《Secret Wife Is A Crazy Beast》


 Chapter 1 - PROLOGUE:

    Target: CEO Moshi Corporation - Shen Moshi


    Agent: Lina Dai


    Undercover identity: Lina Mito


    Mission: Investigate Moshi Corporations underground dealings with the Lim clan.


    Possible threat: Lim clan may be smuggling weapons through Moshi Corp. to Country A leading to instability in the balance of power in the East. Country A may start a war with Country J with access to Lim clan''s arms dealings.


    ''Moshi Corporation.....this should be interesting. Getting involved with Shen Moshi can''t be simple, I''m going to have to play this clever.'' Lina thought to herself as she scanned the profile.


    Shen Moshi seemed to have fought intensely to get to the top. Even though Moshi Corp. was one of the leading businesses in country J, the family was messy. The youngest of three ruthless brothers, Shen Moshi struggled for control at a very young age, having now successfully secured his role as CEO.


    "Tachi, I''m going to have to go with sweet, innocent and helpless. I need to provoke his sense of chivalry to protect a weak woman. For a man that ruthless and aggressive, that will be our approach. It will take time, but I''m giving myself three months before I''ll have him eating out of my hand." Lina declared to her sneering handler sitting with his legs on the coffee table in front of her. "He''s going to be as easy as the others."


    "So you''re going to go all moe, covered in bunny rabbits and fluff to this devil? He''s murdered family, you know?" Tachi scoffed back at her.


    "I know the type, Tachi. They think they''re all that, at the top of the food pyramid, the almighty. It''s men like him, who fall for women who worship them for their strength - wide-eyed and eager to please. I just need to catch his eye. And when has that ever been an issue for me, hmm?" Lina looked at her partner and raised one perfectly shaped eyebrow.


    "I''m going to enjoy you acting cute and helpless" Tachi let out a humourless laugh "It''s the joke of the century."


    "Yes, well, I''m going to need a makeover." Lina rolled her eyes as she left the meeting room at the agency.


    An agency that only a select, elite percentage of the world''s population knew about.


    ****************************************************************************************************


    ~6 months later~


    "Call me once you reach work." Lina smiled, as she hung up the phone. Her heart was racing, as she surveyed the busy street ahead of her. She had to make sure no one knew -- that no one was following her. As she was looking around, she received a text notification on a burner phone.


    *"Agent Dai - you have not checked in with us in two weeks now. If you fail to respond within the next 24 hours, you will face the consequences."*


    She looked down at the burner, took a deep breath, dropped the phone and crushed it under her heel.


    A shadow watched her from above, perched at an open window in the high rise building opposite. A voice in his ear whispered a command.


    "You have the green light on Agent Dai''s termination. Do it now"


    As Lina set foot on the street to cross, her world went black as she felt a searing, hot pain in her chest, and then she was catapulted across by a massive force ramming into the side of her body.


    It was hard to tell what hit her first, the truck or the bullet.


    Her broken phone, she had just hung up the call on, lay beside her. The shattered screen lit up as she received a text.


    *"Be safe, my love."*

 Chapter 2 - Awake

    The brightness in the room was unbearable as Lina cracked open her eyes slowly. She had a thundering headache and her body felt weak. It looked liked the sun had long risen and the curtains in the room were drawn wide open.


    She stared at the white ceiling, it was bare and plain. The bed felt soft, but she was hardly comfortable. One side of her body felt paralysed in a dull ache and it was hard to breathe, like something was stifling her chest. As she came to her senses, she could hear soft, gentle breathing on her side.


    ''There''s someone here!''


    she tried to turn, but was finding it hard to move. The person smelled lightly of spice and musk, and she could feel her hand enveloped in a big, warm one. She slowly turned her face towards the sleeping person.


    ''It''s a man! Oh my god, what happened?! And why does my body hurt?''


    She panicked quietly, trying not to wake the stranger up. As she tried to control her breathing, she felt a stabbing pain in the left side of her chest. As she peered at her body, she saw she was dressed in a loose white gown, with several healing bruises. She felt wrecked.


    She looked over again at the man sleeping beside her. She felt a strange sense of calm as she observed his face. He looked slightly dishevelled, dark bags under his eyes and a messy, crumpled shirt gave away the stress and anxiety he seemed to have experienced for a while. His stubble seemed to be growing out, and his skin was pale. Yet, his expression was gentle. His dark hair fell over his angular, chiseled face and his light pink lips were set in a thin line.


    ''What am I thinking!'' Lina snapped back ''I need to get out of here. How did I get here, I need to go home.''


    ''Wait, where is home. Who the hell am I?'' Lina began to panic again, as she tried to tug her hand away from the man''s grasp.


    Sensing movement, his eyes quickly snapped wide open. Lina was taken aback. Suddenly, this gentle face came alive, and his dark brown eyes bore their gaze straight into her, terrified and first and then slowly filled with emotion.


    "Lina..." he choked, "you''re awake..." as he began to tear up, Lina''s heart started to ache. He looked like someone gave him his life back, and she didn''t even know who he was!


    "Uh...yes...hello..." she said as she looked at him awkwardly, not knowing how to react.


    "Hello?" he repeated, confused. And then he smiled warmly, "How are you, my beautiful angel? How do you feel?" His voice was full of adoration and concern.


    He fussed over her, cupping her face and trying to kiss her head. He still held on to her hand, unwilling to let it go, but careful not to hold too tight in case he hurt her sore body.


    She pushed away a little, and noted a flash of confusion in his eyes.


    ''His beautiful angel? What in the world?!'' she thought to herself. ''What exactly is our relationship?''


    "My body hurts...but I think I''m okay. What happened?" Lina asked the man slowly.


    A relieved laugh escaped his throat, as Lina thought it was the most charming sound she''d ever heard. She quickly snapped out of it.


    "You were attacked! Twice! At the same time! You were shot in the chest and hit by truck, at almost the same second. You are so lucky to be alive. I don''t know what I would have done without you." He began to tear up again as he ranted, disbelieving of the fact that she was talking and moving and alive again.


    "When did this happen?" Lina asked quickly as she began panicking again.


    "You''ve been in a coma for three months, love." he said quietly. He leaned forward to kiss her as his hand moved up to touch her cheek. But Lina instinctively turned away and edged backward. A flash of hurt and confusion appeared in the man''s eyes, and Lina felt a pain in her heart again when she looked at his upset face.


    "Lina...what''s wrong. Did I hurt you? I''ve just missed you, and you''re finally okay and alive. You finally came back to me" the man said to her earnestly, gazing at her like he was about to break.


    "Who...who are you?" she asked quietly as she looked down, a sense of guilt flooding her as if she should''ve known. Clearly they had a connection and it was obviously romantic. But Lina just couldn''t remember. She just felt blank and confused.


    The man''s lower lip began to tremble very slightly as his hands got warm. He looked away like he had been struck and wouldn''t recover from the blow. He took a deep breath, looked back at her and forced a smile.


    "Sweetheart, it''s me - Shen. Your husband!"

 Chapter 3 - Were married?!

    "What?!" Lina cried out. "My husband? I''m sure I have never seen you before! We''re married?!"


    "Yes sweetheart, we got married eight months ago! What do you remember?" he asked her expectantly.


    "Um, I don''t remember..." she started to say, but she felt a lump in her throat as big, fat tears began to roll down her cheeks. She didn''t remember a thing. She didn''t know her name was Lina until he called her by it, nor did she know what she looked liked. She began touching her face and feeling her hair to try recall.


    Shen''s heart broke as he saw his once confident and strong wife fall apart in front of his eyes. By the way she was acting, he could tell the amnesia was severe. Even though the doctors said she might be safe from memory loss, he knew there was a chance she''d forget parts of her life, but seeing her lost and helpless and scared, his heart hurt just as much as when he saw her for the first time lying in the hospital bed all alone, broken with tubes stuck everywhere covered in white bandages in the intensive care unit after the emergency surgery. The attacks were deliberate and planned - the truck ramming into her, as well. He had sent his men on multiple missions to follow every lead to get to the bottom of this but there were too many theories and dead ends.


    In his head, she was targeted because of him. Because people were after him. After all, he was the CEO of Shen Corporation, one of the most powerful conglomerates in the world. He basically controlled the economies of various small countries, ruled over massive public institutions and commanded the politics of his home country J.


    He reached out to her to stroke her head, as she cried even harder from the sheer exhaustion and shock at having lost her memory. And feeling helpless, like she was drowning.


    "Shh...sweetheart, here let me take you to the bathroom. You can look into the mirror and see just how beautiful you are." he whispered to her, keeping a slight physical distance, so he wouldn''t overwhelm her. No matter how close they used to be, she still saw him as a stranger now.


    Lina was hesitant as she nodded, she didn''t know what to expect. She felt like she was going to meet herself for the first time, and was terrified of not liking what she saw. Shen carefully and gently supported her as she got to her feet, but the weakness attacked her again. She stumbled almost violently, but he caught her and enveloped her thin frame into his strong chest. She was surprised at how muscular this kind, dishevelled angelic man was. She found herself strongly attracted to his body and his scent.


    "Sweetheart, just sit up on the bed. No need to get up until you''ve regained strength. I will bring you a mirror ok?" he said and he smiled at her. Lina nodded at him absently, still in shock. He helped her sit up, made her as comfortable as he could by tucking pillows around her and wrapping her up in the soft blanket.


    As he walked back towards her with a pretty white hand mirror, she inhaled deeply trying to calm herself down. She was going to see a stranger in the mirror, and she didn''t feel prepared. Her face felt sore, even after three months after the attacks. She hadn''t fully recovered. As she she slowly closed and opened her eyes, she lifted the mirror to her face. She almost gasped, because the woman she saw looking back at her was so familiar.


    She slowly smiled a little. Her skin was pale and sallow, but her features were small and delicate, despite her high and defined bone structure. Her full lips were dry and still recovering from the cuts, but were still pink and luscious. For some reason, looking at herself in the mirror felt peaceful, like looking into a past life too far away to be clear, but close enough to feel warm and familiar. She remembered a face that looked like the one she was looking at, it was older and slightly different and had the kindest smile on it. The face she remembered had dark hair that was in a loose bun and saying something to her, but she couldn''t tell what.


    "Lina...Lina...where have you wandered off to!" Shen smiled at her. She realised she''d drifted off into a dream.


    Her own hair was long, halfway down to her back and a soft brown to match her eyes. It was soft and wispy and curled into pretty waves at the bottom. Shen stroked her head. He hadn''t left Lina''s bedside once during the last three months. He single-handedly and flawlessly ran all the operations on the business and investigative front from that very room. And still he sponge bathed Lina''s body, changed her clothes and brushed her hair every single day by himself. His men and the higher ups and Moshi Corp couldn''t help but feel for their big boss. He had never been a soft man, but this woman had brought him to his knees.


    He''d spilled blood and ruled with an iron fist to get where he was today, but the madam was his haven and the only place he''d let his guard down. She was the demon king''s greatest treasure.


    In fact, he was an uncontrollable monster at the slightest provocation. His temper knew no bounds and his cruelty was a thing of legends. But Lina would have never believed it if she looked at the sweet, emotional man sitting by her bedside.

 Chapter 4 - Things are complicated

    As Lina looked at her face, trying to remind herself of her identity, Shen glanced at her expectantly. Even though she was weak and pale, and needed time to recuperate, she was still devastatingly stunning. Her hair had been growing out and her bangs were longer, so that they fell way past her eyes. She seemed so dainty and so quiet, his heart hurt for her. How could he have let her get so badly wounded?


    All Lina remembered when she saw her face, was a flash of an older woman who looked similar, saying something, but she couldn''t make out what it was. She turned towards Shen, studying his face trying to remember. She looked at their matching wedding bands.


    "Do we have wedding pictures or certificates?" she asked him as she looked around the plain, yet tasteful room. The walls had no frames hanging and was decorated impersonally. Shouldn''t this be a home full of their memories and life together? Yet it felt so distant.


    "Lina...this isn''t home. We are at one of the properties outside the capital. It''s for you to be safe while we get to the bottom of whoever did this to you while you recuperate." he said quietly.


    "Right...someone did this to me. Why...what kind of trouble am I in?" she said to herself


    Shen looked at her miserably. "This is my fault, sweetheart. This is my responsibility. I''m sorry you were hurt because of me. I won''t ever forgive myself. I will spend the rest of my life keeping you safe."


    "Wait...why? What''s happening! I want to go home!" she said, feeling agitated, wanting to go to a familiar place. Even though she said she wanted to go ''home'', she couldn''t picture it.


    "I want to see photographs, our wedding pictures, our life, our family. I don''t want to be clueless and confused" Lina''s voice got higher as she felt her stomach contracting and a wave of nausea taking over.


    Shen could see she was in pain and instinctively threw his arms around her. His warmth brought back a familiar feeling. His scent was calming too. She felt her stomach unclench. She looked up at him, her hair framing her lost face with big, moist eyes begging herself to remember.


    Shen couldn''t hold back any longer, he bent down and covered her lips with his own. A surge of electricity ran down Lina''s back, her gut wanted it -- to enjoy this feeling that she seemed to have missed, but her head sent her warning signals. She lay her hands on his firm chest, her eyes wide open and pushed him back with as much force as her weak body could muster. Her instincts were sending her distinct signals that as much as her body wanted this man, he was forbidden. The hairs at the back of her neck were raised as goosebumps covered her arms.


    There was a flash of hurt in Shen''s eyes once again as he turned his face away from her. He steeled himself as he said, "I''m sorry. I just missed you. Let''s head back to the capital. You will need to get a complete body check up as well as an MRI."


    "Oh...okay..." said Lina, as she looked down at her hands, not knowing what to do with them.


    "Don''t worry my angel, you are being treated by the best doctor in the capital. He will make sure we get your memory back." said Shen as he gathered her hands in his and gave them a reassuring squeeze.


    ********************


    ~later that evening~


    The recuperations villa was a big, sanitorium-like building with big rooms and windows and a lot of light. There was little, but beautiful art on the walls and comfortable furniture. As she stepped out of the room, wrapped in a big, warm shawl Shen had given her, she gasped.


    There were at least thirty men dressed in black, armed to their teeth with cold, murderous demeanours covering the area and the exits. As they saw Shen and Lina come out, they straightened up even more and greeted their master and mistress.


    A tall, rugged man with a scar above his left eye walked up to Shen and said, "Master, Madam Moshi -- the car is ready. It has been made suitable for madam''s transport and rest."


    Shen nodded and waved the man away.


    ''Moshi...why does that sound so familiar? I must be madam Moshi...so my husband is these people''s master.'' Lina thought to herself.


    As she walked slowly with Shen supporting her frame, he glanced at her small and lost face. He sighed as he pet her head.


    "I won''t lie, Lina. Things are complicated. But I hope you will trust me."


    Lina looked up at him. Her instincts were sending her alarm bells. But she couldn''t help but nod at his kind, loving face.

 Chapter 5 - He must have loved her

    The interiors of the sleek black Maybach were the smoothest, softest real leather. The seats were wide and comfortable to lay down on. Shen wanted Lina to rest but she wanted to look outside as they drove to the capital. It was a two hour journey and he was afraid she would be worn out. But she was adamant. All she could remember from the coma was blackness, and she wanted nothing more than a taste of the outdoors.


    As they drove past the mountains through the valleys, the sun was setting. She looked across at Shen who was sitting by the other window. He obediently kept his distance from her, so as to allow her time to adjust. As the golden hour glow outlined his silhouette, she gazed at his other-worldly charm. His well defined jawline was slack and she could tell he was deep in thought and gritting his teeth with anxiety. His messy black hair had grown out and was getting in his eyes. Her heart softened as she edged towards him, and before she could process what she was doing, she reached out and stroked his face with her soft palm.


    Shen froze in his seat, without even turning back to look at her. If he stayed very still, she might come closer. Lina suppressed a giggle from escaping. Whoever he was to her, he sure must have loved her. She couldn''t help but want to hug his arm and rest her head on his shoulder.


    ''Why not?'' she thought. This man had only shown her care since she had woken up. He was clearly concerned for her welfare. She ignored the warning bells again and sidled up to his stiff body and cuddled on to his arm.


    As she looked up at his face, she finally saw him relax and unclench his jaw. As he slowly turned around to look down at her frail and petite body curled up on his side, his whole body relaxed. He smiled at her lovingly as she looked up at him with her big eyes. He slowly untangled his arm from her grasp and put it around her shoulders as he held her close to him. Suddenly, Lina felt very tired. She balled up under his arm and let herself drift off.


    As her world turned black again, the image of the kind woman who looked like her came up. This time she wasn''t smiling and her hair was a mess. She was screaming at Lina as she pointed away. Her eyes were stricken with terror and suddenly flames leapt out from behind and engulfed her battered body. Lina began to panic, she wanted to save the woman but felt paralysed, and her arms wouldn''t move no matter what she tried. Her body trembled violently as she watched the woman screaming and burning.


    "Sweetheart...Lina...Lina wake up" she opened her eyes as she heard Shen calling out to her gently with his arm still wrapped around her, his other hand gently stroking her cheek.


    Lina groaned as she opened her eyes. She shivered, covered in sweat. Her face was wet, as if she''d been crying. It was dark now, but the car was still moving. She looked at Shen''s worried face, relieved that she had woken up.


    "You''ve had a bad dream again, haven''t you?" he asked her with concern.


    "Again?" she asked, puzzled.


    "Was it the woman screaming?" he continued.


    "Yes...how did you know?"


    "Sometimes you had that dream, even before you were in a coma." he said quietly as he kissed the top of her head, and held her tighter. "But you''ve never reacted so awfully. You''re covered in sweat and you were crying. I didn''t want to disturb your sleep but I had to wake you once you started panicking."


    Lina nodded. She paused and then said, "Who is that woman? Did I ever tell you? This time, she was burning alive."


    Shen looked at her with worry. "Burning alive? You''ve never said that before. And you never told me who the woman was. You always said you didn''t know."


    She held on to Shen even tighter. "I don''t want to see that again."


    "Don''t worry sweetheart. I promised you, I won''t let anything touch you ever again."


    The driver let down the partition between them and the front of the car and announced that they were almost home.


    "Look outside, my love. We''re in the capital. Welcome back!" he smiled at her adoringly, happy to bring his wife home again.

 Chapter 6 - The Devil incarnate

    As Lina looked out of the window, the capital was a sight to take in. The night lights lit up the dark sky and brought the city alive. It was as if the stars had descended to Earth. She gasped as she stuck her little face to the window, both hands on the glass.


    Shen laughed quietly as he observed her child-like wonder. But he suddenly felt really sad, realising that they drove this route every evening after he picked her up from work, just because she loved looking down at the city from a distance. Now she was looking at it like the first time. She''d forgotten the moments they''d spent together, driving by with her hand locked in his.


    As he was lost in thought, he felt a soft hand sneak into his and intertwine her dainty fingers with his big ones. His eyes widened as he looked her her face smiling back at him. He moved closer to her as she turned back to look out of the window.


    With her hand still in his, he hugged her tiny waist and rested his chin on the side of her neck. He took a deep breath as her light, familiar scent rose up to him.


    Lina''s heart was beating out of her chest as she blushed, her eyes still glued to the view in front of her. But she was unable to think of anything but his soft breathing near her neck and the warmth and comfort of his arms around her waist.


    She heard a little voice in her head tell her she wanted to stay like this forever, away from the world. It didn''t matter that she didn''t remember his face, because her body clearly remembered his aura. Even though her head was telling her to run, she knew she''d rather stay by his side.


    "Shen" she said quietly. It was barely a whisper but he heard her.


    He instinctively moved back to give her space. But she held his arms around her refusing to let go, making him breath a sigh of relief and happiness.


    "Yes, my love?"


    "I know I can''t remember you now. But I want to. I will try my best to get my memories of us back. Please be patient with me." she said quietly.


    He buried his face into her neck and smiled broadly. They hadn''t lost everything. She still wanted to be his.


    "Of course. Always. I promise we will get through this together." he said as she kissed her cheek softly.


    A few minutes later they stopped in front of large steel gates leading to the Moshi family''s central mansion. Lina stared out of the car window in wonder as they drove through the extensive estate and grounds.


    There were beautiful lamps lighting the driveway. She couldn''t see clearly but there seemed to be gardens and trees surrounding the driveway. She longed to explore the place in the daytime. She made a mental note to ask Shen to take her on a walk through the estate.


    As they neared the mansion, she could see the massive structure ahead. She was wonderstruck at the stunning architecture. It was built with the snowiest marble with intricate, yet sturdy carvings on the pillars. As they walked up to the entrance, Lina was excited to rush inside to look at the house. But Shen held her back firmly. There were stairs leading up to the porch and there was no way, in her condition, would he let her walk - no matter how excited she was.


    This wife would have to be obedient and get spoiled rotten. He wasn''t going to let her out of his sight and make sure she wouldn''t walk up a single step.


    With one sweeping, smooth move, she was in his arms being carried up the front stairs to the porch. She had no time to protest. As the doors of the mansion opened, there was an army of servants, a head butler, housekeeper and numerous maids lined up to greet the mistress on her return. Lina was embarrassed at being carried in in front of everyone so she quietly buried her face in Shen''s neck.


    He smiled to himself and whispered to her, "Welcome back, Mrs. Moshi."


    With that she buried her head even deeper into his neck, blushing at full force. She had no idea what it felt like to be a wife, much less a wife of a man as important as Shen. From what it seemed, this young master was a prince.


    The head butler immediately bowed and greeted them politely as they stepped in.


    "Welcome back young master." he gently smiled at the shy woman in Shen''s arms and said, "Welcome back madam, we are so happy and so relieved to see you looking well."


    "Thank you..." she said quietly, looking up at Shen for an introduction.


    He quickly remembered to introduce her to the Butler.


    "Sweetheart, this is Butler Min." The old man, who had been fluid in his bows and movements and command over the rest of the servants looked puzzled and unsure of himself for the first time. Why did the madam need an introduction! She was particularly close to him, as he was fond of her. He was personally in charge of looking after her every wish.


    Shen realised he had to inform the staff of Lina''s condition. With Lina still in his arms, he spoke quietly to the Butler.


    "Min, please inform the rest of the staff that madam has not fully recovered and has been having trouble with her memory. She must be taken care of at all times."


    Min looked at the frail woman with the lost expression in his master''s arms and felt his stomach drop. With a closer look, he could tell she had no idea the strong and confident woman she used to be. She seemed like a little kitten in a world too big.


    "I''m sorry Butler Min, that I cannot remember you or anyone else." she looked at his kind, empathetic face and smiled, "I''m sure you have always been kind to me. And I hope you can continue to take care of me."


    "Anything for madam." he said with a gentle look in his eye.


    "Min, make sure nobody talks about madam being back in the capital. She will remain within the grounds of the estate for the time being." Shen instructed the Butler.


    He nodded and waved at the middle-aged lady who looked worried enough to pull her hair out. As he walked away towards the back of the entrance hall, the rest of the staff followed the woman who was the housekeeper, as she walked with Butler Min. He would handle everyone and inform them of the situation.


    The Moshis'' staff were personally selected by Butler Min and were sworn to the utmost secrecy of what happened within the estate. They were highly trained and loyal to the Moshi household.


    "Let''s go upstairs to the bedroom so you can rest." Shen said to an overwhelmed Lina, who was still looking around at the grandeur of the mansion.


    "Okay..." she said absentmindedly, as her eyes drifted to the walls, taking in the carefully chosen art and paintings that tastefully dotted them.


    Shen laughed as he said, "I promise I will take your around and familiarise you with the mansion tomorrow. It''s time for you to rest. You''ve already overexerted yourself for today."


    Lina nodded as she snuggled closer into his arms. Wasn''t she just so lucky that this man, even though a stranger, was such a sweet husband?


    She just hadn''t seen that he could be the devil incarnate.....yet.

 Chapter 7 - Is husband not hungry?

    Shen brought Lina up to their bedroom, still holding her in his arms. He didn''t want her to walk even though she had protested to him carrying her up a flight of stairs. She was thinking what a henpecked husband he was, when she gasped at the sight of the room. The mansion was pristine, maintained by the fleet of highly efficient staff under the watchful eyes of Butler Min and Housekeeper Tan. But this room....it was a hideous mess.


    "This is our bedroom....?" Lina asked quietly, stifling laughter.


    There were clothes scattered everywhere, the closets were wide open, a few things broken on the floor. One couldn''t even see the bed because there were so many small belongings and objects on it such as perfume bottles, seemingly important doc.u.ments, more clothes and...oh dear! Lina blushed as she saw some lacy panties hanging off the side too.


    Were those hers?


    They must be...right?


    She then realised, as she looked up at Shen, who still hadn''t put her down, was standing very still. His jaw was slack and she could see he was gritting his teeth, beyond agitated as he took in the sigh before him.


    "Uh...Shen...why aren''t you saying anything?" she asked softly, still amused.


    As he snapped out of it, he stammered, embarrassed, "I''m sorry....we never let the servants in to clean, as a rule. You always said our room was our private place as should never be entered by anyone else. But this is my fault."


    As she gently pushed him away and hopped out of his arms, tiptoeing around the place, she giggled. "So...you did this?"


    She couldn''t imagine this seemingly soft and composed man being so clumsy!


    He looked away and then his eyes wandered to the floor. Suddenly, an overwhelming wave of sadness came over him.


    "When I was notified of the attacks on you, I packed the stuff I thought you would need really quickly. I pulled everything out that I thought would make you comfortable."


    When she saw how heartbroken he looked, she could only imagine that this mess wasn''t just him rummaging around for his wife''s stuff. This man had lost his senses and had had a major breakdown. Her eyes softened, as she walked towards him. He hadn''t been back home, he hadn''t come back to their room since she was attacked.


    Suddenly, she threw her arms around his neck and let her tears flow. He was so much taller than her, she was on her toes and still had trouble reaching his neck. She couldn''t remember him, or what happened, but she could sense his anguish. It was painted all over this room that had stood still in time, when he thought he would never hold the person he loved the most again. Lina felt like she was looking in from the outside, and all she saw was a sad, broken and lonely man panicking and hurt. The look in his eyes said it all -- he was reliving the trauma and she had selfishly forgotten.


    "Darling...I''m here. I won''t leave you again, I''m sorry." she whispered.


    And as if a mountain of pain had been lifted off him, he saw the wife he had known in front of him, comforting him -- her familiar scent, the soft wispy hair, saying affectionate words she used to, standing on her toes trying her very best to reach him. Lina felt his stiff body relax as he covered her petite body in his big muscular embrace.


    She didn''t know where those words came from, but they seemed natural. She couldn''t bear to see distress on his face. She must have loved him desperately, she thought t herself. It was her turn to be strong. So she childishly wiped her tears on his shirt and smiled at him as she wiggled out of his tight embrace. When he saw her smiling face, his grief softened as well.


    "So I guess I''ll be cleaning your little mess up, hubby?"


    He looked panicked again. "No! No you''re supposed to be resting. Lie down in one of the guest rooms...I''ll get this place cleaned in no time."


    As he turned to call for Butler Min and give everyone a dose of his devilish temper for not preparing their bedroom for the missus, he felt a tiny, soft hand tug at his. He turned back to see Lina''s big eyes looking intently at him.


    "What is it, angel?" he asked calmly.


    "If this is our private place that I never wanted anyone to enter, it has to be me cleaning it up. I still don''t want anyone to pry into the one area that''s only meant for us. You can help me. That way we''ll be done faster." she smiled at him, trying her best to convince him.


    As much as he wanted to wrap her up in cotton wool and not allow her to lift a finger, she had always insisted treating their bedroom as only theirs, and made sure to keep it clean. She used to vacuum, change the bedsheets, even clean their whole luxurious bathroom on the weekends. It was her haven, and he wouldn''t let anyone enter it as long as she wished.


    As he called Butler Min to bring up brooms and the vacuum, with a bunch of other cleaning supplies, the older man was horrified to see the just awoken madam folding clothes and putting them away. But he left wordlessly when he saw the great devil glare at him to leave quickly.


    Lina was clearing out the bed when she saw the lacy panties again. She cleared her throat loudly as she collected them and began folding. Shen, having seen what she was folding, looked at her with a little smirk.


    "Hubby, why do you think I would have needed such pretty underwear while lying in a coma?" she decided to be cheeky with him, if he dared to give her that smirk.


    "Shouldn''t my wife always be dressed in her nicest things?" he replied with haughty expression.


    Suddenly she turned red at the thought of him wiping down her body and changing her inner wear while she was unconscious. "You should have just had a maid do it, you know!" she retorted huffily.


    Knowing what she was talking about he replied without a second thought, "Nobody but me touches my wife."


    Then he said, knowingly, "I understand you need time to readjust and reacquaint yourself with my presence. Don''t worry, I can sleep on the sofa until you want me to come back to the bed."


    Lina nodded quietly. She didn''t say anything because event though his aura was familiar, she had a building sense of unease as well. Something felt off, and maybe it had to do with her missing memories. Even though she knew her body loved his closeness, there was something at the back of her mind that told her to keep him at an arm''s length.


    After she changed the bedsheets and sat down for a rest, she sighed heavily. Her body was still not entirely healthy and the working had taken a toll. Shen had only allowed her to put the clothes away, and had cleaned the rest of the room himself, taking special care of the broken things so she wouldn''t be hurt. She was impressed that this man, who had an army of servants to look after his every need, could actually do such a great job tidying up.


    She smiled to herself, when she smelled something delicious. She turned around as she saw Shen entering the room with a big bowl of hot vegetable soup for her.


    "It''s late and you haven''t eaten. This soup is light and nutritious for your recovery. Eat up" he smiled at her as he placed the tray down in front of her.


    She just looked at it and saw one bowl. Her worried eyes glanced up at him.


    "Is hubby not hungry?"

 Chapter 8 - Youre my priority

    Shen''s eyes softened as he saw the girl care for him. It seemed that her inherent nature hadn''t changed. She thought too much about others before herself. She had tried so hard to hide that side of her and put on a tough exterior when they had first met, and now she was a defenseless bunny looking up at him wide-eyed and expectant.


    He had indeed forgotten to eat himself. Butler Min had brought up two bowls of soup but he had only picked one up and brought it in the room to feed her first.


    "Hubby needs to eat too or I won''t." Lina pouted and said to him, acting like a spoilt child. She wanted him to coax her.


    Shen laughed and said, "My soup is outside, I will bring it inside and we can eat together ok?"


    As brought another bowl of soup in the bedroom for himself, they settled themselves on the large, comfortable couch and and began eating. The warm soup made Lina''s body feel more relaxed and she grew more tired. Shen hadn''t touched his own food, because his eyes were riveted on her.


    Lina turned to look at him and saw that he hadn''t eaten yet. Her sleepy eyes widened slightly as she saw that Shen''s bowl of soup was untouched.


    "Stupid hubby...mindless idiot..." she began to grumble as she took a spoonful from her own bowl and held it in front of his mouth.


    "Open" she commanded him. Shen''s jaw dropped faster than his mind could process that she was trying to feed him.


    Before he knew it, she had shoved the whole spoonful into his mouth. The soup tasted so much better than it would have from his own bowl. Lina began to bring another spoonful to him, and realised he''d already had his mouth open like a child waiting to be fed.


    Lina giggled a little at his expectant face. "You''re so silly!" she said to him, after she finished feeding him the entire bowl of soup. "You can''t forget to eat. Who''s going to take care of me if you''re not healthy!" she complained. "I haven''t entirely recovered, you know."


    "Yes, yes my wife is right. I''m sorry, I will take care of my health. But you should sleep first, I still have some doc.u.ments to go over, since I just got back to the Capital." Shen kissed her head as he helped her get tucked into bed.


    Lina was just about to drift off to sleep when she heard a little rustling noise. She opened her eyes slightly and saw Shen leaving something on her bedside table. She waited for him to go back outside to the study before she helped herself up and peeked at what he had left by the lamp.


    There were two certificates and a small photo framed in a pretty, yet simple photo frame. She realised the two doc.u.ments were marriage certificates. Her name was Lina Mito prior to marrying Shen Moshi. She was currently, 26 years old, her birthday was on the 12th of January. She realised there were no names for her parents listed, except for her last name was listed as Mito. Lina Mito. Shen''s certificate showed her was 32 years old, and his birthday was on 9th of September. His parents'' names were Soren and Rika Moshi.


    ''I don''t know anything about my own family.''


    ''And now I have in-laws. I don''t know anything about them either.''


    ''What do I even do, besides being married to Shen?!''


    Even though these thoughts tired her out, she made a mental note to ask Shen about her past when she woke up and then about his family.


    Then she saw the date they got married. 11th March. It must have been warm that day. It would have been a pretty day.


    She then checked today''s date...it was the 6th of November. They had been married almost eight months. She wondered how they''d met, how he''d proposed to her, how they got married. She wanted to remember who he was the most. She wanted to remember everything that made her fall for him. Her heart was suddenly warm.


    Then the little photo frame caught her eye. She picked it up and squinted. It looked like their wedding photo. But neither of them looked particularly extravagant. There was no big wedding dress or guests or people around. But somehow, she looked so happy in the photo. Shen was looking at her with emotion and pride while she was smiling brightly into the camera. Their hands were interlocked, showing off their matching wedding bands. It was the same one she was wearing right now. No fancy stones or diamonds, just a simple, slim and elegant silver band.


    All of a sudden, there were little droplets of water falling on the glass frame. She reached up to touch her face and noticed it was soaked with tears. Her vision was blurry and she began sobbing uncontrollably.


    ''Why am I crying so much? Why does my heart hurt like this?'' she questioned herself.


    Her legs automatically began moving as she quickly threw the blanket aside, and rushed out of the room. She still didn''t know her way around the house but she didn''t care. It was cold and she was only dressed in a thin, satin night dress. She saw a door slightly open with a light on, and ran in.


    She saw Shen sitting at a big mahogany desk, in a white loose t-shirt, and plaid pyjamas. He''d taken a shower so his hair was still damp and hung softly on his forehead. He had reading glasses on and was surrounded by a pile of doc.u.ments. He looked so stunning, she almost choked on her tears.


    Shen looked up startled as he saw Lina''s frail little figure burst in, shivering, tears streaming down her face. His heart hurt just looking at her beautiful, yet sorry state. Before he could get up from his chair to rush over to her, she launched herself like a bullet into his arms.

 Chapter 9 - Secret marriage

    Shen was astounded at what was happening. His little wife had turned into a little ball of shivering tears, curled up in his arms at his desk. As he wrapped himself around her to warm her up, he kissed her head. She smelled slightly of berries. He inhaled deeply, wanting to remain attached to her.


    "D-don''t leave me again..." he heard a quiet whisper from the girl. Her face was pressed into his chest, her tears soaking his shirt. He realised she was clutching the little photo frame with the photo from their wedding day. They had only gotten themselves registered - there was no big wedding.


    What he hadn''t told Lina yet, was that only their household and his family knew about their marriage. To the outside world, they didn''t know each other.


    ''Has she remembered?'' he wondered. He suddenly remembered the day she had been attacked. She was unconscious as they wheeled her into the emergency surgery, covered in blood and barely breathing.


    The surgeons informed him that she sounded like she was mumbling his name and begging him not to leave her. And then she didn''t wake up for the next three months.


    "What''s wrong, my love?" he asked her gently, wiping away the tears soaking her face.


    "I don''t k-k-know." she hiccuped. "I saw this photo and I missed you."


    "Do you remember anything?" he probed.


    "No. Nothing. I only have more questions, and I hate it." she replied, sullen.


    "We can talk about it tomorrow. I will tell you everything I can. But right now you need the rest. I''ll take you back to sleep, ok?" Shen comforted her by stroking her head. It made her drowsy again. But she didn''t want to leave him.


    Something inside her was terrified of being ripped away from him, even though their relationship felt like she was living in a dream. It was unreal and she was floating in a life she couldn''t quite piece together yet.


    But somehow as long as they remained in this mansion she felt safe, and that nothing could touch them.


    She clutched on to him like a small kitten and shook her head.


    "No, I want to stay with you." she refused to let go of him. "You can work, but I want to stay right here."


    Shen smiled gently. "Ok, don''t worry. You can stay like this as long as you want. I promise I won''t ever leave you, my little angel."


    He pulled a blanket over her from the side and let her drift off to sleep as he continued reading the stack of doc.u.ments in front of him. He felt more relaxed. Even if she didn''t have her memories, at least, she still felt attached to him.


    ***************


    -- 3 am --


    A beautiful middle aged woman smiled at Lina, extended her arm out beckoning to her. A warmth spread within her body as she moved and tried to approach the woman.


    But somehow the distance between them didn''t close and she couldn''t seem to reach her. The woman was still smiling, her soft hair in a loose bun at the nape of her neck. Suddenly her lips began to move as she tried to tell Lina something. There was worry in her eyes but she still smiled at Lina.


    ''What? I can''t hear you?'' said Lina...but she couldn''t even hear her own voice.


    ''I can''t hear you! Can''t understand what you''re saying!'' Lina tried to say louder and more urgently.


    A pang of fear gripped her heart as she saw the woman''s expressions change. She was no longer smiling at Lina, and terror was written all across her face. She looked like she was yelling now, gesturing wildly and pointing at something, Lina as tears ran down her cheeks.


    ''What??! What is it!'' Lina panicked.


    Suddenly she saw the woman collapse in front of her screaming as flames began to lick her body, making her heart hurt unbearably.


    Before she knew it, her eyes flew wide open to see Shen holding her and whispering into her ear.


    "Sweetheart...wake up, you''re having a bad dream. I''m right here baby...right here." he was comforting her in his arms, wiping away her sweat and tears as she shivered uncontrollably.


    "I saw it again, I saw her."


    "The woman?"


    "Yes the woman was burning. She was pointing at something and screaming, I couldn''t hear her."


    Lina wasn''t crying anymore, she was simply dazed and stiff.


    True to his word, Shen had been sleeping on the sofa. As Lina turned to her side, still in his arms, she saw that a pillow and blanket messily thrown over the sofa. He had come over to her when he heard her whimpering in her sleep.


    He had carefully carried her back into the bedroom after he finished reading the doc.u.ments in the study where Lina had fallen asleep in his arms, the photo frame still tightly in her hands.


    Now it was carefully placed on her bedside table.


    Looking at the picture made her feel calm, knowing that she had been happy around this husband and that being around him would keep her safe. She didn''t want to go back to the darkness she endured for 3 months.


    "Go back to sleep, angel."


    After she drifted off to sleep again, Shen returned to the sofa, deep in thought.


    The first time he met her, she was a soft bunny-like creature. She didn''t realise her fiery, determined eyed had given her away to someone as observant as Shen. He just never knew why she pretended to play dumb, but she''d intrigued him and he wanted to continue being around her.


    Within the next few weeks, her act was unraveling and he saw the confident and strong woman she really was. He''d set up little tests for her and she''d reveal something extraordinary about herself when she thought he wasn''t looking.


    Even though he knew the work she did was extremely important, there seemed to be a show of helplessness around her.


    He would casually discuss his work with her, and she would unknowingly make astute observations or absent-mindedly share her insights, that left him astonished. Her mind was sharper than highly trained consultants or strategists.


    But then she''d say something silly and pass it off as joke.


    "Hehe hubby, don''t listen to me. You''ll go bankrupt!!" and she''d get a pat on her head.


    She was definitely hiding something, but with every passing day she had begun to trust him more. He''d never pushed her to reveal her past or why she was hiding behind her mask. He didn''t need to.


    Until the accident.

 Chapter 10 - Her story

    ~ flashback to late August 3 months ago ~


    Shen was getting dressed for work. It was an important day for him because he was on the verge of closing a massive deal. Moshi Corp. had finally managed to bring their biggest competitors in the airline business down. As the largest and most powerful conglomerate in Country J, they had their fingers in almost every industry.


    Moshi Corp. owned Air Furan, with a massive commercial fleet. Air Furan was a major source of income for Moshi Corp. Yet, their customers were poached in great numbers by Hide Industries'' Paradise Airlines. Their cheaper tickets and travel costs attracted the majority of the market since they recently entered into an agreement with country C''s Tang Group, increasing air traffic between country J and country C, with the Tang Group providing airline fuel exclusively to Paradise Airlines at devastatingly low prices.


    If this continued, they would drive Air Furan out of business in about a year''s time, according to Shen''s predictions.


    Shen had successfully and secretly brokered a deal with country A''s oil tycoons to buy the Tang Group out, throwing their deal with Hide Industries in turmoil. Air Paradise shouldered massive losses to their investments and were now begging Moshi Corp. to buy them out and salvage the remains at Paradise Airlines.


    Shen was heading to the Moshi Corp. offices to sign that very deal with CEO of Hide Industries. The devil was in a good mood, and was getting pampered by his loving wife.


    Lina straightened and fixed his emerald green tie and she rushed over to do her own hair. She''d told him she had an ''important date'' to keep that morning. Even though she was secretive about the nature of this meeting, she seemed jittery and anxious, but still slightly excited.


    "Darling, I promise to tell you everything when I see you for dinner today. Don''t worry about anything right now, and just focus on crushing those troublemakers!"


    He could see the fire in her eyes, as she rooted for his victory. She was so serious, yet she looked absolutely adorable to him. His determined gaze softened on her face.


    "Take care, my love. Come back home safe to me."


    With that he kissed her one last time before he headed out of their room and left for work.


    It was a strange thing to say to his wife, to ''come back home safe'', but he respected her privacy and thought her capable enough to handle her own affairs. She''d come to him of her own free will, and he wouldn''t entrap her or stifle her.


    He suspected their was more to her story than what she had told him, but he knew he had to be patient with her. The ''moe'' act, was all but gone now and a confident woman was in her stead.


    When she told him there was something she wanted to tell him that night, he knew her walls were going to come down and his patience would pay off. There would be nothing more holding his wife back from him.


    ****************


    Lina knew, that day, she was going to give her life as a spy up for the man she slept next to every night. She loved Shen more than anything, and she refused to play dirty.


    Their relationship was unplanned. She was to remain objective. She was supposed to have been in control. But she''d never been in control since she''d met him. Even though she acted helpless, she knew Shen wasn''t fooled by it.


    But he only watched her patiently, and let her warm up to him without any forcefulness.


    She was going to sever all ties with the agency. She would work with Shen to deal with the Lim Clan instead of spying on him and working with people who didn''t have his interests in mind. Her targets were usually power-hungry, psychopaths on ego trips. She had no qualms taking them down, but this was the first time her heart was plunged into dilemma.


    As her understanding of his relationship with the Lim clan grew, she realised that he wasn''t colluding with them. There was a mole at Moshi Corp. This mole was going to throw Shen under the bus and the agency would intervene ruthlessly.


    Underneath the devilish exterior, the icy CEO of Moshi Corp. was really a kind and humble man. A man she respected. Someone who worked very hard. Not the murderous maniac he was thought to be. He was her love, her partner and her family.


    Her reports to the agency HQ had been more and more vague as she tried to buy time. But if she waited any longer, she was putting herself and Shen at risk. She needed an exit strategy. She was going to meet Tachi to work out a deal.


    ******************


    -- at the agency HQ --


    "Sir, Agent Dai has arranged a meeting with me today in the capital."


    Tachi stood up straight. He was reporting to the big boss.


    "How long have you known?"


    "Sir, I suspected after they got married."


    Big boss''s clenched fist slammed down on the desk. Tachi couldn''t see his face very well in the dimly lit room. But he could feel the rage emanating from the boss''s eyes.


    "So she has abandoned her duties as our agent for the last FIVE months? Is that what you''re telling me?!"


    Tachi sucked in a deep breath. He was in trouble because of that useless bi***.


    "I apologise for my lack of vigilance. We will extract her immediately."


    "Agent, do you think extraction is good enough? You have failed as an employee of this organisation and are a waste of space." the big boss spat out at Tachi.


    He was supposed to be her handler. Make sure things went along smoothly and the undercover agent was sticking to the plan. Most of all, it was his responsibility to make sure she was doing her job. He''d been too lenient. He''d cared about Lina for a long time, and there she was -- playing house with that useless CEO while he had to bear the brunt of the boss''s anger.


    He was done protecting her.


    "Agent Dai is now a major liability. You will terminate her by the end of tomorrow."


    The big boss'' orders were clear and final.

 Chapter 11 - Shes a bunny now

    ~ Present day ~


    Lina woke up relaxed and well rested. It was almost 11 am, but she''d needed the sleep. She remembered the nightmare and her heart felt heavy.


    But she''d slept well after. Shen held her until she fell asleep again and she didn''t see the troubling images again.


    As she rolled under the warm sheets lazily, her eyes fell on the angelic face of her husband sitting at her bedside with even more doc.u.ments than she''d seen on his desk in the study!


    It looked like Shen had already showered and was wearing a soft grey sweater. His reading glasses made him look older and his serious expression was endearing. Lina smiled to herself, revelling in his charm and beauty.


    Feeling her intense gaze on him, Shen looked up to see her starstruck face. His serious eyes turned warm.


    "Good morning, angel. Did you sleep alright?"


    Lina sat up and yawned.


    "Mm hmm. I did!" she looked better, even though she was still weak.


    "There''s a lot to do today. But first, you need to get dressed and have breakfast. Then the doctor will be here for a full body check up."


    Lina frowned. A full body check up? How tiresome! She wanted to check out this beautiful mansion and go out to the gardens.


    "I know that look. You can''t play until the check up is completed, clear?"


    When did hubby get so stern!


    Lina huffed and got up to shower and changed for breakfast. At least there was food!


    ************


    After the warm, relaxing shower, Lina got into a cute, pink, knitted dress and joined Shen downstairs for breakfast. He''d still insisted on her not walking down flights of stairs so she''d still been carried down.


    The dining room was beautifully and tastefully decorated with a massive table in the centre. The chandeliers were old and graceful, and there was a lot of light through the big windows. It was quite chilly outside, even though the sun was shining brightly. Shen had put big fluffy socks on her feet to prevent her from catching a cold.


    Lina looked fresh and stunning. He face had gained some colour and her lips looked brighter. Her beautiful small features and soft brown hair her made her seem extra delicate.


    Two maids blushed, trying not to stare at the madam. It had been 3 months since they''d seen her after all -- but she was always so beautiful, it took their breath away!


    Housekeeper Tan smiled to herself as she whispered to the Butler


    "Butler Min, Madam''s a bunny again, isn''t she?"


    Butler Min had a complicated expression on his face. She was suddenly a lot like the shy and sweet girl the young master had brought home when they first got married 8 months ago. But she had transformed into a confident and upright lady. Now she looked so lost again.


    Lina''s face brightened even more when she saw the delicious spread on the massive table. She still remembered what the foods were, and could still go about regular life without stumbling. She just didn''t recognise people and places or remember her identity or past.


    There were fried eggs and yoghurts. The smell of freshly toasted bread lured her to the table. As she sat down and took a sip of the cappuccino, she felt more awake than ever. The fruits were fresh and sweet.


    "It''s all your favourites, angel. Fried eggs and toast, cappuccino, strawberries. Are you enjoying breakfast?" Shen looked at his bunny wife lovingly.


    She nodded adorably, with a foam moustache on her lip from the cappuccino.


    Shen reached out and wiped the foam off her lip with his finger and then instinctively licked it. Lina noticed this and looked down silently and blushed.


    ''He''s so familiar with me!'' she thought. But she liked it. She felt a warm feeling floating up to her chest.


    Shen noticed her awkward, yet sweet expression and held back a laugh.


    After having satisfied her stomach, she was notified that the doctor would be arriving soon.


    Shen was taking important calls from work and was in the study. She wasn''t allowed to exert herself so she went back to the bedroom and decided to familiarise herself with the belongings. She wanted to see what their life was like.


    She opened a small drawer underneath her closet and found a large photo album. As she opened it and began flipping through, she realised the pictures were her life with Shen for the last 9 months she had known him.


    The early pictures were cute and awkward. One of them was at a small, but empty coffee shop. She was staring out of the window with a cappuccino in hand. Shen had taken that picture of her. There was a label underneath.


    ''23rd February. First date.''


    Another photo was taken of them at a hike somewhere hilly and green. They were both wearing outdoor gear. Shen looked like he was laughing at something she said, holding on to her tightly.


    ''4th March. Hike to the Tiger''s Nest and Monastery.''


    As she flipped further along, she found a selfie of him asleep, wrapped in her arms on the sofa. She was making a silly face into the camera.


    ''18th June. At home. Hubby fell asleep.''


    There were so many memories. But there never seemed to be anyone else around. Lina was confused. Since she''d woken up, the only people she came in contact with were Shen and his employees.


    ''What about my own life?'' she pondered to herself.


    Lina snapped out of her thoughts as the bedroom phone rang.


    "Hello?"


    It was Butler Min.


    "Madam, the doctor is here for you. I have informed young master in the study as well. We are sending him upstairs to you."


    "Okay, thank you Butler Min!"


    As she put the phone down, Shen came into the bedroom.


    "Sweetheart come with me."


    Lina looked confused.


    "Where? Isn''t the doctor coming up here for my check up?"


    "Not here, my silly wife. Who does a full body check up in a bedroom!"


    Lina looked annoyed at him. Who''s he calling silly!


    Still she allowed him to bring her to another wing on the same floor as their bedroom. There was an elaborately set up clinic within this mansion! Wow, her husband really was someone important to have the capital''s best doctor come to personally give her a check up at their own home clinic!


    As she stepped in, arm in arm with Shen, her eyes fell on an older man. He was tall and thin, and had a stern looking face.


    ''He must be this great doctor who''s supposed to treat me.'' Lina thought.


    Right behind him, stood a younger, very good-looking man. He had short hair, strong features and and understated sharpness in his eyes.


    Suddenly, Lina doubled back in shock. She froze in her spot, unable to speak as her eyes met the young man''s.

 Chapter 12 - Stay away from my wife

    The older man walked towards Lina to greet her.


    "Madam Moshi, how are you feeling?"


    Lina was still frozen in shock, dazed. The younger man''s gaze stayed trained on her face.


    Shen realised his wife was paralyse with a stunned expression on her face. Her terrified gaze was riveted on the young man who had come with the doctor.


    "Dr. Yoshi, I have to ask who the young man accompanying you today is." Shen broke the uncomfortable silence. His voice was stiff and cold.


    "Oh yes, of course. Apologies for the lack of introduction. I''m sorry to have startled madam. This is my new assistant Victor Tachibana."


    Victor''s icy eyes moved away from Lina''s face as he politely walked towards them and bowed.


    Lina involuntarily clutched even harder on Shen''s arm, as she plastered herself to his side. Shen held her close to him, agitated that his wife was uncomfortable in her own home, especially during her recovery. She had only been awake one day, and this stranger had come in without any prior notification. Why was he allowed in?


    He rung for Butler Min who came to the clinic immediately.


    "Butler Min, why was Mr. Tachibana allowed in without any prior notification or background check?" the devil was here and everyone was going to get a taste of his fury.


    The last thing he wanted to see was his precious wife feeling scared or upset.


    Dr. Yoshi tried to interrupt, "Young master, he is exceptionally talented--"


    "ENOUGH!" Shen was seething now. Who cared how exceptional his assistant was! His little angel was supposed to be hidden from the world, and this intruder was standing in his house!


    He turned to his wife, his eyes suddenly turning gentle.


    "Sweetheart, wait in our bedroom, I will take care of this."


    Lina was still frozen in her spot, terrified and clinging on to Shen''s arm. It broke him to signal Butler Min to carefully pry her away and bring her to rest while he dealt with the intrusion.


    As soon as Lina left the room, he was the devil again. His voice fell to a low and cold tone that sent chills down the doctor''s back.


    His assistant had been let in with him because the staff knew that their master trusted the doctor. He had personally looked after Shen''s every illness or accident since he was a child.


    "Doctor, just because I trust you doesn''t mean you don''t inform me before you bring a stranger into my house. You are well aware of the situation madam is in." Every word that Shen spat out held the doctor''s heart in an icy grip.


    Dr. Yoshi wanted to speak but he was shaking now. Somehow the intruder had the guts to look the devil in the eye and open his mouth.


    "I insisted. I apologize for entering your home shamelessly, young master, but the doctor has been getting weaker lately and I thought I could be of help. After all, it is just a check up."


    That was it.


    ''Just a check-up''? Is that what this senseless, shameless man said?!


    After everything Lina had been through?


    That was the last straw for Shen.


    He walked straight towards Victor as the young man stood his ground, foolishly defiant, in the devil''s own house. Dr. Yoshi was so afraid at this point, the poor man''s legs were shaking.


    Now standing just centimeters away from Victor, Shen''s voice was a low, guttural snarl. Victor still stood defiantly, even though he was inches shorter than Shen.


    "Mr. Tachibana, there was once a very stupid man who tried to look at my wife with disdain and lechery. There is a drawer behind you. Would you care to please open it?"


    Victor wordlessly turned around and sure enough there was a small desk with three drawers. Shen''s eyes were trained on the very last drawer at the bottom. Victor bent down and opened it.


    Shock reverberated through his body. He tried to control his disgust, but as he turned to look at Shen, his face was slightly pale.


    "What are you playing at, young master?"


    He dared to ask!


    "Do you know what those are?" Shen asked slowly.


    "I''m a doctor. Of course I recognize human eye balls preserved in formaldehyde. I just don''t know how many there are here. Approximately 12 pairs?"


    Victor was gritting his teeth as he answered.


    "I blinded the bystanders too. Nobody hurts or watches my wife get hurt. This is not just a ''check up''. Get out."


    Shen''s words were clear. His intent was murderous. The slightest discomfort to Lina meant taking something far more valuable from the person that caused her discomfort.


    As Victor swiftly left the room, he nodded at Dr. Yoshi who was still rooted to his spot.


    "Dr. Yoshi, gather yourself, we will proceed with my wife''s check up shortly."


    With that, Shen walked out to look after his angel.

 Chapter 13 - Fallen angel

    Shen walked quickly. He was worried about Lina and the way she had reacted to Victor Tachibana. He had never seen her look so shocked. She had portrayed herself as a weak woman during the initial stages of their relationship, but never did he get the sense that there was something that could terrify her.


    Did she recognise Victor Tachibana? Shen had never seen that man before. Maybe he was a work associate of Lina''s. Why did she have that reaction?


    Thinking of work, he realised Lina hadn''t asked about what she did. Had she forgotten that too?


    He rubbed the bridge between his eyebrows as he realised the sheer amount of information he would have to relay to his wife. There were a lot of people relying on her and he had barely been holding the fort.


    It was not a question of his capability. Lina just had her own way of doing things. Even though she never talked herself up and acted innocent, Shen knew that not many people could do what she did. It would be tough bringing her back into the real world after the coma.


    Secondly, he didn''t know if he wanted to let her out of his sight.


    Maybe he had given her too much space. If only he had been more forceful, more involved...he could have known how to protect her.


    ''This has to be related to me though. She got hurt, most definitely because someone was targeting me'' he thought to himself.


    When he entered there bedroom, he saw Lina sitting on the chaise by the big window with the curtains drawn. It was late afternoon now and the sun was filtering in, illuminating her small, gentle figure. The stoic, cold expression left Shen''s face as he gazed at her lonely figure, wrapped in the pink, knit dress. His wife was a fallen angel, and all he wanted, was to give her her wings back.


    As Lina sat still, staring out at the mansion ground from the window, she felt two warm, strong arms envelope her. Her stiff body finally relaxed as she sunk into her husband''s embrace.


    His presence seemed to soothe her but she felt extremely uneasy.


    "That man, I''ve seen him before." she whispered


    "Do you remember him?"


    "No."


    "Were you scared, baby?"


    "I can''t explain. I was petrified, but I didn''t feel the urge to run away."


    Lina''s head felt muddled and her body was getting more and more tired as she continued to think about Victor.


    ''Tachibana...Tachibana...'' she repeated his name mentally, replaying the scene in her head. The name and the face together seemed like she was reliving a past life.


    Shen lightly kissed her cheek, waking her up from the trance.


    "He''s gone now, so don''t think too much. We need to complete your check up first okay? Be good and let''s return to the medical wing."


    With that, Lina allowed herself to be guided by her husband back to the clinic, where a nervous looking Dr. Yoshi had all the equipment prepared.


    *******************


    He started with checking her pulse and listening to her heartbeat. The preliminary checks were successful and the x-rays proved her physical state to be almost entirely in the process of recovery with no serious long term effects.


    Shen was relieved with this news, but there was an elephant in the room.


    After going through an MRI scan, the Dr. Yoshi sat down to discuss the situation with the husband and wife pair.


    "Madam, you don''t have any recollection of past events no matter how far you go back, am I right? Including a lack of awareness of your identity?"


    The old doctor spoke gently and sympathetically.


    "Yes, Doctor. That is correct."


    "But you remember how to take care of yourself, have an understanding of the world around you and are able to enjoy the same things as earlier such as particular foods or weather?"


    This time Shen answered for her.


    "Her tastes remain the same, she still enjoys the same foods and is able to use appliances, and groom herself as well as she did before."


    A warmth spread through Lina''s heart. She''d really enjoyed her breakfast and Shen knew exactly the things she loved or how she behaved before. He was able to answer the doctor accurately. It made her feel safer.


    "We''re dealing with traumatic retrograde amnesia here. Madam dealt with a severe blow to the head when hit by the truck, and the blood loss..."


    As the doctor was speaking, Shen''s face turned dark. He didn''t need a reminder of what Lina had been through. He thought keeping their marriage a secret from the world would keep her safe from the dangers of being connected to him.


    He was reminded of his inability to protect her, failing in his duty as a husband to her.


    As his thoughts wandered to dark places and self blame, he sensed a warm, little hand squeeze his. He looked beside him to see Lina''s soft brown eyes smiling at him. Somehow she could sense his guilt, and was trying hard to reassure him.


    As Dr. Yoshi continued speaking, the two of them listened carefully.


    There was a good chance that her memory would return slowly, but Lina would have to exercise her brain regularly. She would have to visit places she used to enjoy spending time at, look at pictures of people she knew well and interact with familiar stimuli.


    Her diet and lifestyle would be well monitored and regulated to get enough sleep, eat foods rich in Vitamin B-12 and Omega 3 fatty acids.


    With time, she hoped she could recover her memory, feeling confident her husband wouldn''t let her down.


    As the doctor neared the completion of his post check up lecture, Shen got up to show him out.


    He turned to Shen with a sudden graveness.


    "Young master, actually, there is something else. But I waited to be alone with you, because there is something about madam you should know that is highly disturbing."

 Chapter 14 - She needs help

    Shen froze in his spot. There was a creeping sensation of panic rising up to his chest.


    "What is it? Just tell me, don''t hold back."


    "Young master, madam is showing signs of PTSD besides the amnesia. Did she experience shock or an incident causing emotional trauma before the accident?"


    Shen grit his teeth. He didn''t know. He didn''t know anything.


    "I''m not sure. She never revealed it to me, if something did happen."


    "Young master, perhaps something in her childhood?"


    "I don''t know."


    Shen was getting increasingly agitated as the doctor continued to question him.


    He was beating himself up for not looking into her past more carefully. Was she suffering silently without his knowledge all this time? Was she feeling scared and alone, even though he slept in the same bed as her? Did he not look after her needs at all? What kind of a horrible husband was he!


    "Young master, it is possible she went through something troubling as a young child. Sometimes, children tend to selectively forget scarring memories as they grow up and lock them up in a place in their mind they can''t voluntarily reach. It''s a psychological defence mechanism. As they get older, some of these memories might spill into their lives in the form of nightmares, lucid dreaming and physical reactions to trigger objects or people."


    After Dr. Yoshi''s explanation, the dreams made sense to Shen.


    "Actually doctor, she has nightmares about a particular woman. She had them about once a month before she fell into a coma. She''s only been awake for two days and she''s had this nightmare twice already."


    Shen continued describing the events, suddenly feeling the urge to hold Lina and soothe her pains and troubles away.


    "She wakes up crying and in cold sweat and goes into a daze."


    Dr. Yoshi listened carefully.


    "Young master, this is not my field of expertise. However, I work closely with a lot of world class psychiatrists who treat mental trauma. If she doesn''t get the help required, she might continue to subconsciously suppress memories that will interfere with her recovery from the amnesia."


    The fierce CEO of an empire looked at the doctor helplessly. He was so vulnerable when it came to his wife, a side nobody really saw until she entered his life.


    "For now, I recommend not introducing her to new people and sticking to a regular recovery routine. The less she is triggered, the less she will suppress. In the meanwhile, I will contact a certain psychiatrist I am very good friends with. He specialises in memory loss and trauma."


    Shen thanked the doctor as he closed the door behind him.


    He sighed as he walked over exhaustedly to the living room. He called for Butler Min to bring him a peg of Hibiki.


    As he sipped on it, his heart was heavy. He was also under immense stress trying to manage the affairs of Moshi Corp. He had been gone a long time now, working from home. His capable assistant Ayu was running the office.


    Because of his prolonged absence, there were rumours swirling about Moshi Corp, especially


    within the top executive branch. The board of directors consisted mainly of Moshis from branch families who were waiting on the sidelines to watch Shen fall from his throne and they were circling like vultures.


    Some said he had been assassinated and it was being kept under wraps. There was almost a coup brewing right under his nose.


    He had sheltered Lina from this part of his life so nobody could hurt her trying to get to him. There marriage was a tightly kept secret and he wondered now if that was a mistake.


    If they had been open about the marriage, he could have openly protected his wife -- flanked her with body guards, given her his name and shielded her body himself.


    Maybe she would have let him into her own life sooner. Maybe this secret marriage had reduced the trust she had in him.


    But that wasn''t possible. She agreed willingly to be his secret wife. She never had issues, at least non she spoke of, with the way they were doing things. Shen wanted to consolidate his position and curb some unrest within the Moshi family before he formally introduced her to the world.


    As he sat worrying and over thinking, his phone rang. It was Ayu.


    Shen pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply.


    What now!?


    "Talk to me, Ayu."


    "Sir, I insist you be at the office tomorrow. We''re having trouble with your younger uncle."


    Shen cursed angrily.


    "What did that senseless man do now?"


    Ayu''s voice cracked a little. She didn''t want to be the bearer of bad news but this was an emergency.


    "Sir, he''s locked himself in your office with an army of bodyguards and brought in James to retrieve the password to the Lim files."


    Shen stood up in fury, knocking the whiskey glass on the floor.


    "James...that hacker James?!" he exclaimed.


    "Yes, but we have our IT team here all night to work on preventing a breach. Please stay with madam tonight, but we would appreciate your help tomorrow."


    "I''m coming there tonight, but Ayu, get here now. You will stay by madam''s side until I return."


    With that, Shen hung up.


    On the other end, Ayu almost protested, but decided not to as she heard the dead dial tone.


    She stared at the phone blankly.


    She clenched her jaw in anger. Staying the evening with madam, what a terrible idea.


    What a terrible, terrible idea.

 Chapter 15 - While she was asleep

    Ayu arrived at the mansion at 9:00 pm.


    "Sir, don''t you need to stay with madam?" she enquired


    "Lina is asleep right now. I want to end this matter tonight itself so I can be there when she''s awake."


    "But sir..."


    "Enough! How dare you argue with me? Lina can only be around a few trusted people right now. Do not think for a minute that I will hesitate to cast you aside if you oppose me."


    Shen was already incensed and Ayu was rousing the devil.


    Ayu grit her teeth, trying to hide her anger. Why did she have to babysit the troublesome madam?


    "Yes, sir."


    She watched Shen as he stormed out of the house, got into his low key black Mercedes and drove off in a hurry.


    Cursing under her breath she settled herself in for the night at the Moshi mansion.


    Ayu set herself up outside the Shen and Lina''s bedroom where Lina was asleep. She wrapped a thin shawl around herself and started typing furiously on her laptop. Soon she was drowned in a sea of doc.u.ments.


    Shen only busied himself with the most important of deals or proposals. He only interacted with highly influential clients. The corporation however had thousands of smaller projects that required careful and detailed planning and supervision. They all fell into Ayu''s hands.


    She already had both hands full, no time for her family or to find a boyfriend at 28 years of age, and then along came Lina and she became a babysitter to the helpless looking, bunny madam.


    She knew Lina had been attacked and had been at the brink of death. But that''s what it meant to be so close to the boss. She should have toughened up.


    And now the amnesia crap! It was interfering with her work!


    Even though Shen knew that Ayu wasn''t the madam''s number 1 fan, she was one of the few people he knew would protect her fiercely, at least on account of her loyalty to him.


    As she sat typing furiously on her laptop, she lost track of time. At almost 1 am, she noticed a soft whining coming from the bedroom. It sounded like a kitten whimpering!


    Ayu put her laptop aside, alert. What was the madam doing in there! Was she hurt?!


    She stood up in a hurry and took long strides towards the bedroom. As she was about to push open the door to walk in, she remembered how private Shen and Lina were about this room.


    Ayu hesitated for a bit before deciding to crack the door open just a little to peek in a check on Lina.


    ¡ª at Moshi Corporation Capital City offices ¡ª


    Shen stormed into the skyscr.a.p.er office building that entirely belonged to Moshi Corporation. The capital city offices were the most extensive. This building was basically a headquarters that controlled the strings to the entirety of Country J''s economy.


    Shen stormed inside without sparing a glance at the staff working late greeting him. They were so shocked to see their boss who was rumoured to have been assassinated striding in looking like he possessed by the devil. As their mouths hung open, they rushed to greet and bow but he just zoomed past.


    Taking the private elevator up to the 23rd floor, where his private office was located, he tried to calm his breathing. He was absolutely raging, ready to kill someone.


    The doors to his office were sealed tightly shut. He had implemented the most high end security protocols so that nobody had access to this room, but him. There was a retina scanner, coupled with a number code as well as finger printing. How did the bastard uncle of his even get in?!


    It must have been James.


    How did he even manage to convince James to work with him?! That crazy man was not simply motivated by money. He probably had enough to buy him a dozen islands.


    As he walked towards the heavily guarded doors to his office, his temper hit the limit.


    This uncle had the gall to post his own bodyguards to prevent him from entering his private office? These idiots had the guts to point guns at the man who owned the country, and controlled several others?


    How dare they? Just how dare they?


    Shen had killed family before, indeed. And today would be no exception. He finally had a good reason to end that impertinent, greedy uncle of his.


    -- back at the Moshi mansion --


    As Ayu peeked inside the bedroom, the sniffles became clearer. But it didn''t sound like the usual crying. It seemed like Lina was struggling to breath. She sounded like she was in pain and was choking in her sleep!


    Ayu panicked and ran inside without another thought.


    ''Protect her. Protect her!'' were the words Ayu was screaming to herself in her mind.


    She immediately cradled Lina in her arms, and feeling the sweat, tears and her shivering body, tried to gently rouse the girl. But Lina wouldn''t wake up.


    Her body was hot and and her breathing was rapid, getting quicker each second. Ayu realised she was having a massive panic attack. But she couldn''t get through to her.


    She shook Lina harder this time and tried to talk in order to get through to the sleeping woman.


    "Madam, wake up! Wake up, please!"


    Ayu was now holding her body very tightly, as if to comfort her.

 Chapter 16 - Something soft

    Ayu rocked Lina in her arms, trying hard to comfort her and wake her. Lina began to calm down and regain consciousness.


    Although she was still not entirely awake or in her senses, Lina''s nightmares stopped. The burning woman disappeared and her eyes opened slowly.


    She couldn''t really see because the bedroom was pitch dark. Her throat way dry but she felt something soft around her.


    Unknowingly she clutched tightly on to Ayu''s sleeve. Even though groggy, her senses were frighteningly sharp. She knew there was a person there, but it wasn''t Shen. This person smelled different.


    All of a sudden her hand instinctively flew at lightning speed towards the person above her. The strength in her movement was so intense, the arm that blocked her attack was almost shattered.


    Ayu let out a loud cry in pain. She had been trained in martial arts since she was 8 years old and doubled as a bodyguard for Shen. She was not weak, nor was she someone to be trifled with. This was the only reason she sensed Lina''s arm flying towards her and blocked.


    What she hadn''t calculated was the terrifying force with which she would be hit.


    In her brain, she registered a shattered radius and carpals.


    "Stop madam! STOP IT!" she screamed.


    Now having fully woken up, Lina realised there was a woman in the room.


    "Wh-wh-what''s going on! Who''s there!"


    Ayu quickly switched on the bedside lamp, still reeling in pain.


    As Lina''s groggy eyes fell upon the face beside her, she gasped. The utter beauty of the woman standing over her bedside, hand clutching her broken forearm, face contorted in pain - froze her.


    Still dazed, she raised her hand to touch Ayu''s face.


    "So pretty..." Lina whispered.


    Instinctively, Ayu lunged back. She had no clue the madam could fight. And with such instinct and force. Moreover, she was acting strange!


    Lina''s gaze was riveted on Ayu''s slim figure, the shawl falling off her shoulders to where her light brown hair reached. Her hair was slightly messy and wavy from the scuffle. She had the most enchanting green eyes, high nose and sharp chin. Her pretty pink lips were trembling, trying to remain composed in front of the madam, despite the pain she was feeling.


    Lina could feel a somewhat regal and proud air around this woman.


    Realising she was shaking due to the pain in her arm, Lina quickly got out of bed and walked up to the shaking Ayu.


    "Are you okay madam, you were having a nightmare right now." she asked Lina, trying to maintain composure. After all, Lina was her priority when Shen was dealing with the matter at Moshi Corp.


    "Of course I''m fine! Who are you and what happened to you?! How did you get in here and why are you clutching your arm like that!"


    Ayu -- "....."


    Seriously? This crazy woman almost killed her when she was just partially conscious! Who was this monster?


    If she hadn''t blocked Lina''s hit with her arm, she would have been fatally wounded. Ayu shuddered just thinking about the damage this bunny-like madam would have caused.


    On the other hand, she really didn''t recognise her! The amnesia was real after all. Lina looked so confused and lost, and the way she was suffering earlier while asleep was so painful to watch. She had truly been concerned.


    "Madam my name is Ayu. I''m young master Shen''s assistant at Moshi Corp. He had to attend to a massive emergency at work so I was outside to look after you. He will be back before you wake up so I suggest you go back to sleep and get your rest. After all, you''re just recovering."


    Lina looked at her as if her heart was shattering. Shen wasn''t home?


    Why wasn''t he home?


    Why did he leave her!


    Just yesterday he promised he wouldn''t when she ran into his study.


    "Take me to Shen right now."


    Lina began acting like a spoilt child.


    Ayu looked at the defiant little madam with exasperation.


    Moshi Corp was probably a bloody battleground right now! Shen would personally execute her if she brought Lina anywhere close to the place.


    Plus there were clear instructions from Dr. Yoshi that she wasn''t to leave the house or meet strangers! Minimum stimuli was maximum recovery!


    By bringing this madam to Shen, she would be signing god knows how many death warrants -- including her own!


    But Lina looked like a child about to throw an uncontrollable tantrum.


    Where the hell was that husband of hers, and how dare he leave her after he promised not to!


    A sense of panic and alarm rose to Lina''s chest. She didn''t feel right, she felt nauseous. Her breathing became laborious.


    "Oh god..." she whispered to herself as she ran into the bathroom and began puking violently into the toilet.


    "Madam!"


    Ayu ran after her, trying to pat her back and comfort her.


    She was so dead. How did madam get sick!? What was wrong? Is this all because Shen was gone in the middle of the night? But she had amnesia - she didn''t even remember who he was!


    Ayu immediately rung for Butler Min and Housekeeper Tan. They brought up warm water and a medicine for Lina, but refused to go inside the bedroom with Ayu.


    "Ms. Ayu...are you sure you should''ve gone into the bedroom? We have never been allowed to step in." Housekeeper Tan spoke to Ayu outside the room in a hushed tone.


    "What the hell was I supposed to do, she was panicking and crying in her sleep! I''m supposed to be looking after her - keeping her safe. I have no idea what the hell is happening!"


    "Should we call Dr. Yoshi?" Butler Min asked the two women.

 Chapter 17 - She was inconsolable

    Housekeeper Tan rushed to call Dr. Yoshi.


    In the meantime, Ayu sat with the inconsolable madam. She was getting more and more agitated by the minute.


    "I want to go find Shen please!"


    The sense of discomfort in her chest was getting worse. She didn''t know why but she was terrified. All she wanted was to be wrapped up in his arms, with his scent around her.


    Lina had no idea why she felt so panicked, he was just away to take care of a work emergency.


    ''Why do I feel like I won''t see him again?! Why am I so restless?''


    As she mentally questioned herself, the nausea came back harder.


    Ayu ran out to the butler and housekeeper.


    "She''s getting sick again! Where is Dr. Yoshi?"


    "Ms. Ayu, he is five minutes away. Please hold on till then."


    Butler Min said this trying to keep himself calm too. The devil would be furious. The entire household was quaking about how they would be reprimanded by their master if he found out the madam got so sick in his absence!


    True to his word, Dr. Yoshi arrived at the mansion in the next five minutes.


    As Lina was brought to the clinic, she was still struggling with Ayu. She didn''t still have the energy to completely resist her since her body was weak and she was continually wheezing and crying.


    Lina''s fingers and palms were experiencing a prickly sensation, as she started to get dizzy. She could see black spots in front of her as her vision blurred.


    As they laid her down on the examination bed, Dr. Yoshi checked her pulse, breathing and vitals.


    The three caretakers, butler Min, housekeeps Tan and Ayu looked on worriedly. They were terrified.


    Dr. Yoshi breathed a short sigh of relief when he saw she was fine. Then he asked for a brown paper bag, sat Lina up and held the bag to her mouth and asked her to blow in and out.


    "Deep breaths madam, deep breaths..." he said in a soft, calm voice, trying to sooth her.


    But Lina was inconsolable.


    "Shen...I want Shen...where is he...he promised not to leave..." she panted, close to passing out.


    "What''s wrong with her doctor?!" Ayu begged helplessly


    "This is psychological. She''s having a massive panic attack but we can''t seem to calm her down. I would give her a light sedative, but the young master already fed it to her before he left as to keep her calm during his absence. Looks like she woke up anyway and puked it out."


    The others looked at each other cluelessly. Did she panic just because Shen was gone for a couple of hours?!


    She had never been this clingy before. She always understood that he was needed at work -- and right now there was a major crisis!


    They were all stumped as to why she was acting like this. Even with the amnesia, she shouldn''t be this shaken up.


    As Lina bent over and started puking again, Ayu almost collapsed with worry.


    "That''s it! I''ll protect her with my life but I''m taking her to Moshi Corp. She''s going to puke herself to death her. We''ll harm her body with any more sedatives!"


    "Ms. Ayu, you can''t!" the housekeeper cried out in protest


    But Ayu wasn''t having it. She couldn''t stand by and watch as even the globally acclaimed Dr. Yoshi failed to calm her down.


    Dr. Yoshi could only nod in agreement. She needed Shen. Her mental state was a total mess and the only thing that seemed to have any effect was when Ayu said she would bring Lina to Moshi Corp to see Shen.


    ***********


    As Ayu drove at full speed towards the Moshi Corp building, Lina''s anxiety hadn''t reduced. In fact, her brain was getting more and more muddled. She was scared for Shen, and all she wanted was to see him safe.


    She was fidgeting and biting her nails. As Ayu looked over at her in confusion, she wondered why everyone else was so calm.


    ''Or why am I feeling so anxious?''


    Lina rested one palm on her chest, trying to calm her breathing.


    **************


    - at Moshi Corporation Capital City offices -


    The 23rd floor was strewn with dead bodies. Standing above one of the bodies was a rugged man with a scar above his left eye. He was wiping the barrel of the revolver he was holding as his phone rang.


    "Yes. It''s clear outside."


    he paused as he considered what the person on the other end of the line was saying and then slowly replied, with a complicated look on his face.


    "He''s inside the office with his uncle. He''s unharmed."


    As he hung up, he walked over to the elevator.


    Two minutes later, a tired looking Ayu walked out of the doors holding Lina firmly by the arms.


    As Lina looked around, her face suddenly turned cold and calm. She stood still and took in the room.


    There were about 50-60 dead and bloody bodies strewn on the floor.


    The bodyguard with the eye scar stood in front of her and Ayu with a poker face. She remembered him.


    There was one office on the floor and the doors were closed.


    Shen was presumably inside.


    She saw the retina scanner, passcode buttons and fingerprint scanner by the door.


    Before Ayu and the bodyguard could process what was happened, Lina''s body flew towards the door.


    They didn''t have the time to react before they realised what Lina was doing.


    She picked up a gun from the floor, shot the security system, exposed a million wires and pulled out the ones that automatically opened the doors to Shen''s office.


    Without a second thought, she rushed in.


    The only thing she saw when she pushed the doors open was a blood-covered Shen standing in the middle of the room.

 Chapter 18 - No hesitation, shes a killer

    "Shen!"


    Lina''s heart stopped looking at him covered in blood. She was so panicked, she didn''t realise the blood wasn''t his.


    There were two other people in the room she had blatantly ignored as she ran towards him and dived into his arms.


    Shen froze.


    What the hell was she doing here?


    She had never seen him like this...murderous.


    He was holding a sharp hunting knife in one of his hands.


    But she seemed to think HE was a victim!


    "Lina...why aren''t you in bed asleep? How did you get here?!"


    He was trying to remain calm but his voice was shaking.


    With her face buried in his bloody shirt, she began to cry and mumble.


    "Why did you leave me...you...you promised you''d never leave me..."


    As her body was wracked with sobs, Shen held her shaking, petite figure close to him.


    The two other people in the room looked at each other, completely dumb founded.


    Shen''s younger uncle Sojin was kneeling in front of Shen. He was about to have his throat ripped out. But this strange woman had shown up and had thrown herself at his nephew. He wondered who she was.


    James, the hacker, was sprawled lazily on the sofa in the office. He looked confused at Lina''s sudden entrance, but didn''t seem to be bothered.


    It was still pitch black outside, since it was the middle of the night. The view of the capital city was spectacular behind Shen from the ceiling to floor glass windows in the office. They were surrounded by other skyscr.a.p.ers in this concrete jungle.


    Shen had his back turned towards the windows and uncle Sojin on his knees.


    "Baby how did you get into the office! Who brought you here? You should be asleep."


    Lina, still sobbing, pushed him back gently and began frantically inspecting his body, checking for wounds.


    "Why are you covered in blood! Are you hurt? There''s so many many many dead people! Is this a butcher shop or an office?!"


    She began babbling nervously, still checking for wounds.


    Shen stifled a laugh as he saw Ayu and the bodyguard enter the broken into office doors. As Lina continued inspecting him, he stared daggers at Ayu who turned her gaze sheepishly to the floor.


    She would definitely be punished.


    He turned his attention back to his cute wife, who was hiccuping through her sobs. She had splotches of blood all over her now as well.


    Lina was wearing casual plaid pyjamas and a tight white tank top. He just realised how scantily she was clothed. She looked angelic and seductive at the same time.


    Her small figure had the most perfect curves at her h.i.p.s and her chest, only accentuated by her exquisite collar bones. Her long, dark hair fell in waves down her back, long bangs framing her perfectly shaped face.


    Her eyes were red and slightly swollen from the panicking and crying and her lips were moist. She looked like a sensitive little flower-bud that needed to be held and coaxed.


    Shen almost fell to his knees looking at her.


    He pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking this was exactly the kind of distraction he didn''t need right now.


    Worse, she didn''t even seem bothered with the bloodshed and mutilation all around her. In fact, her child-like concern for him made him wonder what switch had been flipped in that complicated brain of hers.


    He grit his teeth and held her firmly by the shoulders to stop her from fussing over him any longer. He had to finish the job at hand before she was exposed as his wife to James.


    He wasn''t too concerned about uncle Sojin. That man would die here tonight.


    But he couldn''t afford to kill James.


    "Lina, please leave with Ayu. I will be back home soon, I promise."


    He was trying to be firm so that James wouldn''t get suspicious. But he already knew it was too late. It was clear that she was extremely dear to him. James was as far from an idiot as one could get.


    James smirked to himself in his corner.


    Who knew the bloodthirsty demon had a soft spot! This would come to be handy.


    Lina still ignored James and uncle Sojin. As she looked up at Shen towering above her, her eyes glistened with tears. Her lips began to quiver at his firm tone.


    Why was he being so mean! He was so kind and gentle with her the whole time, and she had been so very worried - and this is how he treated her!


    All of a sudden her face changed again. Shen observed her, confused.


    She looked cold and calculative. Her eyes narrowed and her entire body went slack. The hairs on her body were standing as her mind went into ''high alert'' mode.


    It was the same look she had when she had walked out of the elevator.


    "Baby-"


    Shen started to talk but before he could even form a thought, Lina''s arm pushed him to the ground with unspeakable force.


    She was facing the ceiling to floor windows and had noticed a reflective glint in the distance.


    Her body moved in smooth and quick, yet powerful motions like a cat in action.


    Before he could process the change in his delicate wife, she bent down and within a split second picked up a gun and fired one single shot into the window.

 Chapter 19 - She saved him

    Shen flinched, waiting for a ricochet or something to shatter.


    The windows were extremely thick, bulletproof glass.


    Where did the bullet go! He could see the casing, so she definitely fired a shot.


    The scent of gunpowder lingered in the air as Sojin and James looked on stunned and shaken.


    They weren''t in the least bit terrified, they had just been witnessing Shen''s torturous methods. But the arrival of this beauty was highly unexpected.


    Not only did her demeanour completely change, but her movements were those of an experienced killer, far more skilled than anything they had ever seen.


    James and Shen looked rightfully confused, but Sojin knew exactly what had happened.


    "YOU BITCH!"


    Sojin lost his mind as he sprung to his feet and rushed towards Lina mindlessly and threateningly.


    He had hardly leapt a foot in her direction before fresh blood splattered all over Lina.


    Shen had blocked him by piercing the hunting knife he was still holding straight into Sojin''s throat. Arterial spray had immediately covered Lina''s fair skin.


    As he let go of the knife and Sojin''s twitching body dropped to the floor with a heavy thud.


    In a second, he was at Lina''s side, trying to wipe the blood off her with his shirt sleeves.


    "Baby I''m sorry...so sorry..." he kept whispering as he tried to clean her.


    She didn''t seem to notice, or even bother with all the blood. In fact, she was wildly confused at her own actions.


    Earlier, her body seemed to have been possessed, as if someone else had taken over the set of controls in her brain.


    She ran over to the window, gauging the angle at which she had shot the bullet.


    Tracing her fingers over the area, she found a small hole drilled into it. It was invisible unless looked for. Just enough for a bullet to pass.


    A hole needed to be drilled because the glass windows were naturally bullet proof. If Shen were to be killed, Sojin had to keep him standing at a particular spot where the sniper could aim the bullet right through the hole to kill him in one shot.


    It was devious and deadly.


    As Shen, Ayu and the bodyguard joined her, they realised what had happened.


    "Ayu, Ro-kun, send men up the roof of Yinan Industries'' building. Inform me immediately of what and who you find there."


    As he gave orders, Ayu and Ro-kun, the bodyguard with the scar above his left eye, sprung into action.


    The sound of a sarcastic laugh and slow clap reverberated through the office. Lina turned around quickly, finally acknowledging James'' presence.


    "Who would''ve known that fool Sojin actually had a sniper set up on the Yinan rooftop!"


    James'' voice was high pitched and laced with contempt. Lina shivered.


    Without a second thought, Shen pulled her into his embrace.


    Whatever, he''d kill James if he had to. Besides, he still had an impressive bargaining chip against the hacker. He wouldn''t dare move against his wife.


    "Young master Shen...you sure have been complacent. Not coming in or showing your face to the empire you run for over three months. Someone was bound to move against you."


    "I hacked this outdated security system of yours twice without a single alert. I mean, I had no idea Sojin was drilling a hole for his sniper in here, but that was probably the only ingenious thing he did! You would have been dead if not for the little lady here."


    Lina trembled harder and clung on to Shen.


    ''Dead? If she hadn''t panicked and kicked up a fuss, Shen might have been shot. She would have never seen him again.''


    Shen grit his teeth as he composed himself.


    "Sit down James. Not another word from you, or I just make this one call and..."


    James'' smug face revealed anxiety and hatred for a split second. Then he turned aloof again and went back to the sofa.


    Shen turned his attention to Lina.


    "Let''s go, angel. We need to get you cleaned up and resting in bed. You''ve overexerted yourself way too much today."


    With that, he kissed her gently on the forehead and guided her out.


    As they walked out of the office, Shen noticed the shot up and destroyed security system.


    He turned to Lina, wide-eyed.


    She looked up at him and sheepishly grinned.


    "Sorry about that hubby...you''re going to need a new one."


    "You think so?!"


    "Well what did you expect! You left me all alone at home, without telling me where you went off to, worrying me so badly that I got very very sick and then I had to fight with that very beautiful lady to make her bring me here. And then what do I find?! Hubby covered in blood. You should be thanking me for saving you!"


    Her barrage sounded like an indignant child looking for praise.


    Shen didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. Where did Lina learn how to handle guns and disable highly complex security systems. He had known she was extremely clever and that she was hiding something, but she had never once let on that she was so seasoned with weapons and death.


    Yet, he gave in.


    "Yes, my darling wife, you saved me. You''re the best, the strongest and always right. I''m sorry I made that scowling woman Ayu try to keep you at home. You should always be by my side."


    Lina was finally satisfied. She let him stroke her hair and cuddle her on the way back home.


    As Lina fell asleep in his arms, he received a notification on his phone.


    It was from Ro-kun:


    ~Sir, we found a dead sniper. One shot kill to the head.~


    He looked down at the pretty, serene little woman in his arms.


    She saved him.


    The perfect aim, noticing the reflective glint, aiming directly into an invisible hole in the window and shooting a sniper a normal person wouldn''t be able to identify.


    Who is she?

 Chapter 20 - The parents are crazy too

    Lina only woke up late in the morning. Shen was asleep late too.


    She was already in bed. Shen had carried her from the car to the bed, making sure she wouldn''t wake up. He had sponged her body clean of all the blood, like he''d cared for her when she was in a coma.


    He was still sleeping on the sofa in their room.


    Her eyes fell upon his long, sleeping body tightly cramped on the sofa.


    Suddenly her heart ached at how uncomfortable he must be.


    She looked at the bed in which she was sleeping. It was wide and soft. She had enough space for three of herself in there.


    She got out of bed and walked over to the sleeping beauty on the sofa. As she knelt down next to him, she brushed his hair back from his face with her fingers.


    His skin was like the purest marble and his hair was dark like the night. As her fingers traced his jawline, she felt a gush of warmth and familiarity.


    As if in a dream, a very long time ago, she remembered stroking the same jawline.


    His eyes opening at that very moment coincided with the image of the dream she was finding hard to remember in that very moment.


    She gasped softly.


    She remembered. She remembered something! Even if it was buried so far underneath, there was a glimmer.


    Her heart was filled with a soft glow as she smiled at his waking face.


    "Sweetheart, you''re already awake..." he whispered lazily, as his hand reached up to hold hers, still caressing his face.


    "Yes I am. After all, I slept without any interruptions from when we got into the car."


    "Yes, my sweet wife did look very comfortable. I had to be so careful carrying you. And here I am, stuck in the doghouse."


    Shen faked a hurt expression. All he got was a big fluffy pillow smashed into his face.


    *********


    - in Shen''s study -


    Ayu stood in her boss''s presence with her head hanging low.


    His eyes were raging and his lips set in a thin line. He looked like he was about to behead her.


    "I hear Lina was so sick, she couldn''t get out of the bathroom by herself."


    "She had a panic attack, sir."


    "You woke her up, after I made sure she was sedated?"


    "She was crying in her sleep."


    "Why didn''t you call me? Do you think I do not know how to look after my wife? Do you think I do not care about her enough?"


    Shen''s voice was low. This was when he was at his most dangerous.


    Ayu grimaced. This was bad. She was dead either way.


    The devil was so demanding. He wanted her to look after the silly madam, but still disturb him whilst he was quelling an internal coup?


    "I apologise sir, of course madam comes first."


    She spoke those words, even though she was internally cursing him.


    ''If I didn''t bring madam to you, you''d be dead, you stupid demon!''


    How she wished she could just spit that out fearlessly. But instead, she would be punished.


    "Brief me, and then I will transfer you to HR for two months."


    Ayu''s face fell.


    Her? HUMAN RESOURCES? FU**.


    She wasn''t allowed to show her horror. So she soldiered on. She meticulously updated Shen on all the project fronts and handed over the files.


    Even if he had to work on everything himself by sending her to HR, she would be punished for displeasing him.


    Human resources at Moshi Corp was a shit show. They employed more than 2000 people only in the capital city offices.


    She would have to mediate petty disputes, pay cuts, bonuses, jealousy, in-fighting, promotions and leave requests.


    It was an administrative nightmare.


    "One more thing sir" she added, pausing slightly before she continued, "your parents..."


    Shen looked up, startled.


    "My parents? What about them?"


    He knew they would hear about Lina waking up at some point through their own sources. But he''d hoped it would be a little later.


    They would strangle his little wife.


    With their overbearing


    suffocating


    over-the-top


    pampering.


    Shit.


    ''They will hijack her, I know it. That evil pair.''


    Ayu made her way to the doors of his study as she quietly informed him of the situation.


    "They''ll be here in 20 minutes."


    Before Shen could reply, she was gone.


    Human resources was punishment enough. She didn''t have to deal with his tantrum about his parents coming over. She wouldn''t wait around.


    Shen was fuming. He knew the drill. He walked straight out of the study to find Lina.


    He was going to tie her up to the bed and gag her so she would stay there without making a sound.


    Then he would shoo his parents away at the door, saying she was fine and resting and that they would just disturb her.


    Shen decided to tell them she was sedated and wouldn''t wake up for a long time and that they shouldn''t wait.


    There was no way those two psychos would go near his angel.


    She was his and his alone.

 Chapter 21 - We want our daughter

    Shen quickly found Lina. She was sprawled like a lazy kitten on the sofa watching an action movie.


    She giggled every time the protagonist shot someone through the head.


    Before she knew what was happening, Shen switched the movie off and picked her up and started walking towards their bedroom.


    "What did you do, stupid hubby!"


    "No time"


    "What?"


    "Be quiet"


    "WHAT?"


    She spoke louder to annoy him.


    He turned her movie off! Another great head shot was coming up.


    "SHHHH"


    Shen started walking faster.


    5 minutes up. The psychos were getting closer.


    He was moving just as fast across the mansion''s hallway as he could, trying to hush the spoilt wife up.


    Suddenly, he heard the doors slam open behind him.


    ''CRAP''


    They got Ayu to trick him. She had told him they were 20 minutes away on purpose.


    He could sense there glares on his back. The parents were here.


    "Put her down. NOW."


    Lina heard a woman''s controlling voice ring through the hall. She sounded stern and authoritative. It sent shivers down he spine.


    Shen slowly turned around with a massive fake smile plastered to his face.


    "Mother! She''s recovering and weak...I was just helping her go to the bedroom to rest."


    Internally he was hoping Lina caught the drift and decided to play along.


    ''Mother?'' Lina was astonished. Why was Shen trying to escape?


    "Son, you know better than to lie to your parents."


    A smiling, friendly-looking man appeared next to Shen''s mother. He was tall and lean, despite his age. Shen was an exact copy of this man. Even though he was smiling, there was something dangerous lurking beneath.


    Shen''s mother was also tall, with a slender reed-like figure. Her every move was graceful, as if choreographed. Even though there was a sternness in her voice, her eyes were gentle. Shen had her eyes.


    Lina sprung out of his arms, her eyes puppy-like.


    "He really is lying! He is!"


    She cursed silently under his breath.


    His wife was a traitor. Even before the attacks, she was specially attached to his parents. He knew she never talked about her own family, and that she had lost them when she was young.


    But they were just too much.


    They would keep her on the weekends, holidays, and sometimes she''d be with them at the old residence even during the evenings he came back from work early.


    Rika Moshi''s tone turned gentle as she rushed towards her daughter-in-law.


    "My sweet baby girl! Come to mother, let me look at you!"


    As she fawned over Lina and thoroughly inspected her to make sure she looked fine, Shen rolled his eyes.


    "Mother, I know how to take care of my wife!"


    "Be quiet."


    Lina giggled at Shen''s annoyance while a warmth entered her heart. She felt close to the woman pampering her. She wanted to be around mother more and more.


    Another part of her felt so lonely, as if she missed out on this love and affection for a long time.


    She began to wonder why the names of her parents weren''t on the marriage certificate.


    "Lina, dear, we brought you some warm chicken soup that Rika made herself. You used to love it!"


    It was Soren, Shen''s father who spoke this time. There was a doting softness in his eyes that wasn''t there earlier.


    He was holding a large bag that was filled with food and goodies only for their Lina.


    She could smell the chicken soup from the flask in the bag and her stomach growled loudly.


    "Did mother really make that soup herself?"


    Lina''s face was glowing at the kindness her in-laws were showering her with. Why was stupid hubby in such a bad mood.


    "Yes of course I made it myself. That''s how you always loved it. You said you''d never have chicken soup any one else made, because only mine was the best."


    There was a strong sense of pride in Rika''s voice. Only she could satisfy this daughter''s appetite.


    "You look so thin and starved, my sweet baby girl. Come let''s eat."


    As Rika beckoned Lina to the table, Shen was more agitated than ever.


    "Mother! She just ate a large breakfast. I watched her myself!"


    "Shen, let them be. Let''s go to the study. We haven''t talked about last night."


    Shen''s father spoke to him in a neutral tone, but the air of danger had returned. He looked at Shen with a sharpness, that made Lina think of an emperor''s gaze.


    Shen nodded and silently walked behind Soren.


    As much as Lina''s curiosity was piqued, she decided not to intrude on these matters and focus on the chicken soup.


    She settled down on the table with Rika and sipped on the warm, delicious soup. She was touched at the care taken in preparing it. Her body felt nourished and strengthened already.


    "Thank you mother, for your care."


    Lina''s eyes glistened, tears threatening to fall. This feeling was so unknown to her, yet she missed it so much, her heart felt like it would break.


    "A girl should never be deprived of a mother''s love, my dear. And a mother should never be deprived of a daughter''s adoration."


    Rika''s quiet words broke a dam in Lina''s heart. The tears fell uncontrollably as she looked down to her hands sobbed.


    Seeing her in so much pain, Rika''s heart couldn''t bear it either. Her voice cracked, as she embraced Lina.


    "Lina, you don''t remember me yet, nor do you remember what happened. But to me, girls have always been precious. I lost my own daughter when she was three, to an accident."


    Lina stopped crying and listened silently.


    "Shen was only a baby. He doesn''t remember his sister. But everyday we lived with a massive hole in our hearts. Then you came along and the hurt we felt for years eased."


    "Mother, I don''t remember anything, but I can remember your affection. And right now, that is enough for me."


    Lina''s words brought a smile to Rika''s face. She wiped away Lina''s tears and opened up all the other boxes of food.


    She decided that Lina would be pampered even more.

 Chapter 22 - We have James

    - in Shen''s study -


    "Uncle Sojin crossed a line father, I did what I had to."


    Still no reply from Soren. He was still just looking at Shen.


    Even the demon king was getting uncomfortable under the sharp glare of his father.


    "Father, I don''t take lives unless they try to take mine. His crime wasn''t simply trying to take over Moshi Corp and gaining access to the Lim files. He tried to assassinate me using a sniper."


    Shen didn''t want to reveal too much about Lina''s presence at Moshi Corp that day. Even though his parents adored her, he didn''t want them to know that she was keeping secrets.


    Lina had always been like a daughter to them, especially his mother. There was a happiness in her life that hadn''t existed before.


    "Do you even know your father? I built Moshi Corp before you. I don''t cringe at necessary punishment."


    This was true. Soren Moshi didn''t grow the business to where it was before Shen took over by keeping his hands clean.


    "Then what''s with the glares! I know Sojin was close to your when you were young."


    Soren was Sojin''s elder cousin. Sojin always followed him around and worshipped him when they were growing up. But he was inherently selfish. He grew up wanting to ride on Soren''s capable coattails, and then crush his son to take over Moshi Corp.


    "Sojin was a freeloader, Shen. He was a poison that had to be removed completely. But he was too incapable to bring someone like James to his side and orchestrate a coup directly against you during a mere 3 month absence."


    Shen thought about what his father said. He was right. There had to be someone else pulling the strings behind Sojin''s actions. He was a mere puppet in someone more dangerous'' schemes.


    "Do you have any ideas, father? We know he was directly after our dealings with the Lim clan."


    Soren thought about it for a while.


    "I''ve gone through all the possibilities within our own executives and extended family. As far as I know, very few people were even aware of just how deep our ties run with the Lims."


    Shen was thoughtful as his father spoke these words.


    "Father...are you saying it''s someone-"


    "From the outside." Soren completed.


    "This means we have a mole at Moshi Corp."


    As Shen said this, the realisation sunk in. He had a rat under his nose who was silently scheming against him with someone trying to attack his Kingdom.


    "Yes, this is a definitely possibility, son. You will have to investigate more thoroughly. This is the only reason I was hoping my useless cousin was still alive. He could have been interrogated."


    "But we managed to get James-"


    Shen was just about to explain James'' capture when there was a gentle knock at the door.


    "Come in"


    Shen''s voice was hard as steel, still reeling from the realisation that there could be a traitor in the midst.


    When Lina''s face appeared at the door, his eyes and tone softened instantly.


    "What do you need, sweetheart?"


    His smile made Lina''s heart flutter.


    "Mother is calling you and father downstairs to have lunch. You''ve been up here quite long!"


    Turning to Soren, Lina sweetly chided her father-in-law.


    "Father, mother says that you''ve been inattentive to your health lately! Come now, and eat. Shen will look after work!"


    Shen was dumbstruck.


    This naughty wife, she must be punished! Throwing him under the bus for the sake of his father. This is why he hated them around her.


    Soren looked adoringly at this daughter and rubbed her head.


    "You mustn''t worry about father when you are just recovering yourself. Mother always worries too much about me - she''s just nagging!"


    "Fine, fine. Let''s go eat."


    Shen said this abruptly, walking past his wife with spoilt, childish expression on his handsome face.


    Lina giggled at his behaviour. He could be so petty for someone who ruled a kingdom with an iron fist.


    She sauntered up to him and looped her hands around his arm. He just harrumphed and looked away, secretly smiling to himself. He was going to milk her for all the sympathy possible for discarding him for his parents.


    After a heavy lunch, everyone was exhausted. Most of all Shen who hadn''t slept very well after the events of the previous night.


    He just wanted to chase his parents out. There was a lot to explain to Lina now that she had entered a better frame of mind in the past few days.


    He thought she was holding up pretty well, given the emotional roller coster she had been on.


    "Mother, father, please go home now."


    Hearing Shen''s curt and dispassionate words, Lina was horrified.


    "You can''t say that to your parents!" she scolded him lightly.


    She was sitting next to Rika who had been giving her attention non stop. Lina had been enjoying and basking in the affection.


    Rika looked at Shen with a displeased glare. But she knew not to push it. He would take her away to some godforsaken place for a ''holiday'' or ''business trip'' if she and her husband insisted to much.


    That would be too inconvenient. He was always like that even before, when Lina would spend evenings playing cards with them after dinner at the old residence. Shen was so possessive of his little angel.


    "Don''t worry, my dear. We will be back to see you very soon. I''ll bring you more delicious food and my chicken soup to make sure you are well-fed."


    Shen grimaced at his mother''s implications! He fed his woman well too!


    Soren nodded at his wife''s side.


    "You just rest well and let mother and father know first if you need anything at all. We will take care of our daughter well."


    Shen felt pushed to his limits now.


    He walked to the door and held it open, shamelessly giving his parents the boot.


    As Lina waved goodbye to her in-laws, she knew she would have to pacify the devil who was always fawning over her, greedy for her attention.

 Chapter 23 - The mysteries of her

    Shen breathed a long sigh of relief after his parents left.


    They were just. so. much. work.


    He glanced at the petit little wife next to him and was taken aback. Her eyes were glistening as she bit her lower lip trying not to cry.


    He put his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.


    "Now now, they will come back to visit you soon. I promise."


    He felt her cute head nod obediently under his chin. Internally he was cursing himself. He''d now have to make sure that his annoying parents came back to visit Lina regularly.


    "Shen, but shouldn''t I be the one visiting at the old residence? It''s not right for mother and father to have to take the trouble to make a trip to us."


    This silly woman, wasn''t she aware that there was a double assassination attempt on her life just three months ago!?


    "You''re not to leave the estate for a bit, Lina. Last night was a mistake. You should have been asleep."


    Shen''s tone was authoritative. It pricked Lina''s heart and sparked indignation in her.


    "You would have been dead had I not rushed over!"


    "It''s dangerous outside. Why don''t you understand! Stop being foolish!"


    Lina was seething now. She didn''t like hearing him talk to her like this, especially calling her foolish. She had rushed over the previous night because she was so worried and scared for him. She felt like an idiot for caring about him.


    "You have no right to stop me. I''m not your prisoner!"


    "I am your husband! Of course I have the right to protect you!"


    They both were raising their voices now, frustrated and hurt that the other didn''t understand.


    "What husband! I don''t even know you!"


    With that, Lina stormed upstairs to the bedroom, slamming and locking the door behind her.


    Shen was left standing in the empty hallway to cradle his wounds. He was hurt beyond what words could express. He''d always given her her own space, never asked where she snuck off for ''running errands'', why she secretly sent texts out burner phones, or why she was so interested in some of his deals and collaborations.


    He observed her so well, even when she thought he wasn''t looking. It made him wonder why he fell in love with her and married her without a second thought. He''d known all along there were these mysteries about her, but he enjoyed not knowing everything.


    She was bright, and clever and she could keep up with him. Maybe arrogance led him to believe nobody, including Lina could ever hurt him. So he let her keep playing.


    But enough was enough.


    ''She''s my wife, and my responsibility and now she''s vulnerable and foolish because I let things go. If she acts rashly now, it will be on me.''


    He regretted not digging deeper and getting things out in the open earlier. When he needed it the most, she forgot it all.


    Upstairs in the bedroom, Lina sobbed into her pillow.


    "Why do I keep feeling like this!"


    She scolded herself angrily, frustrated at Shen and unable to piece things together. She just couldn''t reconcile her head and her heart.


    Nothing made logical sense, but her emotions were so strong. It left a constant sense of unease and confusion.


    She was so angry at Shen a moment ago. But now that she thought about the hurtful words she spat at him, she felt regret and pain. She wanted to apologise and have him coax and embrace her.


    ''I''m just angry at myself. Shen probably knows better. What do I know? I couldn''t even remember my name and my face.''


    He had devotedly looked after her and cared for her when she could have been discarded just as easily. He was a powerful, independent man. What was she?


    She wiped her tears away and decided to make up with him. She didn''t like feeling like this. Just knowing that was enough for now.


    She opened the bedroom door and was startled to see Shen standing right outside, about to knock.


    "Sweetheart-" he started, looking apologetic.


    Everything she planned to say was forgotten in that moment. After her tantrum, he was still the one looking sorry.


    She threw herself in his arms and stayed there for five whole minutes before speaking.


    "I''m sorry. I shouldn''t take you for granted. You know better."


    His eyes softened at her face. She was growing back into her own. He was reminded of how she used to be before the amnesia. There was a look of calm decidedness and self reflection. Somehow, the confidence was beginning to return.


    "You''re so silly, angel. You don''t have to apologise. Recuperation is hard, and losing your memory is even harder. I understand your frustration."


    His gentle, soothing voice set her mind at ease immediately. She was awed at the effect he had on her.


    ''I can tell why I fell in love with him.''


    But there was something she really needed to ask.


    "Ever since I woke up, I''ve been clueless about my life. I don''t have a phone, or a job or friends. I know nothing of my family, not even if they''re alive. I feel so empty."


    Shen''s understanding of her emotions became clearer. How could she just revert to her old self when she doesn''t know what she''s capable of, when she doesn''t have contact with the people who look up to her?


    Of course she was like a child, a lost bunny.


    "There''s a lot to talk about, angel."

 Chapter 24 - Youre in high demand

    Shen started from the beginning. Not every part of Lina''s life was a mystery. He did his best to reintroduce her to the life she did know.


    He told her they met at a caf¨¦ Shen was a regular at. Not many people knew about it and he frequented it only early in the mornings to avoid crowds.


    The picture in the photo album made sense. The picture of their first date.


    "You were so silly, you took my coffee instead of your own. So clueless!"


    He laughed as he recounted the memory to Lina. She smiled, thinking of how happy and peaceful she looked in the picture.


    "So that''s the opportunity you used to start a conversation with me?"


    Shen smirked.


    "As if I would need an excuse to talk to a beautiful woman!"


    She threw a pillow at his face. Hubby was too overconfident!


    He told her about how she surprised him with how observant she was, making note of the files he was carrying with him to go through while he had his coffee. She pointed out a minute administrative error in a calculation, saving him months of trouble with the budgeting team.


    They ended up talking for a long time and then exchanging numbers.


    "You were always surprising me. You acted so innocent, like you didn''t know what was going on, and then you couldn''t help but reveal your brilliance."


    "So hubby thinks I''m smart?"


    Lina''s eyes glittered, prodding him for more praise.


    Shen decided to indulge her. He rubbed her forehead.


    "Of course, my wife is the cleverest."


