Despite the sunlight filtering gently through the windows of Liyana's office, the atmosphere inside Celeste's headquarters was far from tranquil. The engagement photo shoot had taken the media by storm, splashing across every tabloid, fashion magazine, and business column. Words like "power couple," "elegant," and "unshakeable union" were used to describe them.
It was everything Damien and Liyana had hoped for.
Until the headline
BREAKING: Superstar Aiden Zheng rumoured to have had a secret relationship with CEO Liyana Xu?
EXCLUSIVE: Behind the scenes tension—Damien Lu allegedly furious over Aiden's past with fiancée.
INSIDER SPEAKS: Lu–Xu wedding may be heading for disasters shifted.
The articles were written with just enough ambiguity to suggest scandal without confirmation. They all referenced unnamed sources, leaked texts, and anonymous insiders—but the real weapon wasn't the truth. It was suggestion.
And Liyana recognized the tactic the moment Mira placed the tabloids on her desk.
"This has Qin Rou's signature all over it," Liyana said, voice calm but eyes steely.
Mira nodded. "She's pulled strings in two major gossip outlets. Probably bribed or blackmailed someone in Aiden's staff to leak edited clips from the fashion gala you and Aiden attended last year."
Liyana flipped through one magazine. A blurred shot of her laughing beside Aiden had been cropped just right to appear intimate. Out of context, it looked like flirtation. But she remembered that night clearly—it was the moment she had teased Aiden about Mira, trying to nudge him toward confessing his feelings.
And now, it had been twisted into fodder.
"She's trying to plant doubt," Liyana murmured. "To paint cracks where none exist."
Just then, her phone buzzed.
Damien.
She picked up immediately. "I assume you've seen it."
"I've already sent legal notices," Damien's voice was cold, composed. "None of these rumors have ground to stand on, but she's playing the long game—seeding the media, hoping to spook investors, sponsors, and the families."
Liyana leaned back, thoughtful. "The wedding is only a few weeks away. If she can stir enough suspicion or create public embarrassment, she'll aim to pressure us from all sides—especially if my parents or your grandfather start getting cold feet."
"She doesn't know us very well then," Damien said grimly.
"But she's still dangerous," Liyana reminded him. "Even if we don't fall for it, our world watches perception more than truth."
He paused. "Would you consider going public? An exclusive interview?"
Liyana raised an eyebrow. "A defense?"
"No," Damien replied. "A declaration."
By afternoon, Damien's PR team moved swiftly. A carefully worded joint statement was released through Imperium Media Holdings, stating:
"There is no space for misinterpretation in the relationship between Miss Xu and Mr. Zheng, who remains a close friend to both bride and groom. We condemn the distortion of narratives meant to defame our families and our union. The wedding plans remain unchanged."
The tone was elegant. Firm. But Qin wasn't done.
That evening, she appeared—strategically—at a luxury event in Shanghai, arm-in-arm with Gao Shixing, who had recently acquired a stake in a popular entertainment network. Cameras flashed. Whispers began.
In a red dress that screamed confidence, Qin smiled and said to the press:
"It's unfortunate when weddings become PR campaigns. Let's see if they can survive reality."
The media, now frothed into a frenzy, began questioning the integrity of the Lu–Xu alliance.
The next morning, Damien barged into Liyana's office, his suit jacket unbuttoned and frustration etched into every line of his face.
"She wants war. Then she'll get it."
Liyana, unfazed, stood to meet him. "We don't fight fire with fire."
He stared at her. "You want to play it soft?"
"I want to be smarter."
Mira cleared her throat quietly and handed Liyana her tablet. "There's something else."
A video leak.
A grainy clip of Damien in an elevator—last year—arguing with someone. It was distorted, but it had just enough clarity to spark questions. The caption below?
"Damien Lu threatening former associate Lin Hao—did he drive him out of the country?"
Damien scoffed. "Fabricated. Lin Hao's already been dealt with."
Liyana's fingers tapped the desk. Her voice, low and sharp:"She's not just attacking us. She's trying to isolate us—make us look aggressive, unstable, scandalous. Like we're not fit to merge two legacies."
"Then what's your move, Liyana?"
She turned to face them both—Mira and Damien. Her posture was composed, but her eyes were blazing.
"She wants noise? I'll give her silence."
They looked confused.
"I'm pulling out of the public eye for a week. No interviews. No sightings. No posts. Let her screams echo unanswered. The media thrives on fuel. We won't give her a drop."
Damien's brow furrowed. "And what do we do meanwhile?"
"We plan the engagement gala. Flawless. Elegant. With every name that matters present. And Qin? She won't be on the list."
Mira smiled slowly. "You want to starve her of attention—and then erase her from relevance."
"Exactly," Liyana said, walking to the window, watching the city skyline stretch beneath her. "We don't need to fight in the mud. We'll drown her in elegance."
And outside, in her penthouse suite across the city, Qin Rou smashed a wine glass when she realized her plan hadn't shaken them.
She underestimated Liyana once.
She wouldn't do it again.