Chapter 17

My blood ran cold.

The man who had shot me. The man who had sent others to stab me. The man I had spent years hunting, the one I swore to burn to the ground.

And here he was, standing in a picture beside the woman I—

I took a slow step back, gripping the edge of the shelf as if the ground beneath me had suddenly shifted. My pulse pounded in my ears, drowning out every rational thought.

No. No, this can't be real.

I never told Orm his name. Never mentioned his identity. And yet...

I forced myself to breathe, my chest rising and falling in sharp, shallow movements. My fingers curled into a fist, nails digging into my palm, trying to ground myself against the whirlwind of emotions threatening to consume me.

The love of my life. The only person who had ever made me feel human. The only person I wanted to keep safe.

And she was his daughter.

I gritted my teeth, my mind spiraling into chaos. Did she know? Had she known this whole time? Was this fate's cruel joke, binding me to the bloodline of the man I despised the most?

I wanted to break something. I wanted to scream.

Instead, I stood there, staring at the photograph, my grip tightening, my heart betraying me with every painful beat.

How cruel can a man be?

My fingers hovered over Orm's face in the photograph, tracing the outline of her younger self. She had been smiling—completely unaware of the monster standing beside her.

Sen Yui. That bastard.

I clenched my jaw, rage burning beneath my skin. He sent a man to attack her. His own daughter. The same knife that had cut enemies, that had threatened me countless times, had dared to leave a mark on her beautiful face.

Did he even know? Did he know she was there, or did he send his dogs blindly, uncaring of who got caught in the fire? Or worse—did he know and simply not care?

I couldn't breathe.

The thought of him seeing Orm as collateral, as something disposable, twisted my stomach into knots. Did he look at her and only see an inconvenience?

My grip on the frame tightened. I wanted to crush it, shatter the glass into a million pieces, as if that could erase the connection between them. Between us.

I thought about last night—how Orm had looked at my scars, how she had kissed them with such tenderness, whispering about loving them the way the moon loves its craters. As if my wounds didn't disgust her. As if I were something worthy of being loved.

And now I stood here, staring at the face of the man who had caused half those scars.

I exhaled sharply.

I gripped the fabric of my blouse tightly as I stepped out of Orm's apartment, my heart a warzone of emotions.

The moment I left, my men were already in position—black suits, blank faces, unwavering loyalty. One of them opened the door to the sleek black Mercedes waiting at the curb. I slid inside, feeling the cool leather beneath my fingertips, but my mind was somewhere else. Stuck somewhere else.

Orm.

My love.

Sen Yui.

My enemy.

The father of the woman I kissed, the woman I held in my arms just hours ago.

I exhaled sharply, staring out the window as the car pulled away from the building. The city blurred past me, but my thoughts stayed sharp.

What was I supposed to do?

Everything in me screamed for revenge. I had spent years hunting Sen Yui down, spilling blood to get closer to him, carving my name into the underworld so no one could ever hurt me like he did. And now, when I was finally close—when his men were slipping, when his empire was crumbling—this had to happen.

I closed my eyes, pressing my fingers to my temple.

Could I let this go? Could I love Orm and still destroy the man who raised her? Would she ever forgive me if I did?

Or worse—would she choose him over me?

The thought sent a bitter taste down my throat.

I hated this. I hated this so much.

I had never hesitated before. Not once.

And yet, here I was.

Torn between the fire of revenge and the warmth of her touch.

Between the blood I wanted to spill and the love I wanted to hold.

For the first time in my life, I didn't know what to do.

The car moved smoothly through the city streets, but my mind was tangled in chaos.

"Where to, Boss?" my driver asked, his voice cutting through my silence.

I hesitated.

Every instinct told me to go to the warehouse, to plan the next move against Sen Yui, to do what I had sworn I would always do. But then there was Orm—her warmth, her trust, the way she had looked at me last night like I was something good.

I clenched my jaw. I'm not good.

But I wanted to be—for her.

"...Éclipse," I finally said. My voice was steady, but inside, I was anything but.

The driver gave a sharp nod and changed lanes, heading toward my club. I needed to think, needed to breathe.

...

As we pulled up to Éclipse, Jiang was already waiting outside, his arms crossed, his sharp eyes scanning the street before they landed on me. The moment I stepped out of the car, he frowned.

"You look like you've seen a ghost, Boss," he muttered, falling into step beside me as we walked toward my private entrance.

I scoffed. "Worse."

Jiang raised an eyebrow but didn't press—he knew me well enough to wait.

Inside my office, I threw my blouse onto the leather couch, running a hand through my hair. Jiang leaned against my desk, watching me closely.

