Wang's Pov.
I was furious.
Dre had no right, no right to show Zhan something like that on our wedding dinner of all nights. If he wanted to stir up trouble, he should have come to me. Instead, he blindsided Zhan, humiliated him, and left me scrambling to fix the damage.
And now, on top of that, I was still struggling to understand what had even happened last night. Why had I fallen asleep like that? Something wasn't adding up.
Then, this morning, I walked into the kitchen and saw breakfast carefully packed away.
It wasn't Lusi who made it.
I knew that immediately.
And it hurt.
Because even after everything, even after last night, Zhan had still thought of me. Had still made me food.
And I had hurt him in ways I didn't even fully understand yet.
The moment I reached Dre's apartment, I didn't bother knocking. I let myself in like I owned the place.
"Trouble in paradise," I heard Dre's boyfriend murmur from the couch, barely sparing me a glance.
Dre was lounging on the couch, his head resting on his boyfriend's lap, looking completely unbothered. He barely lifted his gaze as he drawled, "What are you doing here?"
I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay calm. "Dre, I thought you and I were friends. And I know you knew that Zhan and I got married yesterday. So tell me, why the hell did you show him that video? If you wanted to show anyone, you could have shown me."
Dre finally sat up, stretching lazily before his sharp eyes locked onto mine.
"Wang, you and I are not friends," he said, his voice dry, emotionless. "Zhan is my friend. Whatever game you're playing with him, stop it."
I let out a short, bitter chuckle, caught off guard by how easily he dismissed me.
"I thought we were friends," I said slowly. "But since you see me as an enemy, I guess I'll have to treat you like one."
"Zhan loves you." Dre hissed.
"You think I don't know that?" I snapped.
Dre scoffed, arms crossed. "If you knew, you wouldn't be here playing detective after the damage is already done." His eyes burned with anger. "I know what Zhan has been through. If he had listened to me, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
I clenched my jaw. "You act like I was the one who put him through hell."
"No," Dre said, his voice dripping with venom. "But you're just like the rest of them. You rich bastards take what you want, use people until they break, and then throw them away when you're done."
I exhaled sharply, keeping my anger in check. "Zhan is different," I said, my voice quieter but firm.
Dre's jaw tightened. "Damn right he is." He shook his head, looking at me with disgust. "And if you really love him, Wang, you'd stop pretending you're his savior and actually do something about this mess."
Dre's words hit me like a punch to the gut, but I kept my expression unreadable. "You're rich," I hissed, my voice tight with frustration.
He scoffed, leaning back, clearly too proud of the darkness in his past. "I made myself rich by forging documents, doing fake passports. My parents were shitheads, and I understand Zhan. I get him."
Dre clenched his jaw, his eyes sharp with warning, like he had just realized he'd let something slip.
"I see," I said, my voice neutral.
He scoffed. "Doesn't matter. The point is, Zhan isn't like you. He's not like me either, but at least I know what it means to struggle. You? You were born into comfort, and now you think you can play hero?"
I let out a humorless chuckle. "You think I don't know struggle?"
Dre leaned back, arms crossed. "Not the way Zhan does. Not the way I do."
I exhaled sharply, done with the back-and-forth. I took a step closer, lowering my voice. "Where did you get the video from?"
He smirked, crossing his arms. "I thought you were a computer wizard. Why don't you find out yourself?"
My patience snapped.
"Why would I waste twenty minutes sitting in front of a computer," I said, rolling my sleeves up to my elbows, "when I can beat it out of you in three?"
Dre raised an eyebrow and scoffed. You can beat me from now till tomorrow, I won't tell you anything.
I'll be glad to. I smile.
Dre's boyfriend stood up, positioning himself between us. "I told you to stay away from Wang and anything that has to do with him," he said, shooting Dre a disapproving look before turning back to me. "Black sent it to him," he added.
I took a deep breath, trying to keep my composure. "Text me Black's address," I said curtly, turning to leave.
As I reached the door, I heard Dre's boyfriend's voice behind me, laced with frustration. "I told you to stay away. That's why I have a problem with you, you don't listen." Dre ignored him, and I shut the door firmly behind me.
I didn't stop walking. I didn't even hesitate. My mind was already set, I was going to find Black and get the truth out of him.
My phone buzzed a minute later. A message from an unknown number.
Black's address.
Dre might not have been willing to talk, but his boyfriend? He was clearly done with all of this.
I got on my bike, the engine roaring to life as I sped toward the location.
By the time I arrived, my knuckles were tight around the handlebars, and my patience wearing dangerously thin.
The building was clean on the outside, the kind of place people went to disappear. I didn't bother knocking, I walked straight in.
Inside, the smell of smoke and alcohol hit me first. A couple of guys were lounging around high as kites, but I ignored them. I climbed up the stairs and walked inside, and there he was. My focus was on the man sitting in the corner, flipping through his phone like he didn't have a care in the world.
