Mo Yichen had activated The Eclipse, his private elite security force. They were trained to perfection and equipped with cutting-edge technology. The Eclipse was Mo Yichen's first personal project after returning from the military. What began as a solitary vision had evolved into a formidable security company, an army in its own right, with over two hundred bodyguards. They weren't just serving top national and international clients; they were Mo Yichen's blade in the shadows.
The moment it was confirmed that Xia Ruyan hadn't just gone missing but had most likely been abducted, Mo Yichen's worry started solidifying. Until now, he had been hoping that maybe she had gone somewhere of her own accord, but Mr. Xia's confirmation that she had sent a distress signal changed everything.
So, what if she was just part of a deal? She was still his legally wedded wife. She was his responsibility.
"Yichen, don't stir the entire capital," his father said, his voice heavy with gravity.
"Even if she's missing, her family will do what's needed. Don't put yourself in danger," his mother added, her voice wavering.
"You didn't ask me to stay safe when you blackmailed me into rescuing that Ye," he gritted out coldly. "Now you care about my safety?"
"Yichen…" his mother gasped, her hand flying to cover her mouth, her face pale.
"Don't, Mother," he said with quiet resignation, turning to leave.
"What is he talking about, Meiling?" Master Mo turned sharply to his wife; his voice suddenly filled with suspicion. "What did you do?"
"I…. I did nothing, husband," she replied nervously, her eyes flashing with a strange glint.
"Father, why are you questioning Mother?" Mo Yiran cut in quickly, trying to defuse the situation. He knew that if the truth came out, why Mo Yichen had rushed back, leaving Xia Ruyan alone, it would spell trouble for him as well.
"Enough!" Elder Mo's voice thundered through the room, his fury sending shivers down everyone's spine. "Has the title of 'Madam Mo' gone to your head? If you can't handle my decisions, then leave. The Mo family has no room for people too big for their shoes!"
Madam Mo's face drained of color. In that moment, she finally realized she wasn't untouchable. The petty schemes she had been orchestrating over the last month were not unnoticed; they had merely been tolerated. Until now.
"I... I just asked Yichen to come back," she stammered, scrambling to defend herself. "Yutong was injured while hiking. Because of protocol, we couldn't reach the area, but Yichen could. I insisted he return. She's just a little girl, how could I leave her alone?"
"So, you do understand that little girls shouldn't be left alone," Elder Mo said with quiet bitterness. His words struck like a hammer, and silence fell upon the room. Even Mo Yiran was at a loss for words.
"Zhenyu," Elder Mo's voice rang through the ancestral hall like a judge delivering a final verdict. His steely gaze locked onto his son, and every syllable was deliberate and thunderous. "Take your wife and leave. I don't want to see her here for the time being."
Gasps echoed around the room. Madam Mo staggered back, as if physically struck. Her lips trembled. "Father… please… I didn't mean…"
"Enough!" Elder Mo bellowed, silencing her with sheer force. "You didn't mean to? Was it not enough that your schemes endangered the daughter-in-law of this house? You've embarrassed the Mo name again and again, for a family that has leeched off us for years."
"Father," Mo Zhenyu stepped forward, face pale. "Please calm down. Meiling didn't intend harm. She just—"
"She just manipulated Mo Yichen to abandon his wife. She just lied to get her way. She just proved she never truly belonged in this household!" Elder Mo sneered.
Meiling clutched the hem of Elder Mo's robe. "Please, Father… this is also my family. I've never asked for anything. Yutong is like a daughter to me. I've seen her growing up, I couldn't leave her! I didn't want to harm Ruyan; it was an accident. I didn't know she'd fall into danger…"
"Don't play the victim, Meiling." Elder Mo's voice dropped to a whisper, chillingly sharp. "The only thing you've ever cared about is your own pride. And the Yés. Tell me, when was the last time you acted in the interest of the Mo family, not your precious best friend's?"
Across the room, Mo Yiran stood frozen. His face remained unreadable, but his clenched fists betrayed the fury within. His grandfather had just declared, in no uncertain terms, that Xia Ruyan mattered. That she was one of them.
And his mother had tried to cast her aside. Yichen said nothing. He stood near the doorway, half in shadow, his face unreadable yet grimly satisfied. The old man had seen through it all.
"I did it for Yutong," Meiling whispered again. "She was injured. I panicked. I didn't think…"
"She is not the future of this family," Elder Mo snapped. "That right belongs to Yichen. And Ruyan, whom you left to the wolves."
He turned sharply toward her. "And enough with the 'little girl' act, that Ye woman is already twenty-five, while Ruyan is only twenty-two. Tell me, who is the little one here? And why did the Ye family send their daughter to a restricted area for an adventure when their household is already in chaos because of her father's scandal?
Do you take us for fools? Do you think we can't see through your schemes? It's obvious you knew everything. Tell me, was she ever truly injured or stranded?"
Elder Mo exposed all of her schemes outright, giving her no face at all. He was so agitated that his vision blurred for a moment. Mo Yize hurried forward to support him.
"Please calm down, Grandpa." But Elder Mo had more to say. He straightened and faced his son for the final blow.
"Zhenyu, if your wife wishes to live with the Ye parasites, so be it. Do so outside these walls. The Mo family does not beg. And we do not bleed for those who betray our own."
The silence that followed was suffocating. Mo Zhenyu opened his mouth, but no words came out, while his wife sobbed quietly. Mo Yiran stood motionless, his fists trembling. Only the old grandfather clock ticked on in the corner, oblivious to the fact that the Mo family had just shed two of its own.