A Second Chance to Your Heart

Jiaxuan slowly stirred awake, her body aching and heavy from the weight of yesterday's storm. The floor beneath her felt colder than usual, the blanket that covered her slightly crumpled from her restless sleep. She opened her eyes to see a pair of wide, innocent ones staring back at her.

"Mama," Yichen whispered softly, kneeling beside her on the bed where she must have crawled in sometime during the early hours of dawn. His small fingers brushed her cheek. "Mama, wake up... I'll hug you."

Jiaxuan blinked, her heart twisting at the sight of her son's soft smile. His little lips curled upward as he leaned into her chest, cuddling closer with childlike comfort.

"Good morning, sweetheart," she murmured, voice thick with sleep and something deeper—grief, maybe, or guilt. She pulled him into a gentle embrace, feeling his tiny hands pat her back.

"You sleep here?" he asked, his pronunciation still imperfect but painfully adorable. "Mama sleep with me?"

She chuckled dryly, her eyes glancing around his room—neat, warm, safe. Unlike the one she had left behind.

The memory of last night came crashing in like a tidal wave:

Shenzhi's furious voice,

The crashing glass,

Her bleeding hand,

The accusations.

She sat up abruptly, her breath hitching. "Yichen, come on. Let's go see Papa," she whispered, suddenly alert.

Carrying her son, she left the room, heart racing as she padded quickly down the hallway toward their shared bedroom. She pushed the door open.

It was empty.

And a mess.

The comforter on the bed was tossed aside, the pillows scattered, one on the floor. The vase on the nightstand was gone—only a water stain remained. Her perfume bottle had been knocked over, its scent faint but lingering. One of the chairs had been shoved out of place, and the drawer to the dresser was slightly open, clothes poking out.

He was gone.

The silence in the room was deafening.

She walked in slowly, setting Yichen down on the unmade bed. Her eyes darted to the clock on the wall—he had already gone to work. Not a note, not a message, not a trace of whether he cared that she was still in the same house, still breathing.

Yichen tilted his head, hugging a pillow. "Where's Papa?"

She didn't know how to answer. Instead, she sat down beside him, staring at the wreckage of their room.

Her hand ached beneath the bandage. She didn't even need a mirror to know her eyes were swollen from crying.

Yet, as her son leaned against her shoulder, she realized one thing clearly: if she wanted to win back her family, she had to endure. She had to try harder.

"I'll make breakfast," she said softly, kissing the top of his head. "Let's go eat something, baby."

Yichen grabbed her hand with his tiny fingers, nodding. "Mama cook yummy," he said cheerfully, completely unaware of the storm from the night before.

Jiaxuan smiled through the pain.

One battle at a time.

____________

In the sleek, glass-walled office of Chen Corporation, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee hung in the air, mingling with the faint hum of a luxury diffuser. Sunlight filtered in through the windows, casting soft rays on the minimalist decor—rich leather, dark wood, and gold accents screaming wealth and ego.

Chen Yuze sat reclined on his executive chair, a phone pressed to his ear, lazily listening to his assistant drone on about the schedules and finalizations for the upcoming CEO Gala. His expression remained indifferent, eyes half-lidded, until a playful voice pierced through the quiet.

"Yuze-ge~"

Lin Meilin, Jiaxuan's half-sister, sauntered in wearing a silky peach gown that clung too tightly to her body to be considered decent for a professional building. She didn't care. Her bare legs brushed the desk as she leaned across it with a feline grin, waving her phone in the air.

"I've been scrolling for over an hour," she whined. "Look at these bags... look at this Dior clutch—oh! And this sapphire Versace dress. Wouldn't it look divine on me?"

Chen Yuze didn't bother lifting his gaze. "Get whatever you want."

She pouted. "But which one do you think will make me look the most dazzling at the gala? After all, we're going together, right?" Her voice turned sugar-coated and dangerous. "I'll be your date, of course."

Yuze finally looked up. His eyes, though beautiful, were sharp—calculating. "No. You know the plan."

Meilin blinked, pausing her scrolling. "What do you mean?"

"I'm going to the gala with Jiaxuan."

She stood up straight. "What?"

"You heard me," he said, rising from his chair, adjusting his cufflinks with practiced elegance. "She still believes I love her. I need her to think that everyone needs to think that. We're not ready to go public, not until she hands over what I need."

The bitterness in his voice was coated in charm, but Meilin wasn't amused. Her brows furrowed as she marched toward him in irritation.

"So I'm good enough to sleep with, good enough to scheme with, but not good enough to show off?"