Black.
He looked up as I approached, a slow smirk spreading across his face.
"Well, well. Wang. Didn't think I'd be seeing you so soon."
I didn't waste time. I grabbed a chair, flipped it around, and sat down directly in front of him, my eyes locked onto his.
"You're going to tell me where you got that video."
Black chuckled, leaning back lazily. "And if I don't?"
I leaned in closer, my voice dangerously low.
"Then I'll make you."
Black's smirk didn't waver, but his eyes darkened slightly. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
"You think you can walk in here and demand answers like you own the place?" he scoffed.
I didn't blink. "I don't think. I know."
Before he could respond, movement caught my eye.
Two men stepped forward from behind, his bodyguards. Both of them were built like tanks, their expressions unreadable, their muscles straining against their jackets.
Black tilted his head, amused. "See, Wang, I don't like threats. But lucky for you, I'm a reasonable guy. You walk out now, and maybe I will pretend this never happened."
I exhaled slowly, rolling my sleeves up to my elbows.
"You think these two scare me?" I asked, glancing at the bodyguards before locking eyes with Black again. "They're nothing compared to a military dog. And I've taken worse beatings than they could ever dish out."
One of the guards took a step forward, cracking his knuckles. The other smirked, clearly eager for a fight.
Black sat back, intrigued.
"Alright, Wang. You wanna play tough? Show me."
I grinned. "Gladly."
The first guard lunged, fast, but not fast enough. I sidestepped, grabbed his arm, and twisted. His momentum sent him crashing into a nearby table, groaning in pain.
The second came at me immediately, but I was ready. A sharp jab to his ribs made him stumble, and before he could recover, I landed a solid kick to his knee, sending him down.
Less than thirty seconds.
Black let out a slow whistle, clapping his hands lazily.
"Not bad. But now you've made me curious. Why do you care so much about that video?"
I clenched my fists, my voice steady. "Because it's fake. And I want to know who made it."
Black tilted his head, considering me. Then, with a smirk, he reached for his phone.
"Alright, Wang. Let's make a deal."
Black tapped something on his phone before tossing it onto the table between us. The screen was still lit, a message thread open.
"A deal?" I asked, my voice tight.
"You want the truth?" He leaned forward, lacing his fingers together. "Then you're going to do something for me first."
I didn't move. Didn't take my eyes off him. "I don't do favors for liars."
Black chuckled. "Oh, but this isn't just any favor, Wang. And I'm not the liar here." He gestured toward his phone. "Go ahead. Take a look."
I picked it up, scanning the messages.
At first, it was just a bunch of forwarded files. Then I saw a familiar name.
Lusi.
My jaw tightened as I scrolled through the messages.
— Did you edit it properly?
— Yeah. His voice matches perfectly. No one will be able to tell.
— Good. Wang needs to be humiliated. Does he think he can walk all over me? Let's see how he handles this.
A voice recording was attached. My breath caught as I played it.
"I'm not paying. He loves me. I'm getting down with him for free."
Wang's voice. But it wasn't real.
It was pieced together. Edited. Manipulated.
My blood ran cold.
"Lusi did this," I muttered.
"Smart boy," Black said with a smirk. "But I already knew that. The real question is, what are you gonna do about it?"
I exhaled sharply, setting his phone down. "You said something about a deal. What do you want?"
Black leaned back, watching me with a lazy smile.
"Simple. I give you everything, the raw files, the proof that Lusi faked it. And in return?" He tapped his fingers on the table. "You owe me a favor. One I'll collect when the time is right."
"I'm not making a deal," I hiss.
His men lunge at me again, but I'm done talking. I strike hard, shattering their knees. The sickening crack fills the room. Black winces but says nothing.
I shove him aside and drop into his chair, fingers flying over the keyboard. A few clicks, and I'm in. His entire fortune is mine now.
"Check your phone," I say.
He does, his face twisting with rage as he sees the empty balance.
"You—"
"I'm not making a deal," I repeat, standing. His men groan on the floor, clutching their shattered knees. Black clenches his fists, but he doesn't move. He knows better now
Black's hands shake as he stares at his phone screen, his breathing ragged. His entire fortune gone in seconds. His men groan on the floor, clutching their shattered knees, but they're nothing compared to the raw panic in his eyes.
"You think you can play games with me?" His voice is rough, but there's fear beneath it.
I lean back in his chair, fingers drumming against the desk. "This isn't a game, Black. Tell me what I want to know, and maybe just maybe, I'll be kind enough to return your money."
His nostrils flare. "Screw you."
I tilt my head, unimpressed. "Wrong answer."
I start typing again. Black lunges forward, but I'm faster. I slam my elbow into his gut, sending him stumbling back with a wheeze. He glares at me, eyes dark with rage.
"You don't understand what you've done," he growls.
