The world had changed in the span of a single year.
Empire City was no longer ruled by the name "Xu."
It belonged to Ella Lin—the woman who had risen from ashes, who had clawed her way back from humiliation and betrayal, and now stood at the peak of the financial world, her name whispered with reverence… and fear.
At the Lin Global International Summit, every influential figure—presidents, billionaires, royals—sat in silent awe as Ella took the stage.
She was no longer the desperate woman who once stood under a man's shadow.
Tonight, she was their queen.
A tailored crimson power suit hugged her perfect curves, her heels clicking like the final tolling of a death bell. Diamond earrings gleamed under the spotlight as she stepped up to the podium.
Behind her, a massive digital screen lit up—Lin Global Acquires Xu International. Effective Immediately.
The audience erupted into chaos.
Gasps. Whispers. Shouts of disbelief.
And then the final blow:
The news ticker scrolled mercilessly—
Leon Xu Declared Bankrupt. All Remaining Assets Seized. Public Auction Scheduled.
Meanwhile, across the ocean, in the dim, crumbling remnants of what was once his empire, Leon Xu sat slumped in a broken leather chair.
The mansion was abandoned, the walls cracked and stained with the remains of a forgotten glory.
His once-powerful hands trembled as he poured the last glass of cheap whiskey, the liquid sloshing out over the edge.
His eyes—bloodshot, empty—fixed on the glowing screen of the tiny, outdated television flickering in the corner.
And there she was.
Ella Lin.
Standing under the spotlight, smiling coldly as she delivered the final blow he never recovered from.
"This is the end of an era," she declared on live television. "And the rise of a new one. My era. A world where no woman will ever have to kneel for the approval of a man again."
Her words were a blade straight to his chest.
He laughed bitterly, his voice hollow, his once-commanding figure now gaunt and fragile.
"You really did it, Ella… You burned me to the ground."
He staggered to his feet, wandering out into the cold, rain-soaked streets.
From the mighty emperor of Empire City… to a man no one recognized.
Cars sped by without a glance. Strangers passed him, unaware they walked by the man who once controlled their destinies.
He fell to his knees in the middle of the street, rain pouring over his broken body, his eyes searching the endless sky for a salvation that would never come.
"Ella… even now… I can't stop loving you."