    He continued to tell her about their dates and the time they spent together making the "honeymoon phase" memories.


    The hike to the monastery was a major milestone in their relationship. When they received the blessing of good luck, Shen had decided to make her his wife.


    He thought back to that moment. She was radiant, glowing from the exercise, her body covered in a thin sheen of sweat. This woman didn''t need any make up to look fresh and resplendent. Her hair was in a bouncy ponytail and her body was toned.


    There was a charm about her that was simply undeniable.


    He would stop every now and then to check that she wasn''t too tired. She would pretend to be breathing loudly, as if to sound exhausted, but he could tell her movements were fluid and assured. He found it ridiculous and hilarious that a woman as capable as her wanted to seem so weak!


    At one point he began asking her if she wanted to stop to rest just to amuse himself, knowing that every time they did take a break, she seemed to get impatient and jittery. Shen wanted to explore this woman for the rest of his life.


    He smiled to himself slowly, thinking how silly it was that she forgot just what an incredible woman she is.


    "Can you tell me more about my family? Where are they? Why weren''t their names on our marriage certificate?"


    The sudden change in topic startled Shen. But he knew that this question had been burning inside her since she woke up.


    "Baby, your parents died when you were 6. You told me you never knew them and that you had a hard childhood moving from orphanages to foster homes. I''m sorry you have to hear this..."


    He spoke to her softly, holding her to provide as much physical comfort as he could.


    As Shen spoke those words, Lina felt her heart sink. She had a feeling she was alone in this world. Nobody had come looking for her, besides Shen''s parents.


    She felt regret as soon as she thought about them. They treated her like their own treasured daughter!


    But she just couldn''t help voicing her sadness to her husband.


    "I had a feeling I didn''t have family...no wonder they didn''t try to see if I was okay."


    "Angel, don''t be foolish. Have you any idea how many people are hounding me about you?"


    Lina looked at him, befuddled. She c.o.c.ked her head to side adorably, her eyes wide, signalling for Shen to clarify what he meant.


    "I mean, you''re in high demand!"


    Lina gave him an even more confused look.


    Wow, amnesia was hard.


    "This brings us to your work. Now, angel, I''ve been doing my best to take care of your clients, but there have been a few complaints...."


    He sounded like he was extremely nervous about something.


    "Hubby, who are my clients?"


    The great devil was crying internally.


    As he started listing them off, Lina''s eyes widened in amazement.


    Apparently she was a highly sought after policy advisor to people who controlled major resources, countries and populations.


    She worked behind the scenes to direct Presidents of countries and corporations, sometimes political opponents and rebel groups, CEO''s in industries that harnessed all types of energy and fuel.


    "Did you mess things up?"


    Her question to Shen was direct and abrupt. If she had leverage over her tyrant husband, she could use it to her advantage!


    Shen picked up on her scheming almost immediately.


    "I wouldn''t say I messed anything up...."


    "Hubby, are people looking for my brilliance and being met with your stupidity?"


    Shen looked at her, offended.


    "I made a FEW mistakes okay, this is not my area of expertise."


    The great devil king was defending his stupidity. Lina was milking it to the fullest.


    "What''s the biggest complaint I need to deal with right now?"


    She might as well give it a try and see if her skills remained subconsciously in tact.


    "The Prime Minister of B nation asked me how to deal with a conflict over land ownership between two major religious factions. I told him to use force to suppress both sides. He has a civil war on his hands right now."


    As Shen said this, he coughed lightly and looked away.


    With a few words, this prodigal man had stained her credibility and caused a WAR?!

 Chapter 25 - Ending a war

    Lina was still looking at her husband totally dumbfounded.


    "I''m pretty sure that''s not how you handle internal conflict in unstable developing economies, hubby."


    "No shit."


    Shen looked embarrassed as his wife scolded him. He had a doctorate from one of the top three universities in the world.


    "Politics isn''t business, idiot. Diplomacy isn''t a contract. There has to be humanity as well as calculative planning when one advises in policy making."


    Shen looked at Lina dumbstruck.


    So THAT was what she remembered?


    "My wife cares so little about me. Now I understand."


    "Stop complaining. Did you expect me to lose my common sense as well?"


    Her retorts got sharper everyday. She was so sweet and obedient after she had woken up from the coma. Maybe it would have been better for her to remain lost, instead of taking control. Now he''d have to deal with a stubborn, sarcastic kitty.


    But Shen was glad. She reminded him more and more of her real self now.


    "I need to meet with the Prime Minister."


    Lina decidedly informed Shen of this. She didn''t ask, but instead made a point.


    "As I said earlier, you are not to leave the estate for some time. I am investigating the attacks on you, and I don''t want to have you wandering around with a target on your back!"


    Neither one of them wanted to fight over this. So Lina decided to compromise.


    "Do I at least have one office in the capital? It doesn''t need to be a Moshi Corp skyscr.a.p.er."


    Shen laughed at her scathing remark, yet again. The kitty had her claws out.


    "Yes of course you have an office. An important woman like you has her own building too."


    Lina gasped in excitement. Her own building!


    "Is it actually bigger than yours?"


    Her eyes were brimming with joy.


    "Sweetheart, actually, nobody''s building is bigger than mine."


    He hated bursting her bubble, but he had to retain his title as a heavyweight. He was also competitive.


    Lina''s business was a consultancy and worked in a highly specialised field. She was getting her headquarters rebuilt when they had met, which is why she frequented the caf¨¦ where they met early in the morning too. It was in the neighbourhood!


    For the third time in two days, Shen got yet another pillow thrown in his face for trying to test his wife''s patience.


    "Shen, let''s go to my office. I want to get back to work." Lina suddenly felt extremely responsible. If this husband had made a mess of just one situation, what must he have done to the rest?! Weren''t all her loyal subjects waiting to welcome her back?


    "Actually, baby, I can''t go with you."


    "Why? You''ve created a mess, shouldn''t we go together to clear it up so everyone knows you''re the stupid one and it wasn''t me?"


    Shen: "....."


    Lina decided to rub salt in the wound.


    "Don''t worry hubby, everyone makes stupid mistakes. If I don''t clean up after you, then who will?"


    Shen pinched her cheeks and kissed her small nose.


    "Nobody knows you are married, that''s why I can''t make an appearance. I''ve been working with your clients from behind the scenes using your chief assistant as my liaison."


    Lina''s eyes flew wide open. Nobody knew she was married?!


    "We have a secret marriage?! WHY?"


    Everything made sense. Nobody besides Shen, the household staff and his parents had been around them or interacted with her.


    Shen suddenly looked very guilty.


    "It''s for your own safety. You saw what things were like yesterday. You''ve never seen me act so violently before...taking a life. But you were so casual about it. And the sniper..."


    He quickly realised that she didn''t know she actually killed someone with a perfect head shot. She probably just thought she thwarted an attack on him.


    "Well, clearly we both have chaotic lives, Shen. I don''t even know how I had so much power in my body to push you down and the skill to shoot through an invisible hole drilled through a window. Had I never done those things before?!"


    Seeing how confused he looked as well, she sighed, knowing that nobody could give her every answer that she needed.


    First things first though. Nation B needed to be sorted out. Their people were going through something extreme right now and it was all because she had been absent.


    Were these heads of state so incompetent?


    "Can you at least reintroduce me to my assistant, the one you''ve been liaising with?"


    Shen nodded and pulled out his phone and dialled a number. He instructed the assistant on the other end to bring a load of files, correspondences, Lina''s work laptop and new iPhone with all her contacts backed up.


    His wife was going to get back down to business and be the boss he knew her to be.


    It excited him. She felt like herself again. But Shen knew that she was overwhelmed. Crazy things were happening. She had so much to take in after 3 long months of darkness.


    Lina found out she had no family besides him and his parents, ran a major political consultancy, discovered insane martial arts and firearms skills as well as landed up in a secret marriage.


    Internally, he applauded her strength.


    But he needed to get in contact with the psychiatrist Dr. Yoshi had told him about. Lina needed the help or her subconscious would swallow her alive.

 Chapter 26 - Mrs. Boss is a little stupid

    Within the next half an hour, a curly haired, bespectacled doll-like creature entered the Moshi Mansion.


    "Ms. Mei, madam and young master are waiting for you in his study."


    Mei nodded at the butler and hurried in quickly up to the study. Her boss was finally back, and she was so relieved. They needed her or the world would pretty much implode.


    She was THAT important.


    Lina''s consultancy operated from a small region in the north for the last three years, where she had founded the first headquarters with a small group of people. Mei was one of them.


    In the last year her influence had grown and 9 months ago she moved and rebuilt the headquarters in the capital city.


    They were a low key consultancy, not your typical flashy corporation that everyone everywhere knew about. Not everyone could acquire Lina''s services. She had far more important matters to attend to, instead of settling classroom disputes.


    As Mei knocked on the door of the study, she was invited in by Lina who was going through a stack of files while Shen, who had been displaced from his own desk, was sitting on a lounge chair doing his own reading.


    The stunning couple looked in perfect harmony, their pride and competence hanging in the atmosphere. But there was something different about her boss.


    Lina looked up and smiled at the stunned assistant. Mei couldn''t believe she was looking at her savior after three whole months and had involuntarily teared up.


    "Boss..." she managed to speak in a choked voice.


    "You must be Mei! I''ve heard such wonderful things about you and your abilities. Come sit down here in front of me!"


    Ah yes. Boss had amnesia. A wave of fear gripped Mei''s heart. She had forgotten her. What if she had forgotten her work?! They needed her to get them back on track!


    "Boss, I''m so glad you''re back. We''re trying to hold up on various fronts. I''m going to reintroduce you to our small, but highly trained teams (thanks to you)!"


    With that, Mei showed Lina pictures of the office and the employees. It took a while but Lina sat there focused, registering all the information. Mei noticed an air headedness about her, but suddenly saw a change in attitude - steel and determination in her eyes.


    She smiled to herself, that was her boss right there.


    Lina was surprised and overjoyed at their status and organization. She had a team of analysts, international lawyers, secretaries and communications officers, legal aides and junior advisors under her. They were all relying on her, including the detail-oriented Mei.


    As she switched on the new phone with her backed up contacts, thousands of messages assaulted her eyes. She quickly turned it off and decided to deal with it later since she could feel a headache coming on.


    First things first.


    "Mei, the case files and correspondence from B nation and the prime minister please."


    As she familiarized herself with work, she started falling back into a rhythm and the answers began coming to her naturally. As Shen listened to her words and actions quietly without even looking up, he felt a sense of ease and comfort wash over him.


    Mei was overjoyed. She handed Lina the files and sidled up next to her.


    Lowering her voice, she spoke her mind.


    "Boss, thank god you''re back. Mrs. Boss might be a little stupid. This war in B nation may escalate if we don''t sort it out with the PM this week."


    Lina suddenly had a wicked glint in her eye.


    "WHAT? What did you say, Mei? I couldn''t here you, speak up!"


    She raised her voice on purpose trying to get her assistant to openly insult her husband.


    The over confident Mrs. Boss who had caused havoc at work while she was away, would have to deal with slander at her hands.


    Shen''s head snapped up from his doc.u.ments, the devil''s glare in his eyes directed at Mei.


    He knew his wife''s tone, and he knew exactly what was happening.


    Mei trembled, wondering why she just had to say something so silly in his presence.


    "Boss, I just said that nation B needs to be sorted out in a week''s time or they might sustain severe damage."


    Mei tried to cover up.


    "I thought I heard something about someone being too stupid?" Lina kept prodding.


    "Too stupid? Is my wife doing it again?" Shen teaser her back.


    Mei was wondering how this ended up with her being served dog food. They were still so loving even when attacking each other.


    This was how two high IQ people flirt, apparently.


    Somehow, another pillow hit Shen''s face and then he was ignored the rest of the day. He made a mental note to coax her later by praising her brilliance.


    Within just one day, Lina''s appetite for her work grew. She had always been a hands-on boss, and she remained true to her nature. She spent hours going through the progress they had made without her on several fronts.


    Mei left late at night. But Lina remained in the study and continued reading until she smelled food.


    She saw Shen entering the study with a tray covered with various dishes that smelled just divine.


    Without a word, he sat next to her and began feeding her. He just seemed to know that she didn''t want to be disturbed, and found a quiet way to support her.


    She ate as she immersed herself back in work, her henpecked husband caring and tending to her on the side. The duo found a moment of peace in their new chaos.

 Chapter 27 - Victor

    ¡ª at the agency HQ ¡ª


    "Sir, agent Tachi has arrived."


    The crazed aura of the boss was emanating danger as his right hand man informed him of Tachi''s arrival to the HQ.


    "Send him in."


    His right hand man nodded and walked out.


    In the waiting room outside the big boss'' office, Tachi paced nervously. He was now reporting directly to the big boss regarding Lina''s disappearance for three months.


    As a thin, serious looking man walked out of the boss'' office, Tachi stopped pacing and stood still.


    "You may enter agent Tachi. The boss will see you now."


    Steeling himself, Tachi went inside.


    "Close the door behind you, agent."


    The chilling voice was authoritative and magnetic. Tachi obediently followed his instructions.


    "Begin your report."


    Tachi could not see the big boss'' face, since the office was dimly lit. It was not common for even a high level agent like him to come in direct contact with this man. He only dealt with the most serious of matters and his background and identity was almost entirely shrouded in mystery.


    The one fact that was known, though, was that he ran the agency with an iron fist.


    Tachi complied.


    "After the order to terminate agent Dai three months ago was given, there was another attempt to assassinate her that eclipsed us.


    Subsequently agent Dai was rushed to the hospital and believed to have survived, and gone into a vegetative state. But we were unable to actually locate her body."


    The big boss suddenly let out a mirthless laugh, shutting Tachi up.


    "I''m aware of these facts, agent. I don''t get my news three months late. Tell me the state of things NOW."


    His voice was sharp enough to slice Tachi''s throat.


    "Yes sir. She is indeed alive and well. She has returned to the Moshi mansion with Shen Moshi. She is currently recuperating."


    "I don''t care, agent, whether she''s recuperating or not!"


    With that, the big boss slammed his fist down on the table. Tachi''s knees almost gave way.


    "I want to hear about the damn amnesia! Your competence is lower and lower every time I see your worthless face, agent Tachi."


    "Sir she does indeed suffer from traumatic, retrograde amnesia. The doctor has confirmed that she is diagnosed with memory loss. However.."


    As Tachi paused, the temperature dropped in the room.


    "Continue."


    "Yes sir. Well, she reacted when she saw me."


    The boss'' attitude suddenly changed. He went quiet, almost like he was not breathing. A sinister smile played on his lips.


    "What do you mean she reacted?"


    His tone was a low hum now, the wheels were turning in his head. This was when the boss was at his most dangerous. His reputation was not just all smoke.


    "She froze when she saw me, her demeanor changed, and she looked terrified. Everyone in the room noticed that she was stunned at seeing me with the doctor."


    "Could it be that she remembers it was you...?"


    The boss seemed to be enjoying Tachi''s report on Lina. A smile was playing on his lips.


    Shouldn''t he be angry that she possibly remembered him and her ties with the agency? Especially now that she had turned?


    "There''s no way, sir. Her memories are being further suppressed by PTSD."


    The boss now laughed out openly.


    "PTSD? That''s what we''ve come to now?"


    Tachi suddenly felt a pang of guilt attack him. Her past was a complicated story that had caused her to suffer ceaselessly. The boss knew everything.


    "This is a messy situation isn''t it...agent Tachi?"


    "Uh, yes sir..."


    Suddenly Tachi felt short of breath in the Boss'' presence.


    "Agent Tachi, this brings us to the matter of three months ago."


    Oh shit.


    "Aren''t you supposed to have Grade A sniper shot testing results?"


    Tachi swallowed hard.


    "Wasn''t it also you, agent, who successfully assassinated the leader of the militant Xin group in a vehicle moving over 80kmph with a single head shot?"


    Was this boss praising him or preparing his head for the guillotine, Tachi couldn''t tell.


    "Uh yes sir, that was me"


    The boss now rose from his seat. Tachi almost choked on his own saliva.


    "Then, how is it, that you missed her heart by a millimeter the day you received her termination order...Victor?"

 Chapter 28 - He was just so hot

    Lina had grown used to Shen''s presence the week after she awoke from her coma.


    He was kind, considerate, gave her the space she needed and supported her as she remained obsessed with her work.


    Mei came in to help every day. She was diligent, clever and filled in the blanks for Lina. Lina was quickly getting very fond of the little curly-haired assistant.


    Even thought her progress was good each day, the recovery was not easy. Her body would get exhausted quick and weakness would take over. But the worst part was that her dreams would continue tormenting her every night.


    Shen would still sleep on the sofa, but would wake up to comfort her and make sure she slept peacefully later. But his worries increased.


    The following week, there was an important visitor at the Moshi mansion.


    Butler Min led a tall, handsome man in his late 40''s into the living room where Shen was waiting to receive the visitor.


    As he walked in, Shen glanced at the clock. He was 5 minutes early. He wore a nicely fitting grey suit and had salt and pepper hair. There was an air or academia and pride about him.


    Shen got up and extended his arm out to the man.


    "Good morning Dr. Hayama. Please take a seat. I''m glad you could make it today."


    The older man sat down opposite Shen and smiled at his greeting.


    "Likewise. When Dr. Yoshi explained the situation to me, I was happy to schedule Madam Moshi in immediately. Shall we speak more about your lovely wife?"


    Dr. Hayama''s smooth way of talking and keen gaze made Shen slightly uncomfortable. It was as if an outsider was prying his way into Shen''s private life. The devil was fiercely secretive and did not allow outsiders into his sphere.


    It was one of the other reasons his marriage to Lina was a secret. And now, yet another person knew. But he bit the bullet, this was necessary. This man was vital to his precious wife''s recovery.


    "My wife has a very complicated past. I''ve tried looking into all aspects of her life since she was attacked. But I''m afraid there isn''t much to go on."


    Dr. Hayama''s gaze never wavered and his tone remained even, as if always indifferent. But psychiatrists were trained to distance themselves from the lives of their patients. This was nothing new.


    "That''s not a problem, young master. It''s what I''m here for. We will peel away the layers of her trauma one step at a time, and will consequently uncover the root cause of her distress."


    Dr. Hayama talked surgically, as if Lina was a project, not a person. Shen was irritated but maintained a poker face on the outside.


    "Young master, the real trouble is the recovery after her secrets are exposed. Facing her troubles out in the open will cause her maximum distress and you must be responsible for her during that time."


    Shen understood what Dr. Hayama was saying. He was the second arm that was required to support Lina''s recovery. He couldn''t help her alone. He would have to be strong for her.


    "Of course, Doctor. I will never leave her side¡ª"


    Suddenly a little curly haired figure barged into the room, throwing the doors open with a big bang. She was frantic and out of breath.


    "Sir! Boss fell asleep in the study while reading and I didn''t wake her up but she''s crying and choking and I don''t what to do!"


    Mei was on the verge of tears. She did not dare touch or wake Lina, fearful of hurting her. She was far more cautious than Ayu.


    Shen stood up immediately.


    "Dr. Hayama, will you please accompany me?"


    The doctor stood up and followed him out of the room and up to the study. As he walked past the frightened Mei, she almost swooned.


    This Dr. Hayama¡ª he was just so hot!


    His scent was a strong and refined with a slight cigar-like smoky note. She fell to the ground after the two men headed up to the study.


    Poor little Mei was actually overworked, and anxious for her boss...and now lovestruck. It was too much!


    "I hope boss is okay. We can''t deal with another conflict at work if Mrs. Boss takes over..."


    She sat there sighing and talking to herself, unaware that a very tall, gorgeous, domineering lady was looking down at her.


    "Meimei...did you just call the devil ''Mrs. Boss''?"


    Mei jumped up, startled. She recognized this voice. She''d been bullied ceaselessly by this voice.


    As she puffed up her short frame and brushed her hand through her messy, curly hair and adjusted her spectacles, she looked Ayu straight in the eye.


    "When did you get here? Aren''t you supposed to be in a certain Human Resources department?"


    Ayu laughed at Mei''s attempt to trash talk.


    Before Mei knew what had happened, Ayu slammed her hand on the wall behind her.


    She had been kabedoned!

 Chapter 29 - Shes going to be difficult

    Mei sucked her breath in, preparing to get bullied again. Ayu''s non-kabedon hand was still in a cast after her beastly boss attacked her.


    "Meimei, I am your senior sister...you must show me more respect."


    Ayu was very tall, with her exquisite bone structure and confident aura. She was hard to resist even for women. She bent down, her face now close to Mei''s.


    A blushing Mei tried to look away. But the shorter, bespectacled girl was too fl.u.s.tered.


    "Meimei, don''t let me hear you trash talking young master again. Remember, that your boss will never outshine mine."


    For an accomplished and high ranking employee, Ayu was a petty woman. She liked nitpicking and imposing her superiority. Especially when it came to the annoying madam''s little secretary. They went around thinking they were so important, without a second thought for her and how hard she worked by her great boss'' side.


    In Ayu''s head, her work with Shen was of prime importance. The madam and Mei were little flies, playing childish games.


    Mei had enough of Ayu''s arrogance. She suddenly looked her straight in the eye, surprising Ayu.


    "I''m honestly concerned about boss. She''s been working 16 hours a day, eating only by young master''s hand, hardly sleeping or resting and trying to compensate for an absence where she was the one attacked. I wouldn''t sit here mocking someone that strong. So CUT IT OUT."


    It was okay to humiliate her, but not her amazing boss. Lina had plucked Mei straight out of university. Even though she was bad at multitasking, Lina had picked up on her die hard attitude and drive to learn. The spark in Mei was something Lina needed to keep the consultancy running.


    Ayu was ignorant and underestimated Mei. She considered her a silly child, wide eyed for the silly, annoying madam without any personal goals. She despised idolising and worshipping. She was used to working in a man''s world at Moshi Corp and dealing with a temperamental, devilish boss everyday.


    After having said so, Mei mustered all the courage she had and slapped Ayu''s injured hand away. She cheated, knowing that a woman as physically powerful as Ayu could not be escaped from on any given day.


    Ayu yelped in pain and watched in astonishment as the little rat, Mei scampered away back to her madam.


    ''Ugh, creating trouble, as always. Why can''t she just sleep peacefull?!''


    Ayu was annoyed, she had come to discuss an important matter with Shen concerning James. But the madam, once again, had distracted him from his duties.


    -- in the study --


    Shen rushed to Lina''s side, as she whimpered and cried and choked in her sleep. She was perspiring, making her face glow slightly. She''d fallen asleep with her head on the desk, so Shen gathered her little body into his arms and carried her to the sofa.


    He signalled to Dr. Hayama, who had followed him up to the study, to enter the study quietly and observe Lina''s symptoms. He didn''t want to wake her up to a new face. But at the same time, Dr. Hayama was a specialist and probably the only one who could help heal his wife''s mental scars.


    As the doctor quietly observed her with a poker face, he turned around the abruptly left the room. Right outside, Mei had just hurried back from her encounter with Ayu and ran head first into Dr. Hayama''s chest.


    Poor little Mei felt like she ran into a hard wall. The pain she felt was accompanied with a surge of pleasure and butterflies as she inhaled his scent and tried to mentally picture how well formed his muscles were.


    Dr. Hayama simply ignored her and walked a little distance away and stood in a corner. He whipped out his cell phone and started recording his observations.


    Mei was flabbergasted. He''d hardly observed boss for a couple of minutes and could recite every twitch of hers without a hitch. His mental strength was just too powerful. Coupled with his looks and heavenly body, Mei was convinced she had fallen in love with this man.


    As she stood away and gaped at him listing the possibilities for Lina''s behaviour in his smooth, low, magnetic voice, Mei felt transfixed.


    Towards the end, she picked up a few words, tips and notes Dr. Hayama was leaving for himself.


    "She''s going to be difficult."


    *************


    Inside, Shen gently kissed Lina''s head and whispered calming words, begging her to wake up.


    Lina slowly came to her senses, and stared into Shen''s deep black eyes, brimming with concern. She felt a familiar wave of comfort washing over her.


    But it disappeared all too soon. Her face changed to one of panic in a split second.


    "Shen! My notes! I haven''t completed them! The meeting with the PM of B nation is tomorrow morning. How will address all the concerns during this meeting if I feel so unprepared?"


    As Lina panicked over her work, Shen shook his head. This wouldn''t do.


    His wife needed rest and mental peace, but she was stressed in her sleep, as well as awake.


    Immediately, Shen decided to make a suggestion to lower her burden.


    "Baby, how about I finish making those notes-"


    "STOP. NO."


    Lina''s raised voice reverberated through the study.


    "Hubby, don''t come within a 5 foot radius of my work!"

 Chapter 30 - All work, no play

    Shen frowned at the silly, adamant wife in his arms.


    "Excuse me! I''m a billionaire tycoon that controls this country and its economics. I own the very ground at least 18 million people walk on!"


    The pride in his words made Lina laugh a little. Even though she remembered her scarring dream, when her husband''s face was the one that greeted her when she opened her eyes, it was as if nothing happened.


    As they joked around, Shen tried to make Lina comfortable. Dr. Hayama was still waiting outside.


    "Angel, there is someone I would like you to meet. He is an extremely special and well-accomplished person and will be aiding your memory recovery process."


    Lina listened to Shen intently. Her hopes rose slightly at the thought of recovering her memory. She could approach her work better!


    And remember Shen, of course!


    But today? She needed to prepare for an extremely important and awkward meeting tomorrow.


    "Hubby, not now. You know I have to meet the PM tomorrow. I want to focus on my recovery, and this way I can''t focus anywhere."


    Shen wanted to be firm, but what she said, made sense. Her mind would be occupied and full of anxiety if she didn''t feel prepared for tomorrow and the meeting with Dr. Hayama would not be fruitful.


    He decided to leave her in Mei''s capable hands and speak with the doctor about what he observed privately.


    After Mei was brought back into the study, Shen left Lina with her piles of files. He was happy to see her doing what she loved, getting back in the flow.


    He found Dr. Hayama waiting for him downstairs in the living room, seated on the couch, the same calm and indifferent expression on his face.


    That irritated Shen. Most people couldn''t remain so indifferent to his royal presence. He needed to know that people feared him to some extent in order to rule with an iron fist.


    Regardless, he acted the perfect host. Having asked Butler Min to bring in some tea and biscuits for the doctor, they settled back into conversation.


    "Young master, your wife''s case is definitely problematic to her recovery from amnesia. Anyone can tell that much. She suffers sleep paralysis and panic anxiety. There are parts of her memory locked within a subconscious that is awakened only in her most vulnerable state, while asleep."


    "Doctor, so is the woman she sees burning a part of her past as a child? How much of one''s childhood can one forget if there are traumatic events involved?"


    Shen probed Dr. Hayama, his curiosity burning like a wild fire. He didn''t want to be useless in protecting Lina ever again.


    "It''s hard to tell, I have had no interaction with your wife. The woman in her dreams can be a real, literal memory, or a representation of an event or emotion she''s suppressing."


    It was annoying not to have an immediate diagnosis. Shen grit his teeth as his eyes flashed in anger.


    "Why can''t you just speak plainly, I''m not afraid of knowing the truth about what Lina is going through. I won''t shy away from her problems! I swore to share her burdens, and that''s exactly what I plan on doing."


    Even though Shen''s tone was low and dangerous, Dr. Hayama revealed no signs of distress.


    "Young master, mental health science is not as exact or prescriptive as physiological conditions. Even after multiple sessions with madam, I may not able to provide you with an exact answer or diagnosis. The answers lie only with her. I will merely be a guide, or a vessel that enables her to face these answers."


    Were psychiatrists really this useless? Shen was disappointed. He''d had higher hopes, especially after Dr. Yoshi''s insistent reference.


    Before Shen could intimidate or further interrogate the doctor, he had already stood up.


    "I will see your wife next week on Monday at 9 am at my clinic. Please be there punctually."


    Shen was dumbfounded at how gutsy and commanding Dr. Hayama''s words were. There was nothing wrong with what he was actually saying, but Shen was used to people grovelling at his feet.


    Lina needed him right now. He would have to hold his tongue. Once his wife was well, he would deal with this disrespectful doctor.


    "Fine."


    After walking the doctor out, Shen finally gave Ayu the time she''d been clawing for in his tight schedule.


    The moment he saw her in the hallway waiting for him, he groaned straight to her face.


    "You again? Weren''t you supposed to be handling someone''s office cafeteria disputes or something?"


    Shen''s cavalier attitude to the seriousness of the issue Ayu had come over to talk about pissed her off no end. She was the one doing her job seriously and efficiently, and he was being a spoilt devil again.


    "Sir, I''m just here to report a matter of utmost urgency in relation to James, the hacker."


    Even though his eyes focused on Ayu and his mind became more attentive, he couldn''t help but treat Ayu like a nagging mother.


    "All work and no play will make my sweet wife bored of me, Ayu. I don''t want to turn into you."


    Ayu wanted to hit his perfect face now. Tiresome mongrel! Even though she respected him the most, she wanted to hurt him for demeaning her hard work!


    "Sir, he wants you to include madam in the deal-"


    "WHAT?"


    Now he would definitely shoot the messenger.


    After what he heard next-


    "....for one night"

 Chapter 31 - Behead him

    Ayu held her breath as Shen stood still in his spot after the news she delivered.


    Would she get killed right here? But James had absolutely refused to cooperate with them and she needed Shen''s help.


    She had to report this to him, since he was the only one who could bring James to Moshi Corp''s side to assist with this particular mission. They were finally so close to a breakthrough.


    His eyes suddenly went blank and even Ayu couldn''t read him. But she knew this was bad. Shen only acted like this when someone threatened the madam, his parents or his position at Moshi.


    Too late for damage control. James would be punished. Shen would behead him.


    Shen picked up his jacket and walked straight to the front doors. Before he left, he wrote a quick note to Lina that he would be back soon and to keep working well. He handed the note to Butler Min and then drove off silently.


    Ayu breathed a sigh of relief. She had avoided the line of fire, for now. Lately, she had been in so much hot water because of that stupid madam.


    "Butler Min, please give me that note. I will personally deliver it to madam in the study."


    The butler hesitated for a moment. Even though Ayu was one of the most loyal and trustworthy people under Shen''s command, she had never taken a special liking to the madam. He was very protective of Lina and wanted to personally deliver the note from Shen to her.


    But Ayu already plucked it out of his hand and marched to the study.


    She walked in authoritatively without knocking. Lina was typing furiously and Mei was reciting notes from several doc.u.ments.


    Both of them stopped working immediately and looked up at Ayu''s beautiful but sour-looking face.


    Mei immediately stood up and took an almost defensive stance in front of her boss.


    "What is it Ms. Ayu? Do you have something for boss?"


    "Yes."


    Lina got up and walked towards Ayu. Mei didn''t like this, she was too protective of boss.


    "Ayu, how''s your arm? When does the cast come off?"


    Lina hadn''t interacted with Ayu much since the night she met her and forced her to take her to Shen''s office. She felt guilty that she had indeed unknowingly injured the beautiful woman.


    Lina gently touched her hurt arm and Ayu suddenly let out a low growl, turned away, left Shen''s note on the table and rushed out.


    "Why does she act like that?" Lina was partly wondering out loud and partly asking Mei a legitimate question.


    Mei looked at her awkwardly and tried to decide whether she should voice her thoughts.


    "Madam...that''s just how Ayu is. She looks down on mostly everyone who isn''t the young master."


    Lina was now more confused than ever.


    "Why?"


    "I don''t know. There isn''t a real reason. She''s a workaholic and views everyone else as a waste of time if they are a distraction or an inefficiency."


    "Am I an inefficiency?"


    Lina was getting agitated. Why would Ayu act so high and mighty? It didn''t seem like she was a useless person before the amnesia. In fact, from what she had come to know of her life, she was indeed highly skilled at what she did and even helped Shen from time to time.


    "No boss, of course I don''t think so! Maybe she just doesn''t like when the young master is distracted from work because of you."


    Mei said this last sentence in a softer voice, finding it embarrassing that something so vulgar could come out of her mouth in front of the woman who had helped her bloom professionally.


    After all, why shouldn''t the young master dote on a wife as spectacular as her boss?


    As the two women were conversing, Lina''s eyes fell upon the piece of paper Ayu had left for her before she walked out of the room.


    She read Shen''s note with a tinge of worry in her eyes. The last time he''d gone off in this fashion, he could have gotten himself killed. Did she really have to worry about him again in the midst of all her own work?


    She furrowed her brows wondering whether to run after him again or obey his wishes and do her own work here at home.


    Outside the study, Ayu leaned her shoulder against the wall and touched her arm where Lina had a few minutes ago. She breathed out a long, troubled sigh.


    "Stupid madam..." she whispered under her breath. "Why?"


    She heard a scoff behind her. She spun around defensively to find a familiar face, smiling condescendingly at her.


    "Ro-kun. What are you doing here?"


    In a moment of embarrassment, her eyes widened. She hated looking weak, especially amongst the other staff her boss employed.


    If she was Shen''s right hand, Ro-kun was his left.


    Shouldn''t he be with Shen right now?


    "What does that have to do with you? Go back to HR, instead of torturing yourself around the madam."


    "Torturing myself? What the hell do you mean?"


    Ayu was on edge. She''d been exhausted and stressed, dealing with HR and James. Now Ro-kun was putting her on the spot.


    "You can''t have her."


    Ro-kun never said much. He was the silent support by Shen''s side, always observing everyone else around him. As the head of security, he had to be vigilant to people around his boss.


    People took him for granted, but he knew far more about people than they thought he did.


    "WHAT?"


    Ayu almost screamed at him.


    "You think I didn''t know? You''re so obvious, Ayu."

 Chapter 32 - Shes my dream

    Ayu took two steps back defensively. No way. No way he knows. No way anyone knows.


    "Shut up, stop talking nonsense. Shouldn''t you be with boss right now? He''s going to torture that troublemaker James, doesn''t he need you?"


    James was usually the one who did the dirty work while Shen would watch on. He never soiled his own hands unless required.


    Ro-kun scoffed again.


    "Do you honestly think I''m needed after what James asked for? Young master will take pleasure hurting him tonight."


    It made sense to Ayu now. After those disgusting words fell upon Shen''s ears, he would personally rip James to shreds.


    They recalled the eyeballs incident. That was done by Shen personally, too. They had to clean up the blood afterwards. It was a horrifying mess.


    "But you know what was really interesting, Ayu? I noticed a few things when I was watching James earlier after you left him to report his requests to young master."


    The hairs on the back of Ayu''s neck stood up. If Ro-kun really knew...everything she''d worked for would come to an end.


    "And what exactly did you notice?"


    She asked him very carefully, trying not to seem frazzled.


    "Oh, just a big, blue bruise on his neck. Looked like a size 7 shoe....like the ones on your feet right now."


    As he finished his sentence, Ayu''s terrified eyes met Ro-kun''s condescending ones.


    "I''ve never seen you too bothered about anyone but yourself and your work. Before she came into his life."


    He knew.


    He knew.


    He knew where her heart was. He knew about Lina. He knew how she loved Lina.


    Ayu''s eyes suddenly brimmed with tears. She''d been holding back since the day she met the madam. It had been nine months of watching the woman she loved with the man she looked up to.


    It hurt so much. She couldn''t hate either one of them. Even though she wanted to.


    "Ro-kun...." Ayu''s voice was now a soft whisper.


    "You''re funny, Ayu. Like those kids in the playground teasing, bullying and being nasty to the girls they liked because they don''t know how to process their own emotions. You almost killed James today, because of his request for the madam. You can''t be any more obvious."


    Ro-kun''s eyes softened as he spoke to the unraveling beauty in front of him.


    "I adore her...she...she''s my dream."


    Ayu''s tears fell freely, hugging her injured arm. The arm that had been touched by the woman she''d secretly admired. The woman she''d been pining for. The woman she''d starved herself for with worry, when she was in a coma. The woman she could only watch from afar.


    Ro-kun looked at Ayu hopelessly. Who knew this cold-hearted, steely woman had been secretly harbouring her love for the boss'' own wife from the very beginning. He felt sorry for her, but at the same time remained aghast at her stupidity.


    A teary Ayu looked at Ro-kun with pleading eyes.


    "Fine. I won''t tell anyone. But get over it. You''re only going create more problems for everyone if you lose sight of reality."


    Ayu wiped her tears, seemingly relieved. She felt better too, finally someone knew. In a way, she didn''t have to keep acting strong.


    But she was embarrassed too. She never cried in front of her own family. And now Ro-kun knew of all her weaknesses.


    The next minute, Lina burst out of the study and saw the two looking awkwardly at each other.


    She could sense the tension. Ayu''s eyes looked moist.


    "Uhh...did I interrupt something?"


    "No, madam." Ro-kun answered calmly, as if nothing had transpired.


    Ayu just looked away coldly.


    Lina shook the uncomfortable feeling away and authoritatively made a declaration.


    "Bring me to Shen, please."


    Ro-kun and Ayu both looked at each other, worried.


    AGAIN?


    "Madam, we assure you, this time there is no reason to worry. There''s no danger to young master."


    Lina didn''t understand why Ro-kun was being so poker faced about it. Shen didn''t even have him for protection. He''d almost been shot the last time even WITH protection!


    "What do you mean there''s no reason to worry?! We all know what would have happened the last time if I hadn''t worried!"


    "Madam, young master has only gone to speak to someone important. It''s a business meeting, nothing more."


    Lina''s heart relaxed.


    "Fine, call him for me, then. I want to speak to him immediately."


    Ayu picked up her phone and called Shen.


    Lina heard a loud voice yell at Ayu through the phone.


    "Sorry to disturb sir, but madam would like to speak to you."


    The voice on the other end quietened down like a tame puppy when he heard his wife being mentioned.


    "Hello, Shen?" Lina wanted to hear his soothing voice to knew he would be okay.


    "Was my sweet wifey worried again?" Shen teased.


    "Of course I was!" Lina was now annoyed. "You think you can just leave me a note and run off! What kind of behaviour is this?"


    "Sorry baby, I''ll be back in exactly half an hour okay? If I''m not, you can punish me however you like."


    "FINE. I''ll be waiting." Lina was indignant as she hung up.


    -- at the Moshi Corp bas.e.m.e.nt --


    Shen walked back slowly towards James, whose mouth was oozing blood. In one hand, Shen held his phone and in the other, he held a freshly chopped off human tongue.


    "You should be grateful to the woman you degraded by asking me to whore her out for a night. She just saved you from any more pain you could have received tonight."


    "OOOhh AhhH" was the only sounds James could make. He would never be able to speak dirt about Lina again. Or talk about anything at all, for that matter.


    With that, Shen slammed the door to James'' cell and walked out to return back home to his annoyed little wife.

 Chapter 33 - She had always been unusually afraid

    Shen casually walked up through reception, bloodied with James'' tongue, still fresh in his hand. He felt no disgust at his vengeance. Others would have puked at the sight of it, but the employees at Moshi Corp knew how to behave.


    They also knew that Shen didn''t get to where he was by adopting puppies. He was violent when it was required. He was the devil, when summoned. Nobody dared to cross him.


    The bas.e.m.e.nt was forbidden to mostly everyone except a select few executives and bodyguards. James wasn''t alone down there. He had worse enemies lurking within the cells. Some of his prisoners even shared his blood.


    He took the elevator up to the 23rd floor. He had to change and shower before he returned to Lina. She would freak out if she thought he had been hurt. He smiled to himself, thinking about how annoyed and concerned she had been lately.


    Her old habits and traits were showing up again. As Shen pondered more and more about her behaviour even before the coma, he began to wonder.


    Even though it was natural for any wife to be concerned about her husband''s well being, she was always masking anxiety. She never crossed a line, never called too much to check on him or asked too many questions about his work. But she was careful.


    She always seemed to be scanning his body, seemingly checking for wounds or hurt. She would casually touch his forehead, as if to be affectionate, but her eyes were calculative. As if she was checking his temperature. She would casually always "taste" his food first, whenever they ate out.


    It was as if she was hiding major paranoia for his safety. Now that she was more careless about her emotions, he could compare her actions. Her eyes were the same when she was scanning him for injuries as she did it obviously that night in his office during uncle Sojin''s rebellion.


    She had actually gone through a massive physical panic attack, made herself sick and pushed her weak body to defend him that night. There was something lying dormant in her psyche that she had forgotten and didn''t know how to control anymore.


    And that was definitely connected to the secrets she was hiding before the coma.


    Could it be, that she was attacked NOT because of him? But because of her own secrets?


    As Shen stood in the shower pondering these thoughts, he lost track of time. Stepping out, he checked his watch in hurry and swore out loud.


    "Fu**! It''s been an hour. I''m so dead."


    He was about to run out of the private shower he had in his office when he heard a loud bang outside. It almost sounded like a mini explosion!


    Shen quickly wrapped a towel over his lower body, snatched a gun he had hidden in his bathroom cabinet and quietly walked out.


    He made no noise on the carpeted floor, and nor could he hear anything else outside. He decided to attack first. After all, nobody could get in here except him. He had just reinstalled an even tighter security system. This had to be another attempt against him!


    He kicked the bathroom door open and in a split second pointed the gun at a quickly moving figure lurking inside the office chambers and fired three shots.


    It was too blurry to see who the person was but they moved faster than the speed of light.


    "Shen!"


    It took him to realise why the voice was so familiar.


    "Lina?!" he was so shocked, the gun dropped from his hand.


    And then the towel fell too.


    Both of them were so stunned at the shooting, Shen still shocked and wondering if he had hit her, Lina still astounded that she could actually see each bullet and dodge them with ease.


    Then her gaze fell below and her face turned a bright red.


    Nothing, absolutely NOTHING, was left to the imagination.


    But somehow she couldn''t turn her eyes away. Her body immediately responded, as she felt tingly in her nether area. Her heart was in her mouth and her pulse quickened.


    He was nothing short of godly. His body was lean and chiseled, every muscle defined. His skin was still glistening with moisture from the shower, and his handsomely sculpted face was glowing from the adrenaline. She thought she would faint at any second.


    Shen looked away, embarrassed. It was not as if HE had lost his memory. He was used to being n.a.k.e.d around his wife!


    However, now she felt like the same new person. She was staring at him like it was the first time. It made him conscious!


    He quickly gathered his wits along with the towel and covered himself up. Then he made his way quickly towards her.


    What Lina didn''t expect was being so close to his n.a.k.e.d body as he hugged her tightly and possessively.


    "You stupid, silly woman! Are you hurt anywhere?!"


    He quickly checked her everywhere, making sure there wasn''t a scratch on her body. He was almost about to cry. She could see his eyes glistening.


    "Shen I''m okay! Look at me! It was YOU I was worried about!"


    "Why me? I told you it was just a small meeting! Why are you worried? I''m sorry I was late baby, but you shouldn''t have become so anxious!"


    As he said these words, his eyes fell upon his broken into office door. It looked like a hurricane had demolished it. The security system outside had been hacked and hacked at with inhuman strength with a fire axe.


    The big bang was the door being broken into.


    Shen looked at the door and turned to his wife. Then he looked back to at the destroyed door again, and back to the tiny, wide-eyed, dishevelled girl in front of him.


    It made no literal sense.


    "Baby, you destroyed my door and security system again..."


    "YOU SHOT AT ME, BAD HUBBY!"


    She looked so wronged that he actually laughed.


    "You''re laughing?! You could have killed me!"


    Shen laughed again but decided to put her mind at ease.


    "No angel, I wouldn''t have."


    Then we walked to the walk behind her and pulled out three darts that looked like emptied syringes.


    "They''re just tranquillisers!"

 Chapter 34 - King of a husband

    "Tranquilizers?"


    "Yes angel, I prefer to incapacitate instead of killing my enemies. That way I can find out what they''re after and who''s behind any plot against me." Shen boasted to gain praise from his wife.


    Lina: "..."


    Shen saw her nonchalant, vacant expression and continued boasting, his nose in the air.


    "Everyone bows down to your king of a husband! You must have forgotten, but my presence is so dominating, even the most powerful CEO''s and world leaders fall to their knees."


    Lina: "..."


    "Lina, you don''t yet understand the greatness you are blessed to be married to-"


    With that sentence, his little bunny-wife let out a loud and bored yawn.


    "Can we go home now, I have work to finish."


    Lina didn''t wait for an answer, but instead turned around and stepped over the heavy broken door, with the destroyed security systems and walked straight out.


    Downstairs at the reception, the building was a mess. Almost 40 of Shen''s office security, lay injured on the ground and the receptionists shivered as they saw Lina walk out with their boss half undressed running after her.


    He was shocked at the mess Lina had caused downstairs. Nobody knew that this woman was his wife and she had apparently used brute force to fight her way up to him.


    As Lina casually walked out of the building, Shen called to a receptionist and asked him to get a new security system to his office installed by the next morning.


    The poor receptionist looked at his injured companions with tears in his eyes.


    "Again?!" he whispered to his pitiful colleagues.


    "Who is that miss?! Every time she comes in here, the office gets destroyed!"


    Another employee also commented on the scene.


    "She must be close to the boss! He has never looked so fl.u.s.tered around anyone!"


    "Yes yes, did you see how he was running to keep up with that miss?!"


    "She sure is beautiful, no wonder boss is running after her!"


    The whispers continued long after Lina got into one of the cars she drove at top speed to the Moshi Corp offices.


    "Uh baby...why did you choose to drive the Lambo?"


    The beautiful sleek black Lamborghini belonged to Lina. He hadn''t actually informed her that she could drive, or that this particular sports car belonged to her.


    For a low key woman, she had flashy taste in cars. Even though she liked them in darker colours, she needed them to be fast and expensive.


    She looked at him innocently, as if she was caught with her hand in the cookie jar.


    "Why? Am I not supposed to use this car? I really like it..."


    The last sentence faded off, as she looked sadly at the steering.


    "Actually you''re the one who bought it. It''s funny that your tastes haven''t changed at all!"


    Shen laughed at her how sweet and small she looked seated in the driver''s side.


    Any little bit of anxiety he had about her driving disappeared when she sped out of the driveway like an F1 pro. This woman was way too badass. He was proud of his wife.


    As they drove past the beautiful city lights, as they did on the first day she woke up, Lina felt her hand automatically move over and hold Shen''s.


    She didn''t consciously do it, but it just seemed routine to drive along, holding hands as the beautiful lights twinkled around them.


    For a moment, Shen was speechless. There had been an emptiness in his heart as Lina had gazed upon the city like she saw it for the first time when he had brought her back from the recuperation villa. But suddenly his faith in their relationship was renewed.


    Her instincts remembered certain things about them, the small things that just felt right.


    "Baby, next time, please don''t injure so many of my employees...it decreases efficiency, you know?"


    He decided to casually slip the topic of her violent tendencies into the conversation.


    Bad move.


    The Lamborghini suddenly braked hard, as Lina pulled over. Shen was almost thrown.


    "Excuse me!? I was worried sick, and you''re telling me not to hurt your people?!"


    Lina was aghast. Once again, she had come running to care about this husband''s sorry ass because of her inexplicable anxiety, and he was sitting there acting pricey?


    "Well..."


    "What do you mean ''well''?! You said 30 mins and you took an hour! You could have been killed in that hour! And your stupid employees weren''t even letting me go to see you even though I told them you knew me very well and wouldn''t mind if I went to your office."


    As Lina finished her sentence, her eyes were brimming.


    So what? He was only half an hour late...he could have just gotten caught up with more work. She couldn''t understand her own actions and that frustrated her!


    But Shen knew there were certain things she herself couldn''t comprehend. He pulled her close and stroked her head, trying to keep her calm.


    "Look angel, I''m here holding you and I''m perfectly fine aren''t I?"


    It worked like a charm. Every time he cradled the girl, she would breathe freely again.


    "Ok then, stupid hubby, stop complaining. I''m sure you provide your employees with the best health insurance. Aren''t you, after all, a king?"


    Shen: "....."


    Cheeky wife!

 Chapter 35 - Meeting with the PM

    The next day, after another early morning check up with Dr. Yoshi, and fastidious promises from Mei to overwhelm Lina as little as possible, Shen finally felt slightly comfortable with her going to the consultancy for the meeting with the PM of B nation.


    Lina was prepared and confident, she knew what damage control steps needed to be taken, and she wanted to test her negotiating skills. The PM wasn''t a free actor either, and would have to do what was in the interests of his party and backers.


    There had to be a give and take, and Lina had a huge responsibility.


    Lina''s eyes glittered as she saw the s.e.xy black Lambo waiting for her out in the driveway. Shen looked disapproving but he''d already promised not to restrict her work too much.


    "You''re too paranoid, hubby! If you''re the King of Moshi, I also must rule my Kingdom."


    Shen looked at her aghast.


    "I''M TOO PARANOID? YOU DEMOLISHED MY OFFICE TWICE!"


    Lina shot him daggers with her eyes.


    "Do you still want to live, hubby?"


    He shut up immediately. This crazy wife had some insane unknown skills. He still had to investigate how she possessed such incredible martial talents.


    There was so much she had kept concealed.


    She looked through her closet and picked out a crisp white shirt, and light grey pants that fit her slim body like a glove. Her figure was magnificent with the seams outlining her curves, yet maintaining her professional persona.


    She braided her long hair elegantly to the side and did her make-up in light pink shades. It suited her fair skin and she looked radiant.


    Shen wondered at some of the changes.


    Lina usually wore black clothing and blazer jackets and nude to brown shades with her make up. There was something more innocent, something more bunny-like about her now.


    He liked both.


    Earlier she was like a dark, powerful queen, once she became more confident in his presence, and now she was like the fairy princess she had been in the beginning.


    ''I don''t know which one''s real...''


    His thoughts were interrupted by her smile as she walked up to him for a hug. She still hadn''t physically warmed up to him, there was still a thin line they walked. It had hardly been a month since she had woken from her coma.


    "Darling, wish me luck. I do after all, have to correct your horrendous mistakes!"


    Shen''s face turned dark.


    Lina knew she had angered the devil and now she was seriously pushing her luck with him.


    She stood on her tip toes and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.


    "I''m sorry i''m sorry! Thank you for all your support, hubby."


    The cloud over Shen''s head disappeared.


    "Good luck, angel. You will do amazing, as always!"


    Lina sparkled at the praise and flattery from her husband. He could almost see her nose get pointier.


    "Yes, yes, this boss is the smartest."


    Shen: "..."


    Husband and wife were no different from one another.


    -- at the Consultancy offices --


    Mei had specifically made sure not to bring Lina in through the main entrance. Only the higher ups and senior advisors who would sit in on the meeting knew about her return.


    They were extremely curious to see how their boss was, but they didn''t know about the amnesia. Only Mei knew.


    Shen had made sure that fact was kept tightly under wraps.


    Since Mei had already shown her photos of the people she would meet and the layout of the building in pictures, Lina tested herself when she got there.


    She had imprinted the map of the whole building flawlessly into her brain. Even Mei was amazed.


    The building was low key, natural tones, light colours and spacious rooms. She had made sure, before her coma to painstakingly design the new office building personally. It was her baby.


    They were conducting the meeting in one of their most private meeting rooms. As Lina stepped in, 4 eager faces turned to the door, staring at her open-mouthed.


    She recognised the people from the photos. This was the team that was consulting with her on the B nation matter.


    She smiled and nodded at them.


    "Good morning everyone!"


    The four of them chimed in, greeting Lina, trying hard to act like everything was normal and she had never been gone. Then they greeted Mei who followed behind her.


    "How have you been Ayaka?"


    Lina turned to the geopolitical expert Ayaka Shinohara. She had to act familiar with her team. They needed to feel secure under her command again.


    Ayaka smiled warmly and told her she was doing well, and asked after Lina''s health.


    "And Masao, Juri, how is your daughter!"


    Masao and Juri Sata were her highest ranking international lawyers, who advised on cross-border legality. They had a an 8-month old daughter and had returned to work not long before Lina''s coma.


    Lastly, Lina greeted a very cold-looking, elegant man.


    "Takashi, hope you''ve been well."


    She didn''t say much, because Mei had informed her that Takashi Hino was a quiet person and didn''t talk or socialise unless it was imperative. So she kept her greeting short.


    He nodded back at her with a sudden warmth in his eyes and then looked back away. He was the head of communications and operations. Everything went through him, intelligence, security, analytics and communication with their clients.


    As Lina sat with her team, discussing the next plan of action and negotiation with the PM of B nation, Mei had left out a very, very important detail.


    Mei had done so deliberately, but she began sweating as she saw the PM and his chief advisor walking in with their army of bodyguards.

 Chapter 36 - Who appointed this idiot!

    The PM strode into the room with such flair, it was impossible to tell that he was struggling with a civil war under his regime.


    He looked about 30, confidently wore a neon orange blazer and pants, with his hair dyed pink. His fingers were covered in gold rings, and bling-y sunglasses rested on the bridge of his nose. The older man behind him, looking worried and sleep deprived, was his chief advisor.


    The poor chief advisor had an expression on his face almost as if to say that the future was non existent and humanity was a lost cause. Mei assumed this was because he had to babysit that idiot of a prime minister, that he always looked so despondent.


    Lina was too shocked too even stand up and greet this striking man. His skin was tanned and his features unique. He was by no means a bad looking man, but his appearance was just way too shocking.


    She had taken it for granted that the PM of an entire nation would be a respected and presentable character. Lina had pictured a more serious and dignified person. But this was an assault on her senses!


    She glared at Mei, who quickly looked away. She had been thankful her boss had actually been involved in the work around the matter, instead of asking about who the PM actually was. Now she regretted it. She should have just ripped the bandage off earlier.


    Because the worst was yet to come.


    Lina was about to stand up with her team to greet him, but before she knew it, this idiotic PM spotted her and rushed at her like the speed of light.


    She was so taken aback, Ayaka had to support her from behind so she could regain her balance.


    Just as Lina thought he was going to attack her, the PM fell to his knees, and grabbed both her hands.


    "Ms. Mito! It has been far too long since I was graced with you presence!"


    Lina was now more shocked than she was earlier.


    WHAT THE HELL WAS HAPPENING.


    Everyone else seemed to have expected this, the whole room was cringing...including the PM''s bodyguards. So Lina was forced to play along.


    His chief advisor looked so embarrassed, he wanted to evaporate that very second.


    Lina realised he called her by her maiden name, Mito.


    Right, she wasn''t married as far as everyone here knew. There were just so many balancing acts on her plate! She was getting agitated by the second.


    Why did she have to wake up to a life that kept spinning out of control in every direction?! Could she never catch a damn break!?


    The idiot PM continued his speech.


    "Ms. Mito, you have indeed hurt my emotions. Our last meeting was so long ago, I almost thought you forgot my face!"


    Lina internally rolled her eyes thinking, ''I''m surprised I forgot this. A million amnesias can''t have erased this bullshit.''


    And yet, he rambled on and on, as everyone stood by uncomfortably watching.


    "Have my declarations of love not touched your heart yet, that you would put oceans between us and advise me through a mere assistant?!"


    The idiot was still on his knees with the most hurt expression on his face.


    But wait, declarations of love?!


    Had this man actually been wooing her?


    Behind Lina, Mei was fuming.


    Did this imbecile just call her a ''mere assistant''?


    She had spared him by keeping his ''declarations of love'' a secret from the young master. She too, had been juggling Lina''s professional and personal lives.


    The idiot PM had been an absolute tyrant, demanding to speak to Lina directly for every little issue, sending dozens and dozens of flowers, love letters and extravagant presents to the consultancy headquarters.


    It''s a good thing Shen helped manage the company from backstage. If he had come over to the headquarters, he would have never let Lina come back to work!


    Lina finally decided to end the fool''s whining.


    "Mr. PM, please do not lower yourself by kneeling in front of your humble colleagues here." she remained polite but stern. "We have extremely important matters to discuss and my team has come up with some excellent emergency measures."


    As the PM got up, he turned away, walked towards his advisor, and snapped his fingers.


    "Deal with it."


    Takashi stifled a laugh behind Ayaka. She stepped on his foot to shut him up. They couldn''t afford to agitate that overgrown baby.


    Lina had been calm, like a disciplining mother. Somehow, she had also managed to be polite.


    As everyone took their seats, the neon PM had a cloud over his head. He sulked like a baby while the poor chief advisor sat there alone discussing the situation with Lina and her team.


    "Mr. Advisor, the conflict between the two religious factions was initially sparked by the demolition of a site of worship of one group to build the other group''s orphanage, am I right?"


    Ayaka, the geopolitical expert, studied spaces and the people that occupied them. She knew exactly how land affected the balance of power and the meaning it conferred upon those who owned it.


    "Yes, Ms. Shinohara, the Xi group have historically worshipped their goddess at a small temple established in the Mo area. The Mo faction found an old, but what looks like a legally valid deed, confirming that the land belongs to deceased member of the Mo faction. They destroyed the Xi goddess'' temple to build an orphanage on that land, that the Mo''s desperately need. This caused violence to break out between the two groups."


    Lina had been in the middle of dealing with the matter at the stage when she had first met the foolish PM. He had fallen hopelessly in love with her, and had continued his ceaseless pestering. He was still staring at Lina and sulking at not getting attention from her.


    The advisor continued his status report.


    "Since the last time we spoke, Ms. Mito, we were informed to suppress the conflict by any means deemed appropriate, including military intervention. But that seems to have aggravated the conflict. The death toll is rising. As you know, religious conflicts can blow up with permanent and lasting effects for generations to come. We are in a state of emergency with the Mo''s and Xi''s."


    Suddenly, a loud yawn was heard. The idiot decided he was bored and put his legs up on the table.

 Chapter 37 - Get your shit together

    Lina was losing patience with the neon PM now. How could he act so cavalier and selfish when his idiocy and neglect was causing innocents to die in his own nation.


    She looked at him icily.


    "Is something the matter Mr. PM? Can we do something for you?"


    Her voice was so cold, it sent shivers down everyone''s backs.


    The PM still didn''t get the hint.


    He got up from the chair lazily and stretched.


    "Isn''t this meeting slightly boring Ms. Mito? How about we let the subordinates sort it out, while I take you to a fancy place for lunch?"


    In saying this, he shot Lina a devilish smile. In his mind, he was saving her from boring old work.


    Lina was trying to hold back, but she couldn''t anymore. She stood up abruptly and walked over to the neon PM.


    "Get your shit together, you fool."


    Everyone gasped. No one spoke to this arrogant man in that tone. The tantrum and consequences would be unimaginable! The chief advisor cringed, but didn''t try to stop Lina.


    Ayaka tried to say something to calm Lina down.


    "Boss, please remain calm-"


    But Lina put her hand up, signalling her to lay low while she handled this big baby herself.


    "Do you have any idea what the impact of your decisions are? Do you know how many young children, men and women have died under your nose? Under your incompetent rule?!"


    The PM was so taken aback, he couldn''t speak. His mouth opened and closed like a fish.


    "Have some sense of propriety, and grow up. You waltz in here, expecting my employees and your babysitter here-" she pointed to the sheepish looking chief advisor "to solve your problems, without an ounce of respect for people who work day and night to make the world a better place. Who are you to throw a tantrum? What have you achieved, besides flaunting your wealth and running after women?"


    The PM turned red. The truth was, his father had been the leader of their political party and had died a few weeks before they came into power. He had used his position of power to wrestle the position of PM away from the people who were actually qualified to hold office.


    He had wanted to be worshipped by the nation, and had spent public funds as he pleased to pursue his own pleasures.


    "Ms. Mito..." he began to speak, trying to think of excuses. He didn''t want Lina to be mad at him. He still looked so stunned.


    "What is it? You better not make an excuse!" Lina scolded back.


    "If I contribute and try my best to resolve this situation today with you and your team..." he paused.


    Oh god. Lina knew what was coming.


    "Then will Ms. Mito go on a date with me?"


    At this point, even the bodyguards were cringing. How did their brainless PM not get the message?!


    The chief advisor decided to speak up.


    "Ms. Mito, let us just resolve the situation at hand, and then we can discuss...other matters."


    He was clearly trying to save the PM from an outright rejection. She had ignored every advance of his, and politely refused to acknowledge the presents he had been sending her. She was never going to agree to go out with him!


    He just couldn''t handle another tantrum, and wanted to change the topic.


    "No! I need an answer from Ms. Mito now!"


    Lina was boiling with rage at this point and was about to use brute force to subdue him, without a thought.


    But suddenly, he whipped out a doc.u.ment from his neon orange jacket pocket!


    "Ms. Mito, I have the most irresistible present for you. I''m sure you will be swept off your feet!"


    Mei almost fell to the ground at this point.


    ''The young master would behead you right here....'' she thought to herself.


    Lina was about to tear the paper to shreds, when she got a glimpse of the actual writing on the doc.u.ment.


    She gasped.


    It was a deed of possession over a renowned luxury villa located in one of the most sought after estates in the world.


    The villa and estate was called "Amaranthine" which meant ''everlasting'' or ''immortal'' in ancient greek. This piece of land was a piece of heaven from legends, with the most enchanting of flora and fauna that existed nowhere else. The actual villa was as if it had been sculpted by the gods themselves.


    It had always remained in the possession of the government as a national treasure.


    Everyone who looked at the deed gasped. The chief advisor couldn''t believe what the PM was gifting their policy consultant!


    "Sir! This is impossible! This is a national property! You can''t do this!"


    He was getting frantic. But the PM dismissed him immediately. He turned to Lina again.


    "Ms. Mito...Lina...please, this is a token of my everlasting love for you. It must be owned by someone who is as beautiful as this place. There is no one better than you."


    At the PM''s words, Lina fumed even more. Here he was, gifting away land and properties like they were toys, while the people in his country were dying!?

 Chapter 38 - Genius solutions and heartbreak

    Lina was about to explode again when a brilliant thought struck her.


    "Masao, Juri take a look at this deed! Don''t the laws of B nation specifically forbid transferring ownership of the Amaranthine estates to an individual?"


    Masao and Juri immediately got to work and evaluated the doc.u.ment in front of them, referencing a large book of land ownership statutes from B nation.


    "Hey you - subordinates! Do not get your hands on that precious deed, it''s not for the likes of you to get close to! Only my Ms. Mito can touch it!"


    The neon PM began furiously making his way to Masao and Juri, who immediately took a few steps back in astonishment.


    Before he could get near them, however a swift and sharp chop was delivered to his neck. The neon PM fell to the floor in a big orange heap, the bling-y sunglasses fallen to his side.


    As he lay there in a heap at Lina''s feet, she looked equally shocked as the dozens of bodyguards. The chief advisor began shaking and panicking. He bent to the ground and tried to check for a pulse.


    The bodyguards suddenly rushed forward towards Lina, but her mind suddenly went calm and her face expressionless. She scanned the actions of all the bodyguards.


    Her mind calculated the probability of keeping the rest of her team secure and found that she may be outnumbered in keeping them safe.


    Herself, she could protect.


    All she did was sternly command the room, instead.


    "HALT."


    The strength in her voice paralysed the bodyguards and they obeyed.


    "He''s just unconscious, completely unharmed and will probably wake up feeling energised."


    The chief advisor looked up at Lina''s beautiful, goddess-like stance, standing tall and proud, confident in every word.


    He could understand why this idiot he had to babysit would fall so hopelessly in love with her. He looked at the bodyguards and signalled them to stand down.


    "His pulse is normal and it seems like he''s just asleep. Help me rest him on the sofa while we continue negotiations."


    The chief advisor was internally relieved that this giant pain in the ass had finally shut up. He could also take back the deed for Amaranthine. After all, it was in possession of the government of B nation, and could not be given out as a mere present or romantic gesture! How utterly preposterous.


    He cleared his throat and turned to Lina.


    "Ms. Mito, I understand that the PM has presented you with the possession of the Amaranthine estate, but even he has no right to sign over a national property and heritage site. I ask you to please return those doc.u.ments to us, so that we can avoid any conflict and confusion in the future."


    "Chief advisor, I understand your dilemma. My lawyers are looking into this matter. We may have a solution for your current crisis that has to do with this deed."


    The lawyers sat huddled with Lina, Takashi and Ayaka for a good couple of hours. They looked over various legal statues that governed the land ownership laws in B nation.


    "Juri and I have thoroughly read through this deed regarding Amaranthine and it seems fairly similar to the case of the land deed owned by the deceased individual from the Mo faction. It''s the same situation. The Xi''s will have to be compensated."


    As Masao finished his sentence, Takashi immediately began preparing a memo of their session. He would then convert the outcomes into a policy report that, as per the agreement between their consultancy and the B nation government, the B nation officials would have to follow through with.


    Lina reconvened the meeting with the chief advisor. The stupid neon pile was still lying on the sofa, asleep and drooling. Good.


    "Chief advisor, my team and I have come to an inspired conclusion. What we have understood, is that by fault of your irresponsible governance in the past, the deceased member of the Mo faction could not have rightfully inherited and owned the land upon which the Xi goddess temple was built."


    The chief advisor opened his mouth to speak, but Lina''s raised hand silenced him.


    "The Xi goddess'' temple was built upon land that Mr. Shao from the Mo faction had been trying to possess."


    The chief advisor''s face immediately fell.


    "Chief advisor, I believe this Mr. Shao was your second uncle?"


    "Ms. Mito...w-w-what does that have to do with me? It''s true my uncle wanted that land for his business to expand, but he is already deceased! Why bring his name up right now?"


    Lina glared at the chief advisor.


    "Don''t play dumb with me! We dedicate our time to our clients, to find out they have been lying to us the whole time? Were you responsible to drawing up this deed in his name or not?!"


    The chief advisor was now shaking.


    "S-s-so what if I did?! That is between me and my uncle. He paid to buy that land! I only facilitated the transaction!"


    Lina ignored his rebuttals.


    "As the holy land of a religious faction in B nation, it was a heritage property, belonging to the government. Just like how the deed to Amaranthine cannot be passed on to an individual, it was also illegal to sign off that holy land to Mr. Shao!"


    At this point, the chief advisor knew his career was over. He needed a way out.


    "But Ms. Mito! The current issue at hand is the orphanage! The Mo''s need that land for children without homes and families! Please be a little sensitive!"


    But Lina had no patience for him.


    "Chief advisor, here is what we will do to immediately stop the war."


    Lina listed a various emergency measures, the creation of medical tents in areas of unrest and peacekeeping forces.


    Then she made sure to provide her solutions in clearly prescribed clauses.


    ~~


    1. Chief Advisor Shao will compensate the Xi''s for the destruction of their properties from his own account, depending on the damage they have sustained.


    2. Chief Advisor Shao will submit his own personal home and estate to the B nation government to build the Mo faction orphanage.


    3. Chief Advisor Shao will resign from his post as chief advisor to the prime minister in order not to face any other official punishments for land grabbing and corruption.


    ~~


    As they concluded the meeting, a pale faced chief advisor Shao walked out, still shivering under Lina''s glare.


    The neon PM was being carried out by his bodyguards, mumbling in his sleep.


    "No...Ms. Mito...I love you. Please advise me...I''ll buy you everything mmm pretty..."


    Lina: "..."


    After they left, Mei began clearing up. She noticed the pair of bling-y sunglasses left behind on the sofa.


    She sighed loudly.


    The last gift from the neon fool.


    She hoped never to see him again.

 Chapter 39 - Back to the beginning

    The black, luxurious Lamborghini sped through the capital city, astounded people left gaping at the speed freak driving.


    Lina was going way above the speed limit but she didn''t seem to be too bothered by rules. Hubby was powerful and he would allow her to drive like a maniac, like the other day when they were returning home from the Moshi Corp offices.


    She missed Shen already, since this was the longest time they had been apart since she had woken up from her coma. It was half a day!


    Lina rolled her eyes at herself.


    Was this the kind of person she was? Why should she miss that bossy man after just half a day!


    As she reduced the speed at which she was driving, she spied an extremely familiar looking place. It was a small, neat-looking caf¨¦. There didn''t seem to be a crowd there even though the streets were busy.


    Something made her want to stop by.


    As she parked and walked in, she felt like she had stumbled upon a far off dream. De ja vu hit her like a rock slamming her head. Suddenly, a migraine snuck up on her.


    Lina rubbed her temples and tried to focus. Something triggered a memory and she had to keep pushing herself to remember. Her eyes turned cold, as if in surveillance mode.


    She scanned the place and took in every detail.


    White walls, clean Scandinavian aesthetic, modern, bare, indoor plants, wooden furniture and light pastel pillows.


    Even though the Moshi mansion was fancier and more decorative, she was convinced Shen would love this. He loved being awoken by the sun pouring in from their big windows -- just like the first afternoon she woke up from her coma.


    This caf¨¦ was angled so the sunlight was pouring in directly. It gave the place a soft glow. Lina felt at peace, and a familiar warmth filled her heart.


    "Miss? Can I get you something?"


    She turned around to see an older man standing at the counter. As soon as his fell on her face, he gasped.


    "Madam, it''s you!"


    Lina looked confused as she walked up to the counter.


    "Do you know me?"


    "Of course, Madam. We haven''t seen you in ages, though! Sir has been away as well."


    Then, she realised where she was.


    "This is where we first met..."


    As Lina said those words to herself, the picture in the album came to mind. She was suddenly swept back to that morning.


    She turned to the little table for two by the window. He was sitting opposite her, the first rays of the sun illuminating his profile as he sipped on his coffee.


    Shen had taken her breath away, his tall, elegant figure towering above her. His dark eyes sparked with interest when he looked at her holding his coffee.


    He didn''t order a new one, even though she''d sipped out of his cup. Instead, he''d invited her to sit down with him. They both had files in their arms and looked like they were heavily consumed by work.


    She didn''t deny his request and they had talked for a couple of hours at least.


    A snippet of their conversation floated to her mind.


    "My name''s Shen. What''s your name?"


    "Shen...I like your name" she smiled at him sweetly. "I''m Lina."


    "Suits you."


    He didn''t talk very much, but his face was pleasant. A soft smile played on his lips and his eyes were indulgent.


    She remembered how she''d fallen in love with him.


    She remembered how his suit fit.


    She remembered the slight darkness under his eyes, betraying his sleepless, overworked schedule.


    She remembered how soft his skin looked and how dark his hair was.


    She remembered the light swimming into the caf¨¦ at the crack of dawn and realising the budget was incorrectly calculated on a sheet that was sticking out of one of his folders.


    Lina''s eyes were suddenly filled with tears. She wanted to rush back home to him now, more than she wanted to before.


    "Madam...what''s wrong?"


    It was the older man at the counter.


    Lina quickly wiped her tears away.


    "Nothing nothing! Actually, I''d like to get two coffees to go!"


    "Yes, absolutely Madam! The usual?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye.


    Lina nodded happily.


    "Yes, the soy milk cappuccino and the dark roast americano!"


    The barista laughed. "I''m marking the americano for Sir, so you don''t have to check which one is yours."


    Lina hated straight, black coffee. Shen couldn''t stand milk in his.


    As she took the coffees and walked out, Lina was filled with a sense of achievement and excitement.


    This was progress, recovery and success! Her heart was full...she''d just remembered the moment she fell in love with Shen, and couldn''t wait to tell him.


    The coffees would be a great midday surprise. He was working from home today and his favourite brew would be very welcome, especially from their little caf¨¦!


    Lina unlocked the Lamborghini with the coffees in hand, when she felt a sharp object held closely to her back. She froze in her spot, her mind going blank for a moment.


    Then she heard a cold, sharp voice whisper into her ear.


    "Finally out and about, are we?"


    The voice sent shivers down her back. It was extremely familiar, but her heart was pounding. Her brain was on high alert, sending her nonstop warning signals.


    She knew this voice from a far away dream, someone she used to know, and yet she felt like she knew this man in this life too.

 Chapter 40 - Youre in so much trouble

    Lina held her breath as she stood very still. Her mind went blank as she tried to focus.


    The sharp object pressing into her back felt vaguely familiar. If she moved even a little, she might be injured or mutilated beyond repair.


    She didn''t know where this instinct came from, but just by focusing on the tip of the weapon that was barely touching her back, she could envision exactly what it was.


    The deadly Jagdkommando Tri-Dagger. Long, nasty, twisted blade that could rip your insides apart.


    A special forces weapon designed for assassins from D country. Statistics began to download in her brain like a computer. Where did all this information come from?


    Somehow she could remember useless information like how D country was renown for their hunting and combat knives trade?


    Why couldn''t she remember her past though?


    But now was not the time to ponder.


    She decided to speak very slowly.


    "Who are you...what do you want from me?"


    The low voice only sneered.


    "Walk."


    Reluctantly, she began moving in the direction the man was guiding her towards. They edged slowly into a narrow alleyway, away from the crowd.


    Lina could have screamed and drawn attention to herself, but the man''s grip and his familiarity with her told her she wouldn''t get away.


    He seemed to know exactly what he was doing.


    There was no way out for now, except following him. Maybe she could talk her way out of this!


    Once in the alleyway, out of sight, the man slammed her back into the wall, and pressed himself up close to her. The Jagdkommando was now held close to her neck, his eyes looking straight into hers.


    She wasn''t expecting the face she saw. The man hadn''t bothered to disguise himself.


    Short hair, piercing eyes and the icy glare took her back to the Moshi mansion, the day she met Dr. Yoshi for her checkup.


    She gasped. "Victor Tachibana! What in the world-"


    Before she finished her sentence. He laughed cruelly.


    "It''s funny to hear you call me out by my full name, Lina. You honestly lost your memory, didn''t you?"


    He looked at her with an odd glint in his eye.


    "Who are you, really? If you knew me before the coma, why don''t you just be upfront!"


    She was getting exhausted trying to jog her memory but she couldn''t properly place him.


    "How convenient! You get to forget everything whilst I clean up your mess? No, I won''t allow it. You won''t get away."


    ¡ª at the Moshi mansion ¡ª


    Shen kept looking at his watch anxiously. Why wasn''t Lina back yet?


    He was aware sometimes her meetings would go on for hours at end but he was expecting her back sooner today. She had promised not to over exert herself.


    She was still in the process of recovery and he was getting worried.


    He quickly dialed Mei''s number since Lina had kept her phone off until the B nation affair was dealt with.


    Without waiting for a greeting, Shen got to the point.


    "Mei, is the meeting over?"


    Mei sounded slightly uncomfortable.


    "Uh, yes young master, boss did really well today..."


    Shen sighed in relief.


    "When are you both driving back here?"


    There was a pause at the other end.


    "Young master, boss already left an hour ago! Actually, she should have long been home by now."


    Mei''s voice sounded slightly panicky at the end. Boss had been so great at the meeting, she had almost forgotten she was a recovering amnesiac.


    She should''ve made Lina wait, but she had rushed out so quickly and quietly. She should have gone with Lina to the mansion before she went back home herself.


    But she had been left behind to clean up the mess after the B nation entourage had left.


    Shen, on the other hand, was losing his temper.


    "You let her leave alone?"


    His voice was scarily low.


    "Young master, madam left before I even realized!"


    He wanted to punish Mei, but there was no time.


    "Pull up your office surveillance, including the parking space and send it to me NOW."


    Mei did as she was told. Fear entered her heart as she wondered about the possibilities at where Lina was.


    Did she forget the way home? Had she met with an accident?


    Mei was hoping with all her heart Lina was okay as she walked over to the security office.


    If something happened to boss, it would be her fault. She wouldn''t be able to forgive herself.

 Chapter 41 - Dropping a bomb

    Meanwhile Lina had been taken hostage by Victor Tachibana and his Jagdkommando combat knife.


    Lina felt a massive headache coming on as she got stressed and worried.


    Why did this man scare her so much? She had freaked out the first time she saw him too.


    "Victor, you''re clearly not Dr. Yoshi''s assistant. You came to the Moshi mansion with another purpose."


    "Very good! You''re still astute as ever!"


    His tone was scornful.


    "You have no idea the trouble you caused me, you selfish little bitch!"


    His words agitated her, and made her want to kill this man.


    Lina grit her teeth and retorted.


    "What the hell is your problem! Why don''t you explain yourself if you''re so angry?"


    "Explain myself?!"


    Victor scoffed again.


    Lina''s headache got worse. Did he not understand that he wasn''t making any sense to her.


    ''Tachibana....Tachibana...'' she repeated his name mentally. Why did it sound so familiar?!


    "Lina..." his voice suddenly changed and there was a pained look in his eyes. It was as if a massive load was weighing on him. "You have no idea what these last months have been like..."


    With her stress levels going off the charts, Lina closed her eyes as the throbbing in her temples became unbearable.


    She saw a blinding flash of flames in her eyes. It disappeared as quickly as it came. As she tried to focus her vision, she could only see black spots.


    Victor continued speaking.


    "He''s not even really your husband...you don''t know what you forced me to do..."


    Lina was beginning to feel faint, her vision blurry. But Victor didn''t seem to notice.


    "What are you talking about...you''re not making any sense!"


    Her voice was trembling, but Victor didn''t seem to care about her distress.


    "I''ve had to cover up for you for so long, just because I cared too much. And you just get to sit in your big home with your rich, fake husband and play house? How could you forget me and everything I''ve done for you?!"


    Lina shuddered. Why did this man keep telling her that Shen wasn''t really her husband!


    "What do you mean ''fake'' husband?"


    All she wanted were concrete answers but he just cared about venting his frustration at her.


    "He was just a mission! Try to remember. Stop playing dumb!"


    Victor was getting angrier by the minute. It didn''t matter if her amnesia was real or not. His feelings had been pent up long enough. She just needed to be pushed a little, in his opinion.


    Lina was now shivering all over. She felt like her chest was tightening and her throat was going dry. She desperately wanted to be with Shen. She needed his comfort. Only he could make the pain go away.


    She had just begun to develop her sense of identity, find her place in this life, regain her confidence. She didn''t want to get lost again. She held tightly onto her ring finger to feel the comfort of the platinum ring tying her to Shen.


    Victor, noticing her actions, finally lost his temper.


    He violently grabbed both her arms and shook her angrily.


    "HE IS NOT YOUR HUSBAND, I AM!"


    Lina''s head snapped up, and she stared into his eyes, petrified.


    That sentence triggered something deep inside her and a single word came to her mind.


    As she stared at him thunderstruck, the word fell out of her mouth.


    "Tachi..."


    As soon as she uttered the syllables, the man in front of her let go of her arms and stared back at her shocked. A faint smile appeared on Victor''s lips.


    But, in the next second, the smile vanished. It seemed as if he had heard something or someone closeby, as his whole body went tense and he began to look around furtively.


    With a single, longing glance at Lina, he whispered, "I''ll find you again."


    Then he took off like a rocket. He moved faster than a cat being chased, jumped over the wall she was leaning against and disappeared.


    As Lina stood in her spot, frozen and overwhelmed, she heard a familiar, comforting voice at the end of the alleyway.


    "Angel!"


    *******


    -- at the Moshi mansion --


    Shen brought Lina home, asleep and exhausted in his arms.


    As soon as he had found her in the alleyway, she had collapsed.


    He had found her in almost no time. After Mei pulled up the footage in the office building and from all the cameras surrounding it, Shen had used James'' hacking skills to track her through the city''s traffic cameras.


    James didn''t dare to oppose Shen. He had become an obedient dog. He even wore a dog collar, with a small bottle attached to its end. The bottle contained his own, preserved cut off tongue.


    Having found Lina''s Lamborghini unlocked, he found traces of their spilled coffees that she had bought up to the entrance of the alleyway.


    His heart hurt at the sight of her terrified, shivering figure.


    He had wanted to immediately question her about what had happened, but she collapsed the minute she saw him approach.


    After Shen settled her and tucked her in bed, he stormed out of their bedroom. Clearly, someone had gone after Lina after she bought the coffees. But he didn''t know enough to figure out who it could be.


    Ro-kun and Ayu waited obediently for him outside the bedroom.


    "Ayu, you''re off HR duty. Ro-kun and you will be dedicating yourselves full time to investigating Lina''s past before I met her. I want to know everything that could possibly hurt her. Leave no stone unturned. Am I clear?"


    Ayu and Ro-kun glanced at each other. If the boss was putting both of them, his right and left hands, onto investigative duty, he would leave himself exposed!


    But they knew better than to argue. His current investigative team hadn''t gotten too far regarding the assassination attempts on Lina and now he was getting impatient.


    "Yes, boss."

 Chapter 42 - Be my husband forever

    Shen sat by Lina''s bedside diligently as she slept through the whole day. He wanted to wake her up to have some dinner. He had to look after her especially during this delicate recuperation period.


    He finally decided to call his annoying mother over. Even though she hijacked his wife, he knew that Lina needed a mother''s love to wake up to. She was especially attached to Rika and knew she would eat anything Rika cooked, especially that warm, nutritious chicken soup.


    As expected, his mother reached Moshi mansion in 20 minutes flat. She had been cooking for her husband anyway, despite the array of cooks and servants they had at the old residence. She quickly prepared the chicken soup, additionally to all the other dishes and had it packed.


    Rika always made time for Lina, who she saw as her own daughter, doting on her ceaselessly. When Shen told her that Lina had had an ordeal and had collapsed, her worry knew no bounds.


    Shen allowed his mother into their bedroom, where Lina lay, looking exhausted and drained on the bed.


    Rika''s heart crumbled seeing how weak and worn out Lina looked. Was her stupid son looking after her at all?!


    She knelt down by the bedside and quietly, and gently stroked Lina''s forehead. She looked at Shen worriedly.


    "Son, her temperature seems slightly abnormal. Pass me a thermometer quickly."


    Rika had been a nurse when she was younger, before she married Soren Moshi. She could look after Lina well, if she had a fever.


    Lina, did indeed, have a slight fever.


    "37.6 degrees. Not too bad. Her immune system is slightly weak due to the recuperation and stress. She needs rest, son. And to be looked after carefully."


    Shen''s mother narrowed her eyes at him, silently blaming him for being irresponsible.


    "Mother, she''s an independent woman. I can''t control her! She wanted to work. It helped her recuperate mentally as well, have some faith and trust herself! I don''t want to make her a prisoner in this house. I don''t want to see my wife helpless."


    Rika didn''t respond. She knew Shen was right. But this child, she was so precious.


    "She needs to eat. I have to wake her up now."


    Shen''s mother laid one soft hand on Lina''s forehead and stroked her quietly whispering to her to open her eyes.


    She knew that the mental distress had taken its toll and she shouldn''t be arisen very suddenly or harshly from a deep sleep.


    But Lina didn''t seem like she was going to wake up. He eyes remained shut, as a thin sheen of sweat formed on her forehead.


    Suddenly, she gripped Rika''s hand very tightly, almost making the older woman wince.


    "Mother...mother...no, please don''t go...don''t leave me..."


    Lina''s breathing became distressed as tears starting seeping out of the corners of her closed eyes.


    Rika and Shen''s hearts ached for the pained-looking girl, her face revealing eons of sadness that just couldn''t be wiped away.


    They didn''t know that today had been a triggering day for Lina.


    They didn''t know her memory was banging at the doors of her mind, pushing to be let back in.


    But Lina wasn''t prepared to open the doors yet. There were too many bad memories and insecurities hidden behind the good ones.


    Just as she had remembered Shen, she had also glimpsed Tachi in her past.


    She didn''t know anything particular about her relationship with either one in the past, but she could understand her feelings.


    When she remembered the day she met Shen at the caf¨¦, she was filled with a sense of warmth and belonging and happiness.


    But the moment in which Tachi came to her mind, a shiver ran down her back, and she wanted to get him off her like a tick clinging on to a dog''s fur.


    She felt fearful of and distrustful of Tachi, but she needed to know more from him. He held more keys to her past than Shen did.


    As Rika cradled Lina''s body in her arms and kissed her head, whispering quietly to her not cry and to wake up, Lina''s breathing began to ease up.


    Shen stood close by, his heart in his throat.


    He wanted to hold his wife, but he sensed that she needed his mother more at that moment.


    Finally Lina''s eyes fluttered open.


    Seeing Rika''s kind face smiling down at her, her hands stroking Lina''s wet cheeks, she smiled a little.


    "Mother, you''re here..."


    Shen and Rika both smiled, relieved that Lina seemed to be okay after having woken up.


    And then are eyes fell upon her husband.


    Her husband?


    He was standing by, watching her closely, worry lines on his forehead. His black t-shirt looked slightly crumpled, but his tall, s.e.xy figure and the dark hair contrasting his clear, fair skin made him look like a work of art.


    For a moment, Lina felt like she was seeing him for the first time.


    But she remembered Tachi''s words.


    *"He is not your husband, I am!"*


    She felt like her heart was shattering. Her eyes were locked with Shen''s, and he could see something change in the way she looked at him.


    He went up to her and sat on the bed beside her immediately, taking her hands in his.


    "What is it, angel. Talk to me."


    As soon as Lina heard him ask her so sweetly, in the most concerned, caring tone, her heart just shattered to bits.


    "Do you..." she began to say, but her voice cracked.


    Rika understood that the two needed a private moment.


    "Take your time, both of you. I''ll be waiting downstairs and preparing the food. Come over when you''re ready."


    "Thank you, mother." Lina said this with tears in her eyes, thinking how much it would hurt if Shen wasn''t her husband...and Rika wasn''t her mother anymore.


    Shen realised that the girl needed to be comforted.


    He put his arms around her and spoke in an even gentler tone.


    His familiar, musky smell made Lina feel like she was wrapped in cotton wool and nobody could ever enter their world.


    "Baby, tell me what''s wrong. Whatever it is, we will handle it together."


    Cuddled in his arms, she looked up at him with wide, teary doe-like eyes.


    "Will you be my husband forever?"

 Chapter 43 - A timeless vow

    Shen knew the barriers had come away. The way she looked at him was as if galaxies sparkled in her eyes. The tears were deep pools of hope, and her stained face observed him expectantly.


    Shen had seen so many parts of Lina in the last month or so since she had returned to him, and he had loved her for every single one of them. He would never truly unravel the mystery she was, but loving her meant that he would spend lifetimes trying, enjoying and cherishing every layer.


    This beautiful woman was headstrong at times, secretive at others...sometimes she was protective, and possessive and today she was troubled and needed his support.


    He had held back from her, to give her time and space to settle back in, but he sensed that something had changed in her since today.


    Even though Shen wondered what had happened, he could see her sincerity when she asked him that question.


    Lina didn''t get an immediate response, so her eyes started filling up with tears again.


    "Why aren''t you answering my question? Are you not my husband?"


    She felt such a pressure in her chest, it was hard to breathe.


    But the next thing, took her breath away completely.


    She felt Shen''s soft, thin lips come down on hers.


    And the tears threatening to fall, overflowed freely.


    She didn''t need an answer anymore. This was her answer.


    There was a protective gentleness in that kiss, as well as a harsh possessiveness. He wouldn''t give his woman up to anyone for any reason. No matter what happened, hereon, he would be her husband for as many lives as there were to come.


    This was Shen Moshi''s timeless vow to his beautiful, secret wife.


    Lina responded to the kiss, giving herself to him completely, melting in his arms. She couldn''t seem to be close enough to him, wanting more and more of his comfort and love.


    The warning bells earlier hadn''t been for herself, but for him.


    It was him she had wanted to protect all along.


    But it all made sense. Allowing him in would help her make sure she could keep him safe.


    As she pulled back from him, her face red, she had made up her mind about one thing.


    "You can sleep on the bed."


    "What?"


    Lina was too soft, Shen didn''t hear what she said.


    "YOU CAN SLEEP ON THE BED NOW!"


    This time she yelled in his face and ran out downstairs to find mother for some dinner. She smelled chicken soup.


    Left alone in the room, Shen smiled to himself.


    He was out of the doghouse. He could hold his wife every night now.


    *****


    Downstairs, Lina ran to Rika. She was overjoyed that this kind mother had come over immediately with her favourite food when she heard Lina had collapsed.


    She saw her mother-in-law setting out the table herself, while Butler Min and Housekeeper Tan watched awkwardly from the side.


    She would prepare everything personally for her one and only daughter.


    Lina''s heart softened. She ran up to Rika and hugged her.


    "Thank you thank you thank you mother for always looking after me!"


    Shen''s mother was a tall woman, it''s why Shen had grown up to be so tall. Her every move was fluid, even if it was pouring soup into a bowl. Her actions had the grace of a young woman, but her face had the aged beauty of an older, experienced woman.


    When Lina hugged her, her head was tucked perfectly under Rika''s chin. She smiled at how tightly Lina was hugging her, trying to express her gratefulness with every action.


    "If I don''t pamper my only daughter, who will I pamper?"


    She laughed as she said this, happy to see the girl looking spirited after the troubled sleep she had.


    Quickly, she checked Lina''s temperature. It was still the same, but she didn''t want to eat in bed. She looked more alive and active and wanted to have dinner at the table.


    At that moment, Shen walked into the dining hall, after having quickly changed his crumpled, messy clothes.


    As he walked in, Lina felt like she was seeing her husband for the first time.


    It was actually, the first time, after she remembered her love for him. Even though she had grown used to being close to him and around him the last month, this felt so new after the flashback at the coffee shop.


    She blushed as she stared at him.


    "Why don''t you take a picture, it will last longer!"


    This troublesome husband! He already started teasing her.


    She scrunched up her nose and pouted at him, crossing her arms angrily in front of her chest.


    "Son, stop teasing her. She''s unwell and you only seem to have tricks up your sleeve to make her feel worse!"


    Shen rolled his eyes at his mother. He wondered who she actually loved more.


    "This is why I never ask you to come over. It was only for Lina''s sake!"


    Rika knew exactly how to handle her son.


    "Don''t worry, child. I''ve asked Butler Min to make a bed for me in the guest room. I''ll be staying for the rest of the week until I''m convinced my daughter''s health is getting better."


    Lina''s eyes lit up. Chicken soup for dinner every night and mother''s pampering?! What a treat!


    Shen''s accusatory gaze immediately darted to Butler Min, accusing him of treachery. But he only smiled politely back at Shen.


    If the old Madam gave him an order, he wouldn''t dare disobey.


    At that very moment, Housekeeper Tan hurried up to Shen and quietly whispered to him, leaving the old Madam and Lina to keep each other busy.


    "Young master, Ms. Ayu and Ro-kun are waiting outside in the hallway to see you. They say they have some urgent news they want to talk to you about."

 Chapter 44 - Too many secrets

    Shen quickly arose from the table and walked out.


    Lina was immersed in conversation with Rika. She didn''t know Shen had already got the wheels turning, investigating her past and the recent events at full capacity.


    Ayu and Ro-kun were the most competent members of his staff. They were back with news in just a couple of hours.


    As Shen convened the meeting with them in the study, both subordinates looked almost uncomfortable.


    Ro-kun started speaking.


    "Master, we went through all the traffic cam surveillance footage available around the vicinity of the caf¨¦ and where Lina''s Lamborghini was parked."


    Ayu passed a small USB stick to Shen as he plugged it into his laptop and she continued reporting their findings.


    "Sir, madam seems to have walked out of the caf¨¦ with the spilled coffees you found near the alleyway. That''s when she seems to have been..." Ayu stopped and uncomfortably cleared her throat.


    The demon was about to fly into a massive rage when he would see that his wife had been ambushed.


    His eyes were glued to the laptop screen.


    The traffic cam was positioned directly above where the Lambo was parked.


    He watched Lina approach it smiling to herself, holding two coffees. As he zoomed in, he saw they were marked Americano and Soy Milk Cappuccino.


    His heart began racing...she remembered?


    Is that why they had been marked? Because she picked the wrong one the first time they met?


    His lips almost curled up into a smile, when a suddenly, a quick, furtive hooded figure entered the screen and quietly walked up to Lina''s back.


    Since the surveillance camera was on top, Shen could see the brutal jagdkommando knife pressed to his precious wife''s back. He saw her figure stiffen, and the smiled wiped off her face.


    Shen grit his teeth. His fists were clenched on the table, his nails digging into his palms. His exquisite face was contorted, full of anger.


    He watched as the man forced Lina to walk, which was where the footage ended since the camera did not cover the alleyway.


    He had already been informed of this footage through James'' hacking, which is why he found her so quickly, but watching it closely, and seeing how his wife was ambushed and alone, his aura burned with ferocity.


    Since the perpetrator was hooded and moved quickly, it was hard to tell who he was or definitely identify him. He seemed to know about the surveillance cam and kept his face turned away.


    Shen had already checked Lina for wounds and she had been unharmed. But what had transpired in that alleyway?


    There was no way out of there, besides the entrance. There were only high walls surrounding.


    He had found Lina in there alone.


    "Master, it seems that this man is extremely skilled. He knew how to dress, how to move and got away before we found madam."


    Ro-kun had already come to the conclusion that he was skilled and trained.


    "Exactly. Moreover, the fact that he escaped without a trace as soon as we got there, he must have climbed or jumped over the walls in a split second."


    Ayu, who also trained in martial arts, noticed that that was the only way out.


    "Will you talk to madam about it?" she asked her boss.


    Ayu had been worrying about Lina since they found her panicked and collapsed. She had been more proactive than Ro-kun while investigating.


    She was trying hard to restrain her anger and worry in front of Shen.


    After all, her concern for Lina went beyond normal. Lina was her boss'' beloved wife, and she had no right to care about her that much.


    Ayu''s hands were respectfully behind her back, while speaking to Shen, as she stood alert. But Ro-kun saw, that behind her back, she was tightly pinching her wrists to keep herself grounded.


    She too, knew the destruction a jagdkommando knife could have done, with just one false move from Lina.


    "She knew...she knew what he was holding to her back." Shen whispered, thinking aloud. "She didn''t even have to think twice before she stood still and stiff. These are unnatural skills."


    Ro-kun and Ayu agreed.


    Shen was quiet for a long time. Too many secrets put a vast distance between them.


    First the headshot killing the sniper from his office, then her fighting all his security staff, breaking his heavy, high tech security doors not once, but twice and dodging the tranquillisers that he himself couldn''t have avoided.


    She was far too skilled to be normal. But she herself didn''t know where she got it from.


    Lina had never betrayed these traits before the coma. So she must have been deliberately hiding them. But now it was based on pure instinct, survival and a need to protect Shen.


    But there was one thing that was more important than all this.


    "But she remembered something...about us..." he said this more to himself, than to the subordinates standing in front of him.


    That''s why she had opened up to him. She had accepted and returned his kiss. And she had allowed him back into the bed.


    The barrier was thawing, little by little, with love, patience and independence.


    He faced a dilemma now.


    Should he pry into her life, ask her about the encounter and force his way into digging up her past or continue slowly on the same path and allow her time to regain her memory and talk to him of her own free will?


    He wanted to continue investigating...after all, she had lost her memory, and was now left vulnerable to unforeseen threats.


    But would that destroy the trust he had been building between them?

 Chapter 45 - His favourite noodles

    A few minutes later Shen returned to the dining hall where Lina was eating.


    As he looked over at the dishes that had been full before he left to speak to Ro-kun and Ayu, he was shocked.


    "Who ate all the food? Was it my wife alone?!"


    Lina glared at him. Indeed she had finished most of the food but did he really have to say it like that?


    "Mother made it for ME. What are you complaining about?"


    The truth was Lina had lost a lot of energy during the day and her body needed serious replenishment. Rika was a brilliant cook, and used to regularly feed her daughter-in-law before the coma as well. She knew everything Lina loved and had brought over at least four of her favourite dishes.


    "Yes, yes it was all for you. I just meant to compliment your figure despite your appetite!"


    Shen thought he was appeasing his wife, but the henpecked husband didn''t know he had ignited another fire.


    What did he mean ''despite her appetite?''


    Lina glared at him even harder and was about to snap at him, but her mother-in-law intervened first.


    "Enough, son. Someone has to do a good job looking after her, don''t they? That''s why I''m here."


    Now it was Shen''s turn to glare.


    Why was his mother so insensitive towards him!


    And he would have to deal with this all week!


    Lina giggled and quickly covered her mouth, catching a glimpse of the hangry devil fuming at his mother, who didn''t seem to care.


    She quickly got up from her chair and looped her arm through his and spoke sweetly.


    "Come hubby, I''ll make you something to eat since I didn''t leave any food for you."


    All of a sudden the dark cloud over Shen''s head dissipated. His wife would cook for him? He was ready to wait for this dinner!


    "Lina, sit down, you were just having a fever! I will go prepare more food for Shen!" Rika didn''t want her going into the hot kitchen and tiring herself out.


    Shen almost pounced on his mother now. This was going too far! Was she going to also deprive him the first time his wife offered to cook for him?!


    Lina had always been a good cook, even though she didn''t have much time to spend in the kitchen. She''d try to make him a meal at least once a week, and would quietly watch as he finished all of it before she even started eating.


    She''d never be satisfied until he had finished it, and given her approval by telling her the cooking was good.


    She loved seeing him happy to eat her food.


    He used to love vegetable noodles she made him. And he''d missed the taste of them.


    Lina reassured her mother-in-law that she had been sleeping all day anyway, and felt reenergised.


    After much deliberation Rika let Lina go to the kitchen.


    The maids and cooks rushed to help her but she made them all leave.


    Shen had been taking care of her day in day out, feeding her, sleeping on the sofa, comforting her nightmares, taking care of her medications and check ups.


    A sudden burst of affection towards her amazing husband came over her, as she thought of the words she had said to him after awakening from her coma.


    How hurt must he have been?


    And today, she caught a glimpse of the very first instance her heart had warmed towards him, and the look in her eyes had transformed. She gazed at his face with wonder and warmth.


    Her hands instinctively began chopping vegetables to begin preparing the noodle dish Shen loved. She didn''t know how she had decided upon this dish, but her body seemed to know what to do.


    As she prepared the food, her thoughts drifted to what had happened earlier in the afternoon. She couldn''t keep thoughts of Tachi blocked any further.


    Shen would ask her sooner or later about him and this time around, she wanted to be completely honest with him.


    Lina knew that Shen was always gentle with her, but even he was beginning to get restless, because of his inability to intervene and protect her. There were things she had been secretive about before the coma, and the most important thing now was to be transparent.


    She didn''t know who Tachi was, but she definitely had some kind of relationship with him before. What was clear, was that he was dangerous and that her instincts were telling her to stay away from him.


    As Lina pondered, in a few minutes, a beautiful, scrumptious looking vegetable noodle dish lay prepared in front of her, ready to be served to her husband.


    She smiled to herself. It was as if she was cooking and feeding her husband for the first time. As a wife, she felt a sense of pride and affection as she brought the tray out for him.


    Shen was in conversation with his mother, when he saw Lina walk out with his favourite dish!


    He got up immediately and went up to her, helping her with the tray.


    His eyes softened, full of adoration and gentleness.


    When she put the food down, she was suddenly wrapped up in his embrace.


    Lina froze. She quietly whispered to him.


    "Shen...mother is here. Release me."


    Even though she used a commanding tone, this husband didn''t give in.


    Rika, understand the situation, once again decided to take her leave.


    "I''m going to bed now, you two. I''ve had a long day. Son, let your wife rest tonight."


    The last bit was said with a twinkle in her eye.


    Lina was speechless as she blushed, still trapped in his arms.


    "Baby, how did you know this is my favourite food that you make?"


    Lina pushed back and looked up at him. Each time, she looked directly into his eyes, she realised just how much taller he was. She could feel his taught muscles as he held her, sending butterflies fluttering in her stomach.


    "Darling...today I saw us for the first time."

 Chapter 46 - Take you back to bed

    "What do you mean?" Shen''s eyes bore deep into Lina, like he could see her soul.


    She felt like she was on a cloud, her heart racing, the butterflies in her stomach and this handsome, strong man holding her like she was the world.


    "I mean...I was at the caf¨¦ we met at. I noticed it while driving back from work"


    Shen frowned. He didn''t like that she''d been driving off everywhere by herself after having lost her memory. She had driven herself to the Moshi Corp offices the other day too!


    Lina ignored his frown, immediately realising what he was thinking. This husband was going to reprimand her for running around carelessly later.


    "Anyway, I didn''t know that it was the same caf¨¦, but I was drawn to it. I thought it was a place you''d have liked. And then for a moment, I had a flashback to when we introduced ourselves to each other and you told me my name suited me."


    Shen''s lips slowly widened, his face almost glowing. The smile almost had Lina choking on her words.


    Why was he so good looking!?


    "And you told me you liked mine..."


    Lina nodded shyly and looked away. Any more time spent looking into his deep, dark eyes and she''d turn into a puddle.


    She decidedly pushed him away, but he didn''t want to let go.


    "What? Already pushing your most beloved husband away?" he feigned distress.


    She pinched his perfect cheek teasingly and chided him.


    "Will my hubby not eat the first meal his wife cooked after so long?"


    Shen reluctantly let go of her and sat down, serving himself a large portion.


    "Baby, how did you know that this is the exact dish you cooked for me the first time I came to your apartment? Did you remember that too?"


    He knew he shouldn''t push her too hard, but he was expectant, wondering how much of their past she actually remembered.


    Lina''s eyes widened.


    "I didn''t know! I had my own apartment?"


    Shen rolled his eyes. THAT''s what this woman had picked up? Selective hearing.....


    "Of course you did. You''re a successful, independent woman who is sought after world wide! Did you expect me to find you living on the streets?"


    Lina gently smacked Shen''s arm.


    "Just eat. I didn''t even know what I was doing. This just happened!"


    Shen realised that her muscle memory and her subconsciousness would work together at times. From what he spoke to Dr. Hayama about, this was a good thing. She still had everything within her, she only needed to trust herself and let her walls down.


    He ate quickly, excited to take his wife back to bed. He had waited for so long now to rest with her safely in his arms.


    Shen had also missed their physical intimacy. He craved her touch and her gentleness. But he''d allow her to approach him slowly. Tonight, just holding her would be enough.


    She watched him closely, without a word. Shen suddenly noticed her gaze on him.


    He stopped eating. Was this real? This really was her...


    He broke out into a broad smile, taking her breath away once more.


    "It''s delicious. Better than before, even."


    Saying that, he reached for her hand, moved forward a gently kissed her forehead.


    Lina''s intent gaze softened, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She didn''t know why she had been holding her breath, but hearing him saying it was delicious gave her an immense sense of satisfaction.


    She was happy that she could satisfy her husband''s appetite.


    Then she realised that there was another appetite of his she needed to satisfy as well. He was a man, and had waited patiently for her this whole while. As her thoughts wandered to the possibility of those intimate acts, her face turned red.


    Shen, having noticed this, left a smile playing on his lips.


    Before she could recover from her thoughts, she felt herself being abruptly picked up from the chair.


    She gasped as her nose was suddenly filled with Shen''s musky scent, being so close to him. Her heart was pounding in her chest, but she didn''t struggle. Instead, she let him carry her up to their bedroom.


    As he gently laid her down on the bed, he undressed for bed.


    Neither one of them said a word.


    Thoughts of the other day in his office floated to her head as she watched his bare back, and lean muscular arms move around.


    Then she remembered the moment his towel had dropped when they were in his office.


    Suddenly, her stomach flipped, making her tingle with just that one thought.


    ''No, get it together!'' she told herself.


    She had decided to be transparent with Shen. Before they did anything, she would tell him about the encounter with Tachi.


    No more lies. No more secrets.


    They would lie n.a.k.e.d in front of each other hereon.


    She had given her heart and body to this man before she lost her memory, and there should be no more walls between them.

 Chapter 47 - Ayu

    After having reported to Shen, Ro-kun and Ayu left the Moshi mansion.


    Ro-kun drove Ayu home before went back himself.


    They drove in silence. The atmosphere between the two was strange. Both were introverted workaholics devoted to their work and their boss. They didn''t interact very much personally.


    Ever since Ro-kun had confronted Ayu about her feelings towards Lina, their relationship had become even more strained.


    Ayu tried to hide her franticness and her anxiety when Shen called them and ordered them to try track her somehow.


    She could have been dead today. It sent shivers down Ayu''s back.


    Ro-kun dropped Ayu off at the front of her apartment complex. Before she got off the car, Ro-kun grabbed her hand.


    As she turned to look at him, he had a complicated expression on his face.


    She scanned his face, the scar above his eyes, his rugged jawline and strong grip.


    "What is it?"


    He didn''t say anything for a few moments.


    "Ayu...get some rest. Don''t think about her."


    Ayu became agitated. Just because he uncovered her feelings didn''t mean he had the right to interfere.


    "That''s none of your business."


    Saying that, she yanked her hand away and stalked off.


    Ayu made her way up to the 18th floor. The apartment was large, but very minimalistic.


    She didn''t spend much time at home. So she didn''t make it very comfortable or warm.


    There was one huge living room which was adjoined to the kitchen. Ayu couldn''t cook either so she called for takeout. The kitchen hardly had utensils and the fridge was only stocked with leftovers, some wine and energy drinks.


    Her bedroom had a single bed, a study table and a desk lamp. Everything was clinical and white.


    Her closet was stocked with pant suits, a couple of formal dresses and track pants to go to bed in.


    She called for some pizza and sat on the kitchen table, opened the bottle of wine.


    But she had no appetite.


    As she tried to eat, her eyes filled with tears. With every bite, tears rolled down her cheeks harder. She had nobody to talk to. The pent up fear and stress was too much for one person to handle, when they cared so much about another person.


    Every day she had to watch the woman she loved oblivious to the fire that burned inside her, loving someone else.


    Ayu wasn''t idiot. She was a logical, rational woman. She didn''t just fall for Lina for no reason.


    When Lina met Shen, he was always distracted from work. Ayu was always left to clean up, finish incomplete assignments and approve or reject things that required Shen''s attention.