"You're thinking too much," he said.

I let out a sharp breath, pacing. "She's Sen Yui's daughter."

Jiang stilled. "What?"

I turned to him, my voice low, raw. "Orm. She's his daughter, Jiang. The same man who put a bullet in me, who sent that bastard to scar her face—her own father."

Jiang cursed under his breath, rubbing his jaw. "That's—shit, Lingling. That's messed up."

"No kidding." I exhaled harshly, gripping the edge of my desk. "I've spent years chasing this revenge. And now—"

"Now you're in love with his daughter," Jiang finished for me, his voice unreadable.

I didn't answer.

Jiang sighed, shaking his head. "So, what's the plan?"

That was the million-dollar question, wasn't it?

I could end Sen Yui. I could finally take what I'd been fighting for.

But at what cost?

Orm didn't know. Not yet.

And when she found out—because she would—I wasn't sure if she'd look at me the same way ever again.

I grabbed the whiskey bottle from the shelf, the smooth amber liquid glistening as I poured a generous amount into the glass. The glass was heavy in my hand, but it was the only thing grounding me right now. The burn of the alcohol would help—at least for a few moments.

I sank into the leather couch in my office, the weight of everything pressing on my chest like a vice. My eyes stayed fixed on the darkened windows, the city lights flickering outside like a reminder of the world I was in. The world I created.

"Jiang," I called out, my voice low, a sharp edge to it. He'd been standing silently near the door, watching me as though waiting for me to explode. "Come here."

He walked over, taking a seat across from me. He didn't say anything, just watched, his expression neutral but knowing.

I took a long sip of whiskey, feeling the burn in my throat as I exhaled slowly. The taste wasn't enough to numb what was inside. "I need to talk," I muttered, setting the glass down on the coffee table. "I need to get this out."

Jiang raised an eyebrow, his gaze softening just slightly. He wasn't used to me being vulnerable—hell, I wasn't used to it either. But there it was, crawling its way to the surface.

"I'm losing my fucking mind, Jiang," I said, my hands curling into fists on my lap. "Every damn thing I've built, all the people I've killed, all the blood I've spilled—it's all for nothing when I think about her."

I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head.

"I don't know what to do anymore. I've spent so long fighting, so long building this empire—this life—and now... now there's her."

Jiang leaned forward slightly, his eyes focused on me, waiting for me to continue.

"Orm," I said her name like a prayer, as though it could erase everything else. "She's not supposed to be part of this world. She shouldn't be in my life. She deserves more than what I can give her."

I could feel the walls inside me shaking, crumbling under the weight of everything I'd been keeping locked away. My heart raced in my chest, but I didn't care.

"I can't protect her from what I am, Jiang. I've tried—I've kept her safe, kept her in the dark about everything, but I know it's only a matter of time before she finds out who I really am, who her fucking father is. And when she does..."

I clenched my jaw, fighting back the sting in my eyes. It didn't matter. I wasn't going to cry, not now.

Jiang's voice was quiet but steady. "You love her."

I froze, looking at him as though the words themselves had physically hit me.

"Yeah," I muttered under my breath. "I do."

"I can't keep doing this, Jiang." I put my head in my hands, exhaling sharply. "I can't keep pretending like it doesn't hurt. I know what I'm supposed to do. I know what she would do. But this isn't about what's right anymore. It's about her. About how I can't stop thinking about her, how she makes me feel like maybe—maybe I'm not just this monster. She makes me want to be something more."

Jiang's eyes softened just slightly as he took a deep breath. "You're in a war, Lingling. I get it. But you can't fight this one with a sword. You have to fight it with your heart."

I scoffed, shaking my head. "My heart's been broken, Jiang. It's too late for that."

His gaze didn't waver. "Then you have to decide. Do you want to keep fighting for revenge, or do you want to fight for her?"

The question hit me like a punch to the gut. I didn't know how to answer. I didn't even know if I could.

I reached for the whiskey bottle again, pouring another drink. "I don't know what I'm doing anymore."

Jiang didn't say anything for a long while. He just sat there, letting me speak, letting me unravel in front of him. That was the thing about Jiang—he never judged me. He knew me, probably better than I knew myself.

But that didn't make it easier.

I glanced up at him. "What should I do?"

Jiang sighed. "The answer's never easy. But you know the only thing that matters now is if you're willing to risk everything for her."

The words hung in the air like smoke. They stung, and I felt the weight of them press on me harder than I ever expected.

I finished my drink in one swift motion. My hand trembled as I set the glass down, the sound of it clicking against the table louder than my heartbeat.

