23. The Secret Space
Chapter twenty-three
The Secret Space
Moni
Lei moved with such lightning speed that my mind struggled to keep up.
One second, I was gripping Leo’s arm, bracing myself against the weight of hundreds of gazes.
The next, I was swept off my feet—literally.
Once we rushed off, Lei lifted and scooped me up into his arms, cradling me against his chest like I was the most precious treasure in his life.
Shocked gasps rippled around us.
He carried me effortlessly, his strides long and sure. Clear determination covered his face.
Stomping us forward, he brushed his lips along the shell of my ear, and that sweet touch sent delicious shivers racing down my spine. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
“Did he fucking hurt you?”
“Not physically. I think I’m just a little crazy now.”
“I’m so sorry for—”
“You didn’t do anything wrong—”
“I let him take you away—”
“You didn’t.” I pressed my lips against his cheeks hoping I could kiss away every bit of guilt spinning in his chest.
He picked up the space.
Gravel crunched under his boots.
The world whirred past in a blur of colors.
The murmurs of the crowd faded as we left the pavilion.
Some of his men and even a few of Leo’s people had been positioned outside of the pavilion. They witnessed him carry me off with widened eyes and stunned expressions. It was as if the very sight of him—defiant against Leo and possessive of me—disrupted the natural order of things.
Whispers buzzed in our wake, low murmurs barely audible over the night’s stillness, but I could feel them still thick with shock and uncertainty.
I checked in front of us and blinked.
I expected Lei to take me back in the direction of the camps but he veered right and headed down a path that cut away from the well-worn trails.
The air around us shifted.
It was subtle at first—a cooling breeze that began to warm.
The scents changed too, moving from the smoky undertones of the incense and roasted meats of the feast to the lighter perfumed fragrance of wildflowers dancing within the mountain air.
I turned back to him.
Although walking us along, he’d been watching me.
“Where are we going, baby?”
He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, his arms tightened around me slightly and the faintest of smiles tugged at the corner of his lips.
Next, he directed his gaze forward and there was this confidence in his eyes—no certainty blazing in them—as if the path we were on led not to a place but to a moment he’d planned down to the last detail.
“Lei?”
“Have I told you that I love when you call me baby.”
I blinked.
He curled his lips into a smirk. “We’re going somewhere special. I need to talk to you about something.”
“What?”
“I’ll tell you when we’re there.”
“Oh wait.” Hope filled me. “Are you going to try and get out of the battle? I’m down. Let’s go right now. Maybe we can hurry off to a helicopter and—”
“No, Moni. I want to fight him tonight. I want to kill him.”
A terrifying shiver ran through me. “Lei. . .”
“He has to die tonight . Not tomorrow. Not next week or next year. Tonight.”
“I know, but. . .I can’t lose you in the process.”
“You won’t lose me.”
“I can’t, Lei.” My heart ached. “I fucking can’t.”
“I promise I’ll win but understand this. If we just run away, he’ll spend his days hunting us down—and honestly, I’m sure he already has things in place on this mountain to stop us from escaping anyway.”
I didn’t want to say it out loud, but I knew Lei was right. Leo had planned all of this years ago. Therefore, he had surely thought of different angles and possibilities for how Lei would react.
Lei sneered. “I kill him tonight and end all of this.”
“Well. . .” I stiffened. “I tried to sneak guns in my gown. I wanted to help.”
A dark chuckle left him.
The trees around us grew denser.
“Leo grabbed them.”
“Of course he did.” Lei brushed his lips against my cheek. “Remember the first time I saw you, when you were in that church long ago praying for my father’s soul?”
“Yes.”
“You had this gun that Uncle Song had given you and I asked if you were a gangster.”
“I told you no.”
“Now what would you say?”
I widened my eyes.
Damn. So much has changed.
Lei chuckled to himself. “My Mountain Mistress tried to sneak guns into a sacred battle. You’re so perfect, and all mine.”
My heart warmed.
He carried us further down the path. “We’re almost there.”
This thrill in my chest rose.
Where is he taking me? And what does he want to say?
His voice broke slightly. “I missed you, Moni. You have no idea.”
“I have a good idea.” I winked. “You’re pussy whipped so. . .you were probably missing me something serious. . .”
He didn’t laugh at my joke.
Instead, his expression turned serious. “I missed you so much that I got on my knees and prayed for your return. I begged God. I. . .sobbed. . .”
Oh shit.
I didn’t even know what to say or how to react. I couldn’t think of any man that had ever prayed for me or even shed a tear.
I swallowed.
The path began to narrow, and the tall trees on both sides began to close in on us, creating a canopy overhead that filtered the moonlight above.
"I was terrified for you, Moni."
My heart tightened at his confession.
I reached up, cupping his cheek with my hand. “I ended up being okay.”
Keeping us steady on the path, he turned into my touch. "I've never felt that much fear before."
"I'm here now and we're together, but I missed you too, so much. All I could do was make sure I got back to you."
“And you did.” Lei frowned. “He fucking made you kill and you did so without hesitation.”
I looked away, pissed that Lei and the rest of the world had seen that.
“Moni.”
