Daniel leaned back in the leather armchair of his study, the same one that had once belonged to his father. It was nearly midnight, and the Han estate was finally quiet. The ticking of the grandfather clock filled the space as he looked outside the window. His gaze was fixed on the moonlit garden outside, where the cherry blossom trees swayed gently in the summer breeze.
She hadn’t made a single move since issuing that ridiculous challenge.
Well, not ridiculous, he corrected himself with a dry smirk. Ballsy. Not many people had dared challenge him outright like that. Certainly not any girl. Not in this world of suits, status, and sealed fates. And yet here she was—Jia. Quiet, composed, and mysterious.
“She thinks she can outmatch me,” he muttered, more amused than offended. “Cute.”
It was the second night since the announcement, and still, no sign of what her first move might be. Most people would’ve started bluffing by now. Posting cryptic things online, whispering around the staff, calling in favors. But not her. She was going about her day like she hadn’t just publicly declared war on the heir of the Han family.
Daniel wasn’t scared. Not even mildly unsettled.
He was curious.
What are you hiding, Jia?
Meanwhile, Jia sat cross-legged on the floor of her temporary room, a notebook open in her lap, Pearl was no longer with her as she was meowing constantly and scratching the door so Jia let her go outside. She was alone and fully focused as she flipped through the pages, where hand-drawn diagrams and lists filled the cream-colored sheets.
Her handwriting was neat. Almost too neat. Like she’d written it all slowly, carefully. Like she’d had this plan long before the challenge ever became public.
“One at a time,” she murmured, tapping her pen against her chin. “Don’t overwhelm him. Let him believe he’s still ahead. That way, he won’t notice the floor shifting beneath his feet.”
Jia smiled and scratched behind her ears. “Yes, Step one is risky. But it has to be. He needs to lose balance without realizing he’s falling.”
She closed the notebook.
Down the hall, Lucas was lying belly-down on the carpet in Daniel’s room, coloring in a sketchbook while Pearl investigated the legs of the antique furniture. Daniel, seated stiffly at the edge of his bed, watched with a mix of amusement and mild terror as the kitten batted at the hem of his trousers.
“Lucas. Your… your cat is touching me.” Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
Lucas didn’t even look up. “She likes you. That means you’re not scary.”
“I am scary,” Daniel replied flatly. “People flinch when I enter rooms.”
“Not Pearl.”
The kitten leapt onto the bed beside him and pawed at the sleeve of his shirt. Daniel froze. Her fur brushed his wrist.
“This is psychological warfare,” he muttered.
Lucas giggled. “You should give her a nickname.”
Daniel glared at him. “She’s a cat. She doesn’t need nicknames.”
“You have one.”
“I do not.”
Lucas grinned. “Jia calls you ‘Mr. Puffy’.”
Daniel nearly choked. “She what?”
Later that evening, Jia joined them in the dining room for a late snack. She was dressed casually, her long hair tied back, sleeves rolled up. The look suited her too well, Daniel thought. It made her harder to read. Less of an elegant heiress, more of a quietly capable tactician.
“You’re oddly relaxed for someone who started a war,” he said, pouring himself a cup of tea. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
Jia gave him a mock-innocent smile. “What war? I thought this was a partnership trial.”
“Trial,” Daniel repeated with a scoff. “Sure. You just happen to enjoy making your partner sweat, is that it?”
“You don’t seem to be sweating.”
“Not yet.”
They exchanged a long look across the table. Lucas was too busy feeding Pearl tiny pieces of chicken to notice the invisible tension.
Finally, Jia stood and dusted off her hands. “Well, goodnight, Mr. Puffy. You’ll need your rest. Tomorrow’s going to be… eye-opening.”
Daniel’s brow arched. “You’re making your move?”
Jia just gave a half-smile. “I’m not making a move. I’m setting the stage. The move happens after the curtains rise.”
And with that, she walked out.
What Daniel didn’t yet know was that his first challenge had already begun. Jia had sent the wheels turning quietly, whispering to the right ears, planting the right doubts.
And by morning, the headlines would shift.
Not against him.
But towards him.
The world would be watching. And the first domino was already falling.