13. Trust
Chapter thirteen
Trust
Lei
I sat rigid in the passenger seat, every muscle tensed as we sped through the streets that bled into one another with a blur of endless blue.
The houses, washed in various shades from sky to navy, lined our route like a surreal river of stillness in contrast to the pandemonium unfolding within me. People dressed in cerulean, teal, and azure moved along the sidewalks.
My driver maneuvered the SUV with controlled urgency.
I kept my voice steady. “Do. Not. Lose them.”
“Understood, Mountain Master.”
I checked the rearview mirror.
A long line of blue cars trailed behind us.
Chen, Hu, and Duck sat in the back. Despite their neutral expressions, the car thrummed with a tense energy.
Chen had just got off the phone with the security at the East’s Main Gate. For now it was closed, they would not open it until Moni was out of the car and with me.
I turned back to face the front.
Ahead, the car carrying Moni, my father, Uncle Song, and several of their loyal men moved through the streets with a deceptive calm. My gaze was locked on it, trying to catch a glimpse through the windows, hoping to see that Moni was still alright.
Goddamn it. Nothing can go wrong.
I could see that somewhat. It looked like she was talking to my father, but I wasn’t sure. Every time the sunlight glinted off the glass, obscuring my view, a spike of fear stabbed through me.
What if my father decides to not honor our agreement?
The possibility was a living thing in my heart, whispering doubts and feeding my mind with paranoia.
If he takes her out of the East, then I race out too. I will not sleep until she is back with me.
Anxious fear squeezed around my chest so tight I found it hard to breathe.
I feared not just for Moni’s physical safety but for what my father could be whispering into her ear this very moment.
His manipulations were masterful, his intentions always shrouded in layers of deceit.
Fuck. Once I get her back, I’m surrounding her with at least thirty men. And she can never leave the palace.
The tension in my body was a coil wound tight, ready to snap.
“Lei,” Chen finally broke the silence. “It will be okay.”
“It better be.”
Hu spoke, “Once Monique is out of the car, are we going to make a move to capture Uncle Leo?”
I gritted my teeth. “100%.”
Chen sighed. “I think that would be unwise.”
I snapped my view to him. “He put a fucking blade next to her throat—”
“You need to trust that your father will honor the deal. He has more to lose if he doesn’t.”
I scoffed. “You think he cares about losing? The man has lost his soul, Chen. What’s a little betrayal on his part if it gets him what he wants?”
“It’s not about what he cares about losing, it’s about what he gains by keeping his word. He knows the stakes, Lei. And so does Monique.”
I scowled. “Moni is smart, but she doesn’t understand our ways, Chen. She doesn’t know the East like we do, or my father’s capacity for cruelty.”
“That may be true, but maybe that’s exactly why her plan will work.”
“How?”
“She sees things we can’t, because we’re too caught up in our own fears of Uncle Leo and the East’s traditions.”
I wanted to argue, to tell him that our fears were rooted in bloody truths, not mere shadows on the wall.
But his next words cut me off.
“Think about it, Lei. She stepped up today with a blade at her throat. She took control in a way that many seasoned leaders in the East might hesitate to. They’re all terrified of Uncle Leo and even you. Meanwhile, she made you both easily compromise.”
Duck nodded. “That’s not just courage; that’s a Mountain Mistress in the making.”
Chen shrugged. “I must agree with my brother. She’s not just living in the shadows of our customs but weaving her own legacy into them. Let’s trust her on this.”
His words hung heavy between us.
My heart ached.
Of course I knew that Moni had indeed stood her ground and forced both my father and me to come to some agreement when it all could have been a battle of blood right at my childhood home.
But. . .was love erratic?
Did it make one think in stupid ways?
Was it capable of turning even the most sensible person into a nonsensical fool?
Because right now all I wanted was her to be safe in my arms.
I didn’t care about how courageous she’d been or how much she proved to be a true leader in that moment.
None of it mattered.
My father had threatened her life, and even now she was still far away from me and with him.
I just had to have her back and safe with me, far away from his sharpened blade.
Father. . .please don’t kill her like you did Chanel. I understand now. . .just please. . .this is my life. . .my happiness. . .and Moni. . .
I swallowed down heartache.
Moni did nothing to be a victim of your threats. She’s good. Better than us.
Chen disturbed my thoughts. “The final battle is important to Uncle Leo. He will not do anything to mess that up.”
“So. . .you think I should honor letting him go if Moni is safe with me?”
“You must honor it, Lei.”
“I will never forgive him for threatening her life.”
