“We’re framing it as an accident. Cardiac arrest. I’m having a press conference later tonight to…” She let out another sigh, heavier than the last. “To temporarily transfer ownership of the company to Xingyu until Liu Incorporated has its board meeting.”

There was a part of Xiaokai that wanted to scream at her for this news—a part that he’d managed to suppress when he joined Liu Xingyu and Zhang Weiran. Not only had Xingyu murdered Liu Baiyan, he’d also just gotten back to the city recently, and he was still her first choice over Xiaokai? But he took another deep breath, reminded himself that getting upset would accomplish nothing, and said, “Where is he now?”

“Liu Baiyan? He’s at the—”

“No. Where is Xingyu?”

“He’s headed to a meeting with Hu Yongzhu. He said to tell you he would contact you when he’s done.”

Xiaokai rubbed his face. “Fuck.”

“You’re going to have to help me clean up this mess.”

“Do you want me to go to this meeting with Chen Jun? I still have half an hour to cancel or reschedule.”

“What deal is that for?”

“It’s just a run-of-the-mill appointment. Not for any specific deal.”

“Cancel it, then. Meet me back at the house as soon as you can.”

SUN YUE WAS the most apart that Xiaokai had ever seen her, and this was a woman who had according to Xiaokai’s memory only ever been together. She was wearing a sweater and pants and slip-on shoes, which was a reasonable and even respectable outfit for almost anyone else, but on Sun Yue was more akin to going out in your pajamas or maybe a thin robe.

The most alarming part of this was not just that Sun Yue was normally put together. It was that it was Sun Yue.

Like Xiaokai, Sun Yue’s fate had been decided at birth, and she had been raised to become the perfect doll for whatever rich business tycoon wanted to use her. The perfect doll didn’t cry. The perfect doll didn’t get upset. The perfect doll always acted perfect, looked perfect. But something had broken in Sun Yue, and she was no longer maintaining what had apparently been an illusion.

Xiaokai stepped into the office and closed the door behind himself. Sun Yue looked up at him and relief swept across her face.

“Xiaokai. You’re here.”

“What have you done so far?”

She didn’t answer him. She just slumped onto her table and let out all her breath at once. “Did you know about this?”

Xiaokai frowned. “Did I know about what?”

“About what Xingyu would do.”