Yuze's smile was slow and cold. "Exactly."

She flinched, but he continued with a chuckle, brushing past her.

"Don't be dramatic, Meilin. You wanted to play dirty, remember? You said it yourself—you want her to lose everything. This is how it works. Jiaxuan will walk in as the perfect wife by my side, and no one will suspect that I'm the one gutting her from behind."

Meilin crossed her arms, jealousy and rage burning in her eyes. "And when are you going to tell her? That you're screwing the sister she never trusted?"

"After I get what I want," he said, shrugging.

He walked over to the bar, poured himself a drink, and stared out the window like a man looking over his kingdom. "Once Huo Shenzhi's company is mine and Jiaxuan's name is dirt, she'll have no one left. She'll come crawling to me. And I'll let her."

Meilin watched him closely, unsure whether she should be proud or disgusted by his manipulations.

"And if she doesn't?" she dared.

Chen Yuze turned back to her with a slow smirk. "Then we make sure she has no choice."

As Meilin returned to her phone, rage dulled by greed, she began adding her wishlist to the cart. If she couldn't have the spotlight now, she would take the throne later.

And in the center of their games was one woman, oblivious for now—Lin Jiaxuan.

But not for long.

Chen Yuze leaned back in the leather seat of his luxury coupe, parked in the private underground garage of his elite residence tower. The city lights glowed faintly in the distance, but his mind was fixated on one person: Lin Jiaxuan.

He dialed her number, fingers tapping rhythmically against the wheel as he waited. When she picked up, her voice came through, soft and sweet, like honey dripping through silk.

"Hello?"

A smirk danced on his lips. "Xuan'er," he said in a tone that oozed fake affection. "I've been so busy... I didn't get to call you after that little stunt you pulled."

There was a pause, just long enough to show hesitance, before Jiaxuan's voice flowed back, warm and sugar-laced. "Stunt? What do you mean?"

"Oh, don't play dumb," he snapped, though still amused. "The file, Jiaxuan. You gave me the wrong file. The presentation flopped. Meng looked at me like I was a fool. You nearly cost me that deal."

"I–I'm sorry," she said with a small gasp, as if the realization just hit her. "I had no idea. That was the file Shenzhi gave me. I didn't check it at all. I would never intentionally sabotage you."

Her voice trembled delicately, laced with regret and vulnerability. It was perfectly calculated.

Chen Yuze relaxed again, his ego soothed by her response. He chuckled. "So it was Shenzhi? That bastard must suspect something. He swapped the file at the last moment—clever man."

Jiaxuan remained silent for a second, just enough to let him think she was genuinely shocked.

"I... I'll make it up to you, Yuze," she murmured. "You know I never wanted things to go this way."

"I believe you," he said smugly. "But we have to be more careful now. If Shenzhi really swapped those files, it means he's watching you. Maybe he's testing you. Don't let your guard down again."

"I understand," she replied sweetly. "What should we do now?"

He grinned. "Meet me tonight. I have a little surprise for you. Just you and me. Like old times. Come alone."

Her smile faded silently behind the phone.

"Where?"

"I'll text you the address. Dress beautifully, Xuan'er. I want to see you shine. Just like the girl I used to love."

"Okay," she said, her voice delicate and obedient.

The moment the call ended, Chen Yuze tossed his phone aside with a victorious laugh. He believed she was in his palm again—right where he wanted her.

What he didn't know was that Jiaxuan's hand was already playing a different game, weaving a net he wouldn't escape

LATER ON__________

The night was thick with heat, even inside the air-conditioned luxury suite that overlooked the glittering skyline. Chen Yuze stood by the glass wall, swirling a drink in his hand, a devil's grin tugging at his lips as he dialed a familiar number.

"Rouluan," he drawled when she answered. "Everything is set. She's agreed to meet me tonight."

Rouluan's voice hummed with anticipation. "Good. It's about time this perfect little wife was exposed for the fraud she is."

"I told her I had a surprise. Played it soft, romantic—like I still love her," he sneered. "She bought it. And once she leans close enough, I'll make sure the photographer captures it all. One photo is all it'll take. Public scandal. Headlines. Divorce."

But Rouluan chuckled darkly. "You still don't get it, do you?"

Chen Yuze raised a brow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"This isn't just about a photograph," she said, her voice now chilling. "I had something... extra arranged. The drink she'll be offered tonight—it's drugged."

The silence on the line was heavy for a moment.

"You're serious?" he asked slowly.

