Chapter 105 - Back in a cage

The silence between husband and wife was almost unbearable to both by the time they pulled up to the gates of the Moshi Mansion. 

The mansion was kept beautifully, as always. Manicured gardens, pretty blossoms and baroque structures everywhere. 

Her heart was sinking as they drove back into their beautiful home, as if it recognised a cage. She was a headstrong, bold woman. Waiting backstage, cowering away...it was not her forté. 

As if knowing her thoughts, Shen reached out to stroke her hair. 

"Angel, it's not forever. Please give me some time, to keep you safe. I can't lose you again." he said to her quietly, begging her to understand his intentions. 

He had given her too much time and space before, and was unable to stop her from getting hurt. 

If only he had known where she was going and what she was going to do, he could have prevented the attacks on her life. 

But to her, this was his way of stifling her. It was akin to imprisonment. Lina had always faced her enemies head on, rather than watching from the sidelines.

"Hmmph." she just grumbled in response. She had nothing left to say to him, making him feel even worse. 

'Everyone has been getting on my nerves. Nobody understands what it's like to be in my position.' Lina thought to herself. 

Shen was one extreme and Mana had been another extreme today.

But nothing would stop her from investigating. 

Once Shen dropped her off safely within the mansion, and asked Butler Min to 'look after her', he rushed back to the Moshi Corporation capital city offices to deal with Ayu's findings. 

Lina immediately picked up her phone and dialed Meimei's number. 

"Mei, come to the Moshi mansion immediately with all your research on Magnolia Holdings." her command was direct and imposing. 

"Yes, boss." her obedient little assistant responded, like a soldier ready to follow her captain anywhere. 

She knew this tone. Lina was angry. And she meant business. 

Even though Mei had not found anything major, given how inconspicuous Magnolia Holdings' background was. There had been a few news articles, but nothing that gave away any information about their assets or their dealings. 

Nonetheless, Mei brought over all the information she had. 

Sitting quietly next to Lina, she observed her boss scanning through the file she had created. 

Lina was a quick reader, and she didn't need much time to scan through everything. 

After a few minutes, she slammed the folder on the table, making Mei jump a little, in fear of her reaction. 

"Sorry, boss, I know there isn't much information-" Mei began to explain. 

But Lina cut her off. 

"There is NOTHING of use! Everywhere I look, there's always another dead end!" 

Lina's head was throbbing as she felt her temperature rise. 

'Well, at least I remember what seething anger feels like!' she thought to herself. 

"Boss?" Mei said, carefully, trying to remain calm. 

"What?" Lina snapped back. 

"There's another piece of information I gathered. It may well be misleading, and is a rumour from  a gossip column, but there's a connection I found to Magnolia Holdings." she answered.

Lina's eyes sparked. A connection to the company? 

"Show me." she said. It didn't matter if it was a rumour. As long as there was a connection, she could follow something and perhaps discover more. 

Without a name or a face to the CEO or an employee of Magnolia, she was flying blind. 

Mei pulled out the article from the gossip column she had printed earlier and presented it to Lina. 

The article reported an incident between the 'Magnolia Princess' Lila Lim and another socialite. The article claimed that people present at the scene had heard Lila curse the other woman, promising to bring down the wrath of the great Lim clan and Magnolia Holdings down on her. 

"This is just hearsay..." Lina began to say, realising just how unreliable this article was. But then stopped to think, remembering what Mana had told her earlier that day.

She remembered Mana saying that the great socialite Lila was rumoured to attend the University fair that day. She was the bully Lina had thwarted. Was this the same socialite, Lina wondered. 

Mei spoke up again. 

"Boss, this girl, Lila Lim is well known in the wealthiest social circles. She frequents important banquets and parties. There are several pictures of her appearance at these events."

Saying this, Mei gave Lina a printed photo of Lila from a recent event. 

She was greeting people with an elegant smile on her face. Her mannerisms looked gentle, and well-groomed. Her clothes looked mightily expesive and carefully crafted for her tall, graceful body. She seemed like a peerless beauty. 

But her face was oddly familiar. 

Suddenly, it all made sense! 

"I got my memories back today!" Lina exclaimed. 

Mei's eyes widened. 

"Seriously, boss?" 

"No...well, yes! Actually...I got all my memories with Mana back today. And this really is the same girl who bullied her on the first day! I taught her a good lesson that day, as to how she should behave with other students" Lina laughed sarcastically, as she relived that memory. 

Lila Lim...the socialite heiress, rumoured to be one of the Lim clan. 

So did Magnolia really belong to the Lims? 

"Even if Magnolia is run by the legendary Lim clan, is it the main branch? Who knows Lila's true origins." Lina pondered out loud. 

"Should we investigate her, boss" Mei asked, excitedly. She really enjoyed the bribery mission at Sakura hospital with Lina. She wanted to do it again! 

Lina thought about it for a moment. 

She wondered if Lila would meet with her if she reached out. She couldn't possible be too fond of her after that public humiliation during the very first day of college. 

Plus, if Lila really was someone of that much importance, she wouldn't be very accessible either. 

As Lina considered her options, a plan developed in her head. 

"Yes, Meimei, I suppose we will be going on yet another mission!" Lina said to her assistant, determined to have her way with this investigation.