Page 13 of Sweet Dominion

“Well. . .yes.”

“And his cousins, my sisters and brother. You all will surround him with love.”

“We will.”

Leo returned to smiling as if he was so pleased with himself. “When I die, the East will mourn me with tons of ceremonies and parties for the dead. It is supposed to be about celebrating my reunion with Jing in heaven.”

His smile remained yet those eyes turned cold and unfeeling. “Yan planned on ruining it all. Instead of a celebration, it would have been a war between Lei and her. So disrespectful. So utterly wrong.”

I tensed.

“After you told me about her statements, I looked into a few things.” He wagged that finger. “Yan secretly flew over three hundred men and hid them in Shadow Heights.”

I parted my lips.

“Yan was going to hit Lei hard while he was injured and during the East’s weakest moment. All of his men would be broken hearted and have scattered minds. None would be good in a war. It would have been devastating for Lei.”

Man. . .I thought my family was crazy. This is next level.

“Too much is at stake to allow her sick, twisted games to play out. She was greedy for power.” Leo pointed to Yan’s head. “This is the cost of betrayal.”

The taste of bile lingered on my tongue but I forced myself to speak. “I understand.”

The words felt hollow, but they were all I could manage.

Leo nodded, seemingly satisfied. “Good. Remember this moment, Monique. Let it guide you in the future.”

I don’t know about that. . .

Lan came over and slowly replaced the lid, sealing the horrific sight back inside the box.

My hands still shook but I willed them to be steady.

Leo gestured to the man next to him. “This is our family lawyer. I need you to sign several forms.”

“What are the forms?”

“All of Yan’s properties will now go to you, mytruedaughter who understands the real meaning of loyalty.”

I nodded, unable to find any more words. The weight of what I had seen, of what it represented, pressed down on me like a physical force. I knew I would never forget this moment, no matter how hard I tried.

“I will see you in the ceremony. Good luck, daughter.” Leo turned and walked away.

Song gave me a sad nod and then followed him out.

And I just stood there, trembling and broken inside, trying to gather the pieces of my shattered composure.

The lawyer went on and on about some building in Shanghai calledCloud Sea Tower.I signed things without looking at the words, just knowing it was property after property.

He fucking killed her.

The room around me felt like a prison, the walls closing in with the stench of death and the weight of Leo’s insane expectations.

And I knew then. . .without any doubt. . .that nothing would ever be the same again.

Oh God.

With a sudden and overwhelming urge, I rushed to the nearest sink and vomited.

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