Lu Zhe's confusion morphed into irritation as he yanked at his tie. "You'd better not be playing games, Lila. I despise people who try to pull one over on me."
Lila's heart raced, her pulse hammering. "I'm not!" she said softly, her voice steady despite the tremor in her chest. "You saw the video today—I didn't do anything. I was framed."
"And the jade pendant?" Lu Zhe's icy tone cut her off, sharp as a blade.
"That wasn't me either," she replied quickly. "Check the cameras. Hire a detective. I have nothing to hide."
Her sincerity was disarming, her calm unshaken. Lu Zhe's brow furrowed, his face an unreadable mask. Suddenly, he seized her collar, pulling her close, his voice low and menacing. "I don't know what you're after, but if you dare harm me or my family, you'll regret it."
His breath was hot against her skin, a heady mix of tobacco and cologne that sent her senses reeling. Every instinct screamed to lean into him, but she forced herself to stay composed. "I have no agenda," she said, her voice soft but firm. "This engagement was your grandmother's choice, not mine."
"You'd better be telling the truth," he growled, his words dripping with the ruthless edge he'd honed in boardroom battles. "Because I don't let traitors off easy."
Lila's heart sank. She knew he felt nothing for her—less than a stranger, even. Her eyes flickered with fleeting hurt, but she masked it with a faint smile. "Understood."
A heavy silence fell, his commanding presence still pinning her in place. Her body was inches from his, her scent mingling with his in the air, dizzying her senses.
A sudden scream shattered the tension.
"S-sorry! I got a call to come here—I'll leave!"
The maid's voice snapped Lila back to reality. She glanced over her shoulder and froze—Lu Zhe was so close, their silhouettes could be mistaken for a kiss. If anyone saw this, the gossip would torch her reputation.
She opened her mouth to speak, but Lu Zhe had already released her, striding out without a backward glance, his oppressive aura vanishing like smoke.
Lila took a shaky breath, steadied herself, and followed him out.
From a distance, she watched Lu Zhe mingle with guests, his face a perfect mask of indifference, as if their charged moment never happened. She kept her distance, playing the part of the composed fiancée.
By 3 p.m., the banquet wound down, guests trickling out. Vanessa swayed toward her, tipsy and smirking. "Lila, congrats again!"
Lila's lips curved into a frosty smile. "Thanks, sister. Your 'special gift' was… unforgettable."
Her icy glare sobered Vanessa, who faltered but quickly recovered, stumbling "accidentally" into Lu Zhe's arms. Jo An stormed over, yanking her back. "Have some shame! Get out of here with your mother!"
Vanessa's eyes brimmed with crocodile tears, shooting Lu Zhe a pitiful glance. "Lu Zhe, we'll head out. Let's catch up soon—"
Jo An's warning glare silenced her. She and Susan slunk away, tails between their legs.
Jo An patted Lila's hand warmly. "Lu Zhe, today was a mess. Lila's been through a lot."
"It's fine," Lu Zhe said, his smile cool and detached. "No reporter dares publish a word without my say-so."
Jo An nodded, relieved, then placed Lila's hand in Lu Zhe's. "Lila, you're engaged and living with the Lu family now, but come home often. This family's future rests on you."
Lila felt Lu Zhe's hand tense, but he didn't pull away. The warmth of his touch sent a quiet thrill through her, despite everything.
She knew Jo An's warmth was strategic—pushing her to charm Lu Zhe for business leverage. After all, he'd only adopted her from the orphanage to polish his public image for the company's IPO. When Vanessa's lies tanked the stock price last life, he'd cut her off without a second thought.
Still, he was her foster father. She'd repay him, but on her terms.
"Got it," she said with a faint smile.
Jo An showered Lu Zhe with a few more compliments before leaving.
Lu Zhe's gaze lingered on Lila for a moment, then he withdrew his hand and walked away.
Lila stared at the spot he'd touched, a bittersweet smile flickering across her face.
As she prepared to call a cab, she spotted Lu Zhe's sleek, limited-edition Rolls-Royce Phantom idling at the entrance. The driver waved her over. "Young Madam, you're engaged now. You should ride in the Lu family car. Master's orders."
Lu Zhe's orders? Lila's heart skipped. Through the tinted window, she glimpsed his familiar profile, and a warmth spread through her chest.
