The silence that settled upon the hospital room after Director Xu's frantic retreat was not peaceful, but a profound, crystalline stillness, like the quiet before a magnificent glacier shifts. Jin Yaotian remained seated against the pillows, her external composure flawless, but the universe contained within her was undergoing a cataclysmic revolution. Her mind, once a velvet cage of naive submission, was now a razor-sharp command center, coldly cataloging every sensory anomaly.

​The first, and most striking, was the absence-the scent of nothing.

​For eighteen years, her Omega identity had been defined by the gentle, almost heartbreakingly delicate fragrance of gardenias. It was the scent that signaled her fertility, her status, and, cruelly, her inherent biological weakness in this stratified world. It was the scent Li Zhenyu had used to mask his disgust while planning her betrayal, and the scent Jin Meifen had effortlessly overpowered with her cloying, toxic sweetness.

​Now, it was gone. Completely.

​Yaotian inhaled deeply. Her powerful, newly heightened senses detected the antiseptic tang of the hospital, the faint residue of Director Xu's expensive perfume, and the faint, residual peach-tinged malice left by Jin Meifen. But the delicate, floral marker of her own Omega biology was utterly vanished, replaced by an internal sensation of cold, pure emptiness. It was the Scent of Nothing, and it felt like absolute, terrifying freedom.

​I am unclassified.

​The realization sent a chill of exhilaration through her veins, a sensation far superior to any rush of dominant pheromones an Alpha could generate. The Enigma-the mythical, rarely seen classification rumored to stand entirely outside the Alpha, Beta, and Omega hierarchy-was not about being strong like an Alpha, but about being something else entirely. Something silent, cold, and profoundly neutralizing. Her new state did not merely suppress the Omega; it seemed to have overwritten her very genetic code, rendering her dominant over the entire scent-based hierarchy.

​She slowly extended her hand, the movement unnaturally smooth, testing her physical limits. She pressed down on the mattress. In the past, her wrist would have felt fragile, a weak hinge of bone and soft tissue. Now, she felt a core of tensile strength, a coiled power barely contained by her slender frame. It was the kind of latent force a grandmaster might possess, honed by decades of discipline, yet she had acquired it instantaneously, catalyzed by the trauma of betrayal and rebirth.

​This body is a weapon, she concluded, her mind calculating the necessary training to fully control this unprecedented power. There would be no fumbling, no slow learning curve. Her cold, clear mind, enhanced by the Enigma's awakening, could process and internalize complex physical and tactical knowledge at a terrifying speed.

​Her internal monologue was interrupted by the shrill, demanding vibration of her hidden phone-a cheap, secondary device the family had dismissed as a toy. It was the Scheming Alpha, Li Zhenyu.

​Yaotian let it ring twice before answering, her voice smooth and devoid of any residual affection. "Zhenyu."

​"Yao-Yao! What in the hell is going on?" Zhenyu's voice was sharp, laced with the rough, irritated edge of an Alpha whose plans have been slightly inconvenienced. He had not, Yaotian noted with detached amusement, used his typical, falsely affectionate 'little bird' moniker. The sudden, cold authority she had displayed earlier had clearly ruffled his feathers.

​"What is going on, Zhenyu?" Yaotian repeated, mimicking his tone with perfect, dangerous innocence. "I believe I am currently hospitalized, recovering from a sudden fainting spell. Does my brief illness interfere with your urgent need for my signature on the joint venture documents?"

​The bait was swallowed instantly. Zhenyu's voice dropped, laced with that fake, saccharine charm he reserved for soft-pedaling his greed. "Of course not, darling. I only care about you. But Director Xu called me, quite frantic, saying you were making strange, hysterical accusations. And... I checked the engagement party schedule. It looks like you'll need to be released by tomorrow afternoon, or we'll have to postpone the public announcement of the merger."

​Yaotian's lips curved into a predatory smile that Zhenyu, thankfully, could not see. Ah, the urgency of financial acquisition. How truly romantic.

​"Is that so?" she drawled, letting the silence stretch, forcing him to stew in his own anxiety. "Well, Zhenyu, you know my health comes first. After all, the value of the Jin family heiress is tied entirely to my well-being. Perhaps," she continued, her voice hardening slightly, delivering the first piece of cutting truth, "if you are so concerned about the schedule, you should focus less on the value of my signature and more on the vulnerability of your current position. Postponement is not the only catastrophic possibility here."

