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)
Yet, with Monique, these long-suppressed feelings surged to the surface, raw and uncontrolled.
I'll be near her soon.
I moved my gaze to the sprawling mountains below, eager to get to Mount Utopia.
The soft light of dawn bathed the rugged peaks and valleys.
I'd damn near grown up among these mountains, constantly changing each time I visited them.
They had seen me grow from a boy into the man I am today, the leader of the Four Aces. They had been there, unchanging, as I faced the trials that forged me into this role, the blood rites and battles that had claimed both my innocence and many I cared about.
And I returned to them with the loss of Chanel and Monique at my side.
I swallowed, realizing one crazy fact that none of us had considered.
Monique is the first woman I've ever brought to Utopia.
I scanned the familiar sharp peaks and couldn't help but feel the tides of change stirring within me.
What does that mean? Is it certain proof that she should be by my side?
Monique's sudden appearance in my life was becoming a powerful force, changing me in ways I never expected. She was like an undiscovered trail in these ancient mountains—surprising, demanding, and brimming with possibilities.
Her energy.
Her strength.
Her unique perspective on life.
It all had started to shape a new terrain within my heart.
If she's changed me this much in a few days. . .how much will she change me in a month? A year?
Chen's phone rang.
I turned away from the window.
He placed it against his ear. “Yes. We're close. Is she ready?”
That must be Monique's men.
“Oh. Uh. . .okay. I understand.” Chen widened his eyes. “Did you get a chance to see what she wrote?”
I quirked my brows.
“What do you mean? Of course you could have snuck a peek while she was showering. That's why you are there.” Chen adjusted his glasses. “Next time do that, I don't want any surprises.”
Duck turned his way, spying on the conversation too.
“Oh no. Are you sure?” Chen closed his eyes and began rubbing his forehead. “Could it be. . .a very, very light blue?”
What the fuck is going on?
Sighing, Chen opened his eyes. “I'll call you back.”
“What’s going on?”
“Well. . .” Chen ended the call and looked up at me. “We have a small problem that you should let me handle.”
Chapter nineteen
Very, Very Pale Blue
I tilted my head to the side. “What do you mean we have a problem?”
Chen took a deep breath and hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Monique has been writing things all morning—”
“Writing what?”
“I don't know—”
“But she is still there?” My nerves flared. “Right?”
“Yes. She's there, but—”
“What?”
“So. . .they think that she may be wearing white, but—”
“White?”
Chen held up one hand. “But I believe that this dress could be a very, very pale blue because I made sure that all the white clothes were taken out of the tent.”
I spoke through gritted teeth, “A pale blue?”
“Yes, a pale blue,” Chen replied, his tone hesitant yet firm.
What the fuck, Monique? I thought we discussed this.
I looked back out the window. “For her sake, I hope it's pale blue.”
“What does that mean, Lei?”
“It means I want her in blue and there's no compromise on that.”
Duck snorted.
I snapped my view to him. “Is something funny, cousin?”
He opened his eyes. “You can't Mountain Master a woman. They have this annoying thing called a brain which gives them the power to think for themselves.”
I bristled at his comments. “I'm aware of Monique's brain but her and I had an agreement.”
“And then you rushed off to focus on Chanel.”
I hated how Duck's words hit me square in my chest.
Chen shifted uneasily in his seat.
Hu opened his eyes and sat up.
Duck watched me. “You want me to step aside but then you keep fucking up.”
I rubbed my forehead. “You don't think. . .she understood why I had to leave?”
Duck yawned. “We talked about this yesterday, Lei.”
“And I got her a present.” I held out my hands. “Plus, I've planned this surprise for today.”
Duck shrugged. “If she's wearing white then yesterday’s present wasn't enough.”
“Let’s not forget.” Chen took a deep breath. “The dress could be a very, very pale blue.”
Mount Utopia came into view.
A sense of urgency knotted in my stomach.
The mountain, with its imposing presence, always had a way of making everything else seem insignificant. But right now, every little detail felt amplified, each one a piece in the intricate puzzle that was Monique's presence in my life.
Hurry up and get us there.
“Wait a minute.” Hu intently peered through the window and broke his silence. “Hey, do you all see that?”
“See what?”
Hu's tone was urgent. “Look at the bottom of the mountain.”
I leaned forward, trying to see what had caught his attention. Far below, at the base of the mountain, several dots of green were scattered in a pattern that seemed too deliberate to be a coincidence.