Chapter 61

By the time they landed and reached the Lakeview house, every room had been cleaned until it gleamed. The four-story villa had plenty of space; Nora and Jade were settled into rooms next to Elise's, and a tableful of beautifully prepared food was waiting for them.

Elise put the squabbling on the plane out of her mind. She and her friends ate, ran around together like little girls, and explored the house from top to bottom. With the three girls absorbed in their own fun, most of the men were too embarrassed to trail after them.

Julian and Theo went to their rooms to rest as soon as they arrived. Adrian and Miles, however, had no such reservations and followed Elise around all afternoon.

Elise showed Jade the skateboard Theo had given her. Jade seized it and held it against her chest, too envious to let go.

“AVE made this himself?”

Countless skaters dreamed of a board made by AVE's own hands. They either had to wait for him to be in the mood or join a line that might never reach them. Somehow Theo had managed to get one for his sister.

What had he done to persuade him? What an incredible brother. Jade wished someone would give her a present like that.

“Now that you've got a new board, want to take it out?” she asked.

Jade brought her own skateboard everywhere, especially on trips. Exploring Lakeview on their boards sounded like an excellent way to spend the afternoon. Elise agreed at once.

The road ran down from the lake toward the foot of the mountain, with a gentle enough slope for skating. Julian only told them to be careful. Adrian and Miles watched them go with long faces; neither brother knew how to skate, so they couldn't follow.

Apparently, buying a private plane wasn't enough. They would have to learn to skateboard when they got home, too.

Elise and Jade rolled along the road in front of the villa, past tall trees whose branches hung over the nearly empty street. By the time they stopped, both were sweating.

A white mother cat crossed in front of them with a tiny black-and-white kitten in her mouth. The kitten looked only recently born. Jade started toward them for a closer look.

Beyond the trees, Elise could just make out the shape of another villa. She remembered Julian's warning.

“Don't go over there.”

“Why not?”

“My brother said it's best to stay away from that house. The people there might not be very friendly.”

Jade gave a dismissive laugh. “Am I supposed to be scared of unfriendly people?” She had grown up fighting with boys; there weren't many men who could beat her. Besides, she only wanted to look.

Elise grew anxious. She remembered Julian's expression when he spoke of the neighbor, as though even he wasn't sure he could afford to cross that person.

The mother cat carried the kitten into the bushes, its soft cries making both girls' hearts melt. They crouched at a distance so they wouldn't frighten her.

“Do you think she's a stray?” Jade asked.

“I've heard stray cats get protective when they have babies. She might bite if we touch them.”

“Then let's just watch from here.”

A tall iron fence stood in front of them, its gaps crowded with greenery that hid almost everything inside. The mother cat carried her kittens one by one to a new nest among the plants at its base, returning for another each time.

“She knows how to pick a place,” Elise said, smiling. “Whoever lives here must be rich.”

One black-and-white kitten was less inclined to stay put. While its mother was away, it wobbled out of the nest, crawled through the plants, and disappeared into the yard.

Worried that it would wander farther, Elise and Jade stepped forward and parted the leaves to see through the fence. Both drew a sharp breath.

The grounds were enormous, with neatly trimmed flowers and shrubs and a European-style villa beyond the lawn. But that wasn't what held their attention. Two huge Tibetan mastiffs lay on the grass, their long coats falling almost over their faces. Heavy chains hung from their collars. Beside them sat a large feeding bowl with what looked like raw, bloody meat inside.

Elise and Jade looked at each other in alarm. Who kept dogs like these in a yard?

Elise had read several reports of Tibetan mastiffs killing owners who had raised them for years. They were immensely strong, with sharp teeth and a reputation for ferocity. Even a young one could pin an adult down, and these two were powerfully built, nearly half a person's height.

The kitten seemed unaware of any danger. Curious about the enormous creatures, it tottered toward them.

“Don't go over there!” Elise cried.

One mastiff's nose twitched. It opened its eyes and fixed on the kitten, lowering its head and scraping a paw against the ground. A territorial growl rose from its throat, revealing the white points of its teeth.

The kitten only seemed more interested. It moved faster and reached the dog in a few unsteady steps. The growling grew angrier, and the two mastiffs began to close in around it.

The mother cat returned to find her baby missing. With a furious growl, she darted into the ring of dogs and planted herself in front of the kitten.

Now Elise understood why the fence was so high and solid: it could keep people from wandering in and getting hurt. But it hadn't kept the cats out.

Desperate to distract the dogs and give the cats a chance to escape, she picked up small stones from the roadside and threw them toward the mastiffs. She had heard they were expensive. If she hurt one and its owner was upset, she would apologize until she was forgiven and pay for the damage, several times over if necessary. She had money.

