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 didn't speak a word the entire drive.

When they reached the mansion gates, security guards saluted briskly as the Maybach rolled down the long stone driveway, flanked by manicured hedges and silent marble fountains.

The car stopped beneath the grand portico. Shen Xiao stepped out, adjusting his grip on Yueyao before striding into the mansion, his leather shoes clicking sharply against the polished marble floors.

House staff froze and lowered their heads as he passed, their eyes catching brief glimpses of her limp form in his arms, her pale legs dangling, her small feet bare and bruised, her nightdress streaked with blood and dust.

Ascending the grand staircase, he carried her down the long, silent corridor to the master bedroom. The faint scent of sandalwood and roses wafted through the dim hall, mingling with the cold metallic tang of blood that clung to her skin.

Inside the bedroom, he laid her carefully on the king-sized bed, her thin frame sinking into the plush silk sheets. For a moment, he stood there, staring down at her as moonlight spilled across her pale face.

His expression was unreadable, carved from stone, but his eyes burned with a silent, twisted emotion.

He reached out, brushing a strand of matted hair away from her closed eyes. The tips of his fingers trembled almost imperceptibly.

"Sleep," he whispered, his deep voice hoarse and low. "When you wake up… everything will be different."

He straightened, cold resolve hardening his chiseled features once more.

Turning sharply, he strode out of the bedroom, the heavy mahogany door closing behind him with a quiet, final click that echoed through the silent halls like a death knell.

Outside the master bedroom, the corridor lay cloaked in dim golden lamplight. The silence was broken only by the distant ticking of an ornate grandfather clock down the hall.

As Shen Xiao closed the heavy mahogany door behind him, he turned to find Bai Zhi standing a few steps away.

She was still dressed in her ivory silk robe, cinched loosely at her slender waist, her glossy hair falling in smooth waves around her shoulders. The faint glow of the corridor lights softened her delicate features, but her eyes glimmered darkly in the shadows.

Shen Xuan peeked out from behind her, clutching the hem of her robe with small trembling fingers. His round cheeks were blotchy from crying, his dark eyes swollen and red.

"Ah Xiao…" Bai Zhi began softly, her voice laced with carefully crafted concerns. "Is she alright? Should I call Doctor Qiao to check up on her…?"

Shen Xiao's cold gaze flicked over her briefly before settling on Shen Xuan. The little boy's lower lip trembled as he stared at his father with wide, frightened eyes.

"Daddy… Mommy… is she sick again…? Why… why did she look like that…?"

For a brief second, something unreadable flickered in Shen Xiao's obsidian eyes, a shadow of guilt, quickly buried beneath his usual granite expression.

"She's just tired," he said curtly, his deep voice low and toneless. "Go back to bed."

Shen Xuan hesitated, his small shoulders shaking as he whispered, "Can I… can I see her…?"

"No." His answer was immediate, cold, leaving no room for argument.

Bai Zhi placed a gentle hand on Shen Xuan's head, smoothing down his tousled hair as she watched Shen Xiao with sharp, calculating eyes masked by a soft smile.

"Come, Xuan'er," she cooed sweetly, "Mommy Zhi will tuck you in tonight."

"But… but Mommy…" Shen Xuan whimpered, tears pooling in his lashes as he looked longingly at the closed bedroom door.

Chapter 53; She's just tired