Page 16

“Put the gun down,” Wendy said calmly, raising her hands in the air.

I should’ve done something—said something—but I was frozen. My mind spun, struggling to catch up with the rapid turn of events.

I wasn’t sure what shocked me more.

Wendy barging in unannounced.

Dannie pulling a gun on her like it was nothing.

Or the fact that, straddling his lap, I could feel the hard, unmistakable bulge beneath me.

God help me—I didn’t want to move.

“No one comes in here,” Dannie said, his tone low and dangerous. He slid a glance sideways at me, his grip on the gun unwavering. “Except you, of course.”

The way Wendy barged in stirred an old memory—a young guy, cocky and reckless, bursting through the door.

He had interrupted the first kiss Dannie and I shared, our first taste of something deeper.

I remembered how fast it happened—Dannie lifting him by the throat, pinning him against the wall like he weighed nothing, before throwing him to the floor.

If his friends hadn’t arrived, that guy wouldn’t have walked out of there in one piece.

“She’s a friend!” I screamed, though our faces were only inches apart.

“She’s not a friend to me,” he murmured, his face unreadable. His finger twitched against the trigger. “Do you know what’s happened in this room?”

I swallowed hard and dipped my head slightly. I knew too well.

Once, this floor had been open—anyone in his triad with a password could reach the top.

And they did. Attack after attack. Betrayal after betrayal.

Until he locked it down—only senior members had access now.

But even that wasn’t foolproof. When the people closest to you turned, the wounds cut deeper.

Could I blame him for trusting no one?

No, I couldn’t.

And maybe that’s why I couldn’t blame him for pointing a gun at Wendy either.

“It’s just instinct,” I reminded myself. But that didn’t stop the cold sweat trailing down my back.

“But she’s my friend,” I said again—softer this time. Almost pleading.

Dannie’s lips curled into something cruel.

“Your friend, honey?” The words dripped with doubt.

“Yes. I trust my life with her.” I met his gaze, steady and unyielding.

Trust.

It meant very little to Dannie.

But not to me. I needed him to know that.

“So… she won’t hurt you?”

I shook my head slowly from side to side.

“I see.”

Dannie lowered his gun. The breath I didn’t realize I was holding rushed out of me as I stepped toward Wendy.

“Hi, nice to meet you. Dannie Wu. Not Daniel—the gorgeous movie star. Dannie—the badass triad boss. That’s me.” His voice was smooth, playful, like he hadn’t just been a heartbeat away from pulling the trigger.

Wendy’s eyes flicked between us, her usual confidence faltering.

“Right… nice to meet you. Not the movie star Dannie Wu.” Her voice wavered, words broken as if her brain struggled to catch up with her mouth.

Then, as if remembering herself, she threw out something that made my jaw drop.

“It kind of defeats the point of being a badass when you actually have to say the word badass .”

Dannie’s lips curled into an amused smirk. “Noted.”

And just like that, he turned on the charm—flipping the switch with unnerving ease.

“Cookies?” He lifted the tray toward her, his tone warm and inviting.

“I want to say no, but…” Wendy hesitated for only a second before grabbing one with her slightly trembling fingers. “They smell too good to resist.”

I scanned her face. “Are you okay?”

No matter how tough Wendy was, having a loaded gun pointed at you—especially by him —wasn’t something you shook off easily.

She shrugged off my concern with a casualness I wasn’t sure I believed.

“These cookies are amazing. Tastes like something you’d buy at a fancy store.” She took another bite.

“Really?” Dannie’s smile shifted. This one touched his eyes, warming the edges of his otherwise cold, mysterious gaze.

“Yes, like the kind you find in those boutique bakeries. Expensive. Exclusive. You know?”

“Glad you approve,” he extended the tray again. “Take another.”

It wasn’t a suggestion—it was a quiet command.

Wendy arched a brow, hesitating just long enough to test his patience before snatching another cookie. “Thanks.”

Dannie’s expression softened further—danger still lingering beneath the surface. “I heard what you did for June. Thank you for looking after her. You have no idea how much I appreciate that.”

Wendy tilted her head, curiosity flickering across her face. “Oh, that? It was nothing. I’m always happy to help a friend.”

“You’ll be handsomely rewarded.”

Dannie extended his right hand toward Wendy.