    She hadn''t slept for a week, or eaten properly and was close to collapsing at the office one evening.


    Lina had come to look for Shen who was busy in a meeting and found Ayu passed out and burnt out on the floor of a corridor.


    When Ayu came to, she was covered with a woman''s coat in the office cafeteria, lying on a sofa. She glimpsed Lina cooking some warm soup at the stove but didn''t have the energy to ask who she was.


    Lina had come over, fed her and looked after her all evening.


    It wasn''t until Shen walked into the cafeteria after his meeting that she realised who Lina was.


    She quickly got up, and apologised for her misconduct. But Lina scolded Shen for overworking his employees and not looking after them well.


    He apologised to Ayu and gave her a week off.


    Ever since, Ayu hadn''t forgotten a moment spent with Lina. She always acted like Lina was the cause of trouble at Moshi Corp and that it was because of her Shen had lost part of his focus.


    But the truth was, she would steal glances at Lina when nobody was looking, arrange her study table if it was messy and make sure her lunches were sent to her on time at work.


    Nobody saw. Except Ro-kun.


    And then the assassination attempts on Lina. Ayu couldn''t be at her side. All she could do was help Shen run Moshi Corp while he stayed with Lina at the estate where she recovered, hoping to hear news of the woman she''d given her heart to.


    The only one who cared that she was human and not just a machine at Shen''s side.


    She never knew what it felt to love someone before Lina. And now all she knew was heartbreak.


    "Why...why do you have to be so far away...why did you fall in love with him?"


    Ayu''s voice was weak, tears still running down her cheeks, the wine bottle almost empty.

 Chapter 48 - Stay by my side

    Shen rolled into bed next to Lina, immediately circling her waist with his arms.


    A moment of peace engulfed them both. It felt right. Lina felt safe. Nobody could touch them here.


    As much as she simply wanted to enjoy the moment, she knew their tranquility wouldn''t last if she didn''t talk to Shen about what happened.


    Lina knew he wouldn''t ask her that night. He cared too much for her, the pressure she went through and the exhaustion.


    But it was her turn to make the move. She should be the one to take the first step, and meet him halfway.


    Still wrapped in his arms, her face was buried in his strong chest. She loved the smell of him. It relaxed her.


    "Darling..."


    She was mumbling, and he couldn''t make out what she was saying. Shen pushed himself back slightly to look at her face and hear her better.


    "Today...when you found me..."


    She began to explain, but her stopped her.


    She felt his soft lips brush against hers. The words were stuck in her throat. All she tasted was sweetness and his warm breath.


    Her entire body began to tingle.


    "Stop, angel. We don''t have to talk about it tonight. You''ve dealt with enough today. We will find the person who attacked you. You''re safe now."


    Lina smiled slightly.


    "Shen. I know who it is. He revealed himself to me."


    He looked at her, slightly shocked. He hadn''t expected her to be so direct. But at the same time, an uneasy feeling clung to his heart.


    Another man getting close to his wife, threatening her...his blood began to boil.


    "Who was it?" he said through grit teeth.


    "Please calm down, and let me explain. It''s hard for me to process this too."


    Lina didn''t want to anger him right now. She wanted his affection and comfort, not his anger. Or he''d leave her alone in bed and send people to look for Tachi.


    His breathing became easier, listening to her voice soothe him.


    "Baby, I''m here for you ok? Just talk to me.."


    Her eyes softened as she gazed at his face. The moonlight streaming in from the window highlighted his face at the right angles, his soft hair hanging over his forehead making him look angelic and dangerous at the same time.


    Why was this man so stunning?


    "I want to be upfront with you. My secrets from before have left our relationship exposed to danger and now its too late to discuss things we should have before until I get my memory back. That''s why I want there to be complete transparency.


    Shen...I''m sorry about keeping you in the dark before. Whatever my reasons, you''re my husband, and I trust you.


    The man who ambushed me today was Victor Tachibana, the assistant who came with Dr. Yoshi the first day I got my check up here."


    Shen''s gaze remained trained to her face. The information was all too much to process. His love for Lina was overwhelming, especially when she exposed her thoughts so trustfully.


    His hand reached up to stroke her petit face. Her chin was so delicate, and her long eyelashes were like feathers covering her big almond eyes.


    She trusted him. And that was enough for him.


    But then his gaze turned dark.


    "I knew there was something wrong with that man, the moment your reacted badly after seeing him here. There must be some sort of complicated connection with him in your past."


    Shen''s mind was also turning. He had never seen Victor before. A strange sensation enveloped him as insecurities began to seep in.


    What relationship did he have with Lina? Did she secretly meet with him when she was being secretive before the coma?


    Seeing the expressions on his face, Lina felt guilty. She didn''t know for a fact what her relationship with Tachi was, but she had to tell Shen that she instinctively was averse to Tachi''s presence!


    "Darling, don''t let your mind wander. I may not have my memories but my instincts are fine. My body can tell who I want to be around, and who I don''t. His presence makes me sick. But being with you makes me happy."


    A look of relief washed over Shen. She had never given him a reason to doubt her. Before she had been attacked, she had been honest with him. She had told him there were issues with work that required secrecy, but he had no idea how much of it intersected with their life together.


    Her eyes had always been pure and confident, after the first month they were together.


    In the beginning, she had trouble meeting his gaze and then something switched.


    Of course he trusted her.


    "Shen...he said you''re not really my husband. He said that he was my real husband."


    Shen sat up straight in an instant. Lina got up as well, holding his hand, praying all would be okay between them.


    "WHAT? How dare he spew that nonsense! We have our marriage certificates! We''ve shared our hearts and our bed for 9 months - how dare he!"


    "He was angry at me, saying that he had to deal with a lot of trouble because I was with you. I''m so confused, but for a moment I remembered who he was. I didn''t remember his face or anything about how I knew him, but just that he was...Tachi."


    Her honesty made Shen feel better, but he was seething internally. How dare this bastard barge into their lives and fill Lina''s ears with bullshit.


    "Baby, I want to protect you, but you have to allow me to. I don''t want this man coming near you again. He might be stirring up trouble and feeding you false information knowing you''ve lost your memory."


    Lina looked at Shen, suddenly emotional.


    Was it too easy to rip her away from Shen like that?


    "Shen...you promised you''d be my husband forever. No matter what happens, please stay by my side. I''ll face anything if you''re with me."


    "Angel, no matter who you used to be or what you did, you are mine now. The day you remembered in the caf¨¦, that day on, you were mine. And I will never let go of what is mine."


    With that he kissed his wife, and wrapped her up close, next to him, vowing to protect her to the very end.

 Chapter 49 - Personally handle Lina

    -- at the agency HQ --


    "Agent Tachi, the boss wants to see you in his office immediately."


    It was the thin, grave-looking secretary. His face always had the same annoying expression on it.


    "Fine, I''ll come with you."


    The secretary turned and walked towards the boss'' office, as Tachi followed behind him.


    "Tachi, you''ve made a mess this time, haven''t you?"


    The secretary was known to be a quiet, but extremely cruel man. He hardly spoke words beyond the boss'' orders, and had legendary skills that no one had lived to witness firsthand.


    A shiver ran down Tachi''s back.


    Why did he have to be so impulsive! But looking at that ignorant woman...he couldn''t help himself.


    "It''s none of your business, Senior."


    He was known as ''Senior'' by all the agents and employees of the agency. Nobody knew his identity or his real name. Only the boss knew.


    Senior just scoffed.


    "Watch yourself, Tachi. Or your corpse will be hung out to dry."


    The threat was real. Tachi had overstepped the boundary this time. He would definitely be punished.


    As Senior opened the door to the boss''s office, Tachi took a deep breath before he walked in.


    "Good morning, sir."


    Boss wasn''t in his chair, but his office was dimly lit as usual. No one really saw boss'' full face or got a good glimpse of what he looked like.


    But today, he walked directly up to Tachi.


    He was striking beyond the legends going around. His aura had a hint of madness, but a sense of control was predominant.


    The boss''s clean cut Armani suit was well fitted, showing off his muscular, well-built outline. The salt-and-pepper hair made him appear experienced and well seasoned. But it was his unwavering, indifferent gaze that seemed to suck a person in.


    Tachi smelled a light cigar scent off him as he came close, his handsome, sharp features leaving even a man stunned.


    "You''ve been busy, agent Tachibana, haven''t you?" his low, humming voice sounded partially amused, and yet more dangerous than ever.


    Tachi owned up and decided to apologise immediately. It was futile beating around the bush.


    "I''m very sorry, sir, I let my emotions get the best of me."


    "What did you say to her?"


    "I was angry. I just wanted to make sure that she really lost her memory."


    "What did you say, agent?"


    "I told her Mr. Moshi isn''t her husband...I am."


    There was a pin-drop silence in the room.


    Tachi was terrified internally, but he couldn''t show this boss any weaknesses.


    "And?"


    "Sorry, boss...I don''t understand"


    "And what did she say?"


    The boss'' voice was getting sharper as he became more agitated.


    He wondered how Lina had reacted when Tachi provoked her.


    "She was in denial initially, but that seemed to have sparked some part of her memory. She called me...''Tachi''."


    There was a flash of surprise on the boss'' face, but it turned indifferent almost immediately.


    "I see."


    As the boss returned to his chair at his desk, he contemplated the situation.


    "Agent Tachibana, you''ve violated my direct orders not to interfere and even caused a potential problem in the investigation. Lina Dai is Shen Moshi''s weakness, and you have alerted her. Even though we lost her as an agent, she is our bait. For this reason, you will be imprisoned at the agency and disallowed to leave until I personally resolve this matter.


    Incompetence like yours has no place in our organisation. I will deal with you once I put Shen Moshi''s case to rest."


    He dictated his sentence as if he was reading a mundane newspaper article.


    As long as Tachi was a liability, he would be disposed of without a second thought.


    "But sir-"


    "Enough. Get out."


    Tachi had no power to resist. He walked out of the office, his head hanging low.


    Lina had just begun to remember who he was, and now -- he would not get out of here for the foreseeable future.


    He told her he would find her again.


    But would she ever forgive him if she knew?


    Would she forgive him if she knew that it was him who shot her, missing her heart by a smidgeon, before she was hit by the truck?


    He didn''t know if he''d ever have the chance to tell her or explain himself.


    Tachi felt his heart breaking. But maybe that''s why he was going to get locked up.


    They were trained not to have hearts, but it was hard to keep hiding his.


    He slipped his hand into his pocket where two very creased doc.u.ments were stuffed. He pulled them out, looking at them for the millionth time.


    They were marriage certificates.


    One his and the other belonging to his wife, Lina Dai.

 Chapter 50 - A moment of peace

    Over the weekend, Lina finally decided to deal with the ''cellphone thing''.


    Every time she looked at it, she felt a headache began to come on. The last time she turned it on, the flood of messages screaming ''where are you'' and ''get better soon'' or ''boss...this happened'' and ''boss that happened'' was crazy.


    In the midst of the B nation issue and her developing relationship with Shen and medical check ups with Dr. Yoshi, she had no time or energy to deal with whatever social life she had.


    As she turned on the phone, it was bombarded with new messages. Thankfully it didn''t log the missed calls when turned off or she would have received at least a 1000 from Mei and Shen from when she had disappeared after the PM''s meeting.


    "Finally! Make sure you have that thing on at all times. If anything happens again, I need to be able to contact you."


    Actually, Shen had forced her into dealing with her contacts the weekend project. He was terrified after what happened with Tachi, especially since Mei was her mouthpiece and she had managed to ditch her at the office too.


    Lina rolled her eyes at her husband. But he was right. It was irresponsible of her not to have her cellphone as a working woman, as well.


    She couldn''t expect Mei to be stuck to her side at all times. She had a life too. And she had no intention of working her out like Shen did to Ayu.


    As Lina scanned the text messages she received, she saw many from someone called Mana.


    "Shen, who''s Mana?"


    The texts were frequent at the beginning three months ago and had grown scarce since late.


    She would text Lina anxiously, where she was and why she hadn''t heard from her.


    After Mana said she had been to the office and spoken to Mei, she found out about Lina''s coma and sent her messages everyday wishing her good luck and to get better.


    Sometimes, her messages said she missed her and the recent ones wished her a good morning everyday and a wish to get better soon.


    "She''s your best friend, actually. You went to university together."


    Lina''s eyes widened. Her best friend? She went to University? Which University? Where?


    "Why didn''t you tell me about her yet! She seems like someone who cares deeply for me! She even said she went to the consultancy many times to see if I was back!"


    Lina looked agitated. Did he forget that she must have had her own life too?


    "Baby, our relationship is a secret even from Mana. She doesn''t know about us. I can''t go around contacting her to come visit you at home can I?"


    "Where did she think I lived then? If we were that close, she would have visited me at home somewhere!"


    "Your apartment from before we were married is still maintained by Housekeeper Tan. That''s where she thinks you live."


    As he said that, Shen thought about their relationship.


    So few people knew about her being Mrs. Moshi.


    Not even her best friend.


    His face turned dark. This was not the kind of marriage he planned to give her. He wanted to declare to the world that she was his woman, to love her openly and announce her status.


    And then he had almost lost her. Lost the opportunity to be a married man in the open and to cherish her as Mrs. Moshi.


    But if those two people found out...they would go after her.


    And they weren''t his only enemies. They were just the most dangerous ones.


    Only his parents, the loyal house staff and their work assistants knew.


    Nobody from her life knew.


    "Maybe you should tell Mana..."


    Lina looked at him, her eyes wide.


    "But what about protecting your position as CEO..."


    Shen pulled her towards him.


    "It was less about my position, and more about protecting you until my position was completely secure. But you got hurt anyway. Don''t you think it''s time we let the world know? That way I can protect you openly, with my power and my name."


    Lina thought for a second about what he said. It definitely made sense. But there was a lump in her throat as she thought about what Tachi had said.


    ''Playing house, fake husband''


    There seemed to be issues with her past, not his. There were things she did not know that may hurt him.


    And before she knew, she didn''t want the world to know.


    She wanted them to stay in their own little world.


    "Darling, I want to get my memory back first. There''s a lot of unanswered questions that I want to sort out before we take a step that big. I like how it is now...we can live without being bothered."


    He smiled at her and kissed her head.


    "Well you can tell Mana if you like. That was always your choice."


    She nodded. Lina wanted to meet her first, and maybe get some answers about her past.


    She sent her a text message apologising for being unreachable and asked her to meet at the caf¨¦ that she had met Shen at.


    She got an instantaneous reply from Mana to be there in half an hour.


    "Shen, I''ll be back soon!"


    He nodded at her and hugged her before she sped off in the Lambo.


    As soon as she left, Shen picked up his phone and dialled Ayu''s number.


    "Watch madam at the caf¨¦. She is meeting Mana. Make sure she''s safe."

 Chapter 51 - King of the underworld

    Mana was already waiting for Lina at the caf¨¦.


    Since she was the only one there, it was easy for Lina to catch a glimpse of the anxious girl from outside.


    Mana was a serious-looking, lean, athletic girl with straight brown hair and a worried expression on her face. She was wearing a simple white shirt and dress pants, continually checking her phone for the time.


    It looked like she had rushed out of work, or from the middle of something.


    Lina''s heart softened as she looked at the stressed out woman waiting for her. Naturally, she didn''t remember Mana either, but she could tell that her best friend really cared about her.


    She had researched her background by talking to Mei about her.


    "Boss, Ms. Mana doesn''t know about your marriage to the master but she has known you as Ms. Mito since you were in University together here in the capital city. She also knows about your work at the consultancy and comes by occasionally."


    Mei had also given Lina some additional information about Mana''s likes, dislikes, habits and family and work.


    She was the same age as Lina, 26. She had graduated with a degree in law and Lina had graduated with a degree in political science. Mana now worked as a junior associate at a major law firm in the capital city.


    But it was up to Lina to decide how much information she wanted to divulge right now.


    Her amnesia was a well kept secret, from everyone at work and her social circle. The less people that knew about the amnesia, the safer she was from being duped.


    As she walked into the caf¨¦, Mana''s worried, darting eyes changed. She leaped out of her chair, but stood frozen, standing as if she had seen a ghost.


    It looked like she wanted to approach Lina and hug her but was slightly lost and awkward.


    "Lina..."


    Her voice was barely a whisper.


    Lina''s face broke into a smile, thinking about how much this woman had worried and cared and hoped for her recovery through the text messages on her phone.


    She walked towards Mana and instinctively hugged her without a word.


    As soon as she did, Mana hugged her back tightly, suddenly breaking into tears.


    "Li, you idiot. Why did you disappear on me for so long! I was so worried, I don''t even know what to say right now!"


    Mana was speaking between sobs and smiles and she alternated between hugging Lina and inspecting her, as if to check that she was really there.


    Lina laughed.


    "Mana...I''m really here and I''m really okay. There''s a lot to discuss. So much has happened."


    As they sat down and ordered their drinks, Mana''s teary face started to brighten.


    She reached across the table and held Lina''s hand, her gaze scanning Lina intently.


    "Li, what the hell happened? We''re hanging out one day, and the next you''ve just disappeared. All I heard from Mei was that you had been in an accident and had been taken to some private facility for treatment! I couldn''t even visit you!"


    Lina thought about what Mana said. It all made sense now, how quietly Shen had protected her. He had taken her away to an inaccessible place, under his careful watch, to make sure not even the people closest to her would find her.


    After all, they still didn''t know who had attacked her.


    What''s more, there wasn''t just one attacker -- there were two!


    Naturally, anyone close to her would be at risk, or would have put her at risk.


    Lina felt awful that Shen may have suspected the people close to her, but also realised that protecting her at that time was necessary.


    "Mana, it''s really complicated. It wasn''t as simple as an accident."


    Lina thought for a minute before she decided to be honest with Mana.


    She was getting tired of hiding behind glass doors, waiting to see if something happened.


    If someone wanted to attack her, she was now prepared. They could come meet her head on. But she was tired of keeping track of her secrets from everyone she was around.


    The employees of the consultancy didn''t need to know details. They just needed their boss to remain competent.


    But she had a long standing, personal relationship with Mana. She desperately needed people she could trust, besides always relying on Shen.


    "Actually, what happened was no accident. Two parties tried to assassinate me. I was in a coma for the last three months. I woke up just a few weeks ago."


    Mana''s expression turned stony.


    And then her eyes slowly widened, as if she couldn''t believe what she was hearing.


    Lina decided to offload everything together.


    "That''s not all. I''m also suffering from amnesia. I don''t remember anything about my life at all. I don''t remember you either."


    Mana looked like her soul had left her body. There was pure shock written across her face.


    Lina sighed.


    "That''s still not all."


    Mana almost choked.


    "Really Li?! What other crazy shit will you spout next? That you''re married to the king of the underworld?!"


    It was Lina''s turn to choke.


    "Who told you that!"


    Mana face almost smashed into the table at this point.


    Lina grinned sheepishly.


    "Well, do you consider Shen Moshi the king of the underworld?"

 Chapter 52 - Pure opulence

    "SHEN MOSHI? Li, what the hell?"


    Mana looked like she was about to collapse. Her best friend was not only almost assassinated twice, in a coma, now an amnesiac but ALSO MARRIED?


    MARRIED TO THE KING OF COUNTRY J?


    The man who controlled the economy and the basic eco-system of their habitat -- their entire livelihood?


    The man whose life was pure opulence was her best friend''s husband?


    "Li, WHEN did you get married exactly? Was this during your coma? Were you a vegetable on your wedding day? HOW DID I NOT KNOW? WHAT AM I TO YOU?"


    Mana was exploding.


    Lina wondered if Mana even cared that she was going through amnesia and couldn''t even remember her?


    How had this woman completely forgotten that she had just told her about almost getting killed via assassination!?


    Why wasn''t she more concerned about that?


    "Mana, are you really my friend? Do you not care more about my life and that people tried to KILL ME?"


    Lina feigned disappointment.


    Mana wasn''t listening. Instead she was assessing Lina''s fingers for the wedding ring.


    "Where is it? Where is it? Li, why aren''t you wearing a ring?"


    "The marriage is a secret..."


    Lina sighed and took the ring out from her purse and put the simple silver band on her ring finger.


    Mana blinked a couple of times.


    "That''s it?"


    Lina was confused.


    "Li, the man basically owns...everything! Where''s the stone that''s supposed to be larger than your face?!"


    Lina was still confused.


    "What stone? Larger than my face?"


    Mana was at the end of her wits. She decided to be as explicit as possible.


    "Don''t you have a massive, diamond ring? Why is there just one silver band. The man can afford any jewel, no matter how rare. And this is all he gave you?"


    Unbeknownst to the two women, Ayu was standing quietly behind a pillar, listening in. Even though she was only there for Lina''s protection, she couldn''t help but smile to herself. The madam certainly was a little slow when it came to such matters.


    Lina had never been in the least bit hedonistic. So naturally, she never cared to explore her husband''s wealth or assets, even though they were always at her disposal.


    Shen wanted her to do as she liked, and never pushed her to spend more or use his wealth. He admired her independence and wilfulness.


    Ayu remembered that even before they were married, she never flung around an attitude or acted spoiled. Most girlfriends and wives of rich business executives and tycoons would demand big things and have their husbands'' assistants slaving away for them.


    Ayu never had to deal with that nonsense from Lina. She always treated her as an equal and was very respectful, despite Ayu''s cold disposition towards her.


    It was another reason her heart warmed up to Lina.


    She thought of this with some bitterness. The madam still never cared about flashing around wealth or acting superior.


    No matter what her past was, her heart had always remained pure and true to her nature.


    Lina looked at Mana awkwardly.


    "Is that necessary...he already gives me more than what diamonds and jewellery are worth. He stands by me no matter what I do or don''t do. I''ve been so lucky."


    Mana''s eyes softened as she looked at the expression on Lina''s face.


    "Well, then...that''s all I care about. It makes me happy to see you happy. Was there a wedding? How have you been hiding this from the media? And how did you even meet THE Shen Moshi?"


    Lina became thoughtful at this.


    "We don''t go out together in public, we have our own cars and nobody can get close to the Moshi estate because it''s heavily guarded. But I keep a low profile anyway, and since I woke up from the coma, I''ve just been out to work once and Shen''s office a couple of times. There has been no opportunity for others to find out!"


    As Lina explained these things to Mana, she wondered what it would be like to go on a public date, to a restaurant and hold hands while on a walk.


    She craved that. A smile crept up on her face. One day they''d have that opportunity, she hoped.


    "Mana, we actually even met at this caf¨¦. It was quite fateful."


    Lina thought about what a crazy coincidence it was that she met him at the one and only place her ever went out to. Since Shen hardly went to restaurants or public places in fear of being recognised and exposed to the public eye, it was a big thing to have bumped into him so randomly.


    But right now, she wanted to know more about her life before she met Shen. And Mana was her resource.


    "Mana, I want to know about university. Can you tell me how I used to be and more about the time we spent there together?"


    Saying this, Lina looked some what melancholy. Seeing her like that, it dawned on Mana what kind of pain her best friend must have gone through, losing her sense of self.


    It must have hurt her confidence, she must have felt so lost.


    She reached out again and held Lina''s hand.


    "Shall we make a field trip then?"


    Lina looked up, her eyes bright.


    "Where?"


    "Back to the beginning! We''ll go back seven years ago, the first day we met. Capital City University!"


    Lina nodded.


    The women stood up and walked to Lina''s car.


    Mana got into the passenger seat and put on her seatbelt.


    But suddenly it occurred to her that Lina had just gotten out of a coma.


    "Wait Li! Can you still drive okay? Do you not have a driver?"


    Lina glared at her.


    "Why don''t you sit still and find out for yourself."


    Mana took a deep breath and decided to trust her.


    "Well, just follow my directions then!"


    As Lina zoomed off, a nondescript black car followed.

 Chapter 53 - A million love confessions

    As Lina pulled up to the entrance of Capital City University, she was left staring in wonder.


    It was surely a grand place. Mana had explained it was the top university in the country J and there were also a lot of international students who travelled from all over the world to study here.


    The gates were huge, and behind them was a massive courtyard. Around the courtyard was a huge collegiate structure. The buildings looked old, but still very well kept.


    "Can we go inside right now? It looks closed." Lina wondered out loud, hoping for an affirmative reply from Mana.


    Being in this place made her happy. She fancied herself as a simple young student, enjoying being young and without worries with her best friend.


    "No, it''s closed right now."


    Lina''s face dropped. But Mana giggled.


    "But, Li, we can sneak in!"


    Lina''s head snapped up as she grinned at Mana. Suddenly, she figured out why they used to be such good friends.


    Sneaking in sounded fantastic. It was right up her alley.


    "Ok, let''s park around the corner and then go over to the back side of the college. We''re going to relive our memories!"


    As Lina drove around to park, she wondered if they used to sneak in a lot. Maybe they got into trouble a few times too!


    "Did we do this kind of stuff often?"


    Mana laughed.


    "Yes! All because of you. You always had a chip on your shoulder."


    She thought back to how she met Lina.


    Mana had always been a straight edge, serious girl. She now even had a very serious job. But Lina had brought this careless, open and fearless attitude into her life.


    Lina never tried too hard, she just did what she wanted. Mana loved how freely she lived her life. Her confidence and her courage were just a few of the qualities she admired.


    Mana lead Lina to the back of the college where the high wall was slightly broken. There were a few stones in the wall that were displaced.


    "Ok Li, we just have to climb up here using the displaced stones as support and jump over!"


    Since the wall was a little broken, it was also a couple of feet shorter. This would make their landing safer, without causing them to break any bones.


    Lina nodded confidently and decided to go up first.


    Instinctively, she stepped only on two stones and within a second hoisted herself gracefully up, pivoted using the support of her hands, and landed softly like a cat on the other side.


    Mana stood behind her, stunned.


    "Li...are you okay?"


    Since she didn''t hear Lina land, she was worried that her friend hurt herself. But at the same time was shocked at her smooth, quick, professional moves.


    Last she checked, Lina wasn''t a master gymnast. Where did she acquire these moves? Did she get bitten by a radioactive spider when she was in a coma?!


    "I''m fine I''m fine! You climb down here now!"


    Hearing Lina''s confident voice call back to her, Mana almost teared up. She was still the same Lina!


    It took her longer to climb the stones since she was slightly out of practice, but as she pulled herself up on top of the wall, her legs trembled a bit.


    One of the stones came loose, and within a second, Mana found herself falling over the other side.


    Even though the broken part of the wall wasn''t too high, the position in which she was falling was bound to injure her.


    Mana closed her eyes and shrieked, bracing herself for the fall, but instead she found herself bang into a body.


    When she opened her eyes, she realised Lina had thrown herself under her own body.


    Mana quickly stood up and checked on Lina.


    "Li!!!! Are you okay?!"


    Lina coughed a little, holding her stomach.


    "God, were you always this heavy even before?!"


    Mana laughed drily. At least this annoying woman was joking.


    But Lina dusted herself and got up within a minute.


    Seriously, when did she develop these superhuman powers?!


    Mana cleared her throat.


    "So, are you going to tell me when you began scaling walls like a ninja?"


    Lina chastised herself mentally. Seriously, how much was she hiding from everyone who knew her? Clearly, Mana knew nothing about her skills.


    Who knew?


    She could only think about Tachi. And immediately, she felt a wave of nausea come over her.


    She laughed sheepishly.


    "Actually, since I woke up, I''ve been training at the gym to recuperate my body. My trainer makes me work really hard!"


    She decided it was better to keep Mana out of the complexities she hadn''t unraveled herself. Shen could protect himself, and she was always with him. They could work together to remain safe from unforeseen dangers.


    But Mana, she was better left in the dark, away from things she knew nothing about.


    She wanted one part of her life to remain untouched by the craziness.


    Lina felt an urge to just have one uncomplicated day with her friend.


    Thankfully Mana didn''t press the issue.


    "Whatever, Li. As long as you''re still alive, I don''t care if you do cartwheels mid-air."


    Lina giggled.


    "So where to?"


    Mana looked at her with a mischievous look in her eye.


    "To the place where you saved me from a bully!"


    Lina''s eyes lit up with excitement.


    "Have I always been saving your butt?"


    Mana punched her lightly on the arm.


    "So what if you''ve always had to save me! I''ve saved you many times too!"


    "From what?!"


    "A million love confessions, of course!"


    From behind the wall, Ayu sent a text message to Shen.


    *"Black car tailing madam"*

 Chapter 54 - The damsel and her knight

    As both women walked through the long collegiate corridors of the prestigious institute''s building, they giggled at the memories Mana recollected.


    "This was the one class we had together in International Law." Mana explained as they entered a beautiful high-ceiling classroom.


    The building was old, so it still carried the timeless aura with it''s aged architecture and stoned walls.


    Lina wished she could remember these memories of having acc.u.mulated a world class education. It was amazing that she could still handle her work with everything she had studied deeply ingrained.


    But it was the pleasure of college days, messing around, hanging out with Mana and the invaluable lectures she''d sat through that left an emptiness in her heart.


    Seeing her downcast expression, Mana threw her arms around Lina.


    "Don''t worry Li! If there was anyone who could recover from what you''ve been through, I''d place my bets on you!"


    "Thanks, Mana." Lina sad eyes brightened a little.


    "Okay, enough of boring classrooms. Let''s head to the key destination!"


    Lina followed as Mana grabbed her hand and beelined towards and open air theatre-like area.


    Her eyes widened as they stepped out of the building corridors and into the wide, expansive atrium.


    The entire place was surrounded by dense trees and beautiful, exotic plants. It was almost like a designed garden in a medieval palace. The seating could hold a crowd of at least 2000 people and the stage was massive.


    "It''s pretty impressive, isn''t it?"


    "Yes..." Lina''s mouth was agape in wonder.


    Mana laughed at her wonder. It confounded her how surprised and wonderstruck her best friend was to see the place they spent so many hours and breaks at.


    "This is where we met for the first time..." Mana''s voice drifted as she thought back to the first time she set her eyes on Lina.


    Mana had never been one to confront people who stood in her way. She preferred to hide and ignore and focus on her work. She made an easy target for bullies, especially because of her lack of confidence.


    She had never been a stunning woman or a cute girl at school, so she chose to keep a low profile.


    The first day at Capital City University was daunting, not knowing anyone or anything. A lot of people came in, already knowing each other before, or having connected online. But Mana came from a smaller city in J Country and was all alone.


    The first day was the orientation mixer in this very outdoor theatre. All the other girls were wearing pretty frocks and heavy makeup, trying to impress the boys and the seniors who were welcoming them, but Mana was dressed in a plain shirt and a longer skirt up to her shins.


    Her conservative style and her plain face didn''t make her stand out much, and she seemed drab to all the new comers and someone uninteresting who faded in the background to the seniors.


    She had kept her eyes down and tried to stay out of everyone''s way, but unfortunately for her, she wasn''t careful as to where she was walking and bumped into a tall, very beautiful freshman girl from an influential background.


    The girl pushed her and slapped her in front of everyone even though Mana apologised to her. But the beautiful girl and her friends kept picking on her.


    "That''s when you came rushing in on your white horse, Li." Mana smiled and winked at her best friend.


    "I had a white horse?!" Lina''s eyes widened in child-like wonder.


    Mana burst out laughing.


    "No, you idiot! I meant, you were my like my knight on a white horse, and I was the damsel in distress!"


    "Haha oh, I see!" Lina giggled.


    "How many brain cells did you lose in that coma, Li?"


    Mana got whacked playfully on her arm.


    "Ow! You haven''t changed at all, you crazy violent woman!"


    "I was that violent?" Lina asked, excited to hear about her own past escapades. She carefully thought about how ''violent'' she had been lately.


    Shen was definitely annoyed at his security systems and doors being destroyed by her, as well as his entire security team at the capital city Moshi Corp offices, as well as breaking poor Ayu''s arm the first time she met her....


    "Earth to Lina!"


    She heard Mana''s voice beckoning her back to reality.


    "Sorry sorry, got lost in thought! So tell me, how was I always so violent?"


    Mana cleared her throat as if to prepare herself to tell a long story.


    "So when that bitch was bullying me and beating me up, some crazy girl pulled her by her hair and tossed her aside like she was a banana peel being chucked into a garbage bin. And that, Li, was you!"


    Tossed a girl like she was a banana peel being thrown into a garbage bin?


    Was she really that brutal?


    "And then nobody dared to mess with you or with me ever again."


    "Mana, didn''t I get into trouble? Didn''t that girl have an influential backing?"


    "Well, she was the daughter of a wealthy businessman and her father came to the University to make a complaint the next day, but somehow you never got into any trouble. I even asked you if you came from an influential family but you said you were an orphan so...I assumed you just got lucky!"


    Mana''s voice trailed off.


    It all sounded a little suspicious.


    Lina fell into thought again. Why did it feel like someone was always pulling some strings behind her?


    Not even Mana knew anything about her family.


    Who knew?


    Tachi?

 Chapter 55 - An idiotic disguise

    Both girls sat in the theatre area quietly for a few minutes.


    As Lina pondered over her past and the inexplicable events and happenings she couldn''t seem to control, Mana thought about how Lina saved her from the mean girl who had been bullying her.


    She was being beaten, crying on the ground when suddenly there had been silence.


    A stunning girl was standing above her, the freshman who was bullying her, lying on the other side, crying and shocked at being flung brutally to the side by Lina.


    Lina''s face was fresh and make-up free. She wore a cool black tank top, and tight jeans that accentuated her toned, petite figure. She didn''t need to dress up like the others to look beautiful. There was a confidence about her face and sharpness in her eyes that naturally gravitated people towards her.


    Her soft, dark locks were tied up in a high ponytail and her face was pleasant, smiling down at her with big, deep almond eyes. Lina was extending her arm down to Mana, to help her up but Mana was so stunned she couldn''t move.


    Lina had laughed, not in a condescending way, but as if she hadn''t a care in the world.


    "Hey, have you stared long enough?"


    Mana shook herself off, and took Lina''s hand. Her grasp was strong and sure. That''s when Mana knew they''d be the best of friends. She could trust Lina.


    Slowly, but surely, Lina''s presence and support gave her a voice, the ability to look people in the eye and speak up for herself.


    As she extricated herself from this daydream, she turned to look at Lina staring into the distance.


    Her face still glowed with the same fresh, confident youth, but her eyes weren''t as sharp or determined. There was a look of emptiness, and loneliness. She looked lost.


    Mana''s heart softened as she stared at her best friend''s face.


    Suddenly she saw a spark of recognition in Lina''s eyes. Following her gaze, she saw an awkward looking, tall figure clad entirely in black with dark shades and and black hood. The figure''s face was also covered with a black face mask.


    Mana''s heart began to race. Were they going to be attacked here?


    She stood up, held Lina''s arm and began to run, dragging Lina along.


    "Li, come on! Someone''s coming after us!"


    Mana''s mind instantly began to race. The people who tried to assassinate Lina hadn''t been caught. What if it was one of those people?


    At this point, the black clad figure began running towards them.


    But Lina wasn''t moving fast enough and kept turning to look at the figure. She even looked mildly amused.


    "Mana! Mana! It''s okay, relax! That person won''t harm us."


    "Li! He''s running towards us! He''s literally hiding his identity with all that black clothing like a thief or an assassin. RUN!"


    Lina held Mana still so she could stop but Mana''s eyes were full of panic.


    "Listen to me! He won''t harm us, it''s just the king of the underworld!"


    Mana stood still suddenly, frozen in her spot. She turned to look at the awkwardly dressed running figure, and then at her best friend''s amused expression.


    She turned again at the approaching figure clad in black and looked once more at her best friend who looked like she was about to burst into laughter.


    "That crazy, running figure who looks like a thief is your husband?"


    "Yes..."


    "That weirdo who looks like he''s about to attack two women in broad daylight is the great Shen Moshi?"


    "Yes..."


    Even though almost no part of his face or body was visible, Lina could still make out his build, height, his walk and his aura from away.


    Seeing as the two women had stopped moving, Shen slowed down and finally sauntered up to them.


    Pulling down his mask to reveal his perfect jawline and beautiful thin lips, he huffed loudly, annoyed at them for making him run across the huge open air theatre.


    Mana recognised the lower half of his distinct face from the few press conferences and interviews she had seen related to Moshi Corp.


    Without a second thought, she blurted out words she wished she could take back.


    "What are you doing dressed like a freak?!"


    Shen''s face darkened. Mana would have shivered at the death glare he was sending her from behind his dark sunglasses.


    "You must be Mana, then."


    Lina burst into laughter at his idiotic disguise and Mana''s filter-less comment.


    What a way for her best friend and her husband to meet for the first time!


    "Hubby, what are you doing dressed like that in broad daylight? And why are you here?"


    Shen didn''t say anything for a minute. He didn''t want to alarm Lina and tell her someone had been tailing her and that he had come right after Ayu texted him to quietly take her back home himself.


    But then he decided that keeping her aware and vigilant was the best way to keep her safe instead of hiding her from unknown dangers.


    "Someone has been tailing you and Mana all day. I don''t want anyone to target you right now because of me, that''s why I''m in disguise."


    "Tailing us? I didn''t even notice! How did you know? Aren''t you supposed to be home?" Lina was confused.


    Did this mean he had someone check up on her?


    "Exactly. You didn''t notice because whoever has been after you is dangerous. We don''t even know for sure if they''re after you because of me! We have to lay low and stay vigilant!"


    Shen looked determined but Lina looked somewhat agitated.


    "I just wanted to spend time with my friend and you had me tailed?!"


    Lina sounded wronged and obstinate when suddenly the three of them heard a gunshot.

 Chapter 56 - Like a legitimate surgeon

    The three people within the University quickly took cover behind some walls. Shen''s arms were protectively covering his wife while Mana stood behind them shaking.


    "Wh-wh-what''s going on?" she managed to stutter.


    "ssshhh" both husband and wife beckoned her to remain silent.


    Shen quickly called Ayu.


    "What was that gunshot?"


    Shen''s question was direct as soon as she picked up.


    "Boss, all clear. You can come outside now."


    Even though her voice was steady, Shen knew something was wrong.


    He looked at Lina tentatively.


    "Something happened outside, but it''s safe now. I brought Ro-kun with me so everything should be okay."


    Mana was still terrified and didn''t want to move from her spot.


    Lina held her hand, with the same determined attitude as she had the first time she helped Mana. With that, Mana followed her and Shen out.


    As the sneaky looking trio jumped off the other end of the broken wall, they spotted Ayu in the distance. But something wasn''t right.


    She was on the ground with a heavy figure in her arms, speaking frantically on the phone.


    As they three of them ran towards Ayu, they realised it was Ro-kun in her arms. And he was bleeding.


    Ayu was on the phone with Shen''s security team yelling for backup and an ambulance.


    Shen immediately sprinted to Ro-kun''s side.


    "Ro-kun! Where is he hurt?! What happened here?!"


    Shen''s voice was icy as he directed the two questions at Ayu. She was clearly shaken but was trying to stay calm.


    "Boss, he has been shot once in his abdomen." Pressing his wound, and trying to keep pressure, she looked at Shen for reassurance.


    "Ok, we need to stop the bleeding first." Shen''s hands were steady as he kept pressure on the wound.


    Lina''s eyes went cold as she scanned her surroundings.


    It was the weekend and there weren''t many people around.


    She remembered the closest hospital was at least an hour away. The University wasn''t located in a very central area. Lina had been studying maps of the capital city in her free time, to prevent getting lost when she went out. She knew the layout well, now.


    The ambulance would take time.


    Ro-kun was losing too much blood.


    Her eyes refocused on Ro-kun who was struggling to breath.


    "Shen...we don''t have time. We can''t wait for the ambulance or paramedics."


    Shen looked at her, agitated.


    "You''re right. We need to find the closest emergency care center."


    After hearing him agree with her, Lina looked at Mana, who was pacing on the side, not knowing what do, terrified at the sight of all that blood.


    "Mana! I need you now. The University must have an emergency medical care center right?"


    Mana was palpitating and having a panic attack. Lina walked up to her and held her hands tightly, trying to get her attention.


    "Mana, listen to me. Breathe. We need you. I need you."


    Mana''s eyes focused on Lina, her anxiety slowing down, and her breathing stabilising.


    "Ok, yes, there''s a really great medical center on campus for the medical students. We can bring him there."


    Lina sighed, relieved.


    She looked at Ayu and Shen. Her gaze was steady and confident.


    "You both need to put him in the car and while Mana and I open the main gates from inside. Then drive him straight to the campus medical center. We will administer first aid to Ro-kun there."


    They nodded, oddly confident in Lina, and at the same time stunned by her calm thinking and planning when someone''s life was at stake.


    Even Shen wasn''t thinking as clearly with Ro-kun in that state. It seemed like he didn''t know enough at all about his wife''s abilities.


    Lina and Mana quickly scaled the broken wall, went up to the front of the University building and opened the gates from the inside.


    Shen was driving the black Mercedes with Ro-kun lying in the back in Ayu''s arms as she continued to apply pressure to his wound.


    Lina and Mana got into the car and Mana immediately began directing Shen towards the medical building.


    The building was locked, but they were running out of time.


    Lina kicked open every door ruthlessly as the others looked upon, aghast.


    ''My wife is a beast...there''s no other explanation.'' Shen thought to himself.


    How did this woman go from being a soft bunny one minute to a wild tigress the second minute?


    Finally, they were in!


    Shen helped set Ro-kun on one of the beds.


    "Lina, we need to take the bullet out or the bleeding won''t stop. Let me do it, I have experience in these matters."


    Lina looked at Shen deeply for a second. He looked confident and strong, as he always did. But she could sense he didn''t feel so calm.


    "It''s okay. I know you care about Ro-kun." she said to him softly.


    Standing on her toes, she reached up to his face and planted a soft, gentle kiss on his perfect, thin lips.


    For a moment, Shen felt worriless.


    Lina picked up the instruments and instructed everyone as to what to do. For a moment they felt like she was a legitimate surgeon in an operating theatre.


    Carefully, and with gentle fingers, she managed to extract the bullet and place it in the basin.


    She then cleaned the wound and stitched it up.


    Without anaesthesia, Ro-kun bit down on a piece of would and bore it. Ayu held his hands and talked to him throughout the entire procedure.


    "Ro-kun, be strong, it will only hurt for a minute..." she kept saying to him.


    ''I didn''t know her voice could be so soft, so gentle...'' he thought to himself as he tried to stay awake.


    Shen stood by Lina, watching her every fluid move. She became more and more of a mystery to him.


    As he watched the bullet being taken out and placed in the tray, he noticed something white sticking out of it.

 Chapter 57 - Message in a bullet

    Shen quickly pulled out the white thing in the small bullet.


    As he pulled it out he realized it was a small piece of folded paper with a faint message printed on it.


    Lina noticed Shen had discovered something and walked over to him.


    "What is it?"


    He showed her the small piece of paper.


    It said ¡ª *The King falls when the Queen is weak. Check.*


    "It''s a threat." Shen said quietly.


    So someone was definitely targeting him through Lina.


    "So....they like to play chess, huh?" Lina smirked. Just how weak did they consider her?


    Did they honestly think she would be the reason for Shen''s demise?


    Her blood boiled as she grit her teeth.


    She felt Shen''s arms circle around her.


    "Baby, don''t think about it. This is how they find the chinks in our armor. They''re trying to spook us." Shen''s calming voice and his warm, big hands around her helped her breathe easier.


    As she held on to her husband she began to wonder how exactly she was involved in his business. What did these people mean?


    Did she know something no one else did?


    It really wasn''t as simple as her just waking up as Shen Moshi''s wife, living an easy life and simply running her own business.


    Their lives seemed to be more intertwined than that.


    Shen didn''t seem to know what precisely they meant either but she decided to become more involved in his affairs to find out.


    "I want to go to work with you on Monday." She said to him determinedly.


    Catching her train of thought he smiled. It made his heart flutter when she became protective and showed an interest in his affairs.


    She used to try to hide it before but something seemed to have switched now.


    Then he remembered Dr. Hayama''s appointment on Monday morning.


    "There''s something important we need to do Monday morning instead. But I wanted to take my angel somewhere exciting tomorrow night where we can investigate possible suspects."


    Lina''s eyes glittered. The prospect of investigating and catching the culprit behind this harassment was endlessly exciting to her.


    Oh how she planned to rip their heads off...


    "Where are we going tomorrow night, then?" she asked with enthusiasm.


    "A very big party." Shen replied, a small smile playing on his lips.


    This would be Lina''s first outing since coming out of the coma.


    But more importantly, it was the first time they would make an appearance together, as a couple, in public.


    Lina frowned.


    "But won''t we be exposed as a married couple, then?"


    Shen looked disappointed.


    "Is being my wife embarrassing to you?" he demanded.


    Lina rolled her eyes. Had he always been a big baby?


    "No, stupid hubby. We are each other''s secret weapons. The less we expose ourselves, the more schemes we uncover! If everyone knew we were married, our attackers would easily hide in the crowd. Right now, we still have the upper hand!"


    In reality, Shen knew she wasn''t embarrassed of being in public with him. He just wanted to hear her explanation.


    His eyes glinted with amus.e.m.e.nt.


    "Don''t worry, angel, it''s a masked ball. Nobody will know your identity. But there will be a long line of my enemies present. CEO''s and presidents of companies that are direct rivals to Moshi Corp, as well as branches of the Moshi family that scheme to take me down as the head."


    Lina thought about what a great opportunity it was to familiarise herself with the people Shen was surrounded by. She would be able observe those who could have potentially dared to attack them today.


    Remembering that Ro-kun was still suffering, both husband and wife returned to his side where Ayu was still comforting him.


    "Hold on, Ro-kun. The ambulance will be here in 10 minutes now."


    Ayu''s voice was gentle and soothing.


    Mana was waiting outside, unable to stand the sight of the wound and the blood.


    ******


    -- at an old villa outside the capital city --


    A young man who looked like he was in his late twenties sat at the head of a long table.


    He was flanked by dozens of bodyguards dressed in black, without expressions on their faces.


    The table was filled with his subordinates and family members.


    There was a lazy charm about his face, his long hair covering part of his face. He wore a loose fitting white linen shirt and fitting black trousers that accentuated his lean, tall figure.


    There was a devilish handsomeness to him that could make women fall to their knees with just one look.


    A casual smile danced on his lips, but his sharp grey eyes had a sinister, dangerous look lurking behind them.


    "So...the wife, still doesn''t remember?"


    His deep, low voice hung in the air as he posed the question to the people assembled before him.


    A bespectacled woman with short hair sitting to his right placed a revolver on the table.


    "Doesn''t seem like it, Boss. But she''s got skills. She''s dangerous."


    The smile from the man''s face disappeared.


    His grey eyes shifted as he looked at the short-haired woman directly in the face.


    "That''s old news, Mari."


    Mari shivered. One look from him, and her heart stopped.


    "Without her skills, she would have never found out everything she did."


    His last sentence was addressed to all those in the room, sending an indirect warning at their incompetence.


    "And then you all failed to finish her off."

 Chapter 58 - The Queen of the underworld

    The next morning, Shen and Lina went to visit Ro-kun at Capital City''s best private hospital.


    Ro-kun was inside one of the VIP rooms on the drip and resting. He had needed a lot of blood after they managed to bring him to the hospital the previous evening.


    Dr. Yoshi was there to greet them outside in the ward. He was the only medical personnel that knew about Lina and Shen''s relationship. The ward had been specially cleared entirely for Ro-kun.


    "Good morning young master, madam."


    "Dr. Yoshi, how is Ro-kun''s condition?" Shen asked him immediately.


    "His body is strong and the wound missed vital organs. He just lost a lot of blood. If not for madam''s removing the bullet and stitching the wound up....the ambulance just might have been too late."


    As he spoke the last sentence, Dr. Yoshi''s gaze fell upon the beautiful madam''s wide-eyed, bunny-like expression.


    Right now, she was dressed in a pretty white dress, and a light blue sweater with the first button done up. Her long hair was plaited beautifully in a fishtail braid that hung loosely on her shoulder and her face was fresh and make-up free.


    She looked like a small, pure angel clinging on to her husband''s arm.


    This sweet child administered emergency first aid, with surgeon-like precision?! Maybe he shouldn''t underestimate the madam.


    She was after all, the Queen of the underworld, Shen Moshi''s wife. She couldn''t possibly just be a simple-minded white lotus.


    Next to her Shen was tall and clean cut handsome in his light blue shirt and well fitted trousers. He had been going through work doc.u.ments in the car on their way to the hospital so he still had his reading glasses on.


    His loving, proud gaze on his little wife made them look like a movie poster that would make anyone swoon.


    Dr. Yoshi, an old and well accomplished doctor, thought he was going mad, fangirling after the couple like a silly teenager.


    "Can we go in and see him?" Lina asked the doctor.


    "Yes. Ms. Ayu has been with him the whole time. She''s with him right now."


    Dr. Yoshi had noticed that Ayu hadn''t left his side for moment, making sure Ro-kun was as comfortable as possible since he had been brought in.


    Shen and Lina looked at each other. Neither one of them had pegged Ayu to be so concerned about anyone else if it interfered with her work schedule.


    Nonetheless, they went in to Ro-kun''s room, bringing with them fruits, tonics and flowers.


    Ro-kun was knocked out with pain killers and blood transfusions. They noticed Ayu asleep on the chair next to him.


    The room was slightly chilly and Ayu was still in her work shirt.


    Lina noticed a shawl next to her and went up to cover her with it.


    Sensing a presence and the shawl covering her body, Ayu''s eyes flew open with a start.


    Seeing Lina''s face above her, covering her with the shawl as she woke up her heart skipped a beat.


    This madam would kill her one day, if she kept looking after her. Her mind brought back images of the day she first met the madam, taking care of her after she collapsed at the office from overworking.


    Lina''s smiling face right now overlapped with the image she had of her from 9 months ago when she made her the soup as she regained consciousness that evening.


    Her hand slowly reached up to touch Lina''s arm, that was adjusting the shawl over her.


    But Shen cleared his throat, bringing Ayu back to reality. She stood up immediately.


    "Sorry boss, I just closed my eyes for a minute there. Ro-kun will need to rest for a month as per Dr. Yoshi''s instructions to make a full recovery."


    Her eyes turned cold again and her body rigid, as always. Reporting for duty.


    Shen nodded. But Lina touched Ayu''s arm.


    "Ayu, why don''t you go home and get some sleep. Shen and I can stay here for a few hours and you can come back today evening when we go to the ball."


    Ayu quickly pulled her arm back.


    "No need, madam. This is my job."


    Her voice was frosty, causing Lina to frown.


    ''Why does she hate me so much?'' Lina wondered to herself.


    "Ayu, what happened yesterday after I went inside the University to pick madam up?"


    Lina realised that they hadn''t actually got the full story from Ayu about where the gunshot came from and if she knew who hurt Ro-kun.


    Now that Shen had the opportunity to ask, Lina''s attention was at its peak.


    "Boss, after you went inside, Ro-kun and I waited outside the wall when the black car that was trailing madam raced past us. There was only one person inside who was driving and was able to pull off an accurate shot at Ro-kun while manoeuvring the vehicle and making a safe escape."


    Shen was attentive as he listened to Ayu''s recollection of the incident.


    "Were you able to get the registration number of the vehicle?"


    "The license plates were muddied and covered, which is why I wasn''t able to get a read on it."


    Shen continued the interrogation.


    "Was this driver a man or a woman?"


    "Don''t know boss. The person had short hair and a smaller stature, but covered their face with a face mask."


    Shen was quiet, deep in thought. Then he spoke slowly in a low voice.


    "Clearly, this lackey isn''t ordinary. They seem highly skilled. They weren''t trying to kill Ro-kun, but merely send a warning with the message in the bullet. And yet, they got away with just one person carrying out this job."


    Ayu stood stiff, her head hanging low.


    The truth of the matter was slightly different, but she couldn''t explain that to Shen and Lina.


    She peered at Ro-kun who was still passed out, his face pale and his body weak.


    A pang of guilt and sadness pierced her heart.

 Chapter 59 - Madam Moshi must be pampered

    After staying a while with Ro-kun, Lina and Shen left the hospital. Ayu refused to leave, so she had someone go to her house and bring her a change of clothes, determined to remain by Ro-kun''s side when he woke up.


    "You shouldn''t expect her to work so much like a machine, you know, hubby?" Lina said with a frown on her face as they walked to the car.


    "It''s not me that asks so much of her. She has always been like this. In the beginning I took advantage of it, assigning her more things to work on. But now, even when given the opportunity, Ayu doesn''t take breaks."


    Shen seemed pensive. He realised that he did expect far more than normal from his right hand assistant, but Ayu refused to stop working even if it killed her.


    "Why does she hate me so much, though?" she asked, still wondering why she received the icy treatment from Ayu, even though she tried to be nice to her.


    "If it bothers you, I''ll let her go tomorrow itself, angel. But she''s like this with everybody."


    "No! NO! Of course not, don''t fire her! I just wanted to know what I did wrong." Lina admired Ayu''s work ethic, and she knew how valuable she was to Shen.


    Shen slipped his arms around his wife''s slim waist and kissed her on her soft head.


    "My wife can do no wrong."


    His word was final. Lina blushed and quickly hid her face in his chest, making him laugh.


    In a few minutes, they pulled up to a massive, high end shopping centre.


    Getting out of the car, Lina was confused.


    "Why are we here? Shouldn''t we be home to get ready for the ball tonight?"


    Mother was also at home, probably cooking something delicious for her. She didn''t want to miss her chicken soup!


    Shen knew exactly what she was thinking, his face contorting into an annoyed expression. Why did she always care about running back to mother?!


    "Your food will still be there when we get home. First we need to pick up your ball gown and mask!"


    Lina was about to leave the car, but she suddenly sat back. When did they start making public appearances together? Wasn''t someone dangerous after them?


    "Darling, shouldn''t we put on disguises or someone might spot us! They''ll recognise your hotness in a second!"


    Shen bent down and ducked under the car''s roof and held Lina''s dainty chin, pulling her face close to his.


    A mischievous smile played on his lips as he looked at her innocent, wide-eyed face. He longed to take her right there, but he wanted to still give it time.


    Lina''s heart was pounding as he looked her straight in the eye, his earth-shatteringly beautiful face so close to hers.


    "My wife thinks I''m that hot?" he teased her.


    Lina quickly tried to will the blush on her face away and pouted pushing his hand away.


    "I don''t know why you think you''re so smart when we should be more cautious about safety! What if someone tries to hurt you?"


    A warmth spread through Shen''s heart. Lately, this girl had been more and more concerned about his safety.


    "Does my very smart wife see anyone around?" he chuckled as he asked her this question.


    He wasn''t Shen Moshi for no reason.


    As Lina actually scanned the surroundings, the entire place seemed to deserted and cleaned out. There was not one person hanging around the mall.


    She was usually so observant, so why did she turn blind as a bat the moment this husband was so close to her?!


    "It''s like the apocalypse..." she whispered slowly.


    Shen looked agitated again. He had this popular, crowded mall shut down for his precious wife to get her dress in peace and she called it the apocalypse?


    That too with the cutest expression on her face? He couldn''t even argue with her.


    As they walked in, Lina gasped at how big and royally decorated the mall was. It wasn''t capital city''s most high end mall for no reason.


    Only the richest of the rich, the cream of the crop could afford to shop here. Every little item had the minimum price of a 1000 dollars, at least.


    Every store was still open and well lit with an attendant standing and smiling at the entrance.


    The mall was only closed to the public. The stores were still open for Lina to go to.


    As they passed various dress stores, Lina paused at one. The dresses on display were neither extravagant or covered in jewels.


    She tugged on Shen''s sleeve and pointed at the store.


    "There. I want a dress from there."


    Shen looked down at her enchanted eyes staring directly at the store and smiled.


    She didn''t even realise it, but there were so many parts of her that hadn''t changed.


    Unbeknownst to Lina, that store was perhaps the smallest and the most low-key, but by far the most expensive. She already had a couple of dresses from there that she hadn''t had an opportunity to wear.


    Even though the dresses looked plain and simple, the designer was a highly elusive and acclaimed person called June.


    June''s dresses were each only one of a kind. If one looked closely, the designs weren''t that simple at all.


    Each dress had it''s own identity, it''s own name and was personally hand sewn by June. The fabrics had been sources from the rarest of places and the embroidery was so delicate, it was almost invisible to the n.a.k.e.d eye.


    When Lina walked in, she held her breath. Each creation was absolutely stunning.


    There was a slim fitting lilac coloured gown made with the purest of silks and a gold tissue sash like mist around it. Another was a soft periwinkle coloured long sleeve dress.


    She tried them both on. The lilac one was called ''Fairydust'' while the periwinkle coloured one was named ''Sora'' like the sky.


    Every time she walked out of the dressing room, Shen''s eyes would almost fall out of his head. How did this woman manage to look so stunning in everything!?


    "Which one do you want, baby? If you can''t decide, we''ll buy both!" he encouraged Lina to shop as much as she wanted.


    She had never demanded anything, or really shown an interest in buying things. But today, they had a chance to go out as a couple, despite having to wear masks. He wanted to indulge her deeply.


    After all, Madam Moshi must be pampered.


    She would be the belle of the ball, even though nobody would recognise her.


    Lina thought for a moment.


    "I like both of these, but I don''t think they''re something I want to wear to the ball. I want something with more volume on the skirt."


    The shop attendant was in thought for a moment.


    "Madam, I think I have the perfect option for you." she smiled, as she observed Lina''s graceful movements and her petite waist and elegant shoulders and collarbone.


    She quickly ran to the back of the store and brought out a large box.


    "Madam, this is Miss June''s most prized creation. She wanted me to sell this to the perfect customer and I believe nobody will do better justice to this dress than you."


    The shop attendant smiled as she saw Lina''s surprised face.


    Shen got up from the sofa and came over to look as well.

 Chapter 60 - Briar Rose

    The first thing that took their breath away was the colour.


    It was dusty pink, gentle like a breeze on a summer day.


    The corset bodice was embroidered with delicate lace in floral patters like roses.


    As the shop assistant held the dress up outside the box, one could see the true grandeur of this creation.


    The skirt had a large volume, as suited for a ball gown, with layers and layers of crepe and tissue that was delicate like soft paper.


    The assistant''s eyes softened as she held the dress and smoothed it out.


    "Madam, this one is named ''Briar Rose''."


    Lina''s eyes sparkled as she stared at the craftsmanship of this marvellous gown. Her delicate hands caressed its form, like it was love at first sight.


    Shen looked on jealously from the side, his expression grudging. Why didn''t she touch him so gently everywhere like she did with the dress!?


    As if Lina could tell what he was thinking from the look on his face, she shook her head in amus.e.m.e.nt. This man was jealous of an inanimate object?!


    He sighed, and gave up on his wishes...for now.


    "Angel, go on and try the dress."


    Lina and the attendant nodded as the woman went in with Lina to help her fasten the strings of the corset on the back.


    She slipped into the dress like it was a glove made specifically for her.


    As the shop assistant tied the strings on the back tightly, Lina could feel the air being knocked out of her chest.


    "Oof!" she exclaimed.


    "Sorry madam! Sometimes we must compromise on comfort for the sake of beauty!"


    The shop assistant apologised repeatedly every time she strangled Lina, but she knew it would be worth it to see the finished look.


    As she watched this little shop assistant help her with the dress, she noticed something odd.


    Her hands moved quickly, and efficiently. Her eyes were bright and filled with interest. No shop assistant looked this invested in a dress. It was more than just loving her job...there was some attachment to this piece.


    Lina smiled. Her instincts had been consistently getting better and she believed she knew exactly what was going on.


    As the assistant tied the last string behind her back, she looked at Lina with tears in her eyes and quietly sighed.


    "Yes...you are perfect."


    Lina turned to glance at herself in the mirror.


    For a second, she felt dizzy because she sucked her breath in too fast. It was not just the corset being so tight, but her own astonishment that caused it.


    She truly looked like royalty.


    She smiled softly at herself. Shen would love this.


    "Madam, shall we go outside and show young master?"


    The shop assistant was sure that the rich, tycoon sitting outside would buy this dress once he saw how beautiful she looked in it.


    After all, he shut capital city''s most famous mall down just for her to shop in it without disturbance. He could definitely afford this piece.


    Lina was about to step out but an idea came to her.


    "No, wait! I don''t want to show him now. I''ll buy this now and let him get a glimpse when we are at the event."


    The shop assistant looked confused. No matter how rich the man outside was, wouldn''t he want to see the dress before he spent 11.3 million dollars on it?


    "Um, madam, are you sure?"


    "Yes! Now is there a cape or a coat that goes with this? I want to do this right!"


    The assistant smiled awkwardly. There indeed was a 3 million dollar cape lined with minx fur and dusty pink satin heels to go with them for 12,400 dollars.


    "Yes there is, I will bring it to you now. There are beautiful pink satin slippers too."


    As Lina''s entire ensemble was put together, she was pleased with what she saw.


    She walked out of the dressing room to see Shen''s expectant, eager eyes look up.


    "I''ve decided, hubby, I want this dress, with the cape and the slippers!" she beamed at him.


    "Won''t you take off the cape and let me see, though?"


    "No! It''s a surprise for when we get there!"


    Shen looked happily at his wife''s mischievous smile. He really couldn''t wait till they reached the ball. He usually hated these events and only went for a few when it was required, but today was different.


    He would have his wife by his side.


    Shen went up to the front counter to pay. The shop assistant looked down as she printed the bill.


    She cleared her throat and awkwardly reported the final amount to Shen.


    "That will be 11.7 million, inclusive of taxes, young master."


    Shen didn''t blink and eye as he simply handed her a nondescript black credit card.


    As she saw the name written on it, her eyes widened. So this was the one and only Shen Moshi, the devil king!


    The woman he brought along must be very special to him.


    She sighed at how romantic it all was.


    "What a perfect way to give my ''Briar Rose'' away..." she said quietly.


    Lina''s mouth lifted up into a smile.


    So she really was June herself!


    This little assistant was the great, elusive designer herself.


    She knew there was a deep level of attachment this woman had to the pieces she had been showing Lina, especially Briar Rose.


    "Miss June, I believe?"


    June jumped at the revelation Lina had come to! She quickly covered her mouth, realising she had betrayed herself.


    Then she laughed sheepishly.


    "I do love this gown! Madam...it suits you beautifully, there could be no better owner. You are gentle like the sleeping beauty* herself."


    (* Briar Rose is the name given to sleeping beauty in the story by her 3 fairy godmothers)


    Shen looked on at his radiant wife. She really was the sleeping beauty, lying still as if in a peaceful slumber for 3 months as his heart pined for her.

 Chapter 61 - A mothers gift

    Just as they were about to step out of the store, June stopped them.


    She giggled girlishly as she hid something behind her back.


    "Since young master and madam made some huge sales today, there''s something I wanted to gift you to complete the ensemble."


    Shen and Lina looked at each other, their eyebrows raised. What more was there?!


    June pulled up a beautifully packaged brown box with a ribbon and handed it to Lina.


    "What is this?" Lina asked, her eyes heavy with curiosity and child-like wonder.


    "It''s a mask," June said with a sparkle in her eye. "For your ball, princess."


    Shen chuckled as he pulled his wife close, thanked June and balanced all Lina''s shopping in one hand.


    He felt proud like a proper husband, serving his queen of a wife, his hands full with her highly expensive purchases.


    Lina felt the same way as she looked at the mighty Shen Moshi holding her dresses and walking obediently next to her like the wife slave he was.


    Since she was already dressed she didn''t want to hang out at the mall anymore and just wanted to go home to be fed dinner by mother.


    "Angel, there''s a really popular beauty salon here that have prepared do your hair and make-up. Let''s go there first!"


    She was amused at Shen''s excitement. She really didn''t expect this CEO to be piping up about beauty salons and hairdressers.


    "Darling, there''s no need! I can do it myself. Do you not have faith in my abilities?"


    That question was irrefutable, and she knew Shen would not force her if it meant doubting her abilities. It was a quicker tactic to go home for the chicken soup waiting.


    Mother had already texted her and sent her a picture of the piping hot bowl on the table.


    When they got home, Rika was delighted to see her daughter-in-law dressed up.


    "Take off the cape and let mother see the dress!" she said excitedly.


    Lina shooed her husband out and spun around for mother.


    "You are a vision, my dear. Don''t stay out too late tonight. You are still recovering." Rika advised.


    She was staying over at the Moshi mansion to look after this daughter after her fever a few days ago.


    Lina nodded obediently.


    "Come, dear, sit here." Rika beckoned for Lina to sit in front of her at the vanity.


    She then undid the fishtail braid and Lina''s hair fell down to her waist in beautiful natural curls. It was soft and feathery, but slightly wild.


    Lina was a breathtaking beauty and Rika''s eyes softened as she looked at her. She was definitely like her own child.


    She opened a drawer and pulled out a small velvet box.


    "This has been in my family for 120 years. It was given to my grandmother by my grandfather as token of his love. This is your first appearance with your husband in public, and maybe this will bless you both with everlasting success in your marriage."


    Lina gasped as she saw the object in the small velvet box.


    It was a dainty, little beret studded with four diamonds.


    It was too precious. Not because of the stones, but because of the history and sentiment.


    "Lina, you are my child and I want you and Shen to pass it down to your daughter, when you have one."


    Lina smiled gently, her eyes brimming with tears. She hugged Rika tightly.


    "But mother, what if we only have brutes of sons like Shen?"


    Rika wiped her tears away and laughed.


    "Well, then I''ll hope they are lucky to marry women like you. And you can gift it to them."


    She then gathered a few strands of Lina''s hair on the side and fastened the beret, leaving the rest of her hair in soft curls over her shoulders.


    Rika then beckoned a maid and carefully fed Lina her favourite chicken soup, as to not get her new clothes dirty.


    After lightly doing her make-up, the couple left to go to the venue.


    *********


    -- at Golden Dragon Presidential Hotel --


    A red carpet was rolled out for all the guests to walk in. There were stairs leading up to the entrance.


    There were no paparazzi or photographers thanks to the tight security. This was one of the top locations at capital city and the masked ball was a highly coveted event where the senior-most management and industrial families and magnates were invited.


    This event would allow them to check out their competition, network, close important deals at private rooms and socialise. A lot of pretty daughters of rich men would also try to find suitable marriage partners.


    All sorts of debauchery would take place here tonight. Lina and Shen hadn''t forgotten what they came here for.


    They would try to identify anything suspicious, catch on to conversations that could lead to identifying any suspects working against them.


    This power couple was on a mission.


    Shen held out his hand to Lina to help her step out of the car.


    Once she stepped out, he offered his arm for her to link her hand into so he could walk her in.


    "No, hubby, you go up and wait for me at the entrance. I want to do something first."


    He was reluctant to leave her there, but the smile playing on her lips shut him up, as he headed up the stairs.


    Lina quickly took out the gorgeously sculpted mask given to her by June and covered her eyes. It fit her perfectly. It was a creamy, ceramic white with rose patterns on it.


    Then she handed her cape to the chauffeur and asked him to keep it for her.


    She then carefully picked up the voluminous skirt of her ball gown and made her way up the stairs, when she caught a glimpse at Shen, waiting for her at the top.


    Her king awaited her arrival.

 Chapter 62 - Never appeared with a woman in public

    Shen''s eyes fell upon a pretty pink figure gliding up the red carpeted stairs, voluminous skirt in hand.


    For a minute, he stopped breathing.


    That was his wife, right? That was his angel?


    As she looked up at him waiting for her, a soft smile played upon her delicate pink lips.


    The mask added to her innocent elusiveness. Her figure was spectacular in the dusty pink ''Briar Rose'' gown, the bodice fitted tightly at her tiny waist and the skirt flaring with its many layers.


    The strapless corset enhanced her prominent, elegant collar bones and presented the allure of her slightly swollen chest.


    Upon her neck lay a delicate diamond drop necklace that matched the beret Shen''s mother had gifted her.


    When she reached him at the top of the stairs, he stood there frozen stiff, not knowing what to do for the first time in his prodigal life.


    Lina''s smile turned teasing.


    "What''s wrong hubby? Are you glad you waited to be surprised with my beautiful gown?"


    She spun around for him as she said this. His nose caught a whiff of her light, delicate scent and made his head swirl with her deliciousness.


    "I''m just wondering if I made a mistake bringing you here and parading your beauty to the world." he said, slightly disappointed.


    If she had this effect on him, how would all the other men in the room react, who would see Lina for the first time. He would have to keep and eye on her and make sure she didn''t get into any trouble.


    As if having read his thoughts, she laughed teasingly.


    "As if anyone could overpower me or come near me!"


    Shen nodded silently. She would probably turn their bones to dust.


    "Shall we, my princess?" Shen offered her his arm, and this time she took it with pride as the extraordinary couple walked inside.


    The two made an explosive entrance in the big, grandly decorated ballroom.


    Shen would show his face at first, so all his competitors and colleagues knew that their King had arrived as a show of authority. But Lina''s identity was to remain a mystery.


    This appearance was as much to investigate, as it was for them to progress their own relationship. Shen didn''t want to hide his marriage anymore, but for now, they would still keep Lina''s identity under wraps.


    It would be a strategic way to draw their enemies out.


    As soon as they stepped into the ballroom, the entire room turned silent.


    Everyone present turned to look at the couple that had entered.


    It was Shen Moshi himself.


    What a novelty! The king hardly made public appearances at such banquets and balls, but he was here today. It was a feast for the eyes.


    But even though the CEO of Moshi Corps was finally present, he was not the highlight of the show.


    As soon as they saw the woman next to him, even though she was masked, the whole room was hushed and enchanted.


    Not only had Shen Moshi never appeared with a woman in public, but this woman was breathtaking. Once people had their eyes on her, it was hard to take them off.


    Shen''s fitted black suit and tall figure next to Lina''s petite, princess-like person was almost out of a fairytale.


    Immediately after everyone took in the initial shock, they begin chattering quietly amongst each other.


    "Who is she?"


    "Shen Moshi brought a date?!"


    "I''m surprised he''s here at all! Nobody mentioned this earlier!"


    "Isn''t that woman absolutely beautiful? I want to see her whole face!"


    "I wish I could find a date like that?"


    "Who do you think she is?"


    "Is she perhaps a potential marriage partner?"


    "Which family''s daughter is she?"


    As Lina looked about awkwardly trying to jog her memory, and see if any faces sparked a memory, she moved closer to Shen.


    Sometimes she felt extremely lost in this big world. But she had her anchor next to her.


    Feeling Lina''s grip tighten around his arm, Shen placed his arm protectively around her.


    "Come, angel, there''s a few people I must greet. Stay close to me."


    As they made their way through the parting crowd, still watching them in awe, Shen walked with Lina up to an older woman in an elegant, slim fitting black dress and a golden mask with a peac.o.c.k''s feather attached to it.


    "Good evening Madam Yi." he said to woman curtly as he nodded to her.


    "Ah, Shen! I''m pleasantly surprised you''ve appeared today. Especially with a lovely young lady on your arm."


    She flashed Lina a pleasant smile at the end of her greeting.


    Lina smiled back and looked up to Shen for an introduction.


    "This is Madam Yi, whose late husband was President of Yinan Industries. She now runs the company. They own the building in front of our offices."


    When Shen referred to Yinan, she suddenly remembered that the sniper that night in his office who had tried to target him had been perched on the Yinan Industries rooftop.


    On the surface Lina smiled and quietly greeted Madam Yi like a dolled up angel next to Shen.


    But on the inside, the gears were turning.


    What happened to the sniper? Did Shen end up interrogating him at all?


    And how did he have access to Yinan''s rooftop? Shen''s capital city offices were always so tightly monitored and secured. Shouldn''t a company as large as Yinan''s offices also have some kind of security or surveillance?


    It had been the perfect spot to target Shen when he was in his office with a direct line of sight. It was all just too perfectly planned.


    Moreover, his uncle Sojin had something to do with it. She remembered Sojin''s reaction before Shen stuck the dagger in his throat.


    Clearly, there was more to the relationship between the Yi and Moshi families.


    "And what''s your name, my dear?" Madam Yi asked Lina in a sugary voice.


    She looked up at Shen who nodded at her with a gentle smile on his face.


    They had decided earlier not to distribute her real name to the people she met.


    She was about to introduce herself as Miss Li, when suddenly her heart stopped as she glimpsed a ridiculous looking man staring at her with an intent, heated gaze.

 Chapter 63 - A love rival?!

    As a feeling of dread crept over Lina, she quickly turned away and clung on to Shen''s arm hoping the man wouldn''t approach.


    But the more she hoped, the closer she sensed the figure coming towards her.


    The man wasn''t really a man but a ridiculous blob of neon pink covered in ostrich feathers and a blingy mask.


    How the hell was HE invited here!?


    And why the hell did this idiot approach her when she was clearly here together with Shen Moshi, the most powerful man in the room.


    What right de he have?


    Shen noticed the neon pink man approaching, staring at his wife. His eyes turned ice-like as he looked over.


    Lina seemed to know this person since she was clearly trying to avoid him and move away.


    But it was too late.


    All of a sudden this idiotic person fell to the ground on his knees in front of Shen and Lina.


    It was the neon PM of B Nation. Lina would recognise his crazy appearance and disposition in any lifetime, just so she could do her best to avoid.


    But wait, had he recognised her?


    His eyes on Lina, he suddenly broke out into monologue.


    "Madam, I have never had the breath sucked out of my body, the way I did when I saw you enter the room."


    Wow, did this man do this to every woman he saw?


    Most importantly, would he give her identity away?


    The ridiculous PM''s ostrich feathers swayed around like a broom on his body, creating an even more repulsive view.


    "Even though this is the first time I laid my eyes upon you, I dream of knowing the face under the mask and the name that will ring through my ears like song..."


    Shen had enough. This man was embarrassing them both.


    But Lina sighed in relief. It didn''t seem like he could tell she was Lina Mito. Her identity would remain safe for now.


    How unbelievable that the idiotic neon PM popped up at this ball once again to disrupt her mission.


    "Excuse me, sir, but I think my wife is satisfied with her husband and isn''t looking for entertainment outside."


    His words had an air of jest, but there was an undertone of danger and iciness in his voice.


    Lina gasped along with the rest of the ballroom. She didn''t realise Shen would publicly reveal their marriage. Even though her identity was still under wraps, she only thought she would appear as his date!


    Everyone began whispering amongst themselves once again.


    The king had a queen and nobody knew?! Impossible!


    "There should have been rumours at least. The girl would have at least flaunted her status as his wife somewhere!"


    "When did this even happen?"


    "I heard the young master was away from the offices for months...maybe she had something do with it?"


    Whilst everyone was still in shock, Madam Yi was the first to break the silence.


    "Oh my dear! Congratulations to both of you! How is it that we didn''t hear about the great Shen Moshi getting married?"


    Even though her congratulations were hearty, her eyes were laced with a bitterness.


    Lina thought to herself how tough the business world was...the richest of the rich, yet never genuine nor happy.


    Always envious.


    Always scheming.


    She looked at her husband who smiled back and accepter Madam Yi''s congratulations.


    Her heart stung for him. She knew who he was, she knew his kindness and hard work. Seeing him pretending, gritting his teeth silently as he put on appearances, she wondered if she would ever understand the burden on his shoulders.


    "Madam Yi, we got married very recently. We''ve only signed our certificates. We are yet to have a bigger celebration inviting everyone. Please excuse us for this!"


    The ridiculous neon pink PM of B nation stood up, his lip curled as if to throw a tantrum.


    But another man quickly walked up to him and put his arm around the PM.


    With an apologetic glance at Lina, he quickly said, "Sorry Madam, Master Moshi. This is the PM of B nation who is here as my honoured guest."


    Shen''s eyebrows were raised when he heard that this man was the PM of B nation.


    Didn''t Lina already have a meeting with him? That''s why she was on edge.


    He could have potentially put her in the firing line had he recognised her.


    But wait! Did this mean this insolent idiot had been pursing his wife at work too?


    Unforgivable!


    And this troublesome woman hadn''t even told him about it?!


    The man who came over to take the PM of B nation away was the Lotus Group''s general manager. They worked closely with B nation in various fields and that''s why he had foolishly invited that stupid man to the ball.


    Who knew he would boldly try to propose to the King''s wife?!


    As Lina and Shen greeted waves of people trying to win Shen''s favour, she grew tired.


    There was nothing out of the ordinary and the room began to grow hot.


    All of a sudden her back began to cramp up.


    ''Shit, I''m going to get my period. I need to take precautions. I''m sure the bathroom must have something in a place this fancy.''


    Lina pondered quietly to herself and decided to visit the bathroom.


    She let Shen know and quietly made her way out.

 Chapter 64 - Jealous girls and their jealous hearts

    Shen noticed Lina was uncomfortable and had to use the washroom. He knew the bathroom was only outside the ballroom and and down the corridor.


    But he still got nervous that she wasn''t by his side. He didn''t want to let his wife roam free in this room full of wolves and vultures.


    Shen took a deep breath to calm himself down. But she was no lamb herself. He had to learn to let her take care of herself, the way she wanted to.


    He had been precocious of her safety from the start, but since the attacks, he was having a hard time dealing with her not being within his direct line of sight.


    Lina entered the women''s bathroom, which was thankfully completely empty. She was feeling the cramps intensely in her lower back and the corset was suffocating her.


    She looked around for a pad or tampon dispenser. Having found one, she went into a bathroom stall to put it on.


    As she was adjusting her dress inside, and making herself a little more comfortable, she heard the door open and three pairs of footsteps hustle inside.


    Three young ladies from the ball had entered, all chattering animatedly.


    It seemed like two of them were just following the other girl. She had a snooty, arrogant tone and Lina took a disliking to her as soon as she began talking.


    "Who does that woman think she is, having the guts to walk in here with my darling Shen? They can''t really be married. I''m the one who''s been promised to him since we were children."


    Her ''darling'' Shen? What was this delusional woman talking about!?


    One of the two other girls soothed her.


    "Don''t worry Sara, she must have pulled a cheap trick or used a drug to seduce the young master. Otherwise he has never shown an interest in any other woman. He was only ever kind to you!"


    The other girl agreed with her friend and the two continued to coax this Sara woman.


    Lina was boiling with rage as she remained in her bathroom cubicle trying to listen in on more of their conversation.


    Sara continued speaking arrogantly about her favour with Shen.


    "You girls have no idea, we were always together since we were kids. Even though he''s my brother''s age, he always made sure to play with me! And every time he attends one of these events, I''m the only woman he talks to..."


    Lina was about to have a headache listening to her go on and on about how much Shen cared about her.


    But then she started to sling mud at Lina.


    "Nobody knows who she is! She''s probably from low birth and is just trying to hide it right now. She must have pretended to be a white lotus and seduce my Shen. He''s probably just one of her victims! Gold-digging bitch! My Shen has been looking so unhappy all evening...probably because he hasn''t caught a glimpse of me yet."


    The girls giggled.


    "Sara, you should go entertain him. I saw that bitch leave the ballroom. He probably sent her back home because she was such an embarrassment after that horrifying neon man approached them!"


    The three of them giggled nastily again.


    Now Lina''s head was throbbing and the little cubicle was beginning to get suffocating. She wouldn''t just stand there as they kept badmouthing her and her marriage.


    Nobody knew what she and Shen had gone through.


    Suddenly she slammed the cubicle door open with a bang, startling the three girls.


    She could easily determine who the arrogant bitch was who thought Shen belonged to her.


    Sara. She wore an electrifying blue mermaid gown, with a low cute bodice that left little to the imagination. Her make up was heavy and her hair in an up-do, trying to show as much skin as she could.


    No matter how rich the family, class could just not be taught sometimes. Lina felt as if her eyes would be incinerated if she continued to look at this gaudy woman any longer.


    She would have even been slightly pretty if she hadn''t caked herself up like that.


    She would say her piece and leave.


    "You..." Sara started to say, her expression ugly.


    But Lina cut her off.


    "Jealous girls and their jealous hearts...it makes their faces so ugly. Hatred and arrogance don''t hide so well. My husband would have seen right through you. What gives you the right to point fingers at our marriage?!"


    For a moment, Sara and her friends were stunned.


    Even though she didn''t have an answer, she was seething mad.


    "You bitch! What gives you the right to even look at my face, much less talk to me?! Do you know who I am?"


    Lina scoffed at her weak threat.


    "Even if I did, it wouldn''t matter. There''s nothing you can do to hurt me or my relationship, since it has nothing to do with you."


    Lina''s voice was calm, but firm. She would not stoop to their level by hurling insults.


    Not knowing what to say, Sara gestured to her two friends with her eyes.


    They immediately cornered her from all sides.


    Lina sighed.


    They were going to try to bully her like schoolgirls. Maybe tug at her hair, push her around?


    Ha! Idiots! They were signing their own death sentences.


    The three girls charged at her. Lina smirked.


    Just as she was about to strangle all three single-handedly, she had a brilliant idea.

 Chapter 65 - She deserves an Oscar

    Lina could have disabled the girls in one move, but just as she was about to restrain them, she decided against it.


    Not only did she want to hide her abilities from the public right now, she also wanted to teach these girls a lesson.


    They deserved to be served humble pie.


    Sara and her friends pushed Lina to the ground as she pretended to helplessly defend herself.


    Then they started slapping her face where it wasn''t covered by the mask, making her porcelain, delicate skin red and bruised.


    "Take that, you dirty bitch!"


    "This is what you deserve and this is where you belong!"


    Sara laughed scornfully at Lina, huddled up in a corner, looking pitiful. Her beautiful dress had been ripped in places, her hair was a mess and she looked like a wounded kitten.


    "You can''t go back to the ballroom looking like this!"


    In saying this, Sara opened her purse and threw a thick wad of cash at Lina''s face.


    "There, that should be more than enough for a commoner like you to comfortably take a taxi back to whatever hole you crawled out from."


    She was satisfied with herself for showing this lowly woman her place and status. She shouldn''t be able to show herself like this in the ballroom again. It would be too embarrassing.


    That way, she could go and make an actual move on Shen, the man she had been longing for since she was young.


    After saying this, Sara stuck her nose up in the air and walked out of the washroom with her two friends trailing behind her.


    Once the women left the bathroom, Lina stood up. She smiled to herself in the mirror. She had decided to paint an even more pitiful picture of herself.


    She scratched herself a few times and tore her dress in a few more places.


    "What a pity...Briar Rose, I promise to rescue you once the credits roll tonight. It''s nothing personal, you were just collateral damage."


    Lina sighed as she spoke to her beautiful dress that met its end far too soon.


    After looking as miserable as she could, she found her way back to the ballroom, stumbling in as if in pain, clutching her stomach.


    Shen was looking around anxiously to see if she had returned while Sara had made a beeline for him.


    When he saw her approach, he put on a polite smile.


    "Brother Shen! Brother Shen! I heard you came tonight and tried to look for you everywhere!"


    Sara feigned a sickly sweet act, doe-eyed and innocent.


    She immediately went over to him and attached herself to his arm, making sure to wear a na?ve look on her face, yet ''inadvertently'' throw her body at him.


    After all, every man noticed a woman''s physical assets first.


    Sara enjoyed attention and knew very well how to catch a l.u.s.tful man''s eye.


    But Shen was anything but l.u.s.tful.


    Well, maybe he was...but there was only one woman who could arouse his desire. And she was not in this room!


    He carefully extracted his arm from her clingy grasp and greeted her as courteously as possible in the situation.


    "Sara, how are you? I just met your brother who told me you returned from Country A just a week back."


    Shen did show Sara more kindness than he did any other young girl at such parties, but that was only because he grew up with her brother and their families had close business and personal ties.


    "I graduated with an almost perfect score last month so mother and brother are throwing a big party next weekend."


    She smiled at him sweetly, trying to keep his eyes solely on her.


    But to her disappointment, Shen was distracted. His gaze kept absently scouring the ballroom, looking for Lina.


    Annoyed, Sara pouted coyly and thrust her chest forward as she tried to recapture his attention.


    "Brother Shen...you haven''t seen me in one year and yet you cannot even have one conversation with me."


    When did this girl get so clingy? Yes, he had known her all her life, and yes he had been kind to her, but he had never given her any special preference.


    Why was she acting as if he belonged to her?


    He didn''t want a hassle or a tantrum, so he decided to quickly pacify the girl.


    "Of course not, we are all so proud of your achievement."


    His tone was calm, without a hint of excitement. But Sara''s eyes brightened again.


    "So you will come to the party then?" she pestered him eagerly.


    Suddenly Shen''s eyes caught sight of a stumbling figure in a dusty pink ballgown.


    Absently, he answered Sara.


    "Yes, sure. Now please excuse me."


    Sara''s face darkened as she followed his gaze to the stumbling figure.


    ''This troublesome bitch actually walked back in here in that embarrassing state!? And what are all those scratches on her? We didn''t do that!"


    As these thoughts ran through Sara''s mind, she saw an increasingly concerned Shen quickly make his way towards that horrible woman.


    Unbelievable!


    He didn''t spare her a second glance.


    Suddenly, her heartbeat quickened.


    What if this woman allowed them to bully her on purpose!


    Would she complain to Shen about them?


    Would her dear Shen hate her or be angry at her?


    Did that mean he actually cared about this unknown woman?


    The way she was acting all pitiful, she surely deserved an Oscar for her performance!

 Chapter 66 - Play along, hubby

    Shen hurried towards Lina. The crowd had their eyes on him, and naturally their gazes followed his quickly moving figure.


    There were gasps from everyone when they saw a miserable-looking, disheveled Lina. The whispers started sounding about why she looked like that.


    Sara had counted on this being an embarrassment to Shen, and hoped that if she came back to the ballroom, he would shoo her away to preserve his pristine image, rather than have an untidy woman at his side.


    But the way he rushed towards her, his eyes gentle and full of worry, made her quake with fear.


    "Baby...what happened?!"


    He asked her in a soft but worried voice as he held her limp figure in his arms, shielding her from the crowd.


    How did this deadly woman manage to get beaten up and scratched at an event full of pompous, spoiled brats and aristocrats with soft hands?!


    Who could she have possibly found trouble with?


    As he cradled her body close to him, she peeped up at his face and smiled coyly.


    "Play along, hubby. There''s a little girl somewhere around here who deserves to be punished."


    Shen''s bemused expression implicitly conveyed that he''d entertain her no matter what she wanted to do.


    As the show began, she began to sob in his arms.


    "H-h-hubby...I''ve been attacked..."


    Suddenly, everyone was alert.


    Attacked?! Here? At this prestigious hotel with only the cream of the crop present?


    Who could have been so bold to attack anyone here with so much security and surveillance. And no less, the woman who Shen Moshi had announced publicly as his wife?!


    The culprit was bound to get into trouble.


    Madam Yi quickly came forward and began fussing greatly over Lina and making a scene.


    After all, she had to show concern as the host of this ball.


    Otherwise her reputation would be stained.


    "Come my dear, let me help you go to a room and clean you up!"


    As she began hurrying Lina to her feet, she began yelling for security.


    "SECURITY! Where is the head of security!?"


    The men stationed at the entrance all came running up to Madam Yi.


    "Yes madam, how can we help?"


    "How can you help?! A guest here has been attacked and none of you saw or did anything? What is going on here!"


    As she went off on a rampage scolding the security personnel at the hotel while Shen stayed silently by Lina''s side.


    His eyes were cold.


    Even if Lina was jus teaching someone here a lesson, during the time she had gone to the bathroom, something had happened.


    Someone had tried to bully her.


    Even if she was a highly capable woman, he wouldn''t stand by and just watch while shameless people targeted his wife.


    In the midst of Madam Yi''s yelling rampage Lina spoke up in a small, pitiful voice.


    "Madam Yi...the person who attacked me..."


    As Lina spoke, the whole room was hushed, wondering what this mysterious woman was going to say next.


    Even Shen was listening carefully, his attention centred on his beloved little wife.


    Every bruise on her cheek and rip of on her dress cut his heart.


    Sara began to panic standing at the back, wishing she could merge into the crowd. Her two friends looked at each other nervously. Maybe they shouldn''t have been so stupid and hurt the woman Shen Moshi publicly bestowed the title of Madam Moshi on.


    Sara''s family had so much power, they often forgot that there was someone who was more powerful.


    And just because they didn''t see him everyday, didn''t mean he wasn''t there.


    They had awoken a sleeping beast.


    "Who was it, angel?"


    Shen encouraged her gently with a tenderness everyone in the room was envious of.


    This stunning man''s gaze had never been so soft.


    "Shen...it was actually someone here...it was a guest. Not an intruder."


    The whole ballroom was shocked for a minute.


    And then there was a huge ruckus. Discussions and speculations followed with great gusto and interest.


    "Hurting his wife here today is like declaring war on the Moshi Corporation!"


    "Who would dare be as bold?!"


    "Attacking her right under Shen Moshi''s nose! How foolish!"


    There were jeers and shouts all around, some people calling for the perpetrator to be dragged out by their hair.


    Sara felt the sweat run down her back as her heart beat sped up. She was being awfully quiet as Lina watched her trembling figure.


    She wasn''t going for the kill yet. She was like a tigress still toying with her food.


    Just revealing who the perpetrator was would not inflict the same mental torture on Sara as it would to keep everyone guessing and pushing that brat to a point where she would confess herself.


    Lina didn''t realise she could be so brutal, but her mind was made up.


    This girl had not only slandered her, but even attacked her marriage with Shen.


    And then she had proceeded to physically assault her with her friends.


    How dare she!


    "Madam Yi, I don''t know anyone here...but I can describe the culprit, I think..."


    She spoke slowly and with uncertainty, painting an even more unfortunate picture of herself as a weak woman.


    This was also a ploy to publicly establish this fragile image of herself so that their enemies would underestimate her, making it easier for them to screw up and get caught by this formidable pair.


    The games had just begun.

 Chapter 67 - Helpless little bunny

    With everyone alert, Lina milked the attention.


    Madame Yi sat down next to her and took her hand.


    "Dear, I know it must have been traumatic but start with the basics. Was this person a man or woman?"


    Lina looked at her concerned expression. She was disgusted. This woman only wanted to appear concerned to play the role of the all-powerful matriarch amongst these elites.


    She didn''t really care.


    But Lina played along.


    "It was...a woman. A very young woman, actually..."


    The men in the room all sighed audibly. At least nobody would go pointing fingers at them. They would all still remain in Shen Moshi''s good books.


    They just couldn''t make an enemy out of him.


    But the panic hadn''t subsided.


    All the women under thirty began to look around nervously. Would they all be questioned?!


    Would someone falsely accuse them to save their own skin?


    Lina was disgusted at the pretentious young girls, spoiled and seated on their high horses.


    They didn''t know what valuing people meant, only valuing materials and power and position in society.


    If it meant throwing someone else under the bus to save themselves, they''d lie till their noses were longer than anything Pinocchio ever had!


    "How many girls hurt you?"


    Shen''s voice was hard and cold, as if he''d be serving up a death penalty tonight.


    Sara was sweating quite visibly now.


    She laughed nervously.


    "It''s a little hot in here, isn''t it? Did the air conditioners stop working?"


    The whole room was silent.


    It was an important moment, and everyone had been focused on the revealing of the culprit. Where did this girl find the guts to make comments on the temperature?


    "Sara seems nervous, doesn''t she..."


    The whispers began as Sara sunk deeper into her shell.


    Madam Yi''s eyes registered shock and then slowly signs of panic.


    She stood up immediately.


    "Let''s put this aside for now, Madam Moshi needs to rest and her wounds need medical attention."


    She was trying help Lina out of the room but Shen''s hand immediately snapped up, stopping her from taking any further action.


    "No. We will get to the bottom of this."


    Turning to his wife, with gentle eyes, he continued to ask her.


    "Angel, how many girls attacked you?"


    This was the perfect moment for tears. Lina squeezed her eyes tightly shut, as if in pain, until glistening little drops collected at the sides of her eyes, threatening to spill.


    "There were three..."


    Every man''s heart was moved. This girl evoked a sense of helplessness that was far from annoying, but rather, exciting. Her gentleness and her soft demeanour was that of an abandoned little princess who just needed to be held.


    She was a different level of beautiful when she acted vulnerable.


    Even Shen fists curled up in fury. He wanted to personally behead the stupid cows who dared to touch his pure little wife.


    His eyes flashed in anger, as his gaze fell on this still sweaty and nervous Sara.


    But he noticed something more interesting.


    The two girls beside her looked truly terrified. Sara was able to control her emotions better, but her friends were hopeless.


    Suddenly Madam Yi spoke up again.


    "Shen, I know you are angry, but we can deal with this privately instead of making all the other guests uncomfortable. And, your wife needs a doctor right now."


    Lina noticed Madam Yi was becoming increasingly jittery.


    But Shen pounced on her before Lina had time to force her into a corner. He knew exactly why Madam Yi was having second thoughts about getting to the bottom of this matter.


    Both husband and wife were playing the same game. And they had everyone quaking in their fancy boots.


    "Madam Yi, don''t you think we should prioritise finding the person who harmed my wife? We can bring a doctor in here to help her."


    His voice became gentler as he spoke to Lina.


    "You''re okay with that right, angel?"


    Her watery eyes were trusting as she nodded at him.


    Suddenly someone began wailing.


    Everyone''s eyes turned to a girl wearing a tacky, extremely bejeweled yellow dress.


    Lina recognised her as one of Sara''s friends.


    The flies were entering the trap.


    Shen walked straight up to the crying girl and glared down at her. As she shrunk out of fear and guilt, Shen looked more and more like the truly terrifying figure he was.


    Tall. Handome. Foreboding. Dangerous.


    "Speak."


    The girl was about to crack but Sara quickly interceded.


    "Brother Shen, let the poor girl be! She is so scared because of how powerful you are."


    As Sara spouted nonsense in a sickly sweet voice she only put on for Shen, she went up to him and clung to his arm like a benevolent little princess.


    Lina''s eyes grew dark. This girl was now getting really annoying.


    It was time for her to step in.


    "Actually...darling, this girl here in the blue gown clinging to your arm...she looks quite familiar."

 Chapter 68 - Nobody could stand up to the Moshi family

    Sara could feel her insides crumble when she heard Lina''s words.


    This crazy woman had no sense of fear. She had warned her so many times, and yet she had the courage to try and implicate her.


    Madam Yi immediately stood up.


    "Enough! I have entertained this young lady long enough. How dare she turn this into a witch hunt against my own daughter?!"


    The realisation hit Lina. No wonder Madam Yi was squirming in her seat.


    She was the hostess of this event and could not have her daughter getting implicated so openly in an assault.


    Even though Sara was nervous, she knew she had to play her cards right. That''s how she was brought up.


    She went up pitifully to her mother''s side, with eyes like great pools of sapphire.


    "Mother...this woman is publicly slinging mud at our family''s good name. Even brother Shen won''t believe me."


    Shen''s expression didn''t change. He was still glaring coldly at Sara.


    But the public opinion was swaying towards the great daughter of the Yi family.


    The men in the room knew she was unattached and single, and standing by this heiress right now could win her and her powerful mother''s favour.


    "Where did this lady even come from?"


    "Whose family''s daughter is she?"


    "Is she really Master Moshi''s wife or did she just bear an illegitimate child?"


    Sara smiled inwardly to herself. Now this girl, who didn''t know how to behave, was really an embarrassment to Shen.


    Lina was chiding herself for trying to teach this girl a lesson publicly. She could have just beaten all three girls in the bathroom and tied them up there.


    She really didn''t intend on putting Shen in a difficult position because of everyone insulting him on her account.


    But he didn''t seem to care. They were all more flies to him.


    He just looked at her lovingly and asked again.


    "Are you sure it was the daughter of the Yi family that assaulted you?"


    His gaze encouraged her to continue speaking the truth. He would stand by her.


    She simply nodded this time.


    Shen picked up his phone and dialled Ayu''s number.


    When she picked up, he spoke without greeting or explanation.


    "Ayu, pull out the 30 billion dollar investment from the latest joint venture for the luxury apartment complex we signed with Yinan Industries."


    Madam Yi gasped, as her hand flew to clutch her chest, startled at the utter shock of his words.


    Even Lina was surprised by his rash declaration.


    Sara''s knees began to shake. This had snowballed into a massive issue. Her brother and mother would kill her when they returned home!


    She had to do something!


    Sara ran to Shen''s side and fell to her knees sobbing.


    "Brother Shen...y-y-y-ou k-k-know how ha-ha-rd it''s been since dad-daddy died...why are you being so brutal to me...you didn''t even witness this woman''s claims with your own eyes! Y-y-you know me s-s-since I was a little girl. I w-w-would never go against you!"


    As she went on weeping, Lina realised she was putting Shen in awkward position.


    This girl was so shameless as to use her dead father as an excuse to milk pity and make Shen look like a monster.


    Even if this girl harboured a crush on him, she had never seen anyone act so selfish!


    Lina''s blood began to boil, but she knew she had to put an end to this situation before Shen''s good name was sullied.


    "Hubby...it''s fine. The wounds are superficial, I''m feeling much better now."


    Shen''s voice hardened as he ignored everyone in the room, including Lina and barked orders at Ayu.


    "I don''t care what the breach of contract fees are, make sure they are paid in full so we can terminate our business relationship with Yinan immediately."


    Hearing this, Sara wailed even louder. Her brother wasn''t even present at the banquet to support them!


    Her brother had met with Shen just the week before to secure this deal, when Shen finally returned to the capital city offices after Lina''s recuperation. That was when he had mentioned to Shen that Sara had returned from abroad.


    But unfortunately tonight, he was on a business trip and would return later that evening to the mess she had created with their biggest partner - Moshi Corporation.


    "Shen don''t be rash. You can''t throw away everything we built together for a mere woman! Think of your father and my late husband and the work they put in to make Yinan and Moshi what they are today!"


    Now Madam Yi had also begun to beg, fully realising the scale of this issue.


    But Shen continued to ignore their pleas and wails. The whole room watched thunderstruck.


    Wasn''t the young master of the Moshi family taking it too far?


    But Shen wasn''t done yet. He scanned the room and paused at the faces of the men who badmouthed his wife to gain favour with the spoiled little miss of the Yi family.


    He gave more orders to Ayu on the phone.


    "Sever all ties with and blacklist Glory Textiles, Akira Technologies and Bloom Corporation."


    The three representatives of these companies almost had heart attacks. They were finished. They would go bankrupt in a week after getting blacklisted by the great Moshi Corp! None of their international partners would trade with them anymore!


    Who was this woman?! What kind of power did she have over the demon king himself?


    Yet all the ladies swooned at young master Moshi''s loving protectiveness towards his wife. Some looked on resentfully at their husbands and boyfriends.


    Would they do the same to protect their pride and honour?


    Likely not.


    However, nobody could really stand up to the Moshi family.


    Their power and grandeur was truly awe inspiring.

 Chapter 69 - In a distant memory

    As Lina watched her husband rule over his kingdom, her eyes glittered.


    This man was truly a king in his own right. He wasn''t afraid of anyone, and would not give face to even his strongest of allies if they hurt his darling wife.


    It was a miracle to wake up from a coma to a life with him.


    She must have done something good to deserve him.


    As she absent-mindedly stared at him in the distance, looking like royalty, handsome, charming, and powerful, her heart began to race.


    She clutched her chest, confused.


    Ever since she woke up, she had felt attached to Shen, and even at times warmth and affection. Her body welcomed his approach, and she knew she trusted him.


    But this racing of her heart, the slowing of time as she looked at him, a shortness of breath...was this...love?


    Suddenly, this image of him melted into a beautiful memory.


    Her eyes began to close and the lights grew dim. All she saw was this handsome king running towards her, his eyes full of worry. As she reached out to touch him, everything went black.


    A few minutes later, she was thrown into an unfamiliar place.


    But she was was standing in front of a familiar face, smiling down at her.


    He was so tall, and his face flawless. The soft dark hair and deep eyes made her stomach flip.


    As if outside her own body, she heard herself speak.


    "Shen, my darling, I am the happiest woman today. Today I get to promise my heart to you forever."


    Lina felt her eyes tear up.


    She was in a distant memory, watching on from a window.


    She saw herself on the day of her wedding with the man she had been sleeping next to these last few weeks.


    The man who thought he had lost her.


    The man she couldn''t remember.


    He was coming back to her slowly.


    She saw his face close down on hers and kiss her deeply.


    As he pulled back from her, his eyes were gentle, yet full of fiery passion.


    "My angel, you are everything to me. I promise to keep your heart safe, and to protect you from sickness and harm from today and everyday hereon."


    Lina''s head began to hurt as the memory started blur.


    As the image started to fade of the handsome man slipping the ring on her finger, she heard both of them say,


    "In this life, and the next, and all the lives ahead."


    She kept whispering that phrase under her breath until she heard a very real voice calling to her.


    This wasn''t a memory anymore, this was real.


    She was still the ballroom, surrounded by a worried crowd of masked faces.


    But she only saw one.


    She only noticed one person. The only person who never wore a mask in front of her.


    She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him with the same passion she felt in that sweet flashback of a dream.


    Shen was taken aback, but relieved she was okay, because she had suddenly fainted while he was giving Ayu orders on the phone.


    And then he realised that this sweet bunny was kissing him with a ceaseless hunger in front of the whole room.


    But he didn''t give a damn.


    When she pulled back from him, he could read the emotion on her face, despite the mask.


    Something had happened. She was also muttering in her unconscious state earlier, but it didn''t seem like one of her nightmares.


    "What''s going on, baby?" he asked her, gently smiling and brushing back a wisp of her hair.


    She smiled at him in a familiar way that he hadn''t seen in a long time.


    "In this life, and the next, and all the lives ahead."


    Her quiet words shook his world.


    "What..." he said, the breath knocked out of his chest.


    "Today I get to promise my heart to you forever..."


    Shen was speechless in that moment.


    She was repeating her wedding vows to him.


    He gently cupped her face in his hands, his face complicated, but full of emotion.


    "My angel, you are everything to me."


    These words she said to him had kept him sane by her bedside everyday.


    The long nights he stared at her, wishing with all his might to hear her voice again.


    To see her eyes look up at him the same way.


    And see her smile the way she had just moments ago.


    However, their bubble of happiness was easily disrupted.


    Sara''s loud wails and Madam Yi''s yelling brought the two lovers back to reality.


    Shen stood up angrily.


    "Enough!"


    The whole room turned silent.


    "Can''t you fools see how much you have hurt my wife?! She just fainted right now and all your people are just standing here staring at us like idiots! Where was the doctor you were supposed to call for?!"


    Madam Yi had nothing to say.


    She just looked at the security personnel and nodded, signalling for them to bring in a doctor.


    But Shen declined angrily.


    "No need. We will be leaving now. The contract termination papers and fees will reach you by tomorrow morning."


    Saying that, he picked his wife up bridal style and began to walk out of the ballroom.


    Sara quickly ran up to him, wiping her eyes.


    "Brother Shen, brother Shen! Will you still attend my party next weekend?"


    Shen scoffed.


    "What party?"


    Saying those two last words with as much scorn and sarcasm as he could be bothered with, he took his wife and walked out, leaving everyone with their mouths hanging open.

 Chapter 70 - The man in the casanova mask

    Shen walked out of the ballroom with his wife in his arms. Lina''s eyes were glued to his face. He was looking straight ahead, walking through the lobby.


    He just wanted to bring her home and wrap her up, attend to her wounds and tuck her safely up in bed.


    And then he''d keep her there for a few days so he could have her all to himself.


    A devilish smile appeared on his face as he thought about monopolising her attention.


    Lina''s eyes sparkled in wonder. Could there ever be a more handsome man than the on holding her?


    The man from her dreams, the man she she had committed her heart to.


    Just as she was revelling in her good luck, a nightmare shrouded them.


    She heard a familiar and unwelcome voice shrieking, preceding the appearance of a ridiculous neon person who she couldn''t seem to shake.


    As they had been on their way out, a sulking neon prime minister had been moping about in the lobby.


    Noticing the beautiful woman in Shen Moshi''s arms that he so desperately wanted to woo, a sudden familiarity about her hit him.


    He forgot to watch his mouth and began running towards them.


    "I KNOW WHO YOU ARE! MY HEART IS TRUE! Ms. Mito, it really is you! Ms. Mito! MS. MITO!!!"


    Shen froze in his spot. Enough was enough.


    This ridiculous man was inadvertently and foolishly calling more attention to the low key couple than they wanted.


    "Shen, this is not good...he''s too loud." Lina whispered to her husband.


    As the stupid pink-suit clad, bling-covered maniac scampered towards Lina, Shen placed her gently on her feet before gracefully pivoting his body to cover his wife and-


    BAM!


    Before the stupid man knew what hit him, Shen''s fist slammed into his face.


    The PM of B nation lay on the ground in stupor, falling unconscious.


    Lina gasped.


    "Hubby, was that necessary?"


    Shen turned to her with an annoyed expression.


    "Why? Did you want me to spare this man after he publicly tried to steal my wife? Twice?! What kind of a spineless man do you think I am?"


    His butt-hurt retort made her giggle a little. But then she looked around to check for onlookers, just to make sure nobody heard his troublesome shrieks revealing her identity.


    She didn''t notice anyone in the empty lobby, but a chill ran down her back.


    "Shen, this idiot could have ruined everything..."


    He rubbed her bare back, after realising she was shivering.


    "Angel, I''m right here next to you. Always. Don''t worry."


    He kissed the top of her head and covered her in his warm jacket.


    As she felt his body heat embrace her bare shoulders and his familiar scent envelop her, she relaxed.


