The plan was simple: they would wait in the car until her father showed up with his entourage for the trade. If they spotted someone trying to ambush it, Maurice would drive the car into the middle of the commotion where they would scoop them up and retreat back to the cottage.

It was obviously very risky and a considerably dangerous position to put themselves in, but Trish especially wanted to stick to it. If the transaction went without any trouble, then the rest would be smooth sailing. If commotion ensued, they would be able to prevent anymore losses and Isaak wouldn't have any other choice than to involve them. It was a win-win, though one option would cause significantly less anxiety.

Han wasn't completely on board with this plan; he'd originally wanted to sneak off from the cottage and follow his target by himself so that whatever happened next wouldn't affect Trish directly. That all fell through when Maurice discovered him climbing out his bedroom's window, seeing his perfect opportunity for revenge by busting him. However, Han was able to persuade him to team up, though not without the help of a few very persuasive green bills.

Of course, he knew better than to voice his concerns to Trish herself, coddling pissed her off more than socks with sandals. Plus, he already saw her in action and she was more than capable to defend herself, so he had no excuses on that part. He could go the honest route and just tell her that he cared about her too much and didn't want to see her get hurt, but it was unlikely to make her change her mind. The girl was relentless, but she wasn't invincible.

Parked in an alley across the hotel, the trio waited for the arrival of Isaak and his men, having probably taken an alternate route in order to avoid any sabotages. Behind the wheel, Maurice was leaning back comfortably in his seat with his eyes shut after having reassured his passengers for several minutes that he wouldn't fall asleep.

Trish kept staring at the hotel's entrance, her legs still bouncing with anxiety. Han did the same, drumming his fingers on his knees and strategizing for whatever could come next.

The radio was still on, playing significantly lower in the background. Trish started humming along to Mint Condition's Breakin' My Heart, her gaze still fixed on the Lux Plaza. She watched the men who stood outside acting like makeshift guards chatting casually like they didn't have a care in the world, as if they weren't potentially the same people behind her attempted murder.

It was something she could never understand; how easily it came for some people to commit so much violence and be able to live with themselves after what they've done. It was one of the reasons why she never wanted to know what her father did precisely of his days, it would just be too painful, but she wasn't dumb.

Besides, even she had some skeletons in her closet, mainly a tall, dark, ambitiously dangerous one.

A skeleton that couldn't seem to stay in the ground.

Suddenly, the footmen at the entrance opened the front doors to let a group of Chinese men step outside and they looked around, searching for something approaching the horizon. A White man then appeared in the middle, wearing a business grey suit, black tie and had greasy slicked back blond hair.

Behind him stood a Black man dressed in the most awful leopard print suit she'd ever seen with another Asian man in casual clothing next to him. Three black BMW's arrived one after the other, stopping at the entrance.

"That's them," Trish leaned over and nudged Maurice awake, quickly backing away as he wiped the drool from his face.

The White man had an aggressively wide smile when he walked up to Isaak after he came out of the last car and shook his hand with vigor. They talked to each other a little, probably going through the formalities, before the host gestured at his guests to follow him inside the hotel, his smile unwavering.

As the party slowly disappeared inside the building, Trish reached for the "glove box" in front of the passenger's seat and opened in, revealing a silvery pistol and a leather pouch containing the ammunition. She grabbed the two items and started to load up her gun, her hands slightly shaking.

Han couldn't do anything but watch with widened eyes. "What are you doing?"

"Change of plans," Trish announced, cocking her weapon. "I'm going in."

"No! You can't!" He exclaimed, immediately regretting his emotional burst by the betrayed look she shot him.

"Imma have to go with your boy on this," Maurice turned around to face them. "Ain't now way you're going out there."

"Well someone has to go in there to make sure everything's okay and I won't have either of you stand in my way," Trish said as she concealed her gun under her coat. "I need to know what's going on in there."

"No," Han firmly told her. "I'll go, you stay and wait with him."

