Page 54 of Sweet Dominion

“Tell me what?”

She gazed back at the Mirage. “I didn’t get to tell you that your father had a lawyer with him, when he gave me the. . .present.”

I tensed. “And why was the lawyer there?”

Sighing, she put her view back on me. “Leo gave me Yan’s properties.”

I blinked.

Are you serious, Father? What move are you making now?

I tried to figure out what strategy he could have had with this. It made more sense for him to give everything to Aunt Min. She already had tons of property in Shanghai and investments tied to the Four Aces that she monitored.

To give my sister’s properties to Moni meant something deeper and it was clearly strategic.

Just when I think you are done plotting, Father, you surprise me again. It must be exhausting being you.

The pilot left the helicopter and made his way to our door.

Moni studied me, surely wanting my response.

I cleared my throat. “So. . .Cloud Sea Tower is yours as well as Yan’s other places in Shanghai?”

“Yes. I signed the documents, but. . .” She shook her head. “This wasyoursister’s stuff. If you feel like Chen, Duck, your aunts, or anyone else should have it—”

“No one is taking property from you that my fatherexpresslygave to you. Even when he’s dead, they wouldn’t take it. And the few that would, Song would visit them and as you know. . .that would not be a good visit. It would end with blood. Lots of blood.”

“Then, we can tell them that Leo didn’t give it to me—”

“That tower is too important to the Four Aces. No one would believe that my father simply forgot to assign it to a new person before his death.”

“The tower is important?”

“Very important.”

“Lei, I have never left the States and I damn sure don’t know when I will go to Shanghai—”

“Soon.”

“Soon?”

I nodded. “Perhaps, after I bury my father.”

All of those emotions that had been in her gaze, shifted to concern. “We could wait longer than that. You’ll need time to mourn—”

“We can’t. You would need to introduce yourself to your new men in Shanghai.”

Now it was her turn to blink. “My new what?”

“Your new men. Thousands of them.”

She widened her eyes.

What were you thinking, Father? Are you trying to give her some form of protection from me? Or just additional security? She doesn’t need any. I’m protecting her.

My mother only had ladies-in-waiting and a security team.

Meanwhile, my father had given Moni a fucking army of killers.

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