Chapter Two Nathan

Few things scared me. But one thing that never failed to do that was dinner time with my dad.

Now it was time for family dinner…which with any ordinary family, would have been lovely.

For mine, though? It meant business. And that business was usually bloody.

I arrived before anyone else, just like I always do. The weight of the recent chaos hung heavy on my shoulders as I stepped out of my black BMW and onto the familiar driveway of the family home. In my hand, a bouquet of lilies and chrysanthemums—a peace offering and a habit I couldn't shake. Ma loved flowers, and it was one small way to soften the edges of our world.

The door swung open before I could knock. There stood Ma, her dark eyes lighting up at the sight of me.

"Ma," I said with a smile, handing over the flowers. Her arms enveloped me in a warm embrace, pulling me into the scent of her jasmine perfume. It clashed with the fragrant aroma that wafted from inside—sharp anise and sweet cloves.

"Thank you, baobei," she whispered, planting a kiss on my cheek. "They're beautiful."

I managed a tight smile. "Just for you, Ma."

Stepping into the foyer and sliding my shoes off, I felt the undercurrent of tension that tried to hide beneath the homely scents. Ma turned back towards the kitchen, the rustle of her dress mixing with the clink of cutlery being set on the dining table. Lily, my little sister, was already here—probably came early to help Ma cook.

"I made duck tonight," Ma called over her shoulder, her voice light and casual. "Your favorite. Since all the kids are coming home."

"Smells good," I replied, though my stomach knotted at the thought of food. It wasn't just a normal dinner. It never was. Not with the shadows looming over us, the threats against our operation growing bolder by the day.

My father didn't have family gatherings. He had business meetings. It was who he was and who he would always be.

"Go on now," she said softly, nodding towards where Ba would be waiting. "He's eager to see you."

"Got it, Ma." I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what was to come. My fingers brushed against the dragon tattoo hidden beneath my shirt—a constant reminder of who I was, of the legacy I had to protect.

It was time to face whatever hell was brewing outside these walls, but first, I had to sit down and break bread as if we were just a normal family.

If only that were true.

I made my way to Ba's study, dread growing with every step. The door to the study stood slightly ajar, light spilling out into the dim hallway. Pushing it open, I found him there: Kenny Zhou, the Serpent's Head, bathed in the glow of his laptop screen. He looked like an ordinary businessman, just like this looked like an ordinary house in an ordinary neighborhood. Sometimes, I wished that's all we were.

"Ba," I greeted, keeping my voice even.

He didn't look up right away, just kept tapping away at the keys with a focus that could cut through steel. Finally, he glanced up, his gaze sharp and piercing. "Nathan," he said, his voice deep and steady.

With a nod, he gestured to the leather chair across from him. The chair was like a throne for those who came to seek audience with the head of our empire. Today, it was me he summoned. I assumed I would get out alive, but you could never be sure.

Taking the seat, I felt the weight of his stare settle on me, as if he could see straight through to all the deeds that marked my soul. Ba's eyes, always so full of calculations, seemed to be sizing me up, measuring my worth as his heir.

"Always early," he commented, a statement rather than praise. I couldn't tell if he was criticizing me or complimenting me.

"Figured you'd want to get straight to business," I replied, my hands resting on my knees, feeling the tension knotting in my gut. I knew we had much to discuss, and none of it good—but I tried to lighten the mood, a smirk playing on my lips. "Last time I was sitting here, you were trying to play matchmaker, Ba. Saying I should find a nice girl, someone…strategic."

Ba's face remained stony. "This isn't the time for jokes, Nathan," he said sharply. "Marriage is the least of our concerns when our family is under attack."

The levity drained from me, replaced by the familiar chill of duty and danger. The Serpent's fingers ceased their dance on the keyboard, his hands coming down with finality as the laptop snapped shut. He leaned forward, elbows on the desk, his presence filling the room like a silent storm brewing.

"Enough games. We need to focus, figure out who has the gall to come after us, especially targeting you," Ba's voice was low but it rumbled with anger. "That they would dare take a shot at my son…"

It was clear then, more than anything, it was a matter of pride.

His pride wounded more than his concern for my well-being.

"Ba, I've been on it," I insisted, my voice steady despite the frustration gnawing at me. "I've gotten my hands dirty, gone to the darkest alleys, squeezed every informant dry." I paused, choosing my next words with care. "It's not the Cranes or the Shadows. Our usual suspects are clean this time around."

The silence in the study was thick, heavy like a wet wool blanket. Ba's eyes, hard as the steel of his hidden knives, were fixed on me with an intensity that would have scorched the soul.

"Then you're not looking hard enough," he said, his words slicing through the quiet with the precision of a well-honed blade. "You're the eldest, Nathan. It falls on you to protect this family at all costs. You know what we're up against."

I could feel the weight of his expectation pressing down on me, a burden I had carried since I could remember, but now it felt heavier than ever. There was no room for error, not with the threat looming over us like a dark cloud ready to burst. "I understand, Ba," I replied, my voice steady despite the turmoil brewing inside. "I won't stop until I find who's behind this."

"Good," he said, his gaze never wavering. "Because if they can get to you, they can get to any of us. And I won't have the blood of my family on my hands because we were too slow to react."

"Neither will I," I promised, the words leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. An apology hung in the air, unspoken but understood. I should have caught wind of this sooner, should have been one step ahead.

But I wasn't fast enough, wasn't smart enough.

It seemed I never would be.

I stood up, the chair scraping quietly against the polished floor, and nodded once before turning towards the door.

"Go, eat. Your mother has been slaving over the stove all day," Ba said, a soft command that couldn't be refused. His way of telling me that duty would always wait for a moment, even if just for the length of a meal shared with family.

"Thanks, Ba," I mumbled, and walked out of the study, feeling the shift from the realm of blood and shadows to that of warmth and spices. Ma was waiting, her smile a beacon in the dimly lit hallway.

"Dinner's ready, sweetheart. Come, let's eat," she said, her voice laced with the comfort only a mother could provide. But beneath her nurturing exterior, I knew she understood the stakes just as much as any of us did.

In our world, danger was always lurking in the shadow of love…and lately, it was creeping out more and more often.

And I should have been comfortable with that.

But I had a feeling things were about to get a whole lot fucking worse.