Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 108768 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108768 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
I barely registered his warning as my attention instead, was completely drawn to Monique. I could see the distress on her face, the confusion in her eyes. This was not how I had wanted our evening to go. She'd been thrown into the depths of my family's complex dynamics, and I could only imagine the turmoil she felt.
I reached my hand under the table and squeezed hers. “Are you okay?”
Monique nodded. “It's just. . .a lot to take in.”
Chen's phone vibrated. He picked it up and let out a long sigh.
I frowned. “What?”
“Hearts and Harmony Outreach is under St. Benedict's Hope Foundation.” Chen put his phone up. “Another coincidence.”
The line of my jaw twitched.
Monique turned to me. “And the Four Aces own St. Benedict's Hope Foundation?”
“My mother started it. Once she died, my father. . .he typically spent almost every day separating donations and anything else they required.”
Monique stared down at her food as if no longer hungry. “When my mom passed, they helped pay for the funeral. I remember thinking Jo had filled out some form for them to do it.”
Chen eyed her. “Did she?”
Monique shook her head. “Three months later, we happened to be talking about how much I appreciated the help and that was when we realized that Jo never did an application. Meanwhile she thought I did. Therefore. . .we assumed Mom must have done it. . .”
Chen's fingers shook as he ran his fingers through his hair.
“Then. . .every now and then, when times really got bad. . .boxes of food or clothes would be delivered.” Monique widened her eyes. “By men in blue shirts and jeans.”
Goddamn it, Father.
Monique continued, “We still struggled at times, but it was those moments where all hope was lost. . .when the boxes would come. . .”
Duck spoke for the first time in a while, “Uncle Leo was probably making sure you could toughen out stressful situations and only helped when absolutely necessary.”
But how long was my Father watching Monique?
Chapter fourteen
The Enigmatic Puppet Master
Monique
“This situation is far scarier than I believed.” Chen pushed his bowl of soup to the side. “While I thought Uncle Leo was always two steps ahead of us, he’s really been two to three years ahead of us.”
Duck lifted a slice of pork with his chopsticks. “The enigmatic puppet master strikes again.”
Chen frowned at him. “I hate when you call him that.”
Duck shrugged. “Is it not the truth?”
Chen grumbled.
But how was Leo able to do that? And when did Leo discover that I even existed?!
I sat there.
Paralyzed.
A maelstrom of emotions poured into my heart.
And I felt like I was about to drown.
I almost gasped for air, so overwhelmed by feelings that seemed too vast and wild for my chest to contain.
Mountain Mistress? Like. . .Leo wanted me to be a part of all of this. . .Four Aces stuff?
The world around me grew hazy, and the conversation at the table became a distant murmur.
Meanwhile, Yan’s words echoed in my ears.
She had loudly laughed. “Such a shocking coincidence that Monique’s father happened to be living in our old apartment building. I bet it was our exact apartment.”
Panic settled in my gut.
“How did your father even come to live there?” Yan leaned her head to the side. “Tell me. Did he happen to meet a nice Chinese woman who he fell in love with and just so happened to have him move in with her?”
The new reality struck my body like a bolt of lightning.
The space blurred around the edges. Vibrant colors faded into muted tones. A distant ringing in my ears drowned out the other sounds around me.
My hands shook.
Leo had plotted for us to be together?
The faces around me grew distorted as though I was looking at them through a foggy window.
These last days have been orchestrated by him?
I widened my eyes and found it hard to breathe.
If that was true, then did my father take the money or did Leo have a hand in getting him to do it?
A cold shiver ran up my spine.
Perhaps, he was at the game that night. . .
But then, somehow Leo knew that I would come to China Town looking for my father.
How? Was Leo THAT GOOD at Life Chess?
I mean this was fucking delirious in every sense of the word.
Even more. . .had Leo always planned to kill my father?
The air around me thickened and pressed against my chest.
Swallowing was an effort as my throat constricted, each gulp feeling like I was trying to swallow a boulder.
A cold, clammy sensation spread over my skin, and my heart rate quickened, sending a rapid thud against my ribcage.
No wonder he was hanging out at my apartment. . .later. . .while I was with Lei. . .he knew exactly where I lived.
More panic welled up within me, threatening to spill over.