​"What does that mean, Yao-Yao?" Zhenyu demanded, his Alpha irritation spiking.

​Yaotian delivered the kill-shot with cold elegance: "It means, Zhenyu, that a sudden illness is far less damaging to our reputation than a sudden revelation. Rest easy, dear. I will decide when the party starts. And when it ends."

​She ended the call cleanly, allowing him no chance to respond, letting her words hang in the air like a guillotine blade waiting to drop. The sound of his frustrated roar on the other end gave her a deep, satisfying chill.

​That's one down. The weak Omega facade is cracking, replaced by the unpredictable Enigma.

​Her immediate priority shifted from emotional satisfaction to tactical defense. Director Xu and Zhenyu were not fools; they were simply arrogant. They would immediately move to secure the most damaging evidence against her past self: the forged power of attorney and the hidden corporate ledger.

​Yaotian quickly formulated the retrieval plan. The crucial documents were not in the Jin family safe, which was too obvious, but in a secure, encrypted drive hidden within Director Xu's private home office. A high-tech retrieval, not a brute-force one.

​She pushed back the blankets and stood. Her feet hit the floor silently. She moved to the window, gazing out at the magnificent, sprawling cityscape of the capital-the city she would soon dominate. Her reflection in the glass was chillingly resolute. She was still in the hospital gown, still nominally vulnerable, but within her, the engine of revenge was revving, silent and powerful.

​The second crisis arrived not through the door, but through the official communications channel. A text message from Jin Meifen.

​Meifen (Stepsister): "Oh, Yao jie-jie, Mother says you are being difficult. Please, don't let a small cold ruin your mood! Zhenyu is worried sick. He needs to see you tomorrow to confirm your good health. Can I bring you some of your favorite ginseng soup?"

​The message was a perfect blend of fake sisterly concern and blatant intelligence-gathering. The 'ginseng soup' was code for checking her health status and ensuring her mind hadn't snapped in a way that would require a forced incapacitation.

​Yaotian typed her reply instantly, her words a refined rapier thrust against Meifen's dull dagger.

​Yaotian: "No need, jie-jie. My health is robust. In fact, my mind has never been clearer. Tell Mother Xu and Zhenyu that the engagement is not merely proceeding, but accelerating. I find I have a sudden, urgent need to resolve all outstanding financial discrepancies before the contract signing. I would hate for anyone to discover any untidy secrets after the marriage, wouldn't we? It would ruin the honeymoon."

​The message was a calculated declaration of war. It confirmed her composure but introduced the terrifying possibility that she knew about their 'untidy secrets'-the corporate theft. This would force the antagonists to panic and accelerate their timeline, which was exactly what Yaotian needed to gain the element of surprise.

​She knew Meifen would run straight to Director Xu, clutching her pearls and whining, "Mother! Yao jie-jie is being terrifying! She knows something!"

​Yaotian returned to her bedside, her thoughts already four steps ahead. She had to leave the hospital now. Her continued presence here, under the watchful eyes of staff potentially bribed by Director Xu, was a liability.

​She pulled out the IV line-a clean, quick pull that, in the past, would have made her gasp in pain. Now, she barely registered the discomfort. She quickly changed into the simple, inconspicuous clothes she had insisted her driver leave for her "in case of an emergency." The weak Omega of the past relied on designer dresses; the Enigma of the present required stealth and functionality.

​Before leaving, she performed one final, chilling test of her new power. She focused the cold, suppressed energy within her-the silent, profound force of the Enigma-and directed it towards the empty air where her gardenia scent used to reside. She didn't emit a scent, but she projected an aura: cold, heavy, and utterly dominant. If any Alpha were to enter the room now, they wouldn't feel attraction; they would feel an inexplicable, icy submission.

​The true awakening was complete. The Scent of Nothing was the Scent of Power.

​Yaotian walked out of the room, her steps light and silent, radiating an aura of cold, untouchable competence. She dismissed the confused nurse at the station with a single, cool glance that brooked no argument. The nurse, a Beta, felt an intense, disorienting need to simply obey, allowing Yaotian to walk right past the security desk and into the luxurious, smog-filled night.

​Her driver, Mr. Chen, a gruff old Beta who had been loyal to her father, was waiting outside the VIP entrance. He was clearly surprised to see her walking out looking energized, not frail.

​"Miss Yaotian! You should be resting," Mr. Chen murmured, concerned.