    The beautiful couple then exited the Golden Dragon Presidential Hotel as gracefully as they entered.


    As they left, a young man in his late twenties, in his signature loose clothing and a venetian casanova mask stepped out from the shadows in the lobby Shen and Lina had just exited.


    He ran his hand through his long hair, smiling to himself. The look on his face would have a thousand girls swooning.


    He picked up his phone and made a phone call.


    "Mari, I believe we know who the wife is. It''ll be easier to track her this time."


    With that he laughed softly to himself, enjoying the chaos this Mito woman had caused to his carefully laid out plans.


    Whoever she was, he would surely find out.


    "What an interesting find she is...delightful! Delightful!"


    The wife, she aroused a part of him he didn''t know existed. Innocent-eyed, yet dangerous.


    It was a good thing he hadn''t managed to kill her the first time. After his war with the arrogant Moshi devil was over, maybe he''d keep his woman for entertainment.


    -- back at the Moshi mansion --


    The first thing Shen did when they got back to the mansion was help his wife undress and tend to her injuries.


    As he was helping her undo her corset he sighed at how dreadfully uncomfortable it looked.


    "Baby...maybe I shouldn''t let you buy clothes that hurt your body and suffocate you."


    "Sometimes we women must sacrifice comfort for beauty..." Lina said with a heavy sigh, repeating the words of the great designer June.


    This reminded her of the pain in her abdomen and lower back.


    And women had the pain of menstrual cramps, childbirth, dealing with overprotective husbands...oh dear.


    As she held her stomach and groaned, the overprotective husband irritated her more.


    "What''s wrong! What''s wrong?! I''m calling Dr. Yoshi! Sit down, angel, stop aggravating your injuries by exerting yourself."


    His ordering and panicking was just too much for Lina right now.


    She picked up a pillow and slammed the devil''s face with it, leaving him speechless yet again.


    This woman was getting way too gutsy, he thought.


    "Hubby, it''s just my time of the month! Dr. Yoshi is not needed! Stop annoying me!"


    "Okay, okay, at least lay down to rest your body while I apply medicine on these scratches."


    Giving in to his request, she lay herself down on the fort of pillows her arranged for her on the bed.


    His caring, efficient hands tended to every little bruise and scratch on her body with gentleness and love.


    As she watched him, she realised he must have done this for her everyday for three months while she lay in the coma, not knowing if she would wake up at all.


    His heart would have broken a million times with tending each wound on her body.


    The flashback of their wedding came back into her head, his smiling face, and his promise to always protect her.


    She touched his hand gently, stopping him.


    "Hubby...I''m fine. Trust me, I just let them do this so I could humiliate them for slinging mud at our relationship."


    Listening to her words, there was an indescribable happiness in Shen''s heart.


    "You remembered our wedding vows today..." he said to her gently, touching her soft cheek.


    "Yes, I did. Every moment spent with you, is a moment towards bringing our past and our love back."


    "Impossible, angel. Our love may be buried with your memories, but it never left."


    With this fulfilling, uplifting feeling, Lina fell asleep in the arms of her most beloved husband.

 Chapter 71 - An appointment with the doctor

    Lina slept soundly for the first time in many nights. There was no nightmare, no screaming woman, no fires and no weeping in her sleep.


    She dreamt more vividly of the wedding day.


    It was the same image as the one in the photo frame next to their bed.


    The two of them, just married, their hands interlocked with matching silver wedding bands.


    But in her dream, this picture was moving.


    It was a real memory.


    She was wearing a short peach frock, her hair natural and way falling in waves down her back. It was a little shorter than it was right now, but it still flowed softly like the ripples in a brooke.


    Her face was radiant and shining, even with only a little bit of makeup. Her skin was clear like the petals of an oriental lily and her eyes were like deep pools looking at the man who was to be her husband in total adoration.


    Shen matched her radiance perfectly. He was wearing just a casual white linen shirt and his hair was messily falling into his eyes, just how Lina liked it. It gave this stern man such a boyish charm.


    Even in her dreams she could feel her heart turning to mush as she looked at him, with so much brightness and expectation for the future they would share.


    As the whole scene replayed in her dream, they repeated the vows to each other.


    Lina looked down at his big hands and strong fingers, lovingly putting the ring on his finger.


    "In this life, and the next, and all the lives ahead."


    As she looked up to kiss the lips of the man her heart was beating for, she was thrown with shock.


    Looking down at her with greed in his eyes was the face of someone she knew very well.


    Someone claiming to be her real husband.


    Victor Tachibana.


    Tachi.


    ***************


    The next morning, the dream was forgotten along with Tachi''s face.


    Lina awoke to the face she now knew she loved.


    Shen Moshi. Her husband. The man she would be with for the rest of all the lifetimes they would live.


    His sleepy eyes opened to her smiling face.


    Shen''s heart was once again warmed with happiness.


    "Good morning angel."


    He whispered to her and kissed her nose gently.


    Could they just forget all their troubles, the organisations and corporations they had to run, the enemies lurking in the shadows and Lina''s complicated past and identity and just remain in their private world, tucked in each other''s arms?


    Unfortunately, it was Monday morning and they had things to do.


    "Good morning, hubby. I''m hungry and I want eggs and coffee."


    She was acting like a spoiled bunny.


    Shen smiled. It had been a while since they had such normalcy in their life.


    He would pamper her with breakfast in bed before he brought her to the 9 am appointment with Dr. Hayama.


    Today they would start dealing with her memory suppression and PTSD properly.


    Lina would have to go through many stages of recovery. And mental recovery would be a huge challenge.


    They needed to know the secrets of her past to keep her safe in the future.


    As he brought her a tray full of fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, cappuccino and juice with lovely flowers on the side, he decided to tell her about the upcoming appointment.


    "Baby, you know that we must actively try to ease you into bringing your memory back right?"


    He asked her this question gently and slowly.


    He remembered Dr. Yoshi telling him to make sure to allow Lina to do everything without force and at her pace with total consent.


    Lina, focused on the food, nodded her cute little bedhead. Her hair was messy and the bruises were turning blue on her from last night''s incident.


    It made Shen''s heart bleed for her. But she still looked adorable, stuffing her face, as if she had been starved all her life.


    "So, angel, we have to take help and work with a world-renown professional who will help soothe your nightmares and exercise your memory. Is that okay?"


    With her mouth full, Lina mumbled an affirmative answer.


    "Mm hmm! Who is this...world renown professional, hubby?"


    Shen laughed at her gusto, trying to talk with a full mouth.


    "His name is Dr. Hayama. He''s a well known and respected psychiatrist."


    Lina stopped eating all of a sudden.


    "A psychiatrist?"


    She looked at Shen with an expression of scorn.


    "Baby, this is the least intrusive way to coax your memory back. Dr. Yoshi has reassured me!"


    But Lina still seemed skeptical.


    "It''s like telling me I need to be treated for being crazy!"


    Lina knew that it was not Shen''s intent and going to a psychiatrist didn''t make her crazy. But her instincts were on high alert. She didn''t like the sound of this.


    "Of course not! Of course you''re not crazy!" Shen protested.


    But he understood that she was only emotional because it was a big step.


    He had to be gentler with her. He took her in his arms and stroked her hair.


    As he felt her body relax in his embrace, he continued speaking to her softly.


    "You have suffered through many traumas, my love. If you want to regain your sense of identity, you have to accept these sufferings of the past. You need to be guided through it, and I will be there with you every step of the way..."


    Shen''s soothing voice and his touch made Lina more compliant with the idea.


    She really did want to recover. She wanted to know herself better, her life, her past and her relationship with her husband.


    "Okay...when do we go see the doctor?" she asked, quiet as a mouse in his arms.


    "We leave in an hour. Is that okay with you, angel?"


    "Mm hm. Let me finish eating first. I''m still hungry."


    Saying that, she attacked the delicious scrambled eggs once again.

 Chapter 72 - The pain of not knowing

    Shen drove Lina personally to Dr. Hayama''s clinic. He knew a big part of Lina''s recovery would be through his support. She would never be alone in this.


    As the black Mercedes pulled up in front of the airy, spacious office building a little outside the capital city, Lina''s heart sped up.


    Part of her wanted to remain in the ignorant bliss she was living in and deal with any troubles by means of pure force rather than confronting the secrets of her past.


    But she would time and again be reminded of the pain of not knowing.


    There was a lonliness in her heart no amount of company or proximity from others could change.


    She was alone because she had no sense of self.


    And no amount of doting even by her husband would change that.


    Only she could save herself. And she had to be strong.


    As they stepped into the building, they were greeted by a lean, bespectacled man with a grave expression.


    He smiled politely at the attractive couple who walked in.


    There was no one else waiting in the reception area.


    Shen assumed that Lina must be the first patient for Dr. Hayama today.


    "Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Moshi. The doctor is expecting you."


    The receptionist didn''t seem like a man of many words and there was a particular sharpness in his eye as he scrutinised Lina.


    They followed the receptionist in as he knocked on the doctor''s office.


    "Come in"


    A smooth, magnetic voice called from within the elegant wooden doors.


    As the receptionist opened the door, Lina and Shen stepped into Dr. Hayama''s consultation chambers.


    The moment Lina set eyes on the man, she was enthralled by his strong aura and his commanding presence.


    His well-defined face wore a pleasant and welcoming smile, and his appearance was extremely dapper. This seasoned, mature man could take anyone by surprise.


    His tall, broad structure had Lina''s little assistant Mei swooning, falling head over heels in love with him.


    But Lina was only intrigued.


    Shen was slightly uncomfortable. The first time he had met with Dr. Hayama, the man was nonchalant, indifferent and matter-of-fact. But today, as he greeted Lina, he seemed somewhat...warm?


    His easy-going smile brought a sparkle to his eyes, immediately changing the atmosphere. He had to make Lina feel comfortable enough to trust him and open up to him.


    The first meeting was always the most important.


    Lina looked around, observant as ever.


    The chamber was extremely graceful, with the touch of an elegant man of good taste. Mahogany finishing, book shelves neatly arranged, chaises and sofas to comfort an agony-filled patient and the temperature set just right.


    She felt cozy enough to lay down and fall asleep.


    "Welcome Madam Moshi. And young master Moshi, it''s good to see you again."


    The doctor''s chocolaty, low voice somehow fit the atmosphere of the chambers.


    "Hello Dr. Hayama, my husband has told me much about your excellence in your work. I hope to be in your capable hands."


    Lina''s response to Dr. Hayama was filled with expectation, even though she knew that recovery was not an overnight process.


    Shen, hearing the expectation in her voice, squeezed her hand and smiled warmly at her.


    "Please take a seat, both of you. These are the confidentiality doc.u.ments that you both must sign, securing the patient''s privacy."


    After signing the doc.u.ments and completing the formalities, Dr. Hayama turned to Shen.


    "Young master, unfortunately, I must ask you to wait outside while I conduct the session with your wife."


    Shen''s brow furrowed intensely. Yes, he knew it was normal for psychiatrists to require privacy for their sessions with patients, but Lina''s case was special. They''d already talked about him being there to support her. Why should he leave the room!


    "Doctor, as you know, Lina needs my presence to ease her anxieties. She''s still fragile, and it would be better for me to stand by her side every step of the way."


    Lina knew that she had to trust the doctor. Her husband''s overprotectiveness would have to take the back seat.


    Even though she had initially been panicky and hesitant, she had to fully commit herself to this process in the correct way to make any progress.


    Dr. Hayama had a reasonable explanation for both of them.


    "Young master, I am not at all familiar with the madam. My objectiveness provides her a space to completely let down her guard and inhibitions to bring back her memory. It won''t work if her subconscious worries about protecting you, as I have noticed has been the case."


    His observation skills were even better than hers. At first glance, he could tell that even though the husband was overtly protective, Lina''s stance was always alert, as if to throw her body in front of his, as if to sacrifice herself to save him.


    There was something that subconsciously put this woman on perpetual red alert, even though she was not aware of it.


    If her husband remained present, she might suppress things that evoked too much emotion, rather than bringing those memories forth.


    Shen still stood stiff in his place. He didn''t feel like budging at all.


    He then felt his wife''s soft little hands squeeze his arm as she looked up at him with her angel eyes.


    "Darling hubby...I must do this for you. I need to remember you. Please have some faith in me?"


    Her words immediately melted his heart.


    He longed for this affection and these adoring gazes from her.


    Only she could make him comply.


    He nodded and walked to the door, turning around once more to look at her sweet figure standing alone in front of the doctor, prepared to go down this painful path.


    "Be safe, my love."


    As he said those last words to her before leaving the room to wait outside, Lina''s heart felt a stab of pain.


    ''Be safe, my love.''


    Those famous last words were so familiar...as if from another life...

 Chapter 73 - Just a glass of water

    As Shen left the room and Lina was left alone with Dr. Hayama, her heartbeat sped up considerably.


    She was feeling confident enough to confront her problems just a moment ago, but now that her husband''s protective arms were no longer around her, she felt anxiety creeping up.


    Dr. Hayama''s gaze was like an x-ray. He scanned her body language like he was inside her mind and it made her uncomfortable.


    "Madam, you need to relax. You''re fidgeting and your shoulders are hunched. Are you feeling a shortness of breath?"


    His voice was soothing and stable, as if providing physical support.


    "Uhh...yes, a little."


    Dr. Hayama reached out and enveloped her fidgety hands in his big ones.


    His hands were slightly rough and calloused as if from long days of labour. But they were steadfast and his grip was tight.


    Lina wanted to pull her hands back. Was this part of her therapy?


    His eyes were glued to her face, but she had trouble looking him in the eyes as he continued speaking to her.


    "Madam Moshi...you will have to trust me. Take deep breaths, please."


    As Lina forced herself to breathe deeply and slowly, following his instructions, her heartbeat returned to its normal pace.


    "Are you feeling slightly better?"


    "Yes, doctor."


    After withdrawing his hands, Dr. Hayama scanned his little notebook.


    "Now, let''s start from the beginning."


    Lina nodded.


    "What is your name?"


    "Lina Moshi."


    "Your maiden name, Madam."


    "Uh...Lina Mito."


    He made a slight scribble in his notepad after her answer.


    Lina shifted uneasily in her seat.


    Noticing her movement, Dr. Hayama stopped writing and looked up.


    "Do I make you feel judged, Madam?"


    Lina: "..."


    Dr. Hayama shot her an easy-going, charming smile.


    He put his notepad away, decidedly to stop scribbling.


    "Madam, how about I talk about myself a little, if it helps you ease the tension."


    In saying so, he stood up and poured two glasses of water. He took a sip from one glass as he turned around and passed Lina the second glass.


    "Here, have some water. It will help calm your anxiety."


    He took a sip in front of her to set her mind at rest and partake in a simple and small activity together. He was building a bridge, showing her he meant no harm.


    This girl really was like a wounded bunny, shy to the touch of a stranger.


    Lina took the glass, but kept it in her hand and stared at it.


    Dr. Hayama chuckled lightly. The sound of his laughter reverberated through the warm chamber. Mei would have been melting at her knees. But Lina was still wary.


    "Let me tell you a story."


    ''He''s trying to break the ice,'' Lina thought to herself, so she stayed quiet and listened.


    "There was once a young boy who was born to a happy, normal family. He grew up securely with two loving parents who provided for him and cared for him like he was the most precious thing in the world. Their world was perfect and nothing could go wrong."


    Lina''s mouth suddenly felt dry. She reflexively took a sip of water, still watching Dr. Hayama reciting the story in his deep, low, cello-like voice.


    "This boy felt as any child would from a secure family...like nothing could destroy their little world or touch them because he was protected by his parents. Parents..."


    As he repeated the word ''parents'', Lina''s head suddenly felt heavy.


    His voice felt soothing, like a lullaby.


    Her eyelids grew heavy.


    "Then one day, this boy returned home from school to find his home empty. He called for his mother and he searched for his father everywhere, but he couldn''t see them..."


    Gradually, the room started to spin and Lina felt weak. She felt like she was floating outside her body and couldn''t control her movements.


    "As the boy grew more frantic, and began to cry, he realised that his parents were really not home anymore."


    Lina''s body dropped sideways on to the sofa, as if in a deep trance.


    She saw the blurry image of Dr. Hayama getting up from his chair and kneeling down next to her. As he bent over her, to position her properly on the sofa, she smelt the faint smell of cigars mixed with his cologne.


    It made her more dizzy than she already was.


    Dr. Hayama continued talking as he helped her limp body into a comfortable position on the sofa.


    "Everyday the boy waited at his doorstep for his parents to return, and everyday he''d fall asleep still waiting. A week later, the boy was at death''s door, having starved himself waiting. Three men in suits came and took him away."


    Lina''s mind became extremely blurry at this point.


    An image of a burning house entered her mind. Her heartbeat quickened as she saw a small girl crying in front of the burning, exploding building.


    Lina wanted to run to this child and pull her away, out of harm''s way but somehow she couldn''t reach her no matter how hard she tried to approach.


    The little girl was wailing, screaming for her mother, but nobody came to help her.


    Lina''s eyes teared up, and she began to panic for the child.


    If she didn''t move quickly, she would die and be crushed under the burning house.


    The little girl had big doe-like brown eyes that were moist from the weeping. She reminded Lina of someone.


    "MOVE! RUN! Please go, or you will get hurt!!!"


    Lina began yelling to the girl.


    But it seemed the girl couldn''t hear her.


    Suddenly her eyes flew open. She was lying on a sofa, her face covered in cold sweat.


    She got up with a start and looked around.


    Dr. Hayama was sitting on the chair in front of her.


    His expression was solemn.


    He got up and walked over to her with another glass of water.


    "Madam, here, drink some water."


    Lina pushed the glass away furiously.


    "What did you do to me?!"


    Dr. Hayama looked puzzled.


    "I didn''t do anything. Madam, I was slightly worried, but you seemed to have passed out from exhaustion."


    Lina looked at him disbelievingly.


    Exhaustion?!


    She was sleeping and eating just fine!


    "You''re lying! You put something in the water!"


    Dr. Hayama smiled amusedly.


    "Madam, I drank the same water as you. Here is your glass. I''m sure you and your husband can get it tested if you wish."


    Saying this, he handed her the glass.


    "Mrs. Moshi, you''ve been out for less than five minutes. I couldn''t have switched the glasses without anyone outside noticing."


    Lina thought about what he said.


    Was she being too distrustful? Maybe she had collapsed because of low blood pressure or something.


    She would go straight to the hospital and get her blood tested. If this doctor drugged her, she would find out immediately.


    But she didn''t want to worry Shen with this right now.

 Chapter 74 - Hallucination or reality?

    Lina made sure to wipe away the cold sweat and politely wish Dr. Hayama goodbye so that Shen would have some peace of mind.


    "Was the session alright, angel? Were you comfortable?"


    Lina rested her head on Shen''s shoulder in the car as she finally felt safe enough to close her eyes.


    "Well, it was stressful but I expected it to be so. This won''t be easy. We both knew that."


    Shen rubbed her head dotingly, knowing fully well that some struggles were Lina''s alone.


    She looked up at her husband with big doe-eyes, opening her mouth to speak.


    But he cut her off.


    "What is it? What do you want?"


    Lina giggled.


    Did he really have to read her face so blatantly?


    "Hubby...can you drop me to my office please?"


    "You just had your first session with the psychiatrist! You should be resting at home and taking your mind off things instead of exerting yourself more!"


    Shen was horrified at her request.


    She already went straight back to work to deal with that ridiculous PM''s crisis straight out of her recuperation bed. How could she be requesting to go back again so soon?!


    Lina pouted, making her small pink lips look even more alluring.


    Shen wondered how much longer they would wait before he could touch her intimately again, just looking at those rosebud lips.


    "Please hubby. I promise to cook your favourite noodles again tonight for dinner."


    Was this girl trying to bribe him with food?


    Was he so easily bought?!


    Shen opened his mouth to refuse, but somehow he just could say no to her begging expression.


    "Fine. But I will be sending all your health supplements to work with Ayu and you need to be back home before 8 pm to get a proper sleep. Rest is the most important medicine for data hardwiring in your brain."


    He had definitely done all his research.


    "Ok ok, I promise!"


    She held three fingers up, swearing with the scout salute to do as told.


    Shen nodded at her and dropped her off in front of her office building.


    As he drove off, she stood outside with no intention of walking in. She still hadn''t officially returned to work and besides her head team, nobody knew where she was.


    She called Mei''s phone and asked her to meet her outside the office.


    The little assistant scuttled out excitedly, her face red with exhaustion. Mei had been working tirelessly to make up for her boss'' absence and hearing her voice on the phone was relieving.


    "Boss! Boss!" she waved with an eager, school-girl expression on her face, her short curly hair bouncing everywhere.


    Lina smiled, happy to see her diligent assistant bouncing around like a crazy ball. She really took the edge off!


    "Mei, we have a mission!"


    Her big eyes widened even more.


    As Lina recounted the events of the morning and her session with Dr. Hayama, a little bit of drool acc.u.mulated at the side of Mei''s lips.


    Lina''s eyebrows shot up.


    "Are you listening to what I''m saying?! This is serious!" Lina scolded.


    She didn''t know that Mei had actually seen the doctor and at the mention of him, her thoughts were drifting to lewd places.


    Mei mentally scolded herself. She shouldn''t care how hot Dr. Hayama was or like him at all if he tried to hurt her boss!


    Boss comes first!


    "Yes! Yes, of course, boss. I''ll drive you to the hospital right away to get the toxicology blood tests."


    "Remember, Mei, Shen doesn''t need to know about this. Not yet, at least."


    It was just a hunch and she didn''t want her doting husband to blame himself for guiding her straight into the mouth of danger unknowingly.


    He was already doing his best to look after her.


    "But boss...young master will be worried!" Mei protested.


    But Lina put her hand up. Mei remained quiet after that.


    If she were to go home and drive herself to the hospital, Shen would have definitely had someone to keep an eye on her for protection and would have eventually found out that she had gone to the hospital.


    This way, with Mei driving her in one of the company cars, he wouldn''t know.


    Lina specifically informed Mei not to bring her to Capital City Hospital. If Dr. Yoshi found out she was there, he would definitely report to Shen.


    Worse, Dr. Hayama may find out. After all, he was recommended to Shen by Dr. Yoshi himself.


    And if he was an enemy, he shouldn''t see Lina being vulnerable. Enemies must only be shown strength.


    She had to be discreet.


    Mei looked at her boss''s determined face with a slightly worried expression.


    With a bashful look on her face, she decided to speak her mind.


    "I know boss is super strong and always capable, but please rely on me. I will do my best to protect boss..."


    With a little blush, Mei kept her eyes ahead on the road.


    Lina''s heart warmed towards the girl. She must be a good role model. Meimei looked up to her. The girl sincerely wanted to look out for her!


    "There''s a reason you''re my right-hand woman, little Meimei."


    Lina patted Mei''s arm in reassurance.


    -- At Sakura Hospital --


    "Good afternoon, ladies, what can I do for you?"


    A kind-faced, young male nurse greeted Lina and Mei at the reception.


    "Good afternoon, nurse. I would like to get a toxicology blood test at the earliest possible time." Lina''s tone was friendly, yet direct.


    The nurse had a confused expression on his face.


    Blood toxicology report?


    "Miss, is this an emergency? Have you come in contact with dangerous chemicals, poisons or ingested an unnatural substance?"


    To the nurse, Lina looked fine and perfectly healthy. Usually people requesting such tests have allergic symptoms or reactions to unknown substances.


    "Uh...I''m not sure yet, but yes, it is an emergency."


    The nurse''s expression was complicated.


    "Miss, we have a long waiting list. Since we are a small hospital, our lab has a limited capacity. Can you please fill out this form with your personal details and provide us with valid ID?"


    Lina was losing her patience. Even at a small hospital, this simple request was causing major complications.


    Mei bit her lip, observing Lina''s annoyance. She hoped boss would keep her cool and not give herself away.


    Suddenly, she noticed Lina''s annoyed face turning sweet and doe-eyed. Shen would have recognised her expression immediately.


    Boss was about to bribe!

 Chapter 75 - Thick wad of cash

    Lina''s hands dove into her purse as she pulled something thick out.


    She slowly hid it under the form the nurse had handed her and slid it to him on the table.


    Looking deeply into his eyes she said with a vulnerable smile.


    "My name is...Mei."


    Lina thought for a second and then continued to speak to the nurse, her eyes never leaving his face.


    "Mei Mito. Please write that down in your form and put me at the front of the line. I hope the form is...well filled out."


    Mei was so shocked, she could hardly speak.


    Did boss just say...Mei Mito?!


    Her glittering eyes were like hearts and some more drool acc.u.mulated at the side of her mouth.


    The nurse, having caught Lina''s drift looked under the form to see a thick wad of cash.


    The thousand dollar notes almost had him choking. This alone was more than his three month salary!


    Whoever this woman was, she was definitely very important and capable!


    He paused for a moment, going back and forth in his head, whether to accept the bribe or not.


    Every human had their struggles. He''d desperately been wanting to propose to his girlfriend but had no money to buy the ring she wanted.


    With this, it was finally possible!


    He looked up at Lina, the kind smile back on his face.


    "Of course, Ms. Mei Mito. Please follow me to the waiting room. The lab assistant will be present shortly to draw your blood."


    Mei''s eyes glittered even more.


    Boss was far more scheming and black-bellied than she remembered!


    Lina just sat down and sighed to herself as she waited for the lab assistant.


    She was Lina Moshi at home, Lina Mito at work, almost a Ms. Li at the ball and now Mei Mito.


    How many more identities would she acc.u.mulate?!


    Would her life forever be a maze of lies and secrets.


    No matter how honest she wanted to be with Shen, and the other people she cared about, life just kept throwing curve balls her way.


    "Maybe I''ll just publish a book about myself once this huge rollercoaster ends..."


    She was speaking to herself, but Mei heard her.


    "Will...will I be in your book, boss?" she asked eagerly.


    Lina giggled.


    This girl would forever have stars in her eyes. She adored it.


    "Of course, how could I not include my partner in crime?"


    Yes, they had committed a crime right now.


    Oh well, as long as she was a criminal with boss, she would be happy.


    Suddenly, a crisp, airy voice called out in the waiting room.


    "Ms. Mei Mito!"


    "Here!"


    Lina raised her hand, got up and followed the lab technician in the room. Mei went along with her.


    The lab tech instructed Lina to take a seat and fastened a tight velcro band around her arm to find a vein.


    As he started rubbing alcohol around the area where the vein was to be pricked, Lina''s heart started speeding.


    She started sweating as she looked at Mei.


    Mei was aghast to see the brave lady boss having a panic attack, her terror stricken eyes wide in anguish.


    "Boss, are you okay?"


    "No...I feel sick, I''m going to pass out..." Lina mumbled, grasping for Mei''s hand.


    "Boss! Do you need water?!" Mei began to panic.


    The young master didn''t even know where Lina was. If something happened to boss, her head would be on a plate.


    "No...no I don''t want water..."


    As Lina''s breathing became heavier, the lab technician realised the patient was in grave discomfort.


    The lab tech had seen this many times before. He sighed.


    "Don''t worry, young lady, it seems like madam doesn''t like needles...but hold on, it will be done soon."


    Mei: "..."


    Did this lab technician know who her boss was? Needles?! She was fearless faced with guns pointed to her head.


    Lina''s eyes began to tear up as the lab technician unwrapped the syringe from the packet and checked it.


    "Madam, please don''t look here. Look at your friend, she''s trying to talk to you."


    He knew in situations like this, the patient just had to be distracted for a second.


    Lina''s mind was going fuzzy as she started speaking nonsense in a panic.


    "Meimei, you know...I love your curly little head. Your hair reminds me of a sweet poodle.."


    Mei: "..."


    "Uh, boss...are you ok?"


    "Meimei! Of course I''m okay!" Lina was becoming delirious as the adrenaline kicked in.


    Suddenly, she yelped like a chihuahua.


    "Owww!"


    Her head swivelled with indignation to glare at the lab technician.


    "You stabbed me! You stabbed me, you bad man!"


    The lab technician just shook his head in utter disbelief. This woman was too nervous, she was babbling nonsense!


    Wasn''t she so composed just a while ago sitting in the waiting room?


    As he finished up in less than thirty seconds, he looked at Lina amusedly.


    "Madam, I''ve never seen someone so terrified of needles."


    Lina looked at him grudgingly.


    "Well...it happens to some people, okay. I''m not scared of anything else at all!"


    Her declaration of bravery amused the young technician.


    He was awed by this woman''s debauchery. Suddenly barging in, cutting the line, panicking and then arrogantly declaring that she was fearless.


    He was taken in by her.


    As he was finished up and releasing her hand from the velcro, he gently put a cute, pink band-aid on her arm, before she rolled down her sleeve.


    "Isn''t this type of bandaid for children?" Lina asked him, with some disdain.


    Was this person treating her like a child.


    The lab technician laughed.


    "It''s just to reassure you that this isn''t something to be afraid of!"


    Lina pulled her arm back and frowned. Who said she was afraid!


    "When will I get the toxicology report?" she asked directly.


    "You''re impatient, aren''t you?"


    The lab technician was still smiling at her.


    "You want something too, don''t you?" Lina asked.


    He was probably aware that she had paid the nurse off, because she cut a long line of people to get her blood test in first.


    The lab technician smirked.


    "Don''t mind if I do."


    Lina pulled out another thick wad of cash from her bag.


    The lab technician laughed.


    "Not that."


    "Then what?" Lina retorted.


    "A date."


    "WHAT?"


    Mei almost choked.


    "Madam is married!" Mei said quickly.


    "Don''t worry, young lady. I don''t want a date with your madam."


    Lina grinned, understanding his meaning.


    But Mei was a little slow.


    "Then with whom?" she asked.


    "With you, of course."

 Chapter 76 - Toxicology report and a date

    Mei looked at Lina as if to gain approval. But, she wasn''t sure she even wanted to accept this lab technician.


    Yes, he was quite good-looking. He was young and there was a boyish charm about it. He was quite tall, but didn''t in the least bit match up to the experienced-looking s.e.xiness of Dr. Hayama.


    Before Mei could open her mouth, Lina already answered for her.


    "Yes, of course. Mei would be happy to go out for coffee with you!"


    Mei''s jaw dropped quicker than she could breathe.


    She was planning on politely rejecting the man, but when the madam needed something, HOW COULD SHE REFUSE?


    This was her precious boss she was talking about! Even if the man wasn''t Dr. Hayama, for her boss, she could definitely have coffee with a decent, good-looking man, couldn''t she?


    Mei just smiled and nodded politely at the lab technician.


    However, his next sentence froze both women.


    "So you both have the same first name...Mei?"


    Mei and Lina looked at each other in utter despair.


    How could they have been so silly as to let it slip in front of him?!


    "Uh yes, actually. I changed my name to match boss'' name. I look up to her so much, I wanted to be just like her!"


    Poor Meimei, she came up with the worst possible excuse in reverence of her boss.


    Lina just nodded sheepishly.


    There could have been a hundred more believable stories, but little Meimei could only think of the stupidest possible excuse.


    How could she be such a brilliant assistant for a capable woman like Lina and be the worst liar on the planet?!


    The lab technician didn''t seem to mind, though. With a bemused expression, he handed Mei a piece of paper with his name and number on it.


    "You''ll have the toxicology report by this evening."


    Both women nodded and left the room.


    Mei would definitely have to hold up her end of the bargain.


    As they sat in the car, she looked down at the piece of paper the lab technician had given her.


    His name was Shu Yi.


    Next to his name, he had written his number.


    Mei sighed and entered his number into her phone and quickly sent a text.


    *This is Mei. Please let me know when and where you would like to meet.*


    "Boss, I''ve never been on a date. I''m only doing this for you." Mei grumbled to Lina.


    "What!? Never been on a date?!"


    "No, boss..."


    "We need to pick something for you to wear!"


    "No, please, boss, it''s just coffee!"


    "Meimei''s first date, of course we need to go shopping!"


    With that, Mei gave in to her boss, yet again.


    "You know, Meimei, you shouldn''t be at the office so much! You''ll turn into a haggard old granny. Learn to enjoy life!"


    Mei: "..."


    Was boss seriously telling her to stop working so much? Her own entire office would collapse!!!


    Lina was in a seemingly great mood.


    She was impressed with herself. Without her powerful husband, she had managed to take control of something in her life.


    She committed a successful double bribery all by herself in one day!!


    Therefore, she continued to give Mei some more ''life advice''.


    "Meimei, that lab technician didn''t look too bad at all! Stop looking so sad and try to make use of this opportunity to find a romantic connection..."


    "Boss, you actually sold me out..boohoo" Mei whined.


    The truth was that the lab technician was actually quite handsome. Mei had just stopped taking notice of men after she was infected by Dr. Hayama.


    Who could blame her? The only man possibly comparable to Dr. Hayama was Shen Moshi.


    Nevermind. It wasn''t like she could reach someone as prestigious and refined as Dr. Hayama anyway. A simple lab technician would have to do...


    Lina decided to bring Mei to the same mall Shen had taken her to before to shop for her ballgown.


    When Mei saw where they were, she blushed and tugged at Lina''s sleeve like a bashful child.


    "Uhh...boss...I can''t really afford this place..."


    Lina smiled pleasantly. This girl was so silly.


    "Since you were part of a successful bribing mission today, you are getting a payday bonus! Whatever you shop for today, is on my account!"


    Mei''s eyes sparkled.


    "B-b-boss..." she tried to speak, choked up on happy tears.


    Why couldn''t boss be a man? She would definitely pursue boss!


    This shopping date with boss would undoubtedly be better than the date with that c.o.c.ky lab technician!


    As Lina pulled little Meimei along inside the mall, she was amazed to see the sparkling lights and interiors of the mall filled with people.


    Last time she was here, it felt like a beautiful but deserted wasteland. Today, it was brimming with the richest people of capital city.


    Women with designer bags and their assistants flocking around them made Lina feel like a clich¨¦. But she reminded herself that they were only here for a purpose.


    She must transform a working Meimei to a dating Meimei!


    "Meimei! I know the best shop to go to!"


    With excitement in her eyes, Lina made a direct beeline towards the discreet, small boutique store owned by June.


    As Mei and Lina walked in, the ''shop assistant'' from last time was nowhere to be seen. In fact, there were just three prissy ladies at the dressing room area.


    A loud voice echoed from within.


    "Get that stupid shop assistant to bring me another dress in the same size! I''ll have her fired for disrespecting me!"


    Lina recognised that arrogant tone and high whiny voice immediately.


    She sighed deeply to herself. Another encounter with this troublesome woman would do her head in.


    But today she would put her rightfully in her place without a mask covering her face!


    Sara Yi had better watch out!

 Chapter 77 - The whole mall basically belonged to her

    Sara Yi was staring at herself with an annoyed expression in the mirror. The dress she tried on wasn''t zipping up at the back.


    The size was clearly too small for her!


    Her two friends, the same ones that helped her beat Lina up in the bathroom at he ball, were hovering nervously around her, trying to pacify her anger.


    "I can''t believe the guts of that nobody shop assistant, telling me the size won''t fit! Why don''t they have clothing in such inappropriate sizes then!?"


    Sara continued yelling the entire place down, without realising Lina and Mei had walked in.


    Sara didn''t know who Lina was anyway. She had never been formally introduced by name at the ball, and since nobody there had seen her before, they didn''t recognise her with the mask covering her face.


    Lina walked up confidently to Sara and smiled politely.


    "Miss, I believe this designer only makes one dress of each kind. They probably don''t have the same one in the size you want."


    Sara turned around angrily, determined to flame the impudent bitch who dared to talk to her so arrogantly.


    "Who the hell are you!? What gives you the right to speak to me?"


    Sara''s voice was just as annoying as Lina remembered from the previous day.


    This woman had just suffered a massive blow just the day before and was still throwing around so much attitude today?


    Shouldn''t she be shut up in her family house getting scolded for causing such big problems for Yinan Industries?


    But Lina supposed a rich missy like her would get away with anything and everything as long as she had her family picking up the pieces.


    In that moment, June came out huffing and puffing from the storage room, having gone inside to look for dresses that fit Sara''s size.


    "Sorry Miss Yi, but there''s only one piece of every dress. How about you try these ones? They are better tailored for your body type!"


    June was being polite and accommodating, but Sara was not having it.


    "No I don''t want any of your other stupid dresses, I want THIS one! Alter it to fit my size, then! And what do you mean ''better tailored for my body type''? Are you trying to insult my figure?!"


    Sara was by no means fat or heavy. In fact she had a fairly voluptuous figure and required dresses that would comfortably fit her ample chest and back side. The beautiful silvery dress she was trying to force on herself right now was a style designed for narrower women and sleeker body types.


    Even Lina wouldn''t have fit into that dress, despite her body being quite petite, since she too was generously endowed on her chest and behind. Still, Sara required an even more spacious piece of clothing for her broader shoulders.


    "No Miss Yi of course that is not what I meant!" June was nervously fidgeting around, desperate to get her precious silver dress back from the spoilt brat who was about to rip it by all the yanking and pulling.


    "Miss Yi, how about I help you take that dress off so you can try this beautiful dress here?"


    June showed her another similar silver dress with intricate embroidery with an open back and longer sleeves.


    "Take that ugly thing away from me! Are you stupid? I said I wanted this dress! Take my measurements and alter it immediately!"


    June was getting agitated. She wasn''t just a lowly shop assistant! She had designed and created these dresses with all her love and care, and this crazy, entitled woman was going to destroy it!


    "Miss Yi, if the dress had more fabric, it would still be possible to make alterations. However, once a dress is created, it is close to impossible to attach more fabric on it to fit your size!"


    Sara finally lost her temper, stomped to the counter and picked up a scissor.


    "FINE! If you won''t help me wear this dress, you little bitch, nobody will wear it!"


    Just as she was about to cut the dress to pieces, Lina intervened.


    With one quick motion, she reached Sara, grasped her wrist and squeezed it just hard enough to have her let go of the scissor and drop it.


    June quickly picked the scissor up and shut it up in a drawer, breathing hard from anger and fear.


    She should have never let this crazy Miss Yi even try the dress on if she had known the tantrum she would throw.


    "OWWW" screamed Sara in anger and disbelief, having realised that the c.o.c.ky woman who had just entered the store had physically made her release the scissor.


    "How DARE YOU! SECURITY????? TAKE THIS WOMAN AWAY!"


    As security rushed in, June realised that the woman who had saved the beautiful silver dress was none other than the woman with Shen Moshi!


    "Madam, it''s you!" she said happily smiling at Lina.


    "Yes! I brought my friend here for a date outfit today!" Lina replied, giving zero shits about the security guards rushing at her on Sara''s orders.


    They were her personal bodyguards so June couldn''t tell them to stop and looked worriedly on, wondering how Lina would handle this.


    After all, Shen Moshi''s woman must have her own bodyguards as well, right? Miss Yi had no idea who she was messing with!


    As the security personnel almost grabbed Lina, she spun around to look at them with fire in her eyes.


    The sheer force of her glare made them stop in their tracks.


    "What are you fools looking at!? Drag this woman out! She assaulted me!" Sara continued to scream.


    Without warning, Mei suddenly jumped in front of Lina. Nobody bullied boss, no matter how capable she was!


    "Get lost! Don''t any of you dare touch my boss or you will be in big trouble!"


    Sara''s friends laughed at the back.


    Friend 1: "Do you girls have any idea who Sara is?"


    Friend 2: "This mall basically belongs to her!"


    "Exactly! This mall is owned by Moshi Corporation...by my close childhood friend, Brother Shen!" Sara cooed with pride glittering in her eyes.


    June''s face went red trying to control her scorn and laughter at Miss Yi. She may be Shen Moshi''s acquaintance, being from the great Yi family, but this was HIS woman she was speaking to!


    Did she have no idea?!


    June was about to open her mouth to reveal who Lina really was, when Lina caught her eye and signalled to her to remain quiet.


    June just nodded and watch the drama unfold.

 Chapter 78 - Literally slapped her face

    Lina smirked at Sara, finding her too ridiculous. Just the previous day Shen caused huge damages to Yinan Industries because of her, and today she was still boasting about her connection to him?


    She even said the mall basically belonged to her as if she was Shen''s wife!


    The cheek of Sara Yi! She had to be slapped.


    Lina hadn''t known earlier that this mall belonged to her husband but this gave her more guts to show Sara her place once and for all.


    "If you can''t call your brother Shen here right now to back you up, you better come down to earth and be more humble!" Lina warned Sara, challenging her openly.


    "You crazy bitch! You dare to question my authority and connection to brother Shen?! Who do you think you are? What even is your position? Where did you find the guts?"


    June was trying really hard to control her laughter now.


    Angered at the mockery, Sara stomped straight up to June and THWACK.


    A stunned June held her cheek, tears threatening to fall out of her eyes.


    This crazy Sara Yi actually, literally slapped her face!


    "You commoner! How dare you mock me! Don''t ever forget that slap. It better remind you that you are not worthy to stand in the presence of people like me!"


    Lina was shocked. This woman had gone way too far.


    She thought she could just go around beating and terrorising people?!


    She was dead wrong.


    Suddenly Sara found herself being dragged by her hair.


    "June, close the doors to the shop immediately. I need to rearrange Miss Yi''s appearance."


    Sara began screaming and flapping around for help, but this woman pulling her was just too inhumanly strong.


    "Security! Security!!! Do something!! This woman is assaulting me! What do we pay you for?"


    The shocked security members ran towards Lina, but even the three of them together were no match.


    Before they even came close to her, Lina''s extended her leg with such grace and force, delivering expert kicks to every bodyguard.


    The kicks sent them flying to side, hitting the ground with a terrifying force.


    Unable to get up, the bodyguards just lay on the ground whimpering and shocked at this crazy woman''s skill.


    Little Meimei stood over them, grinning.


    "Ha! This is what you get for messing with boss! You are just ants to her and are lucky she isn''t holding an M16 in your face or you''d be pieces of dead meat by now!"


    Lina gulped. What kind of reputation was this bigmouth, overenthusiastic assistant giving her?


    The bodyguards licked their lips nervously and looked at each other in fear. Did they just get involved with a female mafia boss?!


    "Oh my god, please save me!!" Sara screamed to her two friends who were cowering behind the sofas in the dressing room, refusing to come out.


    "June, pass me the scissor that Miss Yi was just holding when she threatened to destroy your beautiful dress."


    June immediately ran to the drawer and pulled out the scissors, handing them to Lina.


    June would have been reluctant to hurt this arrogant, rich missy earlier. But after she delivered that brutal slap to her face, she hoped Lina would show her no mercy!


    "Oh god, I didn''t know you were June! I would have never hit you if I knew you were June! Please tell this crazy lady to let me go!"


    Sara was going mad with fear, begging June to make Lina let go of her hair.


    Lina scoffed.


    "Really, Miss Yi? So is it okay to go around hitting and bullying people if they aren''t important? Even if she was just a shop assistant, would it still be justified to be violent towards her?"


    Sara began to cry, scared to death with Lina waving the scissors in her face.


    "Please don''t hurt my face, my poor beautiful face!! I''ll give you anything! How much much do you want?"


    Really? Even in moments of dire stress, she was intent on praising herself? Could anyone be more stupid or shameless?


    As Sara desperately tried to save herself, she tried to reach for her purse to pull out cash.


    "You think I want your filthy money?! I have more money than you will ever gather in your whole life, stupid girl. I will show you how to be humble today!" Lina whispered into Sara''s ear with a frightening calmness.


    Sara screamed loudly as Lina brought the scissor close to her face, thinking she would scar her forever. She trembled hard, her eyes tightly closed, waiting for the worst to happen.


    Snip, snip, snip.


    Sara''s head suddenly felt light as the force of Lina pulling her hair was released.


    It took her a minute before she realised what had happened.


    She absent-mindedly felt for her long locks but they were lying on the floor next to her.


    "AHHHHHH" she screamed.


    Mei couldn''t control her laughter anymore.


    Now boss was also a hairdresser! This was too funny.


    Lina had cut off all of Sara''s hair in one swift motion. The arrogant woman was screaming on the floor looking like a shaggy little clown.


    "Boss, I don''t think she can show her face in public without a hat for the next few months at least!"


    June couldn''t stop laughing either.


    Lina smiled at both the laughing women.


    "Good, at least she''ll be off the streets. Nobody will be called a ''commoner'' or be terrorised by her arrogance!"


    Mei and June''s eyes gleamed. This boss lady was truly a wonder to watch.


    In the next instant, Lina''s eyes were bunny-like and innocent again. She transformed so quickly from bloodthirsty to child-like! It was honestly amazing.


    "Shall we get back to our shopping now?"


    Both Mei and June looked at each other in wonder, and back at Lina who was smiling like an angel as a screaming Sara Yi ran out of the mall tailed by her two idiotic friends and limping bodyguards.


    "Yes!" they chimed in unison.

 Chapter 79 - The eccentric heir

    -- Moshi Corporation Capital City Offices --


    After dropping Lina to work, Shen headed to the Moshi Corporation capital city offices. It was, after all, a Monday. He''d been irregular at the office since Lina''s recovery and he was needed urgently.


    As soon as he walked into the front lobby, all the staff stood up to greet him. Ayu was by his side speaking continually, updating him of the progress.


    Suddenly he stopped in his tracks and turned to Ayu.


    He blinked twice.


    "Didn''t I banish you to HR for allowing my parent to steal my wife''s attention?"


    Ayu gulped. She had assumed she could inconspicuously resume her position as his right hand without him noticing. She miscalculated how petty this devil was.


    She cleared her throat and steeled herself.


    "With all due respect boss, don''t you think I''m more useful away from HR?"


    Shen sighed. He did need her working on more important things. Especially since Ro-kun was bedridden, recovering from the gunshot wound.


    Shen pinched the bridge of his nose. The shooter was also still unidentified. And the threatening message in the bullet was still bothering him.


    They hadn''t found out anything concrete at the masked ball at all, except for the fact that Yinan had no security footage of the sniper that tried to kill Shen.


    Yes, he needed Ayu to run point on multiple investigations concerning their safety, as well as a series of new business deals that were coming in to replace their contracts with Yinan.


    "Very well. But you need to show me some results on our open investigations on various matters. I want you to use James to hack into the city security systems to find any surveillance materials on the person who shot Ro-kun. They have a made a direct threat at us and we have to uncover their identity before they strike again.


    Second, I want updates on my table tomorrow afternoon about the investigation on the two assassination attempts on Madam''s life regarding the sniper and the trucker who hit her. Find any connections between these attempts and that man - Victor Tachibana. He''s going after Lina directly. Especially after he pulled that attempted kidnapping on her.


    Third, the two prisoners we are holding...the most dangerous ones, see what they are up to. We need to be alert even if they have nowhere to go."


    Shen grimaced after giving Ayu the third and last task.


    The two prisoners he had been keeping for the last couple of years, they had caused the most pain to his family.


    Rumours had often swirled around his reputation because of them.


    Shen Moshi, the cold-blooded head of Moshi Corporation...the man who didn''t flinch when he killed his own family to gain power.


    Ha! What a joke! If only people knew the real truth behind the lecherous sc.u.m he shared his flesh and blood with!


    Ayu''s eyes widened at the sheer amount of information she would have to collect while dealing with some very dangerous people.


    She didn''t care though. As long as it was for Lina...she would put her life at stake.


    Just Shen didn''t know that. He didn''t need to know it.


    "Yes boss, I will get on it immediately."


    Before he walked away, he turned and reminded Ayu of something that took precedence over everything.


    "Ayu, have Housekeeper Tan deliver madam food and her medical supplements to her office."


    Ayu nodded.


    Shen took the elevator up to his office. He gazed lovingly at his office door and yet another top notch security system with the most precise biometrics installed.


    He sighed, hoping Lina would spare the door when she came back his office again.


    As he walked in, he received a call from reception.


    "Sir, your father is here. He is on his way upstairs to see you right now."


    "Yes, thank you."


    Soren Moshi was at the offices today to discuss important matters of business between one of their covert, yet most profitable partners so far.


    The Lim family.


    "Son, I''ve been in contact with the Lim elders. They continue to pressurise me on...that matter. To further consolidate our ties with them."


    Shen frowned.


    The arranged marriage?


    "Father, please make the Lim elders understand that I am not interested in their daughter. Besides, you already have a daughter-in-law!"


    Soren chuckled.


    "Of course I only care about my precious daughter-in-law. But they are holding on to the issue steadfastly. The only way to discourage them is to let them know that you are already married."


    Shen sighed. No, there were too many variables...too many unknowns in the equation. Lina''s identity must not be revealed.


    "Father, I want to protect Lina. As deep as our trading and business relationship go with the Lim clan, you know that they have never been too forthcoming with us. We work with them in the shadows. Our relationship is based on a foundation of mutual profit, not trust."


    "Shen, it''s not the elders I am so worried about. It''s the son. The heir...he''s capricious and eccentric. Slightly crazy in the head. There''s no saying what he''ll be up to one minute to the next. I''ve heard...stories."


    Shen''s frown grew deeper as he listened quietly to his father''s words.


    He had also heard about this famous heir to the Lim family. He was slightly younger than himself, but they didn''t even know his first name.


    This man was a total mystery and could spin things around very easily, given the amount of money the Moshi''s and Lim''s had invested in joint projects.


    "What do you suggest I do, father? Shouldn''t we know more about the heir?"


    "Yes. This is precisely what I''m here to talk to you about. The upcoming agreement for the shippings from country A."


    Shen smiled slowly.


    "We''ll just have to discuss that matter with the heir in person, won''t we?"


    Soren nodded in approval. This son was proving more and more reliable and capable as the head of his empire.


    Shen was the only thing in his life Soren was proud of.


    The other two...such rotten apples.

 Chapter 80 - Meimeis first date

    Back at the mall, after Sara ran out with her entourage, Mei and Lina had the store and June all to themselves to shop for her date outfit.


    "June, my assistant has a date today evening. He said to meet for dinner, right, Meimei?"


    Mei nodded.


    Shu had replied to Mei asked her to meet for dinner instead. That way he could bring the report directly to her to pass on to Lina.


    After all, he couldn''t just give them the report without the date! The bribe must be upheld with a simultaneous transfer!


    June pondered for a second before asking some questions.


    "Do you know where he''s taking you? If it''s extravagant or informal?"


    "Well...he didn''t really say. I don''t expect him to take me somewhere too fancy though. He is just a lab assistant, after all." Mei replied thoughtfully


    "Don''t underestimate him Meimei. He looked impeccably groomed. Clean shaven, high-end haircut, Rolex watch, soft hands...he may just be from a very good family!" Lina commented.


    Mei''s eyes widened. Boss'' eyes were scanners! She was under so much duress, going crazy at the fear of the needle, and yet she had made note of so many things about the very man wielding the syringe!


    June nodded, snapping her fingers, knowing precisely what to bring out for Mei.


    "Miss Mei, your figure is nice and curvy, and your hair is truly unique. I have just the perfect outfit that isn''t too fancy but also very elegant. You wouldn''t look over or under dressed no matter where you went!"


    Mei peered over Lina''s shoulder curiously as she watched June hurry in and out of the storage room bringing a carefully wrapped dress to the women.


    As she opened it up, Mei gasped at the rich colour.


    It was an emerald green boat neck dress up to her knees made of the finest silk. The sleeves were and elegant, modest length up to her elbows with a pure gold thread piping.


    It was so simple, yet so blindingly stunning. Mei''s short curly hair bounced alluringly at her bare shoulders, while the dress accentuated her hourglass figure in the most graceful way possible.


    Lina covered her mouth in wonder at how different her little Meimei looked.


    "Wow my assistant is the prettiest!" she praised, making Mei blush profusely at her revered boss'' approval.


    After having paid for the dress, Mei and Lina left the mall.


    Shu Yi, the lab technician said he would pick Mei up at the Capital City Silver Park which was a central location at the city. The restaurant they would go to was close from there.


    Mei sat one a bench nervously waiting after Lina dropped her off. She was due to bring the report back to Moshi mansion under the pretence of it being a work file.


    Shen had made Lina promise to be back home at 8 so she couldn''t be late. Even mother was waiting at home with dinner prepared.


    As Mei fiddled with her phone, it was almost 7:45 pm, the decided time at which they were to meet. But she didn''t see Shu anywhere around.


    She was just about to walk around to look for him when a gang of rowdy looking young men walked up to her and started cat calling at her.


    "Hey there beauty! Where are you off to all by yourself?" one of them jeered.


    A second man just laughed.


    "Come hang out with the three of us. I bet you it''s more fun than being alone!"


    Freaked out, Mei ignored them and began pacing away.


    There were three of them, and they began walking towards the young girl quickly as they watched her get frightened and speed walk.


    "If you don''t come by your own free will, don''t blame us for being ruthless."


    Mei began to almost jog away, her eyes tightly shut, hoping to run into civilised people who would protect her. Right now, even if she screamed, nobody would hear her.


    Why did that Shu Yi have to choose such an awkward place to meet?! Even though it was central, everyone knew not to go there alone during the evening hours!


    Suddenly she bumped into something hard and came to a sudden halt. As she slowly opened her eyes to see the hard, warm thing she ran into, she realised it was a male chest.


    Still frightened, she peered up too look at a handsome, clean face look down at her, smiling.


    "Mr. Yi!" she gasped, "you''re finally here!"


    He gently held her trembling shoulders, and with worry in his eyes looked down at her terrified figure.


    "What''s wrong Mei? Why were you running?"


    As he asked this question, he saw three dark, rowdy-looking figures come to a halt a little distance behind her.


    An understanding came over him as his face darkened, turning fearsome.


    The three men who had been following Mei, shivered just at the look of his expression.


    "What are you three doing back there? Were you chasing this lady?!" he questioned as he began to walk towards the rogues.


    As much as Mei wanted redemption for the harassment, she didn''t want this nice man to get hurt. He was clearly outnumbered by these thugs!


    What if they had hidden weapons on them?! Shu didn''t look like he had come prepared for a fight.


    The three men just shuddered under his glare.


    "Stay b-b-back mister! We didn''t touch the woman!"


    One of the assailants began babbling.


    The others, who refused to show outward weakness, tried to put on a brave face and confront Shu.


    "Don''t come any closer or we won''t hesitate to hurt you!"


    As he said this, he threateningly reached for something underneath his coat as to pull out a gun.


    Shu stopped in his tracks, when he heard Mei whimper behind him.


    He turned to her and flashed her a charming smile that stopped her in her tracks.


    How did she fail to notice how good-looking this man was when she first saw him!?

 Chapter 81 - The date was not what she thought

    His confident smile reassured her that he would protect them both. There was an easygoing, gentle calmness about him Mei never had in the people around her.


    He was so...normal.


    In one swift motion Shu took photos of all three gangsters and quickly tapped on a few buttons.


    "Hey mister! What the hell did you just do! Why did you take our picture?"


    As the three men menacingly edged closer to Shu, he just shrugged and laughed.


    "As it so happens my father''s closest friend is the police chief. I just sent a very attractive photo of you three studs to him!"


    The three troublemakers were obviously regulars at the police station, known for harassing women in the area. They were also fingerprinted.


    If they seriously got caught again, they might not be out of jail for a very long time.


    But the leader of the gang was still bent on making a show of bravado.


    "Ha! You think you can fool us just because you''re wearing an expensive suit?! You''re bluffing! We''re going to mess you up!"


    As he said this, he charged towards Shu.


    Mei screamed.


    But Shu just took two steps backs and gestured his hand for them to stop.


    "Wait wait! You don''t believe me?! I''ve even sent the police chief my GPS location!"


    After he said this he checked his watch and smirked at the three fools again.


    "They should be here with reinforcements in 3....2....1..."


    As soon as he uttered ''1'', sirens began wailing in the distance.


    The rogues looked terrified as the began to shake in fear.


    "Bro! Bro - enough! Let''s get out of here!" one of the thugs whimpered.


    "Yes bro! He wasn''t lying! If we run now, we can still make it!"


    The leader of the gang angrily swore as the three of them scampered away with their tails between their legs!


    Mei giggled uncontrollably behind Shu as he turned and walked towards her.


    "Wow, it must be my lucky night! I had the perfect opportunity to protect and impress my date!" he joked.


    Mei punched his arm playfully.


    "Mr. Yi, you must be someone important to mobilise the police forces at such short notice -- especially at the command of the chief!"


    Shu laughed out loud.


    "I''m no one important, and this suit hardly costs a hundred dollars! Sorry to disappoint you, but I''m not really anyone important."


    Mei waved him off.


    "I''m no one important too."


    His eyes looked at her softly.


    "You could be...to someone."


    Mei thought that was such a cryptic statement. But she pushed it back to her head.


    "Wait, did you really message the chief of police, though?"


    Shu smiled at her secretively.


    "Do you really want to know?"


    Mei punched his arm again.


    Was this becoming a ''thing''?


    "YES! Of course, I want to know!!"


    Shu laughed again. All of a sudden Mei thought that was charming too!


    "Ok the truth is...I just took a picture of them. I didn''t send it anywhere."


    Still laughing, Shu stuck his tongue out jokingly.


    "Okay...so I know that the police patrol goes on here at about 8:15 pm. I used it to my advantage!"


    Mei looked at him shocked.


    What amazing presence of mind was this?!


    Was this man abnormally gifted?!


    "I really haven''t seen someone as sly as you! What if they called your bluff? We would have been attacked by three gangsters by now!"


    Shu sighed at her as he came over to give her a friendly pat on her head.


    "Have a little faith, Mei. You can''t plan everything."


    There seemed to be a hidden meaning in his words that Mei didn''t immediately pick up on.


    "So Mr. Yi, where exactly are we going for dinner?"


    "First, it''s Shu. You can be informal with me! Second, we''re having dinner in the park!"


    Dinner in the park?


    Before Mei had the opportunity to interrogate Shu, he grabbed her hand and pulled her along.


    Mei just quietly followed as they walked around the corner to another part of the park.


    Usually, the place wasn''t too well lit, but up ahead was a clearing. Within this clearing, Mei''s eyes spotted a brightly lit area, covered in beautiful fairy lights with a garden table set for two.


    Upon the table was a bottle of wine and two cloches, elegantly covering dinner plates.


    Mei gasped.


    "Here? Is this it?"


    Shu nodded at her brightly.


    It was so romantic


    All he had to do was pick her up and bring her to a restaurant, but he had, in a short time, planned and organised this beautiful set up in capital city''s most famous park.


    As he pulled out a chair for her, and helped her be seated, Mei felt like a princess.


    She had always been the young girl that scampered around the office and organised everyone else''s business.


    To everyone else, she was invisible.


    But in one moment, this man saw more of her than anyone else had.


    "Mei, I know managed set up a scene here, but I don''t cook to well...and didn''t save enough time for good catering. So...I hope you''re ok with this."


    In saying so, Shu lifted the cloche off her plate to reveal a warm, delicious pizza.


    Mei giggled.


    "How did you know I love pizza?"


    He shrugged.


    "I didn''t! But I suppose I made a lucky guess! Like I said...have some faith!"


    Once they were both seating and eating, the conversation flowed. Mei felt like she''d known him forever.


    In fact, she was having so much fun, she almost forgot that she was being used as a bribe and that she actually had a report to collect.


    By the end of the meal, as they got up to walk back, she didn''t even ask for Lina''s blood report!


    She was about to get into a taxi, when she heard Shu clear his throat.


    "Aren''t you forgetting something?"


    Mei looked at him wide-eyed, innocently, implicitly conveying that she had no clue what he was talking about.


    Maybe it was the wine that was making her stupid?


    Or maybe it was him.


    He laughed at her look, thinking she was the sweetest thing he had ever seen.


    Casually he pulled out a file from a briefcase he was carrying and handed it to her.


    "Your boss'' blood report."


    A look of understanding came over her face.


    "Oh right! Thank you! I''m such an idiot...I totally forgot about that!"


    Shu winked at her.


    "Does that mean you had a good time?"


    Mei didn''t want to be straightforward.


    She didn''t say anything in response and simply waved goodbye to him as the cab took off.


    After she left, Shu checked his phone to see about 15 missed calls from home.


    Sighing, he called back to hear loud shrieking on the phone.


    "Shu someone assaulted your sister today! Come home and help with the mess! Stop wasting your time at that ridiculous hospital!"


    Sometimes, his mother could be a real pain in the ass.

 Chapter 82 - Touching his wife intimately

    Mei took the taxi straight to the Moshi mansion.


    Lina had already come back home dot on time to have dinner with Shen and mother. Mother was going to prepare dinner but since she felt guilty for having lied to Shen regarding the day''s activities, she decided to cook for them today.


    "Mother please rest today. You''ve been looking after me for a few days now, even leaving father so lonely at the old residence! You must rest and eat my cooking today!"


    Lina didn''t know where she got the confidence to cook from, but remembering her amazing muscle memory from last time, she decided to trust her instincts.


    As if by magic, she knew where everything was and just what to prepare.


    She created a table of beautiful, fragrant delicacies. Stews, noodles, rices and well cooked meats.


    "My dear daughter can still cook up a feast!" Rika praised.


    She would have loved to continue cooking and doting on Lina, but she also enjoyed the treat!


    In the past, Lina used to be the most perfect host when they had banquets and parties at the old residence.


    It was a pity she was never formally introduced as her very own precious daughter-in-law at any of these functions or even family gatherings. She just stayed in the background, quietly performing her duties.


    Rika''s heart hurt as she thought about these moments in the past.


    Her sweet, obedient daughter. Always in hiding.


    "Mother! What''s wrong? What are you thinking about? Start eating! I''m going to bring Shen downstairs. He''s been holed up in his study since he came back home from work. We''ll be down in a moment!"


    As Lina scampered off to look for Shen, a little tear slipped down Rika''s cheek as she tasted her son''s favourite noodle dish.


    The flavours were clean, simple and honest. Just like Lina''s heart.


    No matter her past, this girl would always be her daughter.


    Lina knocked on Shen''s study.


    "Come in!" he called.


    She put on a big bright smile and walked in.


    "Hubby!" she squealed as she threw herself at him.


    He was sitting at his desk, his reading glasses on, still in his work suit.


    He always seemed to look so delicious.


    His serious face cracked into an easy smile.


    "Come here" he said to her softly.


    She cuddled comfortably into his lap and nestled her head under his chin.


    "Come downstairs to eat hubby. I cooked today! Mother is waiting."


    His eyes brightened at her words.


    She hadn''t cooked again since the day she had made him his favourite noodles and he had been desperately craving his wife''s cooking again.


    But there was something he had to deal with first.


    "Mm." he nodded.


    She sensed something was off about him so she pulled back and looked at his stern face.


    "What is it?" she asked, wide-eyed.


    He sighed.


    How did she make such innocent expressions while lying so blatantly?


    He let her get away with her demands way too often. Was this wife already spoiled rotten, like she was before?!


    "Housekeeper Tan went to your office today to bring you food and supplements. But it seemed like neither you or your little assistant were at work?"


    Shen''s voice was sharp, yet not entirely reprimanding.


    He had no interest in actually scolding his wife. He just wanted to keep her safe.


    Right now, if she snuck away from him, another attempted kidnapping like the last could take place. More dangerous people like Victor Tachibana could sneak up on her.


    Lina''s body turned stiff.


    It''s not like she wanted to hide anything from Shen. She just wanted to take care of her own suspicions first without worrying him. She couldn''t keep depending on him for every little thing as if he had no other concerns of his own.


    Besides, he had gone through the trouble of searching out and employing Dr. Hayama for her. She didn''t want to seem ungrateful and resistant to get her memory back.


    "Uh...I got to work and realised Mei had been suffering in my absence. So we spent the day at the mall! You can call to ask June, if you''d like! We were at her shop!" Lina provided her excuse promptly.


    Shen stroked her hair.


    "Angel, I''m not trying to spy on you. I just wanted to know that you were safe and had everything you needed. My credit card didn''t get billed! Why didn''t you use it?"


    Lina breathed easy again.


    "Because I was shopping for Mei, as a bonus present for all her hard work. I used my company card!"


    Shen kissed her gently on the head, happy at how thoughtful she was.


    Maybe he should start treating his staff better too.


    As he continued to embrace his wife in his arms, he took of his reading glasses and placed the files he was going through on his desk.


    Then he meticulously placed a small medicine box in front of her and removed all the health supplements Lina was meant to take that day in front of her along with a glass of water.


    She smiled and swallowed them all obediently, knowing she had indeed been irresponsible by ignoring her body''s vital needs earlier even though her darling husband had Housekeeper Tan try and deliver the supplements to her.


    After she finished drinking glass of water, she stood on her toes and kissed Shen''s lips gently.


    Pulling away, her big doe-eyes looked into his.


    "Thank you for always looking after me, darling."


    Shen kissed her back with a forceful passion.


    As their lips intertwined passionately, as if they were finally allowed a drink of water after surviving a drought, they forgot to breathe.


    Shen''s hand slipped under her top as his big, gentle hands caressed her feather-soft skin gently underneath.


    A small m.o.a.n slipped Lina''s lips, still wrestling his.


    Her eyes suddenly flew open.


    Mother was waiting downstairs for dinner! They had been up here too long!


    "What''s wrong? Are we moving too quick?!" Shen asked, startled that he had upset her.


    He had been waiting months and months now to simply touch his wife intimately.


    There was no way he was going to ruin it by making her uncomfortable.


    Lina giggled.


    "No, hubby. It''s just...mother is waiting for us downstairs at the dinner table. Plus all the food I made for you will get cold!"


    Shen sighed.


    Did this girl only ever think about his mother? What about her loving husband?


    "Okay fine, let''s go then." he resigned to her wishes. But he sn.a.k.e.d his arm around her waist and drew her face close.


    "But we continue where we left of before bed tonight..." he whispered to her.


    Lina pushed him off reluctantly, blushing brightly.


    As the three people were seated for dinner, happily chatting, praising Lina''s fantastic cooking, a little tornado with curly hair entered the Moshi mansion.


    Butler Min knocked on the door, and came in, quietly announcing her arrival to Lina.


    "Madam, Miss Mei seems to have brought some important doc.u.ments for you to look over. She is waiting outside in the living room."

 Chapter 83 - What had the doctor done?

    Lina quietly excused herself from the table and went to the living room to see Mei.


    She was itching to see the results of the blood test. Something about her session with Dr. Hayama that morning felt strange, and she really wanted to confirm her suspicions.


    If he had really drugged her, she would definitely let Shen know.


    Neither one of them were notified that using any drugs would be part of the treatment.


    In fact, Dr. Yoshi had been clear in her health check ups that any psychedelics could be intrusive and harmful to her recovery process. They were trying to keep her as clean as possible.


    Mei stood up as soon as Lina entered the room.


    "Boss! I have the doc.u.ment!" she exclaimed. She was excited that she had done her part in successfully supporting her Boss'' plan.


    Lina quickly walked up to Mei and took the folder she offered her.


    She quickly ripped up the envelope inside and scanned the contents.


    At the end, there was one statement that left her puzzled: ''No toxic substances identified''


    Her blood report was normal?!


    How was this possible? She was hallucinating in Dr. Hayama''s office! He had to have given her something!


    Lina bit her lip as Mei scrutinised her Boss'' expression.


    "Is everything ok, boss?"


    Lina looked at Mei with a complicated expression.


    "That''s the problem. Everything is okay. But something is off."


    "Boss, will you go for another session soon?" Mei pondered.


    Lina nodded determinedly. Even though something was wrong, she had to continue going. He had after all unlocked a piece of her childhood.


    She wanted to know who the girl was standing in front of the burning house. She felt a closeness to the child, as if she was bearing the child''s pain somewhere at the back of her mind.


    But more than that, she wanted to know what Dr. Hayama was up to.


    She would watch him more closely this time.


    She made up her mind to tell Shen to arrange another session with the doctor.


    As she was bidding Mei goodbye, she stood at the entrance of the Moshi mansion.


    "Oh wait, Meimei!"


    Mei turned around.


    "Yes, boss?"


    "How was the date?!"


    Mei blushed and turned away.


    Lina smiled knowingly, her eyes gleaming with excitement.


    "I told you it could be worth it! It was, wasn''t it?" she asked, her voice brimming with giggles.


    Mei nodded her curly head vigorously and got in the car that would send her back home.


    When Lina went back to the dining room, Shen and Rika were also done eating and the table had been cleared.


    "Sorry mother, sorry hubby, that was Mei. She came by to hand me some urgent doc.u.ments!" Lina apologised as she settled herself comfortably next to her husband.


    Shen kissed her head silently without saying much.


    "Don''t worry my dear. Father and I are so proud of you for going back to work so soon after your ongoing recovery." Rika praised Lina''s dedication.


    She felt a pang of guilt, however.


    She hadn''t been working much. She had only dealt with the B nation issue. Yet Mei and the rest of her staff had their hands full every single day.


    Lina mentally decided to forget about her investigations for the time being and formally make a comeback at the office.


    "Mother, Lina and I should go to bed. We''ve both had long days today and have work tomorrow." Shen declared this to break up the little post dinner gathering so he could continue monopolising his wife''s time and body in the bedroom.


    Rika laughed.


    "Alright, go on you two. Good night!"


    With that she gave Shen a quick hug and Lina a soft, motherly kiss on her head as she bid them goodnight.


    As the happy couple closed the door to their bedroom, an extremely eager devil lifted his soft angel up in one fell swoop!


    "Ahh" Lina cried, not expecting his strong arms to scoop her up so abruptly.


    "You''re not getting away tonight, angel." he whispered to her seductively.


    His scent was absolutely intoxicating and his cool breath played games with the few loose strands of hair next to her sensitive ear, making her shiver in anticipation.


    Lina mischievously tried to push him away in feigned bashfulness but he threw her on their soft, white bed and pinned her underneath him.


    Lina looked up at him, her heart stopping at his gorgeousness.


    Why was it that he knocked the breath out of her every time she looked at his face?


    "Are you really all mine to keep?" she asked in wonder, her voice a whisper.


    His well defined face was a sculpted work of art and his s.e.xy lips seemed to keep moving towards her.


    "All yours." he whispered back, encasing her mouth in his.


    As if her lips had been enveloped by two soft pillows, Lina''s mind drifted away as her body responded to his.


    All of a sudden, the image of his freshly showered body popped into her mind when she barged into his office.


    And then the image of his towel slipping and what lay underneath that came to her as well.


    Fl.u.s.tered, her eyes flew wide open.


    Panic set in.


    She wanted to please this man in front of her. Her heart just wanted to be his, fulfilling his every desire.


    But she just realised something.


    "Darling..." she whispered.


    Feeling her anxiety, he pulled back and looked at her terrified face.


    "What''s wrong, angel?"


    She was such a resplendent beauty. He admired her sharp chin, high bones and big almond eyes. It was as if she had descended from the heavens and been gifted to him in cotton wool.


    His skilled fingers gentled traced her exquisite collar bones, stopping right at the top of her slightly revealed, white, plush b.r.e.a.s.ts.


    He almost didn''t want to stop. His desire was tugging away at his will power to slow down for her.


    "I-I...I don''t remember...how to..." Lina mumbled.


    Shen laughed. Her awkwardness and new innocence turned him on even more.


    They had done it so many times before, and tried so many naughty things.


    But today, she was like a new, blushing bride, about to be taken for the first time.

 Chapter 84 - An interesting phone call

    Shen was like a greedy tiger with his prey trapped underneath him, trembling in excitement and anxiety.


    Leaning close to her, he whispered gently in her ear.


    "Angel, trust your instincts. Once we begin...you won''t want to stop."


    Lina blushed even harder.


    Her husband really was the devil. Why did he have to make her heart pound so hard. She would pass out from the stimuli running through her body right now.


    He was tempting and alluring, yet intimidating. But she wanted more and more.


    Shen was like an undeniable addiction.


    She calmed herself by drinking in his strong, spicy scent. The scent that marked her as his territory.


    As if entranced by his words, she began undoing the buttons on his shirt, still pinned beneath him.


    The devil''s s.e.xy lips twisted up in a subtle smile, gazing at the beauty of the angel underneath his body.


    His hands skilfully undid her blouse, revealing the rest of her pillowy, white chest.


    Lina gasped at the sudden chill her body felt.


    The large window to their bedroom was open, the white curtains flying in the slight breeze.


    Moonlight brightened the dim bedroom, washing over Lina''s half n.a.k.e.d body, making her skin glow and her eyes sparkle, revealing the desire within.


    Shen''s eyes never once left her face, despite the allure of her body.


    He wanted his wife to see him. He wanted her to remember his eyes pouring into her forever...through every separation, and every accident.


    She was his and he was hers.


    Lina suddenly felt another headache come on.


    "Ahh..oww...that hurts.." she cried softly.


    Shen immediately took her in his arms.


    "Baby, what''s wrong? What is it?"


    But the headache suddenly subsided.


    As she continued to look at Shen, her body in his arms, both in a state of undress, another memory came rushing back to her.


    No, more than just one memory.


    Tens and thousands of nights played themselves over and over in her head. These were nights spent with Shen, their bodies intertwined as a physical manifestation of the love they shared.


    Like an endless wave washing over her, she remembered her husband.


    She remembered the devil she married.


    The devil she so greatly loved.


    The devil in whose arms she laid in right now.


    She looked up at him, staring at his perfectly sculpted face with the wide doe-eyes he fell in love with at first sight.


    She didn''t have to tell him.


    He just knew.


    He knew he''d finally got his wife back.


    "Shen..." she whispered softly, her face just centimetres away from his.


    "Angel..." he whispered back.


    RRRRRIIIINNNGGG


    A crude, loud cellphone ringing brought them both crashing down to reality, destroying the surreal, intimate moment the couple long deserved.


    "Ugh, sorry angel, that''s mine..." Shen mumbled in complete irritation.


    How untimely!


    Who could be calling now?


    Shen glanced at his phone. The number was a private one.


    Something gave him the feeling that this call could not be avoided.


    He looked at his wife apologetically, like a whipped puppy of a husband, begging her forgiveness. But Lina understood better than anyone that duty called, and nobody could replace Shen''s position at work.


    He had to attend to certain things himself. She would never be the one to hold him back.


    That''s why, she knew, their relationship was strong and everlasting.


    She nodded at him sweetly, assuring him that she wouldn''t be upset that he had to work now.


    Turning away, Shen picked up the call.


    "Hello?"


    "Young master Moshi..." a smooth, somewhat playful voice teased at the other end of the line.


    "Who is this?"


    "I''m offended you have to ask" came the cheeky response.


    "Young master Lim, I''m guessing?" Shen asked, a smirk playing on his lips.


    "Very good, master Moshi. I''m suddenly flattered. It''s been a while since we''ve met, so I don''t blame you for not instantly recognising my voice."


    There was something unpredictable and condescending about his tone that made Shen uneasy.


    He had never been to keen on the Lim heir, but speaking to him always brought back this distinct edginess and discomfort.


    He was a wild horse, always acting like he had nothing to lose.


    That made for a dangerous business partner. Especially one with too many secrets.


    "I assume you''re calling regarding my invitation for dinner, then, master Lim?" Shen asked.


    "That''s correct. It''s been a while since I''ve gone out to play. I was delighted to receive your invitation!"


    Shen grimaced. He didn''t sound very serious at all. This was supposed to an invitation to discuss an extremely important collaboration that affected various areas of trade for the Lim clan as well as the Moshi family.


    "Ah, I''d love to play, master Lim. But our collaborations on the Country A trading front is at the top of my agenda." Shen wanted to be perfectly clear with his business partner.


    There would be no fooling around.


    "All work and no play makes a man dull, master Moshi..." there was sneer in his voice, but Shen ignored it.


    "I''d rather be dull, than be sorry. So, shall we say, 7pm this Saturday evening?"


    There was a short laugh from the Lim heir at the other end of the line.


    "I''ll look forward to it, then."


    After Shen hung up, he let out a long sigh.


    That man was a handful to deal with. Saturday was only four days away, and there was a lot to prepare for.


    He''d have to start tonight itself.


    He turned around to pacify and cuddle his angel wife before he would have to abandon her for his study, but he found her peacefully asleep under the blanket already.


    Looking at her slim, still half undressed figure bathed in the gentle moonlight, he sighed.


    "Why does time never stop for us..." he whispered longingly, standing above their bed.


    He reached down to stroke her hair, laying a gentle kiss on her soft lips before latching the windows.


    The chilly breeze would make her sick.


    He wouldn''t let anything hurt her again.

 Chapter 85 - His memories

    In a small cell somewhere hidden, Victor Tachibana lay on the icy cold floor, despite a bed being there.


    The cold floor took him back to one of his first missions as an agent of The Agency.


    He had been lying in a similar cell, on a similarly cold floor, punished for disobedience and brawling during the Agency''s training program, when his instructor had come to assign him to a case.


    He was only 16 back then. The Agency recruited him off the streets when he was barely 14 and groomed him for espionage and assassination.


    "I can''t remember why they chose me..." Tachi pondered out loud to himself.


    The last week or so in isolation had driven him into a sort of delirious limbo.


    He had been sent to country A with a senior agent on request of a high ranking anonymous official in the government.


    They were informed that a married couple working in one of the cyber departments of country A''s government were in possession of state secrets that could be sold to international powers and entities that could alter the balance in the political climate.


    They were to eliminate this family and retrieve the briefcase that contained these secrets.


    It didn''t go well.


    The couple and the house burned in the fire, but the briefcase was never found.


    What Tachi hadn''t known, was that the couple had a 6 year old child, who had been saved, but was left orphaned.


    Unfortunately, this child had been lost...along with any hope of finding the briefcase.


    The only clue left was one piece of a pair of earrings with a unique design. A little lock and key with a ''D'' engraved at the back.


    Tachi remembered hiding this clue from the senior agent he was working with.


    If the child got away, he''d rather let her go than commit a crime as heinous as murdering a 6 year old.


    He''d held on to that earring since then. As a reminder of the failure from one of his first missions, as well as a reminder to preserve his own humanity.


    Little did he know, that 10 years later, he would find a match to that earring.


    Another flashback took him to a small village near the capital city of Country J. He was on yet another mission.


    This time, it was a solo mission.


    He was now a top sniper in the Agency, had a good standing and track record. He was supposed to assassinate the leader of a troublesome militia. The Xin group.


    They had been terrorising the district and causing unrest by collecting tribute from poor families in the region.


    As he hid in the bushes looking into his sniper lens as a Xin vehicle stopped at a local diner, pulling out innocent people and beating them up publicly for loot and extortion, Tachi was about to shoot the leader through the head.


    Just as he was about to end the fiasco, a young teenage girl stepped straight up to the gang leader with a bat in her hand and a determined expression on her face.


    "She was so stupid...so brave and so stupid..." Tachi spoke aloud to himself again.


    Even though the girl was young, she was astoundingly beautiful.


    She had long, wavy dark hair like thick wisps of night fog and doe-like almond eyes full of fire. High, elegant bones and a sharp chin accentuated her features, with full lips the shade of ripe strawberries.


    Tachi remembered his frustration at not being able to clearly aim at his target due to the interference of the girl, but also his heart pounding in worry for the safety of the girl.


    She seemed to be shouting profanities at them and swinging the bat dangerously in their faces.


    The thugs were laughing at first. But then they got agitated and tried to hold her down and haul her away.


    But the girl refused to give in.


    None of the crowd from the diner helped her.


    She valiantly fought off a few men until she was subdued.


    Yet she snapped at them with a fiery aggression.


    If he didn''t do something, she would be taken away by the Xin thugs.


    Forgetting his actual mission, Tachi shot at a few of the thugs holding her down.


    In fear of not knowing where the shots came from, the thugs covered their leader and drove him away, leaving the girl in a battered state on the ground.


    Tachi grit his teeth from the bushes where he was hiding.


    He''d have to spend a few more days at this god-forsaken village to sniff out the leader of the Xin group now, extending his mission and incurring the wrath of the boss at the Agency.


    But, before he knew what he was doing, he was running down to the injured young girl.


    The crowd at the diner ran away in fear, abandoning their little, valiant saviour on the ground there.


    She had been punched a few times and bleeding in a few places.


    As Tachi approached her, she tried to get up and face him as if he was going to attack her.


    He remembered, his heart went out to her. Her spirit was honourable and her fire was inextinguishable.


    This girl was special.


    He took her away to the little shack he was hiding away at during the mission and stitched her up.


    He nursed and fed her for a couple of days before she was healthy enough to speak.


    "Why did you do that? What gave you the courage to intimidate 15 thugs with guns and automatic weapons all alone with a simple bat?" he questioned.


    The girl''s eyes were still determined.


    "What right do they have to strip the people of their honour and dignity every single day? I had enough. I will never sit on the side if I am able to do something. Even a little something. I am no bystander."


    Her answer had surprised him. Her resolve, her strength. He wondered where she got it from.


    And in that moment, he recognised the pendant on her necklace. It looked like it was originally a earring.


    A earring with a unique design.


    A lock and key. Turning it around, he found a ''D'' engraved on it.


    Astounded, he asked a simple question.


    "What''s your name, girl?"


    Looking at him directly and unabashedly with her doe-like wide eyes, her answer was clear like summer rain.


    "My name is Lina."

 Chapter 86 - His memories (2)

    Tachi remembered her young, crystal voice introducing herself to him for the first time. Broken body, but spirit still intact.


    "Lina..." he continued to speak out loud to himself on the cold, prison cell floor.


    He was here in captivity of his own agency because of her.


    He''d made a mess of his life because of her.


    His life had been a mess since that very day.


    Maybe it was slightly inappropriate for 26 year old man to take such a strong liking to a young 16 year old teenager that day.


    But he couldn''t turn away from her.


    She''d looked at him with those enchanting eyes of hers, asking a stream of questions, sparkling with curiosity.


    "What''s your name mister?" she had asked.


    "Just call me Tachi."


    She''d giggled.


    "That''s funny. What kind of name is just ''Tachi''?"


    That had made him smile. She was definitely cheeky.


    "Where''s your family?" he asked carefully.


    No one in town seemed to be looking for this girl. His eyes darkened at the thought of her orphaned childhood if she was who he thought she was.


    Besides, he didn''t know how she ended up in Country J.


    "I live with my aunt and cousin sister..."


    Tachi breathed a sigh of relief that this girl still had family she was living with.


    "But they''d much rather I be dead."


    When Lina finished her sentence, Tachi looked her at her anguished face in distress.


    He reached out to touch her hand, but years of distrust made her pull back.


    She''d never truly believed anyone would care for her. She was just a thorn on everyone''s side.


    Lina quickly changed the topic.


    "Mister Tachi, were you the one who shot those thugs when I was fighting them?"


    Tachi turned away. This was not information he should be divulging to people outside the agency.


    Without waiting for an answer Lina continued speaking.


    "I think it was brave to have helped me even though I was outnumbered. Everyone else ran away. But few have the courage to stand up for what they believe in fearlessly. If it was you, Mister Tachi, thank you very much."


    Her words touched him. For some reason, he desperately wanted this girl''s approval and acknowledgment.


    "It was nothing." he said quietly.


    "So it was you! Can you teach me to shoot like that?!" she had asked him excitedly.


    Tachi sighed. He should have said no. He should keep her away from his business. But he just didn''t want to.


    Was it her earnest eyes, burning with the fires of justice and integrity? Or was it simply her goddess-like beauty that had him trapped like a bear in a honey-trap?


    Did this girl have no sense of danger?


    The next few days spent recuperating, Lina begged and begged Tachi to help teach her how to defend herself and use weapons.


    He finally gave in when she was well enough to engage in physical exercise.


    "I''ll teach you on the condition that you listen to me without question, don''t complain and do no touch any weapons or pick up fights without my supervision."


    Lina had nodded eagerly agreeing to every condition.


    The girl was an impressively gifted and fast learner.


    Within a week, her close combat fighting especially with knives and martial arts was instinctive and reflex based.


    She was quick and agile.


    Her shooting was the actual deal. She had the concentration and eyesight of a hawk.


    The girl was no short of prodigal.


    Tachi received a call from the boss'' right hand man one evening.


    "Agent Tachibana, you are wasting the Agency''s time and resources by continually extending your mission. I''m sure the leader of the Xin group isn''t that hard to track down and kill for someone of your proficiency."


    The boss'' secretary was a cruel man of few words. He was especially scathing on this phone call. They had expected Tachi to have completed this mission much sooner.


    "Sorry, Senior. A civilian got in the way. The Kingpin has been in hiding since then. This is their territory. I can''t rush things." Tachi reported.


    "Are you sure that''s all it is? Is there nothing else keeping you there, Agent?" the sharp voice retorted.


    Tachi paused, wondering whether he should report the possibility of Lina as a recruit due to her extraordinary skills.


    He realised it was better not to keep secrets from the Senior.


    "Senior, there''s a girl. She''s exceptionally talented. I would like to propose recruiting her."


    "No."


    "Senior?"


    "We''re not taking recruits, no matter how good they are."


    "Why, senior?"


    "No more space."


    Tachi became agitated.


    "Senior, may I speak to the boss about her?"


    "Agent Tachibana, you will complete your mission in the next three days and return to head quarters. Alone."


    As soon as Senior had spoken his orders, the phone line went dead.


    Just then, Lina entered Tachi''s room, smiling. She had just finished the training set he had put her on. Her face was glowing with health and youth.


    Tachi wanted this girl more than he''d care to admit.


    But the guilt and the shame made her impossible to reach. He was the reason she had been orphaned.


    But he would pay her back in full by rescuing her from this abusive life under her aunt.


    "Lina, I have to leave in three days."


    Lina''s bright face dropped.


    But then her big eyes burned with determination.


    "I''m coming with you."


    "Lina, you don''t even know anything about me or where I work."


    "I don''t care. It''s better than here." she would not give in.


    That night Tachi told her about the Agency.


    "Tell them I''m good, Tachi. I want to serve the people. I want to work for the Agency too. I want to be like you, Tachi!" she had begged him.


    He didn''t have the heart to tell the young girl that the Agency was not so much a beacon of justice as it was a neutral, emotion-less entity that killed in the name of balance and maintaining a status quo.


    It was blind to its victims.


    Like her parents.

 Chapter 87 - His memories (3)

    The Agency had one rule.


    Do not talk about the Agency.


    In the eyes of the public, they did not exist.


    They were only known to those they worked with.


    High ranking officials, important neutral agencies that controlled trade and defence, their own members and agents -- these were the select few aware of the presence of this ghost organisation.


    But now, Lina knew.


    When Lina begged Tachi, he felt he would give her anything she wanted.


    The only outsiders who knew or were allowed to be part of the agency was family.


    "Lina, they won''t let you in. The only way is if you are immediate family of a member or agent of the Agency."


    With a complicated expression on his face, Tachi proposed a plan to Lina.


    If she wanted to go with him, he would not stop her.


    He selfishly convinced himself that she wanted this more than he did. His desires played no role.


    She was a lonely, misguided child. And he took advantage of it.


    "Then what should we do, Tachi?" she had asked, innocently staring at him with sparkling eyes.


    "We''ll make you my immediate family."


    She looked at him confused.


    With a red face, he explained to her what he meant.


    "You''ll have to marry me. And then they can''t refuse you entry as my wife."


    Lina''s big eyes grew even wider.


    Tachi had wondered exactly how far this girl would go to get away from her aunt and cousin. She never said what they did to her, but it was obvious they were happier without her.


    Lina had been hiding out with him for days and he had heard gossip from the villagers that the aunt and the cousin were spreading stories that she stole from them and ran away.


    Her life must have been hard after her parents died.


    After her parents were murdered.


    A pang of hurt and guilt filled Tachi''s heart. He convinced himself he was taking her away for her own good.


    He would treat her well and give her all the privileges he could afford to make up for the mistreatment she had gone through all these years.


    "I was so selfish...so very selfish...to want her all to myself. I had no right..." he whispered to himself, still lying on the floor, drifting in and out of flashbacks.


    He should have just let her live a normal life. But today, her body bore bullet holes and scars.


    And her mind remained haunted and tortured, too ready to forget everything.


    Drifting back into his flashback, he remembered how he''d used the opportunity for his own gain and benefit.


    "Marry you?" she had asked, her eyes still wide in shock.


    He''d looked awkwardly at the beautiful teenager to explain himself.


    "Yes, well that''s the only way you could appear to be my immediate family. The Agency will still be suspicious if our relationship is genuine, which is why we must remain married for at least 10 years so as to maintain the facade as to how you got in."


    "Well...Tachi...they won''t expect us to do...what married couples do...would they?" she asked him carefully.


    A part of his heart dropped, but his head reminded him that she was still a child and it was wrong of him to think that way about her.


    He smiled kindly at her.


    "I promise never to touch you, Lina. It''s just a marriage for show. To help you enter the Agency. After 10 years, we will get an official divorce and you will be free to do as your please as an independent member of the Agency."


    Even though he said those words to her, he convinced himself he had 10 years to make her love him. To keep her by his side.


    He convinced himself that this marriage would turn into a real relationship.


    But she had never looked his way with love in her eyes. Just friendship.


    "Okay then, Tachi" the 16 year old girl sitting in front of him had said, adventure in her eyes. "Let''s get married."


    And that''s how he, 26-year old Victor Tachibana, married 16-year old Lina Dai.


    Lina Dai, the girls whose parents he had killed when she was just 6 years old.


    Lina Dai, the woman who must never find out what he did.


    "What have I done...what have I done..." Tachi whispered to himself, finally sitting up on the floor of his prison cell.


    Another 10 years later, Lina was notified of her mission to infiltrate Moshi Corporation as Lina Mito, the woman who would marry Shen Moshi.


    Right before the mission, she had said something to Tachi that had remained etched in his mind.


    He grit his teeth as he thought about 10 months earlier.


    Lina was preparing to ''bump into'' Shen at the caf¨¦ early in the morning. Day 1 of the mission.


    "Hey Tachi?" she said, with a sparkle in her eye.


    "Yeah?"


    "Once this mission is over, we have a party to throw!" she laughed, as she spoke.


    Tachi looked at her, confused.


    "Why? What party?"


    "A divorce party! It''s been 10 years! Isn''t it time to put an end to our fake marriage?"


    The casual tone of her voice, the laughing...it was as if she didn''t care at all!


    The marriage hadn''t been fake to him.


    He''d grit his teeth hard as he smiled at her and nodded.


    But that wasn''t what pushed him over the edge.


    It was a month later, when she married Shen Moshi, that he realised the change in her.


    She wasn''t faking it with Shen Moshi.


    She was withholding information, hiding things, avoiding their rendezvous times and breaking all the rules the Agency had set.


    He knew her heart belonged to that privileged brat after just one month of meeting him. While he had been waiting for her for 10 years.


    He''d felt cheated and angry and betrayed.


    When he finally reported her to the big boss, he received her termination order.


    He was to personally assassinate her before she became a liability by revealing herself to Shen.

 Chapter 88 - The prince of the Lims

    "Welcome back, young master Lim."


    A group of servants welcomed this prince back home at an old villa a little far outside the shining capital city.


    He was in his late twenties, wearing a lazy, yet charming look on his exquisite face.


    Followed in by dozens of bodyguards, this eccentric young master of the Lims was always heavily guarded.


    "Is father home?" he asked one of the servants.


    "Yes, sir, he is in his chambers. He has been awaiting your arrival." the servant informed the prince politely.


    The young man sighed and tugged at his loose, white linen shirt as if he was suffocated.


    His exaggerated actions made the young maids giggle and blush. But they were silenced with a look from his bodyguards.


    With a somewhat grumpy expression, he made his way upstairs to his father''s chambers.


    "Father, you wished to see me?" he asked casually, walking into his father''s rooms.


    His father, the old master, was deeply engrossed in work, writing in his notebook.


    "Have I taught you nothing?" he glared, as he looked up to see his relaxed son walk in. "Can you not knock on your own father''s bedchambers before strolling in?"


    The young prince scoffed.


    "Because you''re doing such important things, aren''t you, father?"


    "Have I raised you to mock me, you ungrateful spawn!"


    The servants who had hurriedly followed after their young master, to caution the old master of his arrival, shook their heads in terror.


    Young master was really testing his father. He was either truly fearless, or very stupid.


    Young master Lim was the only son of the main branch of the Lim clan. The Lim clan was one of the oldest, wealthiest and most powerful families of Country J with deep roots and connections to royalty in Country C.


    Moreover, they were very well connected to big mafia families in Europe and the Americas. The Lim clan''s dealings were as much under the table as above board.


    The old master had long given up any part in running operations. His idea of ''work'' these days was...slightly different. Something his borderline crazy son didn''t understand.


    "Oh father, you should stop dabbling in your nonsense..." he commented sarcastically at his father''s rebuke.


    Before his old man had anything to say, the younger Lim quickly snatched up the notebook he was scribbling in.


    "Tch tch, what is this, dear father? Are you going senile already?!" he teased, as his father growled.


    "Give it back, you brat!"


    But the young prince refused to give in to his father so easily.


    Being taller than his poor old father, the young master arrogantly held his angry father''s notebook high up in the air and began reading out loud from it.


    "...and then the dashing young soldier proceeded to deflower the maiden with his prize weapon. This girl, who had been nursing his wounds since he had been shot in the leg, didn''t realise what he could really do to her with the rest of his body."


    "GIVE IT BACK!" the old master yelled at his son, the fleet of servants standing by, blushing at their employer''s new hobby.


    "Bleh. This is distasteful, father. I need to cleanse my eyes with the most corrosive acid to sterilise myself."


    The young prince''s scathing remarks continued to test his father''s patience.


    "Butler! Bring me my cane! This brat needs to be flogged for him to learn any discipline!"


    The father finally put his foot down. But the butler wavered. He knew the master never hit his only son, and this was an empty threat.


    The young man huffed.


    "Fine, fine. I give in. Here, you can have your filthy little story back!"


    After the old master snatched his notebook back, his son flashed him a devilishly handsome grin.


    "You''ve taken after your dear mother, boy. She loved to test me just as you do."


    The old master sighed. His beloved wife had passed away young, leaving him with two treasures - a son and a daughter.


    "I also get my good looks from her, don''t I, father?" he asked, mischievously.


    The old man smiled, giving in to his son. He doted on him too much to ever remain angry at his shameless antics.


    The boy was slightly wayward, but the old master would tolerate almost anything.


    "Tell me now, did Shen Moshi contact you regarding the trading partnership? He seems keen on meeting you face to face, I hear."


    "Yes he did. But he seems boring, father. All work, and no play."


    The young man sighed exaggeratedly.


    The old master was thoughtful.


    "So he definitely won''t colour outside the lines?"


    His son smirked.


    "Definitely not. There''s definitely a mole in Moshi Corporation who''s letting the cargo through. All I need to find out is how much Shen Moshi knows."


    The young heir was thoughtful. He had been watching Shen and assessed his work ethic.


    There was know way he knew what was going on underneath his nose.


    Not only was there a huge storm brewing within the Moshi family in their internal struggle for power, but someone had managed to infiltrate his Kingdom and work with them under the radar.


    To transport arms to Country A.


    Extremely, highly, illegal and dangerous weapons.


    "But father, it''s that wife of his, that he keeps hidden. She''s the one who knows about what''s really happening, and she can collapse our house of cards."


    His father looked at him shocked.


    "Shen Moshi has a wife?!"


    The young prince laughed out loud.


    The news did tend to have a flabbergasting reaction from everyone.


    Shen Moshi wasn''t known to court women, no matter how many threw themselves at him.


    Especially his silly little sister. She had been infatuated with Shen Moshi since the day she set eyes on him.


    The old master had tried many times to arrange for her to meet him, but he would always refuse.


    She was a beauty, also especially taking after her mother, and many young men from powerful families were out to woo her relentlessly.


    But her heart was set on the youngest son of Soren and Rika Moshi.

 Chapter 89 - Making an entrance

    The next day Lina woke up feeling determined.


    Her memories were slowly coming back, the nightmares were reducing and her relationship was getting stronger.


    The events of last night came to mind, how close she and Shen were to...doing it. A part of her felt resentful that her anticipation hadn''t materialised because of that untimely phone call.


    But another part of her was slightly relieved. She couldn''t remember what exactly he liked and was worried she may have not been able to satisfy him.


    However, her body was feeling stronger and healthier.


    As she got out of bed, a more confident woman, she realised Shen''s side of the bed was still made and he was nowhere to be seen in the bedroom.


    Not even on the sofa, where he was exiled to some time ago.


    Lina made her way to the study, still in her thin pyjamas.


    There he was, her sweet, hard-working husband, asleep on the chair in front of his desk with an open laptop and doc.u.ments spilling over his arm.


    He looked so uncomfortable, since he had drifted off from exhaustion whilst working.


    She went over to him to clear away his files and make more space for him to rest.


    As she picked up a file, the label made her heart clench.


    *Inventory and Checklist: Shipping Container 128 to Capital, Country A*


    As she looked below she saw a familiar, bone chilling name.


    *Goods ownership: Magnolia Holdings*


    Why did this company Magnolia Holdings sound so familiar? Why did she feel a lump in her throat as she held this file?


    She quickly shuffled around looking at other files related to Magnolia Holdings. All of them were from the same few months earlier that year.


    In fact, the dates were eerily close to the day she was attacked and had fallen into a coma.


    Between July to August, Magnolia Holdings had been using Moshi Corporation''s shipping services to export their goods to Country A.


    Did this have something to do with Shen''s phone call the previous night?


    He had seemed preoccupied before she fell asleep and hadn''t even come back to bed.


    After covering Shen with a blanket and placing pillows under his strained neck, she walked out of the study.


    As much as she wanted to tuck her husband up in bed, she didn''t want to wake him and waste the few precious hours of shut eye he had.


    Lina immediately made a call to Mei.


    "Meimei, I''m going to come back to work today. Officially. Make sure you prepare the briefings for me on each project. No more than one page, because I won''t have time to get into more detail."


    "Yes boss! Anything else?" her sprightly little assistant asked, eagerly.


    "Yes. The top three matters our firm is dealing with...assemble the teams for a meeting today at noon. I want proper updates and their schedules have to be in place."


    "Done! When will you get here boss?"


    Lina looked at her watch. It was hardly 8 am. People would begin coming to work at 9 am.


    "I''ll be there by 9:30."


    "Ok boss!"


    "And Mei, one more thing."


    "Yes?"


    "Look into Magnolia Holdings for me. Keep this to yourself, and be discrete."


    "Ok boss! Anything specific you want me to look for?"


    "I don''t know yet. Just let me know what you find."


    With that, Lina hung up the phone and went back to the bedroom to get dressed.


    -- At Moshi Corp Capital Offices --


    Ayu had been in her office since 6 am, which was a torturous, yet regular occurrence for her.


    There was nothing much at her empty home anyway.


    She made a mental note to go visit Ro-kun at the hospital during her lunch break that day. She was there almost everyday.


    But before that, she was sniffing out a very large rat.


    Victor Tachibana.


    He was at the top of Shen''s list of people to investigate with regards to his wife''s safety.


    She had a lot to report to him and she had to be fast about it.


    Once they lost the scent, these people would be hard to dig up again. And people of Victor Tachibana''s skill and expertise, if what was to be believed from his getaway in the alley and ability to hold a knife to the Madam''s back, were hard to capture.


    Ayu sighed long and hard.


    Unfortunately, to track these monsters, she had to work with one very slimy person.


    Someone whose tongue had been recently cut off thanks to her boss'' temper.


    That made it all the more troublesome to communicate with him.


    James.


    She put her hands on her desk and pushed herself up, willing herself mentally to go down to that crazy sc.u.mbag.


    She made her way to the bas.e.m.e.nt dungeons in the capital city offices, where Shen Moshi imprisoned his most useful, and dangerous enemies.


    There were two very special cells she passed before she got to James'' cell.


    These two prison cells housed two of Shen''s closest competitors. They were deadly people. Not to be messed with. As she passed them, one man sneered at her from behind the glass doors.


    The other man, seemed to be asleep, a lump under his blanket.


    Both these men were extremely handsome, reminiscent, in a way of her boss. But he was in a different league altogether.


    Ayu found James lazily lounging on the floor of his tiny room. He was humming a wordless tune, given that he couldn''t form words anymore.


    "Get up, James. There''s work to do."


    When James heard Ayu''s arrogant, commanding voice, he glared viciously.


    He had been a highly paid and sought after professional before Shen Moshi captured him. He didn''t think he would be treated so poorly, seeing as Shen needed him.


    But now, he was nothing more than a dog, his cut off tongue hanging from a bottle on his dog collar to display his subservience.


    He grudgingly got up and followed Ayu out of his cell.


    As they passed the two cells with the handsome men again, Ayu noticed something was amiss.


    The one who had been sneering at her was still staring smugly, walking around in his glass prison.


    But the other man, he was still an eerily still lump under the bed.


    As a realization hit Ayu, she slammed her hand down hard on the red emergency button and screamed for security into the speaker phone.


    "ARMED SECURITY TO THE DUNGEON RIGHT NOW. Search Shao Moshi''s cell immediately! Proceed with caution."


    Behind her, in the other glass cell, she saw Shigeo Moshi laughing.

 Chapter 90 - The brothers he never talked about

    Security came pouring into the dungeons cells where Shen Moshi''s enemies and lapdogs were incarcerated.


    Some had been there for years.


    Some had only been there a few weeks. Like James.


    The tunnels in this bas.e.m.e.nts contained prison cells holding one person in each one. Each prisoner was as deadly as the next.


    But some were in a league of their own.


    That''s why they were down there. Because if they got out...


    all hell would break lose.


    *******************************


    Shen was sleeping soundly on his armchair in the study. He had remained peaceful, unaware of the dire situation at the capital city office bas.e.m.e.nt.


    Ayu wanted to handle the situation quietly and quickly and chose not to inform Shen about it immediately. She knew he had been busy with the Lim family and the business with them, and this would only exacerbate his situation.


    "Security Team A, fan out and search the entire 5 km radius around our office buildings. Pull the fire alarms discretely in all the other buildings around to get the employees out and then sneak in to search their offices."


    As Ayu barked these orders, she knew the risks.


    If anyone found out that they were looking for the deadly, escaped enemy of Shen Moshi, they''d line up to protect him.


    If they could, every powerful company would want to take Shen down. He was the biggest, baddest wolf and everyone wanted a piece of his power.


    "Security Team B, lock down the entire Moshi Corp capital city office buildings and turn it inside out! We are looking for Shao Moshi, I repeat, HIGH ALERT."


    Her warnings didn''t come lightly.


    The Moshi brothers were as vicious as they came.


    Intelligence and ruthlessness ran in their blood.


    If they didn''t catch Shao Moshi in the first few hours he managed to escape, they would likely never find him.


    And then, only Shen could remedy the situation, with more trouble than it took defeating him for control over the company in the first place.


    Then, Ayu shoved James by his collar and dragged him to a the security surveillance room at the Moshi Corp building.


    "You have two tasks today, James. If you do them well, without complaint, you will be rewarded." Ayu spoke to the dog of a man icily.


    She had no patience for him, and just wanted him to do as she order right now.


    "OOhhhaaHH" James answered, dumbly, agreeing reluctantly.


    "The first task is to hack into the city cam surveillance around the Moshi Corp Offices. I need to track someone. Don''t forget the parking area cameras. It doesn''t end there, I need you to run a program that tracks any uploads to the internet by civilians who have been in this area, even if it means invading their privacy by tracking private cell GPS."


    James looked at her strangely.


    Even for him, the things Ayu was demanding, were time consuming and took very long to accomplish.


    "What are you looking at me like that for, you dumb bastard! DO IT, NOW!" she growled, angry that he wasn''t grasping the urgency of the situation.


    "Ooohaah?" James responded, dumbly, a glare in his eye. He was also angry at being continually mistreated by a mere subordinate of Shen Moshi.


    Ayu realised he was asking about the second task.


    She slapped a photo of Victor Tachibana, given to her by Shen from when he came into the Moshi Mansion as the assistant of Dr. Yoshi.


    "Find him. Run a facial recognition software and collect all sightings, anywhere in the world, in any year since his existence was recorded of this man."


    James sighed.


    His hands quickly typed code on the computer in front of him. He scanned the photo of Tachi and input it into the software he pulled up.


    He ran an age progression software backward simultaneously so that any sightings of Tachi as younger boy or young man would be pinged in his net from years ago.


    As he let that program run, he began hacking into the security cams to look for Shao Moshi with Ayu glued to his side.


    **************


    At 9:30 am exactly, a smart, black Lamborghini pulled up at the main entrance of a modern-looking, office building.


    A slim, beautiful woman, in a smart business suit stepped out.


    The security guards gasped and stared at her as she walked towards the main entrance, bowing in greeting as their big boss walked in after long months.


    Her hair was done neatly in a low bun, accentuating her delicate facial features.


    Light make up lit up her sparkling, big eyes as she walked in the front doors.


    "Boss! You''ve arrived!"


    Mei greeted Lina at the entrance of the office building, with a stack of files in her arms.


    "Meimei!" Lina smiled. "Do you have everything I asked for?"


    "Yes, boss! These are the files containing the briefs and data on our top three cases."


    Lina''s eyes quickly scanned the files.


    One was an issue with the building of a dam at a river flowing through two neighbouring countries in perpetual conflict.


    This was handled by the environment and resource management team.


    The second issue was to do with rigged elections in a small European country. There was a special team from the consultancy put together for this internal conflict.


    The third issue interested Lina the most.


    "Country A..." she muttered under her breath.


