Zhenting watched Xia’s retreating figure, his chest a battleground of conflicting emotions. The deepfake footage replayed in his mind—Belle's forced smile, Xia's fleeting presence in the hotel corridor. He couldn't reconcile the sweet jasmine scent with the cold logic of the digital evidence. Still, the jasmine refused to let him go.
He exhaled deeply, the scent of sandalwood and rain filling his office as he tried to regain control. 'No,' he told himself, 'honor demands I protect Belle. But…'
Assistant Qin cleared his throat from the doorway. "Mr. Lu? The Lin family is here requesting an audience."
Zhenting's jaw tightened. "Denied. Bar them from the premises. Effective immediately."
"And Madam Lin?" Qin asked, his voice carefully neutral.
"Especially Madam Lin. They are to have no access to Miss Lin Xia, understood?"
Qin nodded sharply and disappeared, leaving Zhenting alone with his thoughts.
He stared at the empty space where Xia's desk had been, a sudden, desperate need to see her, to assure himself she was safe, overwhelming him. 'Safe from what? From Belle? From himself?'
He strode out of his office, ignoring the surprised glances of the remaining staff on the 88th floor. He needed to find Xia, to anchor himself to the one truth he still believed in.
He found her on the 5th floor, in the claims division, sorting through paperwork with a quiet determination that both moved and infuriated him. She belonged on the 88th, not buried in administration.
"Xia," he said, his voice low, barely a whisper. "Come with me."
She looked up, her eyes wide, a flicker of fear quickly masked by professional composure. "Mr. Lu? Is there something I can help you with?"
"You can start by packing your things," he stated, the words leaving no room for argument.
"Packing? I don't understand." Her voice held a note of panic, the scent of jasmine thickening, almost overwhelming him.
"You're moving your desk to my office. Effective immediately."
Her eyes widened in disbelief. "But Mr. Lu, I'm perfectly fine here. I don't want to inconvenience you--"
He stepped closer, his presence filling her world, stealing her air. "It's not a request, Xia. It's… protection."
"Protection? From what?"
He hesitated, his gaze softening. "From Belle. From her family. They are... unstable. I won't have you vulnerable to their schemes."
"But I have no schemes! Why would they hurt me?"
He simply stared at her, with a knowing look that told her not to test him. He has already seen the evil that comes from the Lin household. He would make sure it never touched her again.