4. Life Plans
CHAPTER 4
LIFE PLANS
J ia
Is that Nico Rossi peering into my shop window? I attempt a casual glance from the corner of my eye so as not to alert Yéye. The last thing I need is my grandfather worrying about the Italian mob paying me a visit. Dark hair, sunglasses, black suit: check, check, and check. Tall, perfectly muscled, arrogant smirk: also check. My brother may have been an ass, God rest his soul, but at least he’d chosen an attractive man to sell me off to.
The last I’d heard, Rossi had found his true love, therefore reneging on my brother’s brilliant, arranged marriage agreement. So why is he here now? I swivel my gaze back to Yéye and meet a pair of anxious dark orbs. Despite the great Wei Guo having led the Four Seas to notoriety with his infamous stoic calm, that icy mask always crumbles in my presence. Maybe it’s because I am his only granddaughter and he never had daughters of his own. Three sons and he’s buried each one.
A pang sears into my chest as I stare into those wizened, dark eyes and the years of conflict and struggle that wrinkled the corners. Am I being selfish by refusing to bear the burden of his legacy?
“Good morning, bǎobèi , are you all right?”
I glance over my shoulder and the mysterious Rossi brother is gone. My grandpa’s old nickname brings a smile to my lips, despite the churning guilt. Treasure . My own father never referred to me as anything but daughter. He barely used my given name. Pushing back the pointless memories, I brighten my smile and nod. “Of course, Yéye, especially now that you’re here. Though I’m still not quite sure why you came all this way.”
His eyes taper at the edges as he regards me. Our mutual understanding of each other has always been a two-way street. He can read me as well as I can read him. Which means in a second, he’s going to call me out on my bullshit. I’m honestly amazed he’s waited this long. After he appeared at my meeting with the Triad yesterday, we’d gone for dinner, sticking only to safe subjects of conversation. Then we’d returned to my studio and my grandfather had gone straight to bed—mine, of course. I was forced to struggle through a night on the couch, which was what had ultimately brought me to the boutique early this morning.
“You know why I came, bǎobèi. You are many things, child, but a fool isn’t one of them.” He reaches for a lock of stray hair and sweeps it behind my ear. His rough thumb against my cheek is so familiar it brings an unwanted tear to my eye.
“You don’t have to worry about me, grandpa. I’m fine.” Or, at least, I will be fine. I hazard another glance through the front window, but Rossi is definitely gone. Thank the ancestors.
“Are you, though? From what Jianjun tells me, the Four Seas are in absolute disarray. The Triad will not stand for that, and you know that as well as I. You may not desire the burden of rule, but it has fallen on your shoulders, nonetheless.”
I huff out a breath, those damned shoulders feeling heavier than they’d ever been.
“I don’t want to frighten you, Jia, but someone will come for your throne if you do not secure it.”
Jianjun’s menacing words from the meeting strike up a dance in my mind. Per our custom, the only way in which a new family may take over an established syndicate is by terminating the remaining bloodline. I swallow hard and meet my grandfather’s heavy gaze. “What do you want me to do?”
His hands close around my shoulders, the firm hold reassuring in the sea of chaos that is my mind. “As I said before, you are wise beyond your years, bǎobèi . I trust that you will come to the right decision. I only came to assist in the process in any way I can.”
“So you left the white sand beaches of Costa Rica to navigate an international mob war with me?”
“Of course, I did, Jia. Besides, retirement can get a little boring after a while.” The corners of his lips hitch, making the long silver strands of his mustache twitch. “Now, where can we go for breakfast? You have nothing edible in your apartment.”
My cheeks burn, and my head immediately drops. I’m a complete failure as a traditional Chinese woman, but I know takeout like nobody’s business. Grabbing my purse from the floor, I spin around and thread my arm through my grandfather’s. “Come on, I’ll take you for the best bagel with lox in all downtown Manhattan. My treat.”
“Very well, bǎobèi, and while we are there, we will discuss your future.”
My head dips in acquiescence, and I give my grandfather a gentle tug toward the front door. I briefly contemplate going out the back just in case any Italian mobsters are still lingering in the area. Maybe Nico Rossi came because he heard the great Wei Guo was in town. Was he here to make another deal?
With my thoughts churning, I force my feet forward. If Nico is still here, I’ll have to face him sooner or later, and with my grandpa in tow, the whole encounter might be more tolerable.