"Dead serious," she said. "We're not just framing her anymore. We're going to make sure she sleeps with you tonight. And when Shenzhi finds out—when he realizes she gave her body to another man willingly—he'll throw her out like yesterday's trash."

Chen Yuze's brows furrowed. "Are you sure this won't backfire?"

"She'll be too out of it to know. She'll wake up in your bed and think she made the mistake. You'll act hurt, confused, maybe even noble. That'll make her feel guilt. She'll crumble on her own."

A slow, wicked smirk curved Chen Yuze's lips. "And Shenzhi?"

"By the time those photos reach him—ones of her clinging to you, naked, looking like she wanted it—he won't care what excuse she has. He'll see her for what he thinks she is."

Chen Yuze chuckled, savoring the bitter satisfaction rising in his chest. "Smart. Very smart. You always knew how to finish what we start."

Rouluan's voice turned venomous. "This is justice—for what she stole from both of us. She took my place in the Huo family, and she humiliated you. After tonight, she'll have nothing left."

Chen Yuze tipped his glass, raising it in the dim light. "Then here's to tonight—the night we ruin Lin Jiaxuan for good."

They hung up.

Outside, the moon glowed mercilessly over a city that had no idea of the cruel stage being set. But neither of them—neither Rouluan nor Chen Yuze knew that Lin Jiaxuan was not the naive woman she used to be.

She had already seen her end once.

And this time... she wasn't going down without a fight.

MeanWhile

The cold air in the boardroom wasn't from the air conditioning it was from him. Huo Shenzhi sat at the head of the table like a king seated on a throne of frost. His tailored black suit, pristine as ever, didn't hide the tension in his shoulders or the storm darkening his expression. His jaw was clenched tight, lips drawn in a hard line, and his sharp gaze scanned the documents in front of him without truly seeing them.

The meeting was supposed to begin ten minutes ago, but everyone in the room remained rigid in their seats, too afraid to breathe too loudly.

The assistant beside him cleared his throat, attempting to break the silence.

"Mr. Huo… the presenter is ready."

"Then begin," Shenzhi snapped, not lifting his gaze.

The young woman at the front of the room flinched slightly. She stood, holding her cue cards and remote, her hands trembling. She clicked the projector, the screen flickered and then nothing.

"Sorry, it seems to be loading—" she stammered, glancing at the screen and then back at Shenzhi.

The delay was brief, but it was enough to unravel the fraying thread of his restraint.

"Are you serious right now?" he snapped, eyes narrowing into slits. "You need a picture to speak? Can't you even explain your own work without waiting for technology to save you?"

The woman froze.

Shenzhi stood abruptly, his chair scraping loudly across the floor.

"This is what I've been given? A room full of incompetence? You're wasting my time."

The woman's lip quivered as she bowed slightly, murmuring, "I-I was just—"

"Save it," he cut in sharply. "You want to wait for a picture? Wait for it while packing your things. In fact, all of you—if this is the quality I get from this team, submit your resignation letters by noon. I'll have no place for mediocrity in this company."

With that, he stormed out of the boardroom, the door slamming behind him like a thunderclap.

The room fell into stunned silence.

Then—

"Please—someone go after him—"

"He didn't mean it, did he?"

"I can't afford to lose this job…"

They all turned to Shenzhi's assistant, their eyes wide with desperation.

"Assistant Lin, please," one of the senior managers whispered, pale with anxiety. "Speak to him. We didn't expect him to be like this. He's never—he's never shouted before…"

Assistant Lin sighed, rubbing his temples. He had seen this coming.

His boss had been a shell of himself since last night's fight with Jiaxuan. He had come into the office early, hadn't touched breakfast, hadn't spoken a word apart from orders.

Lin knew better than to ask about it, but now, seeing an entire team of professionals kneeling on the glossy floor of the boardroom, he realized it was far worse than he imagined.

"I'll try," he muttered.

But even he wasn't sure if Huo Shenzhi would be listening to anyone today… except, maybe, the one woman he couldn't seem to understand—Lin Jiaxuan.

______

Inside his office, the door slammed shut behind him with a force that rattled the glass frame. Huo Shenzhi loosened his tie with one hand, his chest heaving as if he had run a marathon. He wasn't angry at the presenter. Not really. Not even at the team. He was angry at himself.

The curtains were pulled, and the office was dim except for the pale light from his desk lamp. It reflected off the sleek black furniture, casting long shadows that matched the ones creeping inside his chest.

