Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 124836 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 624(@200wpm)___ 499(@250wpm)___ 416(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 124836 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 624(@200wpm)___ 499(@250wpm)___ 416(@300wpm)
And my hands trembled uncontrollably, barely able to keep hold of the box’s lid.
This isn’t happening. Right?
The room spun around me.
Death lathered the space.
Still, I couldn’t look away but every second felt like an eternity of agony.
Oh my God. I shouldn’t have told him. I fucked up.
Guilt hit my heart.
Leo’s calm, firm voice broke through the haze of my terror. “Like I said before this is a symbol, Monique. A symbol of my trust in you and of how much you mean to me. I am putting all of my faith, all of my bloodline, into you because. . .you are my daughter.”
But. . .it’s not safe to be your daughter. I mean. . .you just killed your own daughter so. . .I don’t think I need a psycho father. I’m good. . .
More important, what did you say to a man who killed his daughter for you?
Thank you?
That didn’t seem like quite enough.
Good job?
I don’t know about that.
I wanted to scream, to cry out in anguish and fury, to run the hell away and hide, but I forced myself to remain composed. I couldn’t afford to show weakness in front of a man who was clearly insane and would probably kill me if I showed too much weakness.
Lei. . .come get this crazy man. . .
I turned to Song now understanding why he refused to come close to the table.
Sorrow filled his gaze as he looked away from me.
Damn.
I glanced back at my ladies-in-waiting. Each wore some expression of pure terror. I was sure one of them would be handing in their resignation by the evening.
Jesus Christ! I just wanted to make some tea this morning. That’s it. I did not want to see a dead head.
Leo grabbed my attention by taking the top from my hands.
I almost screamed.
Thank God I didn’t.
He continued to smile like he’d just given me a cute little puppy. “What do you think, Monique? Do you like it?”
I sure wasn’t going to say I didn’t.
I had a cookout to go to this evening and would not have my head in a box too. It wouldn’t be right for my sisters to have to bury yet another relative this year.
Slowly, I lowered my hands. “I. . .well. . .this is. . .a. . .huge sacrifice.”
“It is.”
“I mean. . .I’m speechless. . .”
“But in a good way?”
“Well. . .” I swallowed. “So. . .Leo, I’m not really good with death and people killing humans over me.”
Song gazed my way and I couldn’t tell if he was worried for me or just intrigued by where I was going with this.
My voice was barely a whisper, choked with horror and disbelief. “I. . .didn’t want you to kill Yan.”
“I know you didn’t.” Leo pointed to my chest. “Your heart is big and beautiful. It is why I knew you would be perfect for Lei.”
“Still. . .this. . . gift. . .” I made sure to not glance back inside the box. “It. . .well. . .it makes me sad. . .”
Leo leaned his head to the side. “Why does it make you sad, Monique?”
My eyes watered. “I think. . .Lei will be. . .horrified—”
“He will be.”
“It’s going to break his heart.”
“A little.” Leo nodded. “Lei would not have wanted Yan to die, even with all the hate she had for him.”
“This might make him feel alone, especially with the fact that he will have to kill you tomorrow.”
Leo raised one finger. “But will Lei be alone?”
“No.”
“Who will be at his side, helping him grieve?”
“Me.”
“And your sisters.”
“Well. . .yes.”
“And his cousins, my sisters and brother. You all will surround him with love.”
“We will.”
Leo returned to smiling as if he was so pleased with himself. “When I die, the East will mourn me with tons of ceremonies and parties for the dead. It is supposed to be about celebrating my reunion with Jing in heaven.”
His smile remained yet those eyes turned cold and unfeeling. “Yan planned on ruining it all. Instead of a celebration, it would have been a war between Lei and her. So disrespectful. So utterly wrong.”
I tensed.
“After you told me about her statements, I looked into a few things.” He wagged that finger. “Yan secretly flew over three hundred men and hid them in Shadow Heights.”
I parted my lips.
“Yan was going to hit Lei hard while he was injured and during the East’s weakest moment. All of his men would be broken hearted and have scattered minds. None would be good in a war. It would have been devastating for Lei.”
Man. . .I thought my family was crazy. This is next level.
“Too much is at stake to allow her sick, twisted games to play out. She was greedy for power.” Leo pointed to Yan’s head. “This is the cost of betrayal.”
The taste of bile lingered on my tongue but I forced myself to speak. “I understand.”