Alina sat at the dining table, flipping through the documents Daniel had left behind. Each page felt heavier than the last. Brand endorsements, magazine spreads, a feature in Modern Women Weekly—all of them painting her as the overnight sensation, the mysterious new "Madame Xu."
It was ironic. She had done nothing but stand beside Leonard in a dress and smile. And now they wanted her to be the face of elegance, ambition, and scandal.
"Alina?" came a voice from the hallway.
She looked up and found Grace—Leonard's assistant—walking in with her usual clipboard and professional heels.
"I hope I'm not interrupting," Grace said, offering a rare smile.
"Not at all."
Grace placed a slim envelope on the table. "This just came in directly from Verité. It's not just an interview request. It's a profile piece for their Women of Influence column. Editor-in-chief herself signed the proposal."
Alina blinked. "They want me in that column? Isn't that usually for CEOs, activists, or billionaires' daughters who actually do something?"
"You're Mrs. Leonard Xu now. That's enough to put you on their radar." Grace hesitated, then added, "But I think there's more to you than just your title. And so do they."
Alina slowly opened the envelope. Elegant script on cream paper, the signature embossed in silver foil. It felt unreal. As if she were holding a ticket to a world she had only ever observed through glass.
"I don't know if I want this," she murmured.
Grace tilted her head. "Are you afraid you'll say something wrong… or something too honest?"
Alina looked up, caught off guard.
Grace only smiled again—wry and knowing. "Women in this world aren't allowed to be too quiet or too loud. You'll be criticized either way. So you might as well speak for yourself."
By evening, Alina had made up her mind.
She sent an email back to the editor with two words: I accept.
Two days later, the penthouse was transformed into a minimalist set. Cameras, lighting, and a small team from Verité moved around with expert precision. The editor-in-chief herself—Camilla Chao—had flown in from Shanghai for the shoot.
Alina stood by the window in a cream silk blouse and tailored white slacks, her makeup subtle, her hair in soft waves. The stylist had insisted on an "elegant but modern" look—something to complement her natural poise.
Camilla approached her between takes.
"I'll be honest, Mrs. Xu," she said, arms crossed. "I wasn't sure what to expect. Usually, women in your position are either rehearsed to death or too afraid to speak."
"And I'm neither?" Alina asked.
Camilla smiled. "You're something else entirely. I hope your husband knows that."
Alina's smile faltered for a split second. "I'm sure he doesn't."
After the shoot, they sat down for the interview.
Camilla didn't waste time.
"You've been called a mystery, a Cinderella, and even a gold-digger. What do you call yourself?"
Alina laughed softly. "Just Alina. I never asked for labels, but it seems the world needs them."
"Do you feel like you belong in Leonard Xu's world?"
"I'm not sure anyone belongs in someone else's world," she replied. "You have to build your own place in it."
Camilla's eyebrows rose. "That's not the answer I expected."
"It's not the one I would've given a month ago."
"What changed?"
Alina looked out the window, then back at Camilla. "I did."
The next morning, the interview went live. The article was bold, sincere, and painted Alina not as a passive wife, but as a woman with her own quiet fire.
"I didn't marry Leonard Xu to be saved," she said. "I married him because I had nothing left to lose—and everything to protect. Now I'm learning how to protect myself too."
The internet exploded.
Netizens were torn—some praising her honesty, others accusing her of manipulation. But one thing was certain: Alina Shen was no longer invisible.
She was a storm they couldn't ignore.
That evening, Leonard came home earlier than usual.
Alina was in the lounge, reading the article again—this time with a strange tightness in her chest. She didn't look up when he entered.
"I saw the article," he said.
She flipped a page. "I figured you would."
Silence stretched between them.
"You didn't tell me you were going to accept the interview."
"I didn't know I needed your permission."
He walked closer, his tone cooling. "You don't. But transparency would've been appreciated."
Alina finally looked up, eyes steady. "Like how you were transparent when you decided to parade me at the gala?"
Leonard's jaw tightened.
Alina stood, letting the magazine drop.
"You chose this marriage because it suited your needs. You wanted silence, obedience, a wife in name only. I gave you that. But now you don't get to be upset because I decided to use my voice."
His expression darkened. "This isn't about the article, Alina. It's about perception. Every word you say becomes a reflection of this family."
"And I am part of this family now," she snapped. "Or have you forgotten that too?"
Leonard stared at her, unreadable again.
"You're changing," he said quietly.
"Good," she replied. "Maybe it's time you did too."
That night, Leonard couldn't sleep.
He poured himself a drink in his study and stared at the fireplace, Camilla's article open on his phone.
He had expected her to retreat, to shy away from the spotlight. But instead, she had faced it head-on—and looked beautiful doing it.
Confident. Controlled. Sharp as glass.
He remembered the woman he met weeks ago—the quiet daughter of a struggling businessman, standing in his office with trembling hands and lowered eyes. This was not that woman anymore.
And damn him… he didn't know how to feel about it.
Elsewhere in the city, in a luxurious apartment overlooking the river, Celeste Zhou read the same article—her red lips twitching in disdain.
"She's getting bold," she said, tossing the magazine onto the coffee table.
A man beside her lit a cigarette. "You're losing your grip, Celeste."
She shot him a glare. "Don't mistake silence for surrender. I've known Leonard for ten years. This little marriage stunt? It's a joke. He'll come back to me eventually."
"And if he doesn't?"
Celeste picked up her phone and scrolled through Alina's photo on the cover of Verité.
"Then I'll make sure she doesn't stay in the picture long enough for him to decide."