The twenty-four hours of the truce deadline were the longest of Ye Xia's life. The Matriarch's offer was a return to normalcy. She could go back to her life, her studies, her empire-building, with the Mo family's opposition neutralized. All she had to do was abandon Mo.
But was that even possible? Could she simply switch off the connection they had forged? The shared confession under the meteor shower had created a bond that felt more real than anything in her two lifetimes. He had chosen her over everything he had ever known. To reject that now would be the ultimate betrayal.
Yet, the practical part of her mind screamed that the Matriarch's truce was the smart move. It was survival. Emotions were a liability in the game she was playing.
She spent the day in a state of agonized indecision. She tried to study, but the words blurred on the page. She went for a walk, but the beauty of the forest failed to calm her.
As dusk fell, she made a decision. She wouldn't decide based on fear or cold calculation. She would decide based on the truth of what she felt. And the truth was, the thought of cutting Mo out of her life felt like a amputation.
She sent a message to the Matriarch's secure line. It was only two words.
[No deal.]
She then sent a message to Mo, explaining what had happened. [Your grandmother offered me a truce in exchange for leaving you. I refused. The war continues.]
His reply was immediate. [I know. She contacted me. She said you were a foolish girl who would get us both destroyed. I told her I preferred destruction on my own terms.]
A wave of relief so powerful it left her weak-kneed washed over Ye Xia. They were in this together. Whatever happened next, they would face it as allies.
An hour later, her phone rang. It was Attorney Li.
"Ye Xia! Incredible news! The banks have unfrozen your accounts! The news outlets are issuing retractions! They're saying their source was discredited!"
The Matriarch was honoring the truce, even though Ye Xia had refused her terms. It was a message: I am not your enemy because I choose not to be, not because you defeated me. I am giving you this respite. Use it wisely.
It was a display of power even more intimidating than the attack. The Matriarch was showing that she could start a storm and stop it with a wave of her hand.
Ye Xia was free to go back. But she was no longer the same person who had entered the forest. The experience had tempered her. She had faced total ruin and….