    An ''interested party'' was seeking her Consultancy''s services to deal with an internal matter of government. There was an intra-party crises, and reliable news that Country A was preparing a full-fledged attack abroad.


    She looked up at Mei.


    "I want to meet the team for the Country A issue immediately. Prepone the noon meeting with this team."


    Mei''s eyes were filled with worry.


    Work had been progressing as normal with this project. The team was highly competent and primarily from their investigative department.


    She understood that this was a pressing issue, but Lina''s tone pressed the sense of urgency.


    Something was off about this case with Country A.


    Had boss been working on it before her coma?

 Chapter 91 - An awakened demon

    At about 10:00 am, Shen woke up from his slumber.


    He looked around to check the time and noticed the blanket that covered him. He knew he had fallen asleep without it, so it must have been Lina who put it there.


    Shen got up immediately to go look for his wife. He wanted to be close with her the previous night but the phone call and all the work had taken up his night.


    All he wanted now was to hold her and kiss her good morning.


    But she wasn''t in the bedroom. In fact, she had cleaned up and made the bed. There was still the fresh sent of shower gel and perfume.


    She was here not too long ago.


    He quickly rushed downstairs, hoping to find her at the table having breakfast.


    With his hair dishevelled, and his light stubble, he burst into the dining room.


    The only person looking up at him with surprise with a cup of tea in her hand, was his mother, reading the morning paper.


    "What''s wrong, son? You look very...agitated."


    Rika chose her words carefully. She knew this look on his face very well.


    He looked like this only when he wanted something very badly and couldn''t find or get it. He was going to throw a fit.


    He had been a demon child in this mood. He was now a demon a.d.u.l.t.


    But Rika suspected what he was looking for.


    "Where''s Lina?" he bellowed.


    The question was aimed at all the staff present, including his mother.


    She sighed, and the servants backed away, glad the old Madam was still staying over as a buffer.


    "She''s gone to work, son." Rika said calmly.


    The only way to deal with the great devil at this time, was to remain calm.


    "WHAT? Why didn''t I know about this?" he exploded, again.


    "Does she have to inform you of every single activity?" his mother reasoned, calmly.


    "When it''s a matter of her safety and recovery, then yes, absolutely!" Shen retorted.


    He was furious. He knew Lina wouldn''t want to wake him, but the others in the house should have! It was their responsibility to look out for their madam by keeping him informed.


    "Son, she just went to her office. You can''t spoon-feed her everything! You''ll suffocate her. She''s a strong woman."


    "Will you take responsibility the next time she almost dies?!"


    Shen couldn''t be pacified this time. He ran his hand through his dishevelled hair. His heart was beating fast.


    He hadn''t let her out of his supervision since she''d woken up, and the one time she was on her own, that troublesome Victor Tachibana had almost stuck a deadly knife in her back and filled her head with lies!


    Only he understood the panic of losing her again.


    He picked up his cellphone and dialled her number. It ran four times before it disconnected.


    She was unreachable.


    He called three more times. And yet, she didn''t pick up.


    The only other contact he had inside her office was Mei.


    He rang Mei''s cellphone. She didn''t pick up either. He tried her a few more times before he smashed his phone to the ground.


    His mother sighed.


    Her youngest son was a meticulous, planned, control freak. Everything he held dear to him, he clutched tightly to his chest, in fear of his enemies.


    His position as CEO, his parents, and now his wife.


    "I can''t even go to her office! People will ask questions about our relationship or about me. Nobody can know about us or they will use her to hurt me! Everyone is out to get me!" Shen roared on.


    The lack of sleep and paranoia was driving him crazy. The stress with the mole at Moshi Corp, investigating Lina''s attackers, Victor Tachibana and business with the Lim clan was making him tick like a time bomb.


    "Son," he heard his mother''s calm, yet firm tone next to him, as she placed a hand on his shoulder, "your judgment is clouded. Breathe, calm down, and then think of what you want to do next."


    The demon finally took a breath in between his rant.


    A mother had her way of disciplining her son.


    And Rika was no exception. She had three troublesome boys. Two sons had already been drunk on power and ambition. She wouldn''t fail with her third, and most precious child.


    Just then, Shen''s phone dinged with a text message.


    He dove immediately to pick the phone up from the floor.


    He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw his beloved wife''s name pop up on the screen.


    *I''m at work, in a meeting! See you soon and have a nice day, hubby!*


    A string of kisses at the end of the text message made him smile.


    She was safe, untouched, unscathed.


    That was enough for him. For now.


    *********


    It was late afternoon, and Shen still wasn''t at work. Ayu was still sitting right next to James watching his every move as he worked on both her investigations simultaneously.


    However, it was the facial recognition software tracking Tachi that beeped first.


    James'' eyes darted towards the computer screen. But Ayu quickly turned the computer screen away towards herself.


    "You focus on the surveillance cams" she snapped at him.


    He glared at her, as he turned back to tracking Shao Moshi.


    Ayu quickly assessed the picture of Tachi snapped. It was in Country A. It was from twenty years ago. The quality wasn''t great.


    But there was a younger man in the photo, walking next to a slightly older man. The older man was thin, and stern looking. He seemed like he was in his twenties, yet his grave expression betrayed an air of danger.


    The younger man bore a striking resemblance to Victor Tachibana. There was youth on his face, but a slight expression of fear and anxiety shrouded his eyes.


    They were walking by a crowded restaurant and were captured in the CCTV footage of the restaurant.


    The city surveillance systems weren''t advanced twenty years ago. Finding this clip was a major breakthrough.


    "What were you doing in Country A twenty years ago, Mr. Tachibana...." Ayu whispered to herself, determined to sniff out this perpetrator and investigate his motives.


    She wouldn''t let him hurt her madam.

 Chapter 92 - Enemies lurking in the dark

    As Shen stayed home pouring over the Lim files, he prepared for the meeting with the heir of the clan.


    This man was known to be an eccentric, so he could never predict what the crazy freak would do.


    He''d heard stories of him, but had never seen him. They didn''t even know his first name and he was so heavily protected, it was hard to investigate him.


    The rumours of his underground ties and reckless actions were known to Shen. However, it was hard to tell what was true and what wasn''t.


    The Lim family was not only connected to international mafias, but also had ties to royalty in country C. Country C was a formidable neighbour, and not to be trifled with.


    Shen had always known that working with the Lims was a great risk that bore great rewards, but the tables could always turn.


    The elders so far, that his father had dealt with, had been reasonable and cautious. But the new heir...he seemed to have a bad habit.


    He had reportedly encroached upon land owned by warlords in country M and set three armies on the lookout for him, with high paying bounties.


    So many innocents had been slaughtered to get to him, and yet the warlords had been unsuccessful.


    If Shen made just one wrong move, or antagonised this unhinged heir, he might find himself at the shorter end of the stick.


    Or worse, put his closest and dearest at risk.


    He might have already put Lina at risk.


    He slammed his fist on his study table.


    Shen wanted his investigations to bear fruit sooner, but his patience was wearing thin.


    He was all the more anxious now that she was alone at work.


    He used the the study phone to rink Butler Min.


    "Butler Min, please send madam a healthy lunch to her office. Chicken salad and a bottle of juice. Don''t forget to pack her health supplements and get Housekeeper Tan to go deliver it personally."


    As Shen barked these orders on the home phone, he dialled Ayu on his cellphone.


    He needed urgent updates on the Victor Tachibana investigation.


    Ayu took longer to pick up the phone this time. It was unusual. His calls to her should be of the utmost importance.


    "Hello, boss?" Ayu''s voice was tentative.


    "Updates, Ayu. I want to know about Victor Tachibana. I''m tired of enemies lurking in the dark."


    His voice was final.


    Ayu cleared her throat as she began speaking.


    "Yes, boss. We have managed to ping his first appearance on camera in Country A, about twenty years ago by running facial recognition and age regression software."


    "And? What was he doing there?"


    "He was caught on camera passing by a street in the evening with a man older than him."


    "Alright. Check out all police records in the area where he was spotted during that time. I want reports on anything that looks suspicious."


    "Yes, boss!" Ayu complied.


    But just as she was about to hang up the phone, there was a voice on the intercom, reporting to her in alarm.


    "Miss Ayu! We have found a discarded garment worn by Mr. Moshi in the back alleyway!"


    Ayu quickly hung up the call with Shen.


    But she knew it was too late.


    He had heard.


    Shen knew immediately what had happened.


    As he sat frozen, the cellphone still at his ear, his jaw clenched hard. His hand slowly rose and pinched the bridge of his nose.


    Did he need another monster on the loose right now?


    "Mr. Moshi? Which one? Is it you, brother Shao? Shigeo is too lazy to pull this off..." he muttered to himself.


    *************


    At Lina''s office, things were bustling.


    Word had spread that the big boss Ms. Mito was back in the office!


    Everyone was on alert, ready to look their busiest, in case she passed by their department. It had been almost 4 months since they had heard any news of her.


    Some of them even thought she was dead!


    Mei sat at her desk and sighed as she typed ''Magnolia Holdings'' into the search engine on her computer.


    Even though she was piled with tasks and assignments from Lina, her mind kept revisiting the exciting evening she had with Shu, the lab tech.


    She checked her phone for the zillionth time, but unfortunately found no texts or calls from him.


    It had only been a day, but he was the one that had been so assertive to use her as a bribe from Lina and date her.


    It had ended well! So, why hadn''t he reached out yet, she wondered.


    As the search results loaded, her eyes scanned the screen.


    ''Magnolia Holdings Mysterious CEO Sends Message to Public''


    ''Magnolia Holdings Buys Failing Business in Country C''


    ''Trade Secrets Revealed - The Secrecy of Magnolia Holdings Unravels''


    Everything she read about Magnolia Holdings, made her more and more curious. Boss didn''t know what she was looking for, but there sure seemed like a major lack of general information on this company.


    As she clicked on each news article and read up on their activities, she could only gather that they had deep ties to Country C, owned a lot of assets and businesses there, and had a phantom CEO who never showed his face in public or private.


    Mei let out yet another sigh. What could she even report to Lina? There really wasn''t much!


    As she kept scrolling down, the articles became more and more vague...until at last, she found a small thread!


    It was a gossip column that didn''t receive much publicity, and was deeply buried amongst other search results. But it provided a rumour of a connection to Magnolia Holdings.


    ''Princess Magnolia Slaps Traitor Friend'', the article was titled.


    It reported a nasty spat between two socialites, Lila Lim and another lesser known girl.


    The author claimed that this socialite Lila Lim was actually a great heiress from the main branch of the Lim clan and had screamed at her victim, promising to bring the wrath of the Lims and Magnolia Holdings down on her.


    Even though this article was considered trashy and unreliable, it was the closest Mei had come to putting at least one face to the mysterious company.

 Chapter 93 - Armed conflicts and espionage

    As Lina walked into the board room, a team of eight members greeted her. Some of the faces were familiar from the meeting with the idiot PM of B nation.


    The other faces were the ones Mei had informed her about, that she didn''t personally remember.


    For safety purposes, nobody at her offices knew about what exactly transpired when she was away. Much less, her amnesia.


    Takashi Hino was present, the man in charge of communications and operations. So was the geopolitical expert Ayaka Shinohara.


    They nodded at Lina in greeting, being two of the highest ranking staff at the Consultancy. The others took their seats.


    They were researches, historians, data analysts and liaisons. Together they gathered, computed and analysed incredibly important pieces of information regarding their cases and presented comprehensive reports to Lina or their seniors.


    "So what do we have here? Brief me, Takashi."


    The others looked at each other approvingly. Boss was still the same, even after extended leave. She was firm as ever.


    Always down to business.


    Takashi Hino got up and began speaking, addressing Lina, but also summarising for the entire team.


    "Almost four months ago, in August, we received word from a high ranking party member of Country A''s current government. He has requested to remain anonymous to everyone here in the interest of his own safety.


    He reported that members within their party have gone rogue and are planning to systematically incite a full fledged armed conflict with Country J. In fact, he has even tipped us on the inside source they have within Country J."


    Lina interrupted Takashi.


    "Inside source? Do we have any clue who this inside source in Country J is?"


    "No, our contact is not part of the inside circle that is planning this attack. He does not have names and places."


    Then Ayaka spoke up.


    "Since Country A is located on the other side of the globe with an entire ocean between, there has to be some mechanism that is facilitating the contact."


    "Brief me on what contact, exactly." Lina questioned.


    "Arms dealing." Ayaka said, with a resigned sigh.


    Arms deals were some of the deadliest conflicts to get involved in. They''ve had their contacts get assassinated and tortured for approaching consultancies like her to mediate and investigate.


    "Arms dealing requires an extraordinary level of planning and a scapegoat. How are arms being supplied to Country A?" Lina asked.


    One of the analysts spoke up.


    "Ms. Mito, any air transport in goods is highly regulated by impartial and strict laws of Country J. Our air security is far too tight to let anything pass. The only other way to cross the ocean...is shipping."


    "And the checks on shipping are lax?" she asked the analyst.


    "Well, they''re not as tight as air transport. Besides, there are some trade routes across the sea that have been used for years and years by established corporations that hardly go through the required checks in the interest of saving time."


    "They don''t go through the required checks?!" Lina asked, aghast.


    This is time, Ayaka responded to her question.


    "They don''t need to. They have built trust and reliability for doing clean business. They have something like a gold pass."


    "Are you saying, that one of these trade routes is being used by the insiders in Country J to deal in arms with Country A''s mutinous party members?"


    "Yes." Ayaka answered, in one word.


    Lina was quiet for a moment, before she addressed the team again.


    "Where are you right now in this case? How is our progress?"


    "Boss, since the last week we have lost contact with our source from the party ruling Country A. He has gone radio silent. We suspect he has been found out by the masterminds of the plan and they could have terminated him for contact us."


    Lina bit her thumb, deep in thought.


    "What else do you have?"


    The analyst continued reporting.


    "We''ve investigated a compiled timelines of all major political events and campaigns involving key members and suspected planners in this political party from Country A dating to twenty years back.


    We have also gathered insider information using undercover liaisons from Country J to Country A in the shipping trade routes and confirmed that there are discrepencies with shipments from Country J."


    Lina nodded and she processed all the information. She sat there silently, the gears in her head turning.


    Suddenly, a headache came on, and she involuntarily winced and pinched her forehead.


    "Boss, are you okay?"


    It was Ayaka. She held out a hand to Lina worriedly, which Lina shrugged off bravely.


    Her team shouldn''t witness her ill health. They needed to believe she was strong and ready for anything.


    "I''m fine. You''re all dismissed. Suspend all further operations on this front until further notice. The only task is to locate our contact from Country A. Takashi?"


    Takashi nodded. The responsibility fell upon his shoulders.


    As the team exited the room, Lina''s phone dinged with a new text message.


    It was Mana.


    *Let''s meet at the University!*


    Lina smiled. She needed a break from the enemies and lurkers. Spending time with Mana would heal her mood.


    She replied affirmatively and left work.


    -- At Capital City University --


    Mana was waiting for Lina at the main entrance gate. The University wasn''t empty and deserted like last time.


    This time it was bustling with people, young students, graduates, older alumni and many others.


    Lina looked around in wonder.


    This was the first time she had been in a public place in the midst of an active crowd since getting out of the coma.


    She knew Shen wouldn''t approve. There were too many possible threats to her life here, including people who knew she was associated with Shen.


    Perhaps also people from her past, like Victor Tachibana who had important information about her.


    Part of her wished something would happen, that she''d run into someone who wished her harm - just so she could see and know the people who were out to hurt her and the one she loved.


    It was better than always having to watch your back.


    "Mana! What''s going on here?" she smiled, as she greeted her best friend.


    Mana was dressed more casually this time. She looked like she had been at work the previous time. She was a lawyer at a reputed law firm and was usually extremely serious and caught up with a heavy workload.


    Today she looked relaxed.


    Her athletic figure looked elegant in a linen jumpsuit. Her serious expression, broke into a happy smile, to see her best friend active and alive.


    It seemed forever since they had a normal day.


    With the shooting on Ro-kun last time, when Lina was followed, her heart had feared yet again for her best friend''s safety.


    "I wasn''t sure you would meet me here if I told you this is a fair! The current students organised it and there are a lot of alumni here! Maybe we''ll run into someone we know."


    Lina''s face darkened.


    Would she run into someone from the past she didn''t remember?


    "Well, alright, as long as you keep me in the loop. I don''t want to bump into someone I have a past with..."


    There was an ominious sense of precaution in her voice.


    "Don''t worry Li, noone messed with you during our golden university years!"


    Lina smiled, but she wasn''t too confident.

 Chapter 94 - They werent meant to walk amongst mortals

    As Lina and Mana made their way over to the fair inside the university gates, the same non descript black car that had followed them there last time, was parked discretely amongst the other vehicles outside.


    A short-haired woman with glasses, her eyes trained on Lina, made a call from her cellphone.


    "Young master, she appeared here at the university again with that friend of hers. They''re at the student fair."


    The handsome young heir at the other end of the line smiled a devilishly charming, lazy smile.


    "Is she protected?" he asked, softly.


    "I haven''t spotted any bodyguards around her. She''s alone."


    The heir smirked.


    "Stay on her and keep me informed."


    "Yes, young master" Mari replied, as she hung up the call.


    The handsome young master Mari was speaking to, grinned as he put the phone down. This was too tasty not to sink his own teeth into.


    He wanted to have some fun. That wife of Shen''s was a beauty, after all.


    "I want to have her...so interesting" he said to himself, as he observed the pictures Mari sent him.


    A gorgeous young woman walked passed him at his villa, dressed up, heading to the front door.


    "Lila...where are you off to looking like a hideous crow?" he asked


    His sister shrieked in annoyance as she threw her bag at him, aiming for his head.


    "Mind your own business, loser!" she retorted.


    The young master Lim dodged her handbag.


    He picked up the bag and walked towards his little sister to give it back to her.


    She was a petite, delicate woman who had been pampered her whole life. She did, after all, have a status akin to a princess, as he did to a crown prince.


    Her milky skin was always carefully moisturized, and her make up and done with artistic perfection. Her hair was curled and pinned in an elegant updo. The clothes Lila Lim wore, were only of the softest fabrics, tailor made for her perfect proportions.


    People sighed as this woman walked by. She had an unearthly air about her, as if she wasn''t meant to exist amongst mortals.


    Her brother, although more easy-going, also carried around a detached unearthly aura. These Lim kids were a class above the upper class, and they were raised and groomed accordingly.


    They were brought up with people bowing to them, the world in their own hands.


    "Here, it''s okay that your aim is terrible" he flashed his sister a teasing smile. "Tell me where you''re going, I''ll bring you there."


    Lila raised one perfectly shaped eyebrow.


    "YOU will take me there personally? You, the recluse in the shadows?" she asked him sceptically.


    He smiled and nodded, as if he expected his sister to believe he had no ulterior motive.


    The young master knew his sister was a top socialite. She wasn''t like him, hiding in the dark, concealing his high born identity.


    Everyone knew Lila Lim came from a respectable, wealthy family. But no one connected her to the infamous, legendary Lim clan.


    Some people suspected that she was from an estranged, disconnected branch of the Lim clan. But she was forbidden to reveal her true status as the only daughter of the main branch.


    Only a select few knew how and where to contact the Lim family.


    If they knew, hordes of suitors would show up at their door to marry her, wanting to share in the Lims'' great wealth and influence.


    Lila had also attended the Capital City University. And given that there was a big event there, and Lila was a leading socialite, he already knew where she was going.


    He knew Lina was there.


    "I''m going to the Capital City University fair. They expect the influential alumni to come back and speak to budding new graduates and make donations. I have to be there." she finally admitted to her pesky older brother.


    "Great! Let''s go!" he replied without a second thought, as he walked out of the door.


    His angry sister ran after him yelling.


    "How can you go dressed like that!!! You''ll ruin my reputation!"


    He was dressed in his same old loose, linen shirt and black pants. He was undoubtedly and breathtaking beauty, with his long hair covering part of his face, lending and air of elegance and mystery.


    But to his sister, he seemed like a sloppy pig.


    He didn''t bother responding to her complaints as they both entered the chauffer driven limousine and sped off towards Capital City University.


    -- At Moshi Corporation Capital City Offices --


    The big demon boss stormed into the office leaving the whole staff shaken.


    They knew that the security teams had turned everything upside down for someone Miss Ayu was looking for.


    The lower level staff did not know about the dungeons in the bas.e.m.e.nt or the kind of enermies Shen had kept imprisoned there.


    All they knew was something had gone very wrong and the whole place was a mess.


    And now the terrifying big boss of them all had come back to the office. Who knew what would happen?


    As Shen stalked into the surveillance room where James and Ayu were working on the investigations, Ayu stood up with a start.


    She was terrified of his reaction. She had been trying to get Shao Moshi''s breakout under control, but he was nowhere to be found. And she hadn''t even told her boss what had happened. And now he was here.


    But it was obvious that he had heard the guard reporting to her on the phone about the discarded garment found by a ''Mr. Moshi''. She had just been speaking to that security team member regarding their trace of Shao, but Shen had arrived too quickly.


    "Which one of them is it Ayu?" he asked, very well expecting her answer. He knew it was Shao. That man would never give up. He would never stop fighting him for power and authority.


    A terrified looking Ayu winced, as she replied.


    "The oldest one, boss."

 Chapter 95 - The oldest Moshi son

    Shen''s jaw turned slack as he grit his teeth.


    Plenty of people were already a menace to him, posing a threat to him and his wife.


    Now his oldest brother had escaped.


    There was a good reason for Shao and Shigeo to be locked up with the rest of the psychopaths who had caused him terrible harm, or assisted in plots to destroy him.


    Shao and Shigeo had been locked up for long enough for rumours of him killing them off to spread.


    About five years ago, Shen''s power wasn''t as consolidated as the CEO of Moshi Corporation. He had grown up, looking up to his excellent older brothers, but as soon as he started blossoming in school, developing exceptional skills and taking an interest in the company, they became hostile towards him.


    Shao and Shigeo, even though they bullied him, were no nicer to each other.


    Their father had grown Moshi Corp to one of the biggest and wealthiest firms in the world, let alone in Country J. The boys had their eyes on the prize.


    The whole Moshi family was circling like wolves, so Shao and Shigeo grew up only trying to fight others for their thrown.


    Shen...he was a gentle boy. Their parents had never encouraged competition between the boys, but Shao and Shigeo had spent enough time around their scheming uncles to imbibe their filth to snatch the power they believe they deserved.


    Five years ago, they fought each other in the open...after years of hidden tactics to destroy each other.


    Both older brothers had crossed an important line.


    Even Rika and Soren Moshi disowned their two oldest sons.


    "Ayu, when did you notice he escaped?"


    She looked down, sheepishly, unwilling to answer Shen''s question.


    She should have informed him earlier instead of taking everything into her own hands. Even she knew that.


    But just this once, she wanted to take care of things without bothering Shen. What did this say about her worth and competence!?


    "Around 7 am this morning" she responded unwillingly.


    Shen''s eyes flashed in accusation at Ayu.


    It had been well over five hours! His brother was no idiot.


    "Call off the search. End the issue. We won''t find big brother." Shen said, with definity.


    "But boss--" Ayu tried to insist on continuing investigating.


    "No!" Shen roared at her. "Back off!"


    Ayu remained silent. She nodded at a security team member standing by, indicating to him to call off the guards.


    "You found a garment?" Shen questioned.


    "Yes, boss. At the back entrance, on the way back to the Moshi Mansion."


    Shen laughed awryly.


    "What a joke!"


    He knew his brother was trying to mock him by leaving the trace, the piece of clothing, in the direction of his home.


    As if to threaten Shen, that he was coming for him.


    The security team would have chased that scent and spread out in that direction.


    But the truth was, that Shao would never go near his home. The sight of Shen and everything about Shen was revolting to his oldest brother.


    Ayu looked at Shen questioningly.


    "I already have a suspect in mind. I will investigate this myself...and alone. Take everyone else off this issue, and get the office to return to normal."


    As much as Ayu wanted to throw herself into the investigation to help, she knew Shen''s word was final now.


    Just then, Shen received a call from home.


    When he picked up, he heard Butler Min''s voice come through with a restlessness.


    "Young master, when Housekeeper Tan went to bring Madam''s lunch to her, she wasn''t at work."


    His report disturbed Shen immediately.


    Where the hell had Lina disappeared to now?!


    Maybe she was taken, again!?


    His heart grew tense with panic.


    "Find out where she is...NOW!" he bellowed on the phone.


    The Butler was agitated. He hated seeing his master turn into a monster. It was frightening for everyone.


    "Young master, Miss Mei said she went to meet Miss Mana after she contacted her."


    "Where did they go?" Shen''s tone was still threatening.


    "Miss Mei said they went to the University."


    Without another word Shen hung up, and stormed out of the surveillance room.


    As he exited the building, he drove off angrily in his Maybach toward Capital City University.


    **********


    -- at Capital City University --


    The massive university grounds looked colourful and crowded. The entire area was covered in stalls representing the different clubs and societies the current students were involved in.


    There were also food stalls that had delicacies prepared especially by the international students from their home countries.


    Capital City University was extremely well renown all over the world, and many students attended from abroad as well.


    Lina made a beeline for the food stalls since she hadn''t eaten any lunch and was starving.


    The women sampled everything, especially the spicy dishes.


    Lina was overwhelmed with all the noise and people. She didn''t remember what it was like to be in a place that was so vibrant.


    It felt nostalgic, this feeling of carelessness and gluttony she shared with Mana. Mana made her feel very comfortable, as if she had known her for a million years.


    They were sitting in a cosy corner a little apart from the crowd so they could hear each other when they talked, and the noise in the main area was too loud.


    As Mana licked her fingers, covered in spicy oil from one of the dishes, she broached an interesting subject.


    "Li, guess what I heard?" she giggled.


    "What?" Lina said, anticipating Mana''s next words.


    "I heard Lila is here!" she rolled her eyes, as she said this.


    "Lila?" Lina asked, confused.


    Mana slapped her forehead in annoyance at herself.


    "Of course, you don''t remember. She''s that rich, influential girl who bullied me during the first day. She''s the one you flung aside, when she hit me!" Mana recalled the episode of how she and Lina became friends.


    Lina laughed.


    "Hahahaha! Is she attending the event for another beating?"

 Chapter 96 - The girl who felt like home

    "Let me try on that other wig! Bring it here faster!" The uptight, arrogant miss of the Yi family ordered her maids around in her flamboyant room at the Yi mansion.


    "Yes miss, here. Let me put it on for you" one of the maids said, obediently.


    The miss hadn''t stepped out of the mansion for a few days since she had her hair chopped off in the most unruly fashion.


    There was hardly anything left on her scalp worth looking at.


    The maids had heard through the other servants that a bold young lady had set this spoilt, brainless miss Yi straight when she tried to bully the designer at the mall.


    They wondered which incredible person it was to have taught this crazy, selfish girl a good lesson.


    Yet, it seemed like Miss Yi, still hadn''t improved herself. She had just become more vindictive and angry!


    Madam Yi had also had a great fit when she saw the state of her daughter.


    But the Madam was more concerned about the embarrassment and their reputations rather than the actual state of her daughter''s head.


    The young master, only son of Madam Yi and the late old Master Yi, the heir to Yinan Industries had also returned from his business trip a few days ago, the night after the masked ball had ended.


    He was a kind man, and a worthy heir, compared to the scheming daughter and calculative mother.


    Madam Yi had summoned him to look for the person who got away with insulting his sister. He was supposed to personally look after Sara for a few days.


    Young master Yi was in a terrible mood after he learned the trouble his sister had caused at the masked ball. That too, with Shen Moshi and his new wife.


    They were Yinan''s biggest collaborators and had worked together succesfully in the past on many business deals and projects, raking in billions togethers.


    After he returned from his business trip, he had found Yinan in a huge mess the size of the African continent.


    A massive investment by Moshi Corporation, worth well over 30 billion dollars, had been pulled. And now they had lost most of their funding for the apartment project and were facing major losses.


    He and grown up with Shen Moshi and they shared a good relationship, but Shen was the biggest wolf in town because he kept his personal feelings out of business negotiations.


    He wouldn''t accept young master Yi''s apology so easily and inject the funds back in the project. He knew he would have to work hard to gain Shen''s trust back.


    Furthermore, he wondered who this new wife was, that caused Shen to act so inpulsively, including breaching their contract.


    Young master Yi burst into his pesky sister''s room, annoyed beyond belief. She had already kept him waiting an hour, when he could have been working to salvage their losses.


    "Come on, you brat! Be quick. I don''t have all day to escort you at your university!"


    Sara Yi was a recent graduate of Capital City University and was ready to make an explosive entrance at the fair.


    But this incident with that woman at June''s store, where she was shopping for a dress, destroyed any hope of being the center of attention. Her hair was a mess, even with the professional wigs.


    With tears in her eyes, she turned to her unreasonable brother.


    "IF YOU HAD BEEN THERE TO SUPPORT ME AT THE BALL OR AT THE STORE, I WOULDN''T BE IN THIS POSITION." Sara screamed at him like the spoilt brat she was.


    He and his father had always indulged the little girl. Madam Yi cared more about appearances, and let them continue to spoil her.


    And now she was a total menace.


    He wished to be far away from his life and responsibilities as the Yi heir and his crazy family.


    He wanted to be around the girl who made him feel like home.


    The girl he had taken out on a date the other day, she was like a breath of fresh air. Different from the filth he kept breathing in at home.


    He looked at his sister with disdain in his eyes.


    "Don''t blame me for your inability to behave yourself."


    His tone was cold.


    "Big brother, you never treated me like this before. Honestly, you should pay more attention to running the business than spending your time at that filthy hospital."


    Young master Yi''s eyes flashed with anger. This girl had gone too far.


    Here she was, spending the money his father had worked so hard to earn, without having moved a limb of her own. Here she was, slinging mud at his work to help others.


    He''d wanted to be a doctor, but he was forced to cut his studies at medical school short to help take over and run Yinan after his father died.


    And this insolent girl was running her mouth, without ever having assumed an iota of responsibility.


    But he didn''t want to get into a big argument right now.


    "Just get ready. We will leave in 5 minutes. Otherwise, you''re not leaving the house."


    His word was final.


    Sara scrunched up her face in disgust and got ready to protest.


    But her brother had already stormed out. He wasn''t taking anymore of her shit today.


    Sara chose a chestnut brown wig with soft curls at the end and bangs in the front. She chose to wear and wide brimmed hat over it...just in case.


    *********


    ¡ª at Capital City University ¡ª


    An elegant limousine pulled up to the big iron gates at the main entrance.


    The crowd parted naturally to make way for whoever the royalty inside the Limo was.


    The Lims'' aura could be sensed by everyone before they even stepped out.


    As a beautiful man with long hair elegantly stepped out, he turned to lend a hand to the gorgeous woman he was escorting.


    People gasped and watched in awe as they saw the refined and godly siblings walk by with an air of unearthliness surrounding them.


    "Who are they? Who could make such an entrance?" One passerby questioned her neighbour.


    "Don''t you know, the most notable alumni of the university are set to make an appearance today! They must be part of that group!" Was the response the passerby received.


    "I''m not sure who the man is, but that woman is one of the top socialites from a very influential family!" Someone else added.


    The passerby who first commented laughed lightheartedly as she joked, "It''s as if they''re the heirs of the mythical Lim clan!"


    As as soon as those words left her mouth, the young man walking by''s eyes shot a piercing, withering look in her direction, without even turning his head.


    She stood there frozen as the millisecond passed. His gaze left her face so quickly, she could have mistaken the fact that he even graced her peasant face with those magical eyes.


    As the two two walked inside, the curious stares never left their backs.

 Chapter 97 - Falling into another mans arms

    After the Lims made an entrance, the crowd was ''oooh''-ing and ''aaahh''-ing in anticipation yet again as a red Ferrari pulled up, making for a flashier entrance.


    From the driver''s seat, a modestly dressed, upright man quickly alighted and tossed the keys to the valet.


    He wore sunglasses and kept his head down as he impatiently yanked his sister out of the front seat.


    Even though Sara Yi''s wasn''t at her best, the crowd didn''t know she was wearing a wig. She wanted to wave to the peasants and bask in the attention of being a known and high profile heiress.


    "It''s the Yi''s! Check it out, that''s the only son of the late old Master Yi who is currently assuming his position as the CEO of Yinan - Shu Yi!" one passerby exclaimed.


    "So that must be his sister! I don''t know whether the Ferrari is redder or her dress!" Someone else commented.


    "She''s quite gaudy isn''t she? So different from her low key brother!"


    "That''s true. Why is she wearing that monstrously large hat?! This isn''t the right event for that kind of fashion statement!"


    Shu Yi smiled at everyone politely and he silently grasped his sister''s arm and ushered her inside in an attempt to get out of the spotlight.


    Inside, Lina and Mana had just finished off their first round of meals.


    "Let''s get more, Li! I really want to try to those sweets from the dessert stalls!" Mana insisted.


    Lina rolled her eyes at her best friend.


    The central attraction of this fair wasn''t the food. The students had set up a showcasing event of all the projects and initiatives they had been a part of.


    It was a networking c.u.m funding event. The reason the most notable alumni had been invited was to provide donations where they saw fit and for aspiring professionals to meet potential employers and associeates.


    Mei was also a student from capital city University, and Lina had met her at an event just like this one. That was how she had recruited her, was what Mei had told her.


    "You know, we should check out what the students are up to at this temple of learning, first! Maybe you might find a couple of gems your law firm would like to recruit." Lina said meaninggfully to her best friend.


    "Ha! As if I''d have any say over that!" Mana scoffed.


    "Why not? Why wouldn''t you? You''re a respected associate!" Lina encouraged.


    "Yes, now replace ''respected'' with ''junior''. There''s many more of those where I work! I''m a nobody." Mana sighed in response.


    Suddenly, a memory came flooding back.


    It was Mana sitting alone and crying in the corridor.


    She had gone up to hug her. But Mana had pushed her away.  1


    Mana had failed an important exam that day.


    "How do you always come out with flying colours, and I slave away for failing results!?" she had cried to Lina.


    Lina hadn''t known what to say in that moment.


    Mana had always lacked confidence. It was hard to give someone confidence. It should come from within.


    That''s why she had lent only her shoulder to cry on, no advice.


    And then, as if the floodgates had opened, many such memories came back from her university days.


    Playing pranks on professors and fellow classmates, joining student protests, partaking in extra curricular clubs and activites, sneaking out of university to skip class.


    Lina''s eyes teared up as she stood facing Mana.


    Mana realised she had stopped talking and was staring at her blankly.


    She waved her hand vigorously in front of Lina''s blank face. When she didn''t receive a response, she held her gently by the arms and shook her.


    "Li! Li, are you okay there?"


    Lina blinked twice, her tears falling freely, coming out of her trance.


    "Huh? What? What happened?" she asked, absentmindedly, still reeling with the return of more of her memories.


    The memories with Shen that had come back to her the previous night, and the memories with Mana that flooded back now...they must have been important to her for being able to help her recover.


    Wait, Shen!!!


    Lina just remembered how many times he had tried calling her in the morning after she had left for work. He had fallen asleep in his study, and she had covered him with a blanket when she left.


    She hadn''t the heart to wake him, but a pit in her stomach was growing.


    She missed him already, but more than that, she knew he had been worried about her safety and whereabouts.


    She turned to Mana, wiped away her tears and put on a sweet smile.


    "Mana, don''t worry. I just need to call my husband and let him know I''m here" she informed her best friend, resisting the urge to hug her very tightly.


    She could do that after she told Shen she was safe and that she''d rush back soon to see him.


    "Do you have to report everything to him? Is that what being married means?" Mana asked with her eyebrows raised, feeling sceptical.


    Lina rolled her eyes.


    One ring, two rings...and a third ring!


    He always picked up her calls immediately. Was something wrong?!


    Her heart started to race. The unknown sense of panic began to set in. Her breathing felt short.


    Finally, the call went unanswered.


    Lina began feeling faint.


    "Li! Li! Look at me! Hold on to me!" Mana said urgently, realising Lina wasn''t able to stay on her feet anymore.


    She was swaying, her heart rate was far too high and beads of sweat were beginning to form at her forehead.


    Just as her knees were about to buckle, a strong arm was wrapped around her waist.


    "Shen..." she whispered, wishing for her husband to be next to her. But she knew this wasn''t his scent. It was someone else.


    Lina couldn''t understand her own panic. He hadn''t picked up her phone call just once. She had seen him sleeping peacefully just this morning.


    She knew her fear was irrational and unfounded.


    Even in this state, she was trying to understand why she was reacting this way.


    Breathing in deeply, she tried to steady herself and look at the face of the person who was holding her.  From now, events in her memories will be recollected in Italics!

 Chapter 98 - Clash of the titans (1)

    As Lina steadied herself and quickly set herself at a safe distance from the stranger holding her, she turned around to get a look at him.


    Mana was silent as a mouse, simply astounded at the man facing them.


    A little pool of drool began to form at the side of her mouth. Suddenly she had forgotten all about the dessert stalls.


    Lina''s face turned dark, as her eyes fell upon the man''s silky long hair, confident, yet lazy smile and his steely eyes.


    He casually slipped his hands into the pockets of his black pants and let his gaze linger on Lina.


    "Are you okay, miss?" his low, soothing voice asked her softly.


    "I''m fine." Lina replied monotonously.


    Mana quickly pulled Lina aside and bowed graciously to him.


    "Thank you so much for helping us, really. We''re very grateful!"


    Lina looked at her friend, confused.


    ''Why is she acting so subservient to him? He held me without my consent!''


    Mana glared at Lina, and gestured to her unsubtly, trying to get her to thank the man, who was still smiling amusedly.


    Lina ignored her.


    Mana turned back to the handsome man with the long hair.


    "Sorry, my friend isn''t feeling very well, but she''s thankful to you as well, Mr...?"


    Lina now rolled her eyes. Was her friend using her to make an introduction to this person?!


    The man nodded politely at Mana, but turned his gaze to the obstinate Lina, who still had a savage scowl on her face.


    "My name is Loren. Call me Loren."


    Even though his sentence was directed towards Lina, Mana was the one who replied.


    "Pleasure to meet you, Loren. I''m Mana and my friend''s name is Lina!"


    Mana definitely had a sparkle in her eye. She had always avoided having crushes on boys or really going on dates.


    She was always fearful of rejection. She had gone through it one too many times, and would rather protect herself from the start, instead of going through the pain of being left for a better option.


    But this man...he was just too delicious to pass up. She couldn''t stop herself from being interested. How lucky that someone like him would even be talking to him.


    All the boys, even during their university days, always wanted to date Lina. Nobody ever showed any interest in her. Lina never paid them much heed, but she was quietly notice as everyone overlooked her.


    How lucky for her that Lina popped a surprise husband! He may be the great Shen Moshi, but this man seemed no less.


    The regal air about him, the details of his face, the softness of his hands and skin...he was definitely a man of status. But his beauty was that of ancient fairytales.


    He was like a mesmerising male siren, calling to her from the deep seas and she didn''t care if she was going to crash and perish on the rocks in the shallows.


    It was nothing short of enchantment.


    But Lina just snorted.


    "Likewise." he said politely, to Mana.


    "Sure" Lina said, sarcastically.


    There was a short laugh from Loren, as he supressed his amus.e.m.e.nt.


    ''She''s feistier than I predicted! So it''s...Lina Mito. My visit here has already borne fruit, thanks to her loudmouth friend'' he thought to himself.


    The idiot PM of B nation had given her last name ''Mito'' away at the masked ball. But today, he knew her real identity.


    It would be easy to access Shen Moshi''s wife under any pretense now.


    "Can I buy you lovely ladies some cake? I hear one of the stalls hired a top pasty chef from country F."


    He smiled charmingly at Mana as he made his offer, knowing the girl wouldn''t reject him.


    Mana''s eyes were literally in hearts.


    She tried to keep her calm as she responded to him.


    Lina opened her mouth to indignantly reject the offer, in an act of defiance. But Mana squeezed her hand tightly, causing her to wince instead.


    "Yes, of course...if we aren''t being a burden to you!" she giggled, as she finished her sentence.


    Lina was dumbstruck at Mana''s sudden friendliness. She could tell Mana wasn''t the most outgoing, or social person. But suddenly, it was like she was transformed into a daisy!


    "Why are you being so nice to him?" she grumbled to Mana as they walked a few steps behind Loren.


    "Because I don''t want to die a spinster, Li!" Mana whispered back ferociously.


    "I''m sure you have better options than some vagrant who needs a haircut!" Lina argued back.


    For some reason, she had taken an immense disliking to this Loren person.


    Who did he think he was!


    Loren slowed his pace a little, turned and flashed the girls a charming smile that had Mana internally breaking to pieces.


    "Do you want me to carry both of you?" he joked


    Lina stopped herself from desperately wanting to roll her eyes.


    But Mana blushed. She wouldn''t mind his arms around her. Even though he wore loose, ordinary clothing, she could tell that his figure underneath was lean and toned.


    She bit her lip as she fantasized. But his soothing voice brought her back to reality.


    "Come on, then! Before all the pastries are gone."


    That''s all it took for Mana to drag Lina and a quicker pace behind this enchanting man.


    As they entered the main area together, the crowd''s eyes naturally turned towards the trio, drawn by the strong auras of Lina and Loren.


    To the onlookers, Lina felt like a fiery beauty -- an angry, annoyed looking pheonix, and Loren exuded a persona like an ancient demigod, chilling the air around him until it was frosty.


    Lina hated the attention. She had been trying to keep a low profile for her own safety, and respect the care that her husband was providing just to make sure she was alright.


    And here she was, in a situation that would definitely upset him.


    Suddenly, she missed him again, feeling a pang of hurt surge through her heart.


    She wanted her husband, not these strangers around her! And definitely not this loathsome Loren.

 Chapter 99 - Clash of the titans (2)

    "What pastries do you want?" Loren asked the women, sweetly, in his soft voice when they reached the dessert stall.


    The beautifule cakes and confectionaries were lined up elegantly, each a masterpiece.


    There were opera cakes, neatly layered, domes that were glazed to perfection with the daintiest decorations of tempered chocolate, tarts with meringue and the most mouthwatering short crust pastry shells...there was an endless choice!


    The line was long, but Loren had a word with the young girl standing at the counter, and she let them come through before everyone else waiting without hesitation.


    She was clearly mesermized by the beautiful man who had so politely asked if he could bring his friends forward.


    Even though everyone else waiting was annoyed, they couldn''t help but remain silent and stare at the god of a man who was escorting two ladies to the front of the line.


    Lina kept looking away from the crowd in embarrassment.


    ''Does he have no shame!'' she thought to herself, angrily.


    Mana didn''t care. For once, she was loving the attention she never seemed to get, even though most of the stares her way were questioning and envious.


    "What do you recommend that I pick?" she asked Loren sweetly, her eyes shining in excitement.


    Mana wondered what he would say. She wanted to know what he wanted to pick so she could get the same.


    "Hmm...I think you would enjoy the lemon meringue tart. The flavours are assuring and traditional, they compliment each other well. You will like it!" he gave Mana a cheeky thumbs up, after his little speech about the tart.


    She giggled cutely.


    "Okay, I''ll get that one, then!"


    Loren nodded at the sales girl. She immediately packed up one of the lemon meringue tarts.


    "What would you like, Lina?" he asked her next, his eyes playful.


    She scowled at him even harder.


    "I''m not hungry, and I hate desserts!" she told him, with finality.


    She had no intention to accept cakes from a man who wasn''t her husband.


    "Nevermind, I''ll pick for you!" he said with a casual shrug.


    He turned around and observed all the little pastries again.


    His eyes stopped at one, and his lips curled up into a smile.


    He pointed at a small, delicately cut little cake slice. The square slice had two colours of cake making a checkerboard pattern, like a chessboard.


    "I''m picking the Battenberg cake for you," he said, looking at Lina with a calm, unbothered expression, "It was created to comemorate the marriage of two royal houses in Europe."


    Lina scoffed.


    "So? I won''t eat it."


    "You shouldn''t reject a gift when someone presents it to you so wholeheartedly. Mana will accept it, won''t you?" he looked at Mana, deliberately wearing a softer expression.


    "Yes! Yes, of course!" she said. Mana immediately walked over to the girl at the counter who was wrapping the cakes up.


    Lina was left alone with Loren for a moment.


    He looked up at her, his expression entirely different from the soft one he used to convince Mana.


    His eyes were icy and taunting.


    "Do you like playing chess?"


    "No." Lina said, sharply.


    "That''s a pity...a king needs protection, after all."


    Lina''s eyes flashed as she looked up at him. Why did this sound so familiar!


    The checkerboard Battenberg cake, comemorating a marriage, a chessboard...a king needing protection.


    Who was this man, Loren?


    Before she could question him, Mana was back.


    Loren''s face turned sweetly soft again.


    He handed the girl at the counter money for the cakes, and thanked her.


    "It was lovely to meet you ladies, please enjoy the cakes." he said politely, as he bowed and left them as suddenly as he met them.


    "Wait--!" Mana was about to ask him if he wanted a cake too.


    But Loren had already disappeared into the crowd.


    Mana sighed longingly.


    "What a nuisance!" Lina commented angrily, staring at the place where Loren had disappeared to.


    "Nuisance?! Li, he was so charming! I wanted to talk to him longer! You could have been nicer!" Mana whined, irritably.


    "Nicer?! There was something off about him! You would have picked up on it, if you weren''t too busy drooling over his looks!" Lina shot back.


    "Easy for you to say! I''m 26, never had a serious boyfriend, slaving away 16 hours a day at work, no chance at a real life! You hit the jackpot, waking up with Shen as your husband!"


    Mana was losing her temper.


    Lina had been absent from her life the last three months.


    She had been struggling with work and stress, had no social life or free time and her parents kept pressuring her to quit her job and marry a boy they had selected.


    Lina was angry now, too.


    Mana had dragged her into this crowded place, without informing her beforehand. Then she had dragged her along with an unknown man, who seemed very suspcious, without regard for her feelings about it, and now she felt entitled to screaming at her?!


    "You know what, Mana? Earlier, before I almost fainted, I regained all my memories of you. I didn''t have a chance to tell you then, because that suspicious man Loren turned up. But, even though I remember you now, I didn''t think you could be so inconsiderate to mine and my husband''s safety."


    "What safetly, Li?! You''re a consultant! You''re an important person, I get it! So is your great husband -- I get that too! But you''re acting like someone''s going to assassinate you at any point! When did you get so paranoid?!"


    Mana was right about this. Before her coma, Lina wasn''t so reclusive, or protective or panicky.


    But how was Lina to explain to her, her identity seemed to be the cause of so much trouble? She herself didn''t know the secrets of her own past that were causing her to watch her back constantly.


    "All I know is that two people tried to kill me. If I''m not careful, next time, they''ll succeed."


    Lina turned her back on her best friend, as she said this, and walked away.


    What would Mana know about guns and assassins? It was better to keep her out of it. She''d be safe that way too.


    Mana''s hands clenched in anger as she watched Lina walk away.


    ''Does she think she can give herself so much importance! She probably just met with an accident, and now she thinks the whole world is seeking her out?!'' Mana thought to herself.


    As Mana wallowed in her angry thoughts, she felt a delicate hand tap her shoulder.


    "Fight with your friend?"

 Chapter 100 - Clash of the titans (3)

    Mana turned around to see whose hand it was that tapped her shoulder.


    The voice sounded eerily familiar, as if from a bad memory.


    As the woman standing behind her came into focus, she thought her eyes would be blinded by the elegance and unearthliness of her aura.


    But at the same time, she felt a dull ache in the pit of her stomach. She knew who this woman was.


    Lila Lim.


    Her very first bully.


    She always knew Lila was beautiful and rich.


    But she had grown up even more since univeristy days.


    Today, she stood before Mana like a queen bestowing grace upon her humble subject. She seemed no longer snobbish, and arrogant.


    Instead, she seemed cold, untouchable and indifferent. She hid her hate towards Mana very well.


    She despised Mana and Lina since day one. Lina had thrown her around when she protected Mana, and not even her powerful family could get Lina thrown out of college.


    Her father had simply told her to "grow up".


    It was an insult princess of the Lim family would never forget, or forgive.


    But now was such an opportune moment, to strike when the two girls'' friendship seemed conveniently on the rocks.


    "None of your business." Mana mumbled and turned away quickly, with no desire to remain in Lila''s presence.


    She felt herself shrinking into her shell of self-pity and inferiority without Lina by her side.


    But as she tried to walk away, Lila quickly held her arm.


    "Wait a second, I mean no harm"


    Lila''s expression turned suddenly gentle.


    Mana felt a sense of deja vu. Something about her face reminded her of another person she had met just that day.


    Lila had an effect on people. Even though Mana was wary of her, and had been bullied by her in the past, something about being in this gorgeous woman''s good books was tempting.


    She found herself unable to resist Lila.


    "Well, what do you want, then?" Mana asked, carefully.


    "Only to make amends for the past" she said, her eyes like deep pools of water.


    The effect was hypnotizing.


    When Lila gave her attention to someone, the effect was truly devastating. Otherwise, she was easy to dislike - the cold, self-centred socialite - as Mana remembered her.


    "What does that mean?" Mana prodded.


    "That Lina...she thinks she''s something....huh?" Lila said, softly, her eyes wandering to the distance.


    Lila had had to keep her distance from Lina since that day she got bullied by her. She wasn''t used to being humiliated and had since refrained from causing trouble around Lina.


    And now finally, she noticed a chink in her armour.


    Didn''t she just witness these two solid best friends have a disagreement?


    It had always been obvious that Lina had been the more extroverted, well-liked one of the pair. Even though she was Mana''s best friend, she was always surrounded with many others.


    Without Lina, Mana would have been a lone loser.


    Once there was a wedge between the two, it would be easy ti manipulate Mana.


    Lila was good at this.


    She could finally get Lina back for the humiliation without directly facing her.


    Mana didn''t respond.


    Silently, she agreed.


    Lila could read her face like an open book even though she didn''t say a word.


    "You don''t always need to trail after her, you know..." she said, sweetly.


    Even though Mana knew better, she couldn''t help but want to please this woman before her.


    Being alone, abandoned by her best friend, she wanted to latch on to the closest thing that made her feel important.


    Lila.


    "I don''t trail after her, Lila." Mana said, with some resoluteness.


    Lila raised her eyebrows.


    "You don''t? I''ve never seen you two apart!" she exclaimed.


    "You haven''t been around me much, then have you?"


    Mana was also defiant. Even though Lila was one of those girls everyone wanted to please, she hadn''t forgotten how Lila had treated her on the first day.


    "I agree I don''t know you well, nor did we get off to the best start. But we''ve grown up, since then, haven''t we?"


    Lila didn''t give up so easily. She had a way of approaching peopl that could be extremely charming.


    She continued talking to Mana.


    "I remmeber being so very immature and self centered. There''s more to life than petty disagreement."


    Mana looked at her, finally with some kindness in her eyes.


    "That''s true, Lila. It is extremely exhausting to hold on to old grudges." Mana said, finally.


    Lila smiled sweetly at her.


    "Well then, I''ll take for granted that I can give you a small piece of advice. You don''t need Lina to shine, you can do it by yourself." Lila said that with a confident, encouraging smile, making Mana want to drink up every word.


    "I don''t want to talk about Lina..." Mana said softly.


    "Very well, then! We won''t! But I did hear my brother mention a charming young lady he met some minutes earlier, who he was very impressed by!" she said, teasingly.


    "Your brother?" Mana asked, confused.


    "Yes! Loren!" Lila said casually.


    "That man was your brother!?" Mana exclaimed, aghast.


    Lila sighed with feigned frustration.


    "Yes, my brother, the thorn on my side..." her words were dramatic, but playful.


    Mana felt comfortable in her presence now. That''s why something about Lila seemed very familiar all of a sudden, directly after meeting Loren!


    They had similar, elegant, features. The same dark, silky hair and auras that made them seem more like celestial beings than humans.


    Yes! Lila was her road to Loren! And he told her she was charming and that he was impressed by her!


    Mana blushed and looked away shyly.


    Lila, able to read her face clearly, scoffed to herself.


    ''This girl is still a gullible idiot with zero self confidence. How pathetic!''


    But on the outside, she continued smiling sweetly.


    "Hey...Mana...just don''t tell anyone about Loren. He doesn''t come out often in public and keeps a low profile. He doesn''t like anyone knowing about him. Can I trust you?" she asked Mana with big, pleading eyes.


    How could Mana refuse?


    "I understand! Consider it client privilege!" saying this, she gestured zipping her lips and throwing the key away.


    Lila giggled outwardly, but was internally repulsed by Mana''s idiotic lawyer joke and stupid gestures.


    But certain sacrifices were to be made, if she could plot the downfall of that bitch, Lina Mito.

 Chapter 101 - Clash of the titans (4)

    Lina''s angry thoughts swam in her head as she walked away from her best friend.


    There were far too many variables in this equation she couldn''t make sense of.


    She had just regained her memories of Mana, and felt nothing but affection towards her. But suddenly, after the appearance of Loren, Mana began to behave with hostility.


    ''She even sounded jealous...that''s so unlike her...'' Lina thought to herself.


    From the memories she recovered, she never found one in which Mana was mixed up in any funny business. Mana knew only about her identity as Lina Mito, college friend and boss of the Consultancy.


    Mana had shown surprise at her adept martial arts skills as well, and did not know that she could also perform emergency surgery.


    There was no way she knew about any other identity. There was no way Mana could have known anything about her attackers.


    She didn''t even know about Shen! If her attackers came after her to hurt Shen, Mana couldn''t have known that too.


    Suddenly, a thought hit her.


    Chess!


    The emergency surgery...the message in the bullet!


    "What was the message in the bullet again?!" Lina asked herself.


    She sat down on a bench quickly, with her head between her hands.


    Her breathing was getting short again. Another panic attack? Her head was swirling and she couldn''t think straight!


    "King...Queen...protection..." she kept mumbling these words to herself, trying to control her breathing.


    Shen wasn''t picking up her calls, either. Her heartbeat was out of control.


    And then, it came to her. Her head snapped up, as she remembered what the message was.


    "~The King falls when the Queen is weak. Check~" she said to herself, remembered the words on the tiny slip of paper wrapped neatly in the bullet she had extracted from Ro-Kun.


    Loren had just asked her if she liked chess...and then made that cryptic statement about a king needing protection.


    Was Shen in danger?!


    Lina began looking around wildly for that man, Loren. She didn''t know anything about him, even his last name.


    For all she knew, ''Loren'' was probably an alias too!


    Little did she know, the eccentric heir had revealed his real name to an outsider for the first time because he met her.


    He enjoyed his games, and he wanted to play with her for the highest of stakes.


    But no matter how hard, she looked, she couldn''t see him anywhere. He had vanished into thin air!


    Suddenly, Lina felt something cold splashed all over her face and clothes.


    In her panic, she hadn''t realised a flashy girl in a bright red dress was standing to her side with a vicious look on her face and an empty c.o.c.ktail glass in her hand.


    Before Lina could retaliate or say anything, the girl''s voice became instantly recognizable.


    "You bitch! How dare you show up here?!"


    As Lina turned to look at the woman who ambushed her, she already knew who it was.


    "Miss Yi." she said, slowly, glaring at her "I don''t have the time for your games today."


    Sara Yi was small fish compared to Lina''s actual targets right now. She was preparing to ignore her and walk away.


    But Sara stopped her, right in her tracks.


    Was this girl mentally challenged?! She, Lina, had beaten up and incapacitated all her bodyguards right in front of her, dragged her by the hair and given her a nasty makeover, and she still thought it was wise to challenge her head on?!


    Sara didn''t seem to have any bodyguards around this time. Only her two annoying friends.


    "Miss Yi, shouldn''t you be a little more cautious before picking fights with me? Haven''t you learned anything?" Lina asked, agitated.


    She wanted to end this quickly. She wanted to find her husband.


    Sara snorted, and laughed.


    "I don''t need to be scared of you. We are on my turf. I''m a top socialite and a notable alumnus of this college. Everyone here knows me and worsh.i.p.s me here. Plus, if you mess with me today, you will know the true power of my family."


    Today Sara was confident because her brother was here. He wouldn''t let this little tramp besmirch the Yi''s in front of all the wealthy families of Capital City.


    She still didn''t know who Lina was without the mask from the ball. Even at the mall, during their last encounter, she had failed to recognise Lina as Shen''s beloved wife.


    Lina sighed. This girl was very, very stupid.


    And that wig...that ugly wig was doing her no favours.


    All Lina wanted to do was rip it off her head and walk away.


    But she decided against it, because she didn''t want to draw any attention to herself, by causing a scene.


    So Lina decided to simply walk away.


    But as she turned to leave, Sara''s arm quickly reached out and grabbed the front of Lina''s shirt, ripping the first three buttons.


    Lina gasped.


    "What the hell!" she looked down, shocked at seeing her soft chest exposed to the public.


    She quickly tried to use her hands to cover up, as people started to stare.


    But a warm jacket, made of the finest material, with a very familiar musky smell was suddenly thrown on her.


    She looked up to see her husband standing in front of her, towering above her, his kind eyes looking at her with all the love in the world.


    Her eyes suddenly teared up, like she hadn''t seen him in years.


    The previous night, a lot of her intimate memories of him returned.


    It was like she missed him for many lifetimes, and it was unreal that he stood there in front of her, tangible and real.


    "Shen..." she whispered, her panic from before subsiding, seeing him alive and well in front of her.


    He looked slightly haggard and tired. His hair was a slight mess, as if he had run his hands through them far too many times.


    He did that when he was extremely troubled.


    Lina reached a hand up to touch his face, but stopped herself, realising they were in public.


    "I''ve been looking for you, angel." he said to her softly, so that only she could hear.


    "I''ve been looking for you, too." she said quietly.


    Then he stepped away from her, to look behind and see who it was that dared to attack his little wife.


    Sara Yi stood there, her feet frozen in the ground.


    This woman knew her Brother Shen?!


    "Brother Shen..." she started.


    But Shen glared at her, shutting her up immediately.


    An angry voice was sounded from behind Sara as she tried to open her mouth to speak again.


    "Sara! Sara! Where have you been?!"


    Shu Yi had appeared.


    "I told you to stay by my side and out of trouble! Why did you sneak away?!" her brother angrily questioned, before he realised Shen was there.


    And beside Shen, with a jacket dr.a.p.ed around her, was the woman who had bribed him at the hospital using Mei.


    Lina''s eyes widened in recognition.


    The Lab Technician from Sakura Hospital?!


    "Y-you..?" he sputtered, in confusion.

 Chapter 102 - Clash of the titans (5)

    Lina''s eyes widened, as she softly tried to gesture to Shu to remain silent about her visit to the hospital.


    But her husband was looking at Shu, not her.


    "Shu, you''re here too." he said, solemnly.


    The two had been friends for a long time, and had grown up as friends.


    "Shen! Yes, my mother wanted me to keep Sara out of trouble." he sighed as he said this.


    But he was constantly looking at Lina, as if asking Shen for an introduction.


    But Shen didn''t have to say anything. Sara piped up before he could so much as open his mouth.


    "You-You''re...you''re Brother Shen''s wife...fro-from the ball?"


    She finally recognised the woman she had bullied in the bathroom at the masked ball.


    She had even tried getting her thrown out of the mall.


    Sara gulped.


    She was in big trouble now.


    "This is your wife?!" Shu asked Shen, confusion in his eyes.


    Shen sighed.


    "Yes, let me introduce you to her. Shu, this is Lina, my lovely wife." He put his arm around her with pride. If the secret was out to a few people, it couldn''t be helped.


    Shu bowed to her, acknowledging her.


    Then Shen turned to Lina.


    "Angel, this is Shu Yi, the heir to Yinan Industries."


    The heir to Yinan?! What was he doing, working as a lab technician at a small hospital?!


    But Lina covered up her shock and bowed back.


    "It''s nice to meet you, Mr. Yi."


    "Shu, I''m revealing her identity to you in confidence. You know how it is...with us. She can''t be known to the public." Shen said to Shu, quietly.


    He understood very well.


    If people knew the closest ones to them, there had been kidnappings and blackmail in the past. Shen was trying to keep her safe.


    "Of course, you can count on me. Sara...watch your tongue." Shu said, glaring at his sister.


    As much as Sara wished she could sabotage and hurt this woman, she knew she would never survive the aftermath and grudgingly nodded.


    Shen had realised that Lina was wet and someone had splashed a drink on her. His anger was making his blood boil now.


    It wasn''t the first time Sara had hurt his angel.


    "Sara, have you still not learned how to treat other people?" Shen said with grit teeth.


    Shu immediately stepped in front of her.


    "Shen, I will apologise to you however I can, and to Madam Moshi. It''s my fault for letting this troublemaker out of my sight. I was only here to keep any eye on her."


    He bowed deeply in apology to both Shen and Lina.


    Lina felt sorry for Shu. He seemed to be a good man, and had even treated Mei very well. It was a pity his sister acted like mongrel.


    But Shen''s anger wasn''t so easily appeased, even after seeing his childhood friend lowering himself in apology.


    "Haven''t you and your mother realised to keep her locked up at home if she doesn''t know how to behave?! Didn''t the withdrawn deal and your business losses have any impact?!" Shen said tightly.


    "Shen...about the contract...I was hoping we can find a time to talk." Shu had yet to clear up that mess too. Yinan was facing major problems.


    Shen had pulled out of a major collaboration and their stock prices were falling.


    "There''s nothing to talk about, regarding that." he said, quietly.


    Shen felt a small tug at his sleeve.


    "Hubby, it''s not Mr. Yi''s fault. Please don''t punish him for his sister." Lina said quietly, her big eyes begging Shen to soften his heart.


    Shu smiled at her kindly.


    This woman really knew how to bribe people.


    But Shen wasn''t as easily appeased this time.


    "No way. They need to know the consequences of messing with my wife." he said, resolutely.


    "But Mr. Yi had nothing to do with it, and yet he has to bear the consequences of your punishment since he is the one running Yinan, not Sara."


    Lina made a fair point. Sara still lived comfortably at home, while her brother had to deal with the fallout of the deal.


    Shen''s resolve was weakening.


    Shu looked at Sara.


    "Sara, go buy Madam Moshi a change of clothes from the most expensive shop around. She can''t walk around like that."


    Before Sara could protest her brother''s order, he glared at her viciously, indicating he would not give in to her tantrums this time.


    Sara stomped away in anger, unable to believe she was running errands for the horrible woman.


    Shu turned back to Shen.


    "It is our fault indeed for raising her badly and indulging her. Shen, please forgive me. I will punish her sufficiently, to whatever extent pleases you."


    Shu''s genuine apology won Shen over.


    His friend had always been an honourable man.


    "Fine. I don''t want her to be seen or heard for a year in Capital City." Shen said resolutely.


    Lina looked at him in shock.


    He was asking a brother to exile his own sister! Her husband really could be a demon.


    But Shu nodded without any hesitation.


    He had repeatedly told his mother, she needed to be sent away to live in the real world. She needed to be disciplined.


    "I agree. We will send her away to a boarding school for young ladies to be disciplined in the countryside." Shu said, with finality.


    "Then, we will talk about the contract in the next few days, Shu." Shen said, graciously.


    Soon Sara returned with all the clothes she could find from the stores nearby. She thrust them at Lina with disdain and walked away in chains with her brother, who had decided to shackle her far away from here.


    "Come, angel, I''ll wait outside the ladies room where you can get changed." Shen decided to wait on his wife, and escort her personally.


    He wouldn''t leave anyone a chance to hurt his precious woman.


    Lina nodded happily and went inside.


    As Shen stood by, waiting, an elegant goddess-like woman walked towards the ladies room. She stopped in her tracks, when she saw Shen.


    The man she was waiting to marry for years since she saw him, just once.


    Lila Lim always got what she wanted.


    She would get Shen too. The only man she had eyes for.

 Chapter 103 - Another shameless love rival

    Lila stopped dead in her tracks.


    What was Shen Moshi doing here?!


    Was this her lucky day?!


    Lila had made it clear to the elders of the Lim clan that she wouldn''t even meet suitors, no matter how rich they were or which country they ruled. She would either marry Shen Moshi, or remain a spinster for life.


    Her father and brother had recently learned that he was married, but hadn''t the heart to tell her about it.


    The elders had been pushing Shen''s father to set the two up, but Soren Moshi had been stalling, asking them for time to think over it.


    She saw him for the first time at a banquet three years ago. He had recently, fully ascended the Moshi Corporation throne and had to make a few public appearances.


    She, as a very influential, young missy from the highest tiers of society was undoubtedly present at almost every big event in their circles.


    Lila had been harassed that night by many suitors following her and had run somewhere into the gardens.


    There she had seen Shen walking around all alone, standing by a lily pond. She had been so struck by his aura and his presence, she made up her mind to pick him to marry.


    After all, she was everyone''s first choice.


    Little did she know, that the answer her family would receive towards the matchmaking proposal was - ''Shen is still consolidating his foothold as the new CEO of Moshi Corporation and marriage must wait for another few years.''


    Therefore, she vowed to herself, that she would wait for as long as it took for him to be ready.


    She had never even spoken to him, and yet she had dedicated the last three years, worshipping that image of him she couldn''t get out of her head.


    And now there he was, leaning with his back to the wall next to the ladies room at the university fair.


    She had no idea what he was doing there, but she couldn''t care less.


    Gathering all the courage and feminine charm she could fill herself with, she gracefully walked up to him.


    Lila was too proud to feign any stupidity or play tricks. She knew what she wanted, and she walked up to it with all the entitlement she had in her body.


    "Ahem...excuse me...Mr. Moshi, did I recognise you correctly?" she asked, softly.


    Shen stood up straight and looked up at her. His face was expressionless, with absolutely no reaction towards the goddess-like beauty in front of him.


    "Yes? What do you want?" he said, plainly, without bothering to greet Lila formally or politely. He had no use for flattery, nor had he the time to entertain women who weren''t his wife and didn''t have any work with.


    Lila was taken aback by his lack of humour and his non chalant reaction to her.


    "I''m Lila...Lila Lim." she whispered, hoping he''d realise that she was the daughter of legendary Lims he worked with.


    Shen''s jaw clenched. He knew who she was now. The girl the Lim elders were desperately trying to set him up with.


    He had no idea she had seen him or she knew who he was. This was troublesome.


    But he forced a stiff smile and bowed politely in greeting.


    "Oh...Miss Lim. I''m sorry, we have never met before. I''m surprised you know I am."


    "In our circles, it is my business to know" she answered charmingly.


    She said that sentence with an air of pride, as if their class stood far above the rest of the peasants.


    ''The arrogance is literally oozing out of every pore in her skin'' Shen thought to himself, distastefully.


    "Well, I''m flattered, then."


    He hoped she''d leave, taking the hint from his short, curt answers. They didn''t know each other, and there was nothing to talk about.


    He could greet her politely, but that was all. He just wanted to bring his wife safely home.


    ''How long do women take to change their clothes!?'' he thought to himself.


    He wanted the Lims to know he was married, but at the same time, he didn''t want anyone to see his wife or know her identity. Their world was a cutthroat one, and no matter how strong Lina was, it was his duty to shield her - to hide her away safely.


    This was a problematic situation. If Lina came out of the ladies room now, he would have no choice but to reveal her to Lila.


    And if she was revealed to Lila, she would be revealed to the other Lims.


    He had to get this woman away from here!


    "Mr. Moshi, I wasn''t expecting to run into you here. Are you also an alumnus of this university?" she asked, smiling sweetly, drinking in his presence.


    Who knew she would find this wonderful opportunity! Thank god her brother had left early, otherwise who knows what a third wheel he would be.


    ''This woman is such a third wheel! Why is she making conversation?!'' Shen thought, conversely to Lila.


    He wasn''t actually an alumnus, but to agree, would be the easiest way to get out of her annoying questions and end the conversation.


    "Yes, I am, actually."


    Again, Shen''s answer was short, leaving no openings for Lila.


    But she wasn''t a Lim for no reason. The girl was relentless.


    "Amazing! So am I! I graduated about four years ago! What student organisations were you in, during your time? Maybe we were in the same ones and have similar interests!" she went on.


    Shen was now trying very hard to keep his patience.


    Thankfully, his phone rang and he picked up immediately, turning away from Lila.


    It was Ayu.


    Shen thanked the stars. Now Lila would go away, without him having to chase her away. Maybe he would give Ayu a bonus this month!


    "Hello, Ayu?" he said.


    He turned to glance at Lila, but she just stood there, waiting patiently with a smile on her face.


    "Boss! We''ve got another trace of Victor Tachibana from ten years ago in a village in Country J itself!"


    Shen''s heart began beating faster. Finally! A lead!


    He opened his mouth to bark orders at Ayu, to prepare a report for him as soon as he was back. But then, turning around, and still finding Lila smiling for him, waiting - a crazy plan was formed in his demon head.

 Chapter 104 - A crazy plan to thwart her

    When Shen heard Ayu''s voice across the phone, and Lila still hanging around like an annoying fly, a devious plan came to him.


    Why should he have to reveal Lina''s identity to Lila. He could still act married without her knowing who his wife was!


    "Yes, dear, don''t miss me too much" Shen said on the phone, sweetly to Ayu.


    On the other end of the lina, Ayu''s heart dropped to her stomach.


    What. the. hell.


    "Boss?!" she exclaimed, questioningly, wondering if it was still Shen Moshi she was talking to.


    As Shen glanced once more at Lila, he could see the smile fade away.


    Cheering for himself inwardly for being so clever, he continued to drive the nails into her heart.


    "I''ll be home soon, don''t worry, I will take care of you very well." he said sweetly to Ayu, in the most gentle tone.


    Ayu almost dropped the phone.


    Lila''s heart started pounding. Who was this Ayu? Who was he speaking to?!


    Shen realised she wasn''t leaving, just looking at him dejectedly and confusedly.


    As Ayu continued to stutter in shock at the other end of the line, Shen continued his little fa?ade.


    "Don''t worry, wifey, you''re always my first priority...I''m sorry I was out for so long, I''m rushing back home immediately!"


    These words from Shen were so shocking to both Ayu and Lila, that one dropped her cellphone and the other stumbled backwards and ran out of the hallway back to the main area of the university.


    Shen sighed in relief as he put his phone back into his pocket.


    Now he would simply have to clarify things with Ayu, but his wife''s identity was safe, and he had successfully thwarted her love rival.


    In that moment Lina came out of the ladies room.


    She was dressed in a luxurious, dark pink skirt and top, looking like a blushing young, teen. But her face was contorted in disgust.


    Even though Shen thought she looked absolutely stunning no matter what she wore, he knew she was dissatisfied with the choice of clothing Sara had picked out to compensate her with.


    "Angel, you''re a sight to behold, as usual!" he said lovingly, trying to coax her and make her smile.


    "Ugh! I''d rather have walked home n.a.k.e.d than have Sara Yi pick out clothes in her flashy style!" Lina grumbled angrily.


    She preferred dressing elegantly, even if she wore less expensive brands.


    Sara just tastelessly picked out everything that was splashed on the covers of high end magazines.


    Shen''s face darkened.


    His wife...walk home n.a.k.e.d?! No way.


    "I''d put you in a sack before I ever let you walk anywhere n.a.k.e.d!" he said, grudgingly.


    Lina harrumphed and turned away, upset. It had been an annoying day with her fight with Mana, bumping into Loren and then being ambushed by Sara Yi, whilst at the same time learning that Shu Yi, the person she bribed, was a good friend of her husband''s.


    She was fighting on too many fronts!


    Seeing her upset expression, Shen''s heart softened. He put his arms lovingly around her and held her close.


    His warm breath tickled Lina''s sensitive neck, and a thrill went up her spine whenever her husband was this close to her.


    "Angel, look, your husband came to take you back home...don''t be so upset, now." his voice was soft and indulgent in her ear.


    She could hardly remain upset at him. He was too loving and too irresistable.


    Even though Shen was being patient with her, he wanted to sling her over his shoulder and lock her up at home.


    He wanted to return to his office where he could further track his escaped brother and look into the information about Victor Tachibana.


    As he felt her ease up and become more compliant, he ushered her towards the exit.


    "Shen, darling, will you please drop me back to my office before you go back to work?" she asked, sweetly.


    "No." his answer was short, and final.


    His oldest, and most dangerous brother had escaped today, and he didn''t know where that crazy man would strike.


    He had decided to keep Lina under lock and key until then.


    "What? Why?" she whined. She couldn''t understand why he was being so unreasonable.


    He knew what her work meant to her. He knew she was dedicated to the things she did, and yet he kept putting up barriers, treating her like a soft, vulnerable kitten.


    Shen didn''t want to explain. There were too many questions that would hang in the air, and Lina was supposed to focus on getting her own memories back before her senses were assaulted with more information and shocks.


    "Because I said so." Shen''s voice had turned cold, and his grip on her became tighter as he guided her towards his car.


    "Oww, let go! Why are you being such a brute today!" Lina was getting angirer by the minute.


    She had asked Mei to report her findings on Magnolia Holdings, and wanted to go back to work to talk to her about it.


    Besides the issue with Country A was a highly pressing matter that was running cold in its tracks. She had her own responsibilities too.


    "Stop being stubborn" was Shen''s stonewalling answer, yet again, as he locked her in the car and got in.


    His wife didn''t understand or know his worries, and he didn''t understand hers.


    When did this miscommunication begin?


    They both internally chided themselves for beginning to hide things from each other. But Shen knew that Lina would first have to recover before she brought her into his dangerous world.


    And Lina believed that she had to be of use and pursue her own investigations to protect Shen and reduce his burdens.


    That''s why she wanted to investigate Magnolia Holdings. That''s why she needed to attend to the Country A issue.


    But neither one of them understood each other, as they sat next to each other, distant and determined on the drive back to the Moshi Mansion.


    Shen knew his wife wasn''t as lost as she was after she had just awoken. She was returning to her original, determined and tight-lipped self.


    He wondered if all their progress had faded since their wedding. He had tried to hard to give her her own space to confide in him and come to him of her own accord.


    And just as she was about to, she fell into a coma.


    And now, that trust, although it remained...she had become distant, deciding to deal with everything herself.


    He looked at her longingly, yet hurt. Her face was beautiful as always...but cold, like an ice queen.

 Chapter 105 - Back in a cage

    The silence between husband and wife was almost unbearable to both by the time they pulled up to the gates of the Moshi Mansion.


    The mansion was kept beautifully, as always. Manicured gardens, pretty blossoms and baroque structures everywhere.


    Her heart was sinking as they drove back into their beautiful home, as if it recognised a cage. She was a headstrong, bold woman. Waiting backstage, cowering away...it was not her fort¨¦.


    As if knowing her thoughts, Shen reached out to stroke her hair.


    "Angel, it''s not forever. Please give me some time, to keep you safe. I can''t lose you again." he said to her quietly, begging her to understand his intentions.


    He had given her too much time and space before, and was unable to stop her from getting hurt.


    If only he had known where she was going and what she was going to do, he could have prevented the attacks on her life.


    But to her, this was his way of stifling her. It was akin to imprisonment. Lina had always faced her enemies head on, rather than watching from the sidelines.


    "Hmmph." she just grumbled in response. She had nothing left to say to him, making him feel even worse.


    ''Everyone has been getting on my nerves. Nobody understands what it''s like to be in my position.'' Lina thought to herself.


    Shen was one extreme and Mana had been another extreme today.


    But nothing would stop her from investigating.


    Once Shen dropped her off safely within the mansion, and asked Butler Min to ''look after her'', he rushed back to the Moshi Corporation capital city offices to deal with Ayu''s findings.


    Lina immediately picked up her phone and dialed Meimei''s number.


    "Mei, come to the Moshi mansion immediately with all your research on Magnolia Holdings." her command was direct and imposing.


    "Yes, boss." her obedient little assistant responded, like a soldier ready to follow her captain anywhere.


    She knew this tone. Lina was angry. And she meant business.


    Even though Mei had not found anything major, given how inconspicuous Magnolia Holdings'' background was. There had been a few news articles, but nothing that gave away any information about their assets or their dealings.


    Nonetheless, Mei brought over all the information she had.


    Sitting quietly next to Lina, she observed her boss scanning through the file she had created.


    Lina was a quick reader, and she didn''t need much time to scan through everything.


    After a few minutes, she slammed the folder on the table, making Mei jump a little, in fear of her reaction.


    "Sorry, boss, I know there isn''t much information-" Mei began to explain.


    But Lina cut her off.


    "There is NOTHING of use! Everywhere I look, there''s always another dead end!"


    Lina''s head was throbbing as she felt her temperature rise.


    ''Well, at least I remember what seething anger feels like!'' she thought to herself.


    "Boss?" Mei said, carefully, trying to remain calm.


    "What?" Lina snapped back.


    "There''s another piece of information I gathered. It may well be misleading, and is a rumour from  a gossip column, but there''s a connection I found to Magnolia Holdings." she answered.


    Lina''s eyes sparked. A connection to the company?


    "Show me." she said. It didn''t matter if it was a rumour. As long as there was a connection, she could follow something and perhaps discover more.


    Without a name or a face to the CEO or an employee of Magnolia, she was flying blind.


    Mei pulled out the article from the gossip column she had printed earlier and presented it to Lina.


    The article reported an incident between the ''Magnolia Princess'' Lila Lim and another socialite. The article claimed that people present at the scene had heard Lila curse the other woman, promising to bring down the wrath of the great Lim clan and Magnolia Holdings down on her.


    "This is just hearsay..." Lina began to say, realising just how unreliable this article was. But then stopped to think, remembering what Mana had told her earlier that day.


    She remembered Mana saying that the great socialite Lila was rumoured to attend the University fair that day. She was the bully Lina had thwarted. Was this the same socialite, Lina wondered.


    Mei spoke up again.


    "Boss, this girl, Lila Lim is well known in the wealthiest social circles. She frequents important banquets and parties. There are several pictures of her appearance at these events."


    Saying this, Mei gave Lina a printed photo of Lila from a recent event.


    She was greeting people with an elegant smile on her face. Her mannerisms looked gentle, and well-groomed. Her clothes looked mightily expesive and carefully crafted for her tall, graceful body. She seemed like a peerless beauty.


    But her face was oddly familiar.


    Suddenly, it all made sense!


    "I got my memories back today!" Lina exclaimed.


    Mei''s eyes widened.


    "Seriously, boss?"


    "No...well, yes! Actually...I got all my memories with Mana back today. And this really is the same girl who bullied her on the first day! I taught her a good lesson that day, as to how she should behave with other students" Lina laughed sarcastically, as she relived that memory.


    Lila Lim...the socialite heiress, rumoured to be one of the Lim clan.


    So did Magnolia really belong to the Lims?


    "Even if Magnolia is run by the legendary Lim clan, is it the main branch? Who knows Lila''s true origins." Lina pondered out loud.


    "Should we investigate her, boss" Mei asked, excitedly. She really enjoyed the bribery mission at Sakura hospital with Lina. She wanted to do it again!


    Lina thought about it for a moment.


    She wondered if Lila would meet with her if she reached out. She couldn''t possible be too fond of her after that public humiliation during the very first day of college.


    Plus, if Lila really was someone of that much importance, she wouldn''t be very accessible either.


    As Lina considered her options, a plan developed in her head.


    "Yes, Meimei, I suppose we will be going on yet another mission!" Lina said to her assistant, determined to have her way with this investigation.

 Chapter 106 - The boss new plan

    -- At the Agency Headquarters --


    A tall man, dressed in a grey suit, with a faint smell of cigars on him, took a private elevator to the highest floor of a discretely located building.


    He was lost in thought, a small smile playing on his lips.


    As the elevator doors opened, a thin, serious-looking man was waiting for him. The man was about his own age. He was the big boss'' right hand man.


    In front of everyone else, they were master and servant. But privately, they were old friends and colleagues.


    "You''re back." the thin man, commented, his face as stiff as ever.


    "And you''re here to welcome me, ''senior''?" he teased, in return.


    Only Senior was able to see this side of the big boss of the Agency, the man who was not know by many, but feared by everybody.


    They had been on somewhat of an undercover mission, but the big boss had returned to the Agency a day later than Senior.


    "Did something happen while I was here?" Senior asked.


    "Actually, yes." big boss replied, still smiling.


    "You''re being mysterious." Senior commented, pressing the big boss for information.


    "Let''s just say, we have to go undercover again this week."


    Senior raised his eyebrows at his statement.


    "Really? She wasn''t spooked?" he asked the boss.


    "Ha! Has that girl ever been ''spooked''? I think her curiosity is aroused." The boss replied.


    They had known Lina since she was a young 16 year old girl, brought in by Agent Tachi to their doorstep like a little foster kitten, as his wife.


    The boss and Senior thought back to the day Tachi returned to the agency from his mission in the little village of country J.


    He had entered the Agency doors holding the hand of a beautiful, young thing. She was no more than a petite, soft-looking teenage girl with enchanting, large doe-eyes.


    All the other members of the Agency had been staring at Tachi, aghast. How could he have brought a stranger into the Agency?!


    Yet, he boldly walked her straight to the boss'' office, where he had to get past Senior before he entered.


    Senior''s face never changed. His stone-like, cold expression remained ever-so threatening.


    Yet the young girl smiled brightly, as she greeted him.


    "My wife, senior." Tachi said, quietly.


    Senior''s eyes flashed in anger and shock, his face still unchanging.


    "I''m very pleased to meet you." the lovely doe-eyed child-bride said to Senior, bowing with respect.


    Senior was left speechless. The girl seemed to have no idea that she was surrounded by some of the world''s deadliest killers.


    Had she no sense of danger? Did she just mindlessly follow Tachi into the lion''s den?


    But her face had wonder and curiosity written all over it as she looked around. Something about her was so innocent...so untouched.


    "Curiosity kills the kitten." Senior said quietly.


    But before she could answer him, the big boss had stepped out.


    His eyes flashed with rage as he glared at Tachi.


    "Agent Tachibana, explain yourself. In my office, now."


    The big boss'' cold stare and low, dangerous voice sent shivers down Tachi''s spine. But Lina continued to smile.


    She could hardly contain her excitement at coming face to face with the Agency''s elite! She had heard so much about these skilled individuals from Tachi.


    For a girl like Lina, who had nothing and nobody on her side, she was ready to walk on hot coals to find a place to belong.


    "She was could be so clever...and yet so na?ve." Senior said to the big boss.


    "She should have remembered that she would always be a pawn as soon as she stepped into this place. She won''t get away with trying to live out a happy life like that." the boss replied coldly.


    Senior nodded in response.


    They had taken her in when Tachi brought her, even though he had broken a lot of strict protocols by marrying her without the consent of the Agency, their prior approval and background checks.


    But they had given in to his request to accept her, instead of killing her, just because of her skills.


    She never knew how close she was to turning into a corpse, after having followed Tachi to this place.


    Nor did she expect to ever want to break out of the system when she met Shen.


    But here they all were, in their own corners, fighting their own battles and waging their own wars.


    "I will see her for another ''appointment'' next week. Until then, prepare the medication. We must provoke her till she cracks."


    The boss'' orders were final. Senior nodded and left the boss to himself in his office, lighting a cigar.


    Before Senior walked out, he turned to ask one more question.


    "Boss...after she cracks, and we extract the required information she was hiding...what then?"


    The big boss laughed a short, demonic laugh.


    "Then we terminate her. As was originally planned. She''s useless to us now."


    **********************


    Shen walked back into his office, looking more troubled than ever.


    He was extremely frustrated with everything that was going on. He still had to be heavily prepared and guarded for his dinner meeting with that Lim heir during the weekend!


    His brother...he had definitely made it to safer ground by now. It would be extremely difficult track Shao down now.


    His fight with Lina...she just didn''t seem to listen to him anymore. She was more defiant than ever.


    But he had a lead on Victor Tachibana. That''s what he would deal with right now.


    He buzzed the intercom and called for Ayu.


    In a few moments, there was a quiet knock on the door by the terrified assistant. Her usual sharp, confident style had become cowardly and timid.


    Ayu could stand getting punished or yelled at by boss. But being talked to with loving words and getting called ''wifey''?


    No, how could she face him now?!


    As she walked in, she looked nervous, her eyes darted everywhere, except looked him straight in the face.


    "Ayu, give me what you have on Victor."


    Shen''s voice was sharp and simple. It was how he always talked to her. She breathed a sigh of relief. Things seemed to back to normal.


    "Yes, boss!" she said, walking towards him confidently with a file in hand.


    "Oh...and Ayu...about the phone call earlier..." he started to say, but Ayu dropped the file and yelped in shock.


    She suddenly bent her head submissively and pressed her hands tightly together.


    Shen was shocked at her startled reaction.


    "Boss! Please! What have I dont to be treated this way?!" Ayu sounded like she was about to cry.


    This steely, confident woman could simply not deal with a situation so awkward.


    "I am no comparison to Madam, please do not chase me boss!" she continued, tearing up, her head still bent.


    All of a sudden, her mighty boss threw his head back and began to shake with laughter.

 Chapter 107 - I will never chase anyone else

    Ayu lifted her head in surprise. Boss was...laughing?


    Did he even know how to laugh?


    "Oh Ayu..." he sighed between laughs.


    Things had been far to stressful for him. Today, he even had to dodge that Lim princess. And now his assistant was begging him not to leave his wife and chase her.


    Looking at Ayu''s still confused expression, he shook his head and decided to explain.


    "I would never chase anyone else, except Madam. I was in an awkward situation today, where I had to protect her identity. That''s why I used our phone call as a decoy."


    His explanation satisfied Ayu. She always took his words at face value.


    Her cold, calm composure returned as if she had never been fl.u.s.tered at all.


    She quietly picked up the file she had dropped earlier.


    "Here you go boss, we found yet a few more facial recognition matches on Victor Tachibana. He has been active in areas with suspicious activity."


    Shen flipped through the file. There were screenshots of pictures caught on CCTV cameras, and street cams or other video storage devices over the years.


    There had been a lot of programming and processing that had gone into the careful identification of Victor Tachibana.


    He had managed to keep a low profile and a hazy identity. But now, Shen had begun piecing his identity together.


    "Officially, boss, no Victor Tachibana actually exists. He has no police record, nor has he ever been fingerprinted. His residence on his official ID is an empty apartment and there seems to be no real employment or educational history. He is a ghost." Ayu reported.


    The first picture was from Country A, twenty years ago.


    He was shorter and much younger looking. He was pictured with a man older than himself. The man was fairly skinny, and his face was very blurry.


    It was impossible to run facial recognition on his facial features. But something about Victor Tachibana''s companion in the image made Shen''s skin crawl.


    Worse? There was even something familiar about this man.


    "Talk to me about this picture. Any activity in the area on that day or within that week of this appearance?" Shen asked.


    "Yes, actually. Something quite drastic." Ayu replied gravely.


    "What happened?" Shen asked, his curiosity growing.


    "A couple working on a very secretive case in Country A''s government''s cyber department lost their lives in a house fire."


    "An accident?"


    "Apparently not. Which is why I thought it was significant enought to report to you. News articles and reports don''t report anything suspicious. But I believe that the circ.u.mstances of their deaths definitely was." Ayu thought out loud.


    "How so? Were they in possession of some inflammatory knowledge for the case they were working on?" Shen probed.


    "Nobody knows what they were working on. That''s what was suspicious. I actually called some of our contacts in Country A''s government''s trade department. They were working as a junior analyst in the foreign security department that time, so they should have had some information. But nobody knows a thing."


    Ayu''s information got Shen thinking deeply.


    Ayu continued.


    "The camera footage of Tachibana and his companion was taken a few hours before this house fire, within three kilometers from their house."


    Shen''s attention snapped back.


    "Ayu, what about the other sightings? Were there any such events that took place."


    Ayu sighed.


    "Yes, boss. That''s precisely why there is a pattern. I believe it will lead us to his identity and affiliation."


    "What were these events?"


    "Fourteen years ago, an assassination of the Chief of Army Staff in country N, eleven years ago, parliament bombings at the capital of Country I, ten years ago the assassination of a troublesome militia chief in our own Country J and three years ago, another assassination in Country P. He was caught on camera, vaguely, around these times and incidents in each country, close to the location of the event."


    As Ayu finished, Shen''s mind was fixated on a pattern.


    "Tell me about the assassinations. How were the targets assassinated?" he asked.


    "Sniper."


    Shen slammed his hand down on his table, startling Ayu.


    "Like I thought, he''s extremely dangerous. There has been far too many snipers showing up lately."


    Ayu thought for a second about what her boss had discovered.


    Of course! A sniper had tried to assasinate Madam and then a sniper had also tried to shoot Shen from the Yinan Industries rooftop.


    "Boss, does the sniper who tried to kill madam and the sniper who was shot dead by madam have something to do with Tachibana or whoever he works for?" Ayu asked.


    "Probably. It''s very likely. The sniper who almost killed Lina wasn''t found, but we found the body of the sniper who was aiming for me."


    "It''s unfortunate that the dead can''t speak." Ayu lamented.


    "But we still have his body" Shen said, thinking to himself. "Run an autopsy on his body and inform me of anything noteworthy."


    Ayu nodded and walked out of the room.


    But Shen stopped her, remembering something.


    "Ayu-" he said, sharply.


    "Yes boss?"


    "Any leads on Shao?"


    Ayu''s face fell. She had felt utterly useless on that front, even with James at her disposal.


    "I''ll take that as a no." Shen said, resigned and disappointed.


    **********


    -- at the Lim family villa --


    The princess of the villa, Lila stormed into her house with an expression that was as bloodthirsty as it was distraught.


    Her heart was breaking.


    Shen Moshi was already married?! To who? Who could have possible been a better candidate?


    And did her father and brother do nothing?! She had been waiting for three whole years!


    She stormed into her father''s study.


    There he was, buried in his little notebook, writing one of those idiotic stories of his.


    "FATHER!" she screamed, with indignance and rage.


    Her poor old father jumped in his chair. Her voice betrayed a tantrum he knew was coming on.


    He must appease her before she went wild.


    "Lila, dear! You''re back from the fair!" he said, indulgingly smiling at his precious daughter.


    She had his late wife''s stunning features, but not her calm temperament.


    "Father! How could you!" she screamed, tears threatening to fall.


    "How could I what, dear?" he asked worriedly, walking over to embrace his daughter.


    "How could you allow Shen Moshi to get married to someone other than me?!" Lila''s tears finally fell freely, her knees crumbling below her.

 Chapter 108 - The pain of an ignorant lover

    After a long day of work and investigations Ayu went to the hospital to visit Ro-kun. He had been recuperating for a while and his wounds were healing.


    He was awake when she entered his room, bringing take-out dinner for them both.


    "You know I shouldn''t be eating oily, spicy food like that right?" Ro-kun feigned disappointment.


    "You''re stronger than an elephant, Ro-kun. Some unhealthy food won''t kill you." Ayu glared back at him.


    The large, rugged man who usually looked dangerous was bundled up in a hospital bed in a gown, which looked entirely entirely silly to Ayu, making her suppress a laugh.


    "But, I''m recovering! The doctor has strict instructions for me in order to restore my immunity. You will kill me before any gunshot wound does." Ro-kun kept complaining.


    "Fine, there''s none for you anyway" as she said this, Ayu shoveled a mouth-full of savoury smelling noodles.


    Ro-kun was salivating now. This woman ate bad food all the time, yet it never affected her. Anyone else would have put on so much weight or had an artery blockage or even high blood pressure.


    But Ayu was beautiful, as usual. Her sharp feautures, and high nose, enchanting eyes and should-length brown hair were no short of charming. She couldn''t even look clumsy swalling noodles like she had never seen them before.


    "It''s okay, I can eat some of that. I''ve been eating bland food for too long."


    Ayu rolled her eyes at him. Why fuss at all?


    As Ro-kun swallowed down the noodles and rolls and rice, he looked at Ayu closely, observing her features and pallor.


    "You look tired...and slightly haggard."


    Ayu choked on the mouth full of food she had.


    "Excuse me! What gives you the right to say that? Have you seen yourself lying invalid in that bed."


    Ro-kun was silent for a moment.


    And then he looked up at Ayu meaningfully.


    "I did it for you." he said quietly.


    Ayu stopped. She knew he pushed her out of the way and took the bullet for her. She just didn''t quite understand why.


    "I know."


    "Do you know why?"


    "No."


    She didn''t think she wanted to know. The debt to him was too high and she didn''t want to face that.


    "You would have done the same...for your Madam." he said quietly.


    Ayu put her food down and stopped eating. She looked awkwardly from side to side.


    "I''m full." she said.


    Madam...that was a discussion she didn''t want to have again with Ro-kun.


    He knew far too much about it. Madam was her only weakness, her only vulnerability.


    Ro-kun scoffed sarcastically.


    "It''s ridiculous. Most sensible women fall for their bosses, not their bosses'' wives!"


    Ayu''s eyes flashed in anger as she looked up at him.


    "You want me to be one of those silly women that fall for the first man in power? Or one of those idiots who chase after the one man they can''t have?"


    "So what? You just settled for the first woman you can''t have?!"


    Ayu failed to realise why Ro-kun was so angry at her.


    "Ro-kun, enough!" she said with grit teeth. She didn''t want to hear him belittling her feelings for Lina.


    "Sorry." he said, quietly, knowing he had gone too far.


    After all, people didn''t choose who they loved. He couldn''t choose who he loved either.


    Sensing a quietness, Ayu decided to break the bad news to him.


    "Boss'' eldest brother escaped."


    "WHAT?" Ro-kun almost dropped the food he was holding to the floor.


    This was huge. This was a very dangerous thing. And here he was, helpless and bedridden at the hospital.


    "Yes, early this morning. He got a good headstart on us, and despite efforts even by boss, we haven''t been able to track him down. The one piece of clothing he dropped, was to scare boss and throw him off. But he has managed to fool us." Ayu explained, her voice laced with bitterness at her own incompetency.


    Ro-kun slammed his fist on to the table on the side.


    "When can I get out of here?" he demanded.


    "Doc said it would still be a while." Ayu replied.


    "That man...he almost destroyed boss. He almost crippled him for life." Ro-kun said quietly.


    Ayu didn''t reply. She knew exactly how ruthless the brothers were towards each other.


    "I should be by boss'' side right now." Ro-kun continued. He suddenly grasped Ayu''s hand. "What about Shigeo? Is he still imprisoned?"


    Ayu nodded in response. But that was all she knew. Shigeo Moshi could also be plotting something. In fact he might have even been involved in Shao''s escape.


    "We haven''t managed to gather any information yet, but I believe boss will deal with his second brother tomorrow. We have had a long day."


    Ayu''s updates kept Ro-kun in the loop. But having always been his boss'' chief security officer, he couldn''t help but feel like a failure. He should be there, making sure Shen and his family were protected in every way.


    But here he was, eating take out food in a hospital bed. Utterly useless.


    Ayu could see his feelings on his face.


    "Ro-kun...I''m swamped with multiple investigations. I need your help."


    His head snapped up, his rugged face showing some hope.


    "What can I do?"


    "I will provide you surveillance material of the city cameras around the university the day you were shot. If you see that black car that drove by in any location, or catch that person driving, we can run a facial recognition. It will help us get closure on the person who attacked us and keep boss safe in the future." she said, triumphantly.


    She felt proud to have come up with a solution to include Ro-kun in their investigations and reduce her work-load a bit.


    "Also, Ro-kun, if you could contact your ex military friends and get any information on any dishonorably discharged members who could be serving as paid assassins for a family, that might help track this person down!" she added.


    "Fine. I''ll do that immediately. Get everything sent to me tonight." Ro-kun responded, with determination in his eyes.


    He hated sitting back. As an ex military office himself, he was always on the frontlines. That was how he worked.


    Ayu smiled at him finally. She never smiled much. She was such a stoic woman. For a moment, Ro-kun''s heart skipped a beat.


    But he put the stupid thought away.

 Chapter 109 - The dream was a memory

    The following few days were tense and uncomfortable for both Shen and Lina.


    After their argument at the fair and in the car back home, they two had hardly spoken even though they slept in the same bed.


    The misunderstanding seemed to create a vast distance between them.


    Shen stayed at work much later than usual to work on his upcoming meeting with the Lim heir and the investigation on his escaped brother, while Lina continued her research at home about Magnolia Holdings with Mei.


    She also kept up with all her case work and sent instructions to her teams through Mei.


    She felt betrayed by Shen, that he didn''t trust her to look after herself and chose to stifle her like a prisoner at home when she had responsibilities back at work.


    On Friday night, she lay awake in bed, unable to sleep, thinking about the plan she and Mei were going to put into action the next day.


    They had to come up with an operation to put them in contact with Lila Lim to get more information on Magnolia Holdings.


    But her mind drifted to the empty space next to her. Shen still wasn''t home.


    She thought about the few days ago, when they were almost intimate and her memories of him returned.


    How she craved his touch in this moment. But she never remembered him trying to control her to this extent.


    The bitter feeling in her heart grew, as did the unease. She thought of calling him, picking up her phone and staring at his number.


    Finally, she decided not to.


    "Hmph. He thinks he can stay at work all night and leave his wife alone! What kind of a husband doesn''t care how I feel! Here I am, investigating Magnolia Holdings for him! Fine, then. Stay there!" she said to herself angrily.


    Soon she drifted off to sleep.


    A dream floated before her eyes soon after she drifted into her subconscious.


    She saw the little girl again...the little girl in front of the burning house. Her heart filled with worry, she moved towards the little girl.


    She was wailing for her mother again. But she stood all alone in front of the burning house, nobody answering her cried for help.


    But suddenly, time reversed itself, and her surroundings spun out of control. She found herself in that house, the little girl nowhere to be seen.


    The house wasn''t yet burning, but it was cosy and pristine. A woman, who looked very familiar, an older reflection of her own self, came to her and knelt before her.


    "Lili, my dear girl, mother has something to tell you..." the woman''s eyes were large and kind, but filled with a kind of sadness.


    It seemed like...she was the little girl.


    She heard a small child''s voice, that was coming from her own self!


    "What is it mother, why do you seem sad?" the child asked intuitively, seeing her mother''s expression.


    "Because, my sweet girl, daddy and I have to go away for some time." the mother said quietly, unable to explain further.


    Lina felt her own heart breaking, as she looked deeply into the mother''s eyes, her own eyes filled with tears.


    "No, mother, don''t leave me! Take me with you!" she cried.


    Suddenly she felt a very real, very warm, protective embrace envelope her from behind. She felt her tiny child body being lifted into the air.


    "My little angel..." the voice said. It was a man''s voice, deep and rich and full of assuredness.


    "Daddy..." she felt the little girl inside her say.


    "Daddy is sorry. Daddy is sorry that mommy and I have to leave. But aunt will take care of you and we will see you soon, Lili."


    But the little girl inside her clung on to her father. She didn''t turn to see his face, but she just clung on to the strong arms holding her and tried to hold the feeling close.


    Her mother stood in front of her, smiling. She didn''t want her child to see her sad. She was trying to be strong.


    "Lili, your parents will always love you. We have a present for you. Don''t forget to get your present from mommy and daddy ok?" her mother said, coaxingly.


    But the little girl just cried, and cried inconsolably.


    Suddenly, her mother''s face turned dark. Her hair was a mess and she began screaming. She was pushing Lina away...out of the burning house.


    She was screaming at the little girl to run, but Lina couldn''t move. She began to cry, uknowingly.


    But when she woke up, with a start in cold sweat, it was already 3 am.


    She looked to her side, but Shen still wasn''t there.


    Lina wiped the tears away, it was just a bad dream. She had to be strong. But why did it feel more like the dream was actually a memory? Was that her own mother? She had called her Lili in her dream...was that what her mother called her?


    And her father...she couldn''t see his face, but the way he called her ''my little angel'', it made her feel warm and safe.


    Just like when Shen called her his angel.


    She sighed. Maybe they should put aside their differences and reconcile. As much as it hurt her ego, she decided to check if he was in his study.


    She quietly tiptoed through the dark mansion floors to get to his study.


    As expected, his lights were on inside, and the door slightly ajar.


    She peeked through the little opening to see what he was doing.


    Shen was sitting at his desk, a tray of food at his side, probably his dinner gone cold. He raked his hand through his hair several times as he flipped through various doc.u.ments.


    He looked a little haggard, with dark circles under his eyes and it seemed like he was a bit frail since the beginning of the week.


    Lina berated herself internally for being a bad wife and not looking after him. He had gone through so much this week and had an important meeting the next day.


    She decided not to disturb him then, but wake up early and prepare a large breakfast for him.


    She quietly tiptoed back to the bedroom and fell back to sleep.

 Chapter 110 - Hubby was already gone

    The next morning, Lina woke up fresh and early to reconcile with her hubby and offer him a large breakfast in bed. After all, she felt like Shen had been making every effort to protect and win back her affections after her memory loss. She too, wanted to make a gesture.


    She turned to his side of the bed lazily, but to her dismay, the covers were untouched.


    He hadn''t come back to bed at all last night!


    It was 6 am. Was he still in his study?


    She got up quickly and walked to the study. The door was completely ajar, his desk a mess. But he was nowhere to be seen.


    "Housekeeper Tan! Housekeeper Tan!" Lina called out, jumping down the stairs two at a time.


    The staff woke up quite early in the Moshi household to start their chores. So it wasn''t unusual for the housekeeper and butler to be shuffling around downstairs.


    "Yes madam? You''re up early!" the housekeeper said, worry in her eyes. Madam was still recovering and Shen asked about her daily meals and supplements every single day no matter how late or early it was.


    When he wasn''t home, he would call to ask what she was doing and if she was okay. Her meals were carefully planned by him, amidst all the other work he was doing.


    It was his only way of showing her love during this time.


    The butler and housekeeper were forbidden to mention it to madam.


    "Nevermind that! Where is young master?" she asked anxiously, hoping he was still around somewhere.


    The butler and housekeeper both looked at each other guiltily. They didn''t want to tell her he had left for work about half an hour ago.


    They didn''t want to upset her.


    "Madam, why don''t you have some coffee?" the butler offered, kindly.


    "And there''s some fresh morning bakes in the kitchen I can bring for you, Madam! Would you like a croissant or a danish?" the housekeeper added.


    "He''s already gone, isn''t he?" Lina asked in dismay.


    They remained silent. They didn''t want to get in the middle of the husband and wife''s private matters.


    "Madam, young master has been piled with work lately. Don''t be too upset, I''m sure there will be time over the weekend!" the housekeeper tried to appease the lady of the house.


    "Housekeeper Tan..." Lina said, quietly, "It is the weekend."


    With that she returned forlorn to the bedroom. She was too late, again.


    There had been this ocean of a distance between them since she had woken up from her coma. It was only reasonable, since she lost her memories. But it felt wrong for the distance to exist at all.


    There were so many walls that had yet to come down between them.


    But she put those thoughts behind her for the time being. Today, she and Mei had work to do!


    She picked up her cellphone and called her assistant to come over.


    After that, she headed to the bathroom to get shower and dress.


    ***********************


    -- At the Lim villa --


    The heir lazed around in his father''s chambers waiting for the old man.


    As the old master walked into his chambers and closed the door behind him, he didn''t notice his troublesome son observing him from a lounge chair to the side.


    The old master hurried to his desk and removed his little notebook, chuckling to himself about the naughty ideas he had to write the next scene of his dirty novel.


    As he seated himself, his son spoke up softly from the side, startling him.


    "Putting down some filthy thoughts, are you, father?" he teased.


    This senile old man was getting too embarrassing. Everyone in their villa knew what he was up to. Who would take the powerful Lim family seriously?!


    "What are you doing here?!" the old master said, jumping out of his chair and slamming his notebook shut.


    The younger Lim casually glanced to the side and sighed. He was too lazy to deal with Shen Moshi today.


    "Today''s the dinner with Shen, father. That man is too boring. What should I do?"


    His father glared at him. His son was a natural at handling the businesses, but he was too unpredictable, and sometimes too frivolous.


    "Don''t you even think about cancelling the meeting. The Moshis have been having doubts lately because of our secrecy. Today, you must show your face and gain his trust, Loren."


    Loren Lim sighed to himself as he slumped even deeper on the lounge chair.


    "I asked if he wanted to play, father...but he said he was married. He''ll be no fun."


    "Yes, that''s right, he is married. Lila found out at the university fair on Monday. She was hysterical, your poor sister."


    Old master Lim hadn''t discussed Lila''s heartbreak and tantrums with Loren yet.


    Loren sat up all of a sudden.


    "Really, now?! How did she find out at the university fair?"


    Loren had been to the fair to scope Lina out. The encounter had been exciting. But he left immediately after that. Who told his sister about Lina? Was it that troublesome friend of hers who was making eyes at him?!


    This would spell trouble. If his sister knew Lina was Shen''s wife, she could go around leaking this information and creating a ruckus over this!


    Once it became common knowledge, he wouldn''t be able to target her from the shadows. That girl could know too much about his designs on Moshi Corporation.


    His father narrated the story to him, about how Lila had bumped into Shen at the university fair.


    "Apparently he''s married to some girl called ''Ayu''. That''s whose name she heard." old master Lim finished.


    Loren smiled to himself. So Shen Moshi had turned up to meet his pretty wife at the university fair. It was a good thing he had left by then.


    What more? There had been some misunderstanding, and his pesky sister didn''t actually know or see who Shen''s wife really was.


    He could still carry out his plans in secrecy.


