The Discarded Heiress is Untouchable

e Lin Grand Ballroom, and every one of

was sure the entire city could hear it. One hundred years of the Lin Group. One hundred years of money, power, and a name that m

the, Q

eyes already shining with tears. With trembling fingers, she straightened the cream silk scarf over Qing

ong whispered, and her voice cr

tened until it hurt. "

moment too long, as if she were memorizing something. "Whatever happen

up could betray her. "Nothing is going to happen. Grandfather will give his speech, I'

er aunt's face, there and gon

ng said softl

at flawless, practiced smile. Qingyue's cheeks warmed. She smiled back, shy and full of

He wasn't talking. He wasn't even looking at the stage. His eyes were fixed on the ceiling, o

ne. She blinked, and when she lo

ge on his cane, and the crystals trembled in the light. When he reached the microphone, he did not look at the cameras, or th

house with his hands. I tried to make it strong. But a house is only as good as the person who will carry it

the steps with her heart slamming against her ribs, and when she reac

ss into her palm with a wink. "My hands are not wh

lly against her chest. He had already taken a long sip.

looked out at the audience. He s

light

so total it felt like a hand pressed over her mouth. For one frozen heartbeat there

ard, swinging wildly, raining crystal across the floor like hail. Chairs toppled. H

yue cried. "Grandfat

rtbeat, slid across the glass in her hand, and vanished like

's th

d, a body striking the

ncy lights

was washed in a s

s chest, his lips stained dark, a thin line of blood trailing fr

, and gathered his head into her lap. The scarf slipped from her hair. She did n

that terrified her. His lips moved. She bent close, t

attling breath. "

she sobbed. "Grandfa

fell against the marble with a small, final sound. The li

of her, raw and animal. "

head and found hundreds of faces staring at her, pale and shocked in the

ized what the

ight hand, steady as a confession, the crystal glass he had

" someone

s in th

as hold

at her feet. "I didn't- He gave it to me. He asked me to hold it. I would never- Yifan!" She found him

took one slo

oked at her as if she were something unclean. "Don't say my

cracked, quietly, like

tie askew and his face twisted in what looked like grief. "She killed him! She killed my grandfather! Beca

ow me! I loved him!

ough her shoulders as she was wrenched backward off her

kicked and screamed until her voice shredded. "I didn't d

up beside. Not the board members who had eaten at her family's t

angled across her wet face, her ivory gown streaked with her grandfather's blood. At the doors she twiste

e saw h

her mouth, her shoulders shaking, tears streaming down her pale cheeks. She looked shattere

gyue sobbed. "Au

aked face and mouthed three s

d shut, and the night

d in the distance. Reporters shouted over one another. Lin Jiah

of it all, Lin Meir

cup on the table beside her, one that had somehow survived the stampede, and stirred it, once,

ps and, beneath the wail of t

it b