Wang's Pov.
I climb onto my bike, but before starting it, I dial Zhan.
"Meet me at Dre's place," I say.
Silence. Then the call ends.
By the time I reach Dre's place, a mix of fear and excitement churns in my stomach.
"What are you doing here?" Dre hisses, eyes narrowing.
"I need you to get passports for Zhan and his family," I say.
"Why?" Dre's boyfriend asks.
"Stay out of my business," Dre snaps. Then, turning back to me, he shrugs. "I don't ask questions. It'll cost you."
I nod. "Name your price."
"Do you have anywhere in mind?" Dre asks, his voice calm but expectant.
"You pick a decent place and let me know," I reply, leaning back on the couch.
"Good." Dre smirks, walking over to the dining table where his laptop sits. He picks it up and comes back to the couch, flips it open, fingers gliding over the keyboard as he starts searching.
"Do you also need one?" he asks, not looking up.
"No, but I'll let you know when I do."
Just then, the door clicks open. Zhan steps in, his expression unreadable. Relief floods me.
I stand, closing the distance between us, and pull him into a tight hug. His body is tense at first, but then he relaxes slightly, allowing himself to be led to the couch beside me.
"Dre," I say, reaching into my pocket. I pull out a small flash drive and hold it up. "Can you show Zhan what's on this?"
Dre takes it without a word, plugging it into his laptop. The room falls silent as he clicks through the files.
Zhan leans forward, eyes glued to the screen. His breathing grows heavier with every passing second.
Then, when it's over, he hisses through clenched teeth. "That bloody bastard... He took our house."
His hands tighten into fists, his knuckles turning white. I place a hand on him, trying to steady him.
Dre exhales sharply, shutting the laptop. "I don't know why you're surprised. This isn't the first time he's done something like this."
Zhan shakes his head, his jaw locked. "I thought, I hoped he wouldn't go this far."
"Hope is a dangerous thing," Dre mutters.
I squeeze Zhan's hand. "I already took care of it."
Zhan turns to me, eyes filled with a mix of gratitude and frustration. "How? He has the documents. The house is legally his now."
"That's why you need those passports," Dre says, stretching lazily. "You're not going to get justice here. Not the kind you want."
Zhan looks away, his chest rising and falling unevenly. I know what he's thinking. Running is not in his nature. Neither is giving up.
"Listen," I say gently, tilting his chin so he's looking at me again. I explained everything to Zhan, the plan I had carried out against Black, how I handled his men and his money. I kept my voice calm, steady, but I could feel Zhan's eyes burning into me.
"Once Dre gets you a passport, you can open a bank account," I continued. "I'll send you the full worth of your house, and when we board, I'll send the remaining money back to Black."
Zhan exhaled, shaking his head. "You're playing with fire, Wang."
"You don't know what Black will do to you," Dre's boyfriend suddenly hissed, his voice laced with disapproval.
Dre shot him a glare. "Can you not put your mouth in my business?" he snapped.
The tension in the room thickened, but I ignored it. My focus was on Zhan.
"Are you with me on this?" I asked, searching his face.
Zhan hesitated before nodding. "If this gets you killed, I'll never forgive you."
I smirked. "Then I guess I better stay alive."
Dre grins, picking up his laptop again. "Good choice."
As he types away, Zhan leans into me slightly. I don't move away. If this is the only comfort I can offer him right now, then so be it.
Zhan sighs, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry. I should have trusted you."
I shake my head. "No, no. It's okay. I'll take care of it."
His gaze softens. "I miss you."
He leans into me, and I feel the warmth of his breath against my skin. My heart stutters as I tilt my head, brushing my lips against his. At first, the kiss is tentative, and hesitant, as if neither of us is sure it's real. But then, he presses closer, his fingers threading into my hair. The world outside fades, leaving just us. His lips are soft but urgent, carrying the weight of unspoken words, of lost time. A shiver runs down my spine as I pull him in, deepening the kiss. It's slow, intoxicating, like the first sip of a forbidden drink.
A sharp hiss cuts through the moment. "We have a spare room, you know," Dre says, unimpressed.
Zhan pulls back just enough to smirk. "Thanks, but we don't need it."
Then, as if to prove a point, he leans into me again.
Dre rolls his eyes before sliding his laptop toward him. "Fill these out for yourself, your grandma, Ji Li, and Mia."
Zhan takes the computer, and I watch as he carefully type down each detail. When he's done, I hand him his phone. "Quit your job."
He hesitates only for a moment before dialing his boss. "I'm resigning," he says firmly.
Dre's boyfriend chuckles. "That's a man who listens to his boyfriend."
"Wang is not a cheat," Dre retorts.
I stand, pressing one last kiss to Zhan's lips. "I'll be back. Need to sort something at home."
Zhan kisses me back, his lips lingering as he murmurs, "I love you."
"I love you too," I reply, then pull away and walk out, heading straight to my bike.
On the way home, I stop by a store, picking up perfumes, flowers, and a diamond necklace for Lusi. The irony of it all doesn't escape me, I'm buying gifts for the very person who ruined Zhan's life. Still, I push down my frustration. I need to play this right.
When I get home, Lusi is on her phone, doing God knows what.
I set the bags in front of her. "I got this for you."
Her eyes light up as she checks the gifts. "Really?" She smiles, touching the necklace. "Thank you." She stands and hugs me.