    "Right, poor Lila." Loren said to his father, without a hint of pity in his voice.


    "Son, why don''t you try to persuade Shen...that wife of his can be nothing compared to our Lila. Once we make him a part of the family, he''ll be easier to control."


    His father''s suggestions began turning wheels in his head. If he persuaded Shen to leave Lina...it would be easier for him to possess her.


    He shrugged.


    "Sure, why not."

 Chapter 111 - An ingenious plot

    Mei drove over early to the Moshi Mansion. She was smiling to herself. She had been texting Shu all week, and they were planning another date.


    Lina had decided not to tell her who he really was - Shu Yi, heir to Yinan Industries. It was up to him to tell her about it. Lina didn''t want to interfere, but she could see her little assistant falling for him.


    She just hoped he told her before it was too late to retain Mei''s trust. Girls didn''t like secrets kept for too long.


    Nor did men. Lina wanted to bring down the wall of secrets between her and Shen quickly too. That''s why today''s plan must be executed to investigate why Magnolia Holdings was so familiar to her.


    "Good morning boss!" Mei said cutely as she strolled into the living room to meet Lina, her arms full of clothing bags.


    The butler and housekeeper looked at her suspiciously.


    Lina smiled at them.


    "Butler Min, housekeeper Tan, Mei and I will be working here now! Thank you for waiting on us!"


    Lina quickly pushed them out and closed the doors. She couldn''t have them reporting what she was up to back to her husband. After all, she was doing this for him even if she had to carry out her plans behind his back.


    Once the doors were closed, she sat together with Mei to discuss their plans.


    "Boss, I brought all the undercover clothes! I brought a wig and spectacles for you, just in case Lila remembers your face."


    As Lina rummaged through the clothes, she smiled. They were going undercover! It all seemed very natural and exciting to her. She and Mei had been planning all week.


    They had kept up with all of Lila''s public appearances, tracked the places she liked to shop and the brands she liked to buy, types of tea she liked to drink and jewels she loved.


    Lina finally decided that they would go undercover as saleswomen for June''s brand to select high class customers and approach Lila that way.


    "Meimei, we know she socialises at the riding club on Saturday afternoons. We will wait for her outside the club with all these dresses, and ask her to invite us back to her house so she can try out all our merchandise."


    Lina had given Mei free reign of her credit card to buy a whole load of dresses from June to carry with them. There was no better quality in dresses to entice a high class woman like June''s handmade dresses.


    "Yes boss! Here, I''ve printed out these business cards for us with fake names. They''re so impressive, once we show them to Miss Lim, she will definitely invite us back to where she lives to personally shop from her living room."


    Personal shoppers were a big deal for high class ladies. Salespeople from high class brands would bring their best designs to customers'' houses so they didn''t have to shop like plebeians with the rest of the crowd.


    Lina smiled to herself.


    "Lila won''t be able to turn down such an exclusive offer. June has never sent her dresses to a customer''s house, so Lila will definitely want to brag about this."


    From everything Mana had told her about Lila and from all her returned memories of Mana, she could piece together some memory of Lila.


    The girl was extremely arrogant and entitled, and would never miss an opportunity to put herself above everyone else, as if she walked on air.


    Once they were in the Lim household, Lina had decided to covertly investigate whether or not they really were in charge of Magnolia Holdings and were indeed the main branch of the legendary Lim clan.


    "Ok, boss, the next part is getting you out of the house here without young master finding out through the servants." Mei continued to plot with Lina.


    "Don''t worry Mei, I have the perfect plan. Leave the clothes here and head back to our office. I will meet you there at 2 pm."


    Lina seemed confident, giving Mei the courage to defy Shen''s will and help Lina escape the mansion. Putting up a brave face and giving her boss a thumbs up, she left.


    As she left, butler Min and housekeeper Tan entered the living room with a tea tray and her medical supplements.


    Lina knew that they were hanging around there to report any suspicious activity to Shen. She didn''t trust them right now.


    The housekeeper placed the tray in front of her and smiled kindly.


    "Madam, have some tea and the supplements. Young master has made sure to look after you even in his absence!" the housekeeper said this on purpose. The entire house was on edge since they had quarelled.


    The devil of a master they served had a bad temper, and without his wife''s affection, it was getting worse.


    Lina faked a smile, and sweetly nodded, gulping down the tea and supplements.


    Immediately after, she put up a hand on her head and sighed, feigning a look of pain.


    Housekeeper Tan immediately worried about her. If anything happened to Madam under their watch, who knew what their fate would be.


    "Madam, are you ok? Shall we call the doctor?" she asked worriedly.


    Butler Min immediately began walking towards the home phone. But Lina stopped them.


    "No, no wait! Don''t worry! I just feel a little fatigued and dizzy. Please help me up to the bedroom to get some sleep!"


    They looked at Lina suspiciously, but didn''t argue. They just helped her up to the bedroom as she asked and watched her lay down on the bed and close her eyes to rest.


    Then they quietly closed the doors and left.


    As soon as she heard them leave, Lina jumped up and began throwing on her disguise.


    She first put on a cute frilly white top and a black skirt, with buckled sandals. Then she carefully put on a black-haired wig. The wig sported short hair with bangs. It was very artsy.


    Then she put on some make up that made her eyes look different to how she normally looked and bright pink lipstick - a shade she never wore.


    Finally, she put on the red-rimmed glasses, transforming her completely.


    As she looked in the mirror, with pride at her handiwork, she was assured that nobody would recognize her. Maybe even Shen wouldn''t!


    She almost laughed to herself at that thought. What if she welcomed him home like this! He would have the shock of his life.


    Then her mood dampened slightly, remembering that they were currently still at odds.


    She sighed and put the thought aside. Right now, there was work to do!


    She waited around in her room a little longer, until it was noon.


    Now, it was time to sneak out!

 Chapter 112 - Escaping the Moshi Mansion

    The grand ploy to escape was quite a simple one. She had to make sure she wouldn''t be discovered all evening by the housekeeper and the butler.


    She knew they wouldn''t disturb her if she said she would sleep all day. They wouldn''t dare enter her bedroom. And if the security guards at the front gates didn''t report her leaving, then they would have no reason to believe she was anywhere but in her bedroom.


    Besides, Shen was also out for a business dinner tonight and may not return till later.


    Tonight was the perfect opportunity.


    She locked the bedroom door tightly shut from the inside and opened her window. There was a twenty foot jump below her, and anyone else probably would have thought a million times before trying to get out that way.


    But Lina had come to know her own agility and capabilities as of late. Her body seemed to know what to do in every situation.


    There was a tree with long, strong, thick branches before her. She held on to one of them and easily swung her body out, quickly and quietly. Like a professional tr.a.p.eze artist, she swung from branch to branch, pulling her weight with efficiency.


    She then scaled down the tree like a leopard, dropping carefully to the ground without a scratch and a hair out of place on her wig.


    She chuckled to herself at how easy that was and began to inconspicuously sneak towards the driveway to the main gates.


    One of the security guards looked at her approaching, confused.


    "Hey, who''s that woman coming from within the mansion?" the first security guard asked the other one.


    The second guard looked up lazily and shrugged.


    "Who knows? The morning guards must have let her in. It''s not as if a little lady like her could break in here."


    This was also true. It was hard to believe this woman could have ever scaled up the high walls of the Moshi mansion, that had jagged shards of glass laced on top of them.


    Moreover, the only entrance gates were always guarded and any and all visitors, familiar or not must log their names in a book whenever they stepped in, not matter how familiar they were.


    Lina walked steadily and confidently towards the two guards and then cleared her throat, speaking in a much high pitched voice to disguise her identity.


    "Hello! I''ll be leaving now, so can you please open the gates?"


    The first guard spoke up.


    "Miss, please identify yourself first."


    "My name is Mina. I came in early this morning with miss Mei to attend to some work with Madam Moshi. Miss Mei left to go back to the office earlier, while I stayed with Madam."


    She finished her sentence with yet another charming smile.


    The first guard walked over to check the entry log.


    His tight expression softened. She was write, miss Mei did write her name there.


    He nodded politely at her and opened the gates.


    Lina chuckled to herself. Mei had sneakily written ''Mina'' as well when she entered this morning. The morning guard hadn''t bother to check because he was familiar with Mei.


    She breathed a huge sigh of relief as she beckoned and caught a cab.


    ''It''s really hard getting in and out of the Moshi mansion!'' she thought to herself.


    But then she thought about her husband.


    ''Is this how much Shen must watch his security? Is he always so worried, that he must keep looking over his shoulder?'' her heart ached for her husband, a little.


    Soon she was at the consultancy office building, where Mei was already waiting for her.


    As she got out of the cab, there were several employees loitering outside who took due notice of her. The whispers began immediately


    "Who is that cute woman there?"


    "Wow, she would not be my type, but her face is exquisite!"


    "Should I ask her out on a date?"


    "Keep dreaming! As if a cutie like that would date you!"


    Lina instructed Mei to drive them out of there in the company car. Mei was prepared as usual.


    As they headed towards the riding club where they would find Lila Lim, Mei turned to her boss to gloat.


    "Boss, you''re amazing! I can''t believe you actually snuck out of the mansion with such ease!"


    But Lina ignored her.


    "Meimei, why were there so many employees loitering around at this time? Have they no work to do? Is this how the office is run in my absence?"


    Lina sounded stern, and Mei cringed in fear.


    "Actually, boss, it''s lunch time!"


    The truth was, lunch time had ended a few minutes earlier. They were just being lazy.


    "Then cut the lunch hours! Productivity and discipline are key."


    "Yes boss!"


    Lina could also be a heavy-handed, strict boss. Her beauty often led people to underestimate her toughness. But there was a reason she was successful.


    Soon they pulled up outside the elite riding club. They sat in the parking as Lina looked at her watch.


    "Meimei, it''s only 2pm, we should wait here for a couple of hours and keep a watch on who comes and goes. We are bound to catch Lila coming out."


    Mei nodded enthusiastically.


    Spending a couple of hours alone in a car with boss -- hell yes!


    "So, tell me, how is it going with that Shu Yi?" Lina asked.


    Mei blushed.


    "It''s good. He''s a very nice man. He''s down to earth, and he''s kind and he makes me laugh!" Mei''s eyes lit up as she spoke affectionately of him.


    Lina smiled at her. You could see a girl glow when she thought of her sweetheart, and that was exactly what Mei looked like.


    "Are you meeting him again?" Lina probed.


    "Yes, boss! Hopefully we can go out tomorrow. He doesn''t have much time, you know. He''s quite busy with his work!"


    Line laughed to herself in her head. Between transitioning as the new CEO of Yinan Industries and moonlighting as a lab technician at Sakura hospital and handling his pesky sister plus demanding mother, she wondered how he ever found the time to romance her little assistant.


    She unconsciously giggled as she imagined Mei''s expression on learning that horrible Sara Yi was Shu''s sister, and how horrified Sara would be if she found out her brother was courting her assistant.

 Chapter 113 - Coincidence or design

    Mei and Lina chatted about men, about work and everything they could think about, lying in wait for hours over Lila.


    At almost 5pm, they were beginning to lose patience.


    "Boss, she was supposed to be out an hour ago. What could she possibly be doing for three hours in the riding club!" Mei vented, indignantly.


    Lina just sighed.


    "Socializing...it''s a full time job for some women."


    Lina was losing energy to even talk at this point.


    "Well, if spending so much time making an impression on poeple is what it takes to be a socialite, I''d rather recluse myself in the mountains!"


    Lina almost giggled again, thinking about how much socializing Mei would have to do if she ever ended up with Shu Yi.


    Maybe it was too early to think that way. They had hardly spent any actual time together.


    But Shen and her had also moved quite fast. He had decided to marry her in only one month! She too believed she loved him enough to accept him immediately.


    She sighed. She remembered mostly everything about their relationship. She remembered her relationship with Mana too. There needed to be emotional triggers, however.


    With Shen...it was intimacy. With Mana, it was her insecurity that Lina had known so well for years. These stimulants had brought back memories of her related to these people.


    But they were only pieces of the puzzle. She still had a hard time deciphering her dreams about her past.


    "Boss! There she is, that''s Lila Lim!" Mei suddenly saw an elegant, refined woman with an unearthly aura walking out of the riding club.


    Lina looked over as well.


    Lila was truly a stunning woman. She was still dressed in her riding habit, looking smart, and cultured. Her luscious her was done in a need updo, and the crisp white shirt tucked in the breeches showed off her delicate, yet upright figure.


    She was tall and her legs were like reeds swaying gently in the wind. She truly looked like she was gliding rather than walking.


    Lila was surrounded by other women chattering continuously. But she just maintained a gentle smile and walked on.


    Lina snapped out of her trance and opened the car door.


    "Let''s go Mei, bring the dresses with you."


    "Yes, boss!"


    As the two women in disguise approached the Lim princess, they pulled out the business cards.


    "Good evening Miss Lim." the two greeted her politely.


    Lila stopped in front of them. There was a haughtiness in her eyes. Being taller than both Mei and Lina, she looked down on them. The other women around her stopped as well.


    "Who are you both? How do you know me?"


    Mei was fl.u.s.tered, she could hardly speak. But Lina was never intimidated by anyone.


    "Miss Lim, we have been sent by the designer June. She was wondering if maybe you wanted the first pick at her latest pieces. These are all in your size, and haven''t been revealed in the stores yet."


    Lina pointed at the dresses Mei was holding. Mei zipped one of the dress covers open to reveal a part of a gorgeous, mustard coloured mulberry silk evening gown.


    As much as she wanted to maintain her composure, Lila''s eyes were riveted on the smooth, delicate fabric. She was dying to see more and try it on.


    But she quickly composed herself.


    "I received no call or notification from June''s store that they were sending a personal shopper to me. I need to verify this." Lila said, picking up her phone.


    She dialled the store at the mall, where June was waiting for her call.


    Lina knew this would happen, so she had informed June prior to their ambush on Lila.


    "Yes, Miss Lim, please do so." Lina said politely.


    Lila moved a few steps away to make the call quietly.


    In two minutes, she was back.


    "Very well, then. Follow my car back to my villa. I will try all your dresses on and see if I like anything."


    With that, Lila walked off towards her sleek limousine where her chauffer was waiting with the door open.


    The other ladies dispersed as Lina and Mei quickly headed back to their car.


    As soon as they were on the road, following Lila''s limousine, Mei breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Good job boss, you really know how to keep your cool!" she praised.


    Lina smiled to herself.


    "Part one of the plan is executed successfully! All we needed to do was appeal to her pride. She''s not as complicated as she thinks she is, Meimei!"


    ********************


    -- Moshi Corp Capital City Offices --


    Shen had come in to work very early that morning. He had been in a foul mood all week due to his fight with Lina.


    Today he received a call from the butler telling him she was looking for him only half an hour after he had left for work. He regretted not going to bed the previous night and holding her.


    He regretted leaving the mansion for work so early this morning.


    But what choice did he have?


    He had so much to prepare for. Tonight was his scheduled dinner with the Lim brat. He had to prepare a lot of paperwork to discuss. This deal was too important to leave to his subordinates.


    Shen needed to be prepared to deal with that eccentric heir.


    He wanted to speak to Lina, but the butler told him she was ill and resting all day in the bedroom so they did not want to disturb her. He didn''t want to disturb her rest either.


    She worked so much from home since he restricted her from leaving.


    There was a knock on his office door.


    "Come in." he ordered.


    It was Ayu.


    "Boss, here are the reports and budget summaries you asked for."


    She brought a file to his desk.


    "Ayu, tell the chauffer to bring me to this address for dinner today. He needs to be prepared in half an hour."


    He slid a little note to Ayu. It was an address for an estate a little outside the city.


    Initially, when Shen invited the Lim heir for dinner, he wanted to organise it at a neutral location - a private room at a high end restaurant, preferable. But the brat insisted he visit the Lim villa outside the capital.


    In a way, this was a good thing. It meant the veil of secrecy was thinning, and the Lims were finally letting him in.


    But on the other hand, he would be on their turf. They would have the power.


    Ayu frowned, but she nodded and left to do her job.

 Chapter 114 - Princess of the Lim villa

    Lina and Mei finally arrived at the Lim villa, their mouths agape at the incredible architecture.


    Lila strode in elegantly, with a feigned graciousness and humility at her privilege. But the way she held herself betrayed the arrogance of a princess who was used to having the world at her feet.


    "Come with me, we''re going to my private quarters" she ordered gently.


    Lina and Mei followed Lila quietly.


    The halls of the vast villa were dotted with regal family portraits and artifacts that had been carefully chosen from differeny cultures.


    The artwork and showpieces made the villa feel less like a home and more like museum.


    Lina much preferred her own Moshi mansion. It was warm and welcoming, even though it was ornate. But this house seemed like is was a delicate display case and nobody had any business lodging there.


    As a maid welcomed Lila into her chambers, she ordered some freshly brewed tea.


    "Maid, a pot of tea and water for our guests, please."


    Lila''s tone was polite, yet entitled.


    Lina had a hard time deciding how she felt. This girl was brought up in a highly cultured and well-traveled family, that probably had connections to royalty. So it was rumoured.


    How different to Sara Yi, who was her own brand of spoiled. That girl was immature and crass, and gave anyone a mental whiplash.


    But Lila, she acted like she was doing common mortals a favour by bestowing her civility upon them.


    There was something about her act that made Lina feel dirty.


    As she was lost in her thoughts about Lila, the girl''s chilly, soft voice was heard again.


    "Sit, please."


    Lila had already made herself comfortable on a long sofa adorned with soft pillows.


    As if naturally knowing their stations, Lina and Mei took their seats on two hard chairs opposite her.


    Even though she was smiling on the outside, her stomach was boiling with rage. This girl had done nothing outwardly humiliating. So why was so feeling so humiliated?


    "Now, show me the treasures you ladies have brought from June. I want to try that silk dress you gave me a peek of earlier!" Lila''s voice lit up a little, but she kept herself well in check.


    ''Does she ever falter?'' Lina asked herself mentally.


    Mei immediately stood up as if commanded by a queen, and began to carefully extract the beautiful dress from it''s cover.


    Lila displayed a little excitement on her face, which looked more like a practiced response rather than genuine reaction.


    Lina could tell it wasn''t the dresses she liked, but rather the carefuly planning of what to wear for society to gain their approval and worship.


    Could a woman really be this shallow?


    "Gorgoeus handiwork by June, as always" Lila complimented as she ran her slim, white fingers over the delicate mustard mulberry silk fabric.


    The dress was a long sheath gown, specially crafted for taller women with Lila''s slim body shape. She wasn''t very busty, but her figure held good posture and was reed-like.


    As she put the dress on and twirled around in front of her full length mirror, she smiled at herself approvingly.


    The mustard color contrasted beautifully well with her pale skin and the sheath form of the dress acentuated her tiny waist and long legs.


    The dress had no sleeves so it showed of her snowy white shoulders and collar bone, making her look angelic with her hair in a graceful updo.


    Mei was mesmerized, her jaw dropping to the floor.


    Lina looked at her assistant, annoyed. Who was this silly girl worshipping? Wasn''t she just idolising her boss a few minutes ago? How did she so shamelessly switch sides?


    "Ladies, how do I look?" Lila asked airily, fishing for compliments.


    Lina grit her teeth in annoyance, and gulped deeply before answering.


    "Truly stunning, Miss Lim. The cut of the dress really shows off your perfect figure and height!"


    Mei almost choked listening to Lina trying to be genuine in her compliments, but Lila didn''t notice. She was far too busy admiring herself.


    One after the other, she strut around in different dresses, while Mei and Lina pandered to her ego. The two women almost forgot why they had put up this whole ploy in the first place.


    But Lina snapped back to reality. She had to make a move.


    She had to get information out of Lila.


    Now that the woman was preoccupied, maybe she would let something slip.


    "Miss Lim, you sure can afford to wear such finely crafted clothes all the time!" Lina said, as a compliment.


    In a show of humility, Lila looked away in feigned embarassment.


    "Well, I have been blessed to be born in such a noble family."


    Mei played along and applauded her humility. They had to play Lila up and help ger loosen her tongue.


    "Miss Lim, we have only heard great things" Mei continued to fawn.


    Lina continued from there.


    "Yes, Miss Lim, we heard you have royal blood. And today, after meeting you in person, I would never doubt it!"


    Lila let out a soft, practiced laugh, and waved one slender hand in feigned embarassment.


    "There''s no smoke without a fire, after all." she commented.


    Lina''s eyes shined. She may not speak vulgarly like that Sara Yi and openly brag, but this woman also wanted to boast of her status. She did so with more finesse, but she gave them the answer they were looking for nonetheless.


    The main branch of the Lim family was known to have direct ties to royalty. Their bloodlines had been mixed with the royals from Country C, making them one of the most pure-blooded nobles.


    The side branches of the Lim clan didn''t share this royal blood, thus making them subservient to the main branch.


    This was definitely the main branch. Now they just had to connect her to Magnolia Holdings - leading her directly to Shen''s business.


    Lina suddenly began to wonder why she had such a familiar feeling about Magnolia Holdings when she went through Shen''s files.


    ''How much does hubby know? Did I know something he didn''t before my coma?'' Lina started to question herself.


    She suddenly stood up.


    "Miss Lim, I suddenly feel a little sick and need the bathroom. May I please use one in your house?"


    Lila, the ever-gracious hostess made a show of some concern.


    "Of course, I will have a maid bring you there. Please take your time."


    Lila was polite, as she beckoned a maid to guide Lina through the big villa to a guest bathroom.


    As she followed the maid away from Lila''s chambers through the hallways, they entered the main hall. They had to pass through the main hall to go to the guest quarters where she could use the bathroom.


    Lina quickly stopped the maid.


    "Excuse me, my stomach ache is really bad. Could you please direct me to the bathroom and bring me some gastric medication? I can find my way there while you bring it"


    Lina acted like she was in agony, convincing the unsure maid to give her the directions and she quickly went to bring Lina a pill.


    Lina straightened up and walked in the opposite direction, towards a bigger hall she hoped belonged to the head of the family.

 Chapter 115 - Snooping around

    Lina moved fast and quietly, her body agile like a cat''s. She still couldn''t believe her own instincts and skills, but she had learned to trust her body since waking up from the coma.


    Subconsciously, she had already analysed her surroundings and drawn a mental plan of action. There were several paths that led to separate corridors in the main hall. The real question was, where she would be able to find a hint of the information she was looking for.


    Nothing would be left out in the open in this house. These people were way too careful and extremely adept. Everything was impersonal, and cold.


    No family photos hanging around, no personal belongings lying around in the common spaces - no hint of who this family was. They were extremely secretive indeed.


    But looking around, she noticed that one of the corridors was wider, and decorated better than the other sparse corridors. That had to mean that it led to the quarters of one of the main members of the family.


    If it was Lila''s father or perhaps a brother, there could be information there.


    Lina grit her teeth in annoyance. She didn''t even know who this girl was related to? Did she have a father or mother living here, or did she have any siblings at all?


    ''I can''t believe the mess this amnesia has caused!'' she yelled at herself mentally. ''How stupid did I have to be to get myself almost assassinated twice. How many people did I piss off?!''


    If these Lims were the people she pissed off, then they must have tried to kill her.


    Lina was almost sure that Victor Tachibana knew something about one of the attempts on her life. Could the Lims be other party?


    She took a deep breath, pushed the thoughts away and soldiered on.


    The corridor opened up into a small living room that was cosily decorated. It had soft rugs, old family portraits, antiques that seemed to be more like family heirlooms than museum artifacts. The chairs look like they''d been sat in, and there was an empty tea tray on a small table.


    Bingo! This looks like the entrance to the quarters of the head of the family, Lina thought.


    She made her way to big portrait above a still warm fireplace. The man in the portrait was young and very dashing. He had a face reminiscent to someone Lina had met recently, but she couldn''t quite put her finger on.


    But the woman in the portrait...she was the true beauty. She was exquisite. She was definitely related to Lila, perhaps her mother?


    The portrait was dated almost 30 years ago. The inscription read~


    *Master Lim and his new bride, her Royal Highness Princess Jiang Ying Yue.*


    ''This must be the master of the house, and his princess bride...they do indeed have direct ties to royalty.'' Lina thought to herself.


    This meant she was in the right place.


    There had to be some information about Magnolia Holdings here.


    She looked around once again and spotted a door to a room.


    Lina bit her lip. This was a huge risk. She didn''t know if there was someone inside, and the maid was probably already looking for her. She had to move fast.


    It was now or never. She wouldn''t have a chance like this again.


    She quietly walked towards the room and put her ear to the door. There wasn''t a sound inside.


    She turned the knob very slowly and tried to get a glimpse through the crack, to check if there was anyone inside.


    The lights were still turned on, but there was definitely nobody inside.


    She tiptoed in and closed the door behind her.


    As she took in her surroundings, she noticed a big mahogany desk. There was a little notebook on it. Perhaps that contained information she needed.


    She picked it up and put it in her pocket. There was no time to read it right now.


    But as she turned to leave, she bumped into the desk, causing a file to fall to the ground. A little part of the paper inside was sticking out. The words on it immediately caught Lina''s eye.


    *Magnolia Holdings* - it was a letterhead with the ill.u.s.tration of a pink Magnolia, the logo.


    She quickly opened the file and peeked in. It was a real estate listing of a property in Country A. The property was in the name of L. Lim.


    She wondered who L. Lim was.


    Was it the man in the portrait? He must be Lila''s father, the head of the main branch. Or was it another member of their family? It could even stand for Lila Lim.


    At least she knew now, the Magnolia Holdings was indeed owned by the main branch of the Lim clan.


    She quickly took a photo on her phone of the page and put the file back exactly how she found it. She couldn''t afford being found out at this stage. She was getting closer and closer to the truth.


    However, she heard a rustling noise behind her outside the door of the chamber. Lina''s heart suddenly turned calm, and her eyes became cold.


    It felt like her subconscious had taken over the controls again. She scanned her surroundings and analysed all possible escape routes in less than three seconds.


    There were none.


    The next minute, an elderly man entered the room whistling to himself. The man was an older version of the portrait in the cosy living room outside.


    He paused at the entrance of his chambers for a second. Something seemed off.


    But the room looked untouched to the n.a.k.e.d eye.


    He shrugged and began shuffling around, brushing his suit down and straightening his tie.


    "Forgot this!" he said to himself, as he picked up a small pink magnolia brooch. He pinned it to his b.r.e.a.s.t and then left the room, closing the doot behind him.


    Only then did an agile woman peel herself off quietly from behind the door.


    Lina had stayed there quiet as a kitten, not daring to take a breath. She had analysed the dim lighting of the room and chosen the shadown behind the door to hide behind.


    As she sighed deeply, she could hardly believe the close call she had.


    This had to be the old master Lim''s room.


    He must be Lila''s father. He must be the president of Magnolia Holdings.

 Chapter 116 - Business dinner or blind date?!

    Thankfully, Lina didn''t bump into any more trouble as she made her way back to the main hall. The maid was already there looking around for her frantically in the other passageways. She wasn''t supposed to let outsiders wander alone in the house.


    "Miss! What were you doing over there?!" she almost cried out seeing that Lina was exiting the old master''s main chambers.


    "Oh, I''m sorry! I got lost while coming back from the guest bathrooms! I realised I was wrong immediately and came back here though!" Lina covered, not wishing to alarm the little maid any more than she already was.


    The last thing she needed right now was a big fuss.


    "I''m feeling much better now, so don''t mind the medicine! Can you just bring me back to Miss Lila''s chambers?" Lina asked cutely.


    The maid looked at her with some confusion for a moment and then turned around and walked towards Lila''s chambers.


    "Follow me, miss." she said curtly and Lina followed behind, angered at the adamant way in which she was being treated.


    When she reentered Lila''s room, Mei was uncomfortably overdoing the compliments to flatter Lila who was trying on a different dress now.


    "You look like a fairy from another world, Miss Lila" Mei was saying, but Lila was clearly disinterested in her words, and simply perusing over her look in the mirror.


    "Ah, you''re back! Are you better?" she asked Lina directly, without even looking her way, her eyes still glued to herself in the mirror.


    "Uh..yes..Miss Lila." Lina said, trying to hide her annoyance.


    "Ok well, then, what do you think of this dress on me?" Lila asked, finally wrenching her eyes away from her own reflection to give Lina a little twirl.


    Lina was trying to stop herself from rolling her eyes, as she opened her mouth to spew a compliment she really didn''t mean.


    But she was saved by the bell!


    A maid hurried in quickly, calling to Lila.


    "Young miss, young miss, we have a special guest for dinner. The young master and old master are requesting your presence." the maid said hurriedly.


    Lila looked slightly disturbed. She took a deep breath, as if burdened by the greatest troubles in the universe.


    "What is it now?" she snapped at the maid.


    "I don''t know young miss, but the young master said to say you would definitely want to be there for the dinner tonight." the maid rambled on, trying to get herself out of hot water with Lila.


    Lila sneered.


    "What does my stupid brother know about what I want?"


    ''She also has a brother here!'' Lina''s eyes perked up. This was still more information than she had before. She shared a meaningful glance with Mei, who nodded at her subtly.


    "Young miss, he said that he wants you to meet a potential husband." the maid smiled shyly as she said this.


    Suddenly, Lila''s eyes widened. Her brother knew who the only man she was interested in was....Shen Moshi.


    ''But isn''t he married?'' she asked herself, internally conflicted.


    ''But Loren is offering him up to me on a plate? Does this mean I can still have him? Maybe he doesn''t actually love that...Ayu.'' Lila''s thoughts were running wild.


    "Okay, tell young master, I will be there soon to welcome the guest." Lila informed the maid, smiling dreamily.


    Lina had to stop herself from sighing.


    ''Who''s this self-abosrbed princess thinking about now?'' she asked herself.


    ******************


    Outside, at the main entrance of the Lim villa, Shen Moshi pulled up in his car.


    It was the first time he was going to meet the secretive family he was working with. The first time he would meet the eccentric heir, and perhaps his father, the old master.


    ''Perhaps the old man will temper his son, and things will go smoothly'' Shen thought to himself, hoping more than ever that this one thing would be easier than the rest of things in his life right now.


    As he got out of the car, a butler opened the door for him and ushered him inside to the main hall, where the father-son pair were waiting to greet him.


    "Good evening, young master Moshi!" an older man said, with an overly-enthusiastic smile.


    The main was an older version of casually dressed, tall man standing next to him. The younger Lim looked playful, but unpredicatable.


    He flashed Shen a lazy smile and held out his hand to shake.


    "The youngest Moshi...it''s a pleasure to finally meet you." he said, in a low voice.


    His hair hung lose on his shoulders, and his eyes held mischief. Shen upped his guard. He was right - this man couldn''t be trusted.


    But he put on a face for the two Lims.


    "Hello, young master Lim." he politely shook the younger Lim''s hand.


    And then Shen turned toward the older man and bowed politely.


    "I''m honored to meet you old master Lim."


    The older man smiled at him widely.


    "You should just call me Ren." Loren said to Shen.


    He still didn''t want to reveal his name. But this wasn''t a lie either. His mother used to call him Ren for short.


    Shen nodded politely at Loren.


    "Feel free to address me casually too, then."


    They were both clearly putting up fronts. And both Loren and Shen were aware of it. Neither could, nor wanted to trust the other.


    "Please, Shen, accompany us to dine, then?" Loren said.


    "My pleasure." Shen followed the two Lims to the dining room.


    It was elaborately set up. The crockery was immaculate, and the floral arrangements were lavish. The table was set for four people, however.


    Shen frowned, and then looked up at the two who were taking their seats.


    "Is someonse else joing us?" he asked, trying to remain casual.


    Shen hadn''t prepared for these unforeseen variable.


    Loren laughed.


    "Oh yes, don''t worry too much, Shen. My lovely sister Lila will be joing us for dinner tonight!"


    Shen plastered a smile to his face and took his seat.


    ''Right, they don''t know about Lina. They are still trying to persuade me to marry that woman.''

 Chapter 117 - Accidently seeing her hubby

    Lina and Mei helped Lila dress and do her makeup for the dinner. They were, after all, June''s assistants. Who better to help present her to meet her future husband!


    They eventually agreed for her to wear the first gown she tried on - the sheath gown made of mustard mulberry silk. Her hair updo fit beautifully with it.


    Finally, she wore a pair of delicate pearl earrings that belonged to her mother. As she put them on, Lina finally saw a hint of real emotion in Lila''s perfect visage.


    Lila Lim, the daughter of the princess Jiang Ying Yue. This girl really was royalty.


    Assessing herself one last time in the mirror, Lila made her way to the door, hurrying as gracefully as she could.


    She turned back to Mei and Lina one last time.


    "Thank you for your services today, ladies. Charge the bill to my card, will you? Goodbye!" saying this, she left them in her chambers with a maid who would show them out.


    Mei and Lina sighed. It had been an extremely long day and they were both tired. It was already nightfall and they had a long way to drive. She also had to sneak back into the Moshi Mansion without anyone noticing her disappearance.


    ''Butler Min and Housekeeper Tan must be alarmed, I''ve been "sleeping" for far too long!'' she thought to herself with exhaustion.


    The two women followed the maid out of the chambers and into the main hall.


    From the main hall, they could hear chatter from the dining hall through one of the corridors.


    One of the voices was familiar. Very familiar.


    Mei heard it too, realised what her boss was thinking and decided to do something.


    "Oww oh god, my stomach!!" Mei cried out suddenly, startling the maid.


    "Oh, what now!" the maid sighed almost angrily. She just wanted these two intruders to leave.


    "It''s my stomach! Please show me the bathroom!" she begged the maid, her face contorted in pain.


    ''Mei''s a good actress, I need to use her skills more often'' Line thought to herself.


    "What''s wrong with the both of you! Why are you having such problems?" the maid asked with disbelief.


    "Well...my colleague and I had some really spicy street food at a stall earlier. I think they had some old meat they must have used" Lina added to support their stomach problem stories.


    Mei looked like she was about to cry. The maid gave in. But before she led Mei away to the guest quarters, she glared at Lina.


    "Miss, you please better stay put here."


    It was a warning. She didn''t want Lina snooping around under her supervision.


    Lina nodded with a fake smile, but turned to the corridor where the sounds were coming from immediately as the maid turned her back.


    The door to the dining hall was slightly ajar and Lina was able to quietly peek through.


    She covered her mouth to stifle a gasp as she saw her husband standing at his chair, a smile on  his face, as he greeted Lila, who had just made an entrance.


    Lila''s father, old master Lim, was introducing her to Shen.


    "Shen, this is my beautiful daughter Lila" he said proudly, as Lila smiled at Shen sweetly with a starstruck gaze.


    Shen bit down and acted polite. He didn''t want to see her here, this was supposed to be business dinner but had turned into a  matchmaking ploy!


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lim." he said politely.


    "Isn''t she beautiful? She''s exactly like her mother!" the old master said, obviously making his point.


    Lina grit her teeth in anger as she saw Shen nod at the old master. Lila blushed in feigned embarassment.


    The table was set for another person whose chair was pushed behind, but wasn''t present in the room.


    That was probably the brother''s seat.


    But what was annoying was that Shen wasn''t even wearing his wedding ring! What was he thinking?!


    The truth was, since their marriage was a secret, neither one of them wore their wedding rings in public. But Lina had totally forgotten about that fact.


    She was only burning up inside with rage.


    So this was the business dinner?! Or was he trying to win favour with this family by courting their daughter?!


    How could she have trusted him! It was all for show, wasn''t it?


    ''Maybe his parents were forcing him to marry, so he just chose me to please them, but at the same time it was convenient because I was okay with us keeping it a secret!'' she thought to herself angrily.


    ''And he keeps me locked at home not to protect me, but so that he can go out living a double life?!'' Lina completely forgot about her purpose, and lost all sense in that moment.


    Then she heard Lila speak up as she was still looking through the slightly ajar door.


    "Actually father, remember I told you I met Mr. Moshi just the other day at the university during the fair!"


    "Ah yes! My daughter did tell me about that run-in with you. She spoke very highly of you!" the old master added.


    "I''m flattered that she did, old master." Shen replied, politely.


    What? They met at the university fair? When?! Wasn''t he there to find her, his wife? What was he doing fraternizing with this bitch there?! She never saw them together!


    Now Lina''s heart was pounding and her head was hot with anger. She wanted nothing more than to slam the door open and drag him home to give her an explanation.


    But the old master''s next words hurt her more than ever.


    "You know, Shen, the elders are trying to find Lina a suitable and worthy match. It''s high time she marries, but we can''t accept most suitors simply because they aren''t good enough."


    The conversation was becoming very awkward for Shen, he knew where this was going. But this was their first formal sit-down together, he couldn''t afford to insult the Lims.


    So he just played along.


    "Oh, is that so? I''m sure any man would be lucky to have Miss Lim be his wife!"


    Lina couldn''t bear anymore. She was about to slam the door, but she heard Mei''s loud voice coming through from behind in the main hall.


    "OH, OH IT STILL HURTS" she was crying out.


    That was her warning, she had to move before the maid found her missing from the main hall.


    She moved away from the door she wanted to slam open and quietly ran back to the main hall.


    Mei could see something was very wrong with her boss. But she kept shut until they got into their car.

 Chapter 118 - A renewal contract and a marriage offer

    Back in the dining room, Shen could feel the air getting stuffier. The old master''s intentions were clear. His constant promoting of Lila was making Shen very uncomfortable.


    There were only so many polite responses he had in his artillery. His words were becoming insincere and mundane.


    "I''m back!" it was Loren Lim''s playful, low voice.


    He had left the dining room to bring a file from his study.


    He reentered, waving it in his hand.


    "Ah, I see you''ve been introduced to my sister, Shen"


    "Yes, I have been, thanks to old master Lim" Shen responded, as the first course of the meal was placed before them.


    The entr¨¦e was a beautiful ceramic bowl with a fragrant and beautifully prepared quail dish.


    "Have you read the renewal contract I sent you, then?" Loren asked, a small smile playing on his lips as he swallowed a piece of the quail.


    Shen grimaced. He had, indeed. It wasn''t in Moshi Corporation''s best interest in its current state.


    The contract would renew their collaboration. Magnolia Holdings needed the vast Moshi shipping fleet to trade with their international partners.


    This time, however, they were expanding their export and needed almost half of Moshi Corp''s shipping resources to meet their targets.


    "Yes I have. But I won''t sign it in it''s current state." Shen wasn''t who he was by allowing people to walk over his own interests just because they could throw extra money at him.


    He he had plenty of his own money.


    Loren laughed out.


    "My, you don''t mince your words do you? I knew I''d like you, Shen Moshi!" Loren said, grinning widely.


    This would be an entertaining evening.


    Shen smirked. He knew brats like Loren. His brothers were similar. They thought of everything and everyone as beneath them.


    That way they could make an excuse for their lack of respect.


    But Shen played along.


    "We''re both businessmen, Ren. If we don''t speak straightforwardly, then we don''t make our money. If I beat around the bush, I would be no better than a politician."


    "Well said! Well said! I expected no less from you!" the older Lim clapped. He truly was impressed at Shen''s wit and honestly.


    ''My father has grown slow'' thought Loren, looking at his father with disdain.


    "You flatter me, old master" Shen responded, humbly.


    Lila didn''t say much, she just smiled and blushed now and again - like a good, well-groomed mistress. She stayed out of such affairs, and delicately ate her food.


    But her eyes remained locked on Shen. Instinctively, she kept trying to gain his attention.


    "You men talk too much business! Look, the next course is already here!" she said gently, trying to draw the conversation away from the ''boring'' topics.


    She wanted Shen to notice her. Perhaps they could talk about the hobbies of the rich, like horse-riding or luxury yachts.


    Shen just smiled at her politely, refraining from letting his gaze linger any longer, lest she get the wrong idea of his interest.


    "The first course was already quite delicious, I''m excited to try the next."


    The second course was a bit larger than the previous one. It was a luscious piece of expensive lobster tail, luxuriously basted in butter and topped with roe.


    "Let me pour you a drink, Shen." Loren said, sneakily, as he poured himself a white wine.


    Shen saw that the old master wasn''t drinking.


    "What about the old master?" Shen asked


    "Ah, father doesn''t drink." Loren said shortly.


    Shen was thoughtful. The old man looked uncomfortable for a second but then the atmosphere turned jovial again.


    "My father doesn''t like the taste of alcohol!" Lila joked. But Shen could see that their family wasn''t so simple.


    For a few minutes, only the sounds of forks and knives on the plate could be heard.


    But the wheels in Loren''s head were turning furiously.


    This man was more tight-lipped than he had presumed. Shen wasn''t letting anything slip. He was clear with what he wanted. He was lucky that their contact within Moshi was still able to operate covertly under this man of steel.


    ''Come now, he can''t be that smart if he has a mole running operations under his own nose. His own uncle Sojin almost had him killed on our command'' Loren thought as he smirked.


    Suddenly Loren burst out laughing.


    Shen looked surprised and uncomfortable.


    "Did I miss a joke you made, young master Lim?" he resumed his formal address of Loren.


    "Not at all. I was just wondering how far you must have come to have fought those two vicious brothers of yours to get where you are. I mean...one hears stories."


    The way Loren spoke to Shen was with an air of arrogance, as if he knew what it was like, but could stand back and laugh.


    Shen put his fork and knife down and turned to face Loren.


    "What stories have you heard, I''m fascinated."


    Shen smiled at Loren but Lila and her father could feel the discomfort in the room. They wished Loren would play it safe sometimes, but they knew what a wild card he was.


    "I''ve heard the oldest Moshi is a beast of vulgar proportions who enjoys inflicting special forms of torture and that the second Moshi enjoys playing with poisons and substances. You must have had a real fight on your hands." Loren commented.


    He was trying to provoke Shen and get him to spill something that would help him get an advantage on him.


    He needed better leverage to get what he wanted and playing with Lina was his trump. He couldn''t show that hand just yet.


    But Shen knew what Loren was doing. He knew better. He kept calm and resumed eating.


    Flashing Loren a casual smile, he responded.


    "Some rumours are just that - rumours! I thought we were to discuss business! Ahh, this second course was also so satisfying."


    Loren''s smile faded. This Shen Moshi was really something. But he had something else up his sleeve. He would offer his sister up now. She was the next lamb up to be sacrificed.


    "Of course. I have another offer on the table, Shen. Not only will we pay you a higher fee to use your shipping...but we want add another clause to the contract."


    In saying this Loren looked at his father and nodded.


    Old master Lim spoke after his son.


    "Shen, we have only praise for your work, reputation and family. We believe there is none other suited better to marry my daughter. Our business relationsh.i.p.s will only be further stregnthened by familial bonds. I humbly offer you her hand."


    Lila almost choked on her drink. She had no idea her father would offer her up so quickly and directly.


    There was a sense of disappointment in her heart that they were signing her over in a contract. That diminished her to a pawn rather than the future lady of the Moshi househould.


    Shen continued eating, without any immediate reaction. He was expecting this.

 Chapter 119 - Waiting for him to come home

    Mei drove Lina back to the office silently. It wasn''t very late in the evening yet, and neither one of them had eaten.


    "Boss, shall I order some food at the office before you go home?" Mei asked, carefully, afraid of her boss'' temper when she was in a bad mood.


    Lately, her fighting skills had made her even more deadly, making Mei warier of angering Lina.


    "I''m not hungry, just take me back to Moshi mansion."


    Lina''s orders were sharp and final.


    She didn''t even really want to go back there, but she had no choice for now.


    Even though it hurt her, she also wanted to wait to see when Shen came back home.


    Did he really care about her if he tolerated being set up with another woman to lick the Lims'' boots?! She thought, he the great devil CEO didn''t have to appease anyone!


    It clearly meant that he didn''t mind dating other women, right!


    Mei didn''t take any more chances and quietly drove her to Moshi mansion. They still had to get her past security as Mina - the woman she had disguised herself as.


    But this time the plan was different. Lina changed into black clothes - sweatpants and a hoodie and covered her head.


    Mei was to go in to the mansion and distract the guards while she quietly snuck in, merging into the shadows.


    As Mei chatted with them and signed herself into the mansion, Lina walked quietly in thought down the driveway up to the back of the mansion where she would climb the tree up and hop in to her bedroom through the window.


    Her head was filled with thoughts of betrayal and her heart full was full of anxiety.


    Why was everything so mixed up? Would Shen have explained more to her about his situation and this upcoming ''business'' dinner had they been speaking and communicating this past week?


    ''Why do I feel like everyone knows something I don''t'' Lina thought, frustration shrouding her.


    Am I joke?!


    She had finally reached the tree. Her body moved on its own, like another entity ruling was ruling it.


    The movements of her legs as she climbed up were as graceful as a dancer''s and as agile as a gymnast''s.


    As she hopped into the bedroom, it was dark. She changed out of the black clothing, and put on a casual t-shirt and a pair of shorts. After removing the wig and make-up, her soft dark hair fell like waves over she shoulders, reaching down to her waist.


    She stared at her big eyes in the mirror. Lina felt like she was looking at a part of herself that was lost in an abyss. Those big eyes filled with tears, she pleaded with herself to find her memories.


    Lina''s phone vibrated with a text message. It was Shen. Her heartbeat quickened as she opened the message.


    *I''ll be home late. Don''t wait up. Have your medication and rest well. You will feel better in the morning.*


    ''Huh? Feel better?'' Lina was confused by his message. When was she specifically unwell?


    ''Right. He must have checked up on me with housekeeper and butler. They thought I was resting because I was feeling bad. But still, he wants to stay out late instead of coming home and making sure I''m okay.'' Lina''s heart burned even more.


    She couldn''t understand her husband.


    Why be so dedicated to her when he wanted to act like a playboy outside the house.


    Lina texted him back.


    *ok*


    She didn''t care to please him anymore. If he wanted to act like that, she wouldn''t care about him.


    She walked out of the bedroom and downstairs to the living room.


    "Madam, madam! How are you feeling?" the worried housekeeper Tan exclaimed when she saw Lina in the living room. She was endlessly worried about the madam''s welfare today. She hadn''t eaten anything all day.


    The housekeeper wouldn''t have dared to disturb her when she was resting privately, but she was about to go check on Lina in the next half an hour had she still been locked inside.


    It was already dark outside.


    Lina forced a smile.


    "I''m fine, housekeeper Tan. Can you please make me a light dinner? I don''t have an appetite for much" Lina''s voice was soft and resigned.


    Housekeeper Tan looked at her with worry. Did she need a doctor?


    She quickly hurried to the kitchen to prepare a warm bowl of vegetable soup for Lina.


    Lina kept staring at the message from Shen on her phone. She couldn''t decide if she was angrier than she was upset.


    All she knew was that there was a pain in her chest, like she couldn''t breathe anymore.


    Then another message popped up. It was someone she didn''t expect.


    It was Dr. Hayama.


    *Madam Moshi, please let me know when to schedule your next session.*


    Lina sighed deeply.


    This doctor. He definitely managed to bring back some memory for her. And she''d had another very vivid dream. She had a few pieces of a very confusing puzzle in her hands.


    She didn''t like him. But she didn''t have to like him. As long as he helped her remember. Then she wouldn''t have to live in the darkness. Then, maybe Magnolia Holdings would make sense too.


    Lina made a decision.


    *Dr. Hayama, do you have time right now? I know it''s late, but I need a session.*


    She paused for a minute. She didn''t want to trust him, but the blood report showed that he hadn''t given her anything.


    Just a glass of water.


    She finally sent the message.


    -- At the Agency HQ--


    Dr. Hayama checked his phone. A smile smile played on his lips as he twirled the cigar he was smoking between his fingers.


    "Agent Dai, come back to me...maybe I won''t finish you off after all." he said, his deep, low tones hanging in the smoke filled room.


    *You messaged me just in time. I haven''t left my office yet. Please come over in half an hour.*

 Chapter 120 - The woman she loved

    Lina got dressed after receiving the message from Dr. Hayama. She would drive herself there.


    She could tell the housekeeper and butler that she needed to go to the hospital and they wouldn''t stop her.


    That''s what Lina hoped.


    She wore a white shirt that hung loosely to her dainty, slim figure and a pair of skinny jeans. She tied her hair up into a long ponytail and grabbed her purse before walking out of the room.


    As she was walking out of the main door, the butler stopped her.


    "Madam! Where are you going? Young master said you mustn''t leave. For your own safety."


    Butler Min was clearly panicked. What a close call? Madam had almost slipped away.


    Lina sucked in a deep breath and calmed herself down. The house arrest was getting on her every nerve and she was on her last sliver of patience. She would burn the place down if someone tied her up like this!


    But she bit on her lip to control her emotions.


    "Butler, I wasn''t well all day. I''m going to the doctor. Please don''t worry." she turned to leave again.


    But Butler Min wasn''t reassured.


    "Then I will call the chauffeur and accompany Madam." he said. He wouldn''t give up. He had his orders from the young master.


    "No, there''s no need-" Lina began to protest. But before she could finish her sentence, she front door opened.


    It was Ayu.


    She walked in with a stack of filed in her arms. She was struggling to carry them.


    Lina sighed. Why did her husband torture this dedicated woman so much. She always worried for Ayu. Even though she knew Ayu wasn''t too fond of her.


    Lina immediately took half the files from Ayu''s arms, leaving the other woman startled.


    "I can carry them, please put them back Madam" Ayu''s annoyed voice complained.


    ''Ah, she really hates me and thinks me incompetent'' Lina thought to herself, now more upset than ever.


    On the other hand, Ayu''s thoughts were elsewhere as a small blush crept up on her cheeks.


    ''Why does she look so pretty when she''s going out, she''ll attract danger! I just want to eat her up, and I''m still a woman!''


    Seeing Ayu''s look of disdain, and misunderstand her thoughts, Lina''s disappointed heart sank even further.


    Butler Min interrupted the interaction between the two women.


    "Madam, please, the chauffeur is waiting."


    The butler was already prepared to leave.


    "Butler Min, please I''m not a child. I can go see my doctor by myself." Lina''s voice sounded agitated, and her eyes were filled with hurt and pain.


    Seeing her expression Ayu''s heart skipped a beat. She wanted to hold Lina and protect her from her pain.


    "Butler Min, I will go with Madam. I''ll drop her back too." Ayu''s voice was strong. She didn''t take shit from others and was good at barking orders, being Shen''s second in command.


    The butler opened his mouth to protest. But he knew Shen trusted Ayu with his life. It would be alright to leave Madam in her care.


    Lina didn''t protest either. Ayu was still better than being walked around like a child with the old Butler and a chauffeur. Ayu was also less intrusive in her busines. She was dependable.


    Ayu left the files in Shen''s office. She had a moment to herself. She was going to be alone with Lina. She took a deep breath and composed herself.


    ''Don''t let it show, Ayu, hide yourself well.'' she reminded herself, as she walked back down to where Lina was waiting.


    As she got into the driver''s seat, and Lina sat in the passenger''s seat, Ayu could feel her presence fill the vehicle. She liked how Lina smelled. There was no overwhelming whiff of perfume or shampoo. Just a soft sweet smell that belonged to Lina and Lina only.


    She remembered waking up to that gentle scent when she first met her, when she collapsed at work and Lina had nursed her.


    ''Maybe I should just collapse here again, so she''d come closer''.


    But Ayu quickly wiped those thoughts away and steeled herself, creating a mental fortress.


    "Where do you want to go Madam?" she asked Lina stonily.


    "Uhh...yes, this address here." Lina said, as she pulled out Dr. Hayama''s address from her purse.


    Ayu nodded and started driving. Lina just looked out at the window at the city lights as they passed.


    She thought about the memories of Shen she had regained. The memories of him holding her hand as he drove her home after work.


    She wished things hadn''t changed so drastically. She wished she hadn''t lost her memories. And now there was an ocean between them she couldn''t seem to cross.


    ''Shen, there''s so many words that hang between us. So many feelings that remain faceless and undefined, just hanging in the space that is tearing us apart. I try reach out to you, I try to open my mouth to speak, but somehow the words are stuck in my throat''


    Words that had no meaning without memories, they remained solely in Lina''s mind. Only she could find the missing pieces of her life. Nobody would find them for her.


    Ayu sighed. She could see Lina''s reflection in the window she was looking out of. Her big eyes were watery and lost. She looked inconsolable.


    She slowly reached out and covered Lina''s hand in her own.


    Lina was astounded. For a second, she didn''t know what was happening.


    Ayu''s hand was warm and soft, like a gentle feather. She turned in surprise to look at the woman next to her.


    There was an awkward, uncomfortable expression on Ayu''s face, as if she didn''t know how to act around Lina.


    A small smile lit up Lina''s face. She was amused by Ayu''s action. This tall, gorgeous proud woman with a heart of stone was awkwardly trying to comfort her. She didn''t even know why Lina was upset, but she was still trying to reach out.


    Lina''s hand tightened around Ayu''s, accepting her comfort. Ayu''s heart was banging against her chest, and she was afraid it would fall out.


    She tried her best to focus on driving and not look at Lina, feeling the woman she loved''s gaze on her smiling gently.


    "It doesn''t seem like you hate me so much, after all." Lina said softly.


    Ayu''s words were stuck in her throat. Her eyes were welling up with tears.


    She remained silent.


    ''I never hated you at all''


    She just couldn''t say it.

 Chapter 121 - The doctors open door

    Ayu was still holding Lina''s hand as they pulled up to Dr. Hayama''s clinic. Even though Ayu''s expression was still awkward, Lina sensed a change in her attitude.


    She seemed less determined to be rude to her and she was more caring. She immediately got out of the car, adamant to accompany Lina inside. She even made sure that Lina didn''t forget a shawl since it was slightly chilly outside and she had one in her car.


    She walked silently with Lina, not saying much. But every little action of hers was trying to scream her feelings out loud, as restrained as they may be.


    When they went inside, the thin, serious-looking assistant was sitting at the front desk.


    He looked down at what looked like an appointment book as he saw Lina and Ayu walk in.


    "Sir, I have an appointment with the doctor. It was impromptu, but I discussed it with him over the phone."


    The thin man peered down at his notebook again.


    "Yes, Dr. Hayama did inform me. Please have a seat, he is finishing up with another patient."


    Lina nodded and sat down. Ayu, who was standing behind her, carefully took a seat next to her. But she didn''t get too close. Who knows what she''d do if her body moved on its own again and held Lina''s hand?!


    A blush crept up to her cheeks.


    But when she turned to Lina, Lina wasn''t really paying attention. There was a troubled expression on her face as she sat staring at her hands in her lap.


    Ayu cleared her throat gently.


    "Madam, are you alright?"


    She couldn''t believe herself. Since when did she allow herself to display such vulgar emotion?!


    Lina snapped out of her trance.


    "Um...I''m fine." she answered awkwardly and smiled.


    Even though she said she was okay, she didn''t feel okay. Her heart was overcome with sadness. Something made her want to talk to Ayu but she couldn''t seem to open her mouth to speak.


    She wondered if Ayu knew what this place was and what Dr. Hayama was treating her for.


    But Ayu wasn''t too intrusive. She didn''t ask too much. Lina appreciated that at the moment.


    "Ayu..." Lina started, finally beginning to speak.


    "Yes?" Ayu was trying hard to keep her voice steady.


    "Will I ever feel like myself again?" Lina''s quiet voice tugged at her heartstrings.


    Ayu desperately wanted to reach out and hold her tight, and promise her that she never had to feel alone in a body she didn''t feel like she owned.


    "Madam-" Ayu started to say but she was interrupted by a cold, authoritative voice.


    It was the thin man from the front desk.


    "Madam Moshi, Dr. Hayama will see you now. Please follow me."


    Lina sighed and got up and followed the assistant into Dr. Hayama''s office.


    The doctor was clearing his desk and rearranging his materials as Lina walked in behind the thin man.


    "Doctor, your next appointment is here." he said. Lina felt slightly uncomfortable. There was a slight tone of sarcasm when the thin man addressed the doctor.


    He wasn''t respectful or reverent of the man who employed him, like Lina would have expected him to be. But rather his tone with Dr. Hayama was that of an equal, as two old friends would taunt one another.


    Even though his words were polite, Lina sensed there was more to the relationship between the doctor and his assistant.


    ''Maybe he''s gay? Maybe they''re a couple or having an affair?'' Lina entertained bizarre thoughts.


    Why was literally everything and everyone she came into contact with so strange?!


    ''Am I going mad?!''


    All of a sudden she longed to run back to Ayu. It wa so weird. That woman treated her like a waste of space but it seemed like her heart only exuded warmth. A warmth that Lina wanted to hide within in this moment.


    But there she was, having trapped herself in Dr. Hayama''s office.


    The faint smell of cigars hung in the air. The room was exactly like it was before. Mahogany furnished, books everywhere and Dr. Hayama, well groomed and suave in his neat, well-cut suit.


    He flashed her a disarming smile, and greeted her.


    "Please make yourself comfortable Madam Moshi." he said, in his rich, low voice.


    As if entranced, Lina did as she was told and settled herself on the couch opposite Dr. Hayama.


    Whenever she was with this man, she felt the inherent urge to obey him. But at the same time, she felt like a mouse, cornered.


    He was never forceful or coercive, nor did he say anything to make her feel that way - but there was just something about his presence.


    "Tell me, Madam, have you had any vivid dreams lately?"


    "Yes. I have. Very recently in fact."


    "Did you see the little girl again?"


    "I did."


    "Was she alone?"


    "No"


    "Who else was there?"


    "Her parents...I think"


    "Both her parents?"


    "Yes, both. I couldn''t see her father''s face but he was holding her"


    "Did you feel safe that he was holding her"


    "I did"


    "Then what happened?"


    "They left her. They said they had to go away."


    Suddenly Dr. Hayama''s tone changed ever so slightly. He seemed intrusive, rather than objective.


    Lina shifted uncomfortably in her seat.


    "They didn''t say where. But they said..." Lina''s voice drifted as she glimpsed the dream again in her mind''s eye


    "We have a present for you. Don''t forget to get your present from mommy and daddy ok?"


    That''s what the mother said in the dream. They left something for the little girl.


    Suddenly the same voice rang through her head, like a distant memory from another life.


    "Lina...my sweet baby, my little Lili"


    ''Is that really me? Were they my parents?'' Lina''s head was clouded with these thoughts, as it got harder to breathe. She could feel her throat close in.


    "What did they say?" there was a tinge of impatience in Dr. Hayama''s voice.


    Lina just wanted to leave. She felt like she had a lot to think about.


    She got up and moved towards the door.


    "Madam Moshi, our session is midway, where are you going?" Dr. Hayama asked, his voice still remaining low and rich, not betraying any sense of urgency.


    "I-I- I''m not feeling very well" Lina tried to explain. She didn''t want to linger.


    Dr. Hayama got up too and walked towards her, and positioned himself next to the door.


    "That''s natural. Bringing up memories to the surface can be painful due to the trauma your subconscious is trying to hide. Don''t you want to work past these barriers?" he asked.


    He framed his questions very carefully, as if to guide her towards the outcome he wanted.


    Lina stopped in her tracks. He was right. Maybe it wasn''t Dr. Hayama making her feel uncomfortable.


    ''Maybe it''s me that''s stopping myself from delving any further'' she questioned herself.


    Lina reluctantly sat back down.


    "Madam, to make this work, I''m going to have to be honest with you. You need to let down your guard, or you will never be able to unlock what your mind has sealed away."


    Lina looked at him, her big eyes begging to be saved. She wanted to know.


    She needed to know.


    Dr. Hayama''s big hand closed over her small ones.


    "Will you please let down your guard?" he asked, his thick voice clouding her brain.


    "Yes..." she whispered, as her head became heavy, and her eyelids began to close.

 Chapter 122 - Daddys promise to his little angel

    Ayu was pacing in the room outside. The thin man observed her panicking. She was worried because Lina had been inside the room with Dr. Hayama for more than an hour. She had initially told her that the session was supposed to be limited to the hour.


    So why wasn''t she out yet? What if she was having an anxiety attack like she had before, when Ayu was looking after her at the Moshi mansion during Shen''s confrontation with his uncle Sojin?


    If that was the case, she should be there with Lina, comforting her!


    She stomped up to the grave looking man at the front desk.


    "Hey mister, isn''t the doctor finished with Madam''s session? When will she come out?"


    Ayu''s tone was authoritative, as usual. The man looked up at her, his eyes dead and unchanging. He didn''t seem to give a damn about Ayu''s worries.


    "He will be done when he will be done. Please be seated and wait for the session to end."


    But Ayu wasn''t having it. She slammed both hands down on the table and glared at him threateningly.


    Lina was her responsibility. Not only would her boss have her head if something happened to Lina, but worse, her heart would be torn to shreds if she failed to protect her precious woman.


    "If you don''t bring me to check on the Madam, I will break that door open. You decide."


    But the man continued to remain unfazed by her threats.


    "I don''t who you think you are, Miss, but this is a civilised facility with a world renown expert who was hired by your Madam''s husband to work with her. Please mind your behaviour or I won''t have a choice but to remove you from here."


    The man was doing all he could to contain his temper. He hated this woman''s guts. He could choke the life out of her with the lift of a finger if he so chose.


    Ayu swallowed her anger and sat back down, her foot tapping furiously on the ground in anxiety.


    She couldn''t act rash right now. They had to maintain a low profile - that was the bottom line.


    Inside, Lina was lying on the couch in the middle of a very real dream.


    She was talking as she lay there, while Dr. Hayama observed her and took notes. He recorded everything she said so that he could interpret it later.


    Lina, in her dream, was back in the same memory she had that night.


    Her parents were with her. They were leaving her. And her little six year old heart was breaking.


    "Don''t forget your present from mommy and daddy, little angel." the father whispered softly to her, still holding her.


    Her little voice spoke up.


    "What present is it daddy?"


    "Mommy hid it in a place only our little angel can find" he whispered in ear, rocking her and comforting her and little tear droplets fell out of her big, baby eyes.


    "Where did mommy hide it?" she sobbed.


    "You have to get bigger and braver, my little angel. Then I promise, you will find it."


    "Your really promise daddy?"


    "Daddy never breaks his promises, Lili."


    Lina''s eyes opened. She was shivering. It was so cold. She wrapped Ayu''s shawl tighter around herself as she sat up.


    Her head was throbbing. It took her a second to remember where she was.


    The room full of books, and the big desk, the chai in which an older, attractive man sat with a stoic, unchanging expression on his face with a notepad and fountain pen in his hand.


    "You''re awake." he said, softly.


    "What happened to me? Why do I always pass out?! This isn''t normal!" Lina felt sensitive and troubled.


    She had to keep her guard up, that was the only thing she was sure of since she came out of  her coma. But why did she always lose consciousness when she was alone with this man!?


    "We discussed this, Lina. You need to let your guard down to be able to realise yourself."


    Why was his voice so annoyingly monotone?!


    She had indeed agreed to be vulnerable. But what had he done to her to evoke the memory at will?


    She definitely had not ingested anything this time. She hadn''t accepted water from him this time.


    "Is there no way for you to help me without me having to lose control like that?!" she asked, her voice high pitched as she became more agitated.


    "The control you are forcing upon yourself is what is preventing you from remembering parts of your life as a defense mechanism. You need to give up control and be okay with it. You have to learn, to push yourself."


    "Is our session at it''s end?" Lina asked irritably, standing up, ready to leave.


    Dr. Hayama calmly looked at his watch.


    "Indeed it is."


    He got up too and headed towards the door, holding it open for Lina.


    Lina huffed loudly and strutted out.


    But as she was about to exit the room, she felt Dr. Hayama''s strong hold on her arm. He wasn''t holding her tightly or forcefully, but she could feeling the heat from his palm on her elbow.


    She turned to him, an angry expression on her face at being stopped. She was so mentally exhausted, and just wanted to go home.


    "Lina, I want you to know...you''re making progress. It''s a good thing."


    In saying so, he let go of her.


    She realised he had stopped calling her ''Madam Moshi'', and started calling her informally by her name.


    Was this some psychological tactic?


    Lina couldn''t be bothered to think about that now. Before she knew it, Ayu came rushing up to her.


    "Madam! Are you alright?" she shot Dr. Hayama an angry glare.


    Lina smiled tiredly at Ayu.


    "I''m fine. Let''s go home quick."


    Ayu nodded and escorted her out.


    As they two women left, the thin man walked up to Dr. Hayama.


    "How tiring" he commented.


    "On the contrary" Dr. Hayama responded, a smile playing on his lips, "she''s given me more than she would have ever intended."

 Chapter 123 - More tension and confrontation

    Soon after Ayu and Lina had left to go to Dr. Hayama''s clinic, Shen had called home to check on Lina''s health again. Her text a while back was cold and unresponsive.


    The entire period of their misunderstandings after the argument had taken a toll on his stress levels. Even though he didn''t show it to Lina directly, his thoughts were filled with her even whilst working.


    The unpleasant nature of his dinner at the Lim household, with that woman Lila''s company being forced upon him had made him very agitated.


    Besides, the renewal contract they offered him was beyond unreasonable and went against the interests of the Moshi Corporation.


    Yet, he could not reject them outright, especially with the marriage offer on the table. He must let them down gently while at the same time, making it clear that he already had a wife.


    This meant he would have to guard Lina even more closely. Until he was confident nothing would hurt her, he would keep her under lock and key.


    He stepped out of the dining room quickly and called the Moshi mansion. When the butler answered the phone, he asked instantly about Lina.


    "Butler Min, is Madam feeling better? Has she eaten dinner?"


    "Young master, madam was feeling unwell, so Miss Ayu took her to the doctor."


    The butler''s answer unsettled him.


    "Which doctor?! Why was she feeling unwell?"


    Lina had had a host of different doctors tending to her recovery. He hoped she had gone straight to doctor Yoshi, who oversaw her entire treatment. If it was any other doctor, he would have left and taken her personally.


    Butler Min suddenly regretted not asking Madam more questions before she left. But at least she was with Miss Ayu. The young master trusted Miss Ayu.


    "Uh..young master, I''m not sure which doctor. I was going to accompany madam myself with the chauffeur but then Miss Ayu volunteered to bring her back and stay with her."


    Shen rubbed his temples in irritation.


    He hung up the phone and tried to call Ayu. But Ayu was picking a fight with the thin man at the desk. She wasn''t paying attention to her boss'' call.


    Shen tried calling her at least twenty times, but it kept ringing.


    Finally, he tried calling Lina.


    But Lina was in a trance in Dr. Hayama''s office, reliving a memory of her father.


    By the time Lina and Ayu were driving back to the Moshi mansion, Shen had already come back home.


    He had walked out of the Lim household citing a major emergency at work and fixing a date by when they could discuss the renewal contract again.


    The butler and housekeeper were sweating in fear at the young master''s crazy demon temper. He had broken a dozen glass decoration items lying around.


    He had furiously called Dr. Yoshi if he or any of his doctors had recieved Lina that evening. His mind was clouded with both anger and fear.


    Shen had totally forgotten about checking with Dr. Hayama in his rage. In fact, he was about to drive to his capital city office to yank James from his cell to track Lina.


    As he was storming out of the front door, Ayu''s car pulled up and Lina got out.


    She stood in the driveway looking at her husband''s messy and horrified appearance. His clothes were a mess, his suit crumpled and his hair was everywhere as if he had run his hands through it a million times in frustration.


    "Lina!" he almost yelled, half in relief and half in anger.


    He had never raised his voice at her till that day.


    She gave a little start, not expecting him to greet her in that tone.


    She walked towards him slowly. Ayu was hanging her head in embarassment. She hadn''t been attentive to the boss she was meant to be loyal to for the woman she loved.


    Looking at her phone now and seeing his texts and missed calls, she bit her lip. She was in so much trouble.


    But Lina...she would be in more trouble. Ayu looked at her approaching her husband, fearful of his reaction. He had been very clear, Lina was not to do things as she pleased. She was supposed to be supervised under his orders.


    "You''re back" she said, softly but her voice was monotone, as if she was reporting a rehearsed line.


    Shen''s temper boiled over. He had been too lenient with her.


    He grabbed her shoulders tightly, ignoring her flinch. His eyes bore into her face, daring her to look at him.


    But she couldn''t. She just looked away.


    "Where were you?" he demanded.


    Lina finally turned to him, her eyes blazing as well. Since when did her start treating her so forcefully. She had always felt safe around him, always wanted to protect him.


    But today, what right did he have to question her whereabouts!?


    "Where was I?!" Lina repeated sarcastically


    "The real question, hubby, is where were you?"


    Shen suddenly let go of her, and drew back, confused. What kind of question was that. She knew he had a business dinner to attend tonight. She also knew how important it was for Moshi Corp.


    "You know where I was!" he answered, slightly surprised at her question.


    "Oh right...a business dinner." Lina was still sarcastic.


    Then Shen caught sight of Ayu, standing quietly behind Lina.


    "Ayu." he commanded.


    "Yes, boss." she replied obediently.


    "Where did you take Lina?"


    "I took madam to-"


    "Enough. Don''t say a word, Ayu. It isn''t his business to worry where I was." Lina snapped, interrupting Ayu.


    Ayu''s face was full of despair. What should she do? She was stuck in a disastrous conflict between husband and wife - between the man she idolised and the woman she cared about more than anything.


    "Ayu, how dare you?!" Shen accused, wondering why she wasn''t answering him. She worked for him. Yet, she was conflicted between him and Lina?


    "Boss...madam had an appointment." she said no more, trying to play it safe and please them both.


    "Where, and with whom?" he continued to demand.


    Ayu looked up at Shen, her eyes pleading.


    ''Boss, please just let madam off this once'' her eyes begged. But Shen was in a bad mood.


    When he was like this, he made sure to get what he wanted. There was no escape.


    But Lina wasn''t easy either and she wouldn''t let up.


    "Don''t ask Ayu! She was just doing me a favour. Why don''t you just deal with me directly?! Or would you rather lock yourself up in your study?"


    Lina''s voice was shaking now. Days of pent up sadness and frustration was spilling over. Big, fat tears formed in her eyes as she refused to give in.


    Shen looked at her with surprise. This woman...she was normally so strong. She wouldn''t cry so easily. She must be really hurt.


    He had only really seen her cry after she woke up from her coma and ran to him in the middle of the night.


    He had promised her that night that he''d never leave her.


    "I promise I won''t ever leave you, my little angel."


    That''s what he had said as she was curled up in a ball in his arms.


    She was making the same face at him again today, as if he had betrayed his promise.

 Chapter 124 - Broken promises and broken hearts (PG WARNING)

    Shen''s face softened, as did his voice. Perhaps he had been too harsh. They hadn''t even talked the whole week, and the first thing he did was to yell at her.


    She had also been looking for him so early in the morning, right after he had left to go to the office. And he had left her alone again.


    A wave of guilt washed over Shen.


    He hadn''t been paying attention to her feelings. He had barred her from a social life, or a work life. Furthermore, he had been completely unavailable, leaving her to find solace in the company of only her assistant, the butler and the housekeeper.


    Was he bad husband?


    But she was his most precious treasure. And how else could he protect her, but to keep her in his fortress where nothing could hurt a hair on her head.


    He suddenly pulled her into his chest. Her tiny body seemed more frail than ever now, even though he had recently seen the true strength she possessed.


    Her soft hair had a gentle, lingering and familiar scent as he bent down to bury his head in her neck. He wished they could remain in this embrace for a long time to come, but everyone was waiting around now - the butler, the housekeeper and Ayu.


    Ayu quickly looked away, an expression of despair on her face. She turned around, wanting to conceal it. Her heart was throbbing. She wanted them to be happy. But she would always remain in pain around them.


    As Shen took her in his arms, Lina let her tears fall freely. She had wanted so badly to feel close to him again and the proximity between them now was tearing her walls down.


    The memories of him filled her mind again as they had the night they were almost intimate. Her hands moved involuntarily and wrapped themselves around his waist, accepting him once again.


    "Why? Why did you do that to me?" she mumbled into his chest, her voice muffled by her sobs.


    He stroked her hair gently and kissed the top of her head.


    "Baby, let''s go inside first. Then we''ll talk over everything. Nothing will interrupt us tonight, okay?" he whispered into her ear.


    Lina chided herself for being so forgiving. She had seen him nodding his head so obediently at praises showered on that nasty woman Lila Lim, and had even sat through the matchmaking dinner.


    He had a lot to answer for. But her heart missed him so deeply, she could hardly throw a fit at him. Still, he would have to answer for it.


    She nodded at him and let him lead her upstairs.


    Shen turned back one last time to give Ayu a withering glare.


    "I''ll deal with you at work tomorrow."


    Ayu sighed. She had gotten into trouble again because of that annoying woman she loved so unreasonably.


    Upstairs, as soon as Shen closed the doors to their bedroom, he sighed deeply and undid his tie. Lina noticed his exhaustion.


    ''He really hasn''t had a break or slept in a while. And just now he really was worried about me¡­there was so much broken glass in the hall downstairs.'' she pondered to herself as she observed her husband.


    She walked up to him, stood on her tip toes and helped him undo the tie.


    Shen stood still and let her take care of him. The moonlight was pouring in through the window lighting Lina''s face up gently.


    ''Her eyes look so sad'' he thought to himself, as he trained his gaze on her face as she diligently worked her fingers.


    Lina felt his strong grip on her chin as he tilted her face up towards him. Before she could protest, his lips closed on hers, pulling her into a passionate, hungry kissed.


    How long had it been since he''d really kissed his wife like that?


    They had always been interrupted by something or the other since she woke up from her coma. It seemed like they never had time for their relationship.


    Lina tried to lay her hands on his chest and push him away, but instead she found her palms hot with desire from his toned, muscular physique.


    As if something were reignited in her, she felt giddy, like violent waves crashing against her making her unable to breathe.


    She fell deeper into her husband''s demanding kiss, until she needed to swim up for air.


    His eyes were dark and filled with possessiveness, like someone had taken her away from him. She could barely stand under his intense gaze.


    "Angel, I want you tonight" he said to her gently, his hot breath tickling her ears.


    Goosebumps erupted on the surface of Lina''s skin, as her knees buckled and she let her weight fall completely in his arms.


    Shen now felt like an uncontrollable beast. Nothing would stop him tonight. Especially no work calls. He would mark his territory.


    He bent down and picked her up in one swift motion, his hands under her thighs, her legs wrapped around his waist. He walked up to the wall and held her up against it as he continued to kiss her lips.


    The kisses were deep and slightly aggressive, yet caring as if he was trying not to hurt her in his passion.


    Lina''s hands tightened around his neck and she raked her fingers through his hair.


    For the first time since she woke up, she felt as though she truly owned her body, as if she knew finally what she wanted. Her mind and her body were one. And if there was one thing she knew, they belonged to him. They belonged to Shen.


    As Lina came up once more for air from Shen''s kisses, she felt his hardness pushing against her. She gasped in pleasure, needing more from him.


    And as if on cue, Shen began to trail his kisses down her neck, eliciting soft m.o.a.ns of pleasure from her. For now, they forgot about the broken promises and their broken hearts.


    "My Lina¡­it has always been you" he said softly, continuing the kisses down her chest until he could bear it no longer.

 Chapter 125 - She wanted to trust him (PG WARNING)

    Consummating her relationship with Shen for the first time after waking up from the coma was like taking new vows to secure their marriage.


    There was a sense of trust and security between them, for which words weren''t even needed. All of Lina''s questions still remained, but she was sure Shen would answer truthfully.


    He had waited for her every step of the way. There was no reason for him to betray her.


    As their bodies merged into one another in the moonlight room, Lina''s restlessness began to ease. All she saw was Shen''s face before her, and his eyes boring into her n.a.k.e.dness.


    Every moment he filled her, she felt nothing but pleasure swallow her soul whole. As his movements got quicker and more demanding, her body responded accordingly, giving herself to him.


    Each time her entered her, he felt her hold on to him a little tighter. That was exactly what he wanted. He wanted his wife to trust him, hold on to him and depend on him.


    Looking at her beautiful face gazing up at him, he almost couldn''t hold back anymore.


    "Lina..." he whispered, in a raspy voice, his breathing quick and shallow.


    "Yes..." she whispered back.


    "Give yourself to me, baby" his voice tingled her ear gently, destroying every ounce of self control she had remaining.


    Her body reached its climax, shivering deeply with him buried inside of her.


    Feeling her body shaking uncontrollably, Shen finally let go of the months of restraint and patience he had built within himself as well.


    The  husband and wife pair lay wrapped in each other''s arms on the large bed next to each other in complete silence.


    The experience had been refreshing. No matter how many before he had had her, this was different. This was her declaration of trust in him. This was her way of knowing herself, through his eyes.


    She would never be lost as long as she was with him.


    "Lina..." he said gently, as he held her close, stroking her hair.


    His big, warm hand on her head had lulled her into an exhausted daze, her eyes half closed.


    "Mmmh?"


    "I''ll help you find your way back, my angel."


    Lina''s lashed fluttered open, and she turned to look at him gazing lovingly at her.


    "Then I''ll believe you." she replied, a small smile appearing on her soft, pink flowerbud lips.


    "I''m glad. I promised you once, in this life, the next life, and all the lives ahead, did I not?" he said, reminding her of their vows.


    She nodded obediently.


    Shen almost laughed at how her personality could change from one extreme to another. He loved her dearly for it.


    One minute she was cool and calculated, the next moment she could be angry and defiant like a blazing fire and the next she would be a wide-eyed obedient bunny wife.


    "Well, I intend on living up to those vows" he said, landing a gentle kiss on her pretty nose.


    "Me too" she mumbled underneath her breath.


    "What was that, I couldn''t hear you?" Shen teased, pinching her cheek.


    She smacked his hand away like she would a fly.


    "Nothing" she mumbled again.


    Shen laughed out loud. Lina''s ears turned red. Why did this annoying devil have to always say such sweet things. She could hardly bear to say them herself, or she felt like she''d die from embarassment.


    "You''re such a mean hubby" she swore at him, "my body hurts everywhere because of you!"


    In saying this, she yanked at a pillow and smacked it straight into his face.


    Shen casually brushed the pillow away. Now she was asking for him to tease her.


    "Now you''re just making excuses for yourself, angel. You''re pretending like you didn''t enjoy it, when I know that you definitely enjoyed it!"


    Lina mentally chided herself for walking to into that.


    But she bravely stuck her nose up in the air and swung a rebuttal his way.


    "So what if I liked it! Did you have to be so rough? My body is still recovering!"


    Shen had his tongue tied. There wasn''t much he could say when she made such a sound argument. After all, he was the one who was most concerned about her recovery! He hadn''t even asked Dr. Yoshi if it was permissable for them to engage in such intimate physical acts.


    There was a look of guilt and shame on his handsome face.


    "You''re right...I may have been a little...''overexcited''" Shen admitted, his eyes like those of a guilty puppy.


    Lina felt triumphant. She had brought this big demon to shame.


    But as she looked at him in glee, her eyes turned admiring. He was still n.a.k.e.d, his body illuminated by the moonlight still streaming in.


    His muscles were so toned and lean, and his posture was always fine and erect...just like his member had been not too long ago.


    Lina''s face went red again, as her husband caught her eyeing him like fine candy.


    She quickly turned away. But another strange thought drifted into her mind. One that had been bothering her immensely.


    The image of Lila''s Lim''s fawning eyes devouring her husband earlier that night began to poison her heart again. She bit her lip.


    She really didn''t want to get into another heated argument after they had just shared such a beautiful time together. But the image of Lila in her head was making her sick to the stomach.


    As Shen turned over and wrapped his body around her in an attempt to cuddle, she suddenly pushed away.


    His heart stopped at her actions.


    ''What now?'' he wondered.


    "Baby, talk to me. What''s wrong?"


    Lina sighed. She might as well be out with it.


    She turned over again and looked him straight in the eye. It was now or never. She didn''t want to come off as a naggy wife or and insecure woman who meddled in her husband''s business.


    But there was a greater fear that her most trusted husband would lie to her. But she had to know. So she sucked in her breath and asked him what she wanted to.


    "Where were you tonight? Please be honest and tell me the truth."

 Chapter 126 - Piecing it together

    Shen breathed in sharply. It wasn''t as if he was trying to hide anything from his wife. He only wanted to keep her ignorant and blissful.


    But if there was anything he had learned since she had woken up, he had figured out that she had been anything but clueless before the amnesia.


    Lina had been making progress with her memories, much quicker than Dr. Yoshi had expected. Her visits to Dr. Hayama had stimulated parts of her brain that she was afraid of accessing.


    If he was honest with her, and trusted her to look after herself, maybe she would heal faster.


    He sat up straight, and held her hands in his, stroking them with his thumb.


    Lina felt a strange sense of relaxation within her. She had made her decision to give herself to him completely tonight, after coming out from her coma. She knew she was ready to hear his story and that he wouldn''t do anything to harm her.


    "You know baby, there''s people I am involved with because of Moshi Corporation''s dealings that aren''t the easiest to work with. I was visiting one of our partners tonight for dinner at their family home."


    Lina looked thoughtful.


    So Lila''s family, the Lim clan, operated Magnolia Holdings, the company that was partnering with Moshi Corporation.


    Those were the inventory files she had come across. She definitely knew something about them before her coma. That''s why the name was so familiar -- yet she didn''t know how.


    Lina looked up at Shen, daring herself to ask him the one question she had been afraid to ask.


    "Darling, if something went wrong..." she began. But Shen already knew what she wanted to ask.


    "Yes, they would hurt us, personally. They would hurt me. They would hurt me by hurting you. That''s why I hide you away."


    "Does that mean...that you would do anything they asked if it came to that?" she probed further, wondering about his relationship with Lila.


    She pulled her hands away from him, as if to shield herseld from words that could hurt her.


    Shen looked confused. Why was this girl asking such strange things? Did she know something he didn''t?


    "What do you mean? Did someone threaten you?" Shen was overcome with worry. This was what he was afraid of, Lina being involved with the dangerous people he worked with.


    Lina put on a smile quickly, so she wouldn''t worry him. She shook her head vigorously.


    "No no! Nobody would dare to threaten me! It would be their funeral!" she announced confidently.


    Shen laughed, partly relieved, partly still confused.


    "Of course, who would dare mess with my angel?"


    After the strength she had shown him lately, even he was beginning to doubt whether she really needed his protection after all.


    But Lina wasn''t yet done with her interrogation.


    She eyed him carefully.


    "So who were these partners that you went to meet tonight?" she still wanted to know if he would stop holding back and come clean.


    Shen grit his teeth. This was the test they hadn''t yet been through. They had decided to get married despite the secrets between them.


    There had been no confrontation between them so far, even though their love was strong. There had only been blind faith. But that could only hold out so far.


    Both of them had questions bubbling within them, and an endless desire to protect the other. So why was it, that they had to endure so much silence?


    One of them had to break first. But Lina wouldn''t be the first. She had forgotten everything she was supposed to tell him. So it would have to be Shen.


    "I went to meet the family that runs a very discrete company called Magnolia Holdings." Shen said quietly.


    Now she knew who. She just didn''t know what. He hoped she wouldn''t ask. But he knew better. Lina had always been willful, even if she had acted coy about it in the beginning.


    "What business did you have with them?" she continued to ask.


    Shen breathed in sharply again.


    "It was a contract renewal meeting. They use Moshi''s shipping services to transport massive amounts of their goods and carry out trade internationally."


    "What do they ship?" Lina''s head started to hurt slightly as her eyes bore deeper and deeper into her husband.


    It was like she was fighting a battle against him and herself at the same time.


    She was fighting with herself to concentrate harder and drag out her memories into her consciousness, and at the same time exerting enough pressure on him to give her the information to piece her life together.


    She was done! She was so done feeling helpless. If these people wanted to come at her, they''d better do it in the open.


    In that moment, she felt heavy and suffocated...yet strangely invincible.


    Shen noticed beads of sweat forming on her n.a.k.e.d body, as her chest heaved, fighting to breathe.


    Was she having another panic attack?


    No, her eyes were sharp and cold, as if she had turned on a part of herself that had been buried deeply somewhere.


    She looked like this when she was operating on Ro-Kun, when she snapped up a gun and shot that sniper through the glass. Her mind was like steel.


    "What do they ship, Shen?" she asked again through grit teeth.


    "Various items! It depends, they aquire and manufacture a range of goods. Baby, what''s wrong? You look unwell. Lay down and rest-" Shen began to fuss over her.


    "No! On the contrary, I find my mind to be most receptive now. They trade mostly with Country A using Moshi Corporation, don''t they?" Lina''s grilling continued.


    Shen furrowed his brow.


    How did she know so much? He knew she was no fool, of course. But she had never shown this much awareness about his work before.


    Or had she just pretended not to?


    "How do you know this?" It was now her husband''s turn to get serious.


    He had been gentle too with her all this time, but now he wanted answers to.


    Lina knew that this was no time to think about filtering information. She was in no mood for pretenses either.


    "Shipping container 128 to the Capital in Country A. Inventory and Checklist. I saw your files in the study."

 Chapter 127 - One team, husband and wife

    Shen looked down at his palms and sighed. She was already a part of his life, she had been since the day they met. He couldn''t selectively shut her out from another part of his life.


    "Darling..." Lina said softly, the coldness in her eyes disappearing entirely.


    Shen looked into her eyes, recognizing the woman he had been in love with since the day they met.


    "Don''t underestimate me. I''m stronger than you think."


    It was as if she could read his mind.


    There was no need to ponder this anymore.


    It was time to work together as a team.


    "We''ve been working with the main branch of the Lim clan for years. They''re extremely powerful in country J and country C. They are directly related to royalty in country C and very well established here."


    Lina nodded, taking in everything her husband was saying. Their two heads were always better than one.


    "Moshi Corporation was initially a shipping company, enabling and establishing international trade in country J. We were the pioneers back in the day, and there is nobody as trusted as us in the industry. Over the years Moshi has expanded into various different markets, but shipping is still our main business."


    "Magnolia Holdings on the other hand...there''s a reason they are so discrete. They trade under the table and in goods that are restricted in various regions."


    Lina furrowed her brow.


    "Then why did you get involved with them?" Lina asked, knowing full well that when you ran a corporation as big as Moshi, it was hard to remain clean.


    Shen drew in a deep breath.


    "Well, before my father took over, Moshi Corporation was declining. Our investments were failing, our business was also falling because of competition using underhanded methods. So...Moshi got involved with the Lims, did things for them that weren''t entirely above board. That''s how Moshi Corporation was saved from disaster."


    Lina bit her lip. It wasn''t Shen or Soren Moshi who had voluntarily chosen to go into business with Magnolia Holdings. It was another member of the Moshi family''s fatal error that got them involved with this dangerous clan.


    "Since then, we have had to continue working with them, because if we pulled out, they have too much information on our dealings in the past to completely destroy the company. However, now some illegal activities conducted by Moshi are reaching their statutes of limitation and we are slowly becoming free of their control, giving me a lot more room to negotiate our renewal contract."


    Lina looked thoughtful. This entire web was woven out of her husband''s control.


    "Yet, they are people you cannot afford to offend." Lina said, understanding dawning upon her.


    "Especially because..." Shen began to explain, but stopped momentarily. This was something he didn''t like talking about at all.


    But Lina had an inkling already.


    "Your brothers." she finished for him.


    He looked up at her, his eyes full of pain and anger.


    "They almost got my father killed."


    Lina felt a lump in her throat, seeing her husband''s pained expression. He cared only about her and his parents in this life.


    And his brothers had almost taken his family away before she was there for him. He had suffered and fought all alone with his own blood.


    He''d had to compromise, and bend his own morals, bow to people who threatened him and beg for his parents.


    He didn''t have to tell her. She could see it on his face.


    "In trying to overthrow my father out of greed, Shao and Shigeo went behind my father''s back and made deals with the Lims'' competitors for a quick buck and indulged in..." he stopped speaking again.


    The things they had done were abhorrant.


    "It''s okay. You don''t have to tell me." Lina knew he wasn''t trying to hide anything from her. He was just too ashamed. He shared the same blood as those monsters.


    Shen remembered the days he had fought his brothers after finding out just how far they had gone.


    They had used the Moshi fleet to ship women and children that had been kidnapped and sold at auctions. They had faciliated the most heinous kind of human traficking.


    Shen continued.


    "Five years ago I was able to stop them and take my position as the CEO of Moshi Corp. I...locked my brothers away. They would be too dangerous if they were anywhere but under my nose. Last week...my oldest brother Shao, he escaped. So, I''ve been on edge."


    Lina gasped. He had been going through so much, and yet had tried his best to shield her. Her heart ached for him. Why?! Why was he so generous.


    "How can you not share your burden with your wife?" she asked in a small voice, dejected.


    "How can I put my dearest wife in any danger or under any stress, when all I want...is for her to get better?" Shen said softly, holding her delicate chin between his index finger and thumb and tilting her sad-looking face up to his.


    Her expressive, large eyes were brimming with tears at his words.


    Once again, there was an understanding between the couple. Shen kissed her deeply.


    It was a genuine, loving kiss, devoid of any emotion but faith and trust.


    "You''re not going to marry Lila, are you?" Lina asked in a small voice, playing with her fingers, too embarassed to look at Shen.


    Shen''s face scrunched up.


    "How do you know they''re trying to push her on to me?"


    Lina turned her face away nervously and laughed a short, scared laugh.


    Now it was her turn to spill the story of her snooping. She wasn''t going to get away. He would probably punish her.


    And be angry or disappointed at her for disobeying him?


    Suddenly Lina clamped up nervously. She didn''t want her sweet husband to be in any way displeased with her after the sweet moments of trust they had shared just now.


    "I promise I won''t be angry at you, angel." Shen reassured her, reading her mind.


    Her face could be so easy to read sometimes, he almost laughed at her cute pout.


    Lina bit her lip nervously and decided to face him and come clean.


    "I know...because tonight...I was also there. I was there at the Lim Villa."

 Chapter 128 - The truth always comes out in the end

    Shen''s eyes almost fell out of his head. What?


    She was under house arrest, and it was understandable that she would try to sneak out and go to office or even a cafe, a bar, a club! THE MALL!


    But the Lim Villa?!


    He had kept his wife locked up safely at home to protect her from the smalled harm, but she had secretly walked straight into the lion''s den?!


    And how did she even get there? Who let her in? What connection did she have with the Lims?!


    "I can tell you''re too shocked to say anything right now. But let me just say something first" Lina said sheepishly, twisting her fingers around.


    She didn''t say this much, and she definitely didn''t like saying it. But tonight, she had to.


    Lina looked Shen straight in the eye, her lowe lip trembling.


    "I''m sorry."


    Shen''s eyes widened even more. She had definitely been a handful, defiant and reckless. She was finally owning up to it?


    "What''s in it for you? What do you want?" he asked, looking at his mischevious wife suspiciously.


    "Nothing! Nothing!" Lina defended herself vehemently, throwing her hands up in protest.


    "Don''t think I''ll go easy on you just because you said sorry. You still have to explain yourself."


    Lina pouted. She thought she would soften his disappointment by apologising, but hubby was being needlessly stern. Wasn''t she right here next to him, safe and sound and totally unharmed?


    "Fine. What do you want to know?" she asked grudgingly.


    Between them, she knew the truth would always come out in the end. It was just a matter of time.


    Shen scoffed with a look of disbelief on his face. He got up from the bed, his drool-worthy chiseled body displayed magnificently in the soft moonlight streaming through the window.


    Lina eyed him like a piece of candy, before chiding herself for being too l.u.s.tful in a serious situation. She watched as he pulled on his pants and dragged a chair to sit up straight facing her directly.


    ''Great, he''s going to interrogate me. I feel like a child being punished for getting my hand stuck in the cookie jar.'' she thought to herself, her rosebud lips still forming a delicious-looking pout.


    Shen had to get up from the bed and sit away to have a proper conversation because he was afraid of letting her off too easy. She looked way too cute for him to resist and he would only end up pampering her if she was too close to him, n.a.k.e.d and alluring.


    He covered her shoulder''s with the blanket, holding back as much as he could.


    "What do I want to know? Everything. Start from the beginning."


    Lina was a little afraid, she thought he was being too stern with her. But she had no choice. She owed him a massive explanation.


    She walked him through her session with Dr. Hayama, the fainting and the vivid dreams that were more like memories.


    Then she told him about her mission with Country A and how Magnolia Holdings had sounded familiar.


    She continued to tell him that Mei found out her old classmate from Capital City University, Lila Lim, was rumoured to be from the family behind Magnolia Holdings.


    She also told him about going to the Sakura Hospital for blood tests in case Dr. Hayama had drugged her, but finding nothing to indicate he did.


    "So you knew Shu Yi already when we met at the University fair?" he asked her, a moment of realisation hitting him.


    "And that''s how you met Lila when I was changing in the bathroom...that''s what she was talking about when I overheard you at the Lim villa." Lina had her own moment of realisation too.


    As Shen remembered his wife''s hurt because of the misunderstanding regarding Lila, Shen got up from the chair and gathered her back in his arms.


    His scent always calmed her anxious heart. She smiled softly.


    "My angel, you know I would never accept any such offers or advances, right? You are my greatest treasure, and nothing will ever change that. I just cannot outwardly insult the Lims. You know why now." he whispered into her ear.


    There was a beautiful silence in which their bond got deeper as Shen held his dear wife close to him.


    Her mind was fragmented, and her struggles were ones that only she understood. Yet she had tried to bravely confront it all alone. Even though she didn''t have to.


    But there was something peculiar about her confidence. The way she disguised herself and fooled the Lims, walked straight into their home and investigated the old master''s room was truly fearless and well planned.


    Once again Shen wondered who his wife really was.


    "I wish I knew what I am too, and where I come from. I want you to love me for who I really am when everything is revealed" Lina mumbled, an inkling of grief poisioning her heart.


    Shen kissed her head softly.


    "No matter what your place in this world is, I already know who you really are. I know your heart and I will always love it"


    Lina''s eyes were filled with tears, but she quickly wiped them away. He musn''t think she was sad, because she was truly happier than she had ever been. She knew this even though she didn''t remember her past.


    Suddenly, she remembered something important that she had left out in her story.


    "I met someone suspicious at the University Fair before you arrived there!"


    "Someone suspicious?" Shen became worried instantly.


    "Some strange man who calls himself Loren. I was with Mana when she accepted his offer to buy us cakes at the stall there. He bought me a Battenberg cake and asked me if I liked playing chess."


    Shen''s worried eyes turned angry. A random chess reference? Why was it so familiar?


    Lina continued her story.


    "When I said no, he replied strangely, ''That''s a pity...a king needs protection, after all.'' What do you think that meant?" Lina looked at her husband with puzzled eyes.


    But Shen knew immediately what it meant.


    "The note. Remember the note in the bullet?!"


    Lina scrunched her face as she thought about it for a moment. It was a driveby shooting when she and Mana had snuck into the University.


    They had been followed by Shen, Ayu and Ro-Kun when a driveby shooter shot Ro-kun. She had performed emergency surgery on him and extracted the bullet which had a message on a small paper rolled up in it.


    As she recalled the message, her eyes widened in shock.


    ''The King falls when the Queen is weak. Check.''

 Chapter 129 - The one who moves first, wins

    "Butler Min!" Lina came hopping down the staircase the nest morning, looking pretty as a picture and happy as a daisy.


    The butler turned in surprise. The couple had been at loggerheads last night. They had exploded at each other in front of everyone, and now the Madam was frolicking around the house like a sweet bundle of joy!


    The butler sighed quietly to himself. It definitely didn''t get boring around the Moshi Mansion.


    Lina was dressed in a semi-formal white sleeveless jumpsuit that accentuated her petite figure and elegant legs.


    "Good morning Madam" the butler responded calmly, greeting her with a kind smile.


    "Please prepare breakfast for young master and me! He will be ready soon and come downstairs. We will eat together before we go to work." Lina instructed the butler, as her eyes twinkled.


    The butler nodded and was about to go off to the kitchen.


    "Oh, and butler Min, please prepare soft-boiled eggs for young master. He needs the protein!" she giggled quietly to herself as she hurried off.


    Butler Min there was left with a confused expression. But he went and followed her instructions nonetheless.


    Lina''s mouth was upturned in a smile as she began preparing her doc.u.ments for work. After clearing their misunderstandings, Shen and her had decided she would go to work.


    On one condition.


    She was to visit his office for lunch everyday so he could see his wife and he could make sure she was okay.


    She turned as she heard her husband come down as well. He looked so handsome, Lina always felt like she was looking at him for the first time every time he made an entrance.


    He had just showered and washed his hair, and his strong, musky scent was exuding allure. He had his suit slung over one shoulder, his crip white shirt hugging his broad shoulders, sleeves rolled up to reveal his muscular forearms.


    His slightly wet hair was swept back, giving him a clean, strong look. He was wearing his reading glasses, and he looked serious. But there was something about his seriousness that was extremely s.e.xy.


    Lina gawked at her husband shamelessly. Why should she control herself when he clearly had shown no restraint during their activities the previous night!


    As she ran over to hug him and he bent down to kiss her, the couple looked like they were posing for a photoshoot.


    "Just imagine how beautiful their little children would be! Don''t they look heavenly especially when they''re together?" housekeeper Tan whispered giddily to butler Min.


    Watching these two together was far better than watching all her romantic dramas at night. Why waste her precious money on channel subscription when her entire day around this couple was a massive dose of fluff and entertainment?


    Butler Min simply glared at the housekeeper, signalling her to keep her lecherous thoughts to herself. She immediately became silent as soon as the happy couple entered the dining room for breakfast.


    As they sat down at the table to eat, two eggs were placed in front of Shen. He didn''t usually eat eggs, but Butler Min clarified the situation.


    "Madam said you would need the protein today, young master" he said solemnly.


    Shen''s eyes widened in realization as Lina choked on her coffee, her face reddening. She didn''t realize that the ignorant butler would actually go and provide her husband with that cheeky explanation she had given him.


    Butler Min failed to notice the looks exchanged between the couple.


    Shen: ''So this is the mischief you''ve been up to this morning!''


    Lina: ''Well it was you who was so vigorous multiple times last night! I''m only trying to...replenish your supply...''


    Shen: ''My angel is too bold!''


    Nevertheless, he obediently ate the eggs. Truth be told, he would prove to her later in the evening just how much energy the eggs would give him for her.


    With such evil thoughts swirling in his head, Shen almost missed the phone ringing incessantly.


    "Yes?" He answered impatiently


    "Boss, you''re late..." came the awkward reply from Ayu at the other end. There was an important meeting to prepare for since Moshi Corporation was pushing to acquire a smaller business that was playing hard to get.


    Shen looked at his watch. It was 10 am. He was so late. Usually he was working at home all night or at work before 9 am at least. Sometimes he was at the office at 6 am!


    But he glanced at his beautiful angel, enjoying her coffee and breakfast with so much enthusiasm, he didn''t want to go into work at all!


    "I''m the boss, so I''m not late. Everyone else is just...too early" he said, almost sputtering at his own words.


    Lina looked at him and flashed him a pretty smile, and Shen hung up the phone, Ayu''s mouth agape at the end of the line.


    Everyone else was too early, before 10 am?!?!


    Had Boss hit his head somewhere? Anyone entering the office post 9 am was fired on the spot!


    Lina quickly finished the remaining food on her plate and stood up promptly.


    "Okay, I''m off to work now!" She announces sweetly kissing her husband''s cheek and scampering off.


    "I''m already late because of youuu" she yelled at him from the front door.


    Shen couldn''t believe what he had just witnessed. It was him who was late, pushing back such important preparation just to watch her eat breakfast and she had just skipped off without a second thought and also blamed him for making her late?!?


    Butler Min looked confused and worried.


    "Young master....Madam is going to work?" He asked awkwardly. That''s what they had been fighting about for so long ¡ª how Lina wasn''t allowed to go out and was to remain on the mansion grounds full time.


    Shen sighed, looking in the direction of where his wife had run off. His eyes were full off love and affection for her.


    "Let her do what she wants. Let her roam as she pleases..." he said quietly.


    After Shen walked out and drove away, housekeeper Tan went over to Butler Min again.


    "This must be what love is"


    Butler Min only raised his eyebrows.


    "Must be"

 Chapter 130 - Blood runs thicker than water? (PG WARNING)

    On an island somewhere deep within the Pacific, Shao Moshi walked into a big bungalow by the water.


    He was faced with a woman''s back. She was standing on the balcony facing the ocean, salty water spraying gently on to her face. Her jet black hair was flying in the wind.


    Her body was just as Shao remembered it. Tall, graceful and voluptuous. This woman was his one chink. She was the only thing he cared about.


    "Kira" he called out to her softly.


    As if awoken from a dream, the woman turned around abruptly when she heard his voice.


    "You''re here! Finally!" she exclaimed, her voice shaky and her eyes brimming with tears.


    Her face was was sharp, her eyes like almonds and her lips full. The sun had tanned her soft skin and she looked alluring. Her tiny dress barely covered her curves. She was wearing a skimpy biking underneath and her black hair was breeze dried after a morning swim.


    Shao could hardly control himself. He was seeing his beloved wife after almost 5 years of imprisonment under his bastard, kid brother.


    She ran ran towards him jumping into his embrace, wrapping her legs tightly around him.


    As Kira began to kiss his lips fervently he mumbled broken words in between.


    "I...missed you...so much"


    She didn''t need to say anything to prove she missed him just as much if not more.


    He couldn''t bear it anymore. Ripping her little dress off to shreds, he threw her down on the sofa in the room, admiring her b.r.e.a.s.ts spilling out of her small bikini.


    "Can''t you restrain yourself for even a moment, yu beast" Kira mumbled demurely, chiding her husband for not giving her a moment to breathe.


    "When have I ever been able to restrain myself around you?" He answered her playfully. Then he ripped her already half undone clothes and admired her s.e.xy body in front of him.


    He first ate her with his eyes and then enjoyed her whole when he could hold back no longer. Her m.o.a.ns and trembles helped him release all the pent-up desire he had locked up in the center of his body where his hardest part lied.


    He was only finished with her at nightfall. Kira lay sprawled alluringly on their bed, her body full of red marks turning blue.


    She admired her husband''s well maintained physique as he walked into the bathroom to wash up. Even in his late thirties he was chiseled and strong. She had missed his muscular arms trapping her and holding her down as he used her body to pleasure himself. Just her amorous thoughts were making her wet again.


    She shook her head, slapping herself lightly. They''d had their fill, made up for 5 years apart the whole day ¡ª even though it was never enough. Now they had a score to settle.


    Shao walked out of the bathroom as she was putting on a tight fitting black tank top and cargo pants. She attached a holster to her curvy h.i.p.s. Opening a drawer, she pulled out a semi automatic 9mm weapon, loaded it and fastened it to her holster. She ran her hands through her hair and tied it up in a high ponytail.


    Shao let out a low whistle in appreciation of his wife.


    Kira rolled her eyes at him.


    "Grow up Mr. Moshi. Old men like you shouldn''t go around cat calling women!" she chided him, mockingly.


    Shao raises his eyebrows and feigned hurt at his wife''s taunts.


    "Is that how you welcome your most beloved husband home after five years?"


    Kira laughed and walked up to him, throwing her arms around his neck. She didn''t need to stand on her toes even though Shao was very tall and well built.


    Kira came from a very influential background too. The blood running in her veins wasn''t ordinary. She was tall and beautiful, but also a legendary fighter.


    "My husband always knew what he signed up for when he married me" she retorted at Shao.


    He pecked her nose and shot her a disarming smile.


    "That''s true. I knew very well, and married you just because of it. You''re a rare woman, Kira Lim."


    Kira was the only child of a branch of the Lim clan. This branch was known as the muscle of the Lim clan. They provided training and weapons to all the Lim fighters and bodyguards.


    It was because of her external support that he had been able to successfully escape from the Moshi Corporation bas.e.m.e.nt. The security and surveillance his tiresome little brother employed were no joke!


    But his backing was no less. Kira''s parents had passed away when she was a young girl and she was a fierce and determined leader with endless resources and a strong network.


    Kira smirked. Of course she was rare. She owned and commanded almost a small army of her own.


    "I hear from some little birdies that your brother got himself a pretty, young wife?"


    Shao''s eyes widened in surprise as he began to laugh eerily.


    "Well well well! I didn''t think he''d leave himself so well exposed over the years! With the mole your cousin has installed, I doubt Shen will have the time to cover all fronts."


    Kira scoffed.


    "Your brother and my cousin can keep playing their games. We have bigger plans."


    Shao edged closer to his powerful wife, looping his strong arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder.


    "Oh yes, we do. Neither one of them will see us coming."


    As the couple walked out of the beach bungalow, an armored helicopter descended in front of them.


    Shao grinned to himself. He was itching to go. But this time, he would have to exercise more patience. He wouldn''t be defeated so easily.


    They had put in 5 years of intense planning. He had struggled to work through the torture and imrpisonment at the very offices his father built. The humiliation he suffered at the hands of that little brat would be paid back in full.


    As they entered the heli, Kira had just one instruction.


    "Head to the base camp"

 Chapter 131 - These handsome young men

    As Lina''s black Lamborghini raced up to the front of her office, it was almost 10:30 in the morning. She frowned, frustrated at herself for being a little later than she had originally intended.


    But she was feeling refreshed. Her relationship with her husband felt like a new life had entered it and she was feeling particularly ambitious.


    Mei was waiting for her at the front desk, a stack of files and notes in hand, as usual. She walked alongside Lina, information pouring out of her mouth at top speed.


