Page 171 of Savage Throne
I shifted my gaze to Rowe Street Mob and Dima, seated at tables far from the main platform.
Their presence symbolized Lei’s brazen disregard for our traditions.
Dima had his small notebook open and was scribbling in it. His eyes flicked to me occasionally as though he were documenting my every move.
Between Banks and Marcelo, Jo sat. They had positioned her like a buffer, but it was clear she was being protected and monitored from all sides.
Gunner leaned back in his chair with one hand resting on the table and his body angled slightly toward her like a silent guardian.
Einstein, however, was completely distracted. His gaze wasn’t on Jo or even on me.
Interesting.
Einstein’s attention was locked on one of Monique’s ladies-in-waiting.
Which one do you like?
My brow furrowed as I followed his line of sight, tracing it to Fen, seated further down the table among the others. She was laughing softly at something Lan had said.
I put my view back on Einstein. His focus lingered too long; his lips twitched as though forming words he hadn’t yet dared to speak.
She is off limits, Einstein.
My anger flared.
She wasn’t meant to catch his attention, wasn’t meant to be a part oftheirworld. Song and I had chosen her with care to be Chen’s future wife—to bind her loyalty in ways that transcended blood and duty.
And yet, here she was, drawing the gaze of Rowe Street Mob’s intellectual scientist like a moth to a flame.
Trust me, Einstein. You do not want to piss Chen off. I’ve seen his rage and even I shiver from it.
This was a problem for another night.
For now, I noted how the outsiders’ signature green and yellow attire clashed violently with the sea of blue that blanketed the pavilion.
Their presence was intrusive.
Insulting.
This was supposed to be a space of unity, a feast painted in the colors of the East. Blue in all its shades—midnight, teal, sapphire, royal.
And yet, Lei had tarnished this too.
Is this how you will rule, son?
I gripped my chopsticks tighter.
Is this the future you envision? A world where our traditions are trampled underfoot, where our private spaces are no longer sacred?
The dark thought coiled in my mind.
Perhaps this wasn’t the day I would die after all.
Maybe, the Four Aces would be better served if Lei were the one to fall tonight. If his reckless, disrespectful reign were cut short before it could do more damage to my legacy.
The idea settled in my chest like a smoldering ember, refusing to be extinguished.
I speared another dumpling with my chopsticks.