I swing the door open to leave, the familiar, light tinkling of the bell overhead momentarily easing my nerves. Ari bought it a few weeks ago insisting we had to have one now that we were so close to opening CityZen. I hated to disappoint her, but with my fickle creative muse having vacated the building, we were nowhere near the grand opening. I do love that bell though.
Scanning both sides of the sidewalk, I catch no sight of Nico Rossi and proceed onto the sidewalk. I wait for the relief to set in, only it never comes. Am I that terrified of the idea of ruling the Four Seas alone that I’ve warmed up to the idea of an arranged marriage?
No, absolutely not.
Then again, after the encounter with the slimy Lei, the gorgeous Italian is looking less loathsome.
Grandpa nudges me in the side, drawing me from my musings. “Jia, will you tell me what thoughts are swirling in that busy mind of yours or must I guess?”
He always knows me so well.
“I suppose I’m simply considering all my options.”
“Very well, as you should.”
I chew on the inside of my cheek and tug on the ends of my long-sleeve blouse with my free hand, a habit that used to drive my father wild, which only made me do it more. If he insisted on marring my arms as punishment, then I would remind him every chance I got.
At this point, I can’t even figure out what my realistic options are. Completely avoiding my birthright no longer seems a legitimate route. Unfortunately. I pause at the crosswalk as we wait for the light to turn red. “What do you think are the best options, Yéye ?”
“I believe the choice is simple, child, do you wish to rule by yourself or share the burden with another?”
“I don’t wish to rule at all.” The traitorous words burst out before I can snap my jaw shut. Though, truth be told, it’s no mind-blowing confession. My grandfather knows me well enough to have understood this all along.
“Sometimes in life we are called to assume a duty from which we take no joy.”
I grunt, the completely inappropriate sound escaping my loose lips. My grandfather was born a male in the Guo family. He had the opportunity to make his own future. He wrought the beginnings of one of the most infamous Triad syndicates in the great city of Manhattan. What did he know about being forced into things?
Grandpa’s long, wrinkled fingers close around my shoulder. “Jia, you may be wise for your age, but you are still very young. When I was twenty-three, I thought I knew everything too. It was your grandmother who reminded me every minute of every day that I knew nothing.” A rueful smile curls his lips, and those dark eyes twinkle. My father used to say the only time he’d ever seen his own father smile was in the presence of his wife, and later, after she passed, only for me.
“So you think I should get married?”
My mouth must twist into a pout because his grin grows wider.
“I believe you will come to the best decision for not only yourself but also your people. It may not seem like it, but those men look up to you. Whether you like it or not, you are a Guo, and therefore you are their ruler by blood.”
“Tell that to Lei Wang. He’s chomping at the bit to evict me from the throne. ”
“That is not how I understand it. On the contrary, I heard he wishes to marry you.”
A groan squeezes through my clenched lips. “He’s awful, Yéye, just vile .”
“Then I believe your choice is clear.”
The light finally turns red and I step onto the crosswalk with my grandpa at my side. Right. I would just rule over a gaggle of unruly, bloodthirsty Chinese men alone? And juggle my burgeoning fashion line? It sounds like a logistical nightmare.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t like to dip your toes back into the Manhattan mob scene?” I toss him a wink.
“Oh goodness, no, Jia. I’ve only been back to the city for one night and already I miss the tranquility of home. Over fifty years creating and leading an empire is far too long. Your nǎinai was right, I should have retired long ago. I would have been able to spend more time with her before she got sick…”
I tug my grandfather tighter into my side and squeeze his arm. When I was young, I believed him to be indestructible. I would see how others bowed down to him, practically kissing the floor he walked on. He mellowed over the years, but it’s only now as an adult that I realize we all have our weaknesses. My grandmother was his. He walked away from everything the moment she needed him.
My father was no such hero.
“That’s what I want, Yéye, what you and nǎinai had . ” I realize my mistake the moment the words are out. A smirk stretches beneath his wild mustache.
“And you know, treasure, that our marriage was arranged in China when we were nothing more than children.”
I hiss out a breath. “Things were different back then.”
“They were, and in some ways, they were much the same.” He pauses and inhales a long breath, something he does to ensure he has my full attention. “I only ask that you not discount a possibility simply because it does not perfectly fit in line with your life plans. Love works in mysterious ways.”
“Maybe,” I mumble. I’m certain about one thing, though, love could never be mysterious enough to convince me to marry Lei Wang.