    "An official from Country C contacted our team regarding an arbitration matter regarding border issues with Country T. What shall we respond?"


    Lina continued walking to her office at top speed as Mei tried to keep up, attempting to remember all of Lina''s responses and orders.


    "What border issue is it? Territorial dispute? Military?"


    "Some farmers of Country T were captured at the border, claiming they had wandered to far with their cattle. But Country C have captured them claiming them as spies. The official wants a peaceful resolution while the ruling party in Country C want a public execution to prove a point to Country T."


    Lina frowned. What was with all these despotic leaders these days? A public execution would lead to further deterioration of the already fragile relationship Country T and C shared.


    "Get Masao and Juri to deal with it. They will lead the team, I''m not needed for this." Lina said, her orders final.


    The two international lawyers were highly efficient and decisive and would have no problem escalating this at the International Criminal Tribunal as a violation of human rights and due process if the ruling party of Country C didn''t comply with a release and penalty.


    Mei nodded, jotting everything down.


    As they reached her office door, Lina turned abruptly to Mei, blocking the door. Mei was startled.


    "Everything okay, boss?" she asked, puzzled.


    She usually followed boss into her office and they worked together on office matters.


    "Of course! Just before I go in, any personal calls?"


    Mei sighed. Of course there had been personal calls. There were always personal calls from the various clients that were enamoured with her beautiful boss.


    "That strange neon man refuses to give up, diligently calling to ask you to visit B nation every single day" Mei even rolled her eyes for additional effect.


    Lina almost gagged in disgust.


    "Doesn''t that man have a country to run!?" How could such irresponsible jokers be responsible for a whole nation and its livelihood?


    "This is why the world needs you, Boss!" Mei said with pride. "We''d all go to hell if you didn''t sort everyone''s problems out!"


    Lina nodded in agreement.


    "Anything else?" she asked, her eyebrows raised.


    "Ah yes! Miss Ayu called from young master''s office to inform that she will be the one to pick you up for lunch at noon!"


    Lina nodded cheerfully, finally content. Of course her husband wanted to see her!


    She looked at her watch and suddenly frowned. At noon?! Why was hubby so desperate? She would only have one and a half hours from now till noon.


    No¡­that wouldn''t do!


    She quickly ran into the office, slamming the door in Mei''s confused, cute little face, her curls bouncing all over in shock.


    Mei sighed. She served a strange woman, indeed.


    Her phone suddenly rung. She giggled as she saw the name ''Shu Yi'' pop up on her caller ID.


    She''d been seeing the sweet lab technician she had met during her Boss'' undercover bribing operation.


    He was her cure to the Dr. Hayama infatuation. She thought dreamily about his kind, soft eyes and his casual, joking smiles and easy laughs.


    She realised she should probably pick the phone up.


    The voice of that sweet man was heard on the other end and she put the phone to her ear.


    "What took you so long to pick up! Do you overwork yourself that much?" he chided her playfully.


    Mei let out a cute giggle.


    "Sorry! Boss finally came to work. I can''t believe she was that late! I had to keep her updated on the schedule today."


    Shu laughed out loud as he thought about who her boss really was. Sister-in-law was his close friend Shen''s wife after all.


    But Mei still didn''t know his true identity. He sighed. He wondered if he should tell her at all. It was all so simple and uncomplicated the way it was.


    Shu the lab technician and Mei, the corporate assistant. They had a sweet little world, and he didn''t want to destroy it with the poison he dealt with at the Yinan heir everyday.


    After all, that''s why Shen had a secret marriage with Lina. People like them who had it all ¡ª they never had it all for no cost.


    "What are you laughing so shamelessly about! Boss is very particular about her expectations. I have no time to joke around with handsome young men!" Mei retorted.


    "Aha! So you do think I''m handsome!" he crowed! This girl was too innocent, she didn''t give out compliments easily. A man obviously wanted his ego stroked every now and then!


    Mei blushed, realising inadvertently what she said. They hadn''t officially been dating, and had only been out a few times. She couldn''t possible be so straightforward with him!


    "I never specifically called YOU handsome, alright?" she argued.


    "A compliment once given, shouldn''t be taken back!" Shu wouldn''t give in either.


    Suddenly, Mei heard a shrill, familiar female voice in the background.


    "Why didn''t you buy me that designer bag I wanted! How irresponsible have you been? I asked you to get it for me 3 months ago and now they''re all sold out!"


    Mei was startled. Shu was with a woman demanding presents from him? What was going on?


    Shu suddenly went quiet.


    "Hello? Hello, Shu? What was that, who was that?"" she asked, confused. Her heart pounding in her chest. Was there another woman in his life?


    "Uh¡­Meimei, I''ll call you later okay? Something has come up."


    In saying so, he abruptly hung up the call, leaving the little, curly haired girl with a lump in her throat.

 Chapter 132 - Risky investments

    In the office, Lina sat at her computer, quietly pondering over the financial state of her consultancy. They had always been doing well, and her niche market was solely dominated by her people.


    Therefore, they never ran out of business and could charge elaborate fees to clients who could afford it.


    Moreover, she owned billions in assets and had another fortune tucked away securely in investments. After her coma, she had gone over the state of her company thoroughly. There were no holes or leakages, and things had luckily been running smoothly.


    A part of her ached for Shen. His conglomerate was massive. He had a lot more to keep track of as compared to her. Her one business was the equivalent to a fraction of his total empire.


    No wonder a mole had snuck in. No wonder people had found various positions to attack him from. She was resolute, though. She would protect her husband, no matter what the cost.


    "Oh! Of course, how could I forget!" she exclaimed to herself.


    She quickly dialled Ayu''s number.


    A firm, smooth female voice answered at the other line almost immediately.


    "Hello, Madam." Ayu''s tone was cold, unlike the bits of warmth and concern she had shown Lina the previous night.


    A part of Lina''s heart fell at the thought. She remembered Ayu''s gentle touch, and awkwardness. Things she didn''t think that beauty was capable of.


    Lina coughed awkwardly.


    "Uh¡­did you get home alright and sleep well?" Lina asked.


    Ayu was stirring a cup of coffee she was making with all the courage she had in her body. Of course she hadn''t slept well!


    Not only had she left her beloved Lina in the arms of her love rival and boss, but that very same boss had punished her for giving in to Lina''s demands!


    She had been up all night, reviewing the lowest level staff''s payslips to make sure it ''all tallied up'' because she was ''the only one I can trust''¡ª Shen had said to her sarcastically.


    She grit her teeth. Was her revered boss getting more and more annoying or was she falling even deeper for her idol boss'' crazy wife?!


    "Of course, I slept well." she responded curtly. "Is there anything Madam wanted?" she asked, dodging anymore small talk, before she said something stupid or revealing.


    Lina snapped back to reality.


    "Oh yes, of course! I called to postpone the time you pick me up. Noon is too early. Can you get here a little later ¡ª say, at 1:30 pm?" she enquired.


    Ayu sighed in disappointment. She had to wait an hour an a half longer to see her love''s face?


    But Lina misread her sigh.


    ''I must be such a burden to her. She probably feels like my babysitter.''


    "Ahh¡­never mind, Ayu, I know you''re busy! I''ll just drive over myself!" Lina offered, in an attempt to lighten Ayu''s burden.


    "No!" Ayu shouted.


    In a moment of shock, both women were silent on their respective ends. Lina was slightly taken aback. She wasn''t sure if Ayu was really angry at her. She wasn''t used to being shouted at.


    Ayu was internally beating herself up. She was terrified of having hurt Lina, but at the same time mad at herself for letting her emotions show so explicitly.


    What was Lina thinking, Ayu wondered, not knowing what to say next.


    Lina was tongue-tied. Not getting a response, Ayu tried to explain herself.


    "Uh-umm¡­I''m sorry. I can''t let you do take the trouble. Please let me help."


    Ayu''s voice was awkward, but soft and slightly pained. Lina felt bad for Ayu in that moment. Maybe she was being threatened by her devil husband.


    Lina smiled to herself. She wouldn''t get Ayu into more trouble.


    "Okay! Then I''ll be waiting for you!" she answered pleasantly and hung up.


    Ayu breathed a sigh of relief and put her hand on her chest. Her heartbeat was racing.


    "Keep yourself in check, idiot." she whispered to herself softly as she got up to go finish some more work.


    At the consultancy, Lina logged into the company bank account. She knew what she had to do now. She had spent enough time sitting on the sidelines. She looked at all her investments. Wise decisions from the past had paid off.


    She smiled as she made calculations on a piece of paper next to her. After a few clicks, she grinned to herself. Phase one had finally begun.


    She picked up her intercom and called Mei in.


    The little assistant came knocking to her door almost immediately.


    "Boss, there has been progress. But I''m afraid the news isn''t too good" Mei said, huffing. She knew, for some reason, this case was important to boss.


    The Country A case. Their contact was missing. He was a high ranking official from the government who had tipped them off about restricted arms deals between Country A and Country J. But for some reason, the consultancy had lost contact with him.


    Takashi Hino walked in behind Mei. He was the consultancy''s head of operations and communications. Lina had left him in charge of investigating the disappearance.


    "What news, Takashi?" Lina asked, grave expression clouding her face. She was preparing for the worst.


    "Boss, it seems unlikely that our contact is still alive"


    Takashi''s words were solid as rock. There was hardly any doubt in his implication. Even though he used the word ''unlikely'', Takashi knew that the man was dead.


    "We recovered a body from a reservoir near the building where he works. Our trusted allies in the police force of Country A investigated it thoroughly. His wife identified his personal belongings."


    Lina slammed her fist on the table. The officials in Country A who were plotting were a force to be reckoned with. They were so well informed and their execution was ruthless.


    But this was confirmation that the threat was real.


    "You know what this means don''t you both?" Lina asked slowly.


    Takashi nodded.


    "A war is coming, isn''t it Boss?" Mei asked quietly.


    Lina nodded. She didn''t know what firepower Country A already had now that their contacts in Country J had been exporting them through a gold pass shipping company that didn''t require stringent border control checks.


    Lina snapped her fingers.


    "Takashi, did you make a list of all the shipping companies in Country J that have the gold pass recommendation?" she asked hopefully.


    Takashi nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. This was their one lead. If they could narrow down the likeliest organisation assisting this trade, they could acc.u.mulate a lot more information.


    As Takashi passed a slip of paper to her, Lina remembered something important. Didn''t her husband''s very own conglomerate have a top rated shipping subsidiary?!


    As her heart was filled with dread, she looked at the sheet in her hand. And sure enough, one name stood out like a thorn.


    ''MOSHI CORPORATION SHIPPING''

 Chapter 133 - Deeper investigations

    Ro-kun''s body healed much faster than the doctors at the hospital expected. He was, after all, a battle-hardened man who was accustomed to being repeatedly injured and fighting back. He had work to do, now.


    As he got up from the hospital bed and packed his things into his duffel bag, the nurses looked worried.


    "Mister, will you really be alright? We haven''t technically received permission to discharge you. Besides, you guardian is also unaware of this. You were expected to stay here a few more weeks at least."


    Ro-kun''s face remained expressionless until he heard the word ''guardian''.


    "My guardian?" he asked, confused.


    The nurses exchanged glances with each other. Why was this man so surprised? The beautiful lady with the shoulder-length hair and high cheekbones had informed them very clearly to notify her of anything to do with Ro-kun''s recovery.


    "Yes, sir. Isn''t she responsible for you? That lady?"


    As the realisation dawned upon Ro-kun that Ayu was who they were referring to, a small small formed on his stony face.


    The nurses almost gasped. This rugged, dangerous looking person was¡­handsome? Everyone was always so scared of him, they often overlooked his strong features. He wasn''t a strikingly obvious chocolate boy, like Shen or Loren, but there was something about Ro-kun.


    As Ro-kun turned around and walked away, his duffel bag slung over his chest, a snap-back hat on his head, the nurses almost fainted.


    "I would jump that man if I had more courage!" one nurse sighed.


    "Ahh, just would you look at those thick muscles!" another squealed.


    "That lady must be really lucky! Who walks away like that after hardly a month, getting shot like that¡­" yet another nurse whined to her friends.


    As Ro-kun walked out, he played with a USB stick in his hands. Au had asked him to go through then city surveillance cameras that James had hacked into and stolen to find traces of the black car that had been tailing them.


    The woman that shot him, the woman who was aiming for Ayu¡­she was the driver. They were to find out who she was.


    Ro-kun was deep in thought as he pulled out his phone. He was an ex military officer. After he finished service and withdrew, he had come to work for Shen almost five years back, when the Moshi brothers were at war with each other.


    That''s how he knew what they had done to Shen, almost crippling him, and destroying his parents. They had crossed every line in the book, trying to defeat Shen.


    And now, one of those monsters was on the lose.


    He quickly made a call to an old friend.


    "Well, my dear, I didn''t think I''d hear from you again" a s.e.xy female voice flooded his ears as the rings stopped and his called was picked up.


    "Good to speak to you too, once again¡­General Sayu." Ro-kun answered, playfully bantering with his senior.


    "Now now, no need to address me so formally. We''ve always been rather close, haven''t we, Ro-kun?" she asked, seductively.


    "Speak for yourself! I must only address my senior respectfully." he fought back her advances.


    As he heard an exaggerated sigh at the other end, he knew the woman had finally given up trying to tease him.


    "So, how come you''re calling me after all this while! It can''t simply be because you missed me. I sense an ulterior motive."


    "You''re right, General Sayu. I do have a big favour to ask of you." Ro-kun started. But he was interrupted by the woman.


    "Oh, and what do I get in return from you?" she wasn''t going to let him have his way so easily. This was a woman who was accustomed to bullying every man. That was how she had progressed so quickly and risen up the ranks.


    Ro-kun smiled mischievously. He knew this woman was too shrewd. She wouldn''t give him anything without a deal in her own favour.


    "How about I take you out for a nice dinner when you give me what I want?" Ro-kun bargained.


    There was a pause at the other end.


    "Not bad, Ro-kun. You''re playing hard to get! Take me out to dinner¡­and then drinks afterwards. Agreed?" she made him an offer.


    Ro-kun needed this information and was getting impatient with the volleyed conversation. Exhausted, he just agreed.


    "Yes, fine, drinks after. Now will you tell me what I want to know, Sayu?"


    "Ah! Ro-kun, you''re still so cute! You even dropped the formalities. Alright, tell me, what is it you wanted to ask?"


    "Since I left the army, can you send me a list of all the dishonourable discharges you''ve had in this region?"


    Ro-kun couldn''t be sure where the woman was from, but he had to start somewhere. If this woman was speeding around the outskirts of the huge capital city in J country with such familiarity and confidence, there was a high probability she was from this region and that General Sayu would be able to provide helpful information.


    Ro-kun had Mari''s face clearly plastered in his mind. How could he forget the face of the person who had tried to harm Ayu?!


    "That''s a lot you''re asking for from me, I hope you know that." Sayu said to Ro-kun quietly, the mischief and teasing leaving her voice.


    The dishonourable dischargee lists were not only highly confidential, but these people were also extremely dangerous. Some of them had been trained to an impossible extent and had gone rogue. These were the types that were extremely dangerous to approach.


    "What are you planning to do with this list?" she enquired further.


    "Don''t worry. This is just some recon work."


    But the General found it hard to believe. She decided she would have to keep an eye on Ro-kun. But there was no way she was going to let him know.


    "Okay, meet me tomorrow at 6pm at the veterans bar. You''ll have your list."


    Saying this, Sayu hung up the phone.


    Ro-kun pondered over the incidents of late. That woman in the black car, she was definitely part of something bigger.


    -- At the Agency --


    Senior knocked on the big boss'' door.


    "Boss, you have a visitor"


    The boss put his cigar down, a small smile playing on his lips.


    "Let her in" he said quietly.


    Senior nodded, as a stunning woman in a military suit walked in to his office.


    As the door closed behind her, she slowly unbuttoned her jacket, the General''s ranking stars on the shoulder pads hitting the floor as her clothes came off.


    "It''s been a while, Sayu" the big boss said in his low, s.e.xy voice.


    "I''ve missed you" she replied.

 Chapter 134 - One step at a time

    Sayu lazed like a sleepy feline on the sofa in the big boss'' office. She was only wearing her white shirt after the physical activity the two had engaged in.


    "So what''s the purpose of this visit?" the big boss asked Sayu, suiting up. He didn''t like remaining in a state of undress that most people enjoyed after intercourse. He wasn''t much of a cuddler either.


    Sayu frowned.


    "Always straight to business aren''t you?"


    The big boss sighed.


    "Don''t be whiny. That''s one reason I don''t like younger women."


    Sayu made a face at him. Generally, she preferred meaningless s.e.x. Men were easy to come by, and they worshipped at her feet.


    But this big boss, she had really found herself a tough nut to crack.


    Initially, he had approached her personally, to work together on a beaurocratic issue that was getting in her own way. It had served her purposes...as well as his.


    Since then they had been feeding each other information when necessary.


    "I have some news for you..." she said lazily, not bothered to respond to his little jab at her ego earlier.


    "What is it?"


    "It''s that bodyguard - Ro-kun. He served under me while he was enlisted. I know you''ve had an eye out for that Moshi boy. Ro-kun, his bodyguard, is looking for certain ''dishonorable dischargees'' from the army."


    The big boss'' lips twitched. He seemed to be smiling, but his expression was more twisted than happy.


    "That''s interesting...isn''t it?" he said, his voice low, like a ferocious cat in the bushes, waiting to pounce.


    Sayu sat up straight, she didn''t quite understand what he was getting at.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Shen doesn''t even know the forces at work against him. Looks like he placed his faith in the wrong person"


    Sayu''s eyebrows were knitted together. She had no idea what Ro-kun''s situation was. But apparently the man she was sleeping with knew more than she did.


    "I just thought you''d be intersted in knowing that someone''s looking into where some of your employees come from"


    The big boss laughed out loud.


    "Oh, that''s not what they''re looking for!"


    "Then...what?"


    "They''re looking for the ones attacking them out in the open...yet, they don''t know they''re working with the enemy. That Shen boy is much stupider than I''d assumed!" the big boss crowed. He seemed extremely proud of himself.


    He was set on destroying Moshi Corportation, the heir to the conglomerate and that out of control agent of his in one go. But they had made the situation far more complicated.


    Furthermore, after some more digging as Dr. Hayama, he had uncovered some more things about Lina that had fit her perfectly in his plans.


    "More than anything...I need that girl." he whispered.


    Sayu made an annoyed face, unable to control her emotions.


    "What girl?" she asked, irritatedly.


    Sayu was annoyed that he was talking about needing another woman while she was already there right in front of him, available and willing.


    "A girl I didn''t think was as important as she is, as compared to when I first met her." he answered quietly.


    "Why didn''t you think she was important when you first met her?" Sayu probed, the jealous part of her qurious to learn more about that woman her lover was talking about.


    But the big boss seemed to snap out of it all of sudden.


    "None of your business, Sayu. Now, if you''ve nothing else to do, I better get back to work" The big boss'' words were curt, but they stung Sayu like a malicious tick sucking her every drop of blood.


    She grit her teeth as she put up a brave smile and walked out after throwing on her clothes as fast as she could.


    She couldn''t remember why she wanted this man anymore, but he was an irresistable addiction to her.


    ****************


    At lunchtime, at the Moshi Corporation offices, Lina made a very public appearance at her husband''s place of work.


    Everyone was formally given notice about her attival before she had even step foot into the buidling.


    As she reached Shen''s floor exactly on time, his office doors were flung wide open, as if to welcome her arrival.


    Lina noticed Shen from a distance, speaking into his phone, occasionally smiling and at other times arguing a little harder.


    Her heart always melted at his mannerisms. That was her man, the one who gave her everything, made her feel complete.


    Before she could even process what she was doing, she had involuntarily rushed towards him and hugged him from behind, her arms encircling his wait.


    "I''ll have to call you back" she heard her husband say to the person on the other end of the phone as he immediately cut the call to embrace his darling, spoiled wife.


    "I''ve been waiting for you, angel" he said, smiling widely to himself, satisfied at his wife''s affectionate greeting.


    "I missed you" she mumbled into his back.


    The husband''s smile got wider, hearing her words. Of course she must have missed him! After all, he had given her a taste of his virility just last night. It was understandable that his wife''s brain had turned to mush after that.


    She continued speaking as she hugged him.


    "Dear god, I was so hungry. I''m glad I got to you as fast I could, now I can finally have lunch-"


    The happy husband''s wide smile fell a hundred feet deep into the ground.


    Seriously?!


    Food was why she was happy to see him?


    "Darling, I heard mother cooked and sent her chicken soup for me." she released her husband and started unpacking the lunch basket her mother-in-law had sent over, excited to smell her favourite dish.


    She completely forgot to look up at her sour husband''s face.


    As she looked up at him to invite him to sit down for lunch with her, she noticed the lines on his forehead, and the darkness in his eyes.


    "Is this real, angel? Are you really giving chicken soup more importance than you''re giving me?"

 Chapter 135 - Stronger together

    Lina coughed stupidly. She couldn''t giver herself away so openly. She knew she had to butter her husband up at least a little before she turned her attention to the food.


    "Oh, I just realised I''m not so hungry. Here, sit down, hubby, let me massage your back - you''ve been working so hard all day!" Lina tried to save herself, willing herself to look away from the chicken soup.


    Shen wasn''t fooled. He sighed deeply. This idiot wouldn''t stop stealing glances at her favorite meal if she was held at gunpoint. Why did he dote on her so deeply?


    He gently held her arms to stop her from massaging his back, and sat her down at the table in his office. Without saying much, he carefully placed all the dishes in front of her, even spreading a napkin on her lap.


    Only then did he sit down to eat as well. Lina smiled, love sparkling in her eyes for her kind husband. He knew full well that her stomach''s needs were primary.


    Since the doors to his office were finally closed, Shen spoke frankly to Lina as he served himself some rice a bowl.


    "Was there any new information on the Country A case?"


    Lina remained quiet for a second, remembering the list Takashi had given her about gold pass shipping companies. That was the key to deciphering the puzzle.


    "Lina?" Shen asked, sensing that she was trying to decide once more to tell him something important or not.


    Lina recalled their conversation the previous night - the truth, the peace and the security that prevailed between them, strengthening their relationship. She couldn''t destroy that again. Or she may as well never recover.


    She took a deep breath, before she started.


    "Yes, actually. There have been some further developments I heard about this morning at the office. But it doesn''t look good¡­for you."


    Shen grimaced, knowing full well what was coming. After Lina had told him about Magnolia and the Lims, he had looked into it a little deeper that morning. It definitely had to do with their shipping contract, since that was the only way in which Magnolia was trading with Country A.


    Why had Magnolia lingered in her memories while everything else had virtually disappeared?


    But what all this eventually meant, was that Lina had been tied up in something that involved him before she was attacked. And not even she could remember why.


    "Just tell me. we will deal with it together."


    "Shen¡­it seems like they''ve been dealing in illegal arms. They''ve been supplying to a mutinous faction in the ruling party that wants to wage a war."


    "The Lims?"


    "Yes."


    Shen was quiet for a few seconds, as if to process the information bomb that was dropped on him.


    Everything made sense. He had been going over the Lims'' shipping inventories lately since there had been some discrepancies with the weight of the goods that had caused problems on route.


    Who knows what his cargo vehicles had been used for.


    Shen''s palms got sweaty as his face paled. What the hell had happened under the Moshi name?! Especially after all he had done to curb his brothers'' illegal activities using Moshi Corporation to become the CEO.


    He had promised his father and himself to run the company with as much integrity as he could.


    He felt Lina''s soft hands cover his big ones. He looked up at her worried face.


    "It''s not your fault" she said quietly, her voice firm. She knew instinctively that this upstanding husband of hers would beat himself up for being a fool when someone had clearly betrayed him.


    "But it is¡ªsomeone had played me for a fool. I knew there was a mole, but I didn''t know they would have gone so far! And now I know they are directly connected with the Lim clan."


    Lina stood up and hugged him, knowing he was in need of comfort. He worked incessantly and tirelessly to make Moshi Corporation what it was.


    From what everyone had told her, this company was his life, before she met him.


    Moshi Corp was his heart, and somebody had stabbed it. Someone had hurt her husband, and now Lina was filled with a thirst for vengeance.


    "We will find the people who did this, I promise."


    Shen held her back and looked deeply at her face.


    "Baby, these people¡­I don''t want you to get entangled in my mess."


    She frowned. Had they not decided that they were in this together?


    "You know I''m strong. I can be of use" she pressed on.


    "I don''t know how involved you were with this before, but I can''t lose you again" Shen''s voice trembled as he spoke to her, holding her face close to his.


    "And I don''t want to lose you either. It''s time we stopped trying to solve our problems alone. We can protect each other better if we work together. Please, darling, trust me."


    Lina''s words and the depth of her dark eyes gave Shen the belief and faith in her ability. This was the best way to keep her close.


    "Okay. Let''d do this. Together."


    Lina grinned and hugged him tightly. She was overjoyed. She felt more energetic than she had ever felt since she woke up from her coma.


    She was already making extensive plans in her head, it came to her so naturally.


    "Let me use my resources and networks to look into Country A''s end of this correspondence."


    Shen nodded, making his own plans as well. This husband and wife pair were truly very capable.


    "And I''ll play along with the Lim''s and look into their dealing with our shipping department more carefully."


    Lina nodded, completely in agreement with her husband. But then a thought hit her.


    "What would help the most, though, is if I could get my memories back. I have a lot more information we could use."


    "Would you like to make another appointment with Dr. Hayama?"


    Dr. Hayama...did she really want to see that man again?

 Chapter 136 - Partners

    Lina had been thinking about Dr. Hayama''s last session the previous night wondering if he had helped her more than terrified her.


    She still didn''t like him and was uncomfortable around him, but she couldn''t deny feeling like he was helping her open a box that would otherwise remain closed, leaving her vulnerable and helpless.


    "Yes. I want to do it" she said, looking her husband in the eye, her heart full of determination.


    Shen smiled at her. His wife was such a fighter ¡ª she never gave up. She made him proud of her everyday.


    "This time, though, I want to go with you" he declared. He sensed an uneasiness around his wife. Perhaps it was nervousness and anxiety. None of this was easy for her. But he wanted to be there to hold and support her through it all.


    "mmhm" she nodded, agreeing easily.


    It was nice to be on the same page with her husband. They''d had a hard time seeing eye to eye since her coma, especially because they had inexplicably wanted to protect each other overzealously.


    Now they could do it without another fight. They could support each other as well as protect one another. That was the best feeling. That was a partnership.


    **********************


    ~At the Basecamp~


    Kira Lim''s helicopter landed late that night at the Lim branch''s secret basecamp. Not even the main branch knew about this small army Kira had been grooming for the last few years, since she had become the head of this branch.


    Shao Moshi, her husband, walked along the tall, beautiful lady commander. All the soldiers turned to watch the woman they worshipped like a queen walk past, reverence in their eyes.


    "They seem to love you here¡­more than just a boss" Shao commented, a tinge of jealousy in his voice.


    "Well, I''ve groomed most of them since they were teenagers. I don''t buy their loyalty. I earn it. Nobody here is stronger than me. Naturally, they look up to me."


    What she said was true. None of her soldiers had been ''employed''. Instead, they had been homeless, or lost, wayward, starving ¡ª and she had taken them in, changed their lives and made them stronger.


    She was more than a boss or an employer. They would follow her anywhere.


    Shao had known his wife had been training these soldiers, but he had been fighting his own battles with his brothers, so he didn''t know the true extent of her power.


    Nor had Kira exposed her hand by using her army to protect her husband when she knew they weren''t strong enough. But now¡­now the time had come.


    "With this army¡­not only will I give you your throne back, but I''ll take mine too. This will be the main branch of the Lim clan, not Loren''s ¡ª with their filthy foreign blood."


    The main branch of the Lim clan had been fending off a minority of other branch families that opposed their mixed blood through the marriage to the princess from Country C. They believed in the pure-blooded Lim lineage.


    Shao smiled. His wife seemed invincible. With their resources, they could rule the world. Even though he had been off the grid for five long years, he still had some trusted contacts he could use. Furthermore¡­he had money. Lots of it.


    Money his greedy little brother would never get his claws on.


    "What''s mine is yours to use, Kira" he said to her, quietly.


    "I know. Thank you for being my partner. Together, we will achieve everything, strip those rats of all the entitlement they''ve ever felt."


    As they entered a massive tent, Shao was further dumbfounded.


    Long tables stood side by side, large cases lay open, and boxes were strewn open.


    "Welcome to my armoury" Kira said, grinning widely.


    Other women like diamonds and bags, designer shoes and fancy dresses. But for Kira, she only loved one thing.


    Firearms.


    She picked up a sleek-lightweight sniper rifle and placed it on the table, running her fingers seductively all over it.


    "If only you touched me like that" Shao complained pretentiously as he watch his wife dote on her favourite weapon.


    "Honey, if only you never missed" she joked back.


    Shao laughed loudly. This woman''s words still stung with each of her merciless retorts. He was happy to see his wife''s spirit had remained untouched through his imprisonment.


    "Still your favourite in the toy box?" he asked, knowing the answer full well.


    His wife was a brilliant, class A sniper. She was almost unbeatable. Almost.


    She frowned.


    "Always my favourite. But that person¡­they''re still better than me. Whether man or woman, their identity is still unknown, but I believe they''re the only person who could possibly snipe better than me."


    Kira''s involvement in the world of silent killings was deep. She knew every impeccable sniping victim, but there were the legends of one person that were long a thorn to her side.


    The feats she''d heard of that person with the sheer of volume of high profile assassinations they had carried out, she had at first only wanted to meet them. But over the years, festering jealously had made her hateful.


    Little did she know, that that man sat in a cell, imprisoned at the Agency headquarters, an institution she''d only heard fables about.


    Shao gathered his wife in his arms, circling her waist.


    "You''re overestimating that person and underestimating yourself. I promise you, once everything is settled, I will find that person for you, so you can prove you''re better."


    Amidst all the heat they were facing, his bold wife was still childish and competitive. She managed to live in a harsh world. Unlike other women, she didn''t care about societal gossip, but focused more on the bulletins of the underworld.


    Her network and connections ran deep into ever slum and sewer, in high places and in low, she had her spies everywhere.


    She nodded like a spoilt child. After all this was over, and she''d had her way, she would sniff out that person and challenge them.


    And win.


    ~in a prison cell at the Agency~


    Tachi sneezed.


    Someone was cursing him somewhere.


    He wasn''t surprised. He''d made a lot of enemies.

 Chapter 137 - Information Leak

    The next day, Ro-kun got dressed at one person studio apartment. Like Ayu''s place, it was provided by Moshi Corporation, so it was a high-end, spacious place.


    But unlike Ayu''s cold, unfurnished and barren spaces, Ro-kun had put in a lot of efforts to make the interior a very cozy home. There were comfortable armchairs everywhere, his bed was big and fluffy, his kitchen well-stocked and the walls dotted with pretty art.


    It was hard to believe such a rugged-looking man was an adept housekeeper as well. Somehow the image was slightly comical.


    Ro-kun still found it hard to dress completely without dull aches in his body, especially near the healing wound. But tonight was important. He was able to participate in some way to help the boss and avenge Ayu.


    He wore a white shirt tucked into grey pants, fitting his muscular build perfectly. His broad shoulders and well-shaped torso were a treat for any woman''s eyes. The scar over his eye made him look even more dangerous.


    Ro-kun''s charm was very simple. He was simply clueless about the attention he got, and was entirely oblivious to his good looks.


    With a little, mildly approving nod at himself in the mirror, he set off the the old Veteran''s bar to meet his old boss.


    He reached five minutes early. Military training made sure to condition him never to be late.


    As he took a seat, a small smile crept on to his face. There were men and women in groups, laughing around, parting each other on their backs, playing games of darts and pool. It was a jovial environment for people who connected with each other after having survived hell.


    It felt familiar. Working in private security had made him feel alienated sometimes. He used to frequent this bar more in the beginning, but hadn''t been there in a while.


    An older man, the bartender walked up to him, wiping a beer mug in his hand.


    "Hey there, what can i get you?" he asked casually.


    As Ro-kun looked the older man in the eye, a look of recognition formed on his face.


    "How have you been old man?" Ro-kun asked jokingly.


    "Well, it sure has been a while!" the bartender commented laughingly. He quickly brought Ro-kun a glass of single-malt scotch, knowing well what his old customer liked.


    "So, Ro-kun, what brings you back here? Didn''t you have a high profile, time-consuming job in private security now? I didn''t expect to see you lurking around here for a bit!" the bartender commented.


    Ro-kun took a sip of the scotch.


    "Actually, I was injured in the line of duty!"


    "Another battle scar?" the bartender asked, raising an eyebrow. "Who did you throw yourself in front of this time?"


    Ro-kun let out a dry laugh.


    "Someone I care about" he said quietly, so that the bartended couldn''t here him.


    As the words came out of his mouth, the barstool next to him was filled, a familiar aura of a woman.


    "And who might that be?" the woman''s voice asked, a hint of jealousy hidden within.


    Ro-kun turned to greet his old superior.


    "General Sayu" he addressed her formally and nodded respectfully.


    As Ro-kun''s voices floated around the room, people started getting quiet as they noticed the confident, tall woman seated next to Ro-kun at the bar.


    It was unusual to see an active member of the military, let alone such a high ranking officer grace their humble veterans'' bar.


    As the General noticed the scrutiny and wonder that hushed the rest of the people up, her eyes turned cold. She didn''t need her meetings with anyone getting this much attention.


    She motioned to the bartender.


    "Do you have a more¡­private place for us?" she asked in a hush. Even though her voice was low, it sounded dangerous.


    The bartender looked uneasy¡­and so did Ro-kun. This woman was hard to deal with, and being alone with her was not his best option.


    When she had been his superior, she had often made him uneasy by pressuring him to spend time with her. What she wanted, she got. And she had wanted him. The last thing he wanted right now, was Sayu using his need for her information, to ask him s.e.x.u.a.l favours.


    Nevertheless, he sighed and walked behind the bartender who was leading them away. He opened a small door at the back of the bar and led them up a creaky and narrow stairway, darkened and covered in dust.


    He then opened another door with a brass key to a small attic room.


    "We haven''t got much in the way of high class private rooms, General but I hope this one will be cozy for you" he welcomed them in, setting the drinks down on a low table next to a must sofa.


    "It will do." came Sayu''s cold, monotone reply.


    As the bartender left the room and closed the door behind him, Sayu went over to the sofa and sat herself down luxuriously like a pedigree cat, crossing one long bare leg over the other.


    "You didn''t think I''d just hand you the list for nothing in return, did you?" she asked and uneasy looking Ro-kun.


    Ro-kun still stood where he was. He wasn''t her subordinate anymore. But she did still have information very useful for him. Something he needed to avenge Ayu¡­and protect his master.


    He couldn''t risk offending her either. She was a very senior officer, and one of the only people to have access to the names of all dishonourably discharged officers since he left the army.


    "Of course. What do you want from me" he asked her softly, still standing where he was.


    Sayu smiled coyly, patting the empty space next to her on the sofa.


    "Come here, sit with me and I''ll tell you"


    As he slowly walked over to sit with her, he still kept a little space between them on the small couch.


    Sayu turned to him and leaned in, as he moved back just slightly.


    "Don''t worry", she said in a seductive whisper, "I don''t like bratty little submissive boys like you anymore. I prefer more¡­difficult men."


    Ro-kun''s breathing eased.


    "Then what do you want?" he asked, almost knowing the answer in his head.


    This woman was always hungry for power. And there is one thing in the world that provides absolute power.


    "I want what you want¡­information."

 Chapter 138 - Trying too hard

    ~ At the Lim Villa~


    "Come in, Mana. This is your first time here, make yourself comfortable."


    Lila Lim welcomed the girl she had always been disgusted by with a sugary, elegant voice and the most practiced smile in her armoury.


    She grit her teeth, deeply. What had the world come to? She had to befriend this loser to get back at that crazy woman Lina. Why couldn''t she have remained missing? Why did she have to make such an explosive entrance back into society?


    Mana looked around at the grand villa awkwardly. The missy of the house stood in front of her, dressed regally in a beautiful deep green, short qipao embroidered with intricate flowers, her luscious hair in an elegant, low bun.


    "Thank you for inviting me. Your dress is beautiful." Mana complimented.


    Lila almost rolled her eyes at what a kiss-ass this woman was. But instead, her face softened. For a moment, Mana thought perhaps that was her more genuine face.


    "That''s nice of you to say. It once belonged to my late mother" there was a note of sorrow in her voice, that quickly wiped away, masked by the cold, elegant smile of the lady of the house.


    Two maids followed behind them as Lila led Mana to the main drawing room where the Lims entertaining company.


    It was done so tastefully, and royally, Mana had to hold her breath. Antiques and chandeliers covered the room, but somehow it didn''t look crowded. Lila belonged so perfectly in that room, Mana felt like she was at the service of a princess in her court.


    "Would you like tea, coffee, lemonade or some other kind of beverage?" Lila asked softly, her maids attentive at their guest''s response.


    "Oh-uh, thank you, some tea would be lovely" she managed to say, not expected the ultimate hospitality on part of the woman who had bullied her brutally the very first day of their college orientation.


    The maids quickly hurried off to prepare tea trays.


    Lila looked back and Mana and flashed her yet another disarming smile.


    "I''d like to clear the air between us, Mana, to begin with" she began.


    "Oh, no no! Don''t worry at all, there isn''t any air to clear" Mana stopped her, feeling more than gracious toward the princess who invited her into her home.


    That was more than her so-called, self-absorbed best friend had ever done. Lina had only ever invited her over to that bare apartment she called a home, while going back to the warmth of the Moshi mansion and all the riches and comforts it provided.


    Day by day, Mana''s resentment had grown towards Lina, jealousy stemming from a long-buried sense of insecurity.


    Lina had been nothing but supportive, but Mana didn''t want her pity and support. She wanted to feel like an equal. And Lila would help her feel that way.


    Lila laughed prettily.


    "No, please, I know it was long ago and we were just silly girls. But I do feel like I owe you a massive apology. I''m very sorry for being insensitive and bullying you for being different on that day, Mana"


    Lila''s deep eyes and well-practiced sincerity had Mana speechless. If this proud princess could have the decency to apologise to her, what right did Lina have to toss her aside?!


    Furthermore, Lila was rumoured to have connections to the famous Lim clan. The main branch was said to have ties to royalty from Country C. The drawing room, Lila''s dress¡­it seemed to fit the profile. If she wasn''t a branch clan, she was surely part of the main branch.


    Could Lina really even compare to that status?


    Mana shook her head vigourously.


    "Lila, don''t worry about it. We were young and immature. It happens. Let''s put it behind us. I haven''t been the nicest to you either. Us women, we must stick together."


    Mana''s words made Lila scoff internally. This woman was such a hypocrite, betraying her best friend and telling her they should stick together.


    But what difference did it make to her. Mana was just a tool anyway. She had bigger fish to fry. Not only did she have to deal with Lina, but there was also the question of the mystery woman, the current Madam Moshi she would have to remove from her path.


    Lila''s pride was equal to that of a divine goddess and not being able to punish Lina for publicly assaulting her during the very first day at university was a grudge she hadn''t let go of. Even her father, the great head of the main Lim branch, couldn''t get that bitch removed.


    She had often asked her father why he wasn''t able to touch Lina. But he always avoided the subject. She must have had some very strong backers. And Lila had often wondered how she could take her revenge without any blowback.


    And then this fickle woman Mana showed her true colours and insecurities, becoming the perfect tool. Not to mention, her annoying brother was useful in enticing Mana to roll over more easily.


    She noticed Mana had made a special effort to look prettier, but her efforts were pale in Lila''s eyes. Her clothes were plain, and the accessories she had tried to decorate herself with didn''t match. Her brother would never spare a girl like Mana a second look unless he had something to gain from it.


    Mana''s gaze was shifting around, as if she was expecting someone to walk in. Yet she was trying to remain composed. Lila scoffed internally, having realised she was hoping Loren would join them.


    "Unfortunately my father and brother are out on business today so they won''t be able to join us" Lila said politely, feigning apology.


    She saw the light in Mana''s eyes go out, as she held back a sarcastic laugh. Did this girl actually think she had a chance?


    "Of course, they must be extremely busy. But I''m so glad you made time to see me"


    Mana was really trying too hard, and Lila wanted to almost walk out in disgust. But she held back.


    "I didn''t have to make time, I''m happy to be in your company. I feel like we''ve had a lot of years of bad blood hold us bad."


    As Lila said this, with a dazzling smile on her face, Mana became more comfortable, slowly forgetting every ounce of guilt she may have felt towards Lina. What would that woman know how lonely and abandoned she felt wondering what had happened to the one person she trusted.


    She had tried to reach Lina every single day for days and then weeks, but had lost hope. At one point, she even mourned Lina. She never knew who to ask, since Lina had never spoken or introduced her to any family.


    But now, it didn''t matter if Lina was back. She would move on to better things for herself.


    Like Lila Lim.

 Chapter 139 - Trying too hard (2)

    As Mana and Lila sat and made small talk, the maids brought in an elaborate tea tray for both ladies.


    On Mana''s tea tray, there was a deep earl grey and beautiful lemon meringue tarts. She held her breath for a minute¡­.was it?


    Lila laughed gently at Mana''s reaction.


    "Yes, my brother sends his apologies for not being able to be present today."


    Lila had annoyed her brother into spilling the details of his run in with Lina and her ''boring little friend''. She had specially made sure that the cooks made lemon meringue tarts to keep Mana hooked.


    "Oh- Oh dear, I don''t know what to say! How kind of Loren¡­and how thoughtful!" she exclaimed in euphoria as she tucked a strand of her straight brown hair behind her ear, blushing lightly.


    The truth was Loren didn''t even know they had a visitor, and even if he knew, he never really cared.


    Now that Lila knew she had honed in on Mana''s weakness, her need for affirmation, she decided to get to the point.


    "Mana, I saw you were quite upset that day at the University fair. Do you want to talk about it?" she asked gently, in that same nurturing tone she had used before to coax Mana.


    Suddenly the sparkle left Mana''s eyes. She remembered the disagreement between herself and Lina and the anger rose in her chest once again.


    "There''s not so much to talk about" Mana said, her voice tightening.


    Lila knew something was up. But she couldn''t be so crass as to ask Mana straight out. She''d have to ease her way in.


    "Don''t worry, forget about it, we don''t have to ponder over silly things that don''t matter anyway."


    Those words latched on to Mana just as Lila had planned. She had baited her.


    ''silly things that don''t matter anyway''


    Mana had felt insignificant all her life, and those words hit the spot, just as Lila had predicted.


    "Actually no. They do matter. Who does Lina think she is? Just because she married into some powerful household, doesn''t maker her superior than the rest of the world. It''s not like she was born into royalty like you!"


    Lila held her breath. Lina was married into a powerful household? What was this? Did this have something to do with her backing? She couldn''t have been married already during college right? And who could have strong-armed HER family and kept Lina safe from expulsion?


    "Wait, what do you mean? I''m confused. Which family is Lina married into?"


    Lila suddenly felt a sense of foreboding, as if she didn''t really want to know the answer. Suddenly the image of Shen Moshi popped into her head, near the bathrooms at the University.


    Mana paused. She didn''t want to outrightly betray Lina. She bit her lower lip, and her fingers fidgeted with the ends of her dress.


    But Lila grew impatient. She felt like she needed to know, even if it hurt her feelings.


    "Mana, just tell me, now that you''ve opened Pandora''s box. If you want me to go through this with you, just be honest"


    Mana sighed. Lila was right. If she was going to pick a fight with Lina, she might as well definitely choose what side she was on.


    "She is Shen Moshi''s wife."


    Mana''s reply froze Lila. Now she knew why the mention of Lina being married to an influential family had got a rise out of her.


    That''s why her brother had been insisting to go to the University fair that day when he never went anywhere, least of all accompanying her on outings.


    That''s why Shen had been at the University fair too. He was just protecting his wife''s identity when he spoke to whoever ''Ayu'' was on the phone!


    It made her angry to think Shen was protecting her. That means he actually cared about her. That''s why he was even there! There was no need for him to make an appearance at the fair - he wasn''t even an alumnus. Shen had been educated abroad.


    That''s why he wasn''t snapping up her father''s offer to invest if he agreed to marry Lila. Shen really didn''t WANT to marry her because he cared about his wife¡­Lina.


    But she needed to confirm this fact with Mana.


    "Are they close?" she asked coldly.


    Mana grew slightly uncomfortable. She knew Lila hated Lina, but there was something strange about Lila''s reaction. She seemed almost¡­wounded.


    "Yes. Shen seems to really dote on her. He''s extremely overprotective, from what I''ve seen."


    Lila was doing everything in her power to maintain her poise. But internally, she could feel her heart thumping in anger, her fingers tingling with anxiety.


    But she couldn''t let Mana see her weaknesses. Nobody should be able to exploit her. Her mind needed to remain sharp if she wanted to achieve her goals.


    Lila''s face turned composed again, confusing Mana immensely.


    Have some tea, Mana. I hope you''re liking the taste. This Earl Gray was gifted to my father by a very close business associate in L city."


    "Uh, yes, it''s very relaxing" Mana responded, confused all of a sudden. Lila Lim was hard to read.


    "Lila, what do you want to do about it?" she asked slowly, taking another sip of her tea.


    Lila looked up, a charming smile on her lips, as if she hadn''t fully understood Mana''s intent.


    "Do about what?" she asked casually.


    "Lina?"


    Lila''s eyes widened as look of surprise crept into her eyes. Mana seemed more intent on hurting her once best friend than she had initially thought.


    "Well, let''s take things slow. Why don''t you¡­apologise to her, about your fight?" Lila suggested, a soft gleam in her eyes, the gears in her mind turning.


    Mana almost dropped her teacup and saucer. Apologise? Had she heard correctly?


    "What? Why would I do that? So she can walk over me and lord her life over me again? Make it all about her again?" Mana sputtered ungracefully.


    "If you want to win the war, you need to keep your cards close to your chest. Let your opponent reveal theirs first. Lina was gonna for so long, I wonder what she''s hiding besides her marriage to Shen" Lila schemed.


    "Ha! I know everything, she is so gullible" Mana crowed.


    Lila raised her eyebrows. There was more?


    "Oh yes, there is so much more. She was in a coma this whole time she disappeared. Double assassination attempt. I wonder who could have been so dumb as to not have finished her off already!" Mana scowled savagely.


    Lila smirked. Lina had made a lot more enemies than she had expected. Maybe she wouldn''t have to get her hands dirty at all. She could just feed Lina to the wolves. No doubt, her brother knew more. He was always spying on the Moshis anyway.


    That was her next thought. Loren was going to be her instrument.

 Chapter 140 - Strange connections

    General Sayu sighed heavily as she removed her clothing once she closed the doors to her mansion at the Capital City military base.


    She bit her lip as she admired herself in the mirror. She complimented herself mentally. For a woman in her late thirties, she had accomplished so much in her life, and yet maintained herself wonderfully.


    She''d always enjoyed the attention of men, and leading them around with the leash in her hands. But there was someone in her life now that she just could not tame. He kept her at an arm''s length and seemed to have more power than she did.


    Her mind drifted to the big boss. He was excrutiatingly attractive. He was older, mature, with a mind of his own. Something she had never really known. His strong, chiseled features, and the allure masked under a musky scent and cigar smoke.


    He pulled everyone''s strings from the shadows, living and thriving in the cover of darkness, normal people just pawns to him. And yet, he had let her into his bed. She must be special to him in some way!


    There was one thing she could give him that nobody else could. She had information, she always knew what he wanted to hear. Using what Ro-kun had told her today, she believed she could get closer to him.


    If he had been interested in the Moshi family, she had a lot of ammunition under her belt. Ro-kun was desperate enough. It seemed like he cared too much about someone, enough to give his employer away.


    ***************************************


    ~at the Consultancy~


    Mei was eating lunch alone at her desk, working simultaneously on work Lina had designated to her. Things were getting stressful at the consultancy lately with some big cases hitting roadblocks such as losing their contact from Country A''s government.


    If he was dead, which most like was the case, the people responsible were going to keep moving forwards with their plans and Lina and consultancy would be flying blind.


    Mei grimaced as she thought about the possible issues they would encounter, typing furiously while her rice lay cold to the side of her desk.


    "You''re going to turn into skin and bones if you don''t eat and just overwork yourself, Meimei" a familiar male voice startled her.


    As she looked up, she saw a good looking man she recognised in front of her.


    She stood up quickly, shocked to see him there.


    "Shu! Oh my god, what are you doing here?!" she exclaimed, a smile slowly creeping upon her lips. She was happy to see the clean cut, cheerful, kind man she had been dating here. It was an unexpected surprise.


    "I hope you don''t mind, I missed you and I wanted to get lunch with you during your break¡­but it looks like your boss keeps you occupied at all hours!" Shu said observantly, looking at Mei''s cluttered desk and her fl.u.s.tered demeanor.


    The ''lunch'' barely looked like a snack, a little box of fried rice, nothing more. Shu frowned. He had begun to care a lot about this cute, diligent woman who never seemed to give herself enough credit.


    As he opened his mouth to protest her eating habits when an undeniable aura entered.


    Shu saw Mei''s face light up. He frowned, because she seemed happier to see the person who just entered than she was to see him.


    "Boss! You''re back! How was lunch with the young master?" she asked excitedly.


    Shu turned to see Lina enter. He panicked a little, since Lina now knew who he was, but Mei didn''t.


    As Lina''s eyes fell upon him, she smiled secretly to herself. He was sweet to Mei, and she liked that. It didn''t matter who he was, he would tell her in his own time. But she could still tease them!


    "Ah! Looks like your admirer has dropped in during work hours!" she commented mischievously.


    "Sorry boss, he''s just leaving, he came to bring me some lunch" Mei tried to save face desperately pointing at her sad little rice box.


    Shu looked amused at her sucking up to her great boss. This girl was already throwing him under the bus, saying he was leaving when he had only just arrived!


    Little did she know he halted a very important board meeting at Yinan Industries to take her out to lunch! He would definitely think about how to punish her later.


    "That''s not much of a lunch to bring someone and come all the way to drop off is it? It looks rather unappetising? Meimei! You won''t be of any use to me if that''s what he''s feeding you!" Lina continued teasing.


    But Shu''s face began to turn red, and Mei felt a little guilty about the lashing he was taking from Lina because of her.


    She opened her mouth to protest but Shu beat her to it.


    "Well this was just an appetiser! I''m actually here to take her to a nice restaurant for lunch and make sure she eats properly and isn''t entirely over-worked!" Shu''s jab at Lina was also obvious.


    Mei panicked, unable to find words. Did her potential new boyfriend just insult her boss underhandedly?


    But Lina''s laugh soothed her worried.


    "Ok ok, I''ll stop torturing Meimei. Please take care of her for me" she said with a pleasant smile. Mei needed a break.


    She turned to Mei and in a somewhat serious tone, gave her further instructions.


    "Come to me when you''re back Meimei, we need to discuss the Country A situation. But first, make sure you buy all the food in the restaurant. I''m sure Shu can afford it!"


    Saying this, Lina walked back into her office with a subtle wink at Shu.


    As Shu and Mei left the office hand in hand, Lina watched them with a smile from her window. But as she turned away and sat at her desk, her smile disappeared. She held her head in her hands as she began to think of her husband and Moshi Corp''s involvement in the shipping of illegal arms to Country A.


    The last thing she wanted was for Shen to get hurt. She was absolutely sure for some reason that he had nothing to do with the smuggling, but someone was out to get him ¡ª and worse, frame him.


    She felt like she was flying blind, with nobody to trust and no information to go on with. She angrily slammed her fist on to her desk, making a loud sound.


    But as she looked down, a small compartment from under the desk had been pushed out from the under-side.


    Lina quickly felt the under-side of the desk out and found a latch she could pull the compartment out using. As the little, hidden drawer slid out with ease, she found a thick white envelope inside.

 Chapter 141 - Meeting her past self

    Lina''s heart began to race as she held the big while envelope in her hands. What did this mean? Who could have left this here besides her? This envelope was so well hidden, she didn''t know if she could remain calm opening it.


    Since she had awoken, she knew, there were many secrets to her life, things she couldn''t even keep track of anymore. There were mysterious people appearing out of nowhere who had thrown information at her she couldn''t keep track of anymore.


    Tachi¡­she thought about the man she had last seen only a while back. He told her he was her real husband.


    Her heart began beating faster¡­what if there was something in this envelope proving Tachi was her real husband and not Shen! She had totally forgotten about his existence, despite their last run-in!


    Lina steadied her breathing, as she opened the envelope and pulled out the stack of papers from within.


    Along with the papers also came a small black diary. But first she looked at the papers.


    The doc.u.ments seemed to register a series of numbers in rows. Under each line of numbers, Lina found little notes in her own handwriting.


    The numbers seemed familiar, and she automatically typed them into the map on her computer.


    It was a location, a very specific longitudinal and latitudinal indication. The other number was a time and date.


    Her notes seemed coded though.


    They said strange things like:


    "L1 x A8 - 3 strong, cash, port"


    Lina bit her lip as she pondered what to make of the doc.u.ment. As she flipped page after page, she saw similar notes that made no sense at different locations and times.


    There was no way she could derive meaning simply out of thin air.


    But a thought struck her. The diary! It must have been there for a reason.


    She quickly opened the first page - and sure enough there seemed to be a key for the code, also written in her own handwriting.


    Her heart began to race and her breaths became shorter as the adrenaline surged through her body.


    The numbers meant something, so did the signs. The only thing that didn''t make sense were the words.


    ''strong, cash, port'' ¡ª the three words staring back at her were the keys to the riddle.


    The alphabets with numbers were people. The alphabet referred to the party they belonged to and the number referred to the individual from that party.


    Lina found notes in the diary, listing these facts. The first few pages were full of names or code-names for the agents of these parties


    *A - Country A*


    *L - Lim Clan*


    *U - Unknown Party*


    *M - Moshi Corporation*


    Lina''s heart stopped. The M alphabet meant there was someone from Moshi Corporation definitely involved in whatever she had been so secretively looking into.


    From what she understood, under the party A column, there were several agents, namely 1, 2, 3 ¡ª all the way to 12, that she had supposedly tracked.


    The signs meant the following;


    *x -> transaction/cash or payment included*


    *+ -> only goods transactions without cash/or only cash without goods*


    *(-) -> only meet, no transactions*


    Therefore, the code in the doc.u.ment reading L1 x A8 meant that agent 1 from the Lim party had conducted and transaction of goods as well as cash with agent 8 from Country A.


    As Lina bit her lip, she realised there were some similarities between what she was investigating with the Country A case and the notes in the doc.u.ments from the envelope.


    Some kind of illegal transaction was taking place between Country A and the Lim Clan.


    A sudden realisation washed over Lina, in that moment. That very day, Moshi Corporation had shown up on the list of gold pass recommendation shipping companies that Takashi had a given her.


    Shipping companies operated from ports.


    Cash, the word made sense now. The sign was an ''x'', so there was a cash payment that was made between the agents.


    And then, the final chord hit. L1¡­an agent from the Lim clan. The Lim clan was associated with Lila Lim, whose villa she had walked into undercover as June''s store assistant with Meimei.


    She remembered what she had found there ¡ª proof that the Lim clan did indeed operate Magnolia Holdings. And then Shen had told her about the deal they were trying to make, renewing their shipping contract!


    And country A''s problem, that was the worst part ¡ª the arms dealing. It all made sense. The Lims were trying renew their contracts through Magnolia Holdings'' relationship with Moshi Corporation. They were using Shen!


    Now Lina''s hunch was stronger than ever. The Lims'' business was fishy and they were almost certainly shipping illegal arms to Country A using Moshi Corporation shipping. After everything Shen had done and gone through to clean Moshi Corporation for the last five years after the mess his brothers had made, the Lims were trying to tear him apart from the inside.


    Then the third word ''strong'' made sense. It described the goods. Armaments meant ''strong''. There was almost no doubt left in Lina''s mind anymore. Everything was connected, and yet it was all disconnected. But the only person who knew how¡­was her.


    And she had gone and lost all her memories.


    As Lina''s heart began to beat faster, it hit her. Why did she know about these things before the assassination attempts on her life? Why did the Magnolia Holdings inventory files from Shen''s study look so familiar to her?


    More importantly, why were these files kept so hidden in her office? Why didn''t anyone else know what was going on?


    There were too many questions and too few answers. Unfortunately for her, she knew only one person who could help reach into the recesses of her own mind. And she didn''t like that person at all.


    But this time, she would have her husband to protect her. Shen and her had decided to visit Dr. Hayama together again. As the mysteries in her life escalated, so did the risks. She had almost died two times over. If she didn''t figure things out and watch her back, this time she might actually die.


    And what''s worse, she might also take her beloved husband down with her.


    Yet, there was one thing that bothered her the most.


    Tachi.


    The man had successfully stalked and cornered her, but hadn''t been seen since. In fact, he had disappeared after dropping a big fact bomb on her ¡ª that he was her real husband!


    As much as she had been avoiding it, finding the hidden compartment in her office today made her believe that there were other imperative things she could uncover about herself. She would have definitely left traces.


    If her work was hidden in her office, any proof of a marriage to Tachi¡­it would be hidden in her home.


    But it couldn''t be hidden in her marital home. That would be too simple.


    She needed to look into her old apartment, the one she lived in before marrying Shen.

 Chapter 142 - Lost in her subconscious

    Shen pondered deep and hard after his wife''s visit at his office. The Lims were trying to play him and it was but certain at this point that the mole belonged to them.


    He wasn''t surprised, because the Lims never dealt clean. He knew that from the beginning. But he had been extremely careful to keep their shady business out of their dealings with Moshi Corporation.


    Five years ago, he had used all his power and energy into making sure Moshi would never deal dirty again after the mess his brothers had created and his father had almost been killed because of it.


    And yet, something had escaped him. Once again, the Lims were playing dirty, but what''s more? This time his most precious wife was in the center of it.


    But why? Why was Lina a part of this? He had known shortly after he married her that she was more than who she said she was. He had been waiting for her to come to him rather than force it out of her. But then, she''d lost her memory.


    However, something struck him. Even though Lina hadn''t directly discussed this with him, could her assassins have been sent by the Lims?


    He thought about old father Lim.


    ''No¡­no way. They can''t have gone that far. Old master Lim has established some face with Moshi after the branch families threatened my father''s life.'' Shen thought to himself, haunted with fear for Lina''s safety.


    Furthermore, there was the matter of Lina''s past being connected to the second assassination attempt. Shen''s growing suspicions about Tachi and the trace he had put Ayu on convinced him that Lina was mixed up with some very dangerous people.


    And yet, his worries didn''t end there. His oldest brother Shao had also escaped and was hiding somewhere¡­perhaps with a strong backer. He couldn''t have hidden so untraceably without help from someone powerful and resourceful.


    Shen struggled with himself and his promise to his wife. She wanted to be involved, and yet he couldn''t smother her. He had to trust her, no matter how hard it was.


    But he would support her. She would never be alone or feel alone with him around. He quickly made a new appointment with Dr. Hayama.


    He knew Lina''s sessions with him weren''t easy, and she was triggered and uncomfortable. But the doctor was effective. He knew that Lina''s memories were coming back in pieces.


    However, he also knew that something extremely traumatic was hidden in her past. And when she would have to face it, he would be there for his beautiful wife to fall back on. He had promised her this lifetime of companionship, and every lifetime he ever would live through.


    He picked up his intercom and called for Ayu.


    ***************************************************


    ~ at the Agency HQ ~


    Senior wrote something in his notebook as his lips twitched upwards. In that moment a tall, imposing figure walked out of his office doors towards where Senior was sitting.


    "You look pleased, that''s rare" the tall figure said, a whiff of strong cigar smell coming off him.


    "Yes, well, it seems that our little prodigy keeps coming back for more. She never understood the phrase ''curiosity kills the cat''" Senior scoffed in his low, monotone voice.


    "Must you even complain when things are going exactly as we planned?" the big boss flashed his second in command a writhing look.


    "Don''t mistake it my words as complaints, Dr. Hayama. Just don''t forget to be present for your next appointment with your only patient at six tomorrow" Senior shot back, teasing the boss with his adopted alias.


    "I''ll be there as long as I have my receptionist there to keep track of my schedule"


    Senior sighed. Sometimes, the boss'' excursions bored him out of his mind. Last time, that screaming woman Ayu kept pestering him about why Lina was taking so long in her session. He didn''t want to have to deal with it again.


    The big boss noticed a slight change in Senior''s normally cold appearance.


    "Is that a look of¡­annoyance?" the big boss'' voice was laced with mock amus.e.m.e.nt.


    "Her husband is accompanying her tomorrow. If that''s not a matter of annoyance, I don''t know what is" Senior responded to the jab by the big boss.


    The big boss looked irritated. Lina had too many people around her who were protective of her. He had expected her to make connections when she went deep undercover, but the people she had become related to as Lina Mito/Moshi were far too invested in her well being.


    Especially Shen Moshi. The boss had not factored in exactly how protective he would be of her. After the first assassination attempt, he would have naturally tried to finish her off. But she was protected extraordinarily well by her husband during her coma.


    But it was to his benefit, she had more information than he had ever known she had. Something connected very deeply to his personal business. And he wasn''t going to let her slip through his fingers again.


    He knew he had to work fast.


    "The information she has must be extremely valuable if you''re making such an effort to be involved yourself, isn''t that right?" Senior asked quietly.


    He had been thinking about how disturbed the big boss was since Lina''s recovery. It was subtle and the others at the Agency would never notice. But Senior had been with the big boss from the very start.


    He knew him better than anyone else. And he never did his own dirty work. But he was almost at Lina''s beck and call every time she needs a session. She definitely had a lot more information than just about this case.


    The big boss turned to Senior, as he looked his second in command directly in the eye. His eyes were dark, cold and unyielding.


    "She''s the only one who knows where it''s hidden" he said in a soft, dangerous voice.


    Senior''s eyes glistened with curiosity. Is it what he thought it was?


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yes, more than I will ever be. What a twist of circ.u.mstances. How did we never know?" Senior asked, his voice slightly shaky.


    "She''s very good at hiding in plain sight. We need to snuff her out as soon as we get what we need" the big boss whispered.


    "I thought it was lost, it can''t be¡­" Senior still mumbled in disbelief.


    "It is lost. Somewhere in her subconscious. We have to find it. We have to find the Ledger"

 Chapter 143 - A friend or a foe

    When Mana finally got home after her t¨ºte-¨¤-t¨ºte, she heaved a huge sigh. She should feel good about getting retribution for all the times Lina had overshadowed her and made her feel unimportant.


    She thought back to the time when they graduated. She had managed to pull through with decent grades. It had been so difficult because the University was one the best in the world and most elite in the country.


    She was a star student at her small school, but when she got to the University she was no longer a big fish in a small pond, but rather a very, very small fish in a very, very large pond.


    She had neither a strong and powerful family background nor looks. She had gotten in solely by luck, when a new admission had dropped out and she was next on the waitlist. She was moderately intelligent, but not prodigal.


    Simply put, she was an insignificant face, a small person lost in a big crowd of influentials.


    But Lina had seen her. Lina had been there with her through their years at University. She had given her pep talks, ate lunches with her and defended her from bullies.


    So why did she have this hateful feeling towards her best friend suddenly growing in her chest?


    Lina had always had it easy. She was beautiful, and charming and confident. People flocked around her for attention. She was eccentric, as she was individualistic ¡ª doing things her own way.


    Yet, she never even had to try to stand out on top of her class. Their majors were different, but everyone in every faculty knew the great Lina and her out-of-the-box ideas.


    Her mysterious backing always made people curious and wonder at who she really was. Especially since confronting Lila during orientation hadn''t got her into any trouble at all.


    All Mana knew, was that Lina came from a small rural village in Country J where she lived with her aunt and cousin. Once she left, she had never looked back, since they had hated her.


    Lina had never gone back home for holidays or big occasions, nor did she receive any familial visits in the big Capital City.


    As far as Mana knew, Lina got her own apartment and started the Consultancy straight out of college. She often went on long business trips and never really talked about them. But she had still always picked up Mana''s calls.


    She had still always been available to Mana in every circ.u.mstance. Been her friend, and her support.


    But Mana still felt, Lina had never really been present. She would tell her not to worry about grades and to focus on what she loved, but when did Lina ever have to worry about grades? She was always and ace.


    Lina always told her to start small, get a job where they pay may be average but she would get to learn a lot. But when did Lina ever have to struggle with applications? She got offered high paying jobs she hadn''t even applied for a turned them down.


    Lina always told her to love and appreciate herself when she got rejected by the boy she liked or they began dating other girls. But what would Lina, the girl with a million love confessions know about rejection and hurt?


    When Lina had disappeared for months during her coma and Mana couldn''t access her, she had felt more alone than ever. The one person who acknowledged her had disappeared without trace. Her worry for Lina had grown to pain and rejection.


    But when Lina had come back, Mana''s heart had softened. She was so happy to see her best friend alive and well. She had been so happy that Lina married someone who cared about her.


    She was so happy Lina had remembered her that one day. She was relieved, that even though Lina was lost, she hadn''t lost her.


    But then the pain and the hurt that had entered her life when Lina was gone, it hadn''t subsided. Mana had had a hard time at work, bullied and demeaned by her coworkers and not making any progress at the law firm.


    She still lived in a stinky, little apartment and could barely afford any luxuries while Lina was drowned in excess¡­and she didn''t even care.


    And when she met Loren, her heart had swooned. Yet, Lina hadn''t even given her a chance, being rude and trying to lose him, instead of trying to help her get together with him.


    She only cared about herself.


    Maybe Lina only kept her around because keeping someone like her around made Lina look better. Or worse, feel better about herself for being so ''charitable''.


    After all, everyone did always say ¡ª "What''s Lina doing, hanging around with that nobody?", "She even has a heart of gold, taking insignificant people under her wing!" "That Mana is really lucky to have somebody like Lina being such good friends with her."


    As these thoughts clouded her head, Mana had no doubt that she wanted to give Lina a taste of the loss she had always felt.


    She thought about Lila''s words and she firmly decided to herself that her relationship with Lina just wasn''t worth the pain anymore.


    She picked up her cell phone and quickly wrote a text.


    *Li, let''s meet at the caf¨¦ tomorrow. I have something I want to say.*


    As she sent the text, Mana took a deep breath. She reminded herself of the pain she felt and stood strong in the decision she was taking.


    *****************************************


    ~ at the Moshi Mansion ~


    Shen and Lina arrived back home together. Shen picked Lina up at work discretely and they were back home in time for dinner.


    Butler Min welcomed them back at the entrance while Housekeeper Tan was inside getting the table set and dishes prepared.


    "Welcome back young Master, Madam." Butler Min said pleasantly, a relieved smile on his face.


    The entire household was relieved and ecstatic that their master and mistress had finally made up and the chilliness between them had melted into a warm spring.


    Nobody had to walk on eggshells anymore, or most importantly, worry about their master turning into the devil himself.


    Shen and Lina greeted the Butler back.


    "Is dinner ready? Madam is hungry and we will retire soon. It has been a long day." Shen said to the Butler.


    Butler Min gave him an awkward glance.


    "Actually young master, you have company."


    Shen''s ears perked up in annoyance. Company? Right now? Who would come to their house unannounced?


    But Lina''s face had already broken into a smile. She knew the only two people in the world who would inconvenience Shen without any prior warning.


    "Mother, Father!" she called as she ran into the house.


    Shen stood with Butler Min at the door, a scowl on his face. His parent''s had dropped in yet again, to steal his wife''s attention. There was never a husband who greeted his parents as sourly as Shen Moshi did that evening.

 Chapter 144 - Missing his late father

    Shu Yi returned home after a long day at work at Yinan Industries and then another shift at Sakura Hospital where he worked as a lab technician.


    He looked down at his phone and smiled as he saw a sweet text from the cute girl he''d been seeing. Mei was a breath of fresh air in his stifling life, living with his stifling family.


    Sometimes, Shu missed his late father. His mother was an extremely controlling prideful woman and still tried to manipulate him.


    And his sister¡­sometimes, he had no words for the girl. The only reason he loved her was because she was his own flesh and blood.


    Thanks to Lina, Shen had twice overlooked Sara''s nasty behaviour and the trouble she had caused Madam Moshi. After some budget cuts and negotiations, Shu had finally arrived at only a slight disadvantage, but saving their contract with Moshi Corporation.


    But even as he entered his home, he heard his sister''s shrill complaining.


    "That horrible bitch! What right does she have to be the mistress of the Moshi household? Look at what she has done to my beautiful hair! She is such a bully, hurting a defenceless girl like me!"


    Sara had been throwing tantrums regularly since Lina chopped off her hair for torturing and beating the designer, June at the mall.


    Moreover, to her shock, she turned out to be her beloved Brother Shen''s new, mysterious wife who she had beaten up at the masked ball.


    But Sara still didn''t repent, despite spilling a c.o.c.ktail on her and ripping her dress buttons off in from of everyone at the University fair. In fact, she had just become more vindictive.


    Her hatred had grown, but so had her fear.


    Even though she couldn''t seek Lina out to teach her a lesson, she could still throw tantrums at home.


    When she saw her tired brother come home and smile at his cell phone, she flew at him in a rage.


    She beat her tiny fists on his broad chest and wailed.


    "How can I forgive you for treating me so brutally at the University fair! You should have stood by me and punished that horrid bitch for assaulting me and ripping my hair out! How can you be my big brother, my own flesh and blood?" she screamed.


    Shu rolled his eyes, held her wrists firmly and peeled her away. He bent down to her eye level and looked at her angrily.


    "Behave yourself. You''re not a child anymore, conduct yourself like a lady."


    The scene was quite funny, the maids held back their laughter. Their crazy-looking miss had bright make-up runningg down her face and was still dressed in pyjamas since she never really left the house these days.


    Thanks to her patchy head. Nothing could make her hair grow back faster. Rich, or poor ¡ª no matter who it was, nobody could make hair grow spontaneously. Only if perhaps, Jack sowed his magic beans in her head and made hair sprout like the gigantic beanstalk.


    At her brother''s harsh words, Sara wailed even louder. Why was everyone so nasty to her! What had she done to deceiver this treatment in her own home?


    Shu sighed. He had had enough of his sister for one day.


    He quietly walked to the table hoping to find dinner prepared for him. He was starving.


    But he found a bare table, with his mother sitting upright at one end, a mean glare in her prideful eye.


    "Traipsing around at peasant hospitals again, are we?" she asked, her voice cold and unchanging.


    "It''s none of your business" Shu replied in a low voice. He was in no mood for another confrontation with his difficult mother.


    Ever since his father had passed, Madam Yi had become even colder and more overbearing.


    "How about you focus on taking down your rivals before you lend yourself to charitable causes? Do something for your family and legacy, perhaps?" her words were laced with sarcasm.


    "Mother! Please watch what you say!" Shu???s anger rose in his chest.


    Madam Yi stood up, her eyes flashing in anger.


    "I hear you let Shen Moshi get the upper hand in the latest deal?" she shot back at her son. It was nothing short of an insult to her.


    Because of Moshi Corporation''s public silence, Madam Yi pretended to the media and other close friends that it was they, Yinan Industries, who had called off the deal with Moshi Corporation.


    However, much to her disappointment, there were witnesses at the masked ball who clearly remembered that it was Shen who had done so in defence of his wife.


    Moreover, everybody knew that Yinan Industries wasn''t holding up as well as they once had during the leadership of the old Master Yi and was in no position to go around calling off deals made with the flourishing Moshi Corporation.


    At such words, Shu couldn''t gold back his anger and agitation either.


    "Mother, you should be thanking me at saving some face because of my friendship with Shen. Perhaps you should focus more on teaching Sara how to behave instead of accusing me of not doing my job!"


    "Your ''friend'' Shen Moshi almost collapsed us! How could you call him your ''friend''?! He was so harsh to your sister, and yet you stand by him? Whose son are you?!" Madam Yi raged on.


    Shu realised there was no point arguing with his arrogant mother. She was power-hungry and greedy, never satisfied with his father''s achievements, she had eaten away at his self-esteem over the years.


    "I am my father''s son" Shu said quietly as he walked away and out of the house.


    He was too angry to remain home. He couldn''t stand the sight of his mother or his sister.


    Shu Yi felt more alone than ever, and all of a sudden he found his heart grieving once again for his father, his mentor¡­his most trusted companion.


    ''Am I not doing you proud enough, Father? Am I not preserving your legacy well?'' he asked his father inside his mind.


    Suddenly, his stomach grumbled. He sighed. He had walked out of his house too quickly, and now didn''t feel like going back him. But his stomach was begging for food.


    He pulled out his cell phone and quickly dialled the last number he texted.


    A cute voice answered at the other end.


    "Shu! What''s going on? It''s so late, aren''t you in bed already?" Em spoke into the phone. She was excited to receive a call from the kind, handsome lab technician she was seeing.


    "I would ask you the same question but I''m sure you''re still grovelling for your revered boss even at home, aren''t you?" he laughed.


    Meimei made a face. Did he have the guts to insult her great boss?


    "Grovelling isn''t the right word, Mr. Yi. I''m simply assisting her in achieving great heights. A person as fantastic as her ¡ª"


    But Shu cut her off, laughing, knowing that if he let Meimei talk about the great Madam Moshi, she would probably never stop.


    "Yes, yes I know, your boss is the best, and there is nobody greater than her. But have you eaten, yet?" he asked.


    Mei had indeed long forgotten about the needs of her poor, empty stomach as she focused on the current hubbub regarding the Country A case at the Consultancy that Lina had everyone so focused on.


    "Oh¡­no, I haven''t! Do you want to go somewhere to eat right now? Your voice sounds hungry" Mei giggled.


    Shu was surprised that this normally shy girl had taken the initiative to ask him to go out with her for food.


    "Meimei, is there a reason you''re so eager tonight?" he teased.


    Mei suddenly blushed. She hadn''t thought twice about what she had been saying.


    "Oh wait, I just remembered, I already ordered in some chicken. Don''t worry, we don''t need to go anywhere to eat!" she quickly tried to cover up, internally chastising herself.


    Shu laughed again. She was truly adorable.


    "I''ll meet you at the Sushi place near your apartment in half an hour!" he replied to her lousy cover-up without waiting for an answer.

 Chapter 145 - A Date Interrupted

    Mei huffily ran to the sushi restaurant near where she lived. She was running late even though she lived only a couple minutes away. Shu was already seated at the counter at the front.


    As she walked in a watched him from a distance, her heart melted a little. They had been taking things slow and she was enjoying getting to know him.


    He looked tired though, his head was hanging low and his hair was slightly messy. He was wearing office-looking clothes, a white shirt and light grey pants that fir very well. His broad shoulders and trim figure looked extremely appealing.


    Mei blushed at her own thoughts. She shook her head quickly as if to wish the thoughts away and walked towards him.


    "Sorry I''m late!" she exclaimed as she waved at him, smiling from ear to ear.


    Shu looked up at the sound of her voice, as his tired face broke into a huge grin!


    "What took you so long!" he joked with her.


    Mei blushed. The truth was, she had been lounging in her home clothes, a big old t-shirt and fluffy slippers, her hair in a messy bun on top of her head and a bare face.


    She had tried to pick out a cute outfit as quickly as she could, and put on some basic make-up. Eventually she ended up picking a soft, cotton blue blouse and well-fitted jeans.


    She didn''t have time to tame her curls so she had just given up, fluffed it with her fingers and decided to look ''messy'', hoping she wouldn''t end up seeming untidy.


    A brush of crimson on her cheeks, basic eye-liner and moisturising lip-balm later she looked lively and pretty like a figurine. Mei usually wore office clothes since she was always at work or just out of work when Shu met her.


    It was only the one date they had where she had dressed up with Lina''s help. He was taken aback at Mei''s ''natural'' beauty. She was a cool summer breeze to him, warm, easy and refreshing.


    "You look very pretty" he complimented her softly, leaving her speechless.


    She laughed nervously.


    "Thank you, but ahh, no I''m not. I didn''t have much time to prepare!"


    "Is that why you''re late?" Shu teased her relentlessly.


    She punched him playfully on the arm, more fl.u.s.tered than ever.


    "Stop it! You''re such a bully!"


    All of a sudden, Shu had forgotten about his stressful home and lost himself in Mei''s warm eyes.


    He felt light, carried on the summer breeze she had brought with her.


    As they ordered plates and plates of food to satisfy their appetites attributing to the energy they needed to replenish after long days of work.


    Shu called for some sake as well.


    But Mei panicked. She couldn''t drink! She had work the next morning. And even if she didn''t she would probably be hanging out with her boss working on all the projects they had embarked on lately.


    "I can''t, I can''t! Please don''t order alcohol!?? Mei protested.


    But Shu wasn''t having any of it.


    "You have to let lose sometimes! Have a few drinks at least, you don''t have to get drunk"


    "But I really can''t!" Mei continued to resist.


    Shu scrunched his face. Why did this girl always have to wind herself up so tightly?


    "You can''t? Who told you that you ''can''t''?" he probed.


    "Well¡­uh¡­I have a lot to do tomorrow!" Mei defended her decisions.


    "So it''s your great boss who puts up so many restrictions?" Shu shifted the blame delicately to Lina.


    It was Mei''s turn to scrunch up her face. How could he so blatantly blame her perfect boss?


    "What restrictions? My amazing boss never restricted anyone or anything!" Mei gallantly came to Lina''s rescue even in her absence.


    To prove herself, Mei quickly chugged down a cup of sake.


    Shu stifled laughter at her eagerness to prove that her boss was the best.


    ''One day I''ll make her drink for me instead of Madam Moshi'' he thought to himself, still amused at the cute girl in front of him sipping her second drink.


    "Ok, ok slow down Meimei, I''m going to have to catch up with you now!" he chuckled, chugging down a cup a well.


    Just then, the door to the restaurant jingled as it opened.


    A tall, beautiful woman stumbled in. She had light brown hair that fell over her shoulders in soft waves and enchanting green eyes.


    Mei''s eyes widened. She knew this woman!


    She immediately stood up as the woman sat down at the counter in the front where drinks were being served.


    She ran over to the woman and gently touched her shoulder.


    "Ayu?"


    Ayu jumped, startled at being touched and turned around impulsively.


    Her green eyes looked drowsy.


    "Huh?" she looked at blankly, questioning her presence before slowly realising who it was.


    She sat down slowly and looked ahead again, turning away from Mei.


    "Go way, little Meimei" she brushed Mei away.


    Shu observed the two women at the bar area.


    Wasn''t that Shen''s right hand woman, his capable assistant?


    Shu panicked. Ayu knew who he was. She knew him very well. He turned back around quickly so his back was facing them, thinking how to escape the situation.


    A couple of feet away, Mei looked at Ayu in confusion. She had never seen Ayu like this. She always considered Ayu very stony, stiff and a little cold.


    She seemed¡­broken. She seemed soft and sad. Her green eyes were slightly red and watery and she smelled of wine.


    In front of her, on the bar was another bottle of wine.


    "Ayu, what are you doing here? It''s very late"


    Ayu snorted. Why was this annoying kid here?


    "None of your business. Do you have nothing better to do than nose around my business in your free time?" she snapped back.


    Mei frowned. So much for caring about this cold-hearted woman.


    "Well, for your information, I do have a date!" Mei retorted, turning around to glance at where Shu''s back was turned.


    Date? Even Mei had someone she was seeing? And here she was, no time to find friends, let alone a date! Not to mention, she had always been in love with her boss'' wife.


    She laughed at internally as she looked at the firm, upright back of Shu Yi.


    "The guy in the white shirt?" Ayu asked, one eyebrow raised. She was drunk and slightly slow. But there was something about the back of the man that seemed oddly familiar.


    His posture, his clothes¡­an aura? Maybe she was dreaming.


    "Ha! Meimei, you''re dating a chaebol heir?" she scoffed. "Have fun with that, wherever you met him."


    Mei almost laughed.


    "Chaebol heir? Ayu, you''re drunk. That man is no heir, he''s a simple, intelligent lab tech who spends his life serving people and looking after them at a hospital. Perhaps you''re too used to being around young masters of big families, but I assure you my life isn''t that complicated"


    Ayu just shrugged.


    "I''ve been around enough of boss'' friends to know when I see one. You''re such a silly kid."


    With that, Ayu downed another glass of wine.


    As Mei began to walk back to her table, annoyed and fl.u.s.tered at Ayu''s presumptuousness, Ayu continued to drink and stare straight ahead.


    "I''m sorry about that, Shu. I saw someone I knew, she didn''t look to good. But I''m sure she''s fine by herself." Mei said angrily as she continued drinking her sake.


    Shu nodded and flashed her a agreeable smile. But he knew he had to make quick exit.


    Mei noticed he had already called for the bill.


    "Oh, are you busy? Do you have to leave?" she asked, her eyes wide. Just a few moments ago, he had been so eager to get her to drink with him.


    Shu looked at his phone pitifully, upset their date had been ruined and that he would have to make an excuse to leave.


    "Unfortunately there''s an emergency at the hospital for which they need me! But Meimei, I will call you later tomorrow and we can make another date!" he smiled at her quickly and got up from the table.


    "Oh..ok, well, I hope everything goes smoothly at the hospital!" Mei had barely enough time to finish her sentence before which he had already rushed out of the restaurant.


    She frowned. Shu seemed so jittery and skittish right now. She hoped he was ok, but had a slight inkling that maybe there something he wasn''t able to tell her in that moment.


    She sighed, picked up the leftover bottle of sake and walked over to the bar and sat down next to Ayu.


    "Well, as much as you''d have liked to be alone, you''ve earned yourself a drinking buddy"

 Chapter 146 - A Name She Wanted to be Called By

    Ayu still didn''t bother turning around to look at Mei. Instead she just chugged another cup of wine.


    Mei rolled her eyes at Ayu and poured herself another cup of Sake too.


    "Fine, ignore me, I guess we''ll just drink in silence" Mei hit back at Ayu''s indifference.


    "What would you know about being ignored?" Ayu said quietly.


    "So who''s been ignoring you?" Mei asked, sipping her drink and leaning sideways to face Ayu.


    She never got much out of this woman, it''d be interesting to know the things running through her brain right now. The upright, perfectionist who helped the great demon king run Moshi Corporation, what would she let slip in this state of inebriation?


    Mei grinned to herself, wondering what Ayu was like outside work.


    "None of your business" Ayu snapped back at Mei, wiping the grin of her face, sipping the last of her wine.


    Ayu ordered still another bottle wine.


    "Hey, hey, haven''t you had enough? Maybe you should stop drinking now!" Mei protested.


    "I don''t have to explain my drinking to you. Why don''t you keep sipping, little girl" Ayu''s words were harsh and belittling.


    "Maybe you should tone that attitude down. You''re not better than me, or anyone else for that matter."


    Mei chugged down two cups in her anger. This woman was insufferable. Maybe she never let her guard down, or perhaps she was an actual bitch nobody could get through to.


    "I never said I was better than anyone, I know I am not" she whispered softly in her cup.


    Mei''s ears pricked up. What did she just say? She sounded almost¡­weak?


    "Well, you definitely act like you''re better than me! Why do you always look down on me so much?" Mei whined, "I work for a real taskmaster too, I work just as hard as you!"


    Ayu smiled a small, dreamy smile. But it was gone before Mei could get a proper look.


    She looked angelic for a second, so Mei convinced herself she had only imagined it.


    "Yes, that''s right¡­you do work hard" Ayu replied softly, letting out a little yawn.


    Mei noticed the dark circles under her pretty green eyes, they looked a lot like her own. She giggled.


    "What is it? What are you laughing at?" Ayu questioned her, her eyes tired as she got a little drunker yet.


    "We have matching eye circles" Mei giggled, as she could feel the alcohol in her blood, making her light-headed.


    Ayu grinned.


    Mei gasped lightly.


    "She knows how to smile!" she exclaimed loudly.


    Ayu forwned.


    "You''re so noisy Meimei. Who told you I didn''t smile!"


    "It''s just that this is the first time I''ve seen it, it''s¡­pretty" she said softly.


    Ayu''s drunk eyes widened. She recalled the last time someone said she was ''pretty''.


    She remembered the first time she had seen Lina since she woke up from the coma. Shen had to deal with his uncle Sojin and James causing a mess at the office.


    She was looking after a sleeping Lina who was having nightmares, whimpering in her sleep.


    Ayu remembered running into the bedroom and holding her, trying to comfort her. She hadn''t noticed, and instead gotten scared and broken Ayu''s wrist.


    Yet when Lina had awoken and looked at her face, she''d reached out, gently touched Ayu''s face and said those words, ¡ª "¡­so pretty"


    Ayu bit her lip as she felt her throat tightening. Her hand involuntary touched the wrist that had finally recovered from the shattered bones.


    It didn''t matter that Lina had hurt her, as long as she touched her again, Ayu felt like she could trade anything in the world for it.


    "Hey, are you ok? Did I upset you?" she heard Mei''s voice, bringing her out of the daydream.


    "I''m fine" Ayu??s face returned to its normal, unreadable state.


    Mei looked at her thoughtfully, but her own thoughts were unclear since she was slightly tipsy as well.


    She observed Ayu''s side profile. Her bone structure was exquisite and well defined. Yet her skin was dry, and her hair lackl.u.s.tre. She was a natural beauty, yet looked like she hardly took care of herself.


    ''If I had her face and body, I wouldn''t bother working a day in my life!'' Mei thought to herself, but then quickly reproached herself for such terrible fantasies. How could she think of not working for her amazing boss!


    "You work too hard, let your hair down sometimes" Mei mumbled quietly, slightly scared at trying to advise capable assistant Ayu of Moshi Corporation.


    To her surprise, she heard a drunk giggle come out of the stoic woman sitting by her side. Ayu had seemingly chugged down yet one more glass of wine and was now positively drunk, slumping slightly.


    "You work too hard as well, Meimei"


    Mei''s eyes widened. Was she hearing things correctly? The woman who always acted like she was no use, actually claiming that she did indeed notice her working hard?


    "Thanks Ayu, for finally acknowledging that" Mei said, smiling brightly.


    However, Ayu just looked at Mei and drunkenly pouted. She looked so funny, Mei had to stifle laughter.


    Ayu rested her head down on the bar table, facing Mei her eyes glazed and watery again.


    "You know Meimei, my name isn''t really Ayu"


    Her voice was so quiet, Mei had to bend down slightly to hear her better.


    "What are you saying?" she asked, amused.


    "Ayumi" Ayu whispered, her voice even quieter now.


    "Huh?" Mei couldn''t hear Ayu as she realised she was drunkenly passing out at the restaurant.


    "No, no Ayu not here! Where do you live, let me take you home!" Meimei tried to gently shake her awake but Ayu could barely hold herself up.


    "Miss, the lady lives in the apartment right opposite" the server at the bar came over to tell Mei. "The lady drinks here regularly" he said with a casual, light-hearted smile.


    Mei nodded graciously and she flung Ayu''s arm around her neck and helped her walk out.


    She was surprised Ayu lived so close to her! Her boss and the young master must provide company apartments in the same vicinity, it wasn''t that surprising.


    As she lugged a drunk Ayu to the top floor and shuffled through her purse to find her keys, Ayu kept mumbling something.


    "Hang on, Ayu, give me a minute. You''ll be inside soon and you can go to bed comfortably" Mei chimed in encouragingly.


    But Ayu still kept mumbling.


    As they entered the apartment, Mei dragged Ayu to the bedroom and lay her on the bed. However, as she pulled back after helping her into the covers, she felt a slender hand clutch on to her sleeve.


    Mei knelt down to put down a glass of water next to Ayu, thinking that''s what she clutched on to her sleeve for.


    But instead, Ayu pulled her close into a tight embrace. Meimei held still in Ayu''s drunken embrace, confused, and slightly amused.


    "Hey, hey Ayu¡­it''s time to sleep. Let go" she mumbled, as Ayu held her tighter.


    But Mei finally heard what Ayu had been mumbling the whole time.


    "It''s Ayumi. I want her to call me Ayumi" Ayu''s voice was so soft, and so gently, Mei felt like she could barely recognise the stone-cold woman she had grown to be wary of.


    "Her? What do you mean?" she questioned.


    "The person I¡­love"

 Chapter 147 - The brink of ruin

    Shen and Lina spent the whole next day working together in his study.


    Lina revealed to him the doc.u.ments and diary she had found in the hidden compartment at her office.


    Lina was hesitant about sharing the new information so openly. It occurred to her that perhaps that part of her life was the part she had hidden from Shen and the rest of the people she knew.


    That part of her life was perhaps connected to the part Tachi knew about. She thought about Tachi from time to time. Her initial reactions to him and his familiarity to her.


    And then he told her that he was her actual husband! That bothered her the most. But she couldn''t bring herself to repeat those words to Shen. She was his angel, and he was her most beloved hubby.


    She shook those thoughts away, as she took a deep breath.


    "I found these, in a hidden compartment in my office desk" she said to him quietly.


    Shen knew how much courage it had taken for Lina to start being completely honest with him as she made her own discoveries. Especially when she had felt so alone, not even able to trust herself.


    But he knew he was doing something right if she came to him herself, and opened up. She was placing her precious trust in his hands and he knew he would do his best to protect her and support her, whatever they may find.


    As he looked through all the doc.u.ments he recognised various numbers and identification tags.


    "These are definitely Moshi Corporation shipping units. How did you observe these people at the ports handling the shipments?" he asked, his voice low and somewhat dangerous.


    The mole in his empire had taken things too far, much further than he''d realised. And somehow his wife had managed to get too close to whoever was messing with Moshi Corporation.


    But why had she been involved with his business and the mole? That was the one question that troubled Shen the most.


    "I don''t remember anything about this whatsoever" Lina said thoughtfully, her eyes closed as she tried to recall anything familiar.


    "But these notes are definitely your writing, even I am sure of it" Shen continued. This was a puzzle he was determined to solve. Most of all, to keep her safe.


    "I am certain this is what got you hurt in the first place, I can''t let it happen again" he said to her, holding his precious wife in his arms.


    Lina hugged him back tightly, drinking in his familiar, musky scent. His aura, and his presence had always been a huge comfort. But there were still alarm bells ringing in her head, since the beginning. Not because she was scared of him.


    She was scared for him.


    To the husband, it was his life and his work that had brought his precious wife to her deathbed.


    To the wife, she would kill to protect the man who was her home.


    "Hubby, this is us. This is our life. It wasn''t because of you. It wasn''t because of Moshi Corporation. It was because someone tried to hurt us both. The fault lies with them. The fault lies with Magnolia Holdings and the Lims" she said determinedly.


    Who else could it have been. Magnolia Holdings had been tampering with the shipments to be handled by Moshi Corporation on their account.


    But the Lims used their trust and partnership to transport contraband. Not just any contraband, but dangerous combat weapons.


    Lina''s doc.u.ments were organised, detailed and coded with keys from the diary.


    Some of the doc.u.ments were copies of Shen''s inventory files from months ago. That''s why the file she had looked at in his study was so familiar. She had been through those inventories before.


    "There was something wrong with those inventories. The weights were all incorrectly listed. When I checked last time, these inventories were pre-checked by us and contained the goods as listed in this inventory by Magnolia Holdings. The weights matched as well" Shen explained.


    "And you check the weight to make sure they aren''t concealing any other goods inside the ones listed in the inventory, right?" Lina contributed.


    Shen''s eyes widened. Either she had good intuition or she definitely knew a lot about espionage.


    "Yes, that''s correct. But then we do a final control check as well, where the weights of crates aren''t checked, but only the items to make sure that we''re sending what was listen on the inventory" he continued.


    Lina nodded as she listened to him intently.


    "Then how did you know the weights were different?" she asked.


    "Moshi Corporation recently expanded our controls department and established new protocol. We have security branches on the receiving ends of our major trade partner countries. We have a team in Country A. They do a final check at the port of arrival of the inventory and they also weight the shipping crates"


    It dawned on Lina what had happened. The mole couldn''t possibly have known about this new protocol unless they were directly involved in the establishment of this new department.


    "I would have never known about these discrepancies if I hadn''t created this new controls teams on international shores. This would have kept going unnoticed" Shen finished catching Lina up.


    She thought for a second.


    "Hubby, the mole is somebody who is close enough to you to have access to the Moshi Corporation shipping holds post the final checks, yet not close enough to know about every single business development such as the establishment of the new overseas protocol"


    Shen nodded. His wife''s deduction skills were amazing. How long had she been doing this for?


    "So they switched the goods right before they were shipped, under the same inventories and objects but with hidden contraband invisible to the n.a.k.e.d eye and only discovered due to the excessive weight" Lina concluded to sum up their entire conversation.


    "That''s exactly what has happened. We haven''t confiscated any of the crates yet because we do not want to alert the mole and the people involved. We might still have a chance to catch them if we play dumb for the time being." Shen said, his face like dark clouds.


    Lina could sense the anger inside him. She felt his struggle and disappointment ¡ª she knew how hard he worked and how much of himself he had given to Moshi Corporation, to bring it back from the brink of ruin and rise from the ashes so quickly and majestically.


    She knelt down in front of her handsome husband, held his hands in hers, and smiled.


    Shen''s whole body felt lighter when he felt his wife''s soft hands hold his in a gesture of comfort. Her perfect lips formed into a bright smile was like a warm summer breeze blowing his worries away and her wide doe-eyes reduced him to a melted puddle.


    "Darling, we will figure this out together. I know nothing has happened yet, whatever they are planning in Country A, I have my ears open. The Consultancy is working on it too. We are both in it together" she said, he crystal clear voice like a bubbling stream, encouraging her husband on.

 Chapter 148 - Digging into her childhood (1)

    Lina and Shen were on time at Dr. Hayama''s office.


    The receptionist sat at the table in the waiting room, glancing up at the couple every now and then. Neither Shen nor Lina could read his face. However, something about this man seemed eerily familiar to Shen.


    Somehow he just couldn''t put his finger on it. It was as if from an old dream that made no sense in the real world.


    The sensation he experienced when he saw this man was also familiar. But Shen''s head was too clouded with worries for Lina to be able to ponder too hard.


    The assistant picked up the intercom and spoke into it.


    "Yes, doctor, your six o''clock appointment is here."


    Lina and Shen made their way to the door hand in hand. But the receptionist suddenly stood up and blocked the couple.


    "Only the patient is allowed in Mr. Moshi, it is policy" he said quietly and politely, his face still unchanging.


    Shen seemed reluctant to let Lina be alone. He knew these sessions were extremely difficult for her. He wanted to be there with her through it all.


    "I don''t care about your policies. Today, my wife needs me there and I intend to be with her."


    His words were decisive and final. Any normal person would have been intimidated by Shen''s presence, and terrified by his firm words. But this man, there was something different about him.


    The assistant didn''t budge from his position. He stood where he was, his face still stiff and yet maintained a feigned politeness.


    "I understand your concern but Dr. Hayama is highly trained, he is a professional. His therapy is directed at your wife and it is necessary that you allow him to focus on her without any outside interference."


    Shen''s face began to get hot with anger as the word ''interference'' was flung around.


    How dare this infuriating, creepy person tell him he was interfering in his wife''s treatment? He was the one who sought Dr. Hayama out in the first place after Dr. Yoshi''s recommendation.


    And now they were trying to shut him out from supporting his wife?


    Lina stroked her husband tensed arm. She could feel his anger physically and wanted to calm him down.


    "Hubby, it''s okay, let me just speak to the doctor. I''m sure he will let us be together during the session¡ª" Lina began to say soothingly, but Dr. Hayama walked out at just that moment.


    "Ah, young master Moshi, you''re accompanying your wife today! I was wondering what was taking so long" his voice was smooth, low and levelled.


    Shen remembered his cool indifference since the firs time he met Dr. Hayama. The man was professional, as always. It was something Shen admired but was irked by at the same time.


    This was his wife''s mental health in question, he wished Dr. Hayama wasn''t so indifferent after all.


    "Hello doctor. I was just informing your assistant that I will be present for my wife''s session today" Shen declared.


    He didn''t bother asking. He was Shen Moshi, he ruled country J and everybody knew that. He had to ask nobody''s permission to do what he wanted, especially when it came to his beloved angel''s welfare.


    Dr. Hayama seemed unbothered by Shen''s declaration.


    "Young master, it is not in your wife''s best interests" his voice was indifferent again, business as usual. Even Shen found it difficult to read this man.


    "Dr. Hayama, please, it can''t hurt. If I am to let my guard down, it''d be much easier to do it with my husband present" Lina interjected.


    Dr. Hayama smiled at her calmly.


    "If you wish to, I cannot bar you from having your husband be present. However, this journey is for yourself, and to be able to stand up independently you need to trust yourself first"


    Lina thought about his words. She couldn''t be a burden to Shen. She had to learn to carry her own weight one too before he got involved. She bit her lip, as she pondered over the doctor''s words. She couldn''t treat Shen as her crutch.


    "Angel, you don''t need to worry about me. I want to be there for you." Shen reassured Lina, as if reading her mind.


    "Young master, if you''d like to ensure your wife''s safety, we have a CCTV placed in the room to ensure the safety of our patients. You can keep an eye on her the entire time by sitting right here" the thin, serious-looking assistant pointed out to Shen.


    Indeed it was a live video stream of Dr. Hayama''s chamber.


    Lina''s heart felt eased as she realised her husband could watch her as she went through this exhausting process.


    He was her protecter, and with him right outside the door watching over her, she felt relieved.


    She looked up at him, his handsome face still full of worry and care for her.


    "Darling, it''s alright, you don''t need to be inside with me. But please, keep watching over me from here?" she asked of him, her big eyes expressive and pretty, enchanting the devil immediately.


    If his wife said so, how could Shen oppose?


    "Alright, but I will be watching you every moment, ok?"


    "Yes!" she said happily, as he watched her back disappear into the doctor''s chamber.


    As the doors closed behind Dr. Hayama, Shen took a seat in front of the computer screen as the assistant sat back in his chair, seemingly pondering over an appointment book and making notes.


    Every now and then, Shen peeled his eyes away from the computer and peered at the assistant. He was trying hard to put a finger on what it was about him that seemed familiar. It wasn''t a comfortable feeling and he''d rather know what it was about than remain in the dark in such circ.u.mstances.


    Inside the chambers, Dr. Hayama began his session with Lina.


    "How have you felt since the last session. It was quite recent so I''m not sure if you''ve made significant progress but you must be here if you feel yourself getting closer to finding yourself. You''re making this effort no matter how painful it is" he said to Lina, his voice suddenly making her head heavy.


    Every time she heard the smooth, low tones of his voice in this almost warm, acoustic, chamber with the gentle scent of cigars, her head would begin to get heavy.


    "Yes, I''ve been better¡­I haven''t had violent dreams" Lina replied softly, her eyes feeling heavier.


    She thought about Shen, and her heart relaxed.

 Chapter 149 - Digging into her childhood (2)

    As Shen watched Lina drifting off and falling back on the long couch in Dr. Hayama''s chambers, he stood up abruptly, his heart pounding.


    "Let me in there! There''s something wrong! She fell over!" he yelled at the receptionist.


    The thin, serious man stood up with him and looked calm.


    "Mr. Moshi, the Madam is within her subconscious, the doctor is helping her access her memories. This is part of the therapy. Please calm down, you can still see her and keep a watch on her. You did see that the doctor has only been talking to her. He has not induced anything or used any substances."


    As the assistant explained his point to Shen, the devil seemed to calm down and sit back down again. But his back was as straight as an arrow, ready to shoot up, burst in and rescue his wife whenever she needed.


    Inside the chamber, Dr. Hayama''s smooth voice talked to Lina in her subconscious.


    "What do you see?" he asked her.


    "I see a little girl" Lina said groggily, her voice just a hushed whisper.


    "Where is the little girl?" the doctor asked again.


    "In front of a door"


    "What kind of door is it?"


    "It''s a big wooden door, with a golden knob"


    In her vision, Lina saw the little girl again. The girl whose parents called her ''Lili''.


    She told the doctor what she saw as she lay there, her eyes closed, her subconscious having travelled to another dimension.


    The little girl stood teary-eyed at the wooden door. Her tiny hands started banging at the door.


    "Please, mommy, daddy, open the door! Where are you?" the little girl cried.


    In Dr. Hayama''s office, Lina''s eyes were moist as she stayed unconscious in her trance, tears flowing down her cheeks. She felt abandoned. Lost. Like she would never be able to get through this big door that loomed in front of her.


    Suddenly the scene changed in front of her eyes. She was no longer alone at that door. She was at a beach, her toes buried in the warm sand. She didn''t see the little girl anymore, but the toes she looked down on were those of a young child''s.


    The waves hit the sand softly and the gulls squawked above. The sun felt warm above her, as she raised her head up to the sky, shielding her eyes from the sun with her tiny baby hands.


    "Lili, angel, come to daddy" an older male voice sounded behind her.


    She turned around to see a familiar man behind her, his arms wide open, calling for her to run into them. She couldn''t see his face because he stood tall and the sun was blinding her, but behind him stood the beautiful, familiar looking woman, her smiling face radiating joy.


    "My sweet baby girl, let''s go home" the woman said.


    Lina felt her little baby hand reach out and point to a cliff in the distance where a small cottage stood above the sea.


    "Home!" the little, kid voice came out of her mouth, as she saw her mother nod happily.


    "Angel, remember, this will always be our secret place, mine, yours and mommy''s"


    Suddenly Lina''s eyes flew wide open, as she sat up panting.


    "What happened!" she exclaimed, as she took a minute to see where she was.


    There was no beach, or sun or sand on her toes.


    There was no mommy, and there was no daddy either.


    She felt an unbearable pain in her chest, as if the life was being squeezed out of her. Tears welled up in her eyes as she willed herself to stop crying and told herself to pull it together.


    "Lina, I want you to take a deep breath in with your nose, and release gently with your mouth"


    Dr. Hayama could tell Lina was having a panic attack, which was something he expected. She had made yet another significant breakthrough today.


    "Doctor¡­it was me. Those were my parents. My birth parents. I lost them¡­somewhere" Lina''s voice was strained and broken.


    But she continued to voice herself out loud. She had nothing to run away from. If there was one thing she knew for sure, it was that she had been loved and treasured greatly.


    "I won''t forget them again. I won''t commit that injustice again. I won''t forget where I came from and the people who loved me so much" she said through her sobs.


    Dr. Hayama''s face remained unchanged, but she didn''t notice his eyes glittering, as if they were full of an insatiable hunger.


    "You''re getting closer, Madam. Soon, you will be strong enough to process those latent memories and emotions. I think you have done a fantastic job getting this far. Shall we meet again soon?" he asked her, his low voice, reverberating in the warm, mahogany room.


    "Mm hm" Lina nodded, her eyes full of emotion and determination. She wanted to trace back to her roots no matter what it took. She refused to remain in the dark, she needed to know where she came from and the people who had brought her into this world.


    She needed to know what took them away from her.


    As she was escorted by Dr. Hayama back to the waiting room, Shen was standing anxiously by the door waiting for her.


    Her eyes were slightly red and she looked tired. Shen''s heart broke for her as he watched her put on a brave smile as she emerged from the room.


    She buried herself in his arms as soon as she saw him, feeling comforted by the warmth of his strong arms and broad chest. The memories of him she had regained some time ago flooded her mind, relaxing her after the intense emotional stress she had just been through.


    He would always be her strength, her pillar and her rock. Her worries subsided as he held her.


    Shen nodded in thanks to the doctor as both husband and wife left the place arm in arm.


    As she sat in the passenger seat of her husband''s car, Lina turned to him, her face thoughtful.


    "Hubby, did I ever mention going to a beach, or a cottage at a beach to you before?" she asked.


    Shen frowned at her.


    "Angel, on the contrary, you told me you hated beaches. You said you''d never go to one, no matter what!"


    Lina''s face reflected confusion.


    "Strange" she mumbled under her breath, as they drove back to Moshi Mansion.


    However, back at Dr. Hayama''s clinic, the doctor and his assistant watched the backs of the couple as they left.


    The assistant immediately dropped his pretence and looked at his boss with a steely, focused gaze.


    "Anything?" he asked, quietly.


    The big boss'' face remained unchanging, yet there was a hint of amus.e.m.e.nt in his eyes.


    "Yes. That girl always surprises me. The key to it all is a beach cottage. As far as I remember, she has never ventured close to one."

 Chapter 150 - Training to take over the world

    Ayu''s eyes fluttered open to the sunlight pouring through the large windows in her apartment.


    She stretched her tall body and rolled over into a sitting position.


    As she blinked a few times and tastes the remains of wine in her mouth, she made a sour face. Her head began to throb.


    The previous night had been yet another drunk night. The night before that, she had run into Mei. She had been so embarrassed by their run in, she tried to numb with more alcohol.


    Shen hadn''t been coming to the office much so she had a lot more to handle at work and finishing late had made her more tired and haggard and got her drunker much faster.


    ''I''m going to crash and burn at this rate, I have to deal with my situation or I''m going to start making mistakes''


    Ayu was no alcoholic. She just didn''t have a life. And the only life she had was Shen''s work and her thoughts of Lina.


    ''Maybe I should just confess and get it off my chest once and for all'' she thought to herself.


    But then she shut that thought down immediately.


    ''Right, confess, get fired and never be able to see Lina again''


    That was a risk she could never take. She would just have to find another outlet.


