"No, no way, impossible! How dare you bully me? I’m going to find A-Ye, I’ll have A-Ye kill you all!"
She trembled as she tried to get up, but the man with the scar slapped her hard, sending her sprawling back to the floor.
"Did I say you could get up?"
He drew a silver knife from behind his waist and toyed with the blade, disappointment flickering across his face.
"If you don’t want anyone to know, then don’t do it in the first place. Someone as educated as you must’ve heard that before, right?"
"This little face... heh." He reached out and squeezed Vivian Belle’s cheeks hard enough to misshape them. "A couple scars on your face to match mine, we could even be a pair."
Vivian Belle shrank back, horror-struck. Back then, this man had nearly killed her—there was nothing these people wouldn’t do.
Her face throbbed painfully from his grip, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Vivian Belle’s mother cowered nearby, head bowed, not daring to look or make a sound.
This... Well, at least they weren’t here for her.
"Please! Let me go! I can give you money, a lot of money—I have plenty..."
Fighting back her nausea, Vivian Belle latched onto Scarface’s hand, pleading desperately.
Scarface sneered and kicked her aside, his face full of contempt.
"Money, huh? Well, we’re not unreasonable people, you know. Tomorrow. Have the cash ready by this time tomorrow. We’ll come get it."
He took a few steps towards the door, then turned back.
Vivian Belle shuddered, just as Scarface shot her a grin. "By the way, after all these years, that two million has grown to thirteen million. Boss Jin said not a cent less."
He waved the knife before leading his thugs out of the house.
As they finally left, Vivian Belle let out a shaky breath.
No, no way. A-Ye wouldn’t do this to her.
She staggered to her feet, eyes blazing as she tore her hair from her tear-stained cheeks and wiped her face with the back of her hand.
Her mother still sat weeping on the floor, beating her thighs and wailing.
"Oh, heavens, what sin did we commit? Zhi-zhi, hurry, go find Xavier Foster, have him drive those lowlifes off... quickly now..."
Vivian Belle’s frustration bubbled over. The memory of her mother cowering earlier only made her angrier; she spun around and shot her a vicious glare.
"Shut up! Just shut up!"
Her mother flinched, glaring back with resentment, but a single look at Vivian Belle’s fury made her think better of it. She quietly groaned as she struggled to her feet.
Vivian Belle marched back to her room to change, not even bothering to fix her hair. "I’m going to find A-Ye. I don’t believe he won’t help me!"
"Xavier Foster can’t possibly know about what happened back then. I covered my tracks perfectly—it’s been years!"
"These people must be that Boss Jin’s lackeys." On that thought, Vivian Belle flung open the door and hurried to the Fu family estate.
…
At the old manor.
The servants had just cleared the snow from the garden—a fresh fall had only just let up, a steely gray sky hanging overhead.
Cecilia Ye leaned against the window, watching the distant scenery. Her breath drew a circle of fog on the glass, which she absently tapped with her fingertip.
The glass was icy cold, a reminder of how freezing it must be outside.
After a while, she snapped out of her daze. The driver was fetching Zoey Zhang from the Fu house; the car was now pulling through the gates.
When the little pup was carried in by the driver, Cecilia Ye couldn’t resist going downstairs to play with it.
She grabbed a coat from the rack, slipped it on, and wrapped a scarf around her neck.
A servant watching her asked, "Madam, are you heading out? It’s freezing out there."
"Yes, just to play with Zoey Zhang in the garden for a bit."
Relieved, the servant nodded. Everyone at the old manor liked Cecilia Ye, with her gentle temperament and how considerate she was to both the old master and madam.
A servant opened the door for her. As Cecilia Ye stepped outside, a crisp, wintry chill hit her square in the chest—surprisingly refreshing after all that stuffy indoor heat.
"Uncle Liu, let me have Zoey Zhang. I’ll play with him for a bit."
"Sure, but it’s cold outside—don’t stay out too long."
Uncle Liu and Aunt Whitney had been with the Fu family for ages, considering Cecilia Ye as one of their own.
"I won’t," Cecilia Ye replied sweetly, cradling Zoey Zhang as she strolled down the flagstone path.
"Look at you, Zoey Zhang—have you gotten chubbier again?"
Perched in her arms, Zoey Zhang wore a festive red doggie jacket, looking especially adorable as he snuggled closer.
Cecilia Ye walked carefully—the paths were clear of snow, thanks to the diligent servants—so there was no fear of slipping.
Further down, she set Zoey Zhang on the ground, crouched to watch him bounce about. She scooped up some snow from the low shrubs, rolled it into a small ball, and rolled it toward him. Zoey Zhang eagerly nudged it back with his nose, both of them delighting in the game.
From the study window on the second floor, Xavier Foster watched the scene below, a faint smile curling his lips before he even realized it.
"Bzz, bzz..."
His phone buzzed on the desk. Reluctantly, Xavier Foster tore himself from the window and answered.
"Boss Fu, there’s a woman making a scene at the gate."
There were always bodyguards stationed at the manor’s gate; it was one of them calling.
"A-Ye! A-Ye! Come out and see me—please, please!"
Through the phone, Vivian Belle’s broken voice could be overheard, stoking Xavier Foster’s irritation.
He let out a short, scornful laugh and said calmly, "I’ll be out."
He hung up and headed downstairs.
Vivian Belle stood outside in thin clothes, her hair whipped messy by the wind, face swollen and red—anyone would pity her, just at a glance.
The guards in black blocked her way stone-faced. The boss hadn’t said who she was, so they’d wait for him to come deal with it.
Vivian Belle hugged her arms, eyes red as she stared into the compound. As soon as the familiar figure appeared, she raised her hand and shouted, "A-Ye! A-Ye!"
She gave a defiant tilt of her chin, side-eyeing the guards—just you wait, she thought, your time’s coming.
Her voice carried, and even Cecilia Ye in the garden seemed to hear something. She looked up, catching a glimpse of Xavier Foster heading for the gate, before returning to play with Zoey Zhang.
Xavier Foster’s face was icy, even colder than usual. He wore a black overcoat with the buttons undone, revealing a soft ivory sweater beneath. His long legs strode toward the gate with unhurried confidence.
When his chilly gaze landed on Vivian Belle, it was tinged with obvious distaste.
She looked terrible—clearly those thugs had roughed her up. Hands in his coat pockets, Xavier Foster stopped just inside the gate and watched her coolly.
The sight of his expression made Vivian Belle’s heart leap in fear. Suddenly, she felt even colder.
She tried to move closer, but the two guards blocked her with an unyielding arm. Squeezing out a few tears, she put on her most pitiful act.
"A-Ye, I… I didn’t come here on purpose, but I’m scared. Some bad people came to my house today—the very same ones from back then. They’re out again."
As she spoke, Vivian Belle’s body trembled, partly for show but also from the biting wind. She wore only thin clothes, hoping her misery would win his sympathy.
Xavier Foster listened without a shred of warmth. "And?"
Taken aback by his indifference, Vivian Belle’s expression cracked, but she clung fiercely to her composure.
"They tried to kill me back then. Now they’re back for me and my mom. A-Ye, I’m so scared. I barely survived last time... I don’t think I’ll get so lucky again..."