The tension in the room was suffocating. Su Nian sat quietly by Lu Cheng's side as the evidence of Lu Wei's betrayal spread across the family table like wildfire. The patriarch of the Lu family, his expression dark and unreadable, stared at the documents in front of him with increasing disbelief.
"These are fabricated," Lu Wei spat, attempting to regain some control over the situation. His hands clenched into fists on the table, his face flushed with anger. "I didn't do this."
Lu Cheng's voice rang out sharply, cutting through his brother's feeble protests. "The documents, the transactions, the emails—there's no denying it. You've been plotting against this family, and now we have the proof."
Su Nian felt a pang of fear in her chest. The truth was on display, but something about the way Lu Wei reacted told her this was far from over. He was desperate. And desperate people were dangerous.
Lu Cheng's grandfather, the family patriarch, slowly stood from his chair, his sharp eyes narrowing at Lu Wei. "How could you do this, Wei? After everything the Lu family has done for you?"
Lu Wei's expression faltered for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. He stood, palms flat on the table, eyes blazing. "I did this because I'm tired of being overshadowed! Tired of being treated like I'm nothing. Cheng has always had the best of everything—the business, the family's love. But what about me? What about what I deserve?"
Su Nian felt her stomach twist. She had known that Lu Wei harbored resentment, but hearing him lay it out so plainly made her realize just how far he was willing to go to tear the family apart.
But Lu Cheng wasn't fazed. He looked at his brother, his voice cold and unwavering. "You're pathetic, Wei. You've always been the one who tried to tear others down to build yourself up. But you've lost this time."
Lu Wei's eyes flicked to Su Nian, and the hatred in them was almost palpable. "You," he sneered. "This is all your fault. If it wasn't for you—if it wasn't for you turning Cheng against the family—none of this would have happened."
Su Nian flinched at the venom in his words, but she refused to back down. "You're wrong," she said, her voice firm despite the fear in her heart. "Cheng and I are a team. You're the one who's been trying to tear us apart. You're the one who manipulated everyone and used my name to get what you wanted."
Lu Wei's laugh was bitter and hollow. "You think you've won? This is just the beginning. There are things about you, NianNian, things from your past, that I could expose. I could ruin you, you know. You won't be able to hide from the truth forever."
The threat hung in the air like a bomb waiting to go off. Su Nian's heart skipped a beat as the words landed. She knew her past wasn't clean—there were things she'd done, choices she'd made that she wasn't proud of. But she'd worked hard to bury them. She'd worked hard to move on.
Lu Cheng's hand found hers under the table, his grip tight and reassuring. He squeezed once before speaking to Lu Wei, his voice laced with fury. "Don't you dare threaten her. You're the one who's been playing games, Wei. You're the one who's been lying to everyone."
For a brief moment, the room was eerily silent. It was a silence filled with the weight of Lu Wei's threats, filled with the knowledge that this confrontation was far from over. But Su Nian couldn't let herself fall back into fear. Not now.
She stood up, her heart pounding, but her voice steady. "I won't let you use me as a pawn in your twisted games, Lu Wei. Whatever you know, whatever you think you can expose, I'll face it. But know this—I'm not afraid of you."
The family watched in stunned silence as she stood her ground. Lu Cheng, standing beside her, was the picture of calm strength. Together, they were an unstoppable force.
The confrontation with Lu Wei didn't end in the way anyone had expected. Instead of a dramatic, tear-filled breakdown, it was a moment of cold realization. Lu Wei was left standing there, his earlier bravado crumbling beneath the weight of the evidence against him.
His grandfather's voice broke the silence, harsh and unforgiving. "I cannot protect you anymore, Wei. You've betrayed this family. You've betrayed everything we stand for."
Lu Wei's face twisted in anger, but there was a flicker of something else in his eyes. Fear. Panic.
"You don't understand," he pleaded, his voice strained. "I didn't have a choice! I had to do this to survive. Don't you see? This isn't just about power. It's about proving that I matter!"
Lu Cheng's expression softened ever so slightly, but his next words were a verdict. "You've already proven that you're willing to destroy everything for your own gain, Wei. That's all that matters now."
Su Nian's heart was heavy with the weight of his words, but she didn't feel sympathy for Lu Wei. She couldn't. The man before her was no longer the brother of the man she loved. He was a stranger, a man who had lost his way and would stop at nothing to tear down anyone in his path.
But as the family meeting drew to a close, it wasn't just Lu Wei who was left to face the consequences. Su Nian knew that there were still many obstacles ahead. The truth about her past, about the dark secrets she'd worked so hard to forget, was just beginning to surface.
As they walked out of the room together, Lu Cheng placed his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.
"We'll deal with this," he said softly, his voice full of resolve. "Whatever Lu Wei tries next, we'll handle it. Together."
Su Nian nodded, but her mind was elsewhere. What had Lu Wei meant when he talked about her past? What did he know? And why did it feel like her whole world was about to be turned upside down?
Later that evening, as they sat in the quiet comfort of the penthouse, Su Nian's phone rang. She looked at the caller ID, and her heart skipped a beat. It was an unknown number.
She hesitated for a moment before answering. "Hello?"
The voice on the other end was calm, almost soothing. "NianNian, it's time. You know what's coming."
The words sent a shiver down her spine. "Who is this?" she asked, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to remain calm.
"You'll find out soon enough," the voice replied before hanging up.
Su Nian's breath hitched. Whoever this was, they knew something. They knew something that she didn't.
She looked at Lu Cheng, who had been watching her closely. "Cheng… someone just called me. They said… they said I'd find out soon enough."
Lu Cheng's face hardened as he moved closer to her. "We need to be ready. Whatever is coming, we'll face it together."
But as the night wore on, the feeling of unease only deepened. Lu Wei was just the beginning. And Su Nian knew that the real storm was still on the horizon.