I didn't know what I would do next. But I knew one thing for sure.

Orm was everything.

And I couldn't lose her.

Not now. Not ever.

Jiang's eyes narrowed slightly, his voice quiet but heavy with the weight of the question.

"Do you love her to death?"

The words cut through the silence in the room like a blade. I felt the air thicken around me, the walls closing in just a little more. My chest tightened. There it was, the question I had been avoiding, the one I wasn't sure I had an answer for.

But deep down, I knew. I knew it before he even said it. The answer had been in me all along, burning like a fire that could never be put out.

I leaned back in the couch, my fingers gripping the edge of the glass on the table, knuckles white. I stared at the empty space in front of me, my thoughts racing, flickering between the love and the chaos, the fight and the surrender.

"Speak of her over my grave," I said, my voice low, but every word carrying the weight of everything I felt, everything I wanted. "And watch how she brings me back to life."

Jiang's gaze softened as he studied me. He knew me too well, knew that once I said it aloud, once I put it into words, there was no turning back.

But the truth had been buried in my chest for so long, I couldn't keep running from it. I couldn't keep pretending that the fight, the bloodshed, the revenge—it all mattered more than her.

I closed my eyes for a moment, the image of Orm's face flashing behind my eyelids. Her smile, her touch, her amber eyes, the way she had made me feel safe in a world I had built to keep everyone out. The way she had made me believe I could be something other than the monster everyone thought I was.

I swallowed hard, my throat tight. I didn't have the luxury of innocence. I didn't have the luxury of loving freely. But I loved her—more than anything.

And if it meant walking into hell to keep her safe, then that's what I would do.

I looked up at Jiang, my eyes steady, but the weight of my words still hung in the air. "I would burn the world down for her, Jiang. But I don't know if I'm strong enough to fight the ghosts of my past and give her the future she deserves."

Jiang sat back in his chair, his expression unreadable for a long moment. Finally, he nodded. "You're strong enough, Boss. But you need to choose. And you need to be ready for the consequences."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut.

Consequences.

I had always lived with them. Consequences were the price I had paid to be who I was. To survive.

But this—this was different.

I wasn't just fighting for myself anymore. I was fighting for Orm. And for the first time in my life, I was ready to let someone else into my world. Ready to fight not just for revenge, but for love.

I stood up, the weight of my decision settling in my chest. It felt heavy, terrifying, but it was also freeing in a way I hadn't expected.

"I'll do whatever it takes," I said, my voice firm. "I will never let her go."

Jiang gave me a small, knowing nod. "Then it's time to fight for her, Boss. All in. No more holding back."

I didn't need to hear anything else. My mind was made up.

Orm would be mine, no matter the cost.

...

The whiskey burned my throat, but it didn't do enough to numb the storm inside me. I sat in the passenger seat of Jiang's car, my head tilted against the cold window as the city lights blurred past. The night felt heavy, pressing against my skin like a weight I couldn't shake.

Jiang didn't speak, and I was grateful for it. He knew me too well—knew that when I drank like this, when I sat in silence, lost in thought, it wasn't because I was fine. It was because I was bleeding on the inside.

That was how I cried. Not with tears, not with sobs. But with silence. With the way my hands clenched into fists. With the way I stared blankly at the world outside, letting it spin around me while I sat still, drowning.

Orm.

Her name pulsed in my mind, a soft ache, a wound I didn't know how to heal.

Her father. Sen Yui.

The man I hated more than anyone in this world. The man who had taken everything from me. The man who had tried to kill me.

And yet—Orm.

The woman who had unknowingly stolen what little was left of my soul. The woman who kissed me like she could taste all the violence inside me and still wanted me. The woman who whispered love into my scars, not asking for them to fade, but embracing them as they were.

The woman who was the daughter of my greatest enemy.

I shut my eyes, swallowing back the emotions that threatened to spill over.

The car slowed as we pulled up to my penthouse. Jiang didn't say a word as he stepped out and opened my door, helping me up when I stumbled slightly. I wasn't that drunk, but I could feel the weight of the alcohol, mixing with the exhaustion in my bones.

Jiang didn't leave my side as I walked through the entrance, his presence solid, steady. He had always been my anchor. My brother in all the ways that mattered.

He followed me into the elevator, pressing the button for the top floor.

"I'll get home after I make sure you don't pass out in your own damn hallway," Jiang muttered, crossing his arms.

I let out a dry chuckle. "You act like this is the first time."

He rolled his eyes. "It's the first time you've been drinking over a woman."

I didn't respond. I couldn't.

