Page 27

Kai

D annie’s grandmother wore an exquisite set of lavender jade jewelry: a necklace, earrings and a bracelet.

The stones ranged from half an inch to a full inch in size.

They might not have been the most expensive jewelry I had ever seen, but it must have cost a fortune to collect enough of those rare stones to craft such an elaborate set.

And the purple jade she wore wasn’t just any ordinary variety—it was the rare and coveted Di Wang purple jade, a shade once reserved for emperors. A true symbol of class and prestige.

The old lady had a kind face, or so it seemed.

She smiled the entire time I was there. It wasn’t a wide grin but a polite, measured smile—one that was anything but genuine.

Everyone in the business world was familiar with such gestures.

I, for one, had spent years perfecting a smile that could appear on demand, one that needed to be charming and not at all creepy. Trust me, it took practice.

There were days when faking a pleasant demeanor felt impossible, no matter what. And I had to hand it to the old lady—she was a master at delivering a flawless, effortless, and elegant fake smile.

It was one thing hearing about June’s arrangement with Dannie.

Seeing it firsthand was an entirely different story.

If June hadn’t confided in me, I would have assumed they were a real couple—just like every other person in this ballroom. And the calculating old lady made sure everyone knew that June was her granddaughter-in-law. She couldn’t fool me with her sweet facade.

I’d seen this act before. Older people loved to meddle in their family’s affairs when they should have just minded their own business. This woman, like my own mother, undoubtedly took pleasure in pulling strings.

The way she orchestrated the evening was no accident.

She had people lining up, presenting themselves one by one, and she took the time to introduce June to each one of them personally.

No one else was seated beside her—not even Laura, the woman who, from what I had overheard, had devoted most of her life to caring for the old woman.

Without making any formal announcement, she had cemented the image of June and Dannie as a couple. And in many ways, that silent declaration was far more personal and powerful.

I’d never cared about the background of the women I dated.

Sure, my crew ran checks on everyone I encountered, but as long as their bad intentions weren’t aimed at me, it didn’t matter.

Some of my dates had criminal records. Nothing too serious—petty theft at most—no bank robberies or mastermind-level scams.

But watching June being embraced by Dannie’s family, friends, and dubious associates, I couldn’t help but wonder: how big of a favor had she done for Dannie? Did she fully understand what she was getting herself into? And more importantly, would this favor ever truly end?

I expected them to finish the introductions and move on to cutting cake. I was wrong. More people waited to meet her. I knew what this meant in the business world. These people were seizing the opportunity to become more than mere acquaintances—to pave the way for future opportunities.

Jealousy coiled inside me, dark and relentless. I couldn’t see how June could ever escape being Mrs. Wu. Even if we eloped and married in Vegas., these people would always see her as his wife. She could never truly be mine.

Jenny needed me.

June needed my trust.

I reminded myself that I was only one person.

There was nothing I could do about June. I had promised to trust her, and I needed to hold up my end of the bargain—even if it tore me apart inside.

I texted Trevon, updating him on how June and I had run into Dannie and how I had ended up in the very room we had tried, and failed, to get into earlier.

Trevon decided not to push his luck again. Those men wouldn’t forget a big Black man attempting to crash their exclusive party—not in a city where people who looked like him were a minority.

Another text let me know that he and Wendy were hanging out in the lobby with Clare.

Clare. Of course. I hadn’t forgotten about her or her mistake.

I wasn’t deliberately trying to punish her, but I couldn’t spare the energy to manage her while everything else spiraled around me.

She was probably panicking, terrified of losing a job that overpaid her for doing very little.

As long as she stayed out of my way and didn’t piss me off, she would keep that job.

I wondered if Trevon would even be allowed through the door if Wendy vouched for him. Then again, they probably didn’t care enough about Wendy to let her bring a guest.

A part of me died each time June shook another hand.

With every introduction, another person in that room became a witness to the lie that she and I didn’t belong together.

I watched her from behind a wall of people, feeling like a pathetic loser.

Occasionally, her gaze found mine. She would offer a subtle reassurance—a nod, a small smile, a fleeting gesture.

