One Step Too Late

Mo Yichen finally found out where Xia Ruyan was. The information came from the Xia family's butler. Madam Xia had already left for the hospital, preparing everything in advance. Mr. Xia, Xia Jingxuan, had gone to bring Ruyan back himself.

For a moment, Mo Yichen wondered what that poetic man could possibly achieve if he went himself. But the thought vanished as quickly as it came. He realized things were far more complex than he had assumed. As his grandfather often said; Never judge people at face value. In the Xia household, everything runs as deep as the ocean.

He had his assistant investigate them. All came back as a clean slate, an established business, and a happy family settled in a peaceful town.

He once asked his grandfather why, despite having such a large fortune, the Xia family hadn't expanded in the capital and instead chose to live passively. He was told that they had made enough money for three generations and were not very ambitious. Mr. Xia now only wanted to live a peaceful life with his family.

But now he understood, it was true they were seeking peace, but it was peace from the chaos they had buried. From truths that remained unseen.

Otherwise, why would their daughter be kidnapped out of nowhere? Why did she send a signal to her father, and more importantly, how did she send it? That meant she had been prepared for such a situation. She had known that something like this could happen.

Now, at the Xia house, he noticed how calm the workers were, as if they already knew the end result. He observed how the butler was firm and how his eyes were hard; this was not the manner of ordinary butlers. Similarly, Xia Ruyan's assistant, Marie, was not like a caretaker. Her steps were quiet and measured, her posture firm and square. The way she stopped Mo Yiran when he tried to hit Xia Ruyan was not something an ordinary caretaker could do.

She was trained, trained to protect. And if he was not wrong, trained to kill as well. The Xia family ran deep, and he was unable to calculate their depth. The butler studied him carefully, and he noticed the mockery in his eyes. Yet he still informed him that Xia Ruyan had been found.

As soon as Mo Yichen got the coordinates, he wasted no time. He rushed toward the location with his team.

But he didn't realize...…. He was already too late.

Inside the building—

The man flicked his lighter, the brief flame illuminating the shadows for a second. In that moment, Xia Ruyan caught a glimpse of his face. She strained to memorize every detail, but he quickly pressed a hand over her eyes.

A low, grating laugh rumbled from his chest.

"Now, now, young lady," he drawled, "what are you trying to see? Do you think looking at me will change your end?"

He leaned closer, voice mocking. "I didn't know the emotionless Xia princess had a cute side."

Ruyan recoiled instinctively. Her stomach churned, and the urge to vomit rose again. A broken whimper escaped from deep within her throat, soft, almost childlike.

"Oh? So, this is your weakness?" he sneered. "Touch?"

His tone turned maniacal. "Then shall I… touch you?"

His hand slid from her eyes to her cheek, then down to her neck.

Xia Ruyan's eyes widened in the darkness. She could feel the rough calluses of his hand. Her mouth was gagged, and she couldn't scream. Her limbs were bound so she couldn't fight. And tears, she wouldn't let them fall. She refused.

But in her head, a voice screamed: Baba. She called once. Baba. Again. Baba, please…

Her mind chanted like a desperate prayer. She hated this, being touched like this. Stripped of power. Violated by fear.

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed through the building. The man froze. He grabbed his intercom.

"What happened?" he barked. "What's going on out there?!"

He waited. "Position 8, respond."

Silence.

Then, another bang was followed by a single gunshot.

He laughed bitterly. "Seems like they're here to save you, Miss Xia. How tragic... they won't succeed."

"Are you sure about that?" A voice answered, calm and cold, so cold it felt like it had risen from the depths of hell. The man stiffened, his fingers twitching. A sudden chill prickled down his spine.

He knew that voice, and he knew he couldn't win. He was no match for Xia Jingxuan.

The flashlight in his hand flickered, barely enough to reveal the intruder. But Xia Jingxuan saw everything. Even in that dim glow, he noticed Ruyan's bruises, her tears that hadn't fallen, her strength that hadn't broken.

His mind burned with questions. Who? Why now?

He had left that world behind, a world of snakes in smiles and daggers wrapped in silk. A world that took everything from him. He had buried it all, just so Ruyan could live untainted, untouched by blood or betrayal.

And yet, someone had followed him into this new life. Someone had brought war to his doorstep. Someone had dared to touch his daughter.

"Xia Jingxuan… you're here," the man rasped, struggling to keep the tremor out of his voice.

"You can say your last prayer," Xia Jingxuan said, voice razor-sharp.

The man chuckled. "I think it's you who should pray."

He raised his gun. Not at Xia Jingxuan...

At Xia Ruyan.

She heard her father's voice. And for the first time since her capture, she closed her eyes, not in fear, but in surrender.

"I suppose this is farewell, Miss Xia, happy journey," the man muttered.

He pulled the trigger.

Bang.

Blood splattered across the cold concrete floor.