Chapter 21 - Chapter 21: The Blinding Light of Betrayal

​The vault door didn't just open; it shattered under the force of a hydraulic ram. Dust and white light flooded the red-dimmed sanctuary, stinging Xuan's eyes as he shielded Ning with his own body. "Stay behind me!" he roared, his voice a primal sound of possessive fury. He saw the silhouette of Wei Chen standing in the breach, looking like a savior in a tailored suit, surrounded by men in tactical gear. The sight of his rival standing in his private sanctum sent Xuan into an extreme level of jealousy that felt like molten lead in his veins. "You dare step into my house to steal what is mine?" Xuan hissed, his hand reaching for a heavy bronze bust on the pedestal nearby. Ning clung to his waist, her tears soaking through his shirt, her body racking with extreme misery. "Xuan, don't! They'll kill you!" she shrieked. But to Xuan, her plea sounded like she was begging him not to hurt Wei Chen. The misunderstanding was a jagged blade turning in his gut. "You're still worried about him?" Xuan turned his head slightly, his eyes wild and bloodshot. "Even now, with their guns pointed at my heart, you're protecting his life?" Ning shook her head violently, her hair a chaotic silk curtain. "No! I'm protecting us! If you fight them, they'll take you away forever!" Wei Chen took a step forward, his voice calm and dripping with a false, poisonous sympathy. "Ning, come to me. Your mother is in the ambulance outside. She collapsed when she heard he locked you in a cage." The mention of her mother hit Ning like a physical blow. She gasped, her grip on Xuan loosening for a fraction of a second. That tiny gap was all the proof Xuan needed. His jealousy peaked into a manic laughter. "Go then! Run to the 'hero' and the mother who sold you!" He shoved her away from him, his face a mask of agonizing betrayal. Ning fell to the floor, her knees hitting the hard marble with a sickening crack. "I'm not leaving you!" she screamed, her voice reaching a pitch of extreme lovingness that bordered on insanity. She crawled back toward Xuan, ignoring the guards who were closing in. "I don't care about the ambulance! I don't care about the debt! I only want you!" But the guards moved faster, pinning Xuan against the wall. He fought like a caged beast, his eyes never leaving Ning as Wei Chen reached out a hand to "help" her up. "Don't touch her!" Xuan's scream echoed through the entire villa, a sound of such pure, possessive agony that even the guards hesitated. The misunderstanding had reached a point of no return; he saw Wei Chen's hand near her and felt his soul being ripped out.