Cursed by Ancient Love, Redeemed by Modern Hearts

The city stretched before her, a vast kingdom of glass and steel, bending under the weight of neon light. From the top floor of Liang Steel Industries, Liang Xinyi stood, arms crossed, watching the world move beneath her. Her empire. Her burden.

The floor-to-ceiling windows reflected her silhouette—sharp lines, crisp power, a presence that could silence a boardroom with a single look. To others, she was the embodiment of poise, a woman who commanded and conquered. But in moments like this, when the noise settled and the air held its breath, she felt the weight pressing down on her shoulders. The kind that came with a name like Liang—a name that had built fortunes, but carried a curse.

She turned away from the window, walking past the black marble desk that had once belonged to her grandfather. The polished surface held no dust, no sign of wear—just like her, it tolerated nothing less than perfection. But unlike the steel empire she had fought to lead, she was not unbreakable.

A knock at the door. Mei, her assistant, stepped inside, tablet in hand, hesitating just enough to make Xinyi frown.

"Ms. Liang," Mei began, carefully measuring her words. "The negotiations with the supplier are going well. They should finalize the agreement by the end of the week."

Xinyi nodded, expecting nothing less. But Mei didn't leave.

"There's something else," she continued, voice quieter now. "Another incident. At the factory."

The temperature in the room dropped.

Xinyi inhaled, slow and controlled. "What happened?"

"One of the workers collapsed. He had no prior health issues, and the doctors can't explain it." Mei hesitated. "The rumors… they've started again."

The rumors. The whispers. The curse.

She had spent her life dismissing them, throwing logic at every story, every unexplained tragedy that clung to the Liang name. But lately, it was becoming harder to ignore. A factory explosion last year. Two sudden deaths before that. Untraceable illnesses that left nothing but questions.

Xinyi exhaled through her nose, steadying herself. "Tell the board I'll handle it."

She turned away before Mei could say more. This wasn't up for discussion.

...

That night, Xinyi sat in the dim glow of her penthouse, the city pulsing beneath her like a living entity. The reports lay scattered on her desk, untouched. Her fingers rested on the edge of her whiskey glass, but she had no desire to drink.

Instead, she found herself drawn to the bathroom. A ridiculous impulse, really, but her feet moved before she could question it.

The mirror met her gaze.

She studied herself with a critical eye—flawless complexion, controlled expression, not a single strand of her sleek black hair out of place. And yet, beneath the surface, something wavered.

Her grandfather's voice echoed in her mind. "Lady Mei was loved too much. And that love destroyed her."

Lady Mei. The woman whose tragedy had cursed them all.

Xinyi had heard the story a hundred times before. The Liang family's legendary beauty, chosen to be a concubine for the emperor, but stolen away by love. A love so fierce, so all-consuming, it shattered two families and doomed them for generations.

She had never given it much thought before. Love had no place in her life, no space between steel contracts and business negotiations. But standing there, watching herself in the mirror, she wondered—

What would it feel like to be loved like that? To be the center of someone's universe, to be wanted so completely that it burned the world around them?

A ridiculous notion.

She was not Lady Mei. She was not a tragic heroine, nor some wistful romantic waiting to be adored.

She had a conglomerate to run. A curse to break.

Her reflection blurred as fatigue settled into her bones. Enough of this.

She turned on the faucet, splashing cool water onto her face. Steel does not bend. Neither would she.

Slipping out of her robe, she walked to the kitchen in silence, the only sound the distant hum of the city outside. A glass of water. A pause. A breath.

She took one last look at the skyline before retreating to bed.

A rested body would have to balance an unrested mind.

Tomorrow, she would be Liang Xinyi once more.

And she would not break.