​"Rest is for the dead, Chen," Yaotian replied, her tone brooking no argument. "Take me to my grandfather's old private residence. The one Director Xu hasn't bothered to visit in three years. And stop at the most expensive, discreet security tech firm on the way. I need a suite of tools capable of bypassing the Jin Corporation's highest-level security protocols-the ones only my father knew about."

​Mr. Chen, recognizing the steel in her voice-a tone he hadn't heard since her father's passing-nodded once, instantly obeying. He realized the delicate, pampered young mistress had vanished, replaced by a formidable figure of ice and resolve. The Enigma had taken her first step out of the hospital and into the war zone. The countdown to revenge had begun. The antagonists, so smug in their assumed victory, had just received their first, chilling notification. Yaotian's next move would be to reclaim her family's true treasure: the ledger of lies that would destroy her stepmother and expose the rot at the core of the Li family.

The Jin Family manor, a sprawling monument to old money and carefully curated prestige, stood bathed in the amber glow of the evening. To the casual observer, the formal dining room, set for an intimate, "welcome home" dinner, was the picture of domestic bliss, rich with the scent of imported roses and gourmet cuisine. But to Jin Yaotian, stepping across the marble threshold, the atmosphere was a pressurized chamber of thinly veiled hostility and calculated deceit. This was not a dinner; it was an interrogation wrapped in silk and served on gold-plated porcelain.

​Yaotian had spent the hours since her calculated escape from the hospital transforming her body into a fortress. She arrived wearing a simple, elegant black dress that emphasized her flawless bone structure and the chilling, cold luminescence of her skin, a stark contrast to Jin Meifen's intentionally delicate pale pink lace. She had chosen black not for mourning, but for war.

​The moment she entered, two pairs of eyes-one shrewd, the other deceptively innocent-latched onto her. Director Xu, the stepmother, sat at the head of the table, her face a serene mask of authoritative concern. Beside her, Jin Meifen radiated a nervous, amplified warmth, her peach Omega scent trying, and failing, to soften the edges of the room.

​"Yao-Yao! You truly gave us a fright, darling," Director Xu said, rising with a performance of maternal relief that deserved a dramatic award. Her arms opened in a gesture of welcome that was immediately belied by the icy glint of suspicion in her eyes. The confrontation in the hospital room had clearly rattled her, but the Beta was far too practiced to let it show for long.

​Yaotian allowed herself to be embraced-a brief, perfunctory contact she endured with the detached patience of a spectator observing a mildly annoying insect. She noticed Xu's hands felt strangely clammy, betraying the turmoil beneath the polished surface.

​"I apologize for the fright, Mother Xu," Yaotian replied, her voice smooth and neutral, carrying no hint of either deference or distress. "The doctor assured me it was merely exhaustion. Nothing that a good night's rest and a thorough review of the Jin Corporation's financial stability won't fix."

​The sudden insertion of the word 'financial stability' into the conversation was a deliberate spike designed to pierce the veneer of domesticity. Director Xu's smile twitched.

​"Oh, you silly girl," Xu laughed, a brittle, high sound. "Leave those dreary figures to me! I am handling all those tiresome details while you focus on your magnificent future with Zhenyu. Come, sit, Yao-Yao. Meifen prepared your favorite jasmine tea."

​Jin Meifen, who had been anxiously watching the exchange, immediately rushed to Yaotian's side, placing a hand gently on her elbow, radiating that fake sisterly submission. "Yes, Yao jie-jie. You look pale. You must take care of yourself before the engagement. We simply must ensure that darling Zhenyu is captivated by your beauty, not worried by your workload."

​"Thank you, jie-jie," Yaotian responded, accepting the seat Meifen offered. She held Meifen's gaze for a beat too long, forcing the stepsister to quickly avert her eyes. Yaotian knew Meifen was secretly terrified-terrified that her jie-jie's sudden change of demeanor meant her meticulously planned life of stealing Zhenyu and the inheritance was already in jeopardy.

​The dinner began, but the meal was merely a prop for the verbal sparring. Director Xu quickly deployed the juicy scheme-a calculated probe to ascertain the depth of Yaotian's knowledge.

​"Yao-Yao," Xu began, carefully cutting into her steak. "About the Li family. Zhenyu's father called earlier. They are concerned about the terms of the pre-nuptial agreement, specifically regarding the handling of your ancestral estate. They find the current stipulations... ambiguous."

