Zhan's POV:
I didn't want the kiss to end.
For the first time in days, I felt like I could breathe. Like maybe, just maybe, there was a version of the world where I wasn't just someone people used, hurt, or tossed aside. Wang's lips were warm, gentle, nothing like the pain I'd known. When we parted, and he held me close, it felt like I'd found something real.
But reality came crashing back the moment I remembered where I was, who was in this house?
Wang's mother.
My stomach twisted just thinking about her. Her eyes. Her voice. The way she looked at me like I was a thing, not a person. And now she wanted to trade my freedom like a piece of furniture for her son's marriage. I couldn't stay here. I wouldn't.
Wang pulled back slightly, concern etched across his face. "You okay?"
"No," I said honestly, clutching the hem of his shirt like a lifeline. "I can't be here. Not in the same house with her."
Wang's brows furrowed. "You won't be alone. I'm right here."
"I know," I whispered, heart pounding. "But if you leave this room, even for a second, I'll be back in that place scared, waiting for the next blow. I can't Wang, I can't stay here."
He studied me for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Alright. Wherever I go, you come with me."
"You mean it?"
"I mean it," he said, his voice fierce. "You don't ever have to be alone again."
Something inside me cracked. Relief. Gratitude. Love. It all swelled up and spilled from my eyes, but I didn't hide this time. I let the tears fall as he wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight.
I didn't care where we went. As long as he was there, I'd follow him to the ends of the earth.
"We need to go to the hospital to collect your files, go to the police station as well, and to your high school," Wang said, already moving out of bed.
I nodded, pushing the blanket off. "Okay."
"We need to freshen up first," he added with a small smile.
Before he could say another word, I jumped out of bed and grabbed his hand, dragging him straight to the bathroom. He laughed softly behind me, probably surprised at how fast I moved. But truthfully, it wasn't just the urgency of our errands, being this close to him, after everything, made me feel grounded.
And let's be honest, on a normal day, with how fine this man looked, I'd have done way more than just bathe.
But that could wait.
We had work to do. Justice to fight for. And this time, I wasn't doing it alone.
The ride to the hospital was quiet. The driver drove, Cheng sat in front, focused and sharp as always, while I sat in the back with Wang, our hands lightly tangled together. His thumb brushed the back of my hand now and then, keeping me alive.
"We'll start at the hospital," Wang said. "Get your medical records something concrete to back up your injuries."
I nodded, but my chest felt tight.
When we got there, Cheng did most of the talking. He asked for my patient file, gave my name, and listed the approximate dates. The receptionist typed away, her eyes flicking between the screen and us.
Then she frowned. "I'm sorry, but... there's no record of any Zhan admitted during that period."
My heart dropped. "Check again," I said quietly.
She did. Three times.
Still nothing.
"Let's go," Cheng said after a pause, clearly trying to stay calm. "We'll try the police station."
At the station, it was the same story. No complaints under my name. No entries from my grandmother. No statements. Nothing. Even the officer I recognized from one of the day's grandma came in and just shrugged as if he'd never seen me before.
"It's like you never reported anything," he said bluntly.
Wang's jaw clenched. "What the hell is going on?"
My throat burned, but I said nothing. We tried the school next. Same results. The registrar looked confused when we asked for my file.
"We've never had a student by that name," she said flatly.
I felt cold all over. Numb. "I sat in the third row, by the window. My grandma came here more than five times to report everything."
"I'm sorry," she said, but her eyes were already on the next form on her desk.
Wang looked like he was about to explode.
Finally, we went to the local registry, the place where we got married. We gave them the date and our full names.
After some delay, the woman behind the counter glanced up and said, "There's no record of a marriage between a Wang and a Zhan here."
Wang looked at her like she'd just slapped him. "That's impossible. I have a copy of the certificate at home."
"But the registry doesn't," she said with a shrug.
We walked out of the building in silence, the sun beating down but the world around me colder than ever.
It was as if I didn't exist.
Like someone had erased me from the world.
"Your mother is mean," Cheng muttered as we walked to the car.
"I know," Wang hissed through clenched teeth, his jaw tight with frustration.
"Let's go to Dre's place," he said suddenly, and the driver didn't hesitate to turn the wheel.
When we arrived, Dre came to the door, and his face immediately fell when he saw me. "Zhan..." he whispered, pulling me into a hug. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know everything that was going on. If I did"
"It's okay," I cut in softly, even though it wasn't. "I'm just trying to survive now."
"I should've kept my business private from my boyfriend," he said, guilt heavy in his voice.
"You were just being honest," I said with a small shrug. "None of us knew what he was capable of"
Behind us, Wang walked past with Cheng and said, "I need to use your laptop."
"Yeah, sure," Dre said, not even hesitating.
Wang and Cheng moved to the dining table, Wang already opening the laptop and typing furiously. Dre and I sat on the couch.
"She messed everything up, Zhan," Dre said. "Even your marriage?"
"All of it," I reply.
"Wang will fix this. He always does. He should call off the engagement," Dre said with confidence.
