Belle's face contorted in a mask of fury and humiliation as Zhenting ushered her away from the stunned onlookers. The air crackled with unspoken tension, a silent promise of the storm to come. Xia, still reeling from the encounter, retreated to her suite, the echoes of Zhenting's protective words swirling in her mind. She barely registered the opulent surroundings, her thoughts consumed by the confusing emotions that warred within her. His touch, the concern in his voice—they were like sparks in the darkness, threatening to ignite a forbidden flame.
Back in his private study, Zhenting slammed the door shut, the sound echoing through the room. He turned to Belle, his eyes blazing with a cold fury that made her shrink back. 'How dare you?' he growled, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. 'How dare you treat her like that?'
Belle, recovering from her initial shock, attempted to regain her composure. 'She's nothing but a servant, Zhenting! A pathetic little maid who's trying to steal you away from me!' Her voice dripped with venom, the expensive French perfume she wore doing little to mask the bitterness beneath. 'Can't you see she's playing you?'
Zhenting's jaw tightened, his gaze unwavering. 'Xia is under my protection. And you will treat her with the respect she deserves. Is that understood?' The words were like shards of ice, cutting through Belle's carefully constructed facade. He knew Belle was manipulative, but this level of cruelty sickened him. The contrast between Belle's manufactured persona and Xia's quiet strength was becoming increasingly apparent.
Belle scoffed, tossing her head back. 'Or what, Zhenting? What will you do? Call off the engagement? You wouldn't dare. Not with the Lu elders breathing down your neck.' She knew his weaknesses, knew the pressure he was under to secure the alliance. It was her only leverage.
Zhenting's eyes narrowed, a storm brewing within them. 'Don't presume to know what I will or will not do, Belle. You are walking on very thin ice.' He leaned closer, his sandalwood scent filling the air, a stark contrast to her cloying perfume. 'Remember, your position in this family is contingent on one thing only. And that one thing… is about to be thoroughly investigated.' He was, of course, alluding to the night at the Hyatt, the bedrock of their entire engagement.
Upstairs in her borrowed suite, Xia nervously paced. Her stomach churned with a mix of morning sickness and anxiety. The twins were becoming increasingly difficult to hide, and she knew it was only a matter of time before Zhenting noticed. Each day felt like walking a tightrope, balancing her growing feelings for him with the crushing weight of her secret and her obligations to her family.