The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 121

He pulled out his cigarette case. The metal was cool to the touch, featuring a fine matte finish. With a soft click, the lid popped open, revealing a neat row of slender cigarettes with pristine white filters. He pulled one out and placed it between his lips. His movements were a bit rusty—he hadn't touched the stuff in a long time. The last time he smoked was likely late one night when negotiations for a massive cross-border merger had hit a dead end.

*Flick.*

The lighter erupted with a blue flame, suddenly illuminating the dim interior of the car. It cast a harsh light on his tense jawline and the deep exhaustion pooling in his eyes. He tilted his head slightly, bringing the cigarette to the flame. The tobacco caught with a faint crackle, the dark red cherry flaring to life.

He pulled the lighter away, tossing it carelessly onto the passenger seat. Then, he took a long, deep drag.

The harsh, slightly bitter smoke flooded his lungs, bringing a familiar, stinging rush that briefly paralyzed his frayed nerve endings and offered a fleeting moment of relief. He closed his eyes, letting the heat swirl in his chest for a moment before slowly exhaling a long plume of smoke.

With the windows tightly rolled up, the smoke had nowhere to go. It quickly formed a hazy barrier in front of him, blurring the sharp, angular contours of his face.

He just sat there in silence, the burning cigarette pinched between his fingers. He watched the smoke curl upward and dissipate, his empty gaze fixed on the concrete pillars of the parking garage. It was as if he were looking right through them, seeing something far more chaotic and absurd. For a good ten seconds, he remained completely still. The only movement was the dark red tip of the cigarette glowing and fading in time with his breathing, like a weak, beating eye reflecting his inner turmoil.

Halfway through the cigarette, the temporary numbness brought on by the nicotine finally seemed to ease his piercing headache and the suffocating tightness in his chest. His tangled thoughts parted like the smoke, revealing the cold logic and suspicion lurking beneath.

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