That evening, he had to put some necessary extra protections in place and call Han back home from Hawaii. There was a surprising reluctance on his chosen brother’s part, but in the end, he agreed to return to Rhode Island. And the following morning, it had taken hours with their accountants to ensure that The Silent Triad’s fortunes would not be disrupted by the sudden dissolution of their ten-year partnership with Kuang.

But after Victor was done with all of that, he returned to the Providence house with alacrity. Eager to see Dawn and tell her the truth he’d been denying for over a decade.

He loved Dawn. He could finally admit that again. That was why he could forgive her for what she’d done when she was a young woman. Why he’d chosen her again. And why he always would.

Less than twenty-four hours after choosing Dawn a second time, Victor ceased hitting Asher. The man she’d held in her heart while Victor had been helplessly falling for her all over again.

Victor had thought something real had arisen out of their game of pretend. He’d given up his partnership and taken on a formidable enemy for the chance to be with her beyond May 25th. He’d assumed she had felt the same. Why else would she have asked for his forgiveness?

But the sex…the cherry blossoms…her saying that she truly had loved him the first time around…every emotion he thought he’d felt sparking between them had been a lie.

She had simply been biding her time with him until she could be with the man she truly wanted. Acting…just like she had in Japan.

A cold, weak feeling washed over Victor as he rose to his feet and took a step back.

Asher also came to a stand. His nose was bleeding, and his face was a mess of bruises.

“You’re a fucking psycho!” he yelled at Victor. “No wonder Dawn’s so desperate to get out of this marriage!”

Words. Just words. But they hit Victor the same as a punch thrown. He flinched, then raised his fists, ready to fight again.

However, Dawn got between them before he could throw another punch. With her back to Victor, she pushed at Asher urgently. “Just go, Asher. Please.”

Asher’s expression softened when he looked down at Dawn. “I’m sorry,” he wheezed through his possibly broken nose. “I didn’t mean to get you in trouble.”

“It’s okay. I just need you to go,” Dawn answered, glancing back at Victor as if he were a volcano that could erupt at any moment.

Asher had the audacity to cut his eyes at Victor as well. “Are you…. Are you safe with him? I don’t want to leave if—”

“I’m fine,” she insisted. “Victor’s angry, but he won’t hurt me. I promise. Just go.”