Each one was a lifeline, a spark that made me crave her even more.

She gave me something no one else ever could: recognition. A sense of belonging. An energy that felt like a magic pill, easing the growing fear that I wasn’t enough.

For years, I had battled the anxiety that seized me whenever danger crept too close. Dave had learned to anticipate my triggers, eliminating threats before they could affect me. And if he couldn’t prevent them, he would warn me, preparing me for the worst.

I had tried everything to cure the anxiety that haunted me—the sudden, unpredictable breakdowns that paralyzed me at the slightest hint of danger. My training in multiple martial arts, hoping that constant exposure to practice and controlled attacks would numb me to the fear. But it never worked.

Extreme sports were the other thing I tried. The adrenaline rush from car racing, rock climbing, and skydiving had never triggered an episode. But lately, something had changed.

And I was sure it had everything to do with June.

If it weren’t for her, my body would have shut down completely, and it would have taken me hours or even days to recover from the sight of someone being held at gunpoint.

But instead of collapsing into a useless pile of flesh when Jenny went missing, I stood up and took matters into my own hands.

I had accomplished many things in life, but year after year, I failed to battle my own demons—until now. Until June came back into my life.

I needed June.

“Hey, mind if I join you?” Laura’s voice cut through my thoughts as she stood next to the empty chair across from me.

“Sure,” I said, pulling the chair out for her.

“Are you hungry?” she asked. I shook my head, but she had already flagged down a waitress, ordering a selection of cakes.

“Thanks,” I muttered. I didn’t want cake, but she probably did, and I knew better than to question her.

“No problem. There are three flavors. You’ll see,” she said with a smile, and I gave a noncommittal nod, unwilling to muster another thank you.

The waitress returned with two large plates, each holding three rectangular slices of cake in varying shades of brown, yellow and green. Laura’s lips—a deep shade of adzuki bean red—curled into a smile, revealing her pearly white teeth.

“I love cake,” she declared brightly.

“I figured,” I replied, the smile on her paper-white face making her fondness obvious.

“How do you know June?” she asked, cutting into one of the slices.

“Me?” I echoed. She nodded, her mouth too full of cake to speak. “Through my friend—her brother.”

“She has a brother?” She asked once she swallowed.

“Two, actually.”

She hummed in approval as she sampled another bite.

“Chocolate with goji berry,” she announced, her fork already spearing the next bite. “It was an interesting combination I hadn’t tried before.”

“That good, huh?” I asked, watching her reaction.

She bobbled her head enthusiastically. “Do you have any siblings?”

“Yes.”

“Are you close?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

I realized too late that my bluntness had killed the conversation. Worse still, it reminded me how much Dannie and I had in common. For one, we both wanted the same woman. And neither of us was close to our siblings.

I hadn’t even known about my half-brother until I was a young adult—a revelation delivered through a phone call with my mother, her voice raw with rage. He was someone born to steal everything I had, to replace me before I even knew he existed.

Growing up, I had wanted a brother to play with.

Jenny had no interest in the kind of games I wanted to play.

Once, she forced me to participate in her make-believe fashion show.

She dressed me in her homemade designs, which involved adding bright colors to her mother’s pristine, ten-thousand-thread-count Egyptian sheets.

We both earned a spanking from our mothers that night.

After that, I never played dress-up with her again.

“So, you didn’t have anyone to play with growing up?” Laura asked, her voice soft with curiosity.

“I did, briefly.”

“A cousin? A friend?”

“A friend,” I admitted, thinking of the one I had before my kidnapping.

She moved on to the butter-colored slice of cake and offered another comment. “Vanilla. Such a classic.”

“How about you?” I asked, sensing the conversation drifting toward an awkward silence. She had made an effort to keep me company—the least I could do was return the gesture and pretend to care about her seemingly perfect life.

“I don’t have friends,” she said bluntly.

“Really?” I should have left it there, but the words slipped out. “For a nice girl like you? I find that hard to believe.”

Her face softened. “You think I’m nice?”