I kept my gaze averted.
“Are you okay? How do you feel?”
“My killing all those men was fucked up and. . .the East is cheering my name and thinking I’m some hero when in the end I really feel like a fraud.”
“You’re not a fraud.”
“Your father set it up. It was all a game to him.”
“But you still had to win.”
“I didn’t even know those guys.”
“I knew them. In fact, I grew up with many of them.”
I closed my eyes.
“They were beyond loyal to Yan. And because of that they would have killed you if they had the chance. Thank God you didn’t give them that chance.”
"I know what you’re saying, but it’s also hard not to think of them as human beings.”
"They made their choice. Yan’s men that chose to be loyal to me after her death, reintegrated into the East and was at home with their families last night. Many hadn’t seen their parents in years due to living in Shanghai with my sister. However, the ones that were still enraged over Yan’s death, the ones that still wanted blood and revenge. . .well, they stayed on Mount Utopia and plotted in that tent."
"I still didn't want to kill them."
"No one wants to kill, Moni, but in our world. . .it is necessary."
Soon, we broke free from the thick, tree-canopied path, stepping into a world that felt like a dream rendered in color and light. It was a flat, grassy meadow, breathing with life and stretching to the edge of a cliff that opened to infinity.
The air here was different. Warmer than it should have been, as if the space itself defied the chill of the night.
Oh my God. This is beautiful.
Lei finally stopped, setting me gently on my feet, yet his hands lingered on my waist, grounding me as I took it all in.
My breath hitched.
The cliff itself was a stage for a showstopping visual performance.
A garden framed the cliff and it was so captivating that it didn’t seem like it was from this planet.
Flowers in every shade of blue imaginable blanketed the ground, their velvety petals caught the moonlight and shimmered like scattered gemstones. Midnight indigo, soft periwinkle, and the brilliant flash of cerulean mingled together in perfect harmony, as if the stars had fallen and taken root.
To add even more magic, there were hundreds of fireflies everywhere. They were tiny dots of flickering greenish-golden light, floating along petals, swirling between stems, and dancing in the air.
Beyond the edge of the cliff, the mountains stood sentinel, their jagged peaks crowned with the soft gleam of starlight.
Ancient guardians watching over this secret place.
I took a few steps closer to the cliff.
Far below, the dark river glistened as it twisted through the lower valley, holding the moon’s starry reflection. The faint hum of the river reached my ears and merged with the symphony of crickets and the occasional hoot of an owl.
I looked up.
Above, the open sky stretched endlessly into an infinite canvas painted with the brilliance of countless stars all surrounding the full moon.
I stood there.
Breathless.
The space was so vivid and perfect it blurred the lines between reality and a fairy tale.
Somehow, Lei had brought me here, as if he’d unlocked the door to something I didn’t know I needed to see.
I turned to him.
He watched me with heated intensity.
"Lei. . .this is. . .amazing.”
“You like it?”
“I love it.”
“I wanted to talk to you somewhere on this mountain, far away from my father, the Four Aces, the bullshit traditions and death. . .”
“Why?”
“I have some things to say to you and. . .it may take some time.”
“Okay.”
Lei slipped his arm around my waist and held me closer, and it felt so damn good to have my body pressed against his again.
I’m back with my baby.
His lush scent swarmed around me and my body released all the tension it had been holding while with Leo.
Lei gazed into my eyes, and raw emotion coated his next words. “I love you, Moni. That’s the first thing I want to say.”
Heat spread across my skin.
“I love you so much that sometimes my soul burns from the force of my emotions, and my chest aches, so hard that I have to place my hand there to make sure I’m not having a heart attack.” He swallowed. “I don’t know if that’s normal but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
My eyes watered.
“And I love everything about you. The woman you were when I met you—innocent, warm-hearted, yet strong as fuck. I love the woman you have become right now in this moment—powerful, dangerous, yet still humble, still loving, still thinking of everyone else, still trying to do the right thing and be a good person.”
I parted my lips.
“And I know I’ll keeping loving the woman that you have yet to transform into. Because. . .I love watching your rise to power. I love that this crown is on your head and that all eyes are on you. . .and that the East, the South, North, West, Four Aces, Rowe Street Mob, and even Dima now knows who the fuck you are and to tread carefully when they approach you.”
I shivered.
He let out a long breath and gestured to the garden with his free hand. “When I was a kid and my father would train or plot on this mountain, forcing us all to be up here for weeks. . .my mother would bring my sister and me here.”
His voice softened and his words carried a tenderness that wrapped around me like the warmth of the night air. “She made this garden specifically to attract the fireflies. She told me that when they’re young, they’re hunters. They feed on slugs and snails. She called them the tiny warriors of the soil.”
He turned toward me. “As adults, they live for light and love, drinking the nectar of flowers—lavender, jasmine, marigolds—and others sip the sweetness of plant juices. But more important. . .they were always drawn to the spark of their own kind”
He gestured to the wild patches of grass and the flowers dancing in the breeze. “She left the soil untouched, rich with the insects they would need. She let the grass grow tall in places, to give them shadows to rest in during the day.”
