Page 88 of Cruel Devotion

No wonder he was hanging out at my apartment. . .later. . .while I was with Lei. . .he knew exactly where I lived.

More panic welled up within me, threatening to spill over.

I was trapped in my own body, a prisoner of my escalating anxiety. The overwhelming desire to flee, to find an escape from this suffocating feeling, gripped me. Yet my legs seemed anchored to the floor.

The dizzying realization of Leo’s reach brought a fresh wave of terror.

The web of deceit was too intricate.

Too mind-blowing.

Too painful.

If Leo could plan all of this, what else was he capable of?

Then, a hand tenderly touched my thigh. The contact sent an electric jolt up my spine, breaking the oppressive weight of my thoughts.

Startled, I turned to see Lei.

The night’s breeze swept past him, making his long black hair dance like tendrils of midnight silk, each strand catching the glow of the moon.

He frowned. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

I took a deep breath. The familiar scent of him—a blend of pine, leather, and something uniquely Lei—filled my senses. “No. . .I’m glad you did.”

“Good.” He squeezed my thigh. Heat radiated from his hand and enveloped me, serving as a balm to the unease that had plagued me earlier.

For a moment, all the troubles and uncertainties faded away, leaving just the two of us, bathed in moonlight, lost in each other’s presence.

Well. . .Leo’s matchmaking isn’t all the way bad.

The moonlight traced the sharp contours of Lei’s jawline and high cheekbones.

Earlier, when Lei had come into the shower, dirtied from Rowe Street Mob’s blood, his eyes had held absolute death.

But in this moment, they were pools of calming compassion. “Are you okay?”

I swallowed and put my mind back on this new reality. “No, I’m not okay.”

The rest of the table continued with their urgent chatter. In between speaking, Chen stared at me in disbelief, making me extremely uncomfortable.

Lei moved in closer and whispered in my ear, “What’s wrong?”

I kept my voice low. “Your father wants me to be. . .you know. . .Mountain. . .Mistress?”

The mere title sent more terrifying shivers down my spine.

I did not like being Leo’s piece in his twisted game.

Isn’t it enough that Banks and Lei are trying to move me here and there?

The realization dawned on me, heavy and suffocating; I was truly a pawn to all of them.

But what did it mean to be a piece in someone else’s game? A mere object, devoid of choice?

If every step I took, every choice I made, was orchestrated or influenced by another, then where did I truly stand?

No. This is my life.

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