Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  How the Assassin Met the Traitor

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Author's Note

  About the Author

  More Great Books from Deep Hearts YA

  A Cinderella Crime Story

  Gracie Qu

  Copyright © 2026 by Gracie Qu

  Cover design copyright © 2026 by Story Perfect Books

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, business, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblances to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Published January 2026 by Deep Hearts YA, an imprint of Story Perfect Books.

  Deep Hearts YA

  PO Box 51053 Tyndall Park

  Winnipeg, Manitoba R2X 3B0

  Canada

  Visit http://www.deepheartsya.com for more great reads.

  To Shauna Driscoll.

  My best friend, my partner in crime, my reason for having continued writing. We met over ten years ago in that cold college classroom, and it’s your encouragement and belief in my stories that has led me to this published book today. This and all other stories I have written since wouldn’t exist without you. You made my biggest dream come true. Thank you.

  To Jack Concordia.

  You have made me a better writer, and you make me want to grow even more. Edits and rewrites are no longer some mysterious, scary mission but one I look forward to. The writer I am today is directly because of your guidance and patience. I hope I will have more books to show you in the future.

  Chapter One

  He ignored the first doorbell. The second ring vibrated through the metal rimmed sink. Aiden dove to the ground, crawling. He hid behind the wall beside the front door. His hands still dripped of soapy water, clutching a gun hidden away in the black ottoman. He held his breath.

  His stepmother approached the door as the doorbell rang a third time.

  His hands tightened. He braced his body. He refused to even blink.

  She flung the door open.

  “Hello, Mrs. Hui! Can we talk to you about our Lord and Savior today?”

  A beat of silence reverberated through the house.

  Aiden sighed, relaxing against the wall. He pulled his hands out of the ottoman and pushed it away.

  “I’m not Mrs. Hui. We Chinese people do not change our last names when we marry. It’s Ms. Yin for you. Or Yin Mei. Remember—our surname goes first, not later,” his stepmother snapped.

  Aiden pulled himself off the ground and shuffled into the kitchen. He sunk his hands back into the sink of soapy water, finishing the rest of the dishes. He, and the rest of the family, had forgotten about the random wanderings of religious folks in their neighborhood.

  Unexpected visitors were never good news—especially when one’s family was part of the mafia.

  “Can they even convert anyone this way?” He Bao groaned, sauntering into the kitchen. Just as Aiden placed the last clean dish onto the rack, his stepbrother dropped a new dirty bowl into the sink. He stared at the dried soy sauce caked against the white porcelain. Swallowing his sigh down, he reached for the sponge and began scrubbing.

  His stepmother slammed the front door shut and marched into the kitchen. “He Bao! Where’s Zhu Zhu?”

  He Bao shrugged. “She’s still hiding.”

  “Why?”

  “I dunno.”

  “That silly girl—I swear if she’s just hiding away so she can do her stupid drawings. He Bao, go get your sister. We have lessons tonight.”

  “Zhu Zhu! Stop hiding! The weirdos are gone anyway!” He Bao stomped upstairs.

  Aiden awkwardly finished washing the bowl He Bao threw in and left it on the drying rack. He kept his head low to sneak around his stepmother, but instead, she latched her hand onto his wrist. His heart sank.

  “I am going to need you to reconsider your choices once more, Xiao Hui.”

  “Ge said it’s fine.”

  “Your brother doesn’t have time to think about you. You should not be selfish and help him. Take the time to think about what’s best for him and this family.”

  She dragged him to the couch in the living room, pushing him down. With a sigh, she stroked his cheek. “Look at you. Pale as a ghost. Scared as a cat. Drop out of that silly little state college and enroll where our family has power. Your brother will thank you for it.”

  It was at times like these that Aiden wished his brother still lived with them.

  “You’re right. I’m weak.” He steeled his eyes to meet her, but he couldn’t hide his shaking hands in his lap. He gulped several times to force his voice to stop quivering. “That’s why I shouldn’t be part of the family business.”

  His stepmother stared with brows furrowed. “Do you have no ambition to even help?”

  “What if He Bao or Zhu Zhu doesn’t want to be involved?” The quivering returned.

  “He Bao and Zhu Zhu are not like you.” She rose from the couch with shoulders squared. “They will be part of Infinite, just like me. Like your brother and your dad. They are younger than you, Xiao Hui, and they understand that what’s best for the family is what’s best for them.”

  With her nose stuck in the air, she marched off toward the master bedroom. “At least vacuum the house while I take He Bao and Zhu Zhu out for lessons.”

  “Okay,” Aiden mumbled, shoulders stiff. He finally breathed at ease when he heard the garage door open and the engine of the car zooming away.

  He wished time to pass faster. In just one more month, he would pack his suitcase, get in a car, and move into a new apartment near his small campus with no stepmother to nag, no twin stepsiblings throwing him looks, and no danger lurking around the corner.

  For now, however, he still needed to vacuum the house.

  • • •

  Aiden wedged the vacuum cleaner back exactly where his stepmother designated the cleaning materials to be kept and climbed up the stairs to his room. That took longer than I would’ve liked, he thought.

  His phone started to ring.

  Breaths tightening, Aiden looked down at the caller ID only to see his brother’s name, Hui Ye. Sighing, he picked up with a smile. “Ge?”

  “Hey, Lang, how are you doing?” His brother’s chipper and casual speak would fool any outsider that Hui Ye was happy, but Aiden knew better. An underlying roughness accompanied the forced sunny attitude. Breathlessness gasped between the stops of his words. “You’ve started packing, right? Don’t pack too much.”

  “Were you doing something, Ge?” Aiden asked against his better judgment.

  “I’m always doing something.”

  “You’re safe?”

  “Of course. I’m on my turf. I was just dealing with some nuisances.”

  He was interrogating. Aiden’s blood ran cold.

  When his brother still lived with the family, Aiden witnessed his business dealings only one time. He arrived home from school, and in the middle of the living room, Hui Ye slammed a man’s head down onto the ground with his shoe. The man’s face was already swollen purple, and blood trickled from his eyes and nose.

  His brother’s lackeys twisted the man’s arm, and in turn, twisted Aiden’s entire stomach. The scene seared like a curse into his memories, and every day on his way home, Aiden kept his ears perked. He listened for voices. His stepmother’s voice had excessive sugar sprinkled in her tone. He Bao’s was always loud, and Zhu Zhu was silent. If he heard his brother talking to anyone that didn’t belong to his stepfamily, Aiden stared at the ground. He tiptoed in, flew up the stairs, and gently closed the door to his room. He threw himself into homework and refused to leave until his brother came looking for him.

  The curse lifted when Hui Ye announced he would move out of the house and to Hong Kong for business reasons.

  His stepmother, however, never found such business dealings in the home of her children problematic.

  Aiden eavesdropped outside of his room while his brother and stepmother argued day and night.

