The sound of voices woke her.Soft at first—muffled through the penthouse walls—then sharper, clipped, controlled.
Avery blinked against the morning light and pushed herself upright. The bed was far too large, the sheets crisp and cold. She wasn't used to silence this deep.
She wasn't used to the absence of guilt, either.
Her phone screen glowed on the nightstand. The first thing she saw was her own face plastered across every gossip site in the city.
"Heiress Avery Lin Marries Ex-Fiancé's Brother in Secret!""Adrian Zhao Breaks Family Silence—Revenge or True Love?""Lin Family Refuses Comment Amid Corporate Merger Chaos."
Avery exhaled slowly, scrolling through the avalanche of articles. Every line was speculation, mockery, or outrage. Exactly as she planned.
Her heart didn't tremble this time. It beat steady and sure.
"Let them talk," she murmured, setting the phone aside.
She dressed quickly—black silk blouse, gray skirt, understated jewelry. She looked like power disguised as grace.
When she stepped into the living room, the tension hit her like a wall.
Adrian stood by the window, phone in hand, his tone measured but lethal. "I don't care what the board thinks. They'll fall in line, or they'll fall out of relevance."
His assistant, Ethan, hovered nearby with a tablet full of crisis reports.
Avery caught fragments as she approached—shareholders calling for explanations, reporters camping outside Zhao headquarters, the board threatening an emergency meeting.
Adrian ended the call, turning toward her. His eyes flicked briefly over her outfit, approval hidden behind his usual cool indifference.
"You caused an earthquake," he said finally.
"Good," she replied. "I like watching things fall apart."
Ethan coughed delicately and made himself scarce.
Adrian poured coffee into two mugs, handing one to her without a word. The gesture was oddly domestic, almost normal—if one ignored the fact that they'd married to wage war.
Avery accepted it carefully. "Do you regret it yet?"
He looked amused. "Regret what?"
"Marrying me."
He leaned back against the counter, eyes steady on hers. "Not yet. You?"
Avery met his gaze over the rim of her cup. "Ask me again after we destroy your brother."
Later that morning, they arrived at Zhao Corporation together.
The lobby fell into stunned silence as soon as they stepped through the doors. Every employee, every secretary, every executive froze mid-motion.
Because the rumor wasn't rumor anymore.
Adrian Zhao had married his brother's fiancée.
And he was holding her hand.
The flash of cameras followed them all the way to the elevator. Avery's chin stayed high, her smile polite but distant.
When the doors slid closed, she finally exhaled. "You enjoy this too much."
Adrian's reflection met hers in the mirrored wall. "Control is an art form."
She turned slightly, crossing her arms. "You mean manipulation."
He smirked faintly. "Semantics."
Avery wanted to argue, but something in his tone—smooth, deep, quietly dangerous—made her pulse skip instead. She hated that.
The elevator stopped on the executive floor. A few of Adrian's senior managers were already waiting outside. The tension was thick enough to choke on.
One of them, a thin man in his fifties, spoke first. "Mr. Zhao, the board is demanding an explanation for this… impulsive decision." His gaze flicked toward Avery, disdain barely concealed. "They believe this marriage compromises the merger negotiations."
Avery smiled, sweet and sharp. "On the contrary, it secures them. I am, after all, both a Lin and a Zhao now. Doesn't that make the merger inevitable?"
The man blinked, thrown off. Adrian's lips curved slightly.
"She's right," he said simply. "Meeting adjourned."
He didn't wait for objections, just walked past them, forcing the rest to follow. Avery bit back a grin as she followed in his wake.
It felt good—too good—to watch the people who once dismissed her scramble to catch up.
By afternoon, chaos had turned to quiet efficiency. The board had no choice but to accept the new power dynamic. The Lin shares shifted under Avery's control, and the Zhao family name no longer belonged solely to Caleb's faction.
Everything was moving exactly as she'd planned.
And yet…
As she stood alone in Adrian's office later that evening, looking out at the city, she couldn't ignore the faint ache in her chest. The headlines, the whispers, the pity—they shouldn't bother her anymore.
But one image still burned behind her eyelids: Caleb Zhao's expression when he saw the news.
Shock. Then rage.
Some wounds ran too deep to kill with logic.
"Thinking about him?"
Adrian's voice broke the silence. He was leaning against the doorframe, jacket off, sleeves rolled up, looking far too composed for someone whose entire family was imploding.
Avery turned, expression cool. "You think I still care?"
"I think you still feel," he said simply. "And that's more dangerous."
She bristled. "Don't psychoanalyze me, Mr. Zhao. You're not qualified."
He smiled faintly. "Oh, I'm qualified. I just prefer not to get involved."
"Then don't."
Adrian stepped closer, until the faint scent of his cologne filled the space between them. "You're good at pretending. But pretending takes energy. Eventually, you'll run out."
Her throat went dry. "And then what?"
He reached past her, placing a file on the desk. His voice was low. "Then you'll realize you don't have to pretend with me."
Avery didn't move. His presence was overwhelming—heat and calm, power and control.
She hated that part of her wanted to lean closer.
"You don't know me," she whispered.
He looked down at her, his gaze unreadable. "Not yet."
For a long heartbeat, neither of them spoke. The storm outside had returned, rain sliding down the glass like tears.
Then his phone buzzed. He glanced at it once, and the air changed.
He straightened, his expression darkening. "Caleb just called a press conference."
Avery's blood ran cold. "What?"
Adrian's jaw tightened. "He's going to challenge the legitimacy of our marriage. He's claiming you were forced."
Her heart pounded. "He wouldn't dare—"
"He already has," Adrian said grimly, showing her the screen.
Breaking News:Caleb Zhao: 'My brother coerced Avery Lin into marriage.'
The world tilted for a second. Everything they'd built—the alliance, the control, the illusion—teetered on the edge of collapse.
Avery lifted her chin, fury burning in her veins. "Then we hit back harder."
Adrian's gaze met hers, a slow, dangerous smile forming. "Now you're speaking my language."