His partner-in-crime did not appreciate his tone towards her. "Why? 'Cause I'm just some poor defenseless girl who needs a big strong man to protect her ass, right?"

He frowned with confusion at her choice of words. "I didn't say that-"

"You don't have to do anything for me, Han! I can fight my own battles!"

"I'm trying to keep you safe here! You should be grateful-"

"That's the problem! Everyone keeps saying I should be grateful for this and that, as if I didn't do all the work to get it in the first place! Is it so hard to believe that someone like me could do that?"

"You know I didn't mean it like that. Trish, I don't want to see you get hurt, I just want you to be okay."

"I wish y'all would stop underestimating me! If I get hurt, it's on me, okay?" She lifted the door's lock and swung it open.

Han swiftly grabbed her wrist before she could step outside. "Trish, just listen to me-"

"What the- let me go!" She loudly protested.

"We have no idea what could be waiting for you in there. If you could just-"

"Han, let me go!"

Her eyes started getting watery, tears of frustration threatening to spill out. At that moment, Han knew there was nothing he could do to prevent her from getting out of the car. This was about more than saving her dad, she wanted to prove something to them, to herself.

Sighing with his eyes closed in defeat, he loosened his grip on her, letting his hand gently slide down hers. Trish turned around and grabbed the door handle, but momentarily stopped in her tracks. Letting out a long breath, she put her hood on before going outside into the pouring rain.

Maurice, who'd just been listening at their altercation with a stunned look on his face, finally snapped out of his trance. "You're just  gonna let her walk out like that? Ok, that's it, I'm-"

"Drive me home," Han gravely ordered. "Now."

Maurice became a little shaken by his dark demeanor. "What? Man-"

Han wrapped his around his neck from behind the car seat and harshly slammed him into it. "Do it or I will."

"Ok, chill man!" He squeaked, lifting his hands in surrender. "What about your girl?"

"You heard her, she'll be fine."

.
( 搂 )
.

Further down the street, Trish slowly approached the Lux Plaza hotel's entrance, the footmen nowhere to be seen. It took everything in her not to look back to see if Maurice's car was still parked in the alley, there was no time for sentimentality. Still, as she crossed the street to get to the hotel, she had the urge to go back.

The entrance was completely deserted, unguarded, completely in the open. She went under the large roof held up by marble pillars to stay out of the rain and removed her hood, looking around to see if anyone would notice her. It seemed a little too good to be true.

As if on cue, the guy in the tacky leopard print suit came out flying through the doors, frantically dabbing his pants with balled up napkins. He abruptly looked up and met Trish's gaze and stopped what he was doing. His eyes stayed fixed on her face as he licked his lips and rubbed his hands together before walking up to her.

Great, she grumbled in her thoughts. This is just what I need right now.

"Pardon me miss," the man approached, "but you seem lost. A fine woman like yourself shouldn't be out here at this time."

She flashed him a flattering smile and batted her eyelashes, selling the part. "I actually came to see a friend, he's inside."

"Oh, is he a good friend? 'Cause I can get inside too, if you know what I mean."

She knew exactly what he meant, but had to downplay his advances. "You mean you have a hotel key? Great! You could lead me to him!"

"Oh uh, I mean yeah... But I was just leaving, you see. My chauffeur's waiting for me in the car, wouldn't you rather ride with me, pretty young thang?" He leaned towards her, spreading his legs apart with his hands on his hips.

Visibly uncomfortable, Trish kept her gaze away from his crotch. "Look, don't take it personal, but you're old enough to be my dad."

"Haven't you heard age ain't nothin' but a number, girl?"

She glanced at his beer belly. "Well, it did a hell of a number on you."

Carter frowned, put out of his game. This chick was the most stubborn girl he's ever tried to mack, she didn't even swoon over his one-liners. Usually, all of the ladies went crazy when he showed up with a smile, cracked a few jokes then offered them a ride.

It was a formula he'd perfected over the years and it worked real good... Sometimes too good...

He opened his mouth to shoot back with a witty comeback, but a gunshot loudly rung in the air.

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