Chapter Thirteen: The Face Behind the Smile

The dawn broke gray and silent over the Bai Estate, the storm of the previous night's poisons and betrayals giving way to an uneasy calm. Bai Lianhua stood at the grand balcony, her fingers curled around the wrought-iron railing as she stared across the gardens. The revelation that her own uncle, Bai Hengde, had orchestrated her childhood switch and the Consortium's schemes lay heavy in her mind.

Behind her, soft footsteps approached. Bai Ziyu appeared, his face drawn but resolute.

"You're up early," he said quietly.

Lianhua didn't turn. "I couldn't sleep. Uncle Hengde… he's the rat in our walls."

Ziyu's jaw tightened. "Grandfather trusted him. I trusted him."

"Trust must be earned," she replied, voice cold. "And today, I'll take it back."

1. Gathering Allies

An hour later, Lianhua convened an emergency meeting in the family's private study. Present were Bai Ziyu, Mo Chen, Liang Yushen, and Zhang Feiyan. Each face was set, ready for the war ahead.

"I've confirmed that Bai Hengde has two safe houses in the city," Lianhua began, pacing before the large map spread out on the table. "One in the financial district, another on the outskirts. He moves between them under cover of night."

Yushen tapped a spot on the map. "I can hack the estate's security logs to trace his vehicle's license plates. We'll know exactly when he moves."

Zhang Feiyan flipped through a dossier. "I've collected testimonies: Hengde funneled money to Yu Shulan and the Consortium. His signature is on contracts—every bit of it."

Mo Chen crossed his arms. "I can cut off his bank accounts internationally. He won't have the funds to bribe anyone or hide evidence."

Bai Ziyu's voice was quiet but fierce. "I'll handle internal affairs—seal his assets within the family corporation and confront him in person when he returns."

Lianhua met each of their gazes. "Tonight, we strike. We confront him at the safe house in the financial district. We bring him back here—alive. He answers for his crimes before the family and the law."

A tense silence followed, then nods all around.

2. The Financial District Raid

Nightfall saw the streets of the financial district alive with neon signs and speeding traffic. Lianhua, dressed in a tailored black suit, slipped from her car alongside Mo Chen and Liang Yushen. Ziyu and two discreet family security officers followed close behind; Zhang Feiyan guided them via encrypted radio.

They scaled a low wall and crept along the shadows to a nondescript townhouse. Security cameras dotted the façade, but Yushen's quick fingers on his tablet looped the footage.

Zhang whispered through the earpiece, "Cameras are blind for the next sixty seconds."

Lianhua raised a gloved hand. "Move."

They slipped inside.

In the dim hallway, two guards in crisp suits stood by the door to the main office. Ziyu and one officer moved as one: a muffled chokehold, and the first guard crumpled. The second spun, gun raised—but Mo Chen was faster. A precise kick sent him crashing into the wall.

No shots fired.

They pushed open the office door.

Bai Hengde sat behind a sleek desk, papers strewn before him. He did not appear surprised.

"Well," he said, voice smooth as silk. "I wondered when you'd come looking."

Lianhua stepped forward, chest heaving. "You betrayed the entire Bai family. You poisoned Grandfather. You sold your own bloodline for power."

Hengde's lips curved in a slight smile. "Your grandfather is stubborn, but healthy now. He's promised me forgiveness… if I comply with his terms."

Ziyu's eyes flashed. "What terms?"

Hengde gestured to his laptop screen, flicking through folders of documents. "I handed over proof of Lianhua's—our family's—wrongdoings: clandestine deals you thought were buried. I insisted on a pardon in return for my silence and cooperation."

Mo Chen's brow furrowed. "You blackmailed the Patriarch?"

"He agreed," Hengde sighed, leaning back. "He valued stability over scandal. But now… he demands my cooperation in our new alliance with the Tian Group."

Lianhua's blood ran cold. "He'd rather protect you than his granddaughter?"

Hengde stood, eyes cool and unrepentant. "Your grandfather is old. He knows when to pick his battles. The world is bigger than family drama."

3. Lines Drawn in Blood

Rage crackled in Lianhua's chest. She drew in a shakier breath. "We'll see what stability costs him."

She stepped forward, voice unwavering. "Uncle Hengde, you will accompany us back to the estate. You will face an audience—family council, legal counsel, public disclosure. Then we'll see if your pardon holds."

He raised an eyebrow. "If I refuse?"

Ziyu's hand rested on the pistol at his waist. "Refusal means your empire collapses. I'll strip your shares. I'll hand you over to state prosecutors."

Hengde's composure wavered for the first time. "State prosecutors? For white-collar crimes and attempted murder?"

"Correct," Lianhua said. "And don't think we won't find evidence of both."

Hengde's shoulders slumped. He took a single step forward and sighed. "Very well. But remember—you set a dangerous precedent."

4. Return to the Estate

The drive back was tense. Hengde sat between two security officers, head bowed. Lianhua rode up front with Mo Chen and Ziyu. Outside, the estate's gates slid open, lanterns lining the drive like sentinels.

Inside the ancestral hall, the family council assembled: Bai Hengyuan on his throne-like chair, Lianhua at his right hand, Ziyu at his left. In the circular room, portraits of past Bai ancestors gazed down, as if passing judgment.

Hengde was brought forward, flanked by guards. Lianhua faced him, the assembled council, and finally, the waiting press and legal team behind glass panels.

"Uncle Hengde," she announced, voice clear, "you stand accused of treason against the Bai family, collusion with the Phoenix Consortium, attempted poisoning of your own brother—my grandfather—and blackmail. How do you plead?"

He lifted his chin, meeting Lianhua's gaze with an emotion she couldn't read. "I plead… guilty."

A stunned gasp rippled through the room.

5. The Public Reckoning

Legal counsel read the charges. Witnesses—Qin Xue and Zhang Feiyan—gave testimony. Mo Chen presented forensic evidence of Hengde's bank transfers and the night's raid video. Ziyu recounted the Patriarch's collapse and the urgency of the antidote.

When the hearing concluded, Bai Hengyuan stood, his voice firm despite age. "Though your crimes are grievous, my niece has shown mercy appropriate to a family. I commute your sentence to full forfeiture of all titles, assets, and family privileges. You will be exiled from the Bai name. Guards—take him away."

Hengde bowed his head. "Thank you, Father."

As the guards led him out, Xu Yushulan's former allies in the Consortium were arrested by state authorities waiting beyond the hall's doors. The Bai family—and their allies—had delivered the final blow.

6. The New Dawn

Later, Lianhua stood with Mo Chen on the balcony overlooking the dawn-lit gardens. Ziyu joined them, his arm around Lianhua's shoulders.

"We've purged the snake from our walls," she said quietly.

Mo Chen smiled, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "And we're stronger for it."

Ziyu nodded. "Together, we'll rebuild."

Lianhua looked between the two men—her brother and her protector. A fierce warmth spread through her chest.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed. A single message:

"They're not finished. Look to the east wing."

Her heart skipped. The war was not yet over.

Lianhua steeled herself. "Looks like Chapter Fourteen is already writing itself."

Mo Chen and Ziyu exchanged glances.

"And we'll be ready," Mo Chen said.

As the three stood united against the rising sun, the Bai family's rebirth was only just beginning.