Zi Ning sat in the quiet of Lu Yichen's office, the video playing on her phone over and over again. Wang Yin's voice echoed in her ears.
"If she doesn't back off, we'll deal with her the same way we dealt with Wang Xue."
The words sent a shiver down her spine, but more than fear, a cold fury settled in her heart. This was proof—clear, undeniable proof. Wang Yin had murdered Wang Xue. And now, she wanted to do the same to her.
Jiang Yue sat beside her, still pale from the revelation. "We have to release this," she whispered. "The world needs to know."
Zi Ning exhaled slowly, her mind sharp. "Not yet."
Jiang Yue turned to her in shock. "What do you mean? This is the best evidence we have!"
Lu Yichen, who had been watching silently, finally spoke. "If we release it now, she'll try to deny it. She'll say it's fake, that we edited it. She still has powerful connections. She'll fight back."
Zi Ning nodded. "If we want to destroy her, we have to make sure she has no way out."
Jiang Yue bit her lip. "Then… what do we do?"
Zi Ning's gaze turned icy. "We make her panic. We push her into a corner until she exposes herself completely."
Lu Yichen smirked. "I like the way you think."
The next morning, the entertainment world exploded with the latest scandal.
News outlets and gossip blogs were flooded with articles accusing Zi Ning of spreading false rumors about Wang Xue's death. A former actress, Sun Feifei, claimed in an interview that Zi Ning had paid people to dig up dirt on Wang Yin out of jealousy.
The comments were brutal.
"I knew she was trouble! Always causing drama!"
"So she lied about everything? How disgusting."
"Poor Wang Yin, always getting bullied."
Zi Ning scrolled through the hateful messages, her fingers tightening around her phone. No matter how many times she saw such things, it still stung.
Lu Yichen's voice pulled her back. "Ignore them."
She looked up at him. "I know. But it's frustrating."
Lu Yichen leaned back, his expression calm. "Let her enjoy this moment. It won't last long."
Zhou Wei entered the office just then, his face serious. "Wang Yin just donated a huge sum to a children's charity. The media is eating it up. They're painting her as a kind-hearted victim."
Zi Ning let out a short laugh. "How typical. Whenever she's in trouble, she plays the saint."
Jiang Yue frowned. "Should we say something? Release a statement?"
Zi Ning shook her head. "No. If we react too soon, it'll look like we're just trying to clear our names. Let her think she's winning."
Lu Yichen smirked. "And when she lets her guard down, we strike."
That evening, Zi Ning sat in her apartment, staring at the city skyline. The weight of everything pressed down on her.
She wasn't scared. No, she was past that. But she was tired. Tired of always having to fight, tired of being the one on the defensive.
Her phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number.
"You should have stayed quiet. Now, you won't have a chance to regret it."
Zi Ning stared at the words, her heart pounding. A direct threat.
She took a screenshot and forwarded it to Lu Yichen. A moment later, her phone rang.
"Where are you?" His voice was sharp.
"At home," she replied.
"I'm coming over. Don't open the door for anyone but me."
Zi Ning frowned. "You think they'll do something tonight?"
"I don't know," he admitted. "But I won't take chances."
An hour later, Lu Yichen arrived. He had brought extra security, and they stationed themselves outside Zi Ning's apartment.
Inside, Lu Yichen sat on the couch, watching her closely. "Are you scared?"
Zi Ning met his gaze steadily. "No. I'm angry."
He chuckled. "Good."
She sighed. "But we need to move fast. If they're this desperate, they might try something reckless."
Lu Yichen nodded. "Then let's push them over the edge."
Zi Ning's eyes gleamed. "I have an idea."
The next day, another article appeared.
"Inside Source: A Major Scandal is About to Explode in the Entertainment Industry!"
The article hinted at something big, something related to a famous actress. It claimed that there was undeniable proof of a crime that would shock the industry.
Though it didn't mention any names, everyone immediately thought of Wang Yin.
The comments were buzzing.
"Wait, is this about Wang Xue?"
"If this is real, someone's going to jail."
"I hope it's that snake Wang Yin. I never trusted her."
Wang Yin's camp immediately tried to control the damage.
But it was too late.
That afternoon, another leak happened.
A voice recording was released online.
It wasn't the one of Wang Yin admitting to killing Wang Xue. Not yet. This one was just a conversation between Wang Yin and her manager, where she discussed bribing Sun Feifei to frame Zi Ning.
It was enough to shake things up.
The internet went wild.
"So she paid people to lie?! What else is she hiding?"
"I knew Zi Ning wasn't the bad guy!"
"Wang Yin is done for."
Zi Ning sat in Lu Yichen's office, watching the chaos unfold.
Jiang Yue let out a laugh. "This is amazing! Look at her fans turning on her!"
Lu Yichen leaned back, satisfied. "She'll try to fight back. But the more she struggles, the deeper she sinks."
Zi Ning's lips curled into a smile. "And soon, we'll bury her completely."
That night, Wang Yin held an emergency press conference.
She sat before the cameras, her face pale but composed. "These accusations are completely false. I have never paid anyone to spread lies."
She took a deep breath, forcing a tear to roll down her cheek. "I've worked hard in this industry. I have always been kind to my colleagues. I don't know why people want to destroy me."
Some people still believed her.
But others weren't so sure.
Then, just as she was about to finish her speech, something happened.
A reporter stood up. "Miss Wang Yin, how do you explain this?"
He held up his phone and pressed play.
The video recording of Wang Yin's confession echoed through the room.
"If she doesn't back off, we'll deal with her the same way we dealt with Wang Xue."
Wang Yin's face turned ghostly white.
The room exploded with chaos. Reporters shouted questions, cameras flashed wildly.
She tried to speak, but no words came out.
Zi Ning watched it all unfold from her phone, a satisfied smile on her lips.
The storm had begun.
And Wang Yin was drowning.