The CEO's Connection

The CEO's words hung in the air, chilling Hua to the bone. She stared at him, her mind reeling. How could he possibly know her?

"You remind me of someone," he repeated, his voice softer this time, as if he were trying to piece something together.

Ming stiffened beside her, his eyes darting between Hua and the CEO, ready to act at any moment. The tension in the room was suffocating, and Hua felt as though the walls were closing in around her. But she couldn't let her fear control her. Not now.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hua said firmly, trying to keep her voice steady.

The CEO smiled, but there was no warmth in it. It was a smile of a man who knew too much, who held all the cards. "You will," he said cryptically. "But first, let me tell you a story."

Hua's heart pounded as the CEO walked toward one of the large monitors on the wall. He tapped a few keys on a control panel, and the screen flickered to life, showing a series of old photographs. Hua's eyes widened as she recognized the images—her family. Her parents, smiling together in a picture taken long before she was born. Her mother, holding her as a baby. Her father, standing beside them, looking proud.

"What is this?" Hua demanded, her voice shaking. She stepped forward, her hands clenched into fists. "How do you have these?"

The CEO turned to her, his expression unreadable. "Your family was once deeply involved in our corporation. They were key players in developing the very technology we're unveiling tonight."

Hua felt like the ground had been pulled out from under her. Her family? Involved in the corporation? It didn't make any sense. Her parents had died when she was young, leaving her with nothing but fragmented memories and a life of struggle. They had never mentioned any connection to the corporation.

"You're lying," Hua whispered, her voice trembling. "They would have told me."

The CEO's eyes softened, just for a moment, as if he almost pitied her. "They wanted to protect you, Hua. They thought they could escape. But no one escapes this world, not really."

Hua's breath caught in her throat. The weight of his words pressed down on her, making it harder to breathe. It couldn't be true. It just couldn't. But the images on the screen didn't lie. Her parents had been involved in something much bigger than she had ever realized.

Ming took a step closer to her, his hand brushing hers for support. She glanced at him, grateful for his presence, but her mind was spinning too fast to focus on anything else.

The CEO continued, his voice eerily calm. "Your parents were brilliant scientists, Hua. They helped develop the AI technology that we are perfecting today. But they realized too late the consequences of their work. They tried to leave, to hide the technology from the world. And they almost succeeded."

Hua shook her head, trying to make sense of it all. "But... they died in an accident."

"That's what we told you," the CEO said, his voice hardening. "It was easier that way. Cleaner."

A wave of nausea washed over Hua. Everything she had known, everything she had believed, was unraveling before her eyes. Her parents hadn't died in an accident—they had been silenced by the corporation.

"They wanted to protect you from this life," the CEO continued, stepping closer. "But in the end, it's your legacy, Hua. You were always meant to be a part of this. You can still take your place by my side, help me complete what your parents started."

Hua's mind screamed in protest, but she couldn't find the words to respond. She felt trapped, suffocated by the weight of the truth that was crashing down on her.

Ming finally spoke, his voice low and steady. "You think you can manipulate her into joining you, but you're wrong. Hua is nothing like you."

The CEO smiled again, this time with genuine amusement. "You really think you can fight this, don't you?" He shook his head, almost pitying them. "This is bigger than both of you. It's bigger than anyone. The world will change, with or without you."

Hua's pulse raced as she struggled to regain her composure. She couldn't let him win. She wouldn't let him control her, not like he had controlled her parents.

"You're wrong," Hua said, her voice firm despite the storm of emotions swirling inside her. "I won't let you use me like you used them."

The CEO's expression darkened, and for the first time, Hua saw a flicker of anger behind his cold facade. "You'll regret this," he said softly. "You can't escape your destiny, Hua. It will catch up to you, one way or another."

Before Hua could respond, Ming grabbed her arm. "We have to go," he whispered urgently.

Hua nodded, her heart pounding as they turned and ran toward the exit. The CEO didn't try to stop them, but Hua could feel his eyes on her as they fled, his presence like a shadow that would follow her no matter how far she went.

As they burst out of the control room and into the darkened hallways of the building, Hua's mind raced. Everything had changed in an instant. Her past, her family, even her mission—it all felt like it had been flipped upside down. But one thing was clear: she couldn't stop now.

She had to bring down the corporation, not just for herself, but for her parents—and for everyone else the CEO had tried to control.

But as she and Ming ran through the halls, the weight of the truth pressed down on her. She couldn't shake the feeling that her fight was only just beginning.