The courtyard was suffocatingly silent.
Chen Li's breath was unsteady.
"You—" Her voice was hoarse. "You're lying."
Hua Jing only smiled, her eyes glinting like a predator that had just cornered its prey.
"Shall I tell them what really happened that night, Madame Hua?"
Chen Li looked scared but Hua Jing did not care about any of that!
She closed her eyes, the memories started coming...
So many years ago…
Winter had settled heavily over the Hua Mansion, blanketing the world in a layer of pristine white. The air was sharp and biting, the wind whispering through the bare trees like ghostly murmurs of forgotten tales. The great estate stood as it always had—imposing, beautiful, and cold.
Inside one of the small servant quarters, far removed from the warmth of the grand halls, a little girl sat curled up in her mother's embrace.
