In her own cell, Mrs. Lu sat equally still, equally cold. But her hands were clenched so tightly her nails drew blood from her palms, and her eyes held a fury that would have made anyone who saw it take an involuntary step backward.
The baby was gone. Their grandson, the Lu heir, the only piece of their destroyed son that remained, vanished into impossible light.
Someone would pay for that.
Everyone would pay for that.
---
The sedan glided through the pre-dawn streets smoothly, Ting Fei's hands steady on the wheel as he navigated the familiar route back to the Lin mansion. The city was still caught in that strange liminal space between night and morning, most windows dark, only scattered lights marking where early risers or late workers kept vigil against the darkness.