His words were a lullaby of the earth’s magic, painting the fireflies as ethereal beings, thriving in harmony with nature. “She said the fireflies reminded her of hope. Of how even in the darkest places, there’s light.”
Those glowing creatures continued their display around us, flickering their lights and adding an extra layer of enchantment to this moment.
“She wanted us to have a place away from it all. Away from the chaos, the blood, the battles.”
My gaze shifted to the flowers shimmering beneath the moonlight.
“I don’t even know if my father knows about this place. I assume he does, but. . .he never came here with us. . .”
It would have been interesting to know if Lei’s mother could have truly kept this place a secret from Leo.
Perhaps, she used this area to escape him too.
“Also, my mother would tell us stories here—fairy tales, myths, even ones she made up about us ruling over a world of peace. But my favorite part was my sister and I chasing all the fireflies. Yan always made it a competition.” Lei’s lips curved into a wistful smile. “Yan always tried to catch them, but she could never keep them in her hands for long. She hated that they slipped away.”
“And you?” I asked softly.
“I always caught them with no problem, but. . .I also always let them go. I liked watching them glow as they flew off.” His gaze met mine. “I think I liked the idea that they were free so. . .I never wanted to trap them to me.”
Those words settled over me, and I felt the beauty of their meaning.
Lei had never wanted to cage anything, not even the light.
Yet, here he was, holding me like I was his entire world.
I turned away, looked at his mother’s glowing garden. Slowly, I began to picture Lei as a kid with a younger Yan at his side and their mother strolling behind them as they raced around trying to catch fireflies.
And then, I let myself imagine something even crazier.
A day when I brought our own children here. A moment where our kids would be chasing fireflies too and filling the night air with their laughter.
The thought took root in my heart, delicate yet unshakable.
I had never truly let myself imagine a future like that before, but here, in this garden, it didn’t feel so far away.
It felt possible.
Inevitable.
Would our kids have Lei’s sharp eyes and strong willpower?
Would they carry my stubbornness, my quiet strength?
Would we tell them stories under the stars, just as his mother had done, about a world where they could be anything, do anything, love fiercely and fearlessly?
I glanced at Lei.
His profile was etched against the moonlit backdrop and my heart ached with a longing so profound it left me trembling.
I wanted that future with him, no matter how fleeting or uncertain it might be.
Lei’s right. He has to kill Leo tonight. And even though they didn’t give me guns, I’m still going to try and help in some way.
Lei spoke. “You’re the only one I’ve shared this place with. As many times as Duck, Hu, and Chen have been up on Mount Utopia, they don’t even know about it. I know this because when we have been on this mountain. . .sometimes I escape here and just sit for hours looking at the fireflies and the stars and the moon. . .and I just think of happier times.”
I gave him a sad smile. “And they never find you?”
“Never.”
“I bet that pisses Chen off.”
“It does. He hates that I’m able to disappear here. In fact. . .he has a secret team searching Mount Utopia to figure out the location.” He chuckled and then let out a long breath. “He’ll never know. The path is too narrow. The trees too thick. It almost doesn’t even look like a path at all.”
“Then, I’ll keep your secret.”
“You will. However. . .I don’t ever want you to not know where I am. I want you to always be able to find me.”
Aww, baby.
“Lei. . .thank you for bringing me here. Thank you for telling me how much you love me, because I damn sure love you. And thank you for sharing this place and part of you with me.”
His bottom lip quivered as if he was nervous.
He let out another long breath and let me go.
I blinked. “What’s wrong?”
“This place. . .it holds my happiest memories.” He stepped away from me.
“O-kay. . .”
“I wanted another happy memory here.”
Before I could respond, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box.
My heart damn near stopped.
Lei sank down to one knee.
Oh my God. Don’t pass out. Don’t you fall out.
I steadied myself as much as I could.
The moonlight caught the sharp lines of his face, the hint of clear vulnerability in his gaze. He looked up at me, and the world stilled.
Oh shit. Oh shit.
“You’re officially the Mountain Mistress to the East.”
I could see the tension in his hands as he held the box and the way his fingers shook.
He cleared his throat. “And. . .I’m proud of you for earning that title, but you’re mine , Moni.”
I widened my eyes.
“You’ve always been mine from the first moment I saw you in that church to the moment I put those handcuffs on your wrist and the moment I took you on this mountain weeks ago and even when I showed you off to the East. You’ve always been mine. And now, I want you to officially be mine under the eyes of the law, of God, in every way that matters.” He opened the box, revealing a big ring that sparkled like the stars overhead.
It was a miniature galaxy—diamonds and sapphires and some twinkling pale blue stone that was framed by a platinum band.
“It’s good that you’re my Mountain Mistress. That’s great.” He nodded. “But I want you to be my wife .”
The breath left my lungs in a rush.
The fur coat fell from my shoulders and dropped to the ground.
My mind raced, trying to catch up with the moment. The garden, the fireflies, the ring, the man kneeling before me. . .it was too much, too perfect, too overwhelming.
I stared at him and my heart pounded in my head.
His gaze never wavered as he gave me a nervous smile. “Say something, Moni. . .don’t leave me hanging. . .not now. . .”