Zhi Hao sat silently in the driver's seat, his eyes fixed on the white folder resting on the passenger seat.
Inside were the agreements he had signed with Zhi Lia.
A line drawn in ink.
A warning.
A chance.
He picked up the folder, stepped out of the car, and entered the mansion.
⸻
Zhi Hao's Residence
The moment he walked into the living room, he saw his wife, Fa Liling, seated beside his father, Zhi Fu.
The atmosphere was tense.
When Zhi Fu saw his son, he immediately stood up and strode toward him.
"Zhi Hao! How did it go? Did you persuade Zhi Lia to return my shares? What about your company?"
He grabbed his son's arm urgently.
"The important thing now is that we plan carefully how to take everything back from that brat! We were careless—that's why we're in this situation. Don't worry, I already have a plan to save your company!"
Before Zhi Hao could respond, Fa Liling stood as well, anger written across her face.
"Zhi Hao! Your cousin is too ruthless! How could she treat us like this? If your company collapses, how are we supposed to survive?"
She was trembling with fury.
Not only was her husband's company nearly ruined, but her own father—who had worked at Zhi Corporation for decades—had been dismissed the moment Zhi Lia took power.
If things continued this way, their future would be destroyed.
And she was pregnant.
Zhi Hao sighed and gently removed his father's hand from his sleeve before walking toward his wife.
He softened his voice.
"Liling, don't worry about the company anymore. You should rest. Stress isn't good for the baby."
At the mention of the child, his expression shifted.
He had once believed their unborn child would become the first grandchild of the Zhi Family's next generation. That hope had fueled his father's ambition—and his own silence.
He had opposed the schemes at first.
But he had turned a blind eye, thinking of the benefits it would bring to his child.
Now, he realized how close they had come to ruin.
He turned to face his father.
"Dad, from now on, stay out of Zhi Corporation's affairs. Do not interfere with Zhi Lia again."
Zhi Fu's face darkened instantly.
"What do you mean by that?" he snapped. "Stay out? I worked for that company for decades! It was almost within my reach!"
His eyes narrowed.
"Is the only reason your company is recovering because you allied yourself with Zhi Lia? What nonsense is this?"
Fa Liling stared at her husband in disbelief.
"Is that true? You sided with her? She expelled my father—and Father-in-law! How could you?"
Zhi Hao's patience thinned.
"I don't care about Zhi Corporation anymore," he said firmly. "It's better that we stay away from her. You should be grateful she only removed you from the company and didn't destroy us completely."
He looked directly at his father.
"As for my business—I have over a thousand employees depending on it. I cannot let it collapse. I have responsibilities beyond this family's internal fight."
"Ungrateful child!" Zhi Fu roared. "I will not accept this! Zhi Corporation should have been mine!"
Seeing his father losing control, Zhi Hao signaled the servants.
"Take him to his room. Let him calm down."
The servants hesitated but obeyed, escorting Zhi Fu away despite his protests.
When the living room fell silent, Zhi Hao turned to Fa Liling and held her hands.
"There's no point fighting Zhi Lia," he said quietly. "Be thankful the company is still intact. As for your father, I'll handle it. Just trust me."
Fa Liling exhaled deeply.
She had seen what Zhi Lia accomplished in only one week—taking over the corporation and reshaping it entirely. A twenty-two-year-old woman who could do that was not someone they could confront recklessly.
Reluctantly, she nodded.
⸻
One Month Later
After lying in a coma for nearly a month, Zhi Lia's father finally regained consciousness.
However, upon learning about Zhi Lei's death and the upheaval within the family, he suffered another attack. His health deteriorated rapidly.
Zhi Lia understood.
Grief could not be forced away.
She decided to move out of the ancestral residence and relocate to Cherry Blossom Hills, giving her father space to recover and distance himself from corporate matters.
Cheng Rou supported the decision.
"It's better for your father to focus on his health," she said gently. "You and your brother can handle everything else."
⸻
Cherry Blossom Hills
When Zhi Lia moved into the villa at Cherry Blossom Hills, Zhi Shun followed almost immediately.
He clung to her shamelessly.
"Lia-er, let your big brother stay," he insisted. "While you're busy at the company, who will take care of my adorable nephew? I won't allow some random nanny to raise him!"
Zhi Lia gave him a blank look.
She knew perfectly well why he wanted to stay.
Little Xiu.
"If you find me a suitable husband to help raise him, I'll move out," Zhi Shun added dramatically.
Her expression remained indifferent.
As if she had time—or any intention—to marry.
"Shun-ge," she replied calmly, "I don't need a man. Little Xiu is enough."
Zhi Shun slapped his forehead.
"Lia-er, when Little Xiu grows up and asks about his father, what will you tell him?"
For the first time, she fell silent.
A shadow flickered in her eyes.
After a long pause, she answered softly,
"If he ever asks… tell him his father is dead."
The room grew quiet.
Zhi Shun studied her carefully.
The topic of Little Xiu's father had always been sensitive. He had many questions—but seeing the guarded look in her eyes, he chose not to press further.
He would wait.
Zhi Lia turned her gaze toward the window, where cherry blossoms swayed gently in the wind.
If she could, she would erase everything that had happened in Spain.
Erase the pain.
Erase the betrayal.
All she wanted now—
Was for Little Xiu to grow up peacefully.
Even if she had to carry the past alone.