---
Chapter 14 – Enemies in the Shadows
The mansion felt colder that night, as though the walls themselves sensed danger approaching. Lin Yue couldn't shake Mo Chen's words from earlier: "Your father's mistakes created enemies. They're coming for me now."
For us now, she thought bitterly, though he hadn't said it.
She paced her room, restless, the journal open on her desk. The entries painted a picture of two powerful families drunk on ambition, blind to the blood price of their choices. But what chilled her most were the references to "partners overseas" and coded shipments—phrases her father had underlined with unsettling precision.
What if those partners were the very enemies Mo Chen feared?
A knock sounded on her door. She jumped.
"Lin Yue." His deep voice carried through the wood. "Open up."
She hesitated before pulling the door open. Mo Chen stood there, his face hard, but his eyes scanned her quickly, as if to make sure she was safe.
"Pack a bag," he said.
Her brows furrowed. "What? Why?"
"There's been movement near the estate. I don't want you here if they make a move."
Her pulse quickened. "You mean your enemies. My father's enemies."
"Don't twist words," he snapped, though his tone lacked real venom. "This isn't a debate. It's a matter of your safety."
Her chin lifted stubbornly. "And what about you? You expect me to leave you here while they come for you?"
His jaw clenched. "This is my war, not yours."
A sharp laugh escaped her. "Not mine? Mo Chen, I'm your wife. Whether I wanted it or not, I'm already in the middle of it. Or are you only willing to claim me when it's convenient?"
For a moment, silence hung between them, the tension crackling like a storm about to break. Then, unexpectedly, his gaze softened, if only slightly.
"You don't understand what they're capable of," he said quietly. "If they get to you… I can't—"
He stopped himself abruptly, biting back the rest.
Her heart stuttered. He cared—or at least something close to it. But before she could respond, one of his men appeared at the end of the hallway, breathless.
"Boss! We've spotted armed vehicles circling the perimeter. Looks like they're probing security."
Mo Chen's entire body went rigid. He turned to Lin Yue, his voice low but firm. "Stay in your room. Don't open the door for anyone but me."
"Mo Chen—"
"No arguments." His eyes burned into hers, full of command and something deeper. "Trust me this once."
---
Lin Yue obeyed, but only because fear rooted her to the spot. She shut the door behind her, pressing her ear to the wood. The muffled sound of hurried footsteps and radio chatter echoed through the halls.
Minutes stretched like hours. Every creak of the floorboards, every whisper of the wind outside made her flinch. Her mind conjured images of masked men breaking into the mansion, of Mo Chen fighting them off alone.
She couldn't stand it.
Slipping into her closet, she found a heavy flashlight and clutched it like a weapon. If danger came to her door, she would be ready.
Then—bang!
A gunshot cracked the night.
Her blood ran cold. She rushed to the window and pulled the curtain aside. Down by the gates, flashes of light tore through the darkness. Shadows moved in chaotic bursts, men shouting orders, guards returning fire.
Her heart slammed against her ribs. This wasn't some abstract threat—it was here, real, violent.
And Mo Chen was out there.
---
The battle seemed to last forever, but in reality it was only minutes. Then, just as suddenly as it began, silence swallowed the estate again. The acrid smell of gunpowder drifted faintly in through the cracks of the window.
Her door swung open.
Mo Chen stood there, his shirt streaked with dirt, his expression grim. But he was alive. Relief nearly buckled her knees.
"It's over—for now," he said. His voice was steady, but his eyes betrayed exhaustion. "They were testing our defenses. They'll be back."
Lin Yue swallowed hard, the reality sinking in. She had stepped into a marriage built on secrets and hatred—but now it was also a marriage under siege.
"Mo Chen…" Her voice broke slightly. "How long can we keep living like this? With enemies at every door?"
He studied her, his gaze unreadable. For once, he didn't answer with sharp words or dismissive commands. Instead, he stepped forward, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face with a touch so brief she almost thought she imagined it.
"As long as it takes," he said softly. "Until I finish what I started."
And with that, he left her standing in the doorway, her heart racing with fear and confusion—not just for the enemies in the shadows, but for the dangerous pull of the man she had sworn to hate.