Page 114 of Serpent King's Prisoner

“Whole family needs to be in the loop,” Nathan’s voice was firm as he addressed his father. “Abby too.”

I pretended to adjust a vase on the kitchen counter, feigning disinterest. My heart hammered against my ribcage; they were discussing me, and yet, I had to play the part of the clueless outsider.

Their argument erupted into Mandarin, rapid and sharp like the exchange of gunfire. Despite my role as the ignorant American girl, I understood every syllable they fired at each other. Being fluent in Mandarin wasn’t just a line on my FBI resume; it was the reason I was here, embedded within the heart of the Golden Serpents.

“Her presence here is unnecessary,” Kenny retorted, his stance rigid.

“Times are changing,” Nathan countered, his tone slicing through the tension. “Abby’s not just some girl next door. She’s capable, smart.”

I stayed rooted to the spot, inwardly translating and memorizing every word while outwardly maintaining an aura of obliviousness. The rest of the family listened intently, not interrupting. Nathan’s insistence on my inclusion sent a dangerous thrill through me, but I couldn’t afford the luxury of letting emotions cloud my judgment.

Not when every move was critical.

Their debate continued, a verbal dance of power and persuasion. I tried not to notice the way Nathan’s jaw tensed with passion or the fire igniting in Kenny’s eyes; these were not men you wanted to cross, and yet, here I was, standing in the crossfire, playing a game that could cost me everything.

“Enough,” Kenny finally declared, signaling the end of their private duel. The Mandarin ceased, and English filled the space between us once more.

“Fine,” he conceded, eyes locking with mine for a fleeting moment. “But once she’s in, there’s no turning back.”

Nathan gave me a look that held a thousand unspoken promises, and I felt a shiver of something forbidden stir within me. In this world of shadows and danger, I was about to become a part of the very fabric I had been sent to unravel.

The air in the Zhou family home crackled with an intensity that didn’t need Mandarin to be understood. Kenny’s sigh cut through it like a switchblade, sharp and final. We were all standing around the kitchen island when Kenny Zhou spoke directly to me.

“Abby, listen closely,” he said, switching to English with a deliberateness that told me my days of playing the ignorant outsider were over. “Once you’re privy to this, you become part of our world—with no escape.”

Nathan’s gaze fixed on me, heavy and inscrutable. “She’s not going anywhere.” His words hung between us, loaded with a meaning I couldn’t decipher.

I swallowed hard, the weight of my new reality settling on my shoulders like a lead cloak.

This was it—the point of no return.

“My son Alex has been undermining us,” Kenny revealed, his voice low and laced with betrayal. “He’s responsible for the attacks.”

Evelyn’s hands flew to her mouth, tears spilling over like a dam breached by heartache. Lily wrapped an arm around her, whispering comforts that seemed too frail against the gravity of the accusation.

“Not Alex,” Justin blurted out, shaking his head so fiercely I half-expected him to lose balance. His arm was in a sling, there was a dark cut across his forehead, a bruise blooming on his neck. But he was okay. He would get better. “Sure, he’s a prick, but come on, he doesn’t have the brains for this kind of play.”

“Be that as it may,” Kenny continued, his eyes sweeping over us, “he’s made his move. And we need to make ours.”

“Ba, I’m telling you–”

“I don’t care what you’re telling me,” the Serpent said. “Your silence speaks volumes, too.”

Fuck, things were about to go horribly wrong…

…or right, if I played my cards properly.

“Actually, Nathan and I have been thinking,” I started, my voice cutting through the fog of shock and disbelief like a knife. Every eye in the room turned to me, and for a second, that familiar flutter of anxiety tickled my insides. But then Nathan’s gaze met mine—the same dark eyes that could harden into obsidian when he was called to action—and I saw something else.

Pride. It steadied me.

“We’ve got other options on the table. Plans that might help us get ahead of this mess,” I said. “We’ve been doing a lot of thinking, a lot of research, and we think we need to approach things a little differently.”

“Abby’s right,” Nathan chimed in, his tone leaving no room for doubt. “We’ve been too reactive. It’s time to take control.”

“And what are you proposing?” Kenny asked, looking at Nathan.

But Nathan…he looked at me. “Abby?”

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