Crumbling Illusions

The luxury car glided smoothly across the sunlit streets of the city, the hum of the engine barely noticeable inside its insulated cabin. Jia sat quietly in the back seat, her expression unreadable as she stared out the tinted window. The city outside was unfamiliar, pristine, and yet somehow distant—like a stage she had no desire to perform on. Pearl, nestled inside her sling carrier, blinked slowly at the filtered light, mirroring her owner's calm yet detached demeanor.

Beside her, Lucas pointed excitedly at every new thing he saw. "Look! That building is even taller than the last one!" he exclaimed, nose nearly squished against the window.

Jia smiled faintly, reaching over to gently tug him back by the shoulder. "You’ll get a noseprint on the glass," she said softly.

"Jia, dear," Madam Han said from the passenger seat, her voice both firm and fond. "Today, I thought we could visit the company. You've seen the gardens, the cultural centers, the boutiques—why not get a glimpse of the real battlefield?"

Jia blinked, turning toward her with a small, polite smile. "The company?"

"Mhm," the older woman nodded. "We can surprise Daniel. Maybe meet some directors. See where you'll be spending more time after the wedding."

Jia’s lips twitched into something that resembled a smile, but her gaze faltered. The wedding. A future she neither believed in nor wanted. And yet here she was, dressed in a neat slate-grey pantsuit with a cream blouse, polished to perfection. Not to impress—but to survive. To adapt. She couldn’t afford weakness.

Because Jia wasn’t here to claim a place. She was here to find an exit.

“Alright,” she said softly, squeezing Lucas’s hand when he beamed up at her. “Let’s go.”

At the company.....

The entrance to Han Corp. was every bit the fortress it was rumored to be—grand, glinting with steel and glass, guarded by a digital wall of automatic gates and biometric scans. It was cold, clinical, and absolutely intimidating.

Except Jia wasn’t intimidated. She wasn’t even particularly impressed.

She’d grown up among people who built empires from dirt and silence. Flashy buildings and polished floors didn’t rattle her. But the weight on her chest—that guilt that settled in every time Lucas called her name, or Madam Han patted her hand and called her "our bright future"—that did.

They didn’t know. None of them knew. Not Daniel, not his grandmother, not the wide-eyed little boy clinging to her arm like a shadow. Jia had no intention of marrying Daniel Han.

But she also had no idea how to leave without breaking hearts she didn’t want to hurt.

"Are you sure we won't be intruding?" Jia asked again, looking skeptical as she adjusted her sleek white jacket, her gaze shifting between Madam Han and the bouncing toddler in her arms.

"Oh darling, don’t be so stiff! You’re practically family now," Madam Han laughed warmly, looping her arm through Jia’s. "Besides, Daniel spends all day holed up in that tower of his. It's about time someone keeps him on his toes."

Lucas babbled happily, tiny arms latched around Jia's neck like a koala. He refused to be held by anyone else that morning, and Jia—after giving up trying to pass him back—carried him like it was second nature.

As the car pulled into the towering glass building of Han Corporation, Jia felt more like she was stepping into enemy territory than a future workplace.

Inside the Company....

Daniel tapped his pen rhythmically against the table, half-listening to a presentation on quarterly imports. He wasn’t in a mood to concentrate—mostly because his mood never included actual work. He was waiting for the right moment to activate the plan. The plan that would send Jia Li packing. A few snide remarks, an accidental spill, a few harmless comments about her tomboyishness—enough for her pride to snap. Then she’d call the engagement off herself, and Granny wouldn't blame him. Perfect.

But just as the assistant clicked to the next slide, the glass door opened.

"Sir, the Chairwoman is here at the company," the receptionist said, voice slightly panicked.

Daniel’s pen froze mid-tap.

What?!

He stood up so fast the chair nearly

tipped.

Jia stood at the entrance, baby Lucas still in her arms and Madam Han already chatting with the front desk. Employees stopped to stare—not just at Madam Han or Lucas—but at her. Tall, calm, poised, with a quiet but intimidating confidence in her gaze. Not flashy, not loud, but impossible to overlook.

Daniel finally emerged from the elevator, forced smile pasted across his face.

"What a surprise," he drawled, though his eyes were screaming why are you here?!

Madam Han gave him a smile. "We thought we’d drop by to give a little surprise my dear."

He grit his teeth.

"Well, I suppose since you’re already here... I could give you a tour." He glanced at Lucas, who gave him a glare that looked way too much like Jia’s.

The company buzzed. Every department head seemed to crawl out of their cubicle to greet Madam Han, Lucas, and the mysterious soon-to-be daughter-in-law. Jia responded to every introduction with measured courtesy, not overly friendly, not dismissive. Lucas remained happily perched in her arms, giving high-fives to passing interns.

Daniel trailed beside them like a sulky shadow.

He was about to sneak a call to his "backup plan" when the secretary ran over. "Sir, the German investors just arrived. The interpreter’s running late—there’s a delay at the airport."

Daniel cursed under his breath. “Take them to the conference room. Stall them.”

Jia tilted her head. “You’re dealing with Germans today?”

Daniel raised a brow. “Yeah. Why?”

She simply handed Lucas over to Madam Han, rolled her neck like she was cracking her knuckles, and walked toward the conference room like she owned the building.

Inside the Conference Room....

"Guten Tag," she greeted smoothly, startling the investors mid-conversation.

They turned in surprise as she continued, her accent crisp and fluent. She introduced herself, subtly included her relation to Han Corporation, then sat down across from them as if she'd been on board for years.

Daniel stood frozen at the door.

She was negotiating.

Perfectly.

In their language.

With terms he had barely prepped for.

One of the investors leaned over to another and whispered in German: "I thought she was just a guest. She's sharper than the last three executives combined."

Daniel heard it.

Jia didn’t flinch. She kept her posture straight, expression neutral, but her eyes flicked to him once—just once—and that small glint of mischief nearly made him combust.

He wanted to walk out. Or flip the table. Or maybe just crawl under it and scream.

After the Meeting....

The investors left satisfied. The deal was set.

Daniel stormed out after them, but not before hearing another employee mutter, "She’s scary good..."

Madam Han was beaming. Lucas clapped. Jia simply walked out like she hadn’t just saved a million-dollar negotiation on a whim.

"Shall we grab lunch?" Madam Han asked cheerfully. "We’ve earned it."

Daniel clenched his jaw. Jia turned to him calmly.

"Coming, Mr. Han? Or do you need time to digest that performance?"

He smiled, though his soul left his body.

"After you, Miss Li."

As the polished doors of Han Corp's top floor slid shut behind them, Daniel clenched his jaw, watching Jia walk ahead—cool, composed, and utterly unbothered. She hadn’t come to play, that much was clear. But little did she know… neither had he. And in this silent battlefield of pride and hidden intentions, only one thing was certain—this engagement was about to become the storm neither of them saw coming.