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“The one married to the Mafia?” I asked weakly. The thought of the Mafia sent a chill through me.

“Funny story, actually,” Chloe mused. “The old boss was Marie’s father. He had an affair with her mother, and when his wife found out, she sent Matteo—her nephew—to kill Marie and her mom. But instead, Matteo fell in love with her.”

I frowned. “Funny what some people consider funny.”

My gut told me that story didn’t have a happy ending for everyone involved. When I thought of the Mafia, all I could picture was bloodshed.

Then again, maybe people thought the same thing about doctors—we had plenty of blood on our hands, too.

“Oh sweetie, you’re…” Chloe’s voice softened as she tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear, her touch gentle and familiar, like it had always been since we were kids.

“I’m what?” I challenged, narrowing my eyes. “Finish that sentence, I dare you.”

“Innocent,” she said simply, without a trace of teasing. “And it’s not a bad thing. Look, if anyone could find Dave, it’s the New York Mafia.”

I exhaled shakily.

“I guess you’re right.” Deep down, I knew she was right—but that didn’t make it easier to accept.

“They aren’t bad people,” Chloe insisted, her voice low and steady. “They just do things… differently. They won’t hurt anyone—unless they have to.”

Her voice dropped on the last words, a shadow crossing her face as if she’d seen the line between right and wrong blur more times than she cared to admit.

“Okay, fine. Whatever you think is best. Right now, I can’t think straight.” I finally admitted, exhaustion weight heavy in my bones. My mind spun with too many what-ifs, too many things I couldn’t control.

“I know.” Chloe squeezed my hand reassuringly. “Just remember, you’ve got me and Lincoln. Whatever you need, you just say the word. And you can call anytime—I mean it. No matter what.”

The warmth in her words cracked something inside me.

“Thanks Chlo, for everything.” I meant it. Without Lincoln, I couldn’t reach Kai.

And without Chloe and her powerful family, I had no way of helping Dave. I’d spent my entire career fixing people, but when it mattered most, I couldn’t even help myself.

The helplessness gnawed at me, raw and unrelenting.

“Don’t mention it. We’ll do anything for you—you know that?” I nodded, my throat too tight to speak. “Besides, Dave’s probably handled worse situations before. He’s just a bodyguard. There’s no reason for anyone to hurt him.”

Her logic made sense, but it didn’t ease the knot of dread twisting in my stomach. My heart thudded painfully against my ribs, each beat echoing with all the things I couldn’t control.

Lincoln returned a few moments later, his phone pressed to his ear, his jaw tight. His tone was cool and businesslike—no trace of the earlier warmth.

“Do you have a visa for China?” he asked abruptly.

“What visa?” His question caught me off guard, my voice rising in confusion.

Lincoln gave me a long, disbelieving look as he continued his call. “No, she doesn’t have a visa. I didn’t think so.”

He listened for a moment longer, muttered a few more words, then hung up with a sigh of exasperation.

“Go on—tell me off.” I said, crossing my arms defensively.

“Do you know you need a visa to visit China?” he asked, irritation lacing his voice.

“I’ve been to China before. I didn’t need one,” I argued, though even as the words left my mouth, doubt crept in.

“Are you sure? I’m talking about mainland China—not Taiwan, Hong Kong, or any other territory. Don’t get them confused.”

I swallowed hard, realizing my mistake. Feeling like a giant idiot. One point to my big brother.

“Then no,” I admitted quietly, the fight draining out of me.

“I thought so. How could you not think about something like this? You’re an adult. You’ve travelled before. How did this not cross your mind?” His words cut sharper than I expected.

“All your life, you’ve had everything planned for you,” Lincoln continued, his tone sharp. “You’ve never had to do anything on your own.”

“That’s not fair, Lincoln.” I protested, a flare of defensiveness rising. “I knew about visas. I always checked. But lately… I’ve gotten used to having someone handle those things for me. Haven’t you? Why else would you have an assistant or a secretary?”

Lincoln ignored my defense. “You wouldn’t have made it on that flight yesterday. They wouldn’t even let you check in.”

Tears burned my eyes again. My grand plan to save Kai had been flawed from the start. Even without the fake airport security, I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere. I’d been so desperate, so reckless. It was a miracle I’d even made it this far.

“I wasn’t thinking,” I admitted, my voice trembling. “I… I panicked—I just wanted to see him.”

“You didn’t make it easy for me to help you.” My big brother snapped. “If you’d told me your plan, you and Dave would already be in China. Instead, you made reckless decisions and crashed your car. You could’ve died.”

I had no defense left—only guilt and regret, twisting together in a painful knot.

“If Chloe hadn’t had Raj following you, we wouldn’t even know you were in danger. What am I supposed to do with you? Do you want me to fucking microchip you? You know I will.” He slammed his fist against the kitchen island, the sound loud and final in the quiet room.

Chloe rested a calming hand on his arm. “We care about you. You scared the hell out of us.”

My vision blurred as more tears streamed out. Despite everything, Chloe and Lincoln were still here, still willing to fight for me.

“My plane will take you to Hong Kong instead,” Lincoln said, his tone shifting back to business.

“Hong Kong?” My stomach twisted at the thought of returning there. “How do I get over to Shanghai.”

“You’ll need… special documents.” He said darkly.

I shivered at his tone. Whatever he had in mind, it wasn’t going to be simple.

“Tell me more.”