Page 41 of Billionaire’s Cruelty

“I don’t believe you.” I pulled my hand from under his and started dismantling the cookie he gave me, breaking it apart piece by piece. “What did you tell them? And what did they say about… us?”

His lips curved into a smile—gentle, unguarded. The kind only a few people ever got to see. And once, I’d been one of those people.

“I would never talk bad about you. Ever.” There was something else beneath his words. “But… I did tell a few harmless silly lies. Really silly ones.”

“Tell me.” I nudged, curiosity winning over pride.

He watched me for a beat longer before giving in. “At first, I told people you were in Paris on a shopping trip.”

I laughed softly, shaking my head. “Not the worst excuse. I wouldn’t mind a romantic getaway to Paris.”

“Yeah, well, that backfired fast,” he admitted, running a hand through his hair. “Everyone wanted to know why I wasn’t with you. Paris is a honeymoon destination, after all. According to them, I was a terrible husband for not tagging along.”

“They had a point.” I popped a piece of a cookie in my mouth, savoring the sweetness. “So…what did you say to that?”

“Business, of course. No one dares ask another questions when a triad boss says he has business to deal handle.” He air-quoted the second ‘business’ with a smirk.

It would be foolish to think people hadn’t gossiped about us. People gossip. In Hong Kong, entire magazines were dedicated to exposing every scandal. Who was dating who? Who was screwing who? Who was climbing the social ladder—by any means necessary? I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know what they said about me. People could be cruel.

“S’pose,” I murmured, my fingers tracing the edge of the cookies. “Where else did I go?”

Though I’d earned enough as a doctor to retire early, I had never really traveled. Work trips, yes—but never leisure. Not since Hong Kong.

“Singapore. China. Back to the US to finish your studies. Then… I stopped talking about you…” His voice dipped at the end, like the words carried a weight even he hadn’t fully let go of.

“Funny you mentioned China—I didn’t actually have a visa to go there.”

“About that,” he said easily. “I know someone in the embassy. They could fast-track your visa if you wanted.”

“Really?” The half-eaten cookie slipped from my fingers, landing on the table. “Oh my God, I can’t believe this!”

Without thinking, I lunged at him, wrapping my arms around his neck.

His chest rumbled with a quiet laughter as his arms closed around me. For a moment, nothing else mattered.

“Hello.”

The voice sliced through the warmth like a blade.

Before I could process it, Dannie had pulled a gun from the back of his waistband. In a single, fluid movement, he twisted me onto his lap and aimed the weapon at Wendy.

“Fuck,” I screamed.

“Put the gun down,” Wendy said calmly, raising her hands in the air.

I should’ve done something—said something—but I was frozen. My mind spun, struggling to catch up with the rapid turn of events.

I wasn’t sure what shocked me more.

Wendy barging in unannounced.

Dannie pulling a gun on her like it was nothing.

Or the fact that, straddling his lap, I could feel the hard, unmistakable bulge beneath me.

God help me—I didn’t want to move.

“No one comes in here,” Dannie said, his tone low and dangerous. He slid a glance sideways at me, his grip on the gun unwavering. “Except you, of course.”