[Location: City A — International Airport | Time: 6:45 PM | Weather: Rainy]
The roar of jet engines faded into the distance as Xu Yichen stepped through the sliding glass doors of the airport, his black leather shoes clicking sharply against the wet marble floor. Rain lashed against the wide windows, casting long shadows under the harsh fluorescent lights. His tailored black trench coat was dry, untouched by the storm outside—his assistant had ensured he passed through the VIP exit unnoticed.
His eyes, obsidian and unreadable, scanned the familiar skyline of City A—a place that once felt like home. A place where everything had ended.
"You have an hour before the board meeting, sir," his assistant's voice chimed through the earpiece.
"Understood. Tell them not to wait."
A private black car waited near the curb. He slid in without a word, the door clicking shut behind him.
[In Car – En Route to Xu Corporation | Time: 6:50 PM]
Rain streaked across the tinted windows as buildings sped past. Xu Yichen leaned back, eyes fixed on the storm outside.
Five years…Five years of silence. Of rebuilding everything they shattered.Now I return to the city that forgot me… but I haven't forgotten any of it.
A flash of memory caught him off guard.
That night. The woman. The papers thrown in his face. Her voice ringing in his ears—cold, final.No second chance. No farewell.
They said I left.But I was the one cast aside.
He reached into his coat, fingers brushing against an old photograph he never quite managed to throw away.
[Location: Chen Family Villa | Time: 7:30 PM]
The silence in the room was heavy, suffocating. Chen Yao stood over a pristine mahogany table, staring at the thick envelope resting on it.
Divorce papers. Again.
Her fingers hovered above it, trembling. She didn't open it—not yet. She didn't need to. She recognized his handwriting on the label. Clean. Distant. Final.
"After five years, this is what he sends me?" she whispered, voice hollow.
She sank into the velvet chair, her heart aching despite her composed face. Her mind spiraled back to that day—the last time they stood face to face.
"You don't belong here anymore," she had said.He stood still, expression unreadable."If you leave now, don't expect to come back."
And he didn't argue. He just left.
When she turned back, hoping for a final word… he was gone.
"You shouldn't have let him go."
She had told herself that a hundred times. But pride… pride was louder than reason.
Her mother entered, checking her pearls in the grand mirror by the wall.
"Sign them," she said without looking. "The Xu family is nothing to us now. Don't embarrass the Chen name further."
"He didn't even say goodbye," Chen Yao murmured.
"And yet you expected him to wait? For five years?" her mother scoffed. "That man never belonged in this house. We fixed that mistake."
Chen Yao didn't answer. Her fingers tightened around the envelope.
[Location: Xu Corporation HQ — Boardroom | Time: 8:00 PM]
The mahogany doors swung open with a sharp creak. The room fell into stunned silence as Xu Yichen entered—cold, precise, powerful.
He walked with slow confidence, every step echoing across the marble. The board members—all men twice his age—stood instinctively. Some gasped. Others exchanged shocked glances.
He hadn't aged. If anything, he had become sharper. Stronger. And infinitely more dangerous.
"As of today," he began, unbuttoning his coat, "I'm reclaiming what is rightfully mine. Effective immediately, I am your new CEO."
The announcement dropped like thunder.
"That seat belongs to Du Haoran now!" someone blurted, rising from his chair.
Du Haoran—the man who had taken everything the day Yichen was forced out—sat at the far end of the table, arms crossed and smirk in place.
"It did," Xu Yichen replied flatly.
He slid a black folder onto the table. Inside: the original shareholder agreement, ownership documents, and letters of support from major stakeholders. Signed. Stamped. Unassailable.
"You forged your path by stepping on my silence. That silence ends now."
Du Haoran's face twisted, but he said nothing.
No one did.
[Location: Penthouse Suite | Time: 11:15 PM]
High above the city, Xu Yichen stood by the window, rain blurring the glitter of city lights. His coat hung over the back of a chair, untouched. The suite was silent, save for the soft hum of storm outside.
He stared into the darkness. Then reached into his pocket.
A photograph fluttered out—creased, slightly torn at the edges.
Two figures. Younger. Carefree. Him… and her.Not Chen Yao.
Qin Lingxi.
The memory pierced sharper than any betrayal.
"I never wanted to come back."
"But I can't forgive without finishing what I started."
He crouched down to pick up the photo, his hand brushing against its worn edges. Her smile—faded by time—still burned brighter than any spotlight.
His phone vibrated on the table.
A single message.
Unknown Number:You shouldn't have returned.
He stared at it. No expression. No fear.
Only resolve.
Lightning flashed across the skyline.
[End of Chapter 1]