He stood by the window for a long time, staring at the city skyline, but seeing nothing. All he could think about was her. Lin Jiaxuan.

Her eyes. Her voice. The way she had cried out the night before, not out of pain, but out of fear—of him.

His fist clenched.

He hadn't meant to hurt her.

But he had.

She had lied to him before. She had betrayed him. And now, when he had opened his heart ever so slightly, she chose to hide something this important again. Her mother had been hospitalized and she hadn't said a word. He was her husband, wasn't he? Or had that word always meant more to him than it ever did to her?

Was he nothing but a cage to her?

A man she had to endure?

Had she ever looked at him with anything more than guilt?

He sat down heavily behind his desk, elbows on the surface, burying his face in his hands. His mind was a whirlwind—every laugh, every word, every smile she had offered since her supposed "change" began to blur in his head. He didn't know what was real anymore.

The way she had smiled at him while bandaging his wound last week.

The way she had made breakfast, called him "honey," bought him a tie.

The way she had snuck into his arms, thinking he was asleep, whispering, "You mean the world to me."

Was that all just…a game?

His phone vibrated. He ignored it.

Then a knock.

He didn't speak.

Assistant Lin stepped in hesitantly. "Sir…"

"I told you I don't want to be disturbed."

"I know. But… I thought you should know. Your team is still kneeling in the boardroom."

Silence.

"They're scared."

Shenzhi didn't respond.

The assistant lingered, then added, "It's not them you're angry at."

Still silence.

"They think they're about to lose their jobs. But you're not thinking straight. You haven't been, not since—"

"I said enough." His voice was low. Controlled. Dangerous.

Lin took a breath. "You didn't eat today. Or yesterday. You've barely slept. I don't need to be your friend to know something's wrong."

"I'm fine."

"You're not."

A pause. Then, quieter: "She didn't leave the house for good, sir."

Shenzhi lifted his eyes slowly, something vulnerable flickering beneath the hard shell.

"She took her son to see her mother in the hospital. That's where she went. That's why she packed food. That's why she didn't say much—she was worried."

Shenzhi's expression didn't change, but the storm in his eyes cracked.

"Then why didn't she tell me?" he said softly. "Why did I have to hear it from the maids? Why wasn't I… enough to know?"

The assistant didn't reply.

Because there were no answers.

Because when a man like Shenzhi—cold, stoic, controlled—loved, he didn't do it halfway. And that's why every time she pulled away, it shattered something deeper.

She had said she loved him.

But maybe he wasn't ready to believe it.

Not yet.

Not when her silence still hurt louder than her words.

__________

The air in the office was suffocating, thick with unspoken words and tangled thoughts. Huo Shenzhi sat on the edge of the leather couch, elbows resting on his knees, his head bowed low like a man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

The door burst open without a knock.

"Shenzhi!" his mother's sharp voice rang through the room like a whip. "So now you don't pick my calls anymore?"

He didn't look up. His gaze stayed fixed on the floor, still lost in thoughts of Jiaxuan—her trembling voice, her swollen eyes, the warmth of her sleeping beside Yichen. That pain in his chest hadn't dulled.

His mother stood there in a cream-colored designer coat, her lips painted blood-red, her perfectly styled hair trembling from anger. But the moment her eyes landed on her son, something shifted.

He wasn't the usual composed Huo Shenzhi.

He looked hollow.

"Don't tell me..." she narrowed her eyes, slowly walking in, shutting the door behind her. "This is about that woman again?"

Silence.

Her voice rose an octave. "You're still letting Lin Jiaxuan affect you like this? Haven't I warned you enough times?! That girl is poison, Shenzhi! She has been from the very beginning!"

"Enough," he said, softly.

"ENOUGH?" she exploded, eyes blazing. "No, you listen to me now. I tolerated her because of your stubbornness, but I never accepted her. Not once. I saw what she was. She was never fit to enter this family—"

"She is my wife." His voice was lower now, deadly calm, but with an edge of desperation beneath it.

"And a wife who cheats, lies, and hides everything from you!" she shot back, storming closer. "She doesn't respect you! She humiliates this family! Do you think I haven't heard the rumors about her being seen with other men? What kind of mother is she? Always disappearing, always causing chaos—"

"Don't talk about her like that in front of me." Shenzhi stood now, towering over his mother, his jaw clenched so tight the muscle twitched.

But she didn't back down. "You think this is love? That girl—no—that disgrace—she will never love you the way you love her. Never. She only came back because she had nowhere else to go."

