Page 257 of Roberto

But it was too late.

Lau and Han arrived at De Sade and threatened to torture her unless she told them what we’d bought.

She broke down and told them –

But only about the gun.

They forced her to come back to Lau’s office and wait until she was needed for the big reveal –

The moment Lau had orchestrated to humiliate me and grind me into the dust.

I had to admit, he had done just that.

“Why did they let you in?” I whispered, pointing back towards the main room and the two thugs.

“Lau let everyone think I was a faithful employee who played you like a violin,” she whispered sarcastically. “The old man is brilliant, but his ego is monstrous. He couldn’t have anyone suspect I nearly betrayed him, so as far as your guards know, I’m100% loyal to Lau. They were a little suspicious, but I told them I was supposed to keep you happy – and if they had any doubts, to call Mr. Lau himself. But if they pissed him off, it wastheirnecks on the line.”

“And theyboughtthat?!”

“I don’t know if you noticed, but Han didn’t exactly put his top men on the case.”

“They’re notthatstupid,” I snapped. “Neither is Han.”

She gave me a look likeDon’t you GET it yet?“Han and Lau think they broke you. That they didn’tneedto put their top men on the job because you wouldn’t fight back.”

Her words stung my pride.

The fact that I had been so easily dismissed by my enemies infuriated me.

So I fought back –

But against the wrong person.

“How do you know they’re not in there calling Han or Lau right now?” I demanded.

Mei-ling sighed in exasperation like she didn’t have time to explain – but knew she’d have to because I was being unreasonable.

“One of the talents I developed as a dominatrix is reading a man instantly. Knowing what he wants… what he fears… what he desires but is too ashamed to ask for. The lead guy, the one in charge, has mommy issues, so I exploited that. The other one’s a follower. Once he saw his partner fold, he didn’t say shit.”

I looked at her, stunned.

I had underestimated her –

Just like Lau had underestimated me.

But there was something I was dying to know.

“What did you know aboutmewhen we first met?” I asked.

She rolled her eyes. “Are wereallygoing to do this right now?”

“Tell me.”

She sighed. “At first I saw an awkward teenager who didn’t know how to talk to a woman.”

I winced the tiniest bit.

She’d perfectly described the first night I’d talked to her in the club.

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