's funny. I read an article last week in Music Monthly. It said your last concert received... mixed reviews. Something about 'lacking soul'?"
Isabella's smile froze. "Critics are often biased."
"Or maybe," Aria continued, her eyes sharp, "you were too distracted trying to return to a country where you no longer have a place."
"You—!" Isabella stood up.
"Sit down," Julian commanded. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried the weight of the family head.
Isabella sank back into her chair, tears welling up. "Julian, she's insulting me!"
"She's stating facts," Julian said calmly. He looked at his grandmother. "Grandmother, if you invited us here to insult my wife, we are leaving."
"You dare?" Old Madam Qin slammed her hand on the table. "For this woman? Julian, I have found a solution. Since Aria cannot produce an heir—"
"Who said she can't?" Julian interrupted.
The table went silent.
Aria looked at Julian, confused. What was he doing?
Julian took a sip of tea, looking completely relaxed.
"We are working on it," Julian lied effortlessly. "Day and night. Very diligently. In fact, we might already be successful."
Old Madam Qin's eyes widened. "What? Is she...?"
Julian shrugged. "It's too early to tell. But I wouldn't want to upset a pregnant woman, would I? It's bad luck for the baby."
He grabbed Aria's hand. "Come, wife. The smoke in here is bad for your health. Let's go home."
He pulled a stunned Aria out of the chair and led her out of the dining hall, leaving Isabella and the Old Madam staring at Aria's flat stomach in shock.