The villa felt unusually quiet.
The silence lingered through every corner of the grand manor, making the rhythmic clicking of heels against the polished marble floor sound even clearer.
A slender figure stepped through the entrance with practiced elegance.
She was dressed in a well-tailored suit, her makeup light and natural, accentuating her delicate features rather than hiding them.
Her small lips were pressed into a calm line as she walked past the servants, every movement graceful and composed.
There was no need for introductions, everyone in the Fu household knew who she was.
Wei lu.
The woman who had once stood at the very top of the Fu family.
Years ago, before Lucian was old enough to shoulder the responsibility himself, she had carried the entire Fu Group on her own shoulders, making decisions that determined the rise and fall of countless businesses.
The position she once held now belonged to Lucian, yet no one within the company dared underestimate the influence she still possessed.
Life had never been particularly kind to her.
An Zhao had betrayed her long ago.
He had abandoned the family without hesitation, leaving with the woman he claimed to love while abandoning his young son behind.
The scandal had shaken the entire business world, yet Wei Lu never wasted time grieving.
She buried every ounce of disappointment, slowly building the Fu Group into the empire it had become.
She had survived because she never allowed herself the luxury of breaking.
Wei Lu rubbed the bridge of her nose before walking further into the sitting room.
The phone remained pressed against her ear while the voice on the other end continued talking without pause.
Her gaze wandered towards the fireplace.
“Tell me again,” she said quietly.
The person on the other end repeated themselves.
Her expression gradually hardened.
The gentleness in her eyes slowly disappeared, replaced by the calm indifference of a seasoned business woman.
“What exactly does that family think they’re trying to do?”
She let out a slow breath before closing her eyes for a brief moment.
“We’ll never cooperate with that unscrupulous group.”
She spoke without the slightest hesitation.
“I’m certain Lucian wouldn’t agree either.”
The person on the other end hurriedly tried to persuade her, but Wei Lu simply shook her head.
“If they’re serious about working with the Fu Group, then they should accept our terms. We’re responsible for the core construction, the financial investment and the technical planning, while they’re only handling the secondary work. Yet they expect an equal share of the profits?”
A faint scoff escaped her lips.
“Impossible.”
Several companies had approached the Fu Group hoping to secure a partnership, but most lacked the financial strength and construction experience required for projects of that scale.
In the end, the Fu Group would shoulder almost all the expenses, yet those companies refused to compromise on the terms, leaving the negotiations at a standstill.
Before the other person could continue speaking, Wei Lu calmly ended the call.
She lowered the phone onto the table and slowly sat on the sofa, rubbing her temples with tired fingers.
Perhaps Lucian could deal with the remaining negotiations.
Just then, the front door opened.
“Lucian.”
Wei Lu turned towards the entrance before she even caught sight of him.
After all these years, she had long grown accustomed to recognising his presence alone.
“Haven’t seen you for days” her voice calm as her eyes carefully studied his face, hoping to catch even the slightest change in his expression.
Lucian had always been a man who kept everything to himself.
No matter what troubled him, he would rather bury it than speak of it, making it almost impossible for anyone to understand what was truly on his mind.
“Great, Mother.”
His answer was brief and indifferent.
Without waiting for another question, he walked past her and headed towards the staircase.
Wei Lu’s brows knitted together.
Something was clearly wrong.
“Lucian.”
He continued walking as though he didn’t hear her.
“What’s bothering you?”
There was still no response.
Knowing he would never stop on his own, Wei Lu stepped in front of him, gently placing a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
“I almost forgot to remind you,” she said.
“The art appraisal hosting the Zhao family is approaching. You should begin making preparations to see your bride . This alliance is important to the future expansion of the Fu Group, and neither family can afford any mistakes.”
“There is no need to remind me.”
His voice remained cold, devoid of any emotion.
Without the slightest hesitation, he removed her hand from his shoulder before walking around her and continuing upstairs.
Wei Lu stood where she was, watching his retreating figure until he disappeared from sight.
Lucian had never truly regarded her as his mother.
When he was little, she had devoted almost every waking hour to the Fu Groups, negotiations consumed her days, leaving little time to pay attention to him.
Even after An Zhao abandoned the family, she had buried herself even deeper in work, believing that protecting the Fu family’s legacy was more important than anything else.
She had never realised that, while she was busy preserving the empire, the distance between herself and Lucian continued to grow.
After An Zhao eloped with his mistress, he left behind the illegitimate son he had with her.That child was Leon.
Lucian never blamed Leon for the mistakes of their father.
Instead, he accepted him as his younger brother and quietly took on the responsibility of raising him.
Over the years, Leon had come to depend on him completely, and to Lucian, Leon had become the only family member he was willing to protect without hesitation.
Perhaps it was because he had learned too early that there was no one else he could rely on.
Wei Lu lowered her eyes before letting out a quiet sigh.
She regretted many things, but none more than allowing the invisible wall between herself and Lucian to grow thicker with each passing year.
“Whatever.”
She adjusted the folds of her dress before returning to the sofa.
As long as Lucian understood the responsibilities that came with leading the Fu family, she could accept everything else.
Lucian entered his study, loosened the tie around his neck before making his way to the large mahogany desk by the window, several documents had already been neatly arranged for his review.
He pulled one of the files towards himself, opened it and lowered his gaze to the first page, yet not a single sentence entered his mind.
He turned another page, then another, only to realise he had no idea what he had just read.
His thoughts had drifted elsewhere, back to the night, back to the faint fragrance that lingered in the air, the warmth that had wrapped around him, the pleasure that had almost driven him out of his mind.
Yet everything after that was nothing more than a blank space.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remember who the woman was, how the night had ended, or what had happened after he lost consciousness.
A dull pain began to spread through his temples.
“Ugh…”