The elevator dinged, and we stepped into my penthouse. The city stretched out beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, the skyline glowing against the dark night. But it felt empty.

I kicked off my shoes, shrugging out of my jacket, and made my way toward the living room. I collapsed onto the couch, resting my head against the back of it, exhaling slowly.

Jiang stood in front of me, watching me carefully. "You gonna be okay?"

I forced a smirk. "I'm always okay."

He sighed, shaking his head. "Liar."

I didn't deny it.

Jiang ran a hand through his hair before finally nodding toward the door. "Get some sleep, Lingling."

I hummed in response, already sinking into the couch, my body heavy with exhaustion. Jiang hesitated for a second before walking away, the door clicking shut behind him.

And then I was alone.

The silence pressed against me, wrapping around my chest like an iron grip.

I let out a slow breath, my fingers curling against the soft fabric of the couch.

Orm.

Her name echoed in my mind again, soft yet consuming.

I closed my eyes, knowing that when I dreamed, it would be of her.

And when I woke up, I would still be caught between love and revenge.

...

Morning came with a dull ache in my skull, the remnants of last night's whiskey still lingering in my veins. I blinked against the sunlight spilling through the penthouse windows, exhaling slowly as reality settled back in.

Orm.

Her name was the first thing in my mind, as if it had been waiting for me to wake up.

I pushed myself up from the couch, rubbing my temples. My suit pants were wrinkled, my blouse abandoned somewhere across the penthouse. Jiang had been right—I wasn't okay. But I was Lingling Kwong. I had survived worse.

The problem was, I didn't know if I wanted to survive this.

My phone buzzed on the coffee table. I grabbed it, expecting a message from Jiang, but my breath caught when I saw the name instead.

Orm.

Doctor

DoctorAre you awake?

MeYeah.

DoctorCome have lunch with me 👀

I leaned back against the couch, running my tongue over my teeth. She had no idea what I knew. No idea that the man I despised most in this world was the same man who raised her.

And she was inviting me to lunch.

As if I wasn't a monster. As if she didn't notice the blood still drying beneath my nails from yesterday.

I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply. I was supposed to be untouchable. Unshakable. But Orm had found the cracks in my armor and pried them wide open.

I thought about saying no. Thought about telling her I was busy, that I had business to take care of.

But instead, I typed back

MeSend me the address.

Because no matter how much I tried to fight it, there was only one thing I knew for certain.

I couldn't stay away from her.

...

The new suit fit like armor—black, sharp, commanding. But no amount of tailored fabric could protect me from the storm inside my chest.

As I slid into the driver's seat of my G-Wagon, the weight of my decision sat heavy on my shoulders. My bodyguards followed in a separate car, keeping their usual distance, but I barely noticed. My thoughts were tangled, my hands tightening around the steering wheel as I pulled onto the road.

I should have been focused on revenge. On making Sen Yui pay for what he did to me, for what he put me through. But instead, all I could think about was her.

The woman whose father had tried to kill me.

The restaurant she chose wasn't extravagant. No private dining rooms, no overpriced wine, no silk-draped tables. Just warmth. A place where people came to feel at home.

I parked the car outside, took a slow breath, and stepped out. A few heads turned—I was used to that—but I didn't care. My eyes scanned the restaurant until they landed on her.

Orm sat at a small table near the window, wearing something simple but effortlessly beautiful. She hadn't noticed me yet, too busy looking at the menu.

For a moment, I just watched her.

How the hell did I get here?

Then, as if she could sense me, she lifted her head. Our eyes met, and she smiled. Soft. Uncomplicated.

Like I wasn't the most dangerous woman in the city. Like she didn't have my enemy's blood in her veins.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, pushed my emotions deep where they couldn't touch me, and walked toward her.

Because no matter how much I wanted to run, I couldn't.

Not from her.

The warmth in Orm's amber eyes melted away every dark thought, every ounce of hesitation that had been clawing at my chest. Just like that, everything else ceased to exist—revenge, hatred, Sen Yui. None of it mattered in that moment.

Her lips parted slightly before she spoke. "You left without telling me." Her voice wasn't accusing, but there was something in it—concern, maybe a little hurt.

I sighed, pulling out the chair across from her and sitting down. The scent of freshly brewed tea and spices filled the air, but all I could focus on was her.

"I had some things to handle," I said, not offering more than that.

Orm raised an eyebrow, not fully convinced. "Things?"

I smirked, leaning forward slightly. "Would it make you feel better if I said I wore your hoodie the whole time?"

Her cheeks flushed just a little, and I knew I had successfully distracted her.

