Wang Yin sat in her luxury apartment, her fingers tapping impatiently against the marble table. She had been waiting for a call, but there was nothing. No message. No confirmation.
Something was wrong.
Her phone finally rang. She picked it up immediately.
"Did you do it?" she asked coldly.
On the other end, a voice replied, "There was a problem."
Wang Yin's grip tightened on the phone. "What do you mean?"
"The plan failed. Zi Ning is unharmed."
Wang Yin's eyes darkened. "You had one job!"
The man's voice remained calm. "It wasn't just bad luck. They were expecting it. Lu Yichen was watching closely. He knew."
Wang Yin slammed her hand on the table. "How?"
"I don't know. But someone tipped them off. We lost our chance."
Wang Yin clenched her teeth. She had spent time planning this carefully. It was supposed to be perfect—Zi Ning would have an 'accident' at the gala, and no one would suspect anything. Instead, she had failed.
"This isn't over," she said in a low voice. "I will make her disappear, one way or another."
Zi Ning sat in Lu Yichen's office, sipping tea as she read the latest news. The reports were filled with the incident at the charity gala, though the media only mentioned that a 'suspicious individual' had been arrested.
There was no mention of poison. No mention of an assassination attempt.
Zi Ning set her cup down. "She won't stop."
Lu Yichen leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping against the desk. "Of course not. She's desperate now."
She nodded. "Then we need to act first."
Lu Yichen smirked. "That's exactly what I was thinking."
Zi Ning leaned forward. "What's our next move?"
Lu Yichen's eyes gleamed dangerously. "We make her think she's winning. Let her believe she still has control. Then, we destroy her from the inside."
Zi Ning smiled. "I like the sound of that."
The next morning, Zi Ning arrived at the film set for her latest project. The moment she stepped out of her car, reporters swarmed toward her, their cameras flashing.
"Miss Zi Ning! Is it true someone tried to harm you at the charity gala?"
"Do you know who was behind it?"
"Was this an attack because of your growing success?"
Zi Ning smiled calmly. "I appreciate everyone's concern, but I'm perfectly fine. I believe in justice, and I trust the authorities to handle this matter."
Her words were graceful, confident. She didn't deny the attack, but she also didn't give them too much information.
As she walked past them, whispers filled the air.
"Who would want to hurt her?"
"Is it a jealous rival?"
"Some people say Wang Yin might be involved…"
Zi Ning's lips curled slightly. The public was already suspecting the truth. She didn't need to do anything—people would connect the dots themselves.
And that was exactly what she wanted.
Meanwhile, Wang Yin sat in her office, scrolling through the latest headlines. Her face twisted with anger.
Zi Ning had turned the situation around once again. Instead of being seen as a victim, she now appeared even stronger. Public sympathy was on her side.
"That bitch," Wang Yin muttered under her breath.
Her assistant hesitated before speaking. "Miss Wang, should we make a public statement?"
Wang Yin narrowed her eyes. "No. The moment I say something, people will think I'm guilty. We need to be careful."
"But what if someone finds out—"
"They won't." Wang Yin's voice was sharp. "Now leave me. I need to think."
As her assistant walked out, Wang Yin's mind raced. She needed a new plan. Something bigger. Something that would ruin Zi Ning completely.
And this time, she wouldn't fail.
That evening, Zi Ning was in her apartment when she received an unexpected call.
It was from an unknown number.
She hesitated for a moment before answering. "Hello?"
A distorted voice came through. "Miss Zi Ning. If you want to know the truth about your past, come to the old factory near the docks. Come alone."
Zi Ning's grip on the phone tightened. "Who is this?"
The line went dead.
She stared at her phone, her heart pounding.
The truth about her past?
She had spent years trying to piece together her lost memories. Could this be a trap?
Most likely.
But what if it wasn't?
Lu Yichen arrived at her apartment an hour later. When she told him about the call, his expression turned cold.
"It's a setup," he said immediately.
"I know," Zi Ning replied. "But I still have to go."
Lu Yichen shook his head. "It's too dangerous."
Zi Ning sighed. "Yichen, I can't ignore this. What if there's really something about my past that I need to know?"
His jaw tightened. "Then I'll go with you."
"The caller told me to come alone," she reminded him.
Lu Yichen's eyes darkened. "That doesn't mean I'll let you go unprotected."
She smiled softly. "I know. And I wouldn't expect you to."
Lu Yichen exhaled slowly. "Fine. But you're not going in blind. My men will be stationed nearby."
Zi Ning nodded. "Agreed."
Later that night, Zi Ning arrived at the old factory near the docks. The air was cold, and the place was eerily quiet.
She took careful steps forward, every sense on high alert. She knew Lu Yichen's men were nearby, watching, ready to step in if anything went wrong.
Suddenly, a shadow moved in the darkness.
Zi Ning turned sharply. "Who's there?"
A man stepped out. He was wearing a mask, his face hidden.
"You came," he said in a low voice.
"Who are you?" Zi Ning demanded.
The man chuckled. "Someone who knows the truth."
Zi Ning clenched her fists. "Then tell me."
The man tilted his head. "Your real family… They're still looking for you."
Zi Ning's breath caught. "What?"
"That's right," the man continued. "The powerful family you lost as a child… They never stopped searching for you."
Her heart pounded. Could it be true?
"Who are they?" she asked.
The man took a step closer. "You will find out soon enough. But first… you need to survive the night."
Before Zi Ning could react, more figures emerged from the shadows.
An ambush.
Zi Ning's eyes flashed.
She had walked into a trap.
But they had made one mistake.
They thought she was alone.
And they were about to find out how wrong they were.