Page 37 of Serpent King's Bride

But I couldn’t get caught up in all of that. I had a role to play and I intended to play it.

Justin had brought his boyfriend Derek. He was a tall, handsome man with boyish features, red hair and freckled skin. He did his best to mask how uncomfortable he felt, but it was easy to read him. He was nervous enough to wipe his hand on his jeans before he extended it as I introduced myself.

“Hey,” I said, approaching Derek with a smile that I hoped looked more genuine than it felt. “I’m Abby, Nathan’s—girlfriend.” The word ‘fiancée’ had almost slipped out, and it felt like…too much.

“Derek,” he said, then his gaze found Nathan behind me. “You’re his girlfriend?”

“Yeah,” I said, craning my neck to look at Nathan too. Then I dropped my voice to a whisper. “Looks like we both got lucky, huh?”

Derek laughed, his features relaxing.

As I spoke with Derek, Justin slinked away toward his father. Even from this distance, I could see the urgency in Justin’s posture, the way he leaned in close to mutter something that made Kenny’s eyes narrow.

“Thought it would be good to bring him in,” Justin said in Mandarin, his tone low enough that only those meant to hear could catch it. “Might be in danger too. After the bombing…I want him safe, Ba.”

The words clung to the air, heavy with implications that sent a shiver down my spine despite the warmth of the room. I glanced at Nathan, trying to gauge his reaction, but his face was now a carefully constructed mask, revealing nothing. I wondered then, not for the first time, what sort of danger lurked in the shadows of the Zhou family, ready to ensnare anyone who got too close.

The tension in the air was thick enough to suffocate us as Nathan moved silently through the room. He stopped next to me, and I felt the cool brush of his breath on my ear as he whispered, “Derek is in more danger from my father than from anyone else.”

My heart skipped a beat, the warning a chilling caress against my skin. Before I could press for details, Evelyn clapped her hands, breaking the sinister spell that had momentarily fallen over the gathering.

“Everyone, please take your seats. Dinner is served,” she announced, her voice warm.

We all shuffled obediently to the large dining table. As plates were passed and bowls of steaming food made their rounds, I found myself seated across from Derek, who looked like a deer in the headlights.

“So, Derek, tell me about yourself,” I said, attempting to break the ice. His red hair stood out starkly against the sea of glossy black hair. He glanced at Justin, seeking a silent cue before answering.

“Uh, I’m studying architecture at UCSF,” Derek replied.

“Interesting,” I nodded, keeping my tone light. “Designing any buildings I might know?”

“Still in the theoretical phase,” he chuckled nervously, easing a bit under my friendly inquiry.

I smiled but couldn’t ignore the tightness in my chest, an echo of Nathan’s warning.

Kenny was completely silent–and I was quickly learning that that was usually a bad thing.

As the meal progressed, conversation ebbed and flowed with practiced ease, yet there was an unmistakable edge to every word spoken. We navigated through the niceties, each of us aware that a single misstep could trigger disaster.

In the midst of exchanging pleasantries, I caught Kenny’s eyes flicking toward Derek with a sharpness that didn’t feel at all like part of his calm demeanor. It was then I realized the true depth of the peril Derek faced; he wasn’t just an outsider—he was a liability in Kenny’s eyes, and liabilities in the Triads were dealt with ruthlessly.

Fuck.

“Abby,” Evelyn called from the other end of the table, drawing me back into the moment. “How’s your job search going? Found any museum openings?”

“Still looking. It’s very competitive,” I started. “But I’m optimistic.”

“Good girl,” she smiled approvingly, turning her attention to her daughter. “Don’t spend too much time on it, though. You have more important things to worry about, and you can always look after the wedding. How are you and Nathan getting on with finding a ring? The family is eager for a wedding.”

I glanced at Justin, noting his slight frown. He knew, just as I did, that the family’s eagerness was less about romance and more about alliances…and Kenny couldn’t be happy about his kids bringing in outsiders left and right.

“We’ve been looking,” I said, plastering a smile on my face. “That’s also taking longer than I thought.”

Before I could elaborate, a sudden interruption came from the head of the table. Kenny, who had been quietly observing the exchanges until now, fixed his gaze on Justin with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine.

“Justin,” he began in Mandarin, his tone sharp like the crack of a whip, “why have you brought this outsider into our home?” His eyes flicked dismissively toward Derek, who sat in ignorance of the words spoken against him.

“Ba, we should speak English,” Justin insisted, switching languages with a pointed look. “Derek is my guest. He’s…”

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