Chapter 2
I couldn't believe my ears. "Leon."
Leon picked up the coat he had just taken off.
"You're pretty worked up today. Take some time to cool off. I'll come see you tomorrow," he said.
"Are you going to your wife now?"
He stopped in his tracks. He turned back. "Allie, you're crossing the line."
His Rolls-Royce sped off.
A laugh escaped me.
Crossing the line?
But I was the one who got crossed.
Three months along?
So she got pregnant at the exact same time as me.
The next day, I pulled myself together and showed up at Leon's martial arts studio.
At the entrance, two Rolls-Royces were parked, one black, one pink.
One was Leon's.
The other most likely belonged to his real wife.
Inside the studio, Leon was coaching a woman on her technique.
The moment I saw her, my blood ran cold.
How could it be her?
No wonder Leon never wanted me to find out.
I pressed my hand to the ugly scar on my left arm, the one that would never fade.
The woman was Chloe Jones, and I saved her from some punks five years ago.
Back then, she was a skinny, fragile thing. Her family's martial arts studio had been torched by their enemies.
Her parents had died in their sleep, burned alive.
She was an orphan, and she hadn't even learned her parents' fighting skills yet.
Anyone could push her around.
One night, in a dark alley, I rushed to protect her, even though I'd never met her before.
I caught the blade with my left arm, taking the hit for her.
I didn't know any martial arts.
I had only learned a couple of basic moves from Leon.
After a brutal fight, I was covered in blood.
Chloe got off with nothing but a few scratches and bruises.
When I came to, she was sitting by my bed, tears streaming down her face as she sobbed, "I'm so sorry, Allie."
In her, I saw the same unyielding spirit Leon once had.
I gave her a chunk of cash so she could start up her martial arts studio again.
Every day, I watched her push herself to the limit, bruising herself all over with the moves from her parents' old manuals.
She swore she would revive her parents' martial arts studio.
She was hell-bent on getting revenge on the ones who ruined her family.
She was done letting anyone else take a hit for her, never again.
Chloe pushed herself way too hard, totally ignoring whether her body could take it or not.
So I hauled her right over to Leon.
At first, Leon didn't want to take her on as a student.
"She's a handful, always picking fights. No one can handle teaching her," he said.
I kept pampering him, massaging his shoulders, making him coffee.
I finally sweet-talked him into letting her stay.
But after a while, I realized I didn't have to stick up for Chloe anymore.
Leon started giving her extra training time all on his own.
Chloe's moves got sharper and more precise.
When no one else was around, Leon even started teaching her those secret killing techniques he never showed anyone else.
In the end, the people who burned down her martial arts studio were left broken and battered.
Jones Martial Arts Studio was back in business.
It became an overnight sensation.
The three of us had a small victory party to celebrate.
At the table, she said I was the one she was most grateful to.
But who would've thought her way of saying thanks was to sleep with my fiancé.
I yanked the door open.
Chloe, who was getting a lesson from Leon, looked at me in shock.
I stormed over.
I shoved her hard.
"So this is how you repay me?" I snapped.
Chloe stumbled back a step.
Her eyes were red and swollen as she lowered her head, staying silent.
"Is this how low you'll go?!" I spat.
"Allie," Leon called out.
"Get out of my way," I snapped.
I tried to shove Leon aside.
But he snatched my wrist, gripping it hard.
He slammed me to the floor.
"She's pregnant. What the hell are you doing?" Leon shouted.
I clutched my belly as I hit the floor.
I stared at him in utter disbelief.
It hit Leon all of a sudden. He had only just realized I was pregnant too.
Regret flickered in Leon's eyes.
"There's nothing I can do about this," he said.
"What do you mean, there's nothing you can do about it?" I demanded.
"We both got hammered at the celebration dinner.
"Chloe saved my life once. Over the years, I've made a lot of enemies. You know that."
I blurted out, my voice shaking with disbelief, "She saved your life?
"What about my dad? Didn't my dad save your life too?
"He didn't just take you in and raise you as his own. He lost his life because of you.
"All because you made so many damn enemies. My dad took a knife for you, and he bled out right in front of me."
Leon suddenly snapped, "Aren't I already paying you back?
"Keeping you as my kept woman. Isn't that my way of paying you back? Do you really think you're even good enough to be my side piece?"
I swayed, barely keeping myself upright.
I nearly collapsed.