The Mafiosa's Thorn

Auction

Glasses of champagne float through the large restaurant. Crab Rangoon, pot stickers, and fried shrimp balls are eaten up by the sharks of society.

Politicians, policemen, gangsters, and wealthy elites mingle as one. Firepower that can drown an army. The only business on their minds is to acquire any of the artifacts on display. From the rarest of sculptures, weapons, and jewels. Pens glide on paper with amounts over the tens of thousands.

Those who see the amounts bid higher to obtain their prize. Despite the advertisement that proceeds will be for a charity, everyone there knew the truth. The proceeds will actually go to a shell company owned by Xianmao. Not only were they bidding for prizes, but also for her respect and what she could do for them. 

Jia's fingers wrap around her phone for hope. Her lungs filled with bated breath. It releases.

{Viper is gone. Brown Hare can sleep now}

Despite the violent twist in her stomach that her brother did something awful, part of her feels relief that she doesn't have to worry about her secret lover. She just hopes that this pattern doesn't continue. She knows Jian is doing all of this to get her out of this position.

Her twin sibling lets her be, thinking she needs time to process. If he didn't have the rat, he would have done it himself.

Pulling his teeth out so the dental records couldn't find him. Beating him to death with a crowbar before using the end to dislocate his jaw. Throwing it into the ocean before his naked body was shipped to a Triad holding post. They would have gotten rid of the body from there.

Glancing at Xianmao, he thinks how similar they really are. But he squashes that. He did this all for his sister's wellbeing. The Panda doesn't care as long unless it benefits her.

Unfortunately, the assigned driver couldn't have been persuaded since he never said the end of the code phrase.

"Reinjian" the beginning. "Buchai", the end. 

(Together: "Life is so hard that some lies are better not exposed")

The one thing that Fu implemented to stop the attempted coup from obliteration.

He stifles a smile now that the rat and him are even. Now they can play on their separate terms.

Although he holds no grudge against Orchidea, he cannot let Jia be part of the criminal underworld. Like a hare, she should be free to make her own choices. The Tortoise will be the one who overcomes the Panda.

He notices their grandmother approaching her from behind. 

The sound of the cane makes her spin around. Her red hanfu dress with gold trim almost flows with her. "Nainai, you look great!"

She grasps her hand with a smile. "To think you will be here with me. Your parents will be so proud."

Jia's smile turns flat. Almond eyes fill with rage. "They would never want this for me and you know it."

Xianmaos sighs while resting her hands on the top of the cane. "You can't change the past. Where is your fiancé?"

Jia swallows the guilt in her throat. She freezes her eyes to avoid suspicion. "I have no idea. I can't seem to reach him."

"Keep reaching out to him. In the meantime--"

The Panda's eyebrows slant downwards. Eyes boring into the woman she loathes with her being. Jia follows the direction and gasps. Signora Orchidea is applying her bid for a vase with the depiction of a golden dragon. She signs her legal name with the bid of $2.5 million.