Kim_Li_0078

#DARK ROMANCE 
Lin Yueyao spent five years of her youth married to Shen Xiao, a man whose heart was as cold as steel. She believed that her gentleness would eventually melt his indifference, but the only thing that melted was her own dignity.

Every night, she endured his cruel touch, his words like blades, and his silent disgust. But no matter how much it hurt, Yueyao clung on – for the sake of their son, Xuanxuan, and for the sliver of hope that someday he might see her.

That hope shattered completely when his first love, Bai Zhi, returned from abroad. The very night Bai Zhi came back, Shen Xiao left Yueyao alone to dine with her. His gaze, once cold and dismissive, turned tender only for Bai Zhi.

Then, just as Yueyao discovered she was pregnant again, Shen Xiao handed her divorce papers. Abandoned while carrying his child, betrayed by her husband, and discarded like a stain on his life, Yueyao’s world collapsed.

Even their son, Xuanxuan – the little boy she’d nearly died giving birth to, the one she raised with unwavering devotion – rejected her, clinging instead to Bai Zhi with innocent adoration.

But fate was crueler still.

Kidnapped straight from her hospital bed by men demanding ransom, Yueyao realised no one was coming to save her. Her husband hadn’t even noticed she was missing. As she lay in that abandoned factory, trembling in pain, all illusions crumbled.

She was done waiting for love from a man who treated her like dirt.

This time, she would save herself. And when she returned, it wouldn’t be as the pitiful Mrs. Shen, but as a woman reborn from ashes – with a heart no longer beating for Shen Xiao.

But will he realise her worth only when it’s too late?

Love After Divorce: Her Second Chance

He pressed a foul-smelling cloth against her nose and mouth. The acrid, chemical scent burned her lungs instantly and darkness crept into her vision, swallowing the desperate image of Aunt Mei's limp body sprawled across the backseat.

The last thing she heard before losing consciousness completely was the driver's panicked shouting and the muffled sound of approaching footsteps.

When the paramedics arrived minutes later, they found Aunt Mei unconscious, her pulse weak and tready, blood pooling around her greying hair. The blow had fractured her skull, and she was immediately rushed into intensive care.

That night, doctors confirmed that Aunt Mei had slipped into a deep coma. The driver was also seriously injured and was in a coma.

Her fate, and Yueyao's, now hung in a silent, suffocating darkness.

The first thing Yueyao noticed when consciousness returned was the cold.

It seeped into her bones from the damp cement floor beneath her, making her shiver uncontrollably.

Her wrists burned with a dull ache, her arms pinned awkwardly behind her back by coarse rope that bit into her skin.

She tried to move but her head spun violently, a wave of nausea crashing through her as she blinked away tears.

Her blurry gaze adjusted slowly to the dim surroundings.

She was in a windowless room lit only by a flickering fluorescent bulb overhead.

The walls were cracked concrete, dark stains splattered across one corner, and a rusty pipe ran along the ceiling dripping water onto the floor with hollow plinks.

There was an acrid stench of urine, sweat, and mold. The air felt thick and stale in her lungs.

Her ankles were also tied together, coarse rope digging into her tender skin.

Dried blood crusted along her hairline where her head had hit something during the abduction. Her clothes were rumpled and dirty, offering no warmth against the cold cement.

She clenched her jaw to keep her teeth from chattering, her chest tightening with panic as everything came rushing back:

Aunt Mei's limp body. The masked men's cold gloved hands. The choking smell of chemicals. Darkness...

Her heart squeezed painfully. Was she alive? Was she safe? Had they hurt her further?

The sound of a heavy bolt sliding back snapped her from her thoughts.

The metal door swung open with a creaking groan as a tall man in black tactical clothes stepped in, followed by two others. Their faces were masked, eyes cold and devoid of emotion.

One of them squatted down in front of her, tilting his head slightly as he studied her pale, tear-streaked face.

"Awake already?" he drawled, his voice muffled by the black cloth mask, "That was fast. You are more stubborn than you look."

Yueyao swallowed hard, her dry throat scraping painfully as she whispered, "Please… please don't hurt me… let me go..."

The man chuckled darkly. "Hurt you? That depends…"

He reached out and grabbed her chin roughly, forcing her to look up into his shadowed eyes. His gloved fingers dug into her bruised jaw.

"Who would pay the highest price to keep you breathing, hm?" he sneered. "Your dear husband… or that pretty ex-fiancée he can't seem to live without?"

They knew. They knew who she was, who Shen Xiao was… and who Bai Zhi was.

The man smirked as he released her chin, standing up and dusting his gloved hands casually.

"Let's see if your life is worth enough to them," he said flatly, turning on his heel. "Or maybe…"

He paused by the door and glanced back at her trembling form, his eyes gleaming with something dark and vicious.

Chapter 17; Shut up!