​This was the scheme. Xu and Zhenyu needed Yaotian to confirm that she was still willing to sign over control of her grandfather's vast, unlisted assets-assets that were immune to public corporate audit. Her past Omega self would have obediently agreed, eager to please her Alpha.

​Yaotian paused, lifting her glass of water. She felt the sudden, frantic focus of both antagonists upon her. She took a slow, deliberate sip before delivering her cutting counter-attack.

​"Ambiguous, Mother Xu?" Yaotian repeated, her voice laced with cool surprise. "How intriguing. I thought the terms were perfectly clear: the ancestral assets remain entirely separate until the marriage has successfully lasted for a minimum of ten years, with strict non-encumbrance clauses for the duration. Why would the Li family, with their vast wealth, find those terms ambiguous? Are they perhaps concerned about their ability to sustain a marriage for a full decade without resorting to undue financial influence?"

​

​The remark was a direct, lethal hit to the Li family's pride, suggesting they were marrying for necessity, not love. Director Xu's perfectly manicured hand, holding the knife, actually froze mid-air. Meifen choked on a sip of wine, coughing dramatically to cover her shock.

​"Yao jie-jie!" Meifen sputtered, her eyes wide with alarm. "That is terribly rude! Zhenyu loves you! He is a dominant Alpha! He doesn't need our money!"

​Yaotian turned her icy gaze to the stepsister, her smile forged in the furnace of betrayal. "Of course, jie-jie. I am sure you truly believe that. But love, like loyalty, is a commodity best secured by careful contract, wouldn't you agree? I simply find the Li family's sudden, disproportionate interest in my ancestral holdings highly illuminating. It suggests a lack of confidence in their own future."

​Director Xu slammed her knife down onto the plate, the sharp sound echoing in the sudden, charged silence. The Beta's facade had been punctured, and raw fury simmered in her eyes.

​"That is enough, Yao-Yao!" Xu snapped, dropping all pretense of maternal affection. "You will not insult the family of your future husband! You are still an Omega, and you will show respect! I am only managing this conversation to protect you from your own foolish comments."

​Ah, the desperation. Yaotian realized it was time to deploy the first subtle test of her Enigma power, not to win the argument-she had already won that-but to break Xu's psychological resilience.

​Yaotian gave a slight, dismissive wave of her hand. "Protect me, Mother Xu? I sincerely doubt that. I believe you are merely trying to protect your plan."

​As she spoke, Yaotian focused the chilling, silent energy of her Enigma core-that profoundly cold, latent power-and directed a minute, subtle pulse towards Director Xu's temporal lobe. The action was purely mental, undetectable, and designed only to disrupt the Beta's neurological processes by a fraction of a second.

​Xu, fueled by adrenaline and rage, immediately reached for a small, leather-bound notebook beside her plate-the notebook that contained her next planned line of attack.

​But the subtle Enigma influence worked perfectly.

​The moment Xu's fingers touched the cover, her motor reflexes lagged. Her mind, already strained by Yaotian's cutting remarks, stuttered. She experienced a sudden, inexplicable moment of mental fog, making her movements clumsy and slow.

​In that half-second of disruption, Yaotian, acting with the terrifying speed and precision granted by her new constitution, leaned forward and smoothly picked up the notebook herself. Her movement was so fluid and unexpected that it appeared entirely natural-as if Xu had simply decided to hand it over.

​"Were you reaching for this, Mother Xu?" Yaotian asked sweetly, holding the book aloft. "My apologies. I thought you might have been reaching for a pen. I wanted to note down the exact date and time of the Li family's 'ambiguity,' so I can have my own legal team review it before tomorrow morning."

​The victory was small, symbolic, and utterly shattering to Director Xu's confidence.

​Xu stared, her eyes wide and blank, her mind still struggling to process the lapse in control. What happened? Why did I freeze? She felt a strange, cold emptiness in the air around Yaotian-a profound lack of the Omega softness she was used to controlling.

​"G-give that back, Yao-Yao!" Xu stammered, her voice thin. "That is private! It contains confidential details about the family finances!"

​"Exactly," Yaotian countered, her smile widening into a predatory, beautiful crescent. "And since I am now so concerned about financial stability, I will ensure the contents are thoroughly reviewed tonight. You needn't worry, Mother Xu. After all, I am only trying to protect Yao-Yao's future."

