The grand Xu estate was quiet that evening, blanketed in the soft gold of warm chandeliers and distant piano music echoing from the family room.
Liyana stepped out of the car, heels clicking softly on the marble driveway. She hadn't planned to visit, but after the Glamour contract fiasco, something inside her—something weary—drew her home.
Mira had offered to accompany her, but Liyana waved her off with a soft smile. Tonight, she didn't want a secretary. She wanted silence, maybe a hug. Maybe… something else she couldn't name.
The butler greeted her with a warm nod. "Miss Xu, the master and madam are in the garden."
She made her way through the elegant halls, past framed family portraits and long-forgotten childhood art on the walls. Each one echoed memories she hadn't visited in years. When she reached the open terrace, she found them—her parents and her grandfather—seated around a low table, tea steaming in the evening air.
Her mother's face lit up. "Liyana?"
"Hi, Mama," she said softly.
Her father's gaze swept over her, immediately noticing the fatigue behind her painted elegance. "Come sit. Did something happen?"
She hesitated, her usual armor wavering. "Nothing I couldn't handle."
But her grandfather—Xu Yusheng, the formidable titan of the Xu Group—set his teacup down and looked at her with sharp eyes.
"You handled it, but at what cost to yourself?"
That was all it took.
Liyana sat beside them, her body sinking into the cushions like she hadn't sat down in years. She stared into the teacup someone gently passed her and whispered, "They're trying to break me. Piece by piece."
Her mother placed a hand over hers. "Then let them try. You're our daughter. The one who built an empire on her own terms."
Her father added, "We've watched you rise. We've watched you struggle. And now we watch you face attacks that should never be yours alone to bear."
Liyana blinked back sudden tears. "I don't want them to think I'm weak."
Her grandfather leaned forward. "Weakness isn't in tears, child. Weakness is in pretending you don't need anyone."
He let that hang in the air before continuing. "You have us. You always will. And we approve of Damien. Not just because he's powerful—but because he's the only one who's ever truly stood beside you without trying to outshine you."
Liyana's lips trembled.
Her mother reached over and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, just like she used to when Liyana was a child. "You've always fought your battles alone. But this time, let us carry a little of the weight."
For the first time in what felt like ages, Liyana let herself lean back—really lean back—and closed her eyes. She didn't have to fight tonight. Not here. Not with them.
The family sat in comfortable silence for a while, sipping tea under the faint rustle of bamboo leaves. And though nothing had changed outside those garden walls—Qin still plotted, the media still circled, the wedding still loomed—inside this circle of warmth, Liyana felt something anchor her again.
She was not alone. Not anymore.