Morning arrived with a chill that wrapped itself around Zhen Corporation like a warning.
Lian Yue stepped out of the elevator, every eye in the building turning toward her.
Whispers followed her like shadows.
> "Did you see the post?"
"They said she begged Wei Jun for years…"
"There were letters—love letters—from her to him…"
They thought she couldn't hear.
But she heard every word.
Her expression didn't shift even once.
Mei Rong hurried behind her, nearly tripping. "Madam Yue—the rumors are spreading faster than we thought. The account keeps posting new 'evidence.'"
"Evidence?" Yue repeated coldly.
"Yes. Scans of handwritten letters… photos from years ago…" Mei lowered her voice. "Some of it looks edited, but people are believing it."
Yue let out a slow breath. "Of course they are. People always choose messy lies over calm truth."
She reached her office door—
But it opened from the inside before she touched it.
Rian Zhao stepped out.
Dark suit. Cold expression.
The type of aura that made silence fall instantly.
"Someone is trying very hard," he said, eyes locking with hers. "But their mistake was believing I would let it continue."
He handed her a tablet.
On the screen was the rumor account—already suspended.
Yue blinked. "That was fast."
"I found the server location," he said simply. "And shut it down."
She stared at him for a moment too long. "You didn't have to—"
"I did," he interrupted softly. "Because they attacked what is mine."
Her heart skipped, just once.
---
Meanwhile — Lin Xinya's Apartment
Lin Xinya slammed her phone against the bed.
"What do you mean the account is gone?! It was working perfectly!" she yelled.
A man sitting on the couch smirked lazily. He wore a hoodie, cap, and a mocking smile.
"You're asking a lot, sweetheart. I told you—going against the Zhao family isn't something normal people do."
Lin Xinya glared. "Are you backing out?"
"I'm just saying," he shrugged, "your ex-boyfriend's fiancée is protected by someone way smarter than you."
Her eyes darkened.
"We'll see about that. If rumors don't work… I'll use something better."
The man tilted his head. "What?"
She smirked.
"Truth."
---
Back at the Company
Rian and Yue sat together in her office.
For the first time, there was no awkwardness — only an unspoken partnership.
"Whoever leaked those letters wasn't just desperate," Yue said. "They knew my past."
Rian's eyes softened, the faintest bit. "Someone close to you, then."
Yue thought for a moment.
Lin Xinya… Wei Jun… but something didn't feel right.
"Even in my past life," she murmured, "Xinya never crossed the line like this."
Rian leaned back in the chair, observing her closely.
"You seem troubled."
"I'm not troubled," she said.
"I'm remembering."
His voice lowered.
"Then remember this as well—whoever touches you from now on will answer to me."
Her pulse quickened.
She pretended not to notice.
---
The Hidden Threat
As the day moved on, things seemed to calm down.
Employees returned to work.
The rumor faded.
But that evening—
A message arrived on Yue's private phone.
No sender.
Just one picture.
A photo of her past self smiling…
In the same dress she died in.
Under it was a single sentence:
> "Rebirth doesn't erase debt."
Yue's blood ran cold.
Someone else knew.
Someone beyond Lin Xinya.
Someone dangerous.
Rian Zhao glanced at the photo, then at her trembling fingers.
"Yue," he said quietly, stepping closer.
His voice was soft—deadly soft.
"Tell me the truth. What happened to you before you returned?"
She looked up at him, heart pounding.
Not yet.
Not now.
Her voice steadied.
"It was just someone trying to scare me."
Rian didn't believe a word.
But he didn't press.
Instead, he took her phone and slipped it into his pocket.
"From now on," he said, "I'll deal with every message you receive."
She stared at him, breath caught.
He was getting too close.
Too fast.
And yet… she didn't step away.