Mo Yichen entered through the main door; his pale blue button-down shirt wrinkled from a long day of hustle and exhaustion. He tugged at his tie aggressively; frustration etched into every movement.
He, the CEO of Mo Corporation, was being asked to look after a spoiled woman. All in the name of friendship and favors. But this was going too far. He needed boundaries, before people got the wrong idea.
Marie greeted him. "Welcome back, sir," she said politely, but her eyes darted over his shoulder, checking for someone.
Mo Yichen raised an eyebrow. Marie only ever served Xia Ruyan. She never catered to anyone else in the mansion. What was she doing here?
"It's quite late, sir. Shall I serve dinner for you… with ma'am?" she asked carefully.
His elegant brow arched higher. "She was waiting for me to have dinner?" he asked, thoroughly amused.
The thought made something flip in his stomach. The idea of her waiting for him , of sharing something as mundane and intimate as dinner, made him almost giddy.
But Marie's next words pulled him back. "Sir… Ma'am has been with you since morning," she said gently, almost as a reminder.
He froze. His movements halted mid-step, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Marie.
"You're saying… she's not home yet?" His voice dropped an octave, now laced with concern.
Xia Ruyan should have been home by six at the latest. Even if the meeting had dragged on, it wouldn't have taken more than an hour. Add an hour and a half drive, and she should've returned home.
But it was now ten o'clock at night. And she was still not home.
The gears in Mo Yichen's mind began to spin wildly. Where is she? Why isn't she back? Did something happen?
Without wasting a second, he called Lee Jian. "Where is Secretary Xia?" he asked, his voice deceptively composed, but the urgency in his tone unmistakable.
Secretary Lee, who had just returned home after a long day, blinked in confusion.
"President?" he asked, caught off guard.
"You didn't send anyone to pick her up?" Mo Yichen pressed.
"You never gave such orders, sir…" Lee replied, still uncertain.
Lee recalled the conversation in the car. He had offered to stay back, but the president had insisted Ruyan handle the meeting alone.
"She enjoys collecting praise for her work, then let her work," the president had said.
But now?
Mo Yichen exploded. "Can't you think for yourself? Do I have to dictate every single move?" he shouted, his patience snapping.
It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. He knew he'd never admit it, but he had been jealous, burning with unnamed feelings the moment that Jin looked at her. Something twisted in his gut, a fire he couldn't extinguish. He wanted to claw out the eyes that dared to gaze at her like that.
And she, oblivious or perhaps just indifferent as always, walked through it all untouched. The world meant nothing to her. She was veiled from neck to toe, not even her collarbones visible, and yet, something about her drew everyone in.
He knew it wasn't her fault. His emotions were his own burden to carry. But he also knew how irrational he became where she was concerned, how petty, how childishly territorial.
And that's what led to this. He could've taken her with him or let Lee handle the meeting, but when she stepped out of the car without even a backward glance, it stung. So, out of sheer spite, he let her handle everything.
Now, she isn't back. And he has no idea where she is.
He hurled the phone across the room; it shattered violently against the wall. The loud crash and his outburst drew the attention of the twin Mos and Elder Mo, who rushed into the hall.
Marie stood to the side, frantically making call after call, her hands trembling. Every minute that passed made it harder for her to breathe. She knew one moment of negligence could cost them everything.
"Did you get through to her?" Mo Yichen asked Marie, his tone sharp. She shook her head silently, dread tightening in her chest.
"What's going on, A-Chen?" Elder Mo asked, worried.
"Nothing, Grandpa. Please… go back to bed," Yichen replied, forcing a calm mask over the storm inside him.
Just then, Marie spoke again, her voice barely above a whisper. "She's not in her apartment either."
The room fell into an uneasy silence. The weight of those words sank deep.
Xia Ruyan was missing.
The thought knocked the breath out of him. Mo Yichen bit his lip hard. Maybe she went to her parents' place, he tried to reason with himself.
"Brother, what's going on?" Mo Yize asked with a frown. He knew his brother, always in control, never shaken. But now, Mo Yichen looked anything but composed.
"A-Chen, did something happen to Ruyan?" Grandpa Mo asked, his voice tight with worry. Deep lines formed across his aged face.
"We can't contact her," Yichen replied. His composed voice couldn't hide the guilt buried beneath.
"She left with you this morning," Grandpa reminded him, his voice almost pleading, as if hoping this was all just a terrible misunderstanding.
"I dropped her off in the next town for a meeting. I had to rush back." His voice was tight, frustration bleeding through every word.
Grandpa Mo slumped a bit, his body heavy with disbelief. "Why did you leave her alone?" he whispered, struggling to comprehend Mo Yichen's irresponsibility.
Before Yichen could defend himself, before he could beg his grandfather not to be disappointed in him, Marie spoke. She was still on the phone, her tone urgent and sharp.
"Ma'am is missing. Let Master know." Her voice carried the kind of steel usually reserved for battlefield commands.
"It's been hours. She had a meeting in Jinhai. After that… she disappeared," Marie said grimly.
"Who are you calling?" Mo Yichen asked, eyes narrowing.
"Master Xia," she replied coldly, brushing past him as if he were nothing but a stranger.
"She is my wife." His voice was low and bitter.
"Yes," Marie stopped and turned to him. "Your wife, whom you left in an unfamiliar town. President Mo, you really are a dishonorable man who can't keep a simple promise." Her words were knives, precise and deep.
"How dare you—" Mo Yiran started, his voice raised, but Marie had already stormed out, leaving behind a suffocating silence, a disheartened grandfather, and a stunned Mo Yichen.
Promise. Yes, he had promised.
He promised to keep Xia Ruyan safe.
Meanwhile...
Xia Ruyan slowly regained consciousness.
Silence.
A chilling, deathly silence wrapped around her. The air was cold and damp, and the space around her felt narrow, too narrow. She tried to move. Her limbs refused. Her wrists and ankles were tied, thin, cutting ropes bit deep into her skin.
She inhaled sharply through her nose. Her mouth was gagged. She tried to look around, but there was only darkness. She closed her eyes and then opened them again, trying to adjust to the darkness.
Her heart thundered against her ribs, a wild rhythm. She twisted her hands again; agony shot through her arms as the ropes tightened cruelly.
She slumped back.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
She could hear the sound of water leaking somewhere above her. The air reeked of mold, oil, and something metallic. The floor beneath her was concrete, cold and rough.
Where was she?
The silence didn't answer.