LizzieM

A Curse Written in Blood. A Love That Defies Time. A Legacy Drenched in Power. 

For 200 years, the Liang and Zhang dynasties have ruled from the shadows—blessed with wealth, cursed with tragedy. It all began with Lady Mei Liang and Captain Jian Zhang, two star-crossed lovers who dared to defy fate and paid the ultimate price. Their forbidden love shattered empires, leaving behind a curse that still haunts their bloodline.

Now, in the ruthless world of high-stakes business and legacy warfare, Liang Xinyi reigns as the steel-cold CEO of her family’s empire. A woman who bends the world to her will—until the curse strikes again. Mysterious factory disasters, eerie visions of the past, and a chilling realization: she is next in line for the family’s suffering.

Enter Zhang Wei, her rival in power, a man as dangerously sharp as he is devastatingly controlled. He doesn’t believe in curses—until he, too, is pulled into the same web of fate, haunted by memories that don’t belong to him and a connection to Xinyi that refuses to be ignored.

The past is alive, and it’s hungry.

Together, they must unravel a secret buried for centuries, navigate the treacherous waters of their families’ deadly feud, and resist a desire that threatens to consume them whole. Because history has already proven one thing:

Cursed by Ancient Love,  Redeemed by Modern Hearts

Xinyi: Walking Into the Past

The drive to the abandoned warehouse was quiet, but the silence wasn't peace—it was calculated.

Xinyi sat in the back seat, her phone screen dim against her fingers. Mei sat beside her, but neither of them spoke. The weight of her father's ghost hung between them.

Outside, the city faded, replaced by industrial ruins and forgotten roads.

When they finally pulled up to the property, the air felt… still.

Xinyi didn't believe in curses.

But she did believe in being prepared.

The moment they stepped out of the car, two bodyguards followed behind her. Silent. Well-trained. Handpicked.

If someone was triggering this curse, she was next on the list.

And she would be damned if she walked into a trap unarmed.

Mei exhaled, adjusting her coat. "You really think we'll find anything here?"

Xinyi's gaze swept the warehouse's towering structure.

"I don't think," she murmured. "I know."

Wei: An Invisible Hand in the Dark

The city was sinking into the late hours of the night, the skyline still alive with lights, but the world beyond his private office was growing quieter.

Wei sat in his personal study, a place few ever entered. The room was designed for thinking, for control—walls lined with carefully curated books, an antique globe sitting in the corner, and a chessboard mid-game on the desk.

But tonight, his mind wasn't on strategy.

It was on patterns.

Feng stood near the window, the city's reflection flickering against the glass behind him.

"Dr. Qiao is already investigating our side," Wei said, voice even. "Now he's going to look into theirs."

Feng's brows furrowed slightly. "You're crossing a line."

Wei's smirk was sharp. "I don't believe in lines."

He leaned back, the dim light casting shadows across his desk.

"Tell Qiao to keep it under wraps," he continued. "No one on either side should know who's pulling the strings." Feng nodded. "And if Liang Xinyi finds out?"

Wei's fingers tapped against the desk. "Then I'll deal with it."

But there was another question nagging at him.

"Have the electromagnetic readings come in yet?" he asked, shifting the topic.

Feng pulled out a file but hesitated before handing it over. "They're inconsistent. The fluctuations appear, but they don't follow a clear pattern."

Wei flipped open the folder, scanning the data. The spikes were real.

But they weren't random.

There was a rhythm to them—subtle, irregular, but present.

Wei leaned forward, his eyes narrowing.

"If we can track this," he murmured, almost to himself, "we might be able to predict the next collapse before it happens."

Feng crossed his arms. "That's assuming the fluctuations cause the collapses, not just accompany them."

Wei's lips pressed into a thin line. "We need proof."

Feng exhaled. "How do you plan to get it?"

Wei shut the file and stood. "I'll need to pull some contacts—scientists who don't mind bending a few regulations."

Wei smirked. "We'll start small. Covert testing in our own plants first. If we can confirm the link, then we expand."

Feng watched him carefully. "You really think this is science?"

He didn't believe in ghosts.

But he also didn't believe in coincidences.

He turned back toward the city skyline. "If it's not, we'll find out soon enough."

Chapter 20: Silent Hands & Unseen Threats