CHAPTER 44:The Summons

The knock on the door came early in the morning. Sharp. Authoritative. Mei Li stood frozen in her silk robe, heart thundering in her chest. She peeked through the curtains to see two officers at the gate, flanked by a stern-faced woman in a dark suit holding a file.

"No… no, no…" Mei Li backed away from the window. This wasn't how her story was supposed to go.

Her maid answered the door, and within moments, the officers stepped inside.

"Miss Mei Li," the woman in the suit said, holding up a badge. "I'm Inspector Wen. You are hereby summoned for questioning regarding the abduction of Jin Hao and falsification of maternal records."

"You can't just walk in here and accuse me!" Mei Li snapped.

"We're not accusing you. Yet," the inspector replied coolly. "But we do have a sworn affidavit from a medical staffer, as well as video footage. You may come voluntarily, or we can issue a warrant."

Mei Li's hands balled into fists. "Fine. I'll come."

Meanwhile, across town, Mei Xing and Zhao Chen sat in a quiet café near the courthouse. The tension was thick, but Mei Xing's eyes were sharper than ever.

"She's been summoned," their lawyer confirmed through a call. "She'll be at the station within the hour. This is our moment."

Zhao Chen nodded. "Do we have what we need?"

"Yes. The hospital documents, the sworn statements, and a timeline of Mei Li's movements the night Jin Hao was taken. We're not going in just to talk—we're going to file for full custody."

Mei Xing's heart pounded. It had taken years to get to this point. Years of suffering, silence, and betrayal. But now, justice wasn't just a dream—it was unfolding in real time.

Later that day, Mei Li sat across from Inspector Wen, flanked by her attorney. The calm, clinical room made her feel small—no lights, no cameras, no loyal fans.

"We have a sworn statement from Nurse Qing," Wen said, laying a printed document in front of her. "She confirms you threatened her job and paid her off to forge documents showing you as Jin Hao's birth mother."

"I don't know who that is," Mei Li said, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Really? Because we also have CCTV footage of you in the hospital that night."

Mei Li's hands twitched. "I want a recess."

Her lawyer leaned over, whispering frantically.

Wen smiled slightly. "You should talk. Right now, you're the only thing standing between yourself and a prison sentence."

Elsewhere, Mei Xing stood outside the police station with Zhao Chen, staring at the building that had once been a place of fear. Today, it was a beacon of hope.

"Do you think she'll break?" Zhao Chen asked.

"She already is," Mei Xing replied, eyes fierce. "The truth is heavier than any lie."

And inside that station, the empire Mei Li built on deception continued to fall—brick by stolen brick.