"I hope you're right." I looked over at Wang, his brows furrowed, eyes sharp with determination.
"You love him?" Dre asked.
I nodded. "He makes me feel seen. Even when everything else disappears."
Dre smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Then fight for that."
"I will." I looked down at my hands. "I just don't know how yet."
We both turned to glance at Wang. He was already fighting for me.
Wang's fingers flew over the keyboard, his jaw clenched as he searched through documents, cross-checked government portals, and traced any digital footprint he could find. Cheng sat beside him, flipping through a notepad filled with scribbled contacts and legal notes.
I watched them from the couch, my heart heavy. Dre leaned back beside me, but his eyes flicked constantly between me and the two at the table.
"They erased you, Zhan," Dre said quietly. "Like you were a smudge on a glass they didn't want to see."
I swallowed hard. "They did. No records. No files. Even the marriage registry pretended we didn't exist."
Dre looked down. "I remember seeing Lusi a couple of times, I should have poisoned her with my boyfriend."
"You wouldn't have known," I replied softly. I'm just scared.
He nodded slowly. "Yeah, but Wang... he's different. He's not scared. He's angry."
At that moment, Wang pushed the laptop slightly away, rubbing his temple. "I found something," he said.
Cheng looked over. "What is it?"
Wang turned the screen around slightly. "There's a deleted folder from the hospital's private network. Someone tried to scrub it, but the metadata still points to Zhan's name and patient ID... just nothing inside. It's been wiped clean."
Cheng frowned. "We can subpoena the IT logs. If there's a cover-up, it'll be in there."
Dre stood, walking over. "So there was a file."
"There is a ghost of one," Wang said. "And where there's a ghost, there's a trail."
I stood slowly, walking to stand beside him. "Thank you," I said.
Wang looked up at me. "We're not done yet, love. I'll dig until there's nothing left to hide behind. You will exist again."
And for the first time in days, I felt a flicker of hope.
Wang waited until Cheng and Dre were distracted going over a new list of contacts when he slid Dre's laptop closer, his expression unreadable. His fingers danced across the keyboard with precision and confidence, as though he'd done this a thousand times before.
"What are you doing?" I asked quietly, stepping closer.
"Cleaning house," he muttered, eyes locked on the screen.
Within seconds, a remote access portal blinked to life, and Wang connected to another device, one labeled FengmianPC-01. My eyes widened.
"Is that—?"
"Yes," he cut me off. "Uncle Fengmian's laptop. I figured out his pattern last night. He reuses passwords across devices, and one of them was linked to his university email. Idiot."
"You're not going to hurt him, are you?" I asked cautiously.
Wang didn't answer right away. Instead, I watched lines of code blur across the screen. His jaw was set, cold, and sharp.
"He helped her edit that fake video, Zhan. That's not just betrayal, that's criminal. He knew it was fake, and he still played it in front of us like it was fact. That means he's part of this cover-up."
I sat down slowly, my heart thudding.
"What are you doing to his laptop?"
"Wiping it," Wang said. "Every file, every trace. His emails, his videos, his backups. Once I finish, it'll be like it never existed."
Within minutes, his code was executed flawlessly. The files vanished one after another, unrecoverable. Wang ran a final scan, ensuring no trace was left behind. Then he severed the connection.
"You just—" I whispered, stunned.
"I just made sure that disgusting video won't ever be used against you again."
Cheng returned with Dre, not suspecting a thing. Wang calmly closed the laptop and slid it back.
"Let's go," he said, standing. "We've got more work to do."
And just like that, Uncle Fengmian's lies disappeared into the void.
When we got home, it was as if hell had broken loose.
Flashing red and blue lights bounced off every surface. Reporters swarmed the front gate like bees, yelling out questions and shoving cameras in our faces. The moment the car came to a stop, they closed in, screaming my name, Wang's name, some even shouting out "Swamp Monster" and "Predator!"
Wang's hand tightened around mine as Cheng opened his door and stepped out first, shielding his face from the blinding flashes.
"Don't get out" Wang warned, but it was too late.
The second I opened the car door, three officers rushed forward.
"Xiao Zhan, you're under arrest for charges of rape, sexual coercion, abuse, and murder," one of them barked, yanking my arm behind my back.
"What?" Wang shouted. "Wait! What proof?!"
I barely had time to breathe before cold steel bit into my wrists. My knees buckled slightly under the pressure. My face hit a barrage of camera flashes as people jeered and gasped.
Cheng rushed forward, holding up his hands. "He has a right to remain silent, this is unlawful, where's your warrant?"
Another officer pulled out a folded paper and waved it without much care. "Signed this morning. Someone gave us backup copies of the video and files."
Wang froze. His face drained of all color.
"Files? What files? I deleted" He paused, realization striking hard. "She had backups... that woman... she always has backups!"
"Wang!" I called out as they started dragging me away. "Don't let them!"
"I won't!" he roared, trying to push forward, but Cheng held him back. "I won't!"
Reporters caught every second of it.
And as they shoved me into the police van, my heart sank. Maybe we'd underestimated just how deep this nightmare went.