She had barely thrown a couple of stones when a man rushed out of the villa, shouting in fury.

“What are you doing? Stop that!”

He was the handler the Mu family had hired to care for the dogs. They were the most valuable mastiffs he had ever looked after, and he had heard they were among Mu Chuan's favorites. They were a prized breed, worth about $5.6 million each. If a stone scarred one of their faces, how could he answer to Mr. Mu?

He grabbed the chains and pulled hard. It took considerable effort to calm the dogs and drag them back. As soon as the danger passed, the mother cat seized her kitten and carried it away.

“You come into someone else's yard and throw stones at their pets? What kind of manners are those?”

His face twisted as he inspected the mastiffs for injuries. Only when he found none did he relax. Then he remembered the stories he had heard about his employer and shivered.

Two years ago, Mu Chuan had been one of the least remarkable members of a sprawling family. Since last year, he had seemed like a different person. The gentle, accommodating young man had used ruthless methods to bring the family under his control, step by step. Older relatives and promising heirs who fought him had either been sent abroad, out of his sight, or reduced to keeping their heads down and depending on him. Even the old patriarch, once the person who held the family's reins, had been stripped of real power. In public he was little more than a figurehead.

Ruthless and immensely powerful: everyone who worked under Mu Chuan had reason to be afraid.

Jade was furious at the handler's accusation and argued back. Elise, meanwhile, felt guilty. They had thrown stones at someone else's dogs; there wasn't much she could say in their defense. Julian had been right to warn her away.

She tugged Jade's sleeve. “The kitten's safe. Let's go.”

The handler was still trading insults with Jade when his phone rang. He answered, and within seconds his face changed. His back straightened instinctively as he glanced toward the villa behind him. Sweat broke out on his forehead.

He waved awkwardly at the girls. “If you're done here, get going. If you upset the dogs again, don't expect me to help!”

On the second floor of the villa, Mu Chuan stood at a window, his gaze fixed on the two figures leaving the fence. One girl turned her head slightly, frowning as she pulled the other along and spoke to her.

His secretary stood respectfully behind him. “I've told him to come back. Is there anything else, sir?”

Pei Yi kept his head lowered. Mu Chuan was only twenty, but Pei Yi never dared let his attention wander in his presence.

A year ago, the one member of the Mu family who had never fought for power, who had always given way to others, had lost the warmth in his eyes. He had turned cold and ruthless. When he began taking control, he seemed to have a list in his hand: he had spared no one in the family.

Pei Yi didn't know why his employer had summoned the handler back, but Mu Chuan always had his reasons. Ordinarily, he would never let anyone who dared hurt those two mastiffs off so easily.

Following what he understood of his employer's usual habits, Pei Yi asked, “Shall I replace the handler? And what should we do about the two people outside?”

Tibetan mastiffs were valuable and difficult to care for. The handler had neglected his duties; had he stayed beside them, outsiders wouldn't have seen them, the stray cats couldn't have wandered in, and no stones would have been thrown. As for the girls, they had thrown those stones at dogs Mu Chuan had devoted so much care to and loved above all others.

Remembering what had happened to those who opposed the head of the Mu family, Pei Yi felt a tremor of fear.

Mu Chuan didn't answer. After a moment Pei Yi prompted him again. “Mr. Mu?”

Only then did he notice that the fingers hanging at his employer's side seemed to be trembling. An instant later they were still.

At last Mu Chuan spoke. “Fire the handler. Get rid of the two mastiffs.”

Pei Yi stared. Get rid of them? Had he heard correctly? Weren't they Mu Chuan's favorites?

Mu Chuan paused. “And arrange a shelter for the cats.”

Pei Yi could understand dismissing the handler. But the dogs were worth $11.2 million together. Getting rid of the two people would have made more sense to him. And why make a shelter for the cats?

He was baffled, but he didn't dare question the order. He lowered his head. “Yes, sir.”

Back at the Lakeview house, Elise still felt shaken when she pictured the mastiffs baring their teeth. They had been so large that a single paw could knock her down; their teeth could tear her apart. Against that kind of strength, she wouldn't have stood a chance. She would probably have nightmares tonight.

Julian saw how pale she was. “What happened?”

She had gone out perfectly well. Why had she come back looking like this?

Remembering his warning, Elise admitted guiltily, “Jade and I accidentally went near that villa.”

Theo came over and sat down. “Which one?”

“The one on the west side.”

Julian's brow tightened. He had told her not to go near it. Had she seen the mastiffs, or had she met Mu Chuan? The thought of her meeting Mu Chuan frightened him more.

“Tell me exactly what happened.”

When she got to the part about throwing stones at the dogs, he raised his eyebrows. “You threw stones at them, and they let you come back?”

Theo's expression grew serious too.