Page 100 of The Rise of an Heiress

The original Chinese Triad wanted nothing to do with us anymore, either. Even though we’d split off seventy years earlier, we still did business with them. At least until the moron took over. Now, they deemed us irrelevant and like hell would that remain the case. I will restore the Triad and Liu name back to its former glory. Failure isn’t an option.

Step one: make us profitable again and get us back on the radar. That’s why I hired Max, The Chemist, as I call her, to protect her identity. Step two: take control over the weapons trade. Step three: Get our men back. Step four: whip said men into shape and turn them into assassins that would make the devil cower.

We have a few thousand men left across the U.S. but not nearly enough. If I’m anything, it’s a woman with a plan.

I’m grateful for Bo. I could have all the ideas and plans I wanted, but without him, executing my plan would be a lot more difficult, if not impossible. I wasn’t arrogant enough to think I could do it all by myself.

“Ó, méi cuò, ni xiàn zài shì yì dà lì rén de jì nu le.”Oh, that’s right. You’re now the Italian’s whore, Pudgy number two spits out, saliva shooting from his mouth.

Enough. I pull my Beretta from out of my jeans, aim it at the asshole, and fire a warning shot in between his eyes. The room is silent, with only the sound of his body hitting the concrete. And here I am, trying to avoid a bloody statement. That flew out the window fast.

“Hái you rén xiang jiào wo jì nu ma?”Does anyone else want to call me a whore? I ask, raising my gun up and resting my elbow on my hip.

Silent.

“All right, so if you enjoy living in your homes, driving your expensive cars, and paying your bills, you’ll do as you’re told. You will respect our alliance with both the Outfit and Cosa Nostra.”

This is new to all of us. An alliance with the Outfit based on trust and no marriage alliance, I can understand why the men are hesitant. Even so, marriage alliances have never worked in the past, but I’m determined to make this work. Luckily, Bash and I are on the same page.

“I want to know who specializes in what,” I say, turning my attention to Bo. “Have meetings scheduled out with each specialty. Hackers, enforcers, legal, medical, arms experts, soldiers, and captains,” I state, directing my attention back to the men. “Things are going to change around here.”

I head toward the exit, and Bo follows. Once I get to the door, I turn to look back at the men.

“I look forward to turning the Triad back into a force to be reckoned with. I know there’s a lot to do, but I have full faith we can do this. And, someone, take care of that body,” I say in my professional voice.

I have a lot to prove. I also dread the official initiation.

Just as I make my exit, an older gentleman approaches me. Bo nods, indicating he’s good.

“Boss.” He reaches his hand out, and I shake it. “Dr. Ethan Zhao, this is my daughter, Liling.” He gestures behind him to a beautiful young woman. She’s taller, curvy but has a nervous demeanor.

“Lili,” she replies quietly and bows her head, shyly smiling.

“Hi, Lili.” I look back at Ethan. “Can I help you with something, Dr. Zhao?”

“My daughter is here to serve you.”

I look at Lili, who is smiling back at me, but I can tell she’s nervous.

“That’s very kind of you, but I don’t think I’ll need her.”

We have enough housekeepers.

“Please. It would be an honor. I was the assistant and advisor to your father, and my daughter would be an excellent asset. You have all these meetings to get scheduled, and I’m sure you keep Bo busy. My daughter is organized, smart, and she is fluent in Mandarin, Russian, and Italian.”

Impressive. Smart guy in getting her to learn those languages. She does know the men, so she’d be better suited to set up our meetings. I also do have a wedding to plan and a lot on my plate on top of school. Speaking of—

“What about school? How old is she?”

“She just turned twenty-three and graduated summa cum laude from NYU,” he replies proudly. His chest puffs out, and his eyes light up.

“You’re from New York? I think she’s a little over qualified to be an assistant.”

“No.” She finally speaks up, her eyes widened as if she’s surprised she said anything at all. “My family is loyal to the Triad.”

I take another minute to mull over it. Finding someone to work this closely with me was going to be difficult. I knew it would be difficult to trust them just as much as they’d need time to adjust to me. I could hire her on a trial basis. I nod, and her face lights up.

“I need an Executive Assistant. You’ll assist me with anything from the business side—legal and not-so-legal—errands, meetings, travel arrangements, wedding-related tasks, and anything else that should come up.” She nods excitedly. “This will be a trial basis for ninety days. Then we’ll decide if it’s a permanent position.”

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