"But if she turns against us…"
"We're finished."
He stepped closer to his wife.
"You must reach her before someone else does."
"Someone else?"
"Every wealthy family in the country will want her," Lu Cheng said grimly. " She's rich, influential, and adored. Vulnerable and Useful."
Madam Lu stared at Shuyin's name in her contacts.
"I'll keep calling," she whispered. "Every hour if I have to."
"We need her," Lu Cheng said. "Before someone else realizes she's the most powerful piece on the board."
Madam Lu's eyes sharpened.
"Whoever controls her," she said, "controls the narrative. Controls public sentiment. Controls whether our family survives."
Lu Cheng raised his glass.
" Then let's hope she's still the sweet, manageable girl we remember."
They both looked at Madam Lu's unanswered calls.
But somewhere in the city, Lin Shuyin, no longer sweet, no longer manageable, was completely unreachable.
And that terrified them more than they dared admit.
NIGHT OUT
SUNSET VILLA
