The morning sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Feng International boardroom, casting shadows across the room.
The room was hushed, the only sound the soft hum of the central air.
At the head of the table stood CEO Leon Feng, his eyes scanning the room. Next to him, Kaya smoothed the skirt of her fitted black sheath dress and exhaled slowly, bracing herself.
Today was the Formal Introduction Meeting, where she would be officially presented to Feng International's top executives. Her stomach churned with a bit of anxiety, but she tried her best to stay composed, throwing a polite smile every now and then.
Leon cleared his throat.
"Everyone, this is my wife, Ms. Kaya Feng."
The executives, eight men, two women, all nodded politely, throwing her glances. Most appeared curious, and Kaya ignored the thoughts coming to her mind about them.
One, however, caught her full attention. A man, seated to her left, a tall, fastidiously dressed man with dark, tousled hair and piercing green eyes watched her closely. His nameplate read Damien Xu, Senior Vice President, M&A.
His gaze was different, not curious, but appraising, as if he were sizing up not only her skill but her spirit. Kaya found his beauty disarming, unsettling, but she held her calm, tapping her fingers on her thigh.
"Now that the introduction is out of the way, let's get started."
An assistant set down a leather portfolio beside Kaya and Leon opened it and slid a folder toward her.
"There's a joint proposal I want you to talk through with Damien," he said curtly. "He's leading the Eastern acquisition. Walk him through the groundwork you've done."
Kaya shot a brow up and lifted the folder, noting crisp spreadsheets, charts outlining synergy, and notes with her name scrawled in the corner.
This wasn't part of their deal.
She hadn't signed up to be a pawn on the conference table. She was supposed to smile, show up, and look expensive.
But now this?
Was this a test? Or just another reminder that her name on the dotted line meant total obedience?
She steadied her chest, determined to not let him see her squirm.
"Yes, of course," she replied, projecting confidence. She glared at Leon, and he glared back.
Soon after the meeting started, Kaya had no idea what anyone was talking about.
Formulas, capital injections, merger trajectories, debt-to-equity ratios, it all flew past her like wind. Her ears heard English, but her brain processed static.
If someone asked her to repeat even one line from the two-hour meeting, she'd only be able to recite: "PowerPoint slide... something-something synergy."
Still, she nodded when others nodded. Scribbled when others scribbled. Maintained what she hoped looked like "mild corporate intelligence" on her face. This was so hard.
But one thing she did understand?
Damien Xu was watching her.
From across the table, through every shift in topic, his gaze kept slipping toward her. Sometimes openly, sometimes with only a lazy flick of his eyes. And each time, her stomach fluttered in an annoying, treacherous way.
He was ridiculously attractive, all confident edges and that unbothered air of someone who knew how dangerous his smile could be. He was also completely unreadable, calm where Leon was tense, curious where Leon was coiled.
Once, Kaya caught herself staring back and his lips tilted up, all smug.
She quickly looked down, cheeks warm.
Next to her, Leon hadn't looked at her once during the entire meeting.
But the moment Damien laughed softly at something she said, something she didn't even know she'd said, Leon's fingers twitched.
Then, like a razor cutting silk, his voice sliced through the final summary slide.
"That'll be all," Leon said. "Leave."
There was no further discussion. No wrap-up. Just a command.
Chairs scraped as executives rose in unison, gathering their folders. Kaya blinked and quickly rose too, following Leon's lead.
He didn't wait for her. Instead he just turned and strode toward the glass doors of the conference wing, his pace brisk.
Kaya rushed to keep pace, her heels clicking behind him.
"Wait—Leon—"
He didn't slow.
She scurried around to catch up, annoyed. "You could say something."
"I did," he replied coldly. "I said we're leaving."
"Right. Well, you could wait for your wife."
His lip twitched, but it wasn't a smile.
"I didn't marry you to walk beside me, Kaya."
Her mouth opened, but whatever fiery retort she had died the second they turned the corner—And walked right into her.
Even before he saw the curtain of blood-red hair, Leon felt it, a shift in the air, a presence that pressed in like a blade against his spine.
Then she stepped into view.
Wenna.
Her name crashed through his chest like a wrecking ball.
She had the same hair. Same predatory smile. Same unbearable elegance that had once disarmed him and burned him alive.
The cream dress hugged her body like it had been sewn onto her skin, her blazer slung lazily over her elbows like she owned the damn building. Her heels clicked softly against the marble floors, each step a calculated reminder of how composed she still was. How dangerous.
Her gaze locked with his.
And she smiled.
Wicked.
"Well, well," she drawled, her voice like satin soaked in poison. "Look who still favors dramatic exits."
Leon stopped. His entire body locked, breath held like a loaded gun, and his jaw clenched so tightly it sent a white-hot ache into his skull. The polished composure he wore like armor cracked, just for a second and he swallowed.
Kaya was beside him, probably confused, but he didn't care.
Because all he saw was her.
The woman who had shattered him. Not with tears, not with some tragic goodbye, no not that. But with calculation. With betrayal.
She had smiled like this once when she kissed him in his office.
She had smiled just like this the night she walked out wearing his rival's ring and leaving behind a trail of leaked files and destroyed trust.
He didn't speak. Not yet. His hands curled into fists at his sides, knuckles whitening. If he opened his mouth now, he wasn't sure what would come out, words or fury.