I hesitate before saying, "About me and Zhan—"
She cuts me off with a smirk. "Yeah, I know. Your mother told me."
I nod, sitting beside her. "I figured."
"So what's the deal with you two?" she asks, eyeing me curiously.
"Nothing other than a fling," I say smoothly.
"Sure?" She raises a brow.
I chuckle. "Yeah. You don't expect me to be with him, do you?"
"I don't," she replies, smiling.
A thought strikes me, and I lean back. "You know what? Why don't we get married sooner?"
She blinks. "You're playing with me, right?"
I shake my head. "I meant what I said at dinner last night. I want to marry you."
She folds her arms. "Call your mother, then I'll believe you."
I pull out my phone, dial my mother, and put it on speaker.
"Why are you calling? I'm busy," she says.
"I want to get married. How soon can you plan this?"
A pause. "Are you serious?"
"Yes, Mom."
"Okay," she says, excitement creeping into her voice. "I can start making arrangements."
"Thank you, Mom."
"I'm coming for my dress!" Lusi exclaims.
My mom laughs. "I have the perfect designer for you."
"Oh, I love you!" Lusi squeals.
"See you soon," my mom says before ending the call.
Lusi picks up her phone. "You'll drop me at the airport tomorrow. Let me tell my friends." She stands, already typing.
I was upset, to say the least, but I kept my anger in check. Instead of letting it fester, I chatted with Zhan, telling him about my conversation with Lusi before she could pull another stunt and record it again.
He replied freely, and God, my love for this man was beyond explanation.
That evening, I took Lusi out for dinner. She was surprised it was just the two of us.
"You didn't invite your friends?" she asked, amused.
"I just want us alone," I said.
She smiled. "This is nice. Thank you. I like it."
"Uwc, baby," I replied, watching her blush at the pet name. In all honesty, I couldn't wait to take her to the airport tomorrow.
We ate, drank, and talked before heading home.
As soon as we got back, I had a shower and she went to shower as well, and I used the opportunity to chat with Zhan again.
He told me he had left Dre's place and was now in his room with Ji Li. The thought of him being there, safe, warmed me. I can't wait to share a room with this man for the rest of my life.
Then his selfie came in.
I stared at my phone, mesmerized. "God, this man is gorgeous. And he is mine."
Lusi walked in, wearing one of her dresses that completely turned me off. She climbed into bed, wanting to cuddle.
I gritted my teeth but didn't say anything. I just held her. That much, at least, I could pretend.
Tomorrow was just around the corner.
I woke up with a pounding headache and an ache in my back. My entire body felt off.
What the hell happened?
Blinking my eyes open, I realized Lusi wasn't in bed. I sat up, and that's when I noticed I was naked.
No. I didn't.
A wave of nausea hit me as I stood, grabbing the nearest pair of shorts before making my way to the kitchen.
"Lusi," I called, my voice sharper than I intended. "What the hell happened?"
She was on her phone but quickly ended the call. "I'll call you back," she murmured before turning to me with a bright smile.
"Hey, husband," she cooed, walking over to hug me.
I stiffened. "Why was I naked?"
She pulled back slightly, scrunching her face. "You don't remember?"
My jaw clenched. "Remember what?"
Lusi tucked her hair behind her ear, looking pleased with herself. "Well, you woke up in the middle of the night, cuddling and kissing me... so we made love."
My stomach churned. I almost threw up right then and there.
Instead, I forced a smile, swallowing down the disgust. "Okay."
She beamed, clearly satisfied.
"What time is your flight?" I asked, keeping my tone as neutral as possible.
"2 PM," she said, stretching like she had the best sleep of her life.
I nodded. "I'll freshen up and drop you at the airport."
Turning on my heel, I walked straight back to the bedroom, closing the door behind me.
The moment I was alone, I exhaled shakily. I felt dirty. I felt sick.
I stepped into the bathroom, turned on the shower, and scrubbed myself raw.
I let the scalding water run down my body, but no matter how hard I scrubbed, I couldn't shake the feeling of disgust clinging to me. My hands trembled as I pressed them against the tiled wall, trying to steady my breathing.
Did it really happen?
The thought made my stomach twist painfully. I closed my eyes, searching my memory, but it was all a blur. I didn't remember touching her, kissing her, let alone sleeping with her.
Was she lying?
A sharp knock on the bathroom door made me flinch.
"Wang, are you okay?" Lusi's voice called from the other side. "You've been in there a while."
I forced my voice to stay steady. "I'm fine."
"Alright," she said. "Don't take too long. You still have to take me to the airport."
I heard her walk away, and I finally exhaled, gripping the edge of the sink.
I needed to get through today.
Once she was gone, I'd figure out the truth.
By the time we reached the airport, I was running on autopilot. I carried Lusi's bags, walked her inside, and stood beside her while she gushed to her friends on the phone.
"You'll miss me, right?" she teased, looping her arm through mine.
I forced a smile. "Of course."
She kissed my cheek. "Be good while I'm gone."
The moment she disappeared past security, I turned on my heel and walked out without a second glance.
I needed answers.
I pulled out my phone and called Zhan.
"Hey," he answered, his voice instantly making me feel lighter.
"Where are you?" I asked, already heading for my bike.
"At home."
"Stay there. I'm coming."