Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 108768 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108768 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
“That’s enough, Chen.” I kept my view on Duck.
Closer to the waterfall and appearing super nervous, Hu cleared his throat. “Mountain Master, I believe Duck understands the wrong of his ways.”
The respect in Hu’s voice normally would’ve persuaded me.
But then I thought of Monique’s missing panties and rage surged within me like a tempest—a maelstrom of emotions that consumed every ounce of reason. And with that, white-hot fury burned away my sanity leaving only the blistering embers of wrath.
The world around me narrowed down to shadows and colors, melding until only one figure remained in stark clarity—Duck.
I took several steps forward.
Gravel crunched beneath my feet.
I halted a mere four feet from Duck. Close enough to see the flicker of surprise in his eyes replaced almost immediately by defiance.
For what felt like an eternity, our eyes locked, and the silence between us grew, thick with unspoken words, betrayals, and a shared past.
I leaned my head to the side. “Where are Monique’s panties?”
The words hung in the air.
The silence following my question was broken by Chen’s shriek, a high-pitched sound of confusion that bounced off the mountain peaks. He stepped into the ring and furrowed his brows. “Hold on! What are we talking about?”
Hu held up his hands. “Whose panties are missing?”
My gaze remained fixed on Duck. “Did you hear me? Where are they?”
A defiant expression covered Duck’s face. “I’m not sure.”
The line of my jaw twitched.
He crossed his muscular arms over his chest. “Perhaps a bird took them.”
My fists clenched at my sides. “A bird took them?”
Duck’s eyes gleamed with an unreadable emotion. “Yes, perhaps.”
And then, as if the previous statement wasn’t audacious enough, he shrugged. “It could have been a duck.”
His smirk, that cocky, infuriating smirk along with those fucking words, was the final straw.
My blood boiled.
My anger spilled over.
“Hold on!” Chen waved his hands. “How did we get on panties? And how did they go missing?”
I eyed him. “Get out of the ring.”
“What are we really talking about right now?!” Chen’s voice, usually calm and collected, now raised an octave in clear distress. “This isn’t the way.”
Hu rushed into the ring.
He positioned himself squarely in front of me acting as some sacrificial human barrier. “We need to think all of this through before we do something we can’t take back.”
His words momentarily grounded me but my focus was unyielding, fixated on Duck.
“It could have been a duck?” I tried sidestepping Chen, shifting to the left in an attempt to regain a clear view of Duck.
But Chen was right there, mirroring my movements.
His gaze flicked rapidly between Duck and me as if trying to calculate the best way to defuse the volatile situation.
“Think about it.” Chen tapped the side of his head. “Is it really Monique you’re both fighting for? Or is it the exhaustion, the pain, the trauma of everything we’ve been through this month?”
Duck sneered, shifting to his right, but then Hu joined the situation and matched Duck’s movement.
Hu held up his hands. “I really think Chen might have a point.”
“I understand how alluring it can be,” Chen continued, his voice more composed now, weaving logic into his plea. “When there’s stress, loss, and so much blood spilled, our minds. . . they sometimes latch onto something, or someone, as a distraction. It’s like. . .when you’re so hungry, even a plain loaf of bread seems like the most delicious feast. But once you eat properly, you realize it was just ordinary bread. Nothing more.”
I paused for a moment considered his words and glared. “So you’re saying Monique is just a plain loaf of bread?”
“What?” Chen blinked his eyes. “No. I’m saying that you both are mentally and emotionally over-stressed and currently. . .you two are now making Monique. . .a diversion to the real problem. . .which is grief, sadness, and loss.”
Hu remained in front of Duck, continuing to help Chen block us.
Chen sighed. “I’m saying, maybe once all this chaos with Leo is settled and things go back to normal, you both may find that what you feel now, for Monique, might not be as deep or as real as you think. Emotions can play tricks, especially when the heart is heavy.”
I put my view back on Duck. “Did you see when I put the handcuffs on her wrists?”
Duck nodded. “I was there.”
“Was that not a big enough sign to not test me when it came to her?”
Duck targeted me with an angry gaze. “Are you still in love with Chanel?”
It was like my cousin had slapped me hard in the face.
I froze.
Duck raised his eyebrows. “Or did your love for Chanel slip away the minute Monique made you moan?”
My finger shook as I stabbed it in the air. “This isn’t about my feelings for Chanel, this is about your behavior when it comes to Monique.”
Duck pointed at me. “You’re the Mountain Master—”