[Jake's POV]
The transition from street-level runner to the Matriarch's personal shadow was instantaneous and absolute.
I no longer slept in the mildew-scented safehouse with Ethan. I was moved into a spare room in Madam Bai's—Li's—fortified penthouse. My cheap canvas jacket was replaced by a tailored, charcoal-gray suit that concealed the suppressed USP tactical pistol perfectly against my ribs. I was given full clearance to the Golden Koi's security feeds, access to the triad's encrypted communication channels, and a front-row seat to the slow, bleeding death of Li's empire.
The Black Lotus wasn't just making a move; they were executing a systematic strangulation.
I stood in the corner of Li's private VIP room on the third floor of the Golden Koi, my hands clasped behind my back, my face a mask of professional indifference. The room was opulent, decorated with antique silk screens and heavy mahogany furniture, but the atmosphere was toxic.
