Page 62 of Billionaire’s Cruelty

“Kai has a point. He could lock you up and have his scary men watch you twenty-four-seven,” Wendy chimed in.

“Stop fucking around and wasting your time on me. You guys must realize that Jenny is our priority. Kai needs to go back to Shanghai, go to the police, clear her name, his name—whatever. He won’t be able to live with himself if something happens to Jenny.”

“I will go with Kai,” Trevon volunteered, I smiled at him as he tapped his hand on Kai’s shoulder.

“And I’ll stay until we meet them in Shanghai.” Kai replied, his face dark with worry.

My resolved cracked.

“You have to go,” I whispered, though my heart begged him to stay.

“I’ll go,” he promised. “But this isn’t over. Not by a long shot.”

13

June

“I’m still not sure.” Kai blurted out, his head shaking no to what we had already agreed upon.

“What are you not sure about?” Wendy asked, her brow furrowed in concern.

He sighed lightly. “Are you sure you don’t have feelings for him?”

I wasn’t expecting that from him.

“No, of course not,” I said quickly, trying to sound convincing. Too convincing. I realized then that if the answer were true, I wouldn’t need to try so hard.

Kai shrugged, then let out a bitter, hysterical laugh. “Can you believe it? Kai Li asking such a stupid question. So fucking pathetic.”

“Don’t say that.”

It had barely been an hour since Kai and I reunited, and already we were questioning and doubting each other. I used to think it was cute when Kai showed his insecure side. In the business world, he was known for his iron will, his ruthlessness, his rigid rules where weakness was unacceptable.

Part of me felt honored to witness the side of him he wouldn’t let anyone else see. But another part of me was terrified. What did it all mean? Why did he trust me enough to show me this vulnerable side?

“I’ve never felt like this for anyone. You make me go crazy.” His voice softened as if he were confessing his love for me. Unless I was totally hallucinating.

“I feel the same about you.”

Just the sight of him brought a smile to my face. No matter how miserable I was, he could always brighten my world by being there.

“How do you feel about Dannie boy?”

I hesitated for a few seconds. “It’s different.”

That probably wasn’t the answer he wanted to hear.

“Different how?” He let out a dry chuckle that sent chill down my spine. “No, don’t answer that.”

“Kai.” I reached out to touch his shoulder, but he leaned back in his chair, putting distance between us.

“We should leave soon,” Kai announced, his tone detached. “Now that these two are no longer in danger, and I’m no longer laying low, am I allowed to use my private jet back to Shanghai? Unless you have something else to tell me?” His voice grew colder, and he was no longer speaking directly to me. Somehow, I had screwed everything up.

I’d started to grow tired of his nonsense. We all knew he had bigger issues to deal with such as helping Jenny clear her name and to try to get her out of jail. Honestly, I didn’t understand why he kept going back and forth about my relationship with Dannie, treating me hot and cold. And I couldn’t help but wonder when all of this would end.

Sudden anger surged through me, and I knew this nonsense had to stop—now.

“Dannie made me feel safe.” The words slipped out before my brain had time to catch up.