I smirk. "Oh, I do. The question is, do you understand what happens next?"
His phone pings again. Another transfer. His last hidden reserves
Black's nostrils flare. His jaw clenches so hard I can hear his teeth grind. His men are still groaning on the floor, unable to stand, but he doesn't even spare them a glance. His focus is on me the person who just destroyed him without lifting a gun.
"I'll kill you," he spits.
I raise an eyebrow. "And how exactly will you do that with nothing left?" I tilt my head. "No money. No power. No men." I gesture to the broken bodies around us. "You're out of options, Black."
His breathing is ragged. His pride fights against his desperation. But desperation always wins as he slumps into a chair.
I stand up from his chair and walked toward the door. "Call me when you're ready to talk."
"Wait! Wait!" Black cried, his chair scraping against the floor as he stood.
I didn't turn around just yet. I wanted to hear him beg.
"Fine," he spat, his voice shaking. "I'll tell you what you want to know."
I turned back, arms crossed. "Start talking."
Black swallowed hard, still staring at his phone like he could will his money back into existence. Finally, he exhaled shakily.
"Lusi came to me a few days ago," he admitted. "She had the raw voice files, things you had actually said, but in different conversations. She wanted it all edited together, mixed, to sound like something else."
"Who helped you?" I demanded.
Black hesitated.
I reached for my phone. "Keep stalling, and I send the rest of your funds to charity."
"No! Damn it!" he shouted. "It was Meng! I hooked Lusi up with her and she paid for everything. The video, the voice manipulation all of it."
Meng.
I felt my anger rise to a dangerous level, but I kept my face blank.
"Meng is back?" I asked, my voice dangerously low.
Black nodded, a smug look creeping onto his face despite everything. "Yeah. Last week. And I kind of... introduced her to Lusi, they both compliment each other."
My eyes darkened. "Why?"
He shrugged, stretching like he wasn't scared of me anymore. "Simple. Lusi wants you to leave Zhan, and I want Zhan. It's a win-win situation."
My jaw tightened. "You're playing a dangerous game, Black."
"Oh, please," he scoffed. "It's already done. Besides, it's not like you were smart enough to see it coming."
I exhaled sharply, trying to rein in my temper. "I told Yu Bin to let me know the second Meng was back."
Black chuckled. "Yeah, about that... I might have gently threatened him with his girlfriend."
"The proof?" I asked.
Black, still shaking, turned to his computer. A few clicks later, a folder popped up on the screen.
"It's all there," he muttered. "The original files, the payments, the chats. Everything."
I walked over, grabbed a flash drive from his desk, and copied every single file.
My fingers gliding over his keyboard as I navigated through his files. I wasn't expecting much, just traces of the voice manipulation, maybe more dirt on Lusi and Meng, but then I saw something that made my blood run cold.
A property file.
I clicked on it, my eyes scanning through the details.
My heart pounded as the truth unfolded in front of me.
Black owned Zhan's old house.
The same house Zhan had lived in before everything went to hell.
I clicked through more documents. Purchase history. Renovation plans. Transactions. It was exchanged for drugs by his mother.
Zhan's home hadn't been sold to anyone in the city or taken by some random landlord.
Black took it.
And now... he had turned it into another drug den.
My grip on the mouse tightened until my knuckles went white.
"You son of a bitch," I muttered under my breath.
Zhan had been through hell. Homeless. Desperate. Doing things he hated just to survive.
And all this time, the bastard behind it had been sitting right in front of me, acting like none of it mattered.
I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay calm, to think.
"Here's what's going to happen," I said, my tone leaving no room for argument. "You're going to sign that house that you bought it from Zhan. Today. Right now."
Black scoffed, but I was already pulling up a property transfer form on his computer.
"I'm not—"
I grabbed the nearest object, a metal paperweight and slammed it onto his desk so hard he flinched.
"I wasn't asking," I said darkly. "Sign it."
His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, but he hesitated.
"Wang—" Black started.
I pulled out my phone. "One click, and your bank account is wiped clean for good."
Black's fingers twitched. His bodyguards were still groaning on the floor, completely useless. He had no leverage.
Defeated, he reached for the keyboard, clicked the form, and started typing.
When the transfer was complete, I pocketed the drive and glanced at Black. "See? That wasn't so hard."
"My money," he gritted out.
I smirked, pulled out my phone, and with a few taps, I sent back half.
"That should keep you alive," I said, heading for the door. "You'll get the rest when I'm sure you haven't tried anything stupid."
Black stiffens, his grip tightening around the phone in his hand.
I smirk, unbothered. "Oh, I am also paying Zhan for that house you bought."
"You will regret this, Wang," Black hisses.
"If Meng or Lusi finds out I know about this, you should run for your life," I add, voice light, almost teasing. Then, without waiting for a response, I turn and walk out the door, leaving the weight of my words to settle behind me