The images still sat on Zeyan's desk, neatly fanned out like evidence at a trial.
He stared at them as the morning light broke across the skyline behind him. There was something cold about them now, not just in what they showed, but in how carefully they were taken. Framed from a distance, composed with intent.
Someone had gone to great effort not just to spy, but to study them.
He didn't need confirmation anymore. This wasn't random. It wasn't some disgruntled blogger or opportunistic journalist.
This was planned.
Personal.
And whoever did it knew exactly how to strike a nerve.
By noon, his private investigator had sent the first lead.
The photos were traced back to a mid-level security firm, discreet, expensive, and usually contracted by companies for internal surveillance. It wasn't uncommon… but this time, someone had used their access for something else.
Zeyan read the name attached to the account.
He sat back in his chair.
Then smiled, not with amusement, but the sharp, dangerous kind of smile he rarely let anyone see.
It wasn't a stranger.
It was someone from his own executive circle.
Yaoyue arrived at the office just as he was reviewing the report again. She stepped in quietly, the door clicking softly shut behind her.
He looked up instantly. "You came early."
"I couldn't sit at home wondering," she said. "I want to know everything."
He hesitated for a moment, then stood and handed her the report.
She read quickly. Her brow furrowed deeper with every line.
"Li Jun?" she said. "The operations director?"
"He subcontracted a private firm to 'monitor leaks.' Officially, it was company protocol. Unofficially, it turned into this." He gestured to the photos.
"But why?" she asked. "Why go this far?"
Zeyan's voice was colder than usual. "He's been quietly positioning himself for a power grab for over a year. When you entered the picture, it gave him a weakness to exploit. He thought if he rattled you, rattled us, he could prove I'd lost focus."
Yaoyue's hands tightened around the file. "And the grave photo?"
"That," Zeyan said, his jaw stiff, "was meant to send a message."
She looked at him carefully. "So what happens now?"
He met her gaze with chilling calm. "Now I return the message."
Later that day, Li Jun stepped into Zeyan's office as if nothing had changed.
"CEO Jiang," he said smoothly. "The quarterlies are finalized. I thought I'd walk you through the updated distribution strategy."
Zeyan didn't respond immediately. He let the man talk. Watched him move like a man too comfortable, too confident.
When the presentation ended, Zeyan said simply, "You're fired."
Li Jun blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me."
"I?what's the reason? You'll need cause!!"
"Cause?" Zeyan stood, walking slowly around the desk. "Let's start with unauthorized surveillance. Misuse of company funds. Leaking personal information to outside contacts. Want me to keep going?"
Li Jun's mouth opened, then closed.
Zeyan took another step forward.
"You tried to make me look weak by targeting someone I care about. You underestimated two things: first, that I wouldn't find out. And second…" he leaned in slightly, voice a low burn, "…that I wouldn't destroy you for it."
Security arrived five minutes later.
Zeyan didn't watch him leave.
He was already writing a statement for legal and PR.
By the next morning, it was public.
"Executive Removed in Jinlin Shake-Up: CEO Jiang Silent on Internal Breach""Anonymous Surveillance and Internal Politics Rock Boardroom""Speculation Swirls Around CEO's Relationship. Again"
But this time, the narrative didn't spin out of control.
Because this time, Yaoyue was ready for it.
She stepped into the boardroom at Zeyan's side, no hesitation in her step, no apology in her posture. She didn't wait to be addressed, she addressed them first.
"If anyone here is still questioning my place beside him," she said calmly, "you can put that energy into updating your resumes."
No one said a word.
And Zeyan?
He just smiled, the rare kind, and sat down next to her like he always should have.
That night, back in the penthouse, she stood at the balcony again, the city stretching quietly below them.
Zeyan joined her, leaning on the rail beside her.
"So," she said softly, "is that the end of it?"
"No," he replied. "But it's the end of anyone trying to push you out of my life."
She turned to look at him, eyes warm.
"You keep saying things like that."
"Because I mean them."
"And because you're bad at romantic build-up?"
He chuckled lightly. "Yes. That too."
She stepped closer, resting her hand over his.
"Well," she said, "just so you know... I'm not going anywhere either."
He looked down at her, serious now.
"Good," he said. "Because I'm building a future around you."