Page 20

Finally, I reached Dannie’s side, feeling like I had completed an obstacle course. The only difference was that I wasn’t covered in mud—and this was far more dangerous.

The argument halted abruptly as a man in his fifties jabbed a finger toward me and shouted something. I had no evidence he was directing his anger at me, but the language barrier did nothing to ease my nerves.

“She only speaks English,” Dannie explained.

“Hello, bitch. You the wife?” the man sneered.

“Yes, and you are…” The words escaped before I could stop them, and I immediately regretted admitting I was Dannie’s wife in front of all these thugs. If they hadn’t known who I was before, they did now.

“Dannie’s uncle. Kneel and serve me tea.” He chuckled darkly. “You owe me.”

“She doesn’t owe you anything.” Gone was the kind, grandmotherly demeanor as Dannie’s grandmother stepped forward, exuding a fierce authority. “No one owes you anything. But… We’ll give you something, a business. Work on it. Sell it. I don’t care. Your father wouldn’t care.”

She tilted her head slightly, and Dannie leaned to listen. After a brief pause, he spoke, his voice devoid of emotion. “You can have the nightclub on Jordan Road.”

“That—”

“That’s more than enough for now,” she cut him off. “After a year, if things go well, we can negotiate again.”

“Fine,” he spat, turning on his heel and leaving. Eight or ten others left with him. I couldn’t understand how someone fresh out of jail still held so much power and loyalty.

Only then did I realize that an even larger group remained.

I hadn’t had the chance to do a proper headcount, but there had to be at least fifty people left.

My gaze fell on shattered pieces of colorful ceramic shattered across the floor.

A maid emerged swiftly with a broom and dustpan, cleaning the mess with practiced efficiency.

“I apologize on behalf of my son,” Dannie’s grandmother said, bowing slightly.

“Please, it’s okay.” I replied, unsure of what else to say. Despite her kindness, she radiated an aura of authority that made me feel compelled to reassure her that everything was okay.

“Since the cat is out of the bag, maybe you should show her around,” she suggested.

“I will,” Dannie answered.

I wondered what she wanted Dannie to show me. It didn’t seem like she meant the house, because five minutes later, Dannie’s van was waiting for us outside. She excused herself, claiming the need for an afternoon nap, and bid me goodbye.

The drive was quiet. I didn’t say a word to Dannie.

I wished Wendy had come with us. She would have said something, cracked a joke to break the tense silence.

But she had stayed behind with Laura. None of us had a choice.

It seemed Dannie’s grandmother really wanted us to spend some alone time together.

“This is us,” Dannie said as the van stopped in front of a tall, sleek, modern office building. The doorman immediately slid open the van door and greeted him.

“Mrs. Wu,” Dannie smirked as he got out of the van.

“You’re having too much fun with this, aren’t you?” I asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Yes, I am.”

I shook my head as the doorman bowed, treating me like royalty. Another doorman held open the building’s entrance.

“Where are we?” I asked as we stepped inside.

“My office. All my businesses are here.” If he hadn’t told me, I would have assumed we had entered a cooperate headquarters or high-end financial firm on Wall Street.

One of the eight elevators arrived, held open by the first doorman.

Dannie and I stepped inside, while the others remained outside.

He pressed the button for the second floor, and moments later, we were greeted by a gleaming display of a well-known Asian skincare brand, their promotional posters lining the walls.

“Is this your floor?”

“Yes, and the rest of it.”

“What do you mean?”

“The whole building, duh?” Duh? Was it that obvious?

I shook my head. “Why do you need the entire building?”

“Investment, of course. In Hong Kong, the best investment is land and property.”

“What about all these businesses? Are they just a front for your operation?” I air-quoted the word ‘businesses’ and ‘operation’.

He smirked.

“Why do you talk like that?” He mimicked my air quotes, exaggerating every word.

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at him.

“On second floor is a branding and marketing company,” he continued. “We have a team of just under a hundred—everything from design to strategy experts.”

“So, you don’t own that beauty brand?” I gestured the elevator. “You know, the poster out there.”

“No, we designed the posters—along with everything else you see in Asia.”

Leena Beauty was one of the newest and biggest beauty brands in Asia, known for its bold marketing campaigns. I hadn’t even heard of them until I started travelling to Asia for business. Their posters were everywhere—covering every inch of available advertising space.

“Legit business, huh?”

“Do you approve?” Dannie couldn’t hide his smile as he added, “Wife.”

I just flatted my lips and glared at him.

He led me through more floors, each one occupied by one of his businesses. On the eighth floor was a Japanese street food and franchise. He had acquired the master rights and now ran over 500 stores across Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, and Malaysia.

Another floor held one of his proudest ventures, a karaoke chain.

It had started with a single humble location and expanded into a massive success, with outlets in every major mall across Asia.

He beamed as he showed me a bright red booth that resembled a classic London telephone box.

Inside, a karaoke machine connected to a microphone and headphones stood in the soundproofed space.

“You can choose to sing for as little as ten minutes,” he explained, demonstrating how to work the screen. “Then, you just sing your heart out. No worries, no judgment.”

He showed me a few other floors, each more impressive than the last: a financial firm that handled investments, a fashion design studio specializing in modernized Chinese costumes, a property management company offering all-in-one services for Airbnb owners, a funeral home, and even a car dealership.

These were just a handful of the businesses he chose to show me.

He leased the remaining floors out to friends he trusted.

Our tour ended on the 28 th floor—his office. This was the headquarters of his management company, the center of everything he owned.

“Can you see now?” he asked quietly.

I nodded. “It’s very impressive.”

“I’ve gone legit.”

“I can see that.”

His voice softened, a rare vulnerability slipping through. “Would you still leave me?”