Chapter 4 #2
“Mrs. Wu, I’m really happy to finally meet you,” Francis said.
“Nice to meet you.”
I’d heard people call her Mrs. Wu before. Even Ah-sou among the triad members. But this time, she didn’t correct him. No Call me June. Just a nod and a faint smile.
“I was told to walk you and Mr. Li through Mr. Wu’s assets,” Francis continued. “Your name will be added in time.”
“Added to what?” June asked.
“The ownership structure. Within the next month or so,” he clarified.
June frowned. “And what exactly am I supposed to do here?” She stood abruptly, then waved it off. “Never mind.”
Every shift in her posture, every clipped word, hit me harder than it should. I told myself it was habit. Old feelings refusing to die. But the truth sat heavy in my gut.
I still wanted her. I still reacted to her like she was gravity and I was helpless against it.
“What’s my role in all this?” I asked, forcing myself to focus.
Francis straightened.
“Mr. Li, your main role is to familiarize yourself with the businesses and support Mrs. Wu in any areas she may find challenging.”
He adjusted his cuffs, his voice turning more formal. “To be clear, Mrs. Wu will be assuming executive control of the company. Mr. Wu has arranged for a full transition of authority. You’ll be working under her leadership while you learn the structure and operations.”
I glanced at June.
She didn’t react, but I saw it—the slight tightening of her jaw. The weight of what was being handed to her.
“Any reason you think you couldn’t handle that yourself?” I asked Francis. My gaze flicked toward June, catching the discomfort in the way she shifted in her seat. I looked away almost immediately, forcing myself to focus on Francis instead. “Helping her with the business?”
I needed to keep my distance from her. Working this closely with June was dangerous enough without giving myself a reason to remember what it had once felt like to love her.
“Of course. I’m happy to assist wherever needed,” he said carefully.
I immediately regretted asking. The answer was already obvious. A man like Francis could guide them through the paperwork, explain the structure, even keep the machinery running—but he wasn’t the kind of man who could make decisions for an empire like Dannie’s.
“But you’re not allowed to make any calls, are you?” I pressed.
A pause.
Francis shifted in his seat before answering. “Only if absolutely necessary. Mr. Wu was very clear. He wants both of you able to manage the business together, with Mrs. Wu as the primary decision-maker.”
“Are you going anywhere?” June asked sharply.
“Me?” Francis blinked.
“Yes.”
“No. I’ll still be here, oversee day-to-day operations,” he replied quickly. “But strategic direction, major investments, restructuring—those will now go through Mrs. Wu.”
“And his partner?” June asked. “I remember Dannie has a partner.”
“Mr. Wu bought him out yesterday. The company is now solely his. Legally, the transfer process has begun. Within weeks, ownership will be jointly registered under Mrs. Wu.”
Outside the glass walls, employees slowed as they passed, pretending not to stare. They were curious, watching the woman in black who was quietly being handed the empire.
June looked composed from a distance—spine straight, chin lifted, the picture of control.
But the closer I watched, the more cracks showed.
The coffee cup in her hand trembled ever so slightly, though she hadn’t even taken a sip.
Her thumb rubbed slowly over the cardboard sleeve, over and over, like she didn’t even realize she was doing it.
When Francis passed a document across the table, she read the same line twice, her eyes moving but not quite focusing, her jaw tightening as if she were bracing against something heavy pressing down on her chest.
She thought she was hiding it well.
Maybe from them.
But not from me.
Francis slid another folder across the table, flipping it open with professional calm. Charts. Revenue streams. Logistics routes. It all looked sterile—numbers, percentages, quarterly growth.
Then my eyes caught a line item that didn’t fit.
Collections — Offshore Accounts.
Another tab:
Security Operations — External.
June leaned closer, her brow furrowing, and I saw the moment understanding began to dawn.
These weren’t hospital budgets or medical supply contracts. These were coded words: debt recovery, protection, movement of goods that didn’t go through customs.
This empire wasn’t built on meetings and mergers. It was built on fear, leverage…and things people didn’t report to the police.
I cleared my throat.
“How much is Dannie paying you? I can double it. Triple it.”
Every head turned toward me as if I’d said something outrageous.
But this was how I worked. Loyalty followed money. If someone worked for me, I wanted them on my payroll, their allegiance clear.
Still, as I looked at June—calm, unreadable, already carrying the burden of a company she never asked for—I couldn’t shake the thought: was this really about business? Or was Dannie setting the stage for June to take over everything…while he stepped away for good?
I didn’t understand why Dannie had to bring me into this.
Francis actually stepped back, as if my words had hit him in the chest.
“Sir,” he said carefully. “I respect you, and I appreciate the chance to work alongside you. But my loyalty is with Mr. Wu.”
Squirrel appeared beside him without a sound, broad shoulders filling the space, his presence heavy and deliberate.
Not a bodyguard. Not just staff.
Triad.
“Good to know.” I nodded. Part of me was disappointed. I could use a man like that. But deeper down, I was relieved. Dannie had people who wouldn’t bend.
I wanted to ask what they knew about his condition, about his plans, but there was no point. Men like them didn’t talk.
“Can we have the room?” I asked.
Squirrel looked at me, then at June, his arms folding behind his back. For a second, I wondered if he was imagining all the ways he could break me for even suggesting privacy with his boss’s wife.
“Leave us,” June said.
Francis moved quickly, pressing a button that frosted the glass walls.
“Do you really need me here?” I asked her quietly.
“I don’t think so,” she replied. “Dannie didn’t think I could handle things on my own.”
The words landed harder than they should have. A stupid part of me had wanted her to say yes. To admit she needed me.
And the truth was, I wasn't sure she could handle all of this alone either. Dannie had handed her an entire empire—businesses, people, responsibilities she probably hadn't even begun to understand. Deep down, I wanted to help.
That was exactly what scared me.
Because helping June meant being close to her again. And I knew myself well enough to know how dangerous that could be. One day working beside her could become a week. A week could become months. And somewhere along the way, I might forget all the reasons I'd forced myself to let her go.
I might fall for her all over again.
“I don’t mean to disrespect you,” I said. “But this isn’t a hospital. You don’t understand how this world works. It’s not fair for Dannie to dump this on you.”
“I’ve managed entire hospital departments,” she shot back. “Hospitals run like businesses, in case you didn’t know.”
“This is different. Dannie isn’t just any businessman. You saw Francis. On the surface, he’s management. In reality?” I nodded toward the frosted glass. “He’s triad.”
“So? He works for Dannie. He’s loyal to him.”
“Yes, but can you guarantee everyone here is?”
Her eyes narrowed. “What are you saying?”
“June, don’t be na?ve.” I exhaled hard. “Dannie’s family is complicated. If anyone finds out what he’s planning, they’ll do whatever it takes to stop it.”
I stared at her.
“Why were Grandma and Auntie Five murdered?” I asked. “Have you really thought about it?”
“Go on.”
“Grandma still held influence, even if she wasn’t active. People respected her. Listened to her. Auntie Five too—maybe she had less power, but she still had a voice.” I paused. “With both of them gone… who’s next after Dannie?”
“Laura.”
“On paper, yes. In reality?”
“His uncle?”
“Exactly.” I leaned forward. “If Dannie’s right, his uncle benefits most from their deaths. Not to mention any distant relatives you might not even know about.”
She swallowed, drawing in a slow breath. “Right.”
“You see how dangerous this is now?” I searched her face, hoping something had finally sunk in. “Does anyone know he’s sick?”
“No.”
“Good. But don’t be surprised if someone has already found out.”
Her gaze locked onto mine. “Do you want to tell me exactly what’s wrong with him?”