“That’s fine. Keep that energy when you face him in the battle.” Chen let out a long breath. “After today is over. . .it will be two more days. There’s no need for him to mess up the deal. All violence will be realized during the battle.”
“I hope you’re right.” I watched the car ahead. “I’m just. . .afraid. I don’t want her to be another pawn in his games. I can’t stand the thought of her in danger because of decisions I can't control.”
Hu cleared his throat. “It’s not just about control, Lei. It’s about trust.”
I looked back at him.
Hu continued, “Trust in Monique’s strength, in her ability to stand beside you, not behind you.”
I pursed my lips.
Hu shrugged. “You love her. You want to protect her, but part of that protection is trusting her judgment, even when it scares you.”
Silence fell again as I processed his words.
Were my men right?
Did my fear and instinct to protect Moni cloud my judgment?
As if hearing me, Duck spoke, “We have to give Monique credit. She’s a fast learner when it comes to Uncle Leo and you.”
I turned around, put my gaze back on the car, and thought back to what Moni had said to me earlier, right before walking off with my father.
“I’m fine. Just. . .trust me, Lei. It will all be okay.”
I fisted my hands, knowing I had to keep calm.
Trust. . .
Such a simple word, but so heavy with implications.
Could I trust her to handle a man like my father? The man who had molded me with iron and fire, who had never once hesitated to use violence and death to teach me lessons.
Damn it, Moni. I will try my best to trust you. I swear to God. . .just. . .
Cold fear shivered through me.
I can’t lose you. I can’t. . .but. . .I’ll trust you.
My hands shook as I tried to go down this new path of thought.
Can I trust Moni to handle this? Well. . .she’s been handling me. . .and my men. . .pretty fucking decently.
I let out a long breath.
Alright. . .I’ll trust you. Maybe. . .you’ve got this. . .
The whole time, my thoughts had been consumed with fear about what my father was whispering in Moni’s ear—what lies and manipulations he was weaving around her.
But now, with everyone’s words lingering in the air, a new consideration began to take shape in my mind.
What if the true power of the conversation wasn't just what my father was imposing on Moni, but what she was imparting to him?
Fuck. . .Could you speak sense to him, Moni? Surely. . .you’ve been able to get me to calm down.
What if she was not just passively receiving my father’s threats or plans but actively challenging them?
It was hard but. . .I began to envision Moni, not just as a victim caught in the web of my father's dark designs, but as a negotiator, strong and cunning, using her position to shift the dynamics of power.
Please, God. I hope so.
Maybe she was planting seeds of doubt in my father’s mind, challenging his perceptions of control, or perhaps she was laying down her own rules to the game, making it clear she was no mere pawn.
I ran my shaking fingers through my hair.
It could be true. . .there was a reason my father would make her Mountain Mistress. Never would he have picked a weak-minded woman.
And I knew for a fact that there was nothing weak about Moni.
These thoughts brought with them a mix of emotions—pride in her courage and intellect, intertwined with a twinge of guilt for having doubted her capability, even if just for a moment.
She’s reasoning with him. . .yeah. . .I have to believe that. . .
I sat there, processing this shift in perspective, it was hard to admit this, but I also realized that my role might also need to change too.
Tension gathered in my shoulders.
While I was damn sure ready to protect her. . .I was finding it difficult to support her when she was navigating treacherous terrain.
I have to. . .trust her with this. . .
And this realization didn’t erase my fears—no, they still lurked in the corners of my mind—but it reshaped them, turning them from a paralyzing force into a clarifying one.
I eyed their car some more.
Whatever Moni could be saying to my father, I trusted her intelligence and her heart.
And knowing him. . .he would trust it too, even if it veered from his Big Plans.
If she could just get back to me safely, then. . .I would honor the deal.
Damn it.
Then, whatever came next, we would face it together.
“Okay.” I swallowed down my fear. “If Moni is out of the car and at a safe distance away from it. . .”
“Yes?” Chen asked.
“Then, open the gates and let my father go.”
“Understood, Mountain Master.” Chen sighed. “This will work out. Monique will be back with you soon. Uncle Leo will be out of the East. All will be okay.”
It must. There’s no life without Moni. I understand that more and more each day I’m with her.
Silence descended upon us, filled only by the hum of the SUV’s engine.
Minutes later, I spotted the gate far ahead—the main boundary point of the East. While it was not the only gate in the East, it was the only way others could legally enter the East from Paradise City.
Alright. Let’s see if I can fucking trust this bastard to do the right thing.