Without hesitation, she shook it.

“What are you doing?” I asked, though I wasn’t sure who the question was directed at.

“We don’t need Wendy now, honey. You’ve got me.” Dannie explained. His jaw tightened, but the corner of his mouth curved upward, betraying the game he was playing.

I frowned, crossing my arms over my chest. I wasn’t stupid. Whatever this was, it was about control. Maybe when we were catching up earlier, he’d been genuine. But now? I was certain he had a plan, and I was at the center of it.

“What are you doing?” I repeated, my voice louder, sharper.

Dannie’s smile deepened. “I heard you the first time, sweetheart. But tell me—who’s better to look after you than your own husband?”

Husband. The word rolled off his tongue too easily, like a reminder I couldn’t escape.

“I need a word with Wendy,” I said, forcing myself to stay calm. “Please.”

“Honey—”

“ Please .” I pleaded.

Without another word, Dannie stepped back. His gaze lingered on me before he turned and disappeared through a door opposite the one Wendy had barged through.

Behind that door lay the rest of his fortress—a penthouse, a sky mansion, or whatever you called a space carved out of twenty abandoned apartments.

Kam Sha was the most haunted building in Hong Kong, and its former residents had been desperate to leave.

They sold their home for far less than they were worth, preferring to escape whatever ghost stories clung to the place.

But to Dannie? A place no one dared to enter was the perfect sanctuary.

“Are you okay?” I asked Wendy again. My voice softer now.

She exhaled a shaky breath. “Shit scared. He’s freakishly terrifying.”

“Yeah,” I admitted, glancing toward the closed door. “I know he can be.”

“But he isn’t with you.”

“We knew each other for a very long time,” I paused as the words hung awkwardly between us. The truth was—we didn’t really know each other that long. I had met him ten years ago, sure, but the time we actually spent together wasn’t very long. “We had some kind of…”

“Connection,” Wendy supplied.

“What? No—I mean, understanding.”

“Yeah. Right.”

I wasn’t naive. Whatever this was—whatever he was doing—Dannie wouldn’t let the past slide. I had left him after our so-called wedding, walking away and leaving him to deal with the aftermath. In my defense, it was supposed to be a fake ceremony—to fulfill the wish of his dying grandfather.

But even fake vows had consequences.

“I’m sorry he pulled a gun on you.”

My fingers brushed against my neck—a nervous reflex. I couldn’t shake off the memory of the hot-headed guy who once stormed in here.

“He’s in love with you, then.”

“This is not the time to joke.” I shifted uncomfortably. Just because I left that room unharmed didn’t mean I was safe. And now wasn’t exactly the time to explain to her that Dannie might very well be plotting a payback for me.

“Whatever,” Wendy mocked. “What happened in here? You’ve been gone for a while.”

“Not much,” I lied.

“Did he say he’d help you?”

“Yes, he said he knows someone who can get me a visa. Fast.”

A laugh—short, sharp—escaped her lips. “So, after all that, the badass triad boss is going to help you get a legit travel document?”

“Yes, and don’t call him that.” I snapped. “He’s not a bad person.”

Despite everything—despite the blood on his hands—some part of me still wanted to defend him. Maybe because I knew he never did anything without a reason. Even if those reasons were fucked up.

Her lips pressed into a thin flat line. Then, gradually, she relaxed. “Well… don’t forget he sent people to hurt you.”

“Mack?” I asked. “He’s got nothing to do with Mack.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I asked him.” I lifted my chin, sounding more confident that I felt.

My gaze fixed on her face as questions flooded my mind. The men who took Dave—were they connected to Dannie or Mack? Were they there for me instead of Dave? And if Dave hadn’t been there, would they have taken me instead?

Was Dannie hiding something?

What was he really after?

“Can you…” I hesitated, glancing around the room as if cameras might be hidden in the shadows. “Can you stay with me? Don’t leave me here alone.”

Wendy’s fingers curled around my hand, her grip steady. “Of course. Actually… I think I have to.”

Her tone was off—quiet, careful. And her eyes, sharp and searching, scanned the room like she expected something.

“What is it? What aren’t you telling me?” I swallowed hard.

Dannie leaned against the frame, his smile a dangerous curve. “Are you guys done with your girl talk?”