    ''Maybe I should just get over her'' Ayu thought to herself. But the problem was, she didn''t want to.


    ***************


    ~at the Lim Clan branch Basecamp~


    Kira Lim stood at the front of a training ground as she watched her soldiers train. A group of them were jogging in unison around the ground, another groups were weight training, and a few were practicing combat.


    In the distance there was a shooting range where a couple of younger boys were learning how to shoot with an instructor giving them directions. The boys were slightly clumsy, but were still trying hard.


    As they saw Kira approach, they stood stiff, showing her respect by waving a salute.


    They were nervous and yet excited. Kira Lim was a legend and revered as a goddess and queen at the camp. They had been rescued by her, they had become stronger and learned not only to defend themselves, but also to command some respect that they had never been shown before.


    Kira looked at them sternly and nodded, acknowledging their salutes. She signalled to the instructor to move aside and then picked up a rifle.


    "If you want to learn how to aim" she started to speak, still looking at the boys, away from the target sheet that was almost 30 feet away.


    Suddenly she emptied the entire magazine into the target, her face still turned away from it and her eyes still trained on the young boys.


    "Then memorise your target with one glance, so you don''t need to look again"


    As the boys made their way towards the target that Kira had shot at, there was a big hole in the centre, hot and steaming.


    Every bullet had hit the exact centre, so much so that there was just one big hole.


    They gasped in astonishment as they watched their goddess walked away. She had taken just one look from 30 feet away.


    Her wrist was strong enough to resist the recoil from then rifle, and her precision was too accurate to be real.


    Could there be anyone stronger than their leader? The boys resumed their training with a fire in their eyes and their hearts and Kira continued to make her rounds.


    As she circled back to her private tent, she felt the strong arms of her husband circle her waist.


    "Has my wife been blowing things up? You smell of gunpowder" Shao Moshi laughed.


    "You know I can''t help myself when there''s an AK rifle in my arms. Beautiful things¡­" Kira murmured.


    "How is the training coming along?" he asked, still reluctant to let go of his wife. It was still unreal to him that he could finally hold her close again after five long years.


    "We''re almost there. We will have redemption soon. Our numbers are enough to fight the Lims and Moshis, but their resources are far greater. Still, with the loyalty my soldiers show me and their coordination, we can pull it off"


    "Good. Kira¡­we have one chance. If we blow it, we might never be able to come back" Shao said quietly.


    Right now, they were hiding in the shadows. Kira''s branch of the Lim family was deeply undercover. She had revealed no signs of deception to the main branch.


    Even though Shen knew exactly how vicious and disloyal Shao was since their struggle for power, he did not know where Shao had disappeared to.


    Nor did he know anything about Kira. She was his best kept secret and ally.


    ''Little brother, I guess I kept my life better under wraps than yours. We know about that wife of yours¡­your weakness'' Shao thought to himself.


    "What about Shigeo, your second brother? He''s so lazy, he''s never been much help." Kira enquired.


    "He kept me good company for five years in imprisonment" Shao laughed.


    But Kira''s glare set him straight.


    "No, my lovely wife, he will not get in the way. That crazy yoke may not be much help, but he won''t help Shen. He won''t really help anyone."


    Kira smiled, finally relieved that all her pieces were in place. Soon they would control two empires again. They would rule the world together.


    "However," Shao said, suddenly, "there is still a piece that Shen has that could be very dangerous. We need to acquire it"


    "What is it?" Kira asked.


    "James."


    ***********************************


    That night, as Lina slept soundly next to her loving husband, the beach cottage appeared to her in her dreams.


    The little girl Lili, she was in her body again. She was following her mommy and daddy back to the cottage on the cliff.


    "Come Lili, mommy and daddy have something special to show you!" the beautiful lady said, the one who looked a lot like Lina.


    As they walked up to the cottage and entered the front door, Lina felt a sense of comfort and safety overcome her.


    The cottage was bright, and the orange sunset flooded in through the big windows and the wind chimes jingled in the breeze. The seagulls squawked as her mother turned and smiled.


    Little glass jars full of shells lay around the cottage.


    The man, whose face Lina still could not see in the dream, her daddy, he opened one of the jars filled with sand and shells.


    He pulled out a little bag full of more shells and emptied it into the glass jar.


    "Little angel, you picked some very pretty shells today, daddy is very pleased with you!" he said in his warm voice, that felt like the soft heat of the sunset that was pouring in through the window.


    He patted her head gently with his big hand.


    He then pulled out a small silver key from his pocket and and dropped it in the jar.


    "Angel, this little key is daddy and mommy''s present to you. Don''t forget about it, sweet angel. You will need it one day" he said, softly.


    The little girl nodded and hugged her daddy''s leg with her short, chubby arms. She could hear her mommy''s silvery laugh as the cottage faded away.


    Lina awoke slowly.


    The sun was pouring in through the window. But this was a sunrise. But the warmth of her gentle hubby next to her, made her feel safe. Like she had felt in her dream.


    She looked at his handsome face and felt her heart melt into a puddle.


    Could she be any luckier?

 Chapter 151 - An Apology

    The next few days went by quickly as Shen threw himself back into investigating the mole at Moshi Corporation and running facial imaging over the years of Tachi and his associates.


    That was the one thing he had decided to keep from Lina. Her reactions to Tachi had been distressful and seeing her make such a strong recovery, dealing with so much at once made Shen resolve only to tell her once he had something solid.


    Lina also began focusing more on her investigation of the Country A case back at work and a few other things that required her urgent attention. But most of all, she kept thinking back to the beach cottage from her dreams.


    In her heart, she knew without a doubt that the mystery behind her past was hidden behind a thin veil. The beach cottage was a secret that lay just beyond that veil and she needed to hold on to it and move closer.


    Most of all, she knew that the two people from her dreams were her mother and father. And the little girl her mother called ''Lili'' and her father called his ''angel''¡­that little girl was her.


    She smiled softly to herself, thankful that she had had a good life. Her parents were good people. And they had loved and treasured her.


    ''Ah¡­I want my memories back. I want to appreciate and be thankful for all the good people in my life. I have my Shen back, I remember him and everything he and I shared. And Mana¡­I have her back too. Now I just want my memories of mom and dad back''


    There was a knock at her door.


    "Come in!" she called out, jerked away from the thoughts she had been pondering.


    It was Mei. She poked her bouncy little head in and announced an arrival.


    "Boss, Miss Mana is here to see you, she is waiting outside."


    Lina frowned slightly. The last time she and Mana had seen each other was at the University fair. It had started out quite well as both of them had had a great time, and she had also suddenly remembered Mana in her life before the assassination attempts.


    It had been a precious time of friendship and recovery, only to be soured by the arrival of a strange and shameless character. Loren.


    Mana had thrown a tantrum and had a breakdown in a way Lina was sure she had never remembered seeing. But perhaps Mana had something to say and it would be better to sort things out face to face as soon as they could.


    Lina nodded at Mei and said, "Please ask her to come in Mei and bring us some tea and the cookies that mother sent for Shen and I"


    Her sweet mother in law never forgot to look after her. The previous day Rika Moshi had baked delicious chocolate chip cookies and had some sent to her son''s place of work and another batch to her most precious daughter in law''s office.


    As Mana walked in, Lina sensed an unusual awkwardness in her demeanour.


    Mana was also dressed differently. She was wearing a short dress that was tight and a bright shade. It was strange because it didn''t suit Mana''s figure.


    But Lina ignored the discrepancy. As long as they could talk things out, it would all be okay.


    Lina gave her a warm hug as she welcomed her in. Mana returned the hug after a second and then sat down with Lina on the large sofa in her office.


    "Li¡­I have something to say" she said, her eyes trained on her fidgeting fingers placed on her lap.


    Lina couldn''t look directly into Mana''s diverted eyes. If she had, she would have known the true feelings Mana harboured.


    Lina let Mana speak, giving her the time she needed.


    "I''m sorry for the way I spoke to you at the University fair" she mumbled.


    Lina smiled. She was relieved. She didn''t have too many people she could trust and there were only a handful of those she could actually remember. She had beautiful memories with Mana.


    "Don''t be silly. All friends have disagreements¡­especially those as close as we have been!" Lina said as she waved her hands, trying to comfort Mana.


    Mana looked up, she still looked awkward. But she started to smile.


    "Really? It''s just that, I lost my temper in the moment, and I shouldn''t have. It''s been a while since I met someone I liked" she said.


    Lina giggled.


    "Trust me, you will find men far better than that creep!"


    Mana grit her teeth. The heat was beginning to rise to her face. That creep? Did she just call someone as refined and cultured, a descendant of royalty a creep?


    What did this ignorant woman know?


    Remembering what Lila said, Mana controlled herself.


    "I hope so, I really do! It''s settled then! We''re going to go out tomorrow night. After all, I need to get over ''that creep''" Mana said, a wide smile plastered on her face.


    As she said this, Mei came in through the door and set a tray of fragrant oolong tea and warm chocolate chip cookies on the table by the sofa.


    Mana, ignoring Mei, went on chattering.


    "Li, there''s this new club that has their opening night tomorrow. It''s called Tresor, and a coworker of mine can get us on the list. Please Li, please, come with me!" Mana begged.


    Lina looked slightly baffled. If the recently regained memories served her correctly, Mana was a little more introverted than she seemed to come off right now. She never really had a penchant for partying and had kept to herself.


    As Mei left the room, Lina sighed, still patiently listening to Mana ramble.


    "Mana, I need to check my schedule first¡­here, have some tea."


    Mana looked at the tea tray in disdain. Sure, the tea tasted nice, but a plate of normal chocolate chip cookies was what the great Madam Moshi offered her?


    The Lim household was so much classier, with the beautiful assortment and pastries they had put out for her.


    As Lina took a bite of the cookies, she looked deliriously happy.


    ''Mmm! Mother''s cookies are truly special!'' she thought to herself.


    Mana tried to hide her disgust at Lina''s complacence. How could she ever compare to an elegant mistress like Lila who''s mother was an actual princess.


    But Mana didn''t drop the topic.


    "Li, if you don''t come to Tresor with me tomorrow, I will be very hurt. It''s my way of making up to you! Do it for our friendship" she insisted.


    Finally, Lina let out a long sigh. It was one night. A night out with her best friend.


    Why not?


    She''d just let her husband know she was going so he wouldn''t worry.


    "Alright, let''s do it!" she said, as she nodded smilingly at Mana.

 Chapter 152 - Underhanded Tricks (1)

    Later that night at an abandoned warehouse near the Lim Villa estate, Loren Lim got out of his car. He didn''t have a chauffeur, and nor did he bring his bodyguards along.


    He stepped out of the vehicle, his loose clothing dr.a.p.ed over his lean figure, his long hair blowing softly in the evening breeze.


    "You''re here early" Loren commented, seemingly to nobody, but then a figure emerged from the dark shadows of the warehouse.


    "I don''t have much time right now, I have somewhere else to be, so let us make this quick" the figure spoke back to Loren.


    Loren''s casual attitude disappeared all of a sudden. His easy smile turned into a hard glare.


    "I decide what pace we maintain, you will never dictate to me"


    There was an eeriness in Loren''s tone. This man may be young, but he was ruthless as a psychopath and had committed far too many heinous crimes already to be desensitised to any semblance of humanity. He simply had to be in control.


    He would never tolerate a subordinate to talk to him that way.


    The rugged figure he was speaking to turned quiet immediately.


    "Now hand over what you came to deliver" Loren ordered.


    The figure complied, the slightest bit of hesitation revealed as he paused before he pulled out a file from a bag and handed it to Loren.


    As Loren looked over it, his face remained expressionless.


    "So, what do you think?" the dark figure asked the young, ruthless heir.


    Loren looked up. His face was still cold as stone.


    "Are you sure this information is correct?"


    "Why do you ask? Don''t you trust me anymore?" the man asked.


    Loren didn''t reply. He snapped the file shut and walked away towards his car.


    The man behind him clenched his fists. Loren Lim was a tough person to read and therefore someone he had always had his doubts working with.


    Working with Loren was like playing with fire. The flame was too close, and the heat was unavoidable. The kind of heat that seared one''s bones.


    But he had no choice but do what his was told, to be Loren''s lapdog for the time being, even if he hated it.


    "You''ve done your job, you don''t need to know more than that. Don''t ask too many questions. You know the rules" Loren''s words cut like a knife.


    He got into the car, and whizzed away and inconspicuously as he had appeared, leaving no trace.


    As Lina drove home that evening, a lot went through her mind.


    She didn''t have too many people who really knew or cared about her besides her husband and the people at work. She seemed to have kept people at arms length. Besides Shen and Mana, nobody seemed to be personally attached to her companionship.


    There were times Lina felt lonelier than ever, and other times she felt like a stranger in her own skin. She knew that a lot of her life had been kept hidden from the people who were close to her like Shen.


    But that would change. Once she remember everything, she swore to herself, never to hide away from the man who had given her a home and a family.


    The man she was going home to now.


    As she stepped through the large doors of the Moshi mansion, things were bustling. The housekeeper and the butler welcomed her back and exchanged greetings, making her comfortable.


    Dinner time preparations were in order and the young master was home early, making sure everyone was on their toes.


    Lina smiled as she saw Shen walk out into the hall as he heard the butler and housekeeper greet her.


    "My angel, you''re back home¡­" he mumbled into her hair as he held her close to him. She was his life, but he had learned to let go¡­to trust her a little to take care of herself.


    And she had loved him all the more for it. The man who gave her wings so she could soar in the skies above, the strong independent woman she was.


    Nobody would hurt either of them again, and she wanted to make sure of it.


    As the couple sat down at the table to enjoy a lavish dinner the cooks had prepared, they talked about each of their days at work.


    "Mother sent me the most delicious chocolate chip cookies for tea today. I couldn''t stop eating, Shen, I swear I would have exploded from stuffing myself at one point!" Lina rambled, disregarding his annoyed expression.


    His wife was too attached to his mother. She never gave him the importance he believed he was entitled to as her husband.


    "Angel, did you miss me all day?" he asked, cutting her story about the cookies off.


    "I see you at home everyday, why would I miss you?" was Lina''s blatant reply, agitating the demon master even further.


    The servants standing around waiting on the Moshi couple looked at each other in worry, knowing they were all thinking the same thing.


    ''Madam, please placate young master or we will pay the price!''


    Lina laughed at the dark look on her husband''s face. She got up from her chair and went over to embrace him.


    "My darling, of course I missed you the most. Every moment we are apart, I think of you" she whispered gently to him, her warmth breath blowing near his ears.


    Shen''s face went red and awkward as the servants around them respectfully turned away, smiling to themselves.


    The madam definitely had her way with this demon.


    After dinner, the two retired to their bedroom, tired after a long and stressful day.


    Shen lay in bed in his pyjamas, shirtless, freshly showered with his slightly damp hair hanging over his forehead. He looked like a sculpted god, lounging in his kingdom.


    He watched his beautiful wife, her wide doe-like eyes looking right back at him, a small smile on her face through the mirror on her dresser as she sat in front of it, gently brushing her long silky hair.


    As she rubbed hand cream on her palms, she remembered something important she had to tell Shen.


    "Darling, I just remembered. Mana came to visit me at work today" she started.


    Shen''s face was already contorted into a frown. That girl, she seemed fishy ever since they were together at the university fair. She hadn''t looked out for his wife like she should have.


    "Forget it, it was a small incident" Lina brushed his worry away. "She came to apologise today. She wanted us to move on from our argument"


    "Are you sure you trust her?" Shen asked. If Lina could trust her 100%, he would back his wife up.


    Lina thought about his question for a minute.


    "I''m not entirely sure."

 Chapter 153 - Underhanded Tricks (2)

    "What do you mean?" Shen sat up, more attentive than before. If there was any danger around his wife, he wanted to at least know about it, if not follow her everywhere.


    "Well¡­she apologised for everything but she seemed to be holding something back. But strangely enough, to ''make up'' for it, she invited me to a nightclub opening party tomorrow night"


    Shen frowned. Lina had never been interested in partying, and so far as he knew, she and Mana had never spent late nights out clubbing.


    Where was this coming from so abruptly?


    "Really?" Shen pondered, his eyes sharp as his fingers pinched the bridge of his nose.


    Lina nodded.


    "As far as my memories with Mana go, I don''t ever remember she and I doing anything like this in past. We always went to caf¨¦s or quiet bars or restaurants for meals. I don''t really want to go, it doesn''t sound fun. But she''s making an effort. So I''m going to go."


    She had already made her decision. Shen grimaced, he desperately wanted a say in the matter. With everything that was going on, being in dark, crowded nightclub with people from who knows where ¡ª Lina could be so vulnerable.


    Not just to their enemies, but to creeps and perverts in general.


    "Well, if you know what you''re doing¡­" he bit his lip as he reluctantly gave his blessing. "Just, let me pick your outfit."


    Lina laughed out loud.


    "Deal." she agreed.


    And then she jumped into bed with her handsome beast of a husband as they remained wrapped in each other''s arms till the break of dawn.


    *****************************


    ~at the Lim Villa~


    Mana entered the large estate owned by the main branch of the Lim clan. It was elegant and royal as always as she saw in the airy living room, waiting for her hostess.


    Today Lina would get what was coming to her.


    Mana felt oddly comfortable. This life wasn''t too bad. If she became close to the young miss of this prestigious household, who knew the opportunities that could open up to her?


    Not to mention, getting close to the infamous and mysterious young master of the family.


    As Mana''s daydreams took her to another world, the young miss of the Lim Villa entered the living room.


    She looked graceful and elegant as ever. This time she wore an afternoon sundress, a light yellow shade dotted with small embroidered pink poesies.


    Her hair hung loose over her shoulders, perfectly curled. Her make-up was bare, but her eyes beautifully outlined, making visible her royal, high cheekbones. Lila Lim was truly a vision.


    "Hello, Mana" she said in her soft, yet distant voice.


    There was always something so untouchable about her. But Mana could see the shadow of Loren''s image in his sister''s face, enthralling and entrancing her more than ever.


    Lila knew that, at this point, she had this fickle woman hanging off her every word.


    "H-Hi, how are you today?" she asked awkwardly, smiling every now and then, but a nervous wreck.


    Lila smiled politely.


    "I''m well, and how are you?" she asked Mana in return.


    "Great!" Mana said, smoothing her plain skirt downwards, slightly conscious that she looked almost sickly next to this regal woman, and her glowing aura. She should have tried harder in college to get to know her, instead of clinging to Lina''s back. Lina couldn''t seem to compare to Lila when she sat so close to her.


    "I was excited to tell you," Mana continued talking, "that Lina bought everything. She stupidly agreed to meet me at Tresor tonight" Mana laughed awkwardly at the end of her sentence.


    Internally, Lila rolled her eyes. ''How desperate Mana is to please, she has no sense of who she is, she would do anything I asked of her''


    As much as Lila found this weak personality trait to her advantage, she also hated such people. They seemed like dead puppets, without minds of their own.


    If Lina hadn''t been so despicable and arrogant, she might have actually liked her. But she had stolen the one thing Lila needed ¡ª Shen Moshi. And Lila had the blood of a princess. A princess gets what a princess demands.


    So Lila put of a sweet face to Mana.


    "That''s great, you must have been so convincing!" she said, her voice soft, but dangerous.


    Mana nodded proudly.


    "It''s time to put the next part of our plan into action, then" Mana added, looking hopefully at Lila.


    She would draw Lina in, but Lila had the right people on her fingertips to destroy Lina once and for all and put her in her place.


    "Lina needs to know she isn''t better than anyone else and is not entitled to having everything she wants. Nobody even knows who her family is or where she comes from? She must have used her body to seduce Shen and make him marry her." Mana talked nasty things, trying to goad Lila.


    The truth was, when Lina had disclosed her relationship with Shen to Mana, she had never thought such things. In fact, Mana knew Lina well enough to know that she had never slept around or thrown herself at all the powerful young masters who had run after her.


    But her own insecurities and her own flaws made her mind a breeding ground for such poisonous thoughts and accusations.


    She wanted Lina to know what it felt like to be cheap and low and inadequate.


    Lila on the other hand, she only wanted Shen to see her class and upbringing was the only thing that matched his own. Nobody Lina Mito was nobody compared to her.


    "Really? You must be right, Mana. I can''t imagine the young master of the Moshi family could have gone seeking out someone like her." Lila gracefully feigned horror.


    She was too refined to even listen to something as vile as what Mana had just accused Lina of.


    "Well, we only have one option then. We must protect young master Moshi" Mana added, her eyes gleaming at the thought of the confidence in Lina''s eyes dimming.


    "Yes, his eyes need to be opened to Lina''s character, and the kind of cheap woman she is. He deserved better." Lila agreed.


    ''He deserves me'' she thought to herself.

 Chapter 154 - Underhanded Tricks (3)

    As Shen spent the entire day at work, Lina came home early for a quick dinner and then went back the bedroom to get dressed.


    She showered, washed her hair and blow dried it. Since her coma, she had cared for herself well and under her husband''s watchful eye, had taken all her medications and supplements, and ate and drank very well.


    Her hair was now glossy and voluminous as it had once been before the attempts on her life. Almost all signs of her coma were gone besides the huge gaps in her memories.


    She had only remembered everything involving Shen and Mana. Her work memories and memories about her extraordinary skills were still a mystery.


    Her past, her family and everything else remained unknown to her.


    She felt like half a person, but still, her husband and his parents had never made her feel like there was a dearth of love and family around her.


    She breathed deeply and took a look in the mirror. She squinted as she wondered what to wear, she didn''t have much experience going to these sorts of events. Shen was supposed to come home and help her pick her outfit, but he had called saying something urgent had come up so she wasn''t expecting him back early.


    As she opened her wardrobe she noticed voices downstairs. It seemed like someone had come to the house.


    Imagining the new arrival to be her husband, Lina ran down in just her bathrobe and her freshly blow dried hair bouncing around her shoulders.


    But it wasn''t her husband. It was Ayu.


    She was holding a stack of files and papers, which was usual. She often came to the house before or even after Shen made an entrance to drop off work that he didn''t have time to bring home himself.


    As Ayu saw Lina run down with an eager expression on her face, her heart stopped in her chest and expression remained frozen. Her breath felt heavy as she stood wonderstruck at the beautiful madam of the house.


    "Oh, Ayu, it''s you!" Lina laughed, "I thought it was Shen, I''m sorry for scaring you by running down so quickly!"


    Ayu''s face became hot and red as she realised how awful her frozen expression must have seemed to Lina, but she couldn''t seem to move because of the pace of her heartbeat.


    "Okay¡­well¡­I''ll be going back upstairs, I have an event to get dressed for!" Lina said a little awkwardly, berating herself internally for Ayu''s shocked reaction.


    As she turned around to walk back sheepishly, up the stairs, the assistant''s cracked voice managed a few words.


    "Ahh..no, madam, it''s alright" Ayu said, as she pulled herself together.


    Lina turned around, a big bright smile on her face.


    "Are you sure you''re okay?" she asked, winking at Ayu playfully.


    She seemed completely oblivious at the havoc she was causing in the other woman''s chest. Ayu bit her lip as she composed herself, her usual stony expression and tight voice worked back into her demeanour.


    "Yes, I am sure."


    "Well, then you''re just in time to help me pick out my outfit for tonight!" Lina clapped her hands delightedly.


    The last time she had interacted with her husband''s stoic assistant, she had seen a gentler, more caring side to her that had refused to leave her side when she had felt lost and alone.


    Even though Ayu was still her awkward, inflexible, unsmiling self, she trusted her more. Ayu had this air of trustworthiness about her that made Lina feel safe and protected.


    Since the Moshis never allowed anyone into their bedroom, Ayu sat on a comfortable sofa out in the hallway while Lina tried on dresses and walked out to get her approval.


    "Ayu, do you know what girls wear to nightclub events? I don''t think I have ever been to one, and I''m not sure my wardrobe has something appropriate¡­" Lina pondered, still lounging around in her bathrobe.


    "I don''t really party very much, I spend my time at work, Madam" was Ayu''s plain answer.


    Internally, she wanted tell Lina how she''d be the most beautiful woman in the room no matter what she wore.


    "Come on Ayu, you''ve got to help me! Isn''t this what my husband''s assistant should be doing? By assisting me, you''re assisting your boss!" Lina prodded.


    Ayu sighed. The quicker she gave the madam what she wanted, the sooner she could leave the Moshi mansion. Being around Lina was getting far too difficult lately, and she had been trying to avoid her at every opportunity.


    The more time she spent around Lina, the more she was in danger of telling her how she felt.


    She knew, typically girls who partied wore s.e.xy outfits like short black dresses that showed off their legs and chests.


    But there was no way she was going to recommend such things to her precious madam. Also, the demon boss might fire her if she got his wife to go around looking like every man''s fantasy to nightclub with alcohol and perhaps drugs.


    "Madam, I suggest you wear something elegant. I''m sure the place you are going to is high-end, and it''s chilly tonight so something to cover your legs and arms would be an appropriate choice. If you pick a darker colour like navy blue, maroon or black, it would go with the theme."


    Ayu''s answer seemed to please Lina, and the way her eyes sparkled, Ayu knew that Lina had the perfect outfit planned.


    As she walked out to show her husband''s dedicated assistant the final look, she did not know how Ayu''s already delicate heart almost went into cardiac arrest.


    Lina walked out in a backless, full-sleeved top tucked into dark silk pants with wide leg bottoms. Beneath she wore Louboutin pumps, with her neck and slender wrists adorned with small strings of diamonds. Her hair lay loose on her shoulders, but the simple look was devastating enough to send Ayu into a coma.


    How could she let the madam go out at all. She suddenly sympathised with Shen. Having a wife like that on the loose must keep him paranoid all the time.


    Ayu choked on her own saliva as she tried to talk and ended up coughing. As Lina came closer to pat her back and help her, her delicate scent wafted towards Ayu, intoxicating her even more.


    "Ayu are you okay! Did you swallow something?" she asked in a concerned voice as she rubbed Ayu''s back.


    But Ayu shook her head and pushed herself away from Lina. She was too close! Her lips were too pretty, making her mouth look like a small strawberry she wanted to eat!


    But Ayu''s mind was made up, Lina was going nowhere alone tonight. She would go with her.


    For Shen''s sake, she had to look out for her boss'' wife.


    ''I''m doing this for my boss. It is my duty.'' Ayu tried to convince herself.


    As she cleared her throat and composed herself, she decided to ask Lina to let her tag along.


    "Madam, is it okay if I come to this opening night with you?" she knew Lina always pitied her for being overworked by Shen. Maybe she would allow her to come along.


    Lina looked confused. She knew her husband''s assistant was warming up to her, but she didn''t think tough and down-to-business Ayu would want to go to nightclub with her.


    Then suddenly a thought struck her.


    ''Did my husband set her up to do this?'' but it didn''t seem realistic. Shen and Lina had talked through these things and decided to be open with each other. If he was sending his right hand woman to keep an eye out for Lina, he would have mentioned it.


    "Are you sure? I thought you just said you didn''t party much." Lina questioned.


    "Yes madam, because I spend all my time at work, as I said. Thankfully boss let me off early and I would like to see what nightclubs are like, if that''s okay with you."


    Lina pondered for a moment. She was invited by Mana, but Mana should not mind. She was agreeing to her idea of going to a nightclub, even though she had protested it at first.


    So Mana should also comply and allow her to bring someone along.


    "Okay! You can come along!" she grinned at Ayu, giving her a thumbs up.

 Chapter 155 - Underhanded Tricks (4)

    A n.a.k.e.d woman walked around her house, her phone in her hand as she pondered what to wear. She was full-bodied with striking features. Her arms and legs were tanned and toned, all her muscle a result of years of training.


    Beside her closet hung a military uniform with several stars and badges, marking her accolades and services to Country J. She smirked as she looked at it.


    The glory, prestige and benefits were one thing. But those die one day. What doesn''t die, is power.


    General Sayu wanted to keep her power, but it was hard when there weren''t any wars brewing. She needed the discord to keep fighting.


    Thankfully for her, there seemed to be others who enjoyed causing problems. And she was going to meet with them tonight.


    There was a text on her phone, from someone she knew had enough power and information to be worth her trouble. They had an interesting proposition for her and had set up a meeting.


    *Tresor, 11:45 pm, tonight. Ask for a Bloody Mary at the bar*


    She smirked as she put her phone away and looked at the dress she had picked out for the occasion.


    ***************


    ~at the entrance of Tresor~


    Ayu and Lina pulled up at the crowded entrance of Tresor. There was a long line of twenty-something year olds chatting loudly, dressed to the T, looking around, trying to take in their surroundings on their night out.


    The club opening was a high-profile event. Someone powerful owned the place and the press had been invited with cameras going off and the bouncers at the door pushing the large crowd back.


    Lina covered her face with her coat collar and walked towards the bouncer.


    Mana had said she was on the list and did not need to wait in line. As she walked towards the bouncer, he eyed her carefully.


    A lot of people weren''t allowed to even enter if they didn''t dress appropriately or looked too simple.


    The lady walking towards him first looked quite underdressed. She was wearing pants and a top. Even though she looked elegant, it seemed to understated for the event.


    But the expensive diamonds she had on her wrists, the way she carried herself and the beauty of her face told a completely different story. She held herself like a powerful woman from a rich family.


    The taller beauty behind her with the striking green eyes looked stiff, but her body and the tight, short dress she was in, made her seem like the perfect dish to be served to all the young heirs that would be present at Tresor tonight. So the bouncer smiled as they approached him.


    "Are you ladies on the list?" he asked politely.


    "The name is Lina Mito" Lina gave the bounder her maiden name since she had informed Mana not to put her married name on the list.


    The bouncer looked over at the list and nodded as he unbuckled the velvet barrier to let her enter.


    But he stopped Ayu as she tried to follow.


    "Miss, your name please?"


    But Lina answered for her.


    "She is not on the list, but she is with me. Please let her through."


    The bouncer frowned. He had been given clear instructions not to let anyone who wasn''t on the list pass.


    "She can enter with the others by standing in the line. I am only allowed to give priority to those who are on the VIP list, madam." the bouncer said apologetically to Lina.


    But Lina shot him an icy glare sending shivers down his body.


    "Let her through, please" she repeated.


    Even Ayu shivered at the steel in her voice.


    The bouncer realised that this young mistress was accustomed to people doing as she demanded, she was definitely powerful.


    What harm could a stunning woman like that do anyway? All the young masters would thank him for letting a girl like the tall lady in, list or not.


    "Okay then miss, you can pass" he said reluctantly, moving out of the way for Ayu.


    Ayu followed in awkwardly after Lina. She had decided to accompany her boss'' wife at the last minute and had nothing of her own to wear. So Lina had given Ayu something out of her own closet.


    Ayu was slim and narrow, just like Lina. But she was much taller. So a simple black dress had become a short, tight, s.e.xy dress on her, showing of her curves and beautiful long legs.


    Lina had asked Housekeeper Tan to quickly sew the hems and sleeves to make it more comfortable for Ayu to wear and then they''d driven off to Tresor.


    Ayu wasn''t used to being in crowded spaces or at nightclubs, but being out like this alone with Lina sent butterflies in her stomach from nervousness and excitement.


    It almost felt like¡­a date. She quickly shook her head and put the preposterous thought away, her cheeks burning red.


    Lina turned to her with a worried look.


    "Ayu! Are you getting sick from all that overworking Shen''s been putting you through? You look so red!" she exclaimed, raising her hand up to touch Ayu''s face to check her temperature.


    Stunned, Ayu pulled back quickly. Having Lina touch her was dangerous for her heart condition.


    "I''m okay! I really am. Let''s just go find your friend, Madam" Ayu said quickly, internally scoffing at Lina''s comment about Shen overworking her.


    ''Don''t you do the same to Meimei, madam?'' she asked Lina in her mind, smiling gently at the powerful little lady she was in love with.


    ''So gentle to me, so oblivious about Meimei'' she thought, but quickly sent the thought away, chastising herself for think about Mei when she was with Lina. She had to focus on the present, this rare opportunity she had alone with Lina.


    Lina grinned at Ayu, being tough as always.


    "Please don''t go around calling me madam here, Ayu! Just call me Lina for now" she said as she winked at Ayu.


    They were at a party, they shouldn''t be so formal. Besides, she didn''t want people to think she had dragged an assistant around on her night out.


    Lina texted Mana that she had arrived and they met up at the bar area.


    Mana had done herself up with heavy makeup, dark eyeshadow and lipstick on her face. She had curled her normally straight and lackl.u.s.tre hair. She almost seemed like a different person. Her dress was very short, sleeveless and low on the neck, and Mana was evidently wearing a push up bra.


    Lina looked confused. She didn''t ever remember Mana dressing up like that. Was her recovered memory faulty or was something the matter with her best friend?


    "Lina!!" Mana exclaimed as she glimpsed the woman she had begun to secretly despise.


    She jumped off her seat and rushed over to Lina giving her a tight hug.


    "I''m so glad you made it! Isn''t this place great?" she gushed. After all, it was someone her new friend Lila knew that owned this place and she had specially been put on the guest list. Mana was drinking in the feeling of being someone important.


    Lina looked slightly underwhelmed but tried to be as excited for her best friend.


    "Yes it''s definitely bustling! I brought a friend by the way, this is Ayu" she said, introducing the tall, beautiful woman at her side.


    Mana gasped. This was the same woman who was at the University the first time she had brought Lina there after he coma. She was there when Shen''s bodyguard had been shot and Lina had performed that miracle bullet extraction.


    She was definitely one of her great husband''s employees. No doubt she was no ordinary friend.


    Mana''s face darkened.


    "Am I that terrible a friend, that you had to bring along a bodyguard assigned by your husband?" she questioned Lina, the rage within her rising. This had thrown a spanner in the works. Lila would be livid.


    Lina remembered that she had encountered Ayu before. She realised why Mana would be offended.


    "Don''t worry! Ayu is not working for Shen tonight. She needed a night to unwind and I thought she would have a nice time to come along. Let''s all just enjoy the evening, okay?" Lina said, trying to smooth the situation.


    Ayu smiled awkwardly behind Lina. She realised what a compromising situation she might have put Lina in and felt a little guilty.


    Mana knew though, that she could now let her cover slip. So she had to play along.


    Under the table, she shot a text to Lila.


    *She brought her husband''s assistant along, what do we do?*

 Chapter 156 - Underhanded Tricks (5)

    Lina sensed Mana''s mood go off. Even though she was still talking and smiling, she seemed slightly more absent.


    ''Maybe she wanted this evening to be for only her and me'' Lina wondered. Maybe she had been inconsiderate to her best friend by allowing Ayu to accompany her.


    She reached over the table and wrapped her hand around Mana''s.


    "Hey, thank you for inviting me. I am really happy you reached out to me and am lucky to have you"


    Lina wanted her to know she appreciated Mana making an effort to apologise and take her out, even if nightclubs weren''t her thing.


    The important thing was that in a world that seemed so unfamiliar to her, another person was coming to her and making an effort to spend time with her. She was still unsure about how much she trusted Mana right now, but she still had a soft spot for someone she had spent so many years with.


    One of the few people who''s memories had anchored her.


    For a second, Mana was reminded of the warmth of Lina''s hands and how she had held her through tough times and been a pillar of strength.


    But then visions of everything Lina had and how she had been left behind to bite the dust came back to her, making the sweet feeling turn sour.


    But she held back and squeezed Lina''s hand back with a smile, "Don''t worry about it Li, I''m just happy you came! Let''s all drink something?"


    Ayu and Lina nodded at Mana as she beckoned the bartender over.


    Lina couldn''t remember the drink she used to be prefer before she lost her memories and she didn''t really have any recollections of drinking with Mana or Shen.


    She had always been too busy to party with alcohol or lose control of herself.


    But Ayu was quick to order her favorite brand of wine.


    Lina shrugged and smiled at Ayu, "I''ll have the same as her!" she told the bartender.


    Ayu, who had barely spoken at that point, felt her face go a bright red. She thanked her stars that the lighting was dim and that Lina wouldn''t be able to see her blushing face clearly.


    "Are you sure madam¡ª I mean, Lina¡­? It''s quite dry" she asked, worried that her precious madam wouldn''t like her drink of choice.


    Lina giggled at Ayu''s awkwardness at referring to her casually by her first name instead of addressing her formally as the Madam of the Moshi house. But she thought it was endearing.


    "If I don''t like it, then more for you!" she joked, making Ayu laugh suddenly.


    "It''s nice to see you laugh, Ayu! I''d have thought you were demon just like that boorish husband of mine!"


    ''Madam, you really insult boss so much when he''s not around. You have him completely wrapped around your finger'' Ayu thought, laughing in her head.


    At the Moshi Corporation offices, Shen sneezed violently as his employees immediately offered boxes of tissues, secretly hoping he was unwell so they could take a break.


    ''Someone''s badmouthing me'' he thought to himself, quietly assuming it must have been his mischievous wife.


    Mana reached over to and put her arm around Lina, speaking to the bartender she said, her voice like honey.


    "Bartender, this is my best friend, please treat her well tonight!"


    Lina smiled at Mana, wondering when her friend had become so affectionate.


    The bartender smiled politely as he turned around to pour the two drinks.


    Mana turned back to Lina and Ayu to make conversation.


    "So did you find this location easily? I hope you did not have trouble getting in. If you had told me earlier, I would have asked Ayu''s name to be put on the VIP entrance list too!" she gushed.


    "Oh it''s alright, Ayu is beautiful enough to get in anywhere!" Lina joked with Mana, as Ayu almost choked on her own breath, her heart pounding out of her chest.


    ''Madam thinks¡­I''m that beautiful?''


    Lina took one look at Ayu''s shocked expression and laughed.


    "Ayu, you better close your mouth before a fly gets in!"


    On the other hand, Mana was concealing an intense burning anger in her chest. There her best friend was, praising another woman she barely knew for being so beautiful.


    ''She must have always thought I was some simpleton she could drag along. Never again!'' Mana''s thoughts were now poisoned beyond return.


    Lina continued to praise Ayu.


    "Besides, she is already the second in command at the Moshi Corporation. I suppose that is VIP in itself!"


    "Madam, please, you''re saying too much!" Ayu tried to prevent Lina from praising her anymore or her heart wouldn''t be able to take it.


    Mana took a big sip out of her drink, and nodded politely, trying her best to look like she was agreeing with Lina.


    She wished there was alcohol in her drink, but it was just tonic water and lemon. She had to keep a clear mind tonight.


    But she had to get Lina and Ayu to drink.


    "Lina, Ayu let''s raise our glasses for a toast tonight, shall we?" Mana said smilingly. "It''s a beautiful night out and let''s make the most of it"


    The three of them raised their glasses in the air at Mana''s words.


    "To friendship and the bond between women" Mana said, a smile plastered on her face, her eyes boring straight into Lina''s.


    Lina and Ayu toasted as well, "To friendship and the bond between women", as the three of them clinked their crystal glasses and raised the drinks to their lips.


    Mana''s eyes remained trained on Lina as she tilted the glass to pour the wine into her mouth, but she suddenly stopped.


    She quickly opened her purse and pulled out her phone to see someone calling.


    It was the great demon king who slept in her own bed, bringing a smile to her face. He had wanted to pick out her dress tonight but had been caught up in a last minute meeting with one of his project teams and was unable to come home.


    She missed her hubby, she had wanted to embrace him goodbye before she left.


    Lina quickly put her glass down and stood up.


    "Will you two keep each other company for a minute, I will be right back!" and without waiting for a reply, Lina moved away to find a quiet place to pick up the call.


    "Wait¡ª ", Mana had tried to say, but it was too late, Lina''s back was already turned.


    Mana''s eyes burned with a rage she couldn''t show on her face in front of Ayu, while Ayu''s eyes dimmed with a sadness she couldn''t show on her face in front of Mana.


    Both women sat opposite each other staring into their drinks for a second before both took a small sip to calm their nerves.


    As they looked back up at each other, they put on her masks of pleasantry.


    "So, Ayu, tell me what your experience is working with the great Shen Moshi?" Mana asked, trying to make small talk.


    "Uh¡ª great" Ayu replied shortly, her face returning to the stoic expression she always held. She would never say more about her work at Moshi Corp outside the office to strangers. That was her work ethic.


    A little distance away, in a quieter corner, Lina picked up her husband''s call.


    "Baby, are you ok?" was the first thing she heard. He was always so concerned about her well-being, Lina''s heart was instantly a puddle.


    "Yes, yes! I''m doing great. It''s really noisy here thought. But I guess, that''s natural at a nightclub" she laughed.


    "Has my hubby finally finished working for the day?" she checked her watch, it was already pretty late.


    She heard him sigh exhaustedly at the other end.


    "Yes, just wrapped up at the office for tonight. I''m heading home now" he said, his voice betraying his stress.


    "I will let Butler Min know you will be back soon and to prepare a nice hot meal, then" she said.


    "No, no! Stop worrying about me, you need to enjoy your night out. I just wanted to call and hear your voice and make sure you''re okay because I wasn''t able to come home."


    Once again, Lina''s heart melted. If there was anyone who was always looking after her, it was her husband. He was such a softy behind his steely demeanour.


    "Alright, but promise me you will eat something? And don''t worry, Ayu came home to drop off some paperwork and I dragged her off with me."


    "My assistant seems more use to you than me" Shen laughed, sounding entirely relieved that someone he trusted would be looking out for her.


    "But still, angel, can you tell me the name of the place you''re at? I''m not trying to keep tabs on you¡ª" he began to explain, but Lina cut him off.


    "Tresor. And I don''t think you''re keeping tabs on me, it feels good that you care. Thank you, my sweet hubby" she smiled.


    Ever since they fought about her freedom and his sleuthing behind her back, they had come to an easy, communicative and trustful understanding.


    "Okay baby, have a good time and call me if you need anything and I will be there" he reminded her.


    "You''re the first person I will call, darling. Mwah!" she said, as she hung up, smiling giddily like a little schoolgirl at her phone.

 Chapter 157 - Underhanded Tricks (6)

    Lina quickly put her phone back into her purse and walked back to the bar where her two companions sat.


    As she got into her chair, she noticed the atmosphere was heavy. Both women, Ayu and Mana had nothing much to say to each other and had on fake smiles, as if to bear the torture they were being put through.


    In Mana''s head, Ayu was a thorn in her side. And in Ayu''s head, Mana was a third wheel, intruding on her and Lina''s time together.


    As if trying to cut the silence, Lina commented breezily to Ayu,


    "Ayu, you haven''t had more than one sip of your drink. I thought you liked this brand, didn''t you?"


    ''Better if the assistant keeps drinking too, then I can get her out of the way'' Mana thought to herself.


    "Yes, drink up Ayu! It''s on me tonight because I am celebrating finally having a night out with my best friend!" she smiled at Lina as she squeezed her arm, also hoping to coax her into drinking.


    Then she turned to Lina, the sugary smile still on her face.


    "Li, come on, let''s make a night of it. Let''s chug our drinks together. Bottoms up!"


    Lina sighed. She wasn''t too sure about drinking...but she had Ayu by her side and her husband knew where she was. What could possibly go wrong? Maybe just this once, she''d just go with the flow.


    "Okay then, bottoms up!" Lina chimed in as bother she and Mana clinked their glasses and downed their drinks.


    Ayu observed the two ladies chug their drinks, and almost picked up her glass to do the same, but then she suddenly felt a slightly dizzying sensation.


    ''Was the alcohol really that strong? It is only wine, after all...and I drink this label so regularly. I must be exhausted. If I get too drunk, I won''t be able to look out for Madam, and worse, I may even confess.'' she calculatedly thought to herself.


    Her boss would never forgive her if she let anything happen to Lina...and nor would she forgive herself. But she could never drunkenly let Lina know her feelings. That was a given. So she decided to pace herself.


    As Mana looked over to check Ayu''s drink, she hadn''t touched it beyond that small sip she took earlier. Mana frowned.


    "Ayu! You were supposed to down your drink with us! Why haven''t you? Come on now, don''t be a wuss and join us!" Mana urged. She couldn''t have this woman making trouble tonight. She had Lila Lim to answer to, if anything went wrong.


    "No, I''d rather not...I am quite tired today--" Ayu began to say, but Mana had already come over to her side and lifted the glass to her lips.


    Just as Ayu was about to taste the alcohol, she saw Lina sway heavily from the corner of her eye. She pushed Mana''s hand away immediately and jumped up.


    "Madam, are you okay!" she exclaimed throwing her arms around Lina''s shoulders to support her slumping body.


    "What''s wrong with her!" Ayu exclaimed, looking anxiously towards Mana, who seemed fine.


    Mana laughed breezily.


    "Don''t worry, I think she just got drunk too quickly. Maybe downing the drink was a bad idea--she hasn''t been drinking in a long time." Mana responded as she came over to help Ayu support the almost unconscious Lina.


    "We need to take her somewhere so she can lie down!" Ayu said, trying to hold Lina up.


    Mana nodded, seemingly agreeing.


    "I know where we can take her, come help me, this way", Mana added, trying to help Ayu support Lina and leading the way to the corner of the club.


    Frazzled and somewhat groggy, Ayu followed Mana to the corner. As she walked behind her weaving through the crowds, she thought it was odd how Mana knew so much about the ins and outs of this brand new club.


    ''Does she know someone on the inside? How does she have so much access?'' Ayu thought to herself.


    But in that moment, she just needed a place to help Lina. She wanted some quiet, to check her pulse and her breathing. Even though Ayu was trying to be calm in the moment, deep inside, she was panicking.


    Lina was still recovering from the coma, and had she not been there to help, she wondered how much Mana could be trusted.


    As the reached the back end of the club, Mana pushed open a heavy door that almost merged into the dark wall.


    As they walked inside, the small passageway led to a narrow flight of stairs going downstairs, which seemed like a bas.e.m.e.nt.


    Ayu paused for a second before helping Mana bring Lina downstairs. The place seemed seedy. But Lina gurgled a little, as her weight pulled Ayu down a little more. She was now completely slumped, having lost consciousness.


    She decided to just follow Mana for the time being. As they walked to the end of the stair, Ayu barely able to stand anymore due to Lina''s weight, Mana opened a small door to a room.


    Inside the dimly lit room, there was a mattress. Next to the mattress was a door.


    "There''s a bathroom in here she can use" Mana said, huffing from helping Ayu carry Lina over. "But can you go over back to the bar and ask the bartender for a bottle of water?"


    As Ayu helped lay Lina down on the mattress, Lina''s mouth moved uncomfortably. She must be parched. She needed water to feel better.


    Without a second thought, Ayu pushed back her own grogginess and ran back out of the room and up the narrow flight of stairs.


    Behind her, Mana quickly closed and locked the door. She had to act fast.


    She opened the bathroom door and peeked inside.


    A tall, dark looking man was inside. He turned to her, and smirked.


    "Is everything set up?" he asked in a low, dangerous voice.

 Chapter 158 - Underhanded Tricks (7)

    "Ah yes, she is here. Everything is set up. But please be quick, we have a problem" Mana replied to the tall man who walked out of the bathroom and brushed passed her, making his way over to the mattress where Lina lay unconscious.


    His hair was slicked back, and he had a tattoo of a dragon starting from behind his ear, going down all the way down his neck and disappearing into his clothes. He also had an eyebrow piercing and as he brushed by Mana, her nose was filled with the scent of cheap cigarettes.


    The man looked down at the mattress to see the dark haired beauty sprawled across it uncomfortably. He body was painfully tempting, the fullness of her figure and the daintiness of her features.


    Even when she looked uncomfortable, Lina''s face looked like it was touched by the angels. Watching the man''s eyes glimmer with l.u.s.t at the discovery of his target, somehow made Mana even angrier.


    ''Why is it always her who catches everyone''s eye? Look at how sloppy and shameless she seems right now. Shouldn''t she be hated by her husband and now? How could someone like this be Mrs. Moshi?''


    "Just do what you''re being paid to do quickly and get out of here. We don''t have much time...don''t forget whose orders you''re here on." Mana barked at the man. He was really annoying her now.


    The man glared at Mana but turned back to obey nonetheless. He knew the people he worked for were not to be taken lightly.


    He knelt over the matteress and buried each one of his knees on either side of Lina as he moved closer to her, his shadow covering her body lying there helplessly.


    Mana began to click away as the man inched closer and closer to a unconscious Lina. As she continued clicking photos the man began to undress, removing his shirt.


    His back muscles were hardened and his skin scarred in several places.


    ''Where did she find him, such a gangster!'' Mana thought, as she wondered how such a man ever came in contact with the rich little miss paying him to soil Lina''s reputation.


    As he bent down and edged closer to Lina, her unconscious body suddenly jerked as her eyes flew open, looking straight into the face of the rugged, gangster shirtless above her.


    At first, her eyes registered bewilderment, as the gangster smirked at her.


    ''This will be fun, trying to tame this beauty under me'' he thought as he tightened his grip on her wrists and moved his knee over her leg, crushing it with his body weight to control her.


    "What is it? What''s happening?" Mana asked, her heart racing as she realised something was wrong.


    "The little beauty is awake! She''s ready to play!" the gangster announced, his voice laced with l.u.s.t and wickedness.


    Mana knew that Lina couldn''t find out her role in setting the gangster on her, so she quickly tossed the phone aside and rushed towards the gangster, to ''attempt'' to throw him off.


    As she tried to grab his shoulders, he growled angrily and smacked Mana off like a fly with his heavy muscular arm, pushing her halfway across the room, causing her to fall and hit her head against a wall.


    However, the moment the gangster turned back to Lina to have his way with her, her eyes were no longer bewildered, but were burning with a fire that sent a shiver down his spine.


    But he shook it off.


    "What are you glaring at me for, little beauty? Didn''t you offer yourself up to me just now?" he laughed at her.


    But Lina continued to glare with a strange, other-worldly viciousness.


    "Get off me" she snarled, her voice low, but dangerous. She was like a wild animal who had been cornered. Unpredictable.


    But the gangster didn''t heed her for a second. He was going to get what he wanted. What was better, was that he was getting paid for it.


    Outside the bas.e.m.e.nt, Ayu was hurrying back with a glass of water. As she went over to the door in the corner, she tried to open it. But no matter how much she rattled it, the door wouldn''t open.


    She quickly put the glass of water aside, and stuck her ear to the door to check if there were any sound coming from down below. But the music in the club was so loud she could barely hear a thing.


    As her heart rate escalated into a panic, she began to rattle the doorknob even harder. And when that didn''t work, she began to push and slam the door with her hands.


    She tried to look around for her help desperately, but everyone was either drugged, drunk or out of it, and she could barely see in the darkness.


    There was only one way in, and she would break the door down if she had to get to Lina. Ayu began to slam the side of her body into the heavy door again and again, trying her best to throw it open.


    On the other end, the gangster became angered as Lina ordered him to get off. How dare this woman talk to him like that. He was a feared gang leader, and there was no way he was going to let this delicate woman push him around.


    "Shut up! Don''t you dare tell me what to do" he yelled. In one quick move he slapped Lina with such force that her soft white cheek turned a deep shade of crimson and began to swell.


    He expected her to cry, but her she barely registered any pain by her expression. For a moment the gangster was taken aback at her complete apathy.


    But what scared him now, was that her eyes were no longer fiery and blazing, but had turned flat and cold as ice. He was tongue tied and deep inside, got the feeling that he had gotten himself into something dangerous.


    The next thing he knew, he felt his body being thrown by an enormous force punching into his stomach. He was thrown so hard, his body almost flew across the room.


    As his n.a.k.e.d back hit the floor, he heard a crack.


    "AAAAHHHHH" he screamed.


    The petite woman he had pinned down so easily earlier was standing above him, looking down at him with disgust, as if he was no better than a c.o.c.kroach.


    But what was worse, was her four inch stilettos were crushing down his fingers, slowly breaking each of his carpals, meta-carpals and phalanges.


    His hand was so crushed, he could barely speak from the pain as he felt wetness in his eyes, involuntary tears springing out.


    "How dare you touch me" Lina''s words were quiet, yet dangerous. This lowlife gangster had never felt power like this attack his body.


    But his spite only grew, being bullied by a woman of her size and stature. A woman he wanted to own and relish.


    "Get off me bitch!" he spat at her foot as he pulled out a knife, and with one swift movement tried to pierce into the foot that was crushing his hand.


    But there was no foot there anymore to stab.


    As he looked around cluelessly, he felt himself being dragged by his hair towards the toilet.

 Chapter 159 - Youre Safe Now

    The gangster was struck by fear now. What had he gotten himself into? This little mission was supposed to be an easy side job, to harass a pampered little miss and take a few photos.


    Why was he being yanked and dragged with the force of all the demons in hell by a girl less than a quarter his size? He tried to free himself again and again to no avail.


    "Let go! Let go you crazy demoness! I was just doing as I was told!" he screamed. But Lina didn''t hear him.


    It was as if she was having another one of those out-of-body experiences where it felt like someone else was in control of her body, that she was just a spectator inside. Her limbs had a life of their own.


    She dragged him steadily despite all his kicking and yelling and twisting up to the toilet bowl. She jerked him up with both arms and held his head above the toilet water.


    "Please, lady, stop this-" he began to protest.


    But Lina wordlessly and mercilessly dunked his head inside as his screams became muffled by the intense gurgling of water filling his lungs.


    No matter how he kicked, flailed or resisted, Lina''s grip was vise-like and relentless. His life was slowly getting snuffed out, as he drowned.


    As the gangster''s movements died down and his body began to go limp, the room door was smashed open. But Lina didn''t so much as turn back to look who it was. u


    All she felt was her body being enveloped and held tightly as two strong, trusting arms circled around her. She felt a warm, musky scent fill her nose and a slightly rough cheek touch hers, as if it had been freshly shaved only this morning.


    "Let go, angel, that''s enough. You''re safe now" the deep, calming voice spoke to her quietly in her ear. The breath of the person holding her brushed gently against her ear, as he spoke, engulfing her cold rigid body.


    But for some reason she couldn''t let go of the gangster''s head. There was a part of her that had to make sure he was no longer moving, no longer a threat.


    She couldn''t let him get back up...or he could hurt the person holding her. The person whose safety she would easily kill for.


    "Baby...please, I''m here now, I will look after you. Hubby is sorry. I didn''t mean to leave you. You can let go now" the voice continued to whisper and calm her.


    "Hubby?" Lina uttered quietly. That word seemed so warm, so close and yet it was as if she couldn''t turn to look. She had to keep holding on. She had to make it safe.


    All of a sudden, she began seeing black spots in front of her eyes. Her grip on the gangster''s head loosed as she dropped him. He fell limp on the side of the toilet bowl.


    Lina began to sieze. Her knees buckled and she fell back into the body that was holding her. Her eyes rolled back into her head and her body shook violently.


    Images flashed in front of her eyes. The Agency, Victor, the boss, blood all over her hands. Then she saw a black phone in her hand and a threatening text message, that she crushed under her foot...and then another heart wrenching text message on another phone-


    *"Be safe, my love."*


    As Lina''s seizure stopped, her body twitched a little and she lay slumped in the arms of the man peering over her face, his hand on her cheek, and repeatedly moving down to her neck to check her pulse.


    Lina felt something wet fall on her face, as she began to return to consciousness.


    Her eyelids fluttered open slowly.


    The face she saw above her, alive and healthy, brought relief to her tight chest. Her breathing became easier. The face she saw was the one that brought her the most happiness.


    His skin was flawless like marble, and his eyes dark, brown eyes like melted chocolate, and his thin, soft lips quivering lightly. His soft hair was disheveled and falling into his eyes. Eyes that were wet. She realized the droplets on her face were this person''s tears. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #''re-safe-now_51459550536061098 for visiting.


    Her hand reached up to his face, and wiped another tear about to fall. He bit his lip, trying to control himself as Lina''s hand stroked his cheek.


    "Don''t be sad...plea-se" Lina''s voice cracked. "It''s...it''s all my fault. I put you through so much, darling. I am so sorry."


    Shen finally broke down. He couldn''t be strong anymore. He thought he was going to lose her again, and she had woken up to tell him it was her fault.


    How could that be? How could it be her fault that someone attacked her again? She was the one who was hurt.


    He pulled her up and hugged her small body tightly, stroking the back of her head, crying into her shoulder, unable to speak.


    Tears spurted out of Lina''s eyes too as she sobbed back into his chest.


    "I thought I lost you again" Shen whispered, trying hard to control his emotions.


    "You''re never going to get rid of me, no matter how hard you try" Lina mumbled, still sniffling.


    "How could I ever try to get rid of you, silly girl" her husband replied, his tight hug loosening a bit, as he relaxed.


    She pulled back from Shen and cupped his face in her hands, her dark doe-like eyes looking into his with an uncanny seriousness.


    "I remember. I remember everything now."


    Her words were strong, even though she had been crying. Her voice was filled with a determination, as if she had been set back on the path she had always strived for.


    He saw in his wife, the usual confidence, her self-assured spirit that lifted his heart. They had won a small battle and she had come one step closer to taking back her own life.


    "I have so much to tell you, but...I''m so confused. Where am I? I don''t think I have amnesia again..." Lina said looking around, confused.


    And then she gasped, as she saw the limp body of a big, tattooed stranger next to them. She pushed back quickly, clinging on to Shen.


    "This person..." she whispered, taken aback. "Is he...dead?"


    Shen pinched the bridge of his nose as he realized the ''elephant'' in the room was destroying their moment of triumph. But how could he break it to her gently, that she had actually killed a person with her bare hands.


    But before he could explain it to her, she had already leaned forward, pulled his hair back roughly, and expertly checked his vitals.


    She shrugged plainly, and sighed.


    "Yup, dead as a doornail"

 Chapter 160 - Another Alliance

    Sayu walked into the crowded nightclub, clad in a skin tight lacy dress. Her entrance was followed by the stares of many young men, in awe at a beautiful, mature-looking older woman with a full figure.


    She did her best to control her disgust at the sweaty bodies and drunken eyes and slurry drugged up voices. She was, at the end of the day, a disciplined, well-educated military leader. Her heart was filled with disdain for the person who had invited her here.


    Sayu ignored the crowd and walked straight up to the bar. She checked her watch, it was 11:40. She was five minutes early. As the bartender walked up to her, he asked for her order.


    "Just a Bloody Mary" she said, holding his gaze for a second longer, to indicate her identity.


    The bartender paused, put down the bottles and glasses he was holding, nodded to his partner to continue service as he leaned closer to Ayu across the bar.


    "Please follow me, ma''am" he said in a low voice, and lead her away from the bar.


    The bartender turned a corner behind the bar and opened an almost invisible dark door into the wall.


    Sayu hesitated for a second. With all her resources, she hadn''t much of a clue who she was meeting. All she knew, was that whatever this person was proposing, was serious. And he had the means to follow through with his plans.


    As she stepped into the dimly lit room, the scent of expensive perfume and whiskey filled her nose. The floor was carpeted, silencing her footsteps and a man sat leisurely on the expensive velvet sofa in front of her.


    She couldn''t see his face very well so she moved forward towards him. He had just one bodyguard next to him, a serious-looking woman with short cropped hair and piercing, alert eyes.


    As the man rose from his seat to greet her, Sayu was taken by his good looks and charm. There was an ancient beauty about this man. He was graceful like the breeze with features from a temple carving.


    His long dark hair hung loosely around his shoulders. His clothes were simple and comfortable, but that did not betray his pedigree.


    "I''m glad you came, General. I apologize for the crass location but, as we discussed earlier, our meetings must be kept highly confidential, and I''m sure a woman in your position has a lot of eyes on her" his rich, chocolaty voice spoke.


    Sayu regained her composure as quickly as she had been stirred. He seemed young, but had the quiet confidence of a beast.


    "I''ll admit I was surprised at the choice of location, but I appreciate your candor and caution. It''s a pleasure to finally put a face to our correspondence" she replied, a smile playing lightly on her lips. This would be interesting.


    "Now that we are face to face, let me formally introduce myself. My name is Loren Lim, from the main branch of the Lim clan" he said, quietly.


    Sayu almost laughed.


    "I almost can''t believe it, you mean you are the actual heir of the Lim clan? Please, young master, there is no need to be so modest with me. But I have to admit, I find myself extremely surprised that you have such designs for this country which could possibly expose your very private family!" Sayu was almost amused that such a gentleman could be discussing such violent plans with her. He was something like a young prince, not a warlord!


    "Who said I must be exposed? I would hate to be in the limelight, General. But I can provide the means to our ends and reap my benefits while I play behind the scenes. It is you, who is meant for glory" Loren''s words were seductive and enticing, playing to Sayu''s need for power and recognition.


    He knew she was growing restless in peace-time. His intuition was keen and he knew exactly what appealed to human nature.


    "What do you propose, then?" she ventured.


    Loren smiled, he definitely had her interest.


    "Why don''t we sit and discuss that over a drink, General?" he proposed, pulling out a chair for her to sit.


    Sayu didn''t hesitate, when such a handsome young man asked her so politely, she was happy to oblige.


    ****************************************************************************


    On the other side of the club, in the bas.e.m.e.nt room, Shen helped his wife up from the bathroom, away from the dead gangster lying by her side.


    He was a little surprised to see how casually she accepted that she had drowned him in a toilet with her own two hands. But she had also remembered her past. There was so much they had to talk about.


    ''There is so much I have to tell him...finally'' Lina thought to herself, looking up at the love of her life, holding her stable as she walked out.


    As they entered the room with the bed, she was met with a peculiar sight.


    Ayu stood there, her make-up running down her face, her hand clamped on her mouth, sobbing quietly. Her arms were bruised blue and purple.


    "Madam, you''re okay!" she exclaimed slumping down on the floor, and breaking down.


    "I''m so so sorry I left you here with your friend! I had no idea there was another person hiding here" she cried, as Lina rushed over to Ayu''s side, worried about her injuries.


    She touched her arms and then felt around them for broken bones. Thankfully, she was only badly bruised.


    "What happened here?" Lina said, exhaustedly. "How did you hurt yourself like this?" she probed, looking up at her husband for an explanation.


    Shen raised his eyebrows, in confusion. He had no idea either how they had ended up like that. He wanted to know too.


    "I came to this place because I called back after we spoke on the phone, because Butler Min told me you hadn''t eaten dinner, and I just...I just wanted to...scold you" he finished, as he looked away. "But you phone was unreachable, so I came over to bring you some dumplings. And as I looked around the club searching, I saw Ayu slamming herself on the door upstairs screaming, and realized something was wrong" he finished speaking, looking away sheepishly.


    "So...you came here....to scold me?" Lina asked, her nose crinkled into a frown. Was this how he displayed his love?


    But she quickly forgot and turned to Ayu who had just finally quietened down and stopped crying.


    "Ayu, why were you throwing yourself against the door?" she asked quietly, sensing something was off about the night.


    "Because, Madam, you passed out at the bar and Mana helped me bring you down here and told me to go back upstairs to get you a glass of water because you got too drunk. When I came back, the door was locked from the inside so I tried to break it down. Thankfully, boss suddenly appeared and helped my push it down..." she finished as she began to sniffle again, ashamed at herself for not protecting Lina better.


    As Lina was about to comfort Ayu again, something struck her.


    "Where''s Mana?" she asked.


    All of three of them looked around but were unable to find her.


    "Ayu, how much did I drink before I passed out?" something wasn''t adding up.


    "You only had one glass of wine with Mana! It was barely anything." she responded, also puzzled at the effect one sip of the wine had had on her her.


    "That''s strange. And was Mana affected in the same way?" Lina asked.


    "No, but she drank a different drink. I had just one sip of the same wine as you and I felt dizzy for a while too." Ayu added.


    Shen grit his teeth, as he put two and two together. He had been wary of Mana for a while, but he had let Lina make her own decisions. But this had gone too far.


    As he wondered as to where she had gone, he saw a phone, with a broken screen in the corner of the room.


    He went over and picked it up. As he checked the phone, the only open app was the camera.


    Predicting what could have happened, he felt seething rage creep up on him. The photos were like a knife to the gut. He couldn''t believe that gangster had almost defiled and hurt his precious wife. The wife he had sworn to protect.


    How could he have let her get hurt again.


    But before he knew it, Lina had grabbed the phone from him.


    She swiftly deleted the pictures and looked up at him, knowing exactly what was going on in his head.


    "Stop." she said, "I took care of it. He got exactly what he deserved before things got out of hand" she needed him to stop blaming himself.


    She reached over, threw her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.


    "Neither of us are hurt, isn''t that the most important thing, my love?" she asked sweetly, her wide doe-like eyes melting his icy rage.


    Ayu cleared her throat and looked away.


    Shen noticing her presence, handed her the phone.


    "Ayu, you know what to do" he said.


    She nodded, stood up and began to walk back out, to give the couple their privacy.


    But Shen stopped her.


    "Ro-kun is waiting for me outside, get him to take you to the closest hospital first. Then take care of that phone" he instructed his loyal assistant.


    She nodded, and paused for a second. Then she bent her head deeply towards Shen.


    "Boss, I am so sorry I let Madam get hurt" she said softly.


    Shen walked over, and patted her head.


    "Take care of yourself first, Ayu, it''s an order. Madam is stronger than us all" he said, a smile in his voice.

 Chapter 161 - Memories That Flew Back

    As soon as Ayu and Ro-kun were gone, Shen grabbed Lina into his arms and hugged her tight. His heart was still beating fast, terrified of what could have happened.


    "Darling-choking-stop" Lina managed to gasp.


    Shen immediately loosened his grasp.


    "I''m sorry, I so sorry, angel" he whispered into her ear.


    But then, he suddenly straightened up.


    "Where is that friend of yours? She definitely set you up!" Shen''s eyes were clouded with anger.


    Lina giggled, why was it that he looked so hot especially when he was angry?


    "Why are you laughing?" Shen asked, confused at his wife''s reaction to her best friend''s betrayal.


    Lina wiped the smile of her face, pretending to act serious. But then a thought came into her head. Mana didn''t matter, whatever she did was so inconsequential in the greater scheme of things.


    Lina was so used to the blank slate in her brain after having awoken from her coma, suddenly, years of memories became hard to face.


    "What''s wrong angel?" Shen said, cupping her pretty face in his palms. There was nothing he wouldn''t do to protect his woman.


    "So much is going on...so much I have waited and waited to tell you about" she said quietly. "But not here, darling. Let''s please go home. Immediately."


    Shen nodded, as they both walked out from the bas.e.m.e.nt and up the stairs.


    As they entered the noisy club again, Shen held Lina close as he lead her outside. She clearly hated this atmosphere, and he should have given her a good excuse to cancel on Mana. He would make sure that woman was punished severely.


    In another corner of Tresor, something caught Loren Lim''s eye as he exited quietly from the room he had spoken with General Sayu in.


    How could he miss her even in the dark, noisy club.


    It was that woman, Lina Moshi. The only woman who could stir something inside him. She was pure like jade, her hair like a soft cascade framing her doe eyes. She was so small, and petit but her aura was mighty.


    Loren smiled, as a new anger towards Shen burned inside him. Initially, he didn''t care about Shen''s wife until he received information that she had discovered his plans and interference into the Moshi Corporation shipments.


    He had even tried to have her killed for it.


    Until he set his eyes on her, she was a small thorn in his side. But now, he only wanted to possess her. How had she single-handedly almost taken him down? She would make a great mistress to the Lim household.


    The only one worthy of replacing his great mother.


    "Is everything okay, young master?" the woman with short hair next to him asked.


    "Why wouldn''t it be. You worry too much, Mari" he replied, his voice level and calm as always.


    ***********************************************************************


    As the husband and wife pair pulled up to the Moshi Mansion, it was already past midnight. But the staff was still up and awake, waiting for their young master and madam to return.


    They were greeted by Butler Min and Housekeeper Tan at the door. The good housekeeper had to cups of warm green tea in beautiful porcelain cups to greet them with.


    The Butler took their jackets to hang them up. They were finally home.


    The staff didn''t say much, they just helped their master and mistress clean up and put their things away. They could also sense something was afoot.


    Lina''s body was a little bruised and her cheek was still red. Their great demon master looked like he had been crying but the two still looked so content and peaceful together.


    As if they had finally returned to the place they were so desperately been searching for.


    The couple went up to the bedroom. As Lina walked in, she closed her eyes. Her memories came flooding back, all the pieces of Shen she had already remembered, suddenly falling back into place in the life she couldn''t remember.


    Shen closed the door behind them, and hugged his wife from behind, enveloping her into his strong embrace.


    She breathed slowly and steadily, his familiar scent all around her. She knew why she had had alarm bells going off in her head around him after her coma.


    Why she had been so scared for him...how she had put his life at risk.


    She had so much to tell him.


    "Darling, sit down...there''s so much I have to tell you. Everything makes sense now."


    He obeyed, knowing well that the moment he had been waiting for was finally here. He would know the truth about his wife, that he had been patiently waiting for.


    He held her hands in his, as she sat down next to him. He squeezed her small hands in his, reassuring her that he would support her no matter what she said.


    "My love...Shen...first, I want to tell you, that you are my life, my happiness and my whole heart" those were the words that she always wanted to say before she was silenced by her coma. The day she would have left her life of espionage and secrecy for him. She would have been free.


    Shen''s heart became a puddle. She had come back to him. She had fought for months to come back to him. His angel was definitely herself again. He had so much to say, but he sat in silence, allowing her to speak her mind.


    "I am so sorry. I put your life at risk, I almost destroyed you. My work almost destroyed you" she choked, as she tried to continue.


    But his hands grasping hers gave Lina the confidence to continue. This conversation was long overdue.


    "My name isn''t Lina Mito. It''s Lina Dai. I work for a very covert organization called The Agency. They trained me to be a spy and killer. That''s why I can defend myself the way I do" she said quietly, her breathing getting heavier.


    "My last mission was...you."

 Chapter 162 - He Wasnt Really Her Husband After All

    Shen''s grip loosened slightly on his wife''s hands. He knew that she was hiding a huge part of her life...but she had targeted him?


    He wanted to let her continue talking but his mind was muddled now.


    "Wait, Lina, please stop right there."


    Lina''s heart stopped. He had called her by her name. Not ''angel'' or ''baby'', but the name that put distance between both of them.


    How could she possibly have the courage to tell him the rest? How could she tell him about Tachi. Even though everything she had done back then was to survive, Shen deserved better.


    "Did you plan to meet me, that day at the caf¨¦?" he asked, his voice slightly shaky.


    ''Has our relationship been a lie, plotted and planned out on someone else''s instructions? Have I really been that na?ve after everything I did to save my parents and Moshi Corp?'' he questioned himself.


    Lina bit her lip, trying to stop herself from breaking down. Her memories had come back bringing her waves of happiness and pain. The love she felt for Shen was pure, but she had deceived him. She had played with his heart.


    "Yes. I am sorry, I knew you''d be there at that time. I had studied you from afar" she admitted. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #''t-really-her-husband-after-all_51853452187327017 for visiting.


    The pain in her eyes softened Shen''s heart. No matter what she had done, he couldn''t help but want to protect and hold her.


    He pulled her closer, as she fell into his chest. Lina couldn''t hold back any longer, bursting into a pool of tears.


    Shen quietly held her and stroked the back of her head to comfort her, holding back his own pain. He needed her to tell him the whole truth.


    "Why? Why did you do it? What does The Agency want from me?" he asked.


    "The Agency intervenes when people mess with political balance. We received reliable information that illegal arms were being smuggled into County A from Country J through Moshi Corporation. There''s unrest brewing, and a war is coming" she said.


    "And that''s what you found out from the doc.u.ments and diary in your office the other day?" Shen asked.


    "Yes! I was getting so close to making the connections. Initially, we believed Moshi Corporation was working with the Lim clan to profit from the unrest, which is why I was assigned to investigate you. But then...I realised you were being cheated too." she answered him, sadly.


    "The mole..." Shen whispered to himself, everything falling into place. So, it was indeed the Lim clan who had been using their shipping service to provide weapons to Country A.


    But Lina had finally connected all the dots.


    "There is more", she sighed, as she spoke. "My consultancy was the perfect cover so I could legitimately build my political networks for information. Through the informants who approached the consultancy, I was able to know what was going on in Country A."


    It began to make sense to Shen too, after all, his wife had shared that information with him some time ago when they had come to a truce after much struggle.


    "The informant from County A''s ruling party who disappeared" he said.


    The informant had requested help from Lina''s consultancy as a mutinous faction of the ruling party were involved in the arms smuggling.


    "We''re pretty sure he was found and killed" Lina said. "They got to him for tipping us off"


    "They must have a plan. War is expensive, and there are parties who profit. Arms manufacturers, military personnel, anyone could be supporting the mutinous faction of Country A and the Lim clan" Shen concluded.


    But Shen pondered for a few seconds, and then something struck him.


    "Who do you think tried to kill you? There were two separate attacks." Shen asked.


    As if woken from a dream, Lina realised that she hadn''t even thought about that yet.


    "A truck rammed into me, and a long-distance sniping attempt..." as she finished the sentence, her voice became smaller. She knew instinctively who one of the attackers was.


    "The bullet missed your heart just by a little, and that shot stunned the truck driver, who braked and didn''t hit you as hard as he would have...which is why you were badly hurt but still alive" Shen reminded her.


    "I know who shot me. That aim, precision and timing...that was The Agency. They would never be as crass as mowing me down with a truck" Lina''s lip trembled, as it dawned upon her what a close call she had had.


    Then Shen remembered her reaction to that man, Victor Tachibana, the first time she had seen him. And it dawned upon him. The Agency had still been keeping tabs on their asset. They probably knew about her amnesia through Victor Tachibana and hadn''t aggressively tried to finish her off yet.


    They probably couldn''t attract that much attention to themselves.


    "Was it...that man, Victor?" Shen asked, slowly, nervous for her answer. Had he really failed her that terribly?


    Lina looked up at him, with tears in her eyes.


    "Yes it was him. But he missed..." she choked up.


    "Luckily" Shen sighed, wondering what would have happened if she had actually been shot in the heart. He would have lost her forever.


    "No...not luckily. Tachi never misses. He let me go, he defied his orders to spare me" she said tearily.


    Shen looked at her, a fire in his eyes.


    ''Why is she crying for this man who almost killed her? He had claimed to be her husband!'' Shen was seething.


    "He shot you! He didn''t spare you! HE PUT YOU IN A COMA! He took you away from me!" Shen gripped Lina''s arms tightly, as tears spilled from her eyes.


    "No...you don''t understand. Tachi saved me, when I was sixteen years old. He made me strong, and...please understand, it''s not how you think, but he was telling the truth that I am his wife"


    The last sentence she spoke, broke Shen.


    He wasn''t really her husband after all.

 Chapter 163 - Getting Past Her Past (1)

    Shen pulled away and shook his head. He raked a hand through his hair, pushing it back from his face, revealing the worry lines on his forehead, betraying his distress.


    Lina clasped her hands together, wanting badly to comfort her husband, but scared to touch him if he pushed her away.


    She couldn''t bear for him to keep her away from him, but could she expect another reaction? She felt like she had broken his heart.


    "Please, just tell me anything to make it better, please" he begged quietly. "I...I have our marriage certificates right her!" he said, in a pained voice, still reeling in disbelief.


    Lina took a deep breath, she had to tell him the entire story today before she hurt him anymore. He had waited so patiently, never spied on her or pushed her to reveal everything and this was his reward -- her betrayal.


    "My name is not Lina Mito, it''s Lina Dai. You married my undercover identity...but Lina Mito doesn''t really exist." she whispered.


    "So....you were going to just disappear one day, when you were done with me? When you got what you wanted?" he exclaimed, the pain in his voice obvious.


    He couldn''t fathom her having disappeared into thin air one day as if she had never existed in his life. As if their whole relationship had been only in his mind.


    "The Agency would have helped me fake my death and that would have been the end" she said softly, guilt and shame clouding her eyes.


    Tears rolled down Shen''s eyes as he looked down into his palms. He remembered what it was like, to get that call that Lina was attacked and fighting for her life in the hospital.


    He remembered what it was like when she hadn''t woken up for days, weeks, months...and every minute that she remained like that, he had died a little more inside.


    Lina could see how his heart was breaking, she couldn''t hold back any longer. She hugged him tightly.


    "Darling, please forgive me, I loved you almost instantly, and I knew I could never let anyone hurt you. I just wanted to keep you safe. I wanted to leave, give up my status at The Agency, I wanted to come home to you every day and night of my life...I wanted to go on normal dates, have babies, and never ever lie to you again."


    Shen was still too shocked to respond. He knew she meant it. Or they wouldn''t have tried to kill her. But she was still...someone else''s wife.


    Lina continued her story. He had to know.


    "I was sixteen...my parents died when I was a child and my aunt took me in and we lived in a small village. She and her daughter hated me, they beat me, starved me and used me as their slave. I wanted to escape and that''s when I met Tachi. He taught me how to fight, to be strong. But I wanted more. I wanted to get out, I wanted to make a difference like I had seen him make to some people. I didn''t want to see the weak be abused like I had been. He was only ever like an older brother to me, I promise" she said, holding her husband tighter than ever, scared to lose him...and lose his trust.


    "Then why did you marry him? Who marries someone like their older brother? You were sixteen, a young girl still! How could he be so perverted!" Shen was trying to hold back his anger. Had that man laid a finger on his beautiful Lina when she was just a budding teen?


    "There was no choice! The Agency doesn''t allow outsiders! Agents were only allowed to reveal it to their immediate family members. So I had to be his wife, but it was only a contract marriage. I was supposed to divorce him before I went on this mission, but he promised me he would sign immediately after we finished" she hoped the explanation would calm the demon her husband could turn into.


    So he had never touched her, or taken advantage of her. Shen was relieved. But there was still a burning sensation in her heart that her name was connected to another man instead of his.


    "When can you divorce him?" Shen asked, his voice cold as stone.


    He wouldn''t stand for it another minute.


    Lina closed her eyes and sighed deeply.


    "There''s something else. This is the hardest part. I can''t go back to Dr. Hayama again" she said, her voice trembling, partly in fear and partly in anger for putting herself and Shen in such direct danger.


    "Why?" Shen asked, wondering what connection that had to anything they had discussed.


    "Because he''s my boss. He''s actually...everyone''s boss. He runs the Agency. I don''t even know his real name. Nobody does. But he''s the most dangerous man I have ever known." Lina''s hands quivered as she held on to her husband.


    But she wasn''t done.


    "And his assistant...he''s a real psychopath. We call him Senior. He''s the only one who can match up to the Boss. I can''t believe I brought you so close to them." she said, as she tried to control her anxiety.


    Suddenly, Shen stood up. He had realised that what Lina had just told him put something into place.


    The security camera footage from Country A twenty years ago...a thin serious looking man with Victor Tachibana had been found using the facial recognition software operated by James.


    This was the only thing he hadn''t told Lina about so she wouldn''t worry or think about Victor while she was recovering.


    But that man, he was the assistant...it all made sense. Victor Tachibana and Senior had been close to the crime scene where a family house had burned down. Senior was the other man on the footage!


    ''Should I tell her what happened twenty years ago? She would have barely been six years old.''


    "When did you begin living with your aunt? How old were you?" Shen asked, suddenly.


    He was so close, he knew intuitively that this whole thing was far bigger than anyone could imagine.


    "I was just six at the time. My aunt told me that I was thrust upon her from her "no-good" sister, who was my mother. I was brought to Country J. I don''t know anything beyond that, and my aunt didn''t care to help me find out" Lina said, a lost, sad expression in her eyes.


    Shen''s heart went out to her, she had lost her life twice, with no recollection of where she even came from.


    No matter all her lies, and her secret life and identity, he couldn''t stop wanting to hold her and give her everything he had.


    "Baby, I have something to tell you too"

 Chapter 164 - Getting Past her Past (2)

    Lina''s eyes widened. Something to tell her too? Did he know something about her life that she did not?


    She stood and walked towards him.


    "What is it?" she asked, her hand slowly clutching his sleeve. She wanted this painful night to be over.


    She wanted them both to bare it all. To be partners for real this time.


    "After Victor abducted you from that cafe, and gave you all that information, I was determined to find out who he was and what his ties to you were. Since you did not remember, I had to conduct my own investigation to keep you safe." Shen began to explain.


    "And what did you find?" Lina asked, eager to know what he had stumbled upon about Tachi.


    "We used ageing and facial recognition software to track his movements caught at any location going back as far as we could...and he was sighted with Senior twenty years ago in Country A"


    Lina thought about it for a second. Tachi must have been sixteen himself at the time, twenty years ago. He must have been assisting Senior on a mission in Country A.


    "He must have been trained during that time by Senior" Lina pondered out loud.


    "That makes sense," Shen continued, "because we looked at any major events that took place in that region and area on that day and we found something significant"


    Shen sighed. If this had anything to do with Lina''s childhood trauma that Dr. Yoshi had warned him about after she awoke from her coma, he would be opening a can of worms that could hurt his wife yet again.


    But she had to know the truth. She had the right to confront everything that had happened to her.


    "There was a massive fire at the home of a couple who was working for the cyber security department of Country A. There were no survivors. No foul play reported either. But they were rumored to have been working on something highly secretive that could have gotten them killed and made to look like an accident" he said, finally having let the cat out of the bag.


    Lina slowly came to an understanding, she found herself shiver slightly, skin covered in goosebumps.


    She sat down on the bed again, slowly, contemplating the highly improbable coincidence.


    "I was six then. I can''t remember where I came from before I was given to my aunt. She never talked about my parents. I have no memories prior to coming to Country J. But in my dreams, those were my parents! And they were burning!" she cried out, as her eyes swelled with tears yet again.


    What a night it had been. Her heart had been shattered and pieced back together time and again, just to be shattered again.


    If Tachi and Senior had been there, and if that couple in the fire were really her parents, and they were working on something that could cause political problems and hurt important people, there was a high probability that The Agency was assigned to terminate them.


    Shen reached out and held her close to him. She still hadn''t remembered. But her dreams, and her ''sessions'' with Dr. Hayama, if that was even his real name, and shown her snippets of those suppressed memories.


    "Shhh my angel. I know it hurts. I know you want to know. Let''s do it together. They think you''re weak, that you don''t remember them...that''s why Hayama tried to get close to you. There must be something you have that he''s looking for" Shen whispered.


    Lina thought about what he had said.


    That''s true. Why wouldn''t they finish her off if they had already tried to for wanting to leave The Agency? What card could she possibly holding that caused the Boss himself to meddle with her.


    But if the Boss was already involved, that meant that Shen was also in the direct line of fire. Not even she could single-handedly protect him from Boss and Senior.


    They were beasts. They were cold, and lacked empathy. And they were intelligent beyond measure, and had trained for years in deadly arts of combat, poisons, chemicals and technology.


    How could she protect her husband? How could she make sure every hair on his head remained intact.


    Lina felt her heart sinking, losing hope and panicking at the thought of having to untangle the mess that was everywhere around her.


    But she had already begun to put in motion something that could save Moshi Corp. But to add The Agency targeting them would be difficult to maneuver.


    She had to fight for her husband. It was too late to back out now.


    "I won''t let him get what he wants, darling. He cannot know that I have my memories back. I have to keep going to the therapy sessions. I need to let him feel like he has control, so I can find out what he''s looking for." she said, determinedly.


    Shen''s heart was in his mouth. After everything he knew, how could he let her go back there! But if they found out that she had her memories back or became suspicious, they would definitely try to capture her to torture or kill her.


    He could not let that happen. He had to keep playing this game until he could hide her away somewhere nobody would be able to lay a finger on her.


    Both husband and wife were calculating how to protect one another. Both were suffering inside, at the thought of losing the other.


    Lina knew what he was thinking. She touched his cheek and leaned in to plant a passionate kiss on his cold, soft lips.


    "I promise you, we are in this together. I won''t let anything happen to you, and I promise to let you protect me too" she whispered.


    The hen-pecked husband could never resist his wife''s open advances.


    That night, they didn''t sleep.


    Shen took Lina as she was, as who she really was. He finally made love to the woman who he loved, but had never really known. But the woman who was now truly his, body, mind and soul.

 Chapter 165 - Playing dumb

    The morning light filtered through the windows of Shen and Lina''s bedroom. Lina was awake before her husband. Her head was tucked under his chin, as her soft hair covered his strong, bare chest.


    She smiled softly. She had slept dreamlessly and peacefully. Shen''s jawline was perfect, chiseled and sculpted. His skin was like marble and his lips thinly set in a line. He always smelled so good and familiar. He was her peace.


    His soft breath, as he slept, blew gently against Lina''s forehead. He was still in deep sleep.


    Lina felt a sudden pang in her heart.


    ''He must be exhausted. He never rests, always working, always worrying about me. My sweet husband, not once has he deceived or hurt me since we met. I promise I will treat you better than a king'', Lina thought to herself.


    As her mind wandered, she began to fantasise about what it would be like to live a normal life with Shen.


    Everyone would know he was taken, that she was the woman who sat on the throne next to him. Nobody would dare offer him another ''marriage proposition''. She would be able to enter the Moshi Corporation without using the private elevator, attend meetings and work events with her arm in Shen''s.


    Then perhaps she could put his almost exhausting stamina to use to become a mother, and uninhibitedly have a beautiful baby that looked like him, but acted her like her.


    And then they''d have a few more babies, and build an entire wing in their mansion just for the kids to play.


    Shen would help them study...and she could teach them to fight and defend themselves like she could.


    Nobody would burst their bubble.


    She smiled to herself at the distant thoughts, at her beautiful daydream.


    Suddenly she felt a soft kiss on her forehead. Had the big demon already awoken?


    "What are you smiling about? Are you thinking about mother''s chicken soup again?" Shen feigned disappointment.


    Lina looked up at his deep eyes and kissed him back. His lips responded possessively, taken full advantage of her offer.


    "No, I was thinking about how we would live after this mess is sorted out. I want the world to know I''m your wife" she whispered to him.


    There was a flicker of darkness in Shen''s eyes. She was still not officially married to him, even though they were living as a married couple.


    And then he was filled with regret, at how he had to hide her, his pride and treasure, to protect her from his own enemies.


    When would have finally have the opportunity to shout out to everyone that this woman was his whole life?


    "Soon, baby" he whispered, as he lifted her up in one move, and then pinned her down on the bed under him.


    Before Lina could protest or complain about her aching body from last night, he was already raining kisses down her n.a.k.e.d body.


    ____________________________________________________________


    ~At the Lim Villa~


    Lila Lim took one look at her phone and tossed it aside. She let out a cry of anger, as she read the message several times.


    It was from Mana, telling her that Lina had somehow awoken from being drugged and attacked the gangster.


    Mana had just made it out in time before Shen or Ayu had caught her. She had been thrown hard and slammed into the wall, hitting her head and falling unconscious for a few minutes.


    When she had awoken, she saw Ayu and Shen running into the bathroom as the gangster struggled in Lina''s clutches.


    Whilst their attention was on Lina, Mana had quietly snuck out of the bas.e.m.e.nt and messaged Lila that she had lost the phone in the struggle and the gangster was probably dead at one of their hands.


    Little did either of them know that it was indeed Lina who had ended his life.


    Since then, Mana had been trying to call Lila multiple times, but to no avail.


    Lila knew she could not be connected to this mess, that if anything were traced back to her, Shen Moshi could cause considerable damage to Magnolia Holdings and her brother and father would give her a severe scolding.


    She also needed to maintain her picture perfect image for CEO of Moshi Corporation if she wanted to be his wife.


    As she bit her lip, she thought back if the evidence could be traced back to her. It would be better if Mana took the fall.


    For now, she would have to play dumb.


    "You''re upset about something...tell your dear brother, and maybe your problems can be solved" a sarcastic voice appeared around Lila, one that she found herself hating more and more.


    The last thing she needed was her arrogant, shameless older brother lurking in her business.


    "Get out of my room! Don''t you have better things to do, you big fool?" her scathing remarks only amused Loren Lim.


    He casually shrugged and laughed out loud.


    "There she is, with her nasty little tongue, my very own sister" he retorted back at her. "How is it going with your Mr. Moshi? Have you managed to entrap him yet?"


    Lila grit her teeth. He had touched upon a sensitive subject.


    "Shouldn''t you be of more help in that department? Did you manage to get him to agree to the marriage offer?" she asked, a small part of her still hopeful that the business deal they were offering him would be enough to get him to leave his current wife.


    Loren''s lips curled up into a smile.


    "I won''t beat around the bush, then. You know he''s married, don''t you?"


    The brother sister duo hadn''t properly discussed this. Loren didn''t know that Mana had finally told Lila that the wife was Lina and not Ayu, as she had been originally lead to believe.


    Loren didn''t want his sister knowing too much, or her own designs might disturb his carefully laid out plans. It was best that Lila stayed out of anything that directly concerned Magnolia Holdings.


    "Yes, I know he is" she grumbled "But that woman is no match for me. No doubt she pursued him vigorously and schemed to marry him."


    Loren didn''t understand how his sister could be so shallow sometimes. If she knew anything about Lina, who was quite an extraordinary woman, she wouldn''t talk so casually.


    Loren surprised himself at how he had begun to admire this woman who he had tried to assassinate only a few months back for knowing too much.


    But now, following her and observing her, he seemed to have become crazily attracted to her. She was strong and intelligent, and her aura was so bright...unlike his own darkness.


    "Heed my warning, sis, don''t go messing around in places you have no business" his voice was low and dangerous.


    Lila''s ears prickled with embarrassment. Did he know what she had done? She would be in so much trouble.


    "I don''t know what you mean! Get lost, loser!" she screamed at her brother, before slamming the door closed in his face.

 Chapter 166 - A Terrible Friend

    Mana paced back and forth in her room. She had gone straight home after she left Tresor. Had everything gone to plan, Lila would have protected her and Lina''s credibility would have been sullied.


    But the situation had gotten out of hand, and Lina''s reputation was in tact, and Lila had abandoned her. She would be the only one connected to the event! The gangster was dead, so she would be the only one held responsible.


    On top of that, her head hurt so bad! The gangster had thrown her off with so much force, she had flown off and collided with the wall, hitting her head and falling unconscious for a few minutes.


    As tears swelled at the side of her eyes, she looked up and looked at herself directly in the mirror. She saw a face that was easily forgotten in the crowd and a body that was unshapely and awkward.


    Hating herself and every fiber of her being, she threw her phone directly at the mirror, breaking it into a thousand pieces, her image shattering along with it.


    _______________________________________________


    At the hospital Ayu was being examined by Dr. Yoshi himself.


    Her arms were turning blue with the bruising. Ro-kun looked on gravely, a mixture of disappointment and a tinge of pain in his eyes.


    Ayu was too reckless. Especially around the boss'' wife. She had to pull herself together before she lost everything she had worked so hard for.


    "You''re going to be very sore for at least three days. Don''t exert yourself, walk too much or lift heavy things. Use this ointment on your arms twice a day for a week. I mean it, missy" Dr. Yoshi warned.


    He sighed under is breath. He was treating too many serious injuries from the Moshi household lately. He wished they wouldn''t take their lives so lightly.


    Ayu nodded with a frown on her face. She had been lucky not to have fractured herself anywhere. She grit her teeth as she looked at the rugged, tall man waiting for her with judgment in his eyes as he waited for her by the door.


    As she walked past him, his hand circled around her arm. Loosely, as to not hurt her, but she cool feel the heat radiate from his skin onto hers.


    "Don''t pull that shit again, Ayu" he growled in a low voice.


    Ayu hated him for knowing her biggest weakness but also knew he was right. She just couldn''t think straight around Lina. But had she not been there, Lina could have been in more danger.


    "Please just take me home" she responded quietly.


    ______________________________________________________


    ~At the Consultancy~


    Lina entered her office building, as Mei rushed to be by her side, chirping along about all the recent developments.


    Their case with Country A had been difficult. The body of their informant had been found, disposed in a reservoir, but had been washed ashore. He had also been identified by his poor wife.


    Lina''s people had gotten wind of this information through their allies in the police force, even though politicians in Country A from the mutinous faction were trying to keep it quiet.


    "Takashi wants to talk to you, boss" Mei added, as she finished her briefing, bouncing along trying to keep pace with Lina.


    Lina nodded and headed into her office where the elegantly dressed, tight-lipped man was sitting.


    "Morning, Takashi. How are you?" Lina greeted, formally, but pleasantly.


    She was a difficult and demanding boss to please, but she was hardly known to be a demon like Shen. She was always pleasant and cordial with her staff. She had hired very intelligent people, and she respected them as equals.


    It was a wonder they hadn''t figured out her double life, knowing just how cunning and sharp they all were.


    "Doing well, boss" came Takashi''s short reply. He didn''t talk much, but said what was only necessary.


    He laid a file on her table.


    "We have a problem" he said quietly.


    Lina walked over and opened the file, a troubled expression on her face as she looked through the details.


    "It has already started" she whispered, biting her lower lip.


    Takashi nodded in agreement.


    "They''re calling it a ''terrorist attack'' by an extremist group from Country J, but I''m sure you know, they got the Browning from the illegal arms import from here" he said, knowing full well what this meant for the future of the two countries.


    A group of people from Country J had just open fired in a busy city park in the capital of Country A using a lethal Browning machine gun.


    The perpetrators had been caught and brought in for questioning but had only stated one thing:


    "They say they attacked the people of Country A as revenge for suppressing Country J''s economy" Lina read out loud from the file.


    "The news is going to break world wide later today about the attack, we need to be ready to field communications and analyze all the incoming information from multiple sources" Takashi proposed, getting down to business without further ado.


    Lina nodded, thinking about what more they should be doing.


    "Takashi, make sure you have all the translators and analysts prepared for this task. We cannot miss a single clue. Influential people from Country A living here in our country are susceptible to attacks from deluded individuals who buy into this extremist group''s claims about Country A being responsible for our economic troubles. They will reach out to us, and we need to be prepared."


    He nodded quietly, making notes as Lina spoke. He word was absolute. His boss had proved herself on various occasions. He trusted the brilliant woman standing in front of him.


    But the next thought in Lina''s mind was only to protect her husband. If anyone pieced together that innocent lives had been claimed because her husband''s shipping vessels were used to transport the deadly weapon of mass murder, he would be ruined.


    Immediately after Takashi left, she picked up the phone and called him.


    "Darling, we have a problem. Something terrible has happened" she spoke quickly into the phone, before allowing her husband to even say hello.


    Shen''s heartbeat quickened, was his wife okay? Was she safe?


    "What is it? Are you in trouble?" he asked, in a panicked voice.


    "No, but you might be" she answered, speaking in a low, but frantic voice.


    "Why? What has happened?" a terrible feeling washed over Shen.


    ''Are we too late? Did they already make a move?'' he wondered, his fists clenching hard.


    "A group of Country J terrorists open fired in a public park using a god damned Browning. They claim to be taking revenge for Country A causing economic problems for Country J. Twenty-five killed, thirteen injured" her last words were chilling to the bone.


    "The Browning...it was shipped by Moshi Corporation to Country A, am I right?" he asked, knowing full well what Lina''s answer would be, but not wanting to hear it.


    "Most likely, yes" she finished, a sadness in her voice.


    Shen''s heart clenched tightly in his chest, as he loosened his tie and tried to breathe.


    How much innocent blood had he unknowingly spilled?

 Chapter 167 - Everyone was preparing for war

    ~at the Lim branch family basecamp~


    Shao Moshi walked into his wife''s tent.


    "Have you heard the news, my beautiful wife?" he asked, a small smile playing upon his thin, perfectly set lips, a Moshi family physical feature.


    Shao was an older version of Shen, his face more mature and slightly older. His eyes were aloof, unlike Shen''s deep ones.


    Kira Lim walked over to the handsome, tall man she had been away from for five whole years. She hated his c.o.c.ky younger brother for separating them. Why did both their families have to be so troublesome?


    Her own bloodline was sullied by the foreign blood running through the main branch''s veins. Her bratty cousins were spoiled and pampered, treated like royals because their late mother was some useless princess.


    Once they merged they Moshi and Lim empires together, they would rule the country as gods. Both husband and wife had only one motive - to possess all the authority and power to never have to bow down to another person again.


    Just as with Lina and Shen, Kira and Shao''s marriage was also a closely guarded secret. Nobody on the Moshi side knew about them. Only Kira''s loyal soldiers did.


    Kira laughed out loud. Of course she knew what was happening. It only made her plans more delicious.


    "That prideful bastard. He is actually following through with that crazy war he wants to wage. What a shame, he thinks he can run the world. That terrorist attack he fueled, and trying to destroy your brother has him distracted. It''s the perfect distraction for us, my love" Kira was confident that they would have their opening soon.


    Shao was a little more impatient. His imprisonment by his younger brother had made him angrier than ever. He wanted to teach him a lesson quickly.


    Kira could see through his irritated expression. She walked towards him and threw her arms around his neck, fluttering her eyelashes playfully and pouting her s.e.xy, full lips at him.


    "Why don''t you use me to distract yourself until we have our chance?" she dared him.


    Shao took the bait. He didn''t have to be told twice. He pounced on her like lion trapping his prey.


    ___________________________________________________________________________


    Ro-kun sat in front of his computer at home, staring sordidly at his screen. He had finally received the information he had requested from General Sayu.


    She was a difficult woman to deal with, who loved playing the men around her. As his superior, she had always held some power over him. He despised her, but also respected her.


    But the last thing he had wanted, was to walk into her lair and get entangled in her games. Which was exactly why he was so relieved that she had only sent him a quick email with the list of dishonourable dischargees from the military forces, instead of meeting him in person.


    He had given her a valuable piece of information in return for the list of dishonourable dischargees to find the person who had shot at Ayu at the University, but had hit him instead.


    As he looked through the list, one image and name stood out to him.


    A woman in the special operations branch, a very quietly kept secretive branch of the military, used only to carry out singular missions in assassination and espionage at the behest of the government.


    The woman was discharged because of insubordination. The report didn''t say what she had done, but he recognised her face from the drive by.


    Mari Tsukimori.


    "That name is familiar." Ro-kun whispered.


    Cold sweat broke upon his forehead when he realised where he had heard the name.


    "No way."


    How could he forgive anyone who had tried to kill Ayu just to send a message?


    ______________________________________________________________________________


    As Ro-kun waited in the Moshi Corporation company car outside Ayu''s apartment building, he was pensive, deep in thought.


    He knew who had shot him, the person who had missed Ayu and had almost killed her.


    He watched the tall, elegant brunette walk out of the gate slowly. Her walk and gait were sluggish. Her body must have been so sore. She had injured her arms and body by trying to save Lina the previous night.


    She looked like she''d had a terrible night and hadn''t slept much. Ro-kun sighed deeply. How could he take care of her without overstepping her boundaries?


    Ayu gingerly opened the car door and took her seat on the passenger side. Ro-kun noticed her having a hard time with putting on her seatbelt.


    Without a second thought, he moved closer to Ayu, leaning over her until their faces were only a breath apart. She inhaled sharply and sat still, as Ro-kun pulled the belt over her chest and buckled it down securely.


    "Take it easy. Just ask for help if you need it" he said to her in a taut voice. He wished he could be more expressive. But he wasn''t an expressive man. And Ayu didn''t make it any easier.


    "I''m fine" she mumbled back.


    As they drove off, Ayu pulled out the phone that they had found at the club with the pictures of Lina with the gangster.


    "We need to put a trace on this phone, find out everything about who bought it and paid for it. That''s the only way we''ll find who tried to hurt Madam. It couldn''t have been Mana" Ayu spoke grimly.


    She hadn''t slept well after all. She had stayed up wondering how she could have let Lina get duped so easily. The bartender must have been in on it and spiked their drinks.


    "You think the bartender was in on it?" Ro-kun spoke Ayu''s mind. Her eyes widened.


    "Yes, I do. I was watching Mana the entire time. She didn''t put anything in the drinks. In fact, I was wondering how someone like her could secure VIP entry at a place like Tresor. She definitely couldn''t have also had the bartender in her pocket" Ayu thought out loud.


    "That''s true. She''s just a simpleton lawyer trying to make it. No way she could employ the bartender, get VIP entry to a new snazzy club and also hire the gangster. Someone with a much greater influence tried to hurt Madam." Ro-kun agreed with Ayu.


    As they pulled up to the capital city Moshi Corporation office, Ro-kun carefully went over to the passenger side and held the car door open for Ayu.


    Ayu didn''t protest and allowed him to help her. She waited for him before they walked inside the office building together. For once, she would allow herself to be taken care of.


    The two of them nodded at each other as they headed straight towards the bas.e.m.e.nt prison cells to find the one person who could decipher the origins of the mobile phone.

 Chapter 168 - Tracing the culprit

    Ayu pressed a few buttons on a digital lock outside James'' cell. The tongue-less computer whiz was lounging in a king size bed, flicking channels on a flatscreen TV.


    His prison cell had better arrangements than most people''s homes. James was made as comfortable as a prisoner could be. Without the use of his tongue.


    He noticed Ayu as she walked up to the front of the glass door of his cell. He made a low, disgruntled sound and continued to ignore her, his eyes falling back upon his TV screen.


    He found Ayu to be a tiresome creature who always had some boring technical errands for him to run. As much as he hated having to help Shen Moshi who''d cut off his tongue, he had no choice.


    The youngest Moshi brother held a piece of leverage that he desperately needed, and until then, he was their servant dog.


    Ayu gingerly punched in the code to the cell door, sliding it open as the lock light flashed green. Ro-kun followed closely behind her. Nobody would mess with Ayu as long as he was around.


    Even though he knew the tall, intelligent woman was tough enough to hold her own when it came to the measly geek James.


    "Waa" James made an annoyed sound, trying to ask what they wanted from him this time.


    Ayu dropped the phone in front of him.


    "I want to know where this came from. And pull all the data from it." she commanded, her voice like steel.


    James rolled his eyes and let out another dramatic sigh. They would kill him with boredom before being imprisoned did.


    Tracing a stupid phone''s origins was child''s play to him. Nonetheless, he lazily pulled himself up and dragged himself out of his cell.


    He wasn''t allowed any access to the internet or connectivity to the internal Moshi Corp. systems in his cell. He was only allowed to work from a secured room completely supervised.


    Just in case he tried something, Ayu would reign terror down on him.


    As he connected the phone to the system, his hands moved swiftly on the keyboard. His eye remained dull and uninterested.


    Ayu''s eyes never once left him, vigilant not to make another mistake, still punishing herself for allowing her beloved Lina to be cheated by Mana.


    Noticing her intent gaze, Ro-kun''s eyes softened in pain for Ayu. She was truly a fool. Her tough exterior was such a sham when it came to the truth in her feeble heart.


    He reached out to touch her shoulder, to provide her with just a little comfort so she would stop beating herself up. But he stopped short.


    She would never let him in. She was far too guarded, far too wounded and he wanted to respect her space. It was the one and only thing he could do for her.


    Suddenly, James let out a grunt. He sat in front of the screen, his finger on his chin.


    He turned to the notepad beside him and began writing.


    ''Phone is a burner, purchased anonymously probably with cash. Data was supposed to be uploaded to a server but for some reason, phone was wiped''


    After writing, James flung the pen away, put his feet up and yawned callously. Ayu''s face turned in disgust at the stump in his mouth where his tongue should have been.


    Did boss really have to be so gruesome? James would''ve been more useful if he didn''t have to write everything down and could actually explain.


    "Boss wiped the pictures off the phone. They weren''t uploaded yet thankfully because we were in a bas.e.m.e.nt where there was no connectivity or network" Ayu breathed a huge sigh of relief, as she announced the news to Ro-kun.


    They didn''t have the information they wanted, but at least Lina''s reputation was safe and sound thanks to Shen''s quick thinking and protectiveness.


    Ro-kun nodded, realising how he had also held his breath, hoping nothing had gone wrong and that the Madam''s reputation was well-protected.


    Not so much for the same reasons as Ayu, but simply because he didn''t want her to burden herself with guilt any longer.


    He grimaced, knowing that Ayu''s feelings were too complicated for her to ever stop caring about Lina the way she did. Her emotions ran as hot on the inside as she was cold on the outside.


    "Do you know where such a burner could be acquired" she asked James, not ready to give up her search yet.


    James shrugged nonchalantly. He picked up the phone lazily, dismantling the back, looking for something.


    Then he began to scribble something else on the notepad.


    ''Checked for the serial number to trace the supplier but it''s been scratched off. The phone is too common, it''s impossible to trace it without the serial number''


    Ayu grit her teeth harshly, slamming her fist on the table, startling the lazy genius without a tongue, an irritable expression plastered all over his face.


    He''d have definitely been mouthing her off if he could for being the most annoying woman alive.


    "Unbelievable. Is this why they call you such a genius?" she chided James. Ayu huffed as she turned to Ro-kun to rant.


    "We have all the damn resources in the world and power equalling to that of a small time dictator, and yet, we can''t trace one stupid burner phone!" she cried out, her voice climbing a few octaves with anxiety.


    "Calm down. We have another lead." Ro-kun said in a low, dangerous voice.


    Ayu''s eyes widened.


    "That''s right. We do" she licked her lips, a fire burning in her belly. She was ready to get her hands dirty.


    Ro-kun ushered James out, the tech genius grumbling to the best of his tongue-less ability. He was going back to his stupid cell to rot, like the small time dog he was for the Moshi Corporation now.


    Ayu''s fists clenched at the thought of the woman who had so easily betrayed Lina''s trust. She wouldn''t let that two faced bitch get off easy, not even if her life depended on it.