She shook her head with a small smile. "That's not the point, Lingling."

I rested my chin on my hand, watching her. "Then what is?"

Orm sighed, her fingers brushing the rim of her cup. "You are acting strange. I can feel it. Something changed."

The way she saw through me so easily both fascinated and terrified me.

I could lie. I could brush it off like I always did, keep her in the dark to protect myself.

But when she looked at me like that—like she actually cared—I found myself wanting to give her something real.

So I reached across the table, my fingers brushing against hers. "I just... needed to clear my head."

Orm studied me for a moment, her thumb lightly tracing over my knuckles. "And did you?"

I exhaled slowly. "The moment I saw you, yeah."

Her lips curled into a soft smile, and for the first time in twenty-four hours, I felt like I could breathe again.

The waiter brought over a steaming basket of dumplings, setting them between us before stepping away. The cozy atmosphere of the restaurant, dimly lit and intimate, made it easy to forget the outside world.

I picked up my chopsticks and grabbed a dumpling, watching as Orm did the same. She looked so effortlessly beautiful like this, in the soft glow of the lanterns, her amber eyes reflecting the light.

"So," I drawled, resting my chin on my hand, "how was work today, baobei?"

Orm gave me a look, chewing thoughtfully before answering. "Busy. I had back-to-back patients, and one of them refused to take his medication unless I personally convinced him."

I smirked. "What did you do?"

"I had to sit there for fifteen minutes explaining every reason why he needed to take his meds." She sighed. "He finally agreed, but only if I promised to check up on him next week."

I chuckled. "You really have that effect on people, huh?"

Orm rolled her eyes but smiled. "It's my job, Lingling."

I reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Your job is to be ridiculously attractive while saving lives?"

She scoffed, nudging my foot under the table. "Shut up."

I grinned. "Never."

Orm shook her head, trying to hide the smile threatening to break free. She picked up another dumpling, dipping it into the sauce before holding it up to me. "Here, try this one."

I raised an eyebrow but leaned forward, letting her feed me. The flavors burst onto my tongue, rich and savory. "Mmm. Not bad, baobei."

Orm smirked. "You're so spoiled."

I leaned in slightly, my voice dropping just enough for her to hear. "Only when it's you spoiling me."

Her cheeks flushed, and I knew I had won this round.

We continued eating, slipping into easy conversation, talking about everything and nothing—her clinic, my business, the ridiculous things Jiang had done recently. For a moment, it was just us. No bodyguards, no pasts, no danger. Just me and her.

And I wanted it to last forever.

As we finished the last of the dumplings, Orm leaned back in her seat, her fingers lightly tracing the rim of her teacup. I watched her, taking in the way she looked at me—curious, a little amused, but warm. Always warm.

"Are you going to tell me why you actually left without saying anything yesterday?" she finally asked, her voice soft but firm.

I knew this question would come again, but I still wasn't prepared for it. My grip tightened slightly around my own cup. If I told her the truth—that I found out who her father was, that the man I had spent years trying to destroy was the same man who scarred her beautiful face—would she look at me the same way?

I exhaled, forcing a smirk. "I seriously had things to handle."

Orm raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Things?"

"Work." I shrugged, keeping my expression unreadable. "You know how it is, baobei."

She sighed, clearly not satisfied with my answer, but she didn't push further. Instead, she took another sip of her tea, studying me.

"I don't like it when you disappear on me," she admitted. "Especially after—" She cut herself off, glancing around the restaurant as if realizing this wasn't the place to be discussing what happened the night before.

A slow smile curled on my lips. "After?" I leaned in, lowering my voice. "After I had you begging under me?"

Orm nearly choked on her tea, shooting me a glare as a blush crept up her neck. "You're reckless."

I chuckled, reaching across the table to take her hand. "You keep coming back."

She exhaled through her nose, squeezing my fingers lightly. "I don't have time for mind games, Lingling." Her voice softened, her amber eyes searching mine. "If you need to go, if you need space, just tell me. Don't just vanish."

Something in my chest twisted at her words. She had no idea. No idea that I was struggling between my love for her and my thirst for revenge. No idea that I had spent last night drowning in whiskey, knowing that choosing her meant betraying myself, betraying the war I had been fighting for years.

I turned her hand over, brushing my thumb over her knuckles. "I'll try," I said, and for now, that was the only promise I could give her.

Orm didn't look completely satisfied, but she nodded. "Good."

I brought her hand to my lips, pressing a lingering kiss to her skin. "Now, let's get out of here."

She tilted her head. "Where to?"

I smirked. "You'll see."