"Young Madam, please hurry—the cars behind are piling up."
Lila hesitated, then slid into the backseat, keeping as much distance as possible, practically hugging the window.
"Why're you sitting so far?" Lu Zhe's voice was clipped, his eyes still on his phone.
"You… don't like me too close," she mumbled, her voice fading.
He scoffed. "When did I say that? Hiding like that makes people think of today's video. It's bad for the company's image."
Lila's breath caught. So that was it. He didn't care about her—just the Lu family's reputation. Still, sharing this space felt like a small miracle, something she'd never dared dream of.
She edged closer, stealing glances at his chiseled jaw. His low voice broke the silence. "If you've got something to say, spit it out. I hate beating around the bush."
Lila flushed, hesitating, then blurted, "Lu Zhe… do you like Vanessa?"
The question detonated in the car like a bomb. Lu Zhe's brow creased, his silence stretching painfully long—no denial, no answer.
The quiet crushed her, her heart twisting in her chest. Finally, she bit her lip. "Never mind. I get it."
She closed her eyes, a wave of despair washing over her. She loved him, fiercely, but to him, her feelings were nothing.
The car grew stifling, neither speaking again.
At the Lu mansion, Lila retreated to her room, curling up on the bed. "That man… he's never truly seen me," she whispered, forcing her heart to harden. She had to rein in her love and focus Four years ago, her birth mother, Elian, was hit by a car, left in a vegetative state. Orphaned at six, Lila landed in a welfare home.
Jo An, sniffing a PR opportunity, adopted her to burnish his image for his company's IPO. In exchange, the Jo family covered Elian's medical bills. Lila became their "foster daughter," but never family—more like a prop.
"Mom, grab something—smother her!"
"Lu Zhe, you think I'd frame her? Am I that kind of person?"
Vanessa's venomous words echoed in her mind. Lila had trusted her "sister," only to be betrayed time and again, pushed into an abyss of lies.
And Lu Zhe, her only light, had always looked at her with contempt.
In school, she'd bared her heart publicly: "Lu Zhe, I love you—"
He'd smirked, shattering her handmade gift. "What's that got to do with me?"
Her crush became the campus joke.
"Stop pretending. You make me sick," he'd say, his favorite jab.
She'd thought herself the ugly duckling, content to love him from afar, even without reciprocation.
Then fate threw her a lifeline.
At Vanessa's side during Lu Zhe's grandmother's birthday banquet, Lila stood awkwardly in a cheap dress, mocked by the elite. But Grandma Lu took her hand, eyes soft with recognition. "Lila, would you marry my grandson?"
It felt like a dream. Grandma Lu saw her long-lost daughter in Lila, and just like that, Lila's life changed—she was engaged to Lu Zhe.
But it was Grandma Lu's wish, not his.
"Grandma, we're not right for each other," he'd argued repeatedly.
"Lila's a good girl. You will marry her," she'd insisted.
He relented, but never accepted her.
"Lila, can you stop being such a joke in my life?" he'd say, as if her existence stained his world.
She'd endured the scorn, the whispers, just to stay near him.
How pathetic, she thought now, laughing bitterly.
Hot water cascaded over her in the shower, washing away the day's chaos. She sank into bed, exhaustion pulling her under, and for the first time, she felt a sliver of peace.
The next morning, she woke at 10 a.m. to her phone buzzing with missed calls from Wendy, her bubbly, loyal friend—one of the few who'd always had her back.
"Lila! I heard about the engagement drama—ugh, I'm fuming! You're the star, and they treated you like that?" Wendy ranted, her voice a comforting whirlwind.
Lila's nose stung, tears pricking her eyes. Why am I so emotional this time around?
"Lila, let's get part-time jobs!" Wendy chirped, shifting gears. "I'm broke, and my wish list's a mile long."
"Count me in," Lila agreed.
The Jo family paid for her mother's care but kept Lila's allowance meager, claiming it "built character." Vanessa, meanwhile, got ten times as much. Last life, Lila and Wendy worked side jobs until graduation. This time, Lila knew exactly what she wanted.
"I found us gigs at the city's top upscale restaurant!" Wendy said. "Daily pay, great perks, and tons of networking opps!"
Lila knew the place—packed with elite clientele, a hub for power players. She confirmed the interview details, aced it, and three days later, they'd start.