​The words, parroting Xu's own fake concern, were a final, humiliating whip-crack. Meifen watched the scene unfold with barely suppressed horror. Her jie-jie was no longer the pampered, naive fool; she was a stunning, cold-blooded serpent who had just stolen critical information in front of their eyes, masked by a facade of polite concern.

​Yaotian stood, placing the small notebook securely into the slim clutch on her wrist. "The jasmine tea was delightful, jie-jie," she said, nodding politely to Meifen. "Mother Xu, I look forward to discussing the 'ambiguities' of the ancestral assets further after I have completed my independent audit. Please ensure my private office remains untouched in my absence."

​She turned and walked out, leaving behind a battlefield of shattered composure. The moment the manor's massive doors closed behind her, Jin Yaotian allowed herself a single, profound sigh of satisfaction. The first test was passed. The Enigma was awake, controlled, and utterly devastating. The notebook in her hand contained the contact details of the notary public and the true, concealed terms of the ancestral assets-information she would use immediately to sever her financial ties to Li Zhenyu.

​The crystal afternoon sun beat down upon the veranda of the Imperial Club, a sanctuary of wealth and power where every whisper carried the weight of a contract and every glance was a transaction. This was the stage Jin Yaotian had chosen: a place where the social elite gathered to witness, judge, and feast upon the mistakes of others. It was the perfect setting to deliver a public execution of her former fiancé.

​Armed with the stolen notebook's contents and the cold, unshakeable confidence of her Enigma core, Yaotian had worked through the night. Her private legal counsel, a shrewd Beta attorney named Lin who had always been loyal to her late father, was already positioned off-site, prepared to fire off the formal notices the moment Yaotian gave the signal. The game was set.

​Li Zhenyu arrived precisely on time, striding onto the veranda with the arrogant, proprietorial air of a dominant Alpha who believed his mere presence could quell dissent. He was immaculate in an Italian suit, his handsome features set in a mask of controlled irritation. He radiated his powerful, sandalwood-laced Alpha pheromones, intending to subtly remind Yaotian of her place.

​He approached the secluded table where Yaotian sat, already sipping jasmine tea. "There you are, Yao-Yao," he murmured, his voice low, a masterful blend of authority and false concern. "I must say, your behavior yesterday was entirely unacceptable. Director Xu was nearly hysterical. Running out of the hospital like that? It's highly disruptive, and frankly, it makes you look unstable. We need to present a united front before the wedding."

​Yaotian simply lifted her gaze, those dark, newly fathomless eyes meeting his without a flicker of deference. His dominant Alpha pheromones washed over her, and she felt-nothing. No biological urge to submit, no flutter of attraction, no weakness. It was a marvelous, chilling vacuum. She sipped her tea, letting the silence stretch, forcing him to stand awkwardly beside her chair like a recalcitrant subordinate.

​"Please, Zhenyu," she finally said, her voice cool and utterly detached, pulling out the chair opposite her with a slight gesture. "Do sit. There is no need for theatrics. This conversation will be brief, and you may find it requires all your focus."

​Zhenyu, instinctively ruffled by her refusal to be dominated by his scent or his tone, sat down heavily. "Focus on what, exactly? Focus on how you intend to apologize to my family for the unnecessary delay you've caused?"

​

​He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, his eyes glinting with proprietary desire. He attempted the soft, manipulative Alpha approach-a subtle blend of emotional blackmail and territorial scenting.

​"Look, darling," he began, attempting to take her hand across the table. "I know you're stressed. You're a fragile Omega, and planning a wedding is hard. Just be a good girl, sign the final agreement today, and let me take care of the details. I will even convince my father to loosen the control on your grandfather's old assets, once we are married. But you must trust me. Show the world you are my loyal bride."

​This was the core of his scheme: use pity and dominance to force her to sign away the assets before she could realize the full extent of the transfer, ensuring their complete control before the wedding.

​Yaotian allowed him to clasp her hand for a fleeting second, just long enough to feel the cold, calculating greed emanating from his palm. She withdrew her hand slowly, carefully wiping her fingers with a fresh napkin as if cleansing herself of contamination.

​"I appreciate your deep concern for my fragility, Zhenyu," Yaotian replied, her eyes glittering with cold amusement. "However, I find I am no longer susceptible to such charmingly outdated notions. And you seem to have fundamentally misunderstood the purpose of this meeting."

