Lin Xiao stood by the window of her bedroom, staring out into the night. The world was quiet, a soft breeze ruffling the curtains, but inside, her heart raced.
Her father's words still echoed in her mind, a deep, chilling whisper that would not go away. "You have what I need, Lin Xiao. Don't be foolish enough to think you can control it." His voice had been cold, almost... disappointed.
She wanted to scream, to shatter something, but instead, she held herself together. She had no choice but to play his game. The stakes were too high. If she gave him the inheritance, she would be a pawn in his endless power struggle. ButLin Xiao's breath came in shallow bursts, her eyes burning from the weight of her thoughts. The inheritance, the share of Lin Group's holdings, it was more than just money or power. It was a tether to the past, to her grandmother's love, to the blood that had spilled in order to keep their family standing. And now, her father wanted it.
He needed it.
Her hand clenched into a fist at her side, her nails digging into the flesh of her palm as she stood there in the darkened room, trying to calm the storm inside her.
The conversation with her father in her past life played over and over in her mind, like a broken record:
"You have no idea how hard I've worked to keep this family afloat," he had said, his voice dripping with that false sincerity he always wore like a mask. "This inheritance isn't just for you, Lin Xiao. It's for us. For the future of this family. Don't let your pride destroy everything your grandmother built."
Lin Xiao had kept her composure, but it took everything inside her not to laugh, not to scream at him. She had been so small in his eyes for so many years, nothing more than a tool to further his ambition. And now, with her grandmother's will, she was finally something else: a person capable of standing her ground. But what good was it if no one would ever see her?
She closed her eyes, her mind drifting back to the memory of her stepmother's harsh, biting words, and the cold silence of her father's neglect.
From a young age, she had been a shadow in their home. Her stepmother, always cruel, always unrelenting in her verbal abuse. And her father, more interested in the business deals that took him away from home than the daughter who had been left behind. He'd never raised a hand to her—no, it was something far worse. The neglect. The disregard for her as a person, as though she were invisible, as though she didn't matter.
And the worst part? She had believed it. For years, she had believed she was nothing. That the world had given up on her before she could even take her first breath.
The sounds of laughter from downstairs broke through her thoughts, the distant clinking of glasses, her father's booming voice. A family gathering. The irony of it didn't escape her—he wanted to pretend that everything was fine, that the family had some semblance of unity, when in reality, it was fractured beyond repair.
She turned her back to the window and walked towards the desk, pulling out the letter from her grandmother once more. She read it again, feeling the warmth of her grandmother's words seep through the paper.
A bittersweet lump formed in her throat. How could she carry this weight alone? How could she stand against the very man who had been the root of her suffering?
---
The next morning, Lin Xiao didn't return to her usual routine. Instead of heading straight to school, she went to the library. It was a place that had always felt safe, even when her world outside felt like it was crumbling. The library was a fortress of silence, of knowledge, and, for the first time in a long while, she allowed herself to breathe deeply.
Her hands shook as she sifted through the books, the sound of the pages turning louder in her ears than anything else.
A soft voice interrupted her concentration.
"You're not in class today?"
Lin Xiao looked up, startled. It was Li Wei. His warm eyes, as usual, held an understanding she wasn't sure she was ready for.
"I needed to clear my head," she said softly, her voice betraying the fatigue she'd been carrying for far too long.
He stepped closer, concern written on his face. "You know… you don't have to carry everything by yourself."
Lin Xiao stiffened. She wasn't ready for this. Not yet.
"I'm fine," she said quickly, more sharply than she intended.
Li Wei didn't push, but his gaze lingered for a moment longer than necessary. He understood her reluctance to open up, but it didn't make the distance between them any easier to ignore.
"I'm here," he said quietly, before turning to leave.
As he walked away, Lin Xiao felt a pang in her chest, but she quickly buried it. He couldn't know. No one could know.
Her past—her real past—was a burden she had to carry alone. Even if she had to suffer silently, she would.
---
Later that day, Lin Xiao was summoned to the study by her father.
The atmosphere was thick with tension as she stepped into the room, where he sat behind his massive oak desk, papers scattered across its surface. His face was unreadable, but his eyes glinted with that familiar coldness.
"I've been thinking, Lin Xiao," he began, his voice clipped. "You're at an age where you should start acting like the head of the family. This inheritance—this responsibility—it's too much for you to handle alone. Don't you think it's time you handed it over?"
She stood there, heart pounding, resisting the urge to scream. She had heard these words before, many times, but now they felt like a knife in her chest.
"What exactly are you asking?" she replied, her voice steady, even though every part of her wanted to lash out.
"I'm asking you to do what's right. Give the shares to me, and I'll take care of everything. For the family's sake."
Lin Xiao clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. "And what makes you think I'd ever trust you with that? You've never cared for me, Father. Not once."
His face tightened, a flicker of irritation crossing his features. "Don't be foolish. You owe it to your family to support your father. You don't have a choice."
Her eyes narrowed, a cold, sharp edge creeping into her voice. "Maybe I do."
The silence between them was heavy, suffocating. She could see the anger building in his eyes, but there was something else there, too—something that reminded her of the man he had been when she was younger. He was still trying to control her. To manipulate her.
But Lin Xiao wasn't the same girl she had been before.
"I'm not giving you the inheritance, Father. Not now. Not ever."
For the first time, her father's gaze faltered. His lips thinned, but the disappointment in his eyes only fueled the fire inside her.
---
As Lin Xiao left the study, she knew things had changed. She had made her choice. The road ahead would be filled with obstacles, with more arguments and betrayal. But she was no longer afraid.
Her father might have tried to break her, but she had survived.