Her answer did not surprise Victor in the least. He couldn’t imagine any dragon in Kuang’s position simply allowing his daughter to “live her truth,” as the Americans sometimes termed it. The global Chinese mafia was becoming more and more modern every day, but daughters were still what his dad used to refer to as “the chips you don’t play until you’re ready to win big.”

“Your secret puts you in an interesting situation,” Victor signed, careful to keep his feelings about any of this off his face.

She nodded in rueful agreement. “I’ve been in an interesting position since I first realized I liked girls and only girls. I am in love with another. And I don’t want this marriage. But I will endure it. I’m sure you’ll tire of me eventually, especially after I become pregnant. I hope you will allow me my love, as long as I play the part of the dutiful wife. And of course, I would be happy for you to keep a mistress.”

Victor now understood why she had opened with such sound advice for his baijiu company. She had simply been warming him up for the actual request. It was as his father once told him: everything in this life is a negotiation. Everything except death.

However, this was not something he was willing to negotiate.

“I cannot allow that,” he answered without the slightest pause of consideration. “If you are caught, I am the one who will lose face, no matter how dutifully you act. You are free to do as you please now, but you should wrap up whatever outside business you have before the marriage ceremony. After that, I cannot guarantee the safety of your love.”

He put extra emphasis on “your love” so that there would be no misunderstanding about what would happen if Nora attempted to continue this relationship of hers.

Nora’s eyes filled with bitter tears. “I thought that would be your answer. None of you dragons care about your wives or daughters. We’re only pawns for you to move around your chess boards. But I had to try. There was no way I could face her if I didn’t at least try.”

Victor still did not love disappointing women. Even the ones who preferred other women to him.

“I wish I had a better answer for you,” he confessed. “But we all must play our part in these games. Not just the wives and daughters. All of us.”

Nora eyed him curiously. “So you do have someone you love. Just like me. Someone you will have to disappoint.”

As bad as Victor felt for Nora, revealing his pathetic situation would not make either of them feel any better about their upcoming nuptials. Instead of answering her, he escorted her out of their mansion himself.

“I’ll be back in town this summer. I’ll see you then?” she asked.