​She then delivered the execution.

​"The wedding, Zhenyu," Yaotian announced, her voice rising just enough to carry clearly across the quiet, prestigious veranda, drawing the attention of several nearby elite patrons, "is off. The engagement is terminated, effective immediately."

​The words landed not with a crash, but with a silent, devastating shockwave. Zhenyu's face, usually so controlled, went utterly white. The Dominant Alpha stared at her as if she had just slapped him across the face with a raw fish.

​"W-what did you say?" he stammered, the elegant sandalwood scent he projected spiking uncontrollably with raw, disbelieving rage.

​

​Yaotian met his gaze and delivered the final, sharp cutting remarks designed to destroy his Alpha pride publicly.

​"I said, the engagement is terminated," she repeated, her tone becoming razor-sharp, leaving no room for argument. "And please, control your pheromones, Zhenyu. They are quite irritating this afternoon. While you are indeed a Dominant Alpha, I find your scent has lost its novelty. Perhaps it is because I have learned that the highest form of dominance is not physical, but financial."

​She leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. "You presumed my weakness, didn't you? You thought I was too much of a 'fragile Omega' to read the fine print. You thought I would simply hand over my grandfather's ancestral assets-those valuable, unlisted holdings-without checking the transfer terms."

​She then brought out the true weapon: the knowledge stolen from the notebook. "The terms of separation, Zhenyu, are quite clear, as are the stipulations concerning fraudulent misrepresentation in the engagement contract. I have already notified the notary, Mr. Gao. Your attempts to expedite the transfer of those unlisted assets-assets that are legally immune until the ten-year clause is met-constitutes a breach of the agreement."

​She watched the color drain from his face as he realized she knew the hidden, confidential details he and Director Xu had tried so hard to conceal.

​"You had ample time to be honest, Zhenyu," Yaotian continued, her voice dripping with cold contempt. "Instead, you chose greed. You chose lies. You chose betrayal. Do you truly think a man who values my inheritance over my life is worthy of my hand? You are not a king, Zhenyu. You are merely a common thief in an expensive suit."

​Zhenyu's Alpha fury finally erupted, uncontrolled and dangerous. He slammed his fist onto the table, making the teacups rattle. His face was distorted by rage and humiliation.

​"You insolent Omega!" he roared, his pheromones aggressively targeting her, intending to crush her will. "You cannot do this! You are bound to me! You will face the consequences of insulting the Li family-"

​Yaotian didn't flinch. She simply tilted her head, giving him a look of absolute, profound pity. "There are no consequences for me, Zhenyu. Only for you. The legal notices demanding the immediate and full transfer of my separate inheritance rights-the rights you tried to steal-have already been filed. The terms ensure that any attempt to delay or obstruct the transfer will result in a massive financial penalty, one that would deeply embarrass your family's subsidiary company. A company, I might add, that is already reeling from your recent 'negligence'."

​The final blow landed hard. Zhenyu realized the full depth of his mistake. She hadn't just broken the engagement; she had trapped him. He was now facing the financial consequences of his greed, publicly shamed by the very Omega he had planned to discard. The whispers and glances from the nearby patrons, now fully alerted to the drama, were like invisible daggers.

​Yaotian rose slowly, radiating the untouchable cold of her Enigma aura. "Consider this a lesson, Zhenyu," she concluded, her voice low and chilling. "Never underestimate the woman you intend to betray. Your Alpha dominance is useless against a mind that is already immune to your scent and vastly superior to your schemes."

​She paused, then delivered the final, absolute demand. "The ancestral assets will be transferred back to my full, sole control by end of business today. I expect immediate confirmation. Goodbye, Li Zhenyu. May your future be as empty as your promises."

​Yaotian left him sitting there, a powerful Alpha reduced to a powerless, sputtering, publicly humiliated man. His sandalwood scent, once proud, now smelled of pure desperation. She walked away, minimizing the scandal for herself-the jilted, strong heiress demanding her rights-while maximizing the damage to his reputation.

​The initial gambit was successful. The engagement was severed, and the demand for her inheritance was made public and legally backed. The next battle, she knew, would be far more dangerous, for this betrayal would surely bring the wrath of the true power in the Li family: his older brother, the cold, Dominant Alpha CEO, Li Zihang. But Yaotian was ready. Her smile, forged in the depths of betrayal, was cold and keen, promising absolute retribution