"She came back because of Yichen," he snapped, voice rising. "She's trying. And I—" he caught himself, his eyes clouding. "I'm not innocent either."

"You're making excuses for her?! After everything?"

He turned away, raking a hand through his hair. "Yichen is still a baby. He needs his mother—"

"Don't you DARE use Yichen as your shield!" she shrieked. "You think that child doesn't see? Doesn't feel the tension? She abandoned you both once and she'll do it again! I raised you alone, didn't I? Did you die? No! You became a CEO!"

"You think growing up without a mother didn't affect me?" he turned back, eyes wild. "You think it didn't mess me up?"

She froze." What are you talking about?, I am your mother, you grew up with me. I looked after you."

His chest rose and fell heavily. "I don't want that for him."

A heavy silence filled the room. His mother took a breath, softened for a second—but then the steel in her eyes returned.

"Fine. Since you won't take action, I will," she declared. "One month. That's all I'm giving her. I'm planning your wedding with Rouluan. The woman you should've married."

Shenzhi's brows furrowed in disbelief. "You what?"

"Don't act shocked. I've already spoken to her mother. One month, we'll hold a quiet engagement dinner. I've already picked venues. Jiaxuan can keep the title until then. But after that?" She pointed at him with finality. "She's gone."

He laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "You don't get to decide that."

"I do, when your judgment is clouded by some petty obsession!" she shouted, stepping forward. "You're throwing away your life, your career, your reputation for someone who looked you in the eye and walked away before—and mark my words, she'll do it again."

"Then let her!" he bellowed. "If she walks away again, I won't stop her. But don't ever think I'll let you choose who I marry!"

"You've already chosen WRONG!" she screamed, hands trembling. "You're going to regret it when she destroys you."

Shenzhi stormed toward the door, flinging it open. His voice came cold and final. "Leave."

His mother stood there, eyes narrowed, lips pressed into a thin line. Then, with a toss of her head, she marched out without another word.

The door slammed behind her.

He leaned against the wall, exhaling deeply. He didn't even realize his hands were shaking.

The room was quiet again—but inside him, a storm still raged.

....

The day was oddly warm, the kind of warmth that made the air feel heavy—like something was waiting to happen.

Jiaxuan stood in front of the tall vanity mirror in her bedroom, adjusting the soft cardigan she wore over her casual blouse. Yichen was playing quietly on the rug nearby, babbling to his stuffed bear. Everything seemed peaceful on the surface, but beneath it all, a quiet storm brewed in her chest.

She had just gotten off the phone with Chen Yuze a few hours ago. He had called her with his usual silky, deceit-laced charm, speaking sweet nothings, pretending concern.

"You broke my heart, Jiaxuan," he had said, voice low, soft, too calculated. "I thought we were in this together. Why would you give me the wrong file?"

She had played her part well.

"I'm sorry," she had cooed sweetly, the words making her skin crawl. "That's the file Shenzhi gave me. I didn't even look at it, I swear. But I'll make it up to you... just tell me when."

Yuze had chuckled, his pride swelling. "Good girl. Just be careful, sweetheart. If he suspects, you could ruin everything for both of us. But don't worry—I have a surprise waiting for you soon. You'll love it."

She remembered ending the call with a smirk, her fingers tightening around the phone. She already knew it wasn't just a "surprise." It was a trap. And she wasn't going to walk into it blindly this time.

---

At the Same Time...

Rouluan's voice echoed through a quiet private lounge miles away, her phone pressed against her ear as she whispered furiously.

"Are the drugs ready?" she asked, pacing. "I don't want any mistake this time."

Chen Yuze, on the other end, laughed darkly. "Don't worry, the hotel is booked. Photographer's been briefed. We just need her to show up—and act."

Rouluan's lips curled into a sickeningly sweet smile. "Once we release those photos... Huo Shenzhi will never look at her again."

"And after that?" Yuze asked.

"We let her fall apart," Rouluan whispered. "No one will want a woman who slept with another man... not even her son."

They both laughed.

---

Back at the Huo Mansion

Jiaxuan sat on the edge of her bed as Yichen napped beside her. She stroked his soft baby hair gently, eyes lingering on the innocence in his sleeping face.

For his sake... for her sake... she was going to endure everything until the truth shattered all of them.

She had already noticed the planted calls, the strange shadows lingering on the street, the subtle attempts at gaslighting her by Rouluan smiling sweetly one moment and whispering venom the next.

But Jiaxuan wasn't the old her anymore. She had died before. She had lived through betrayal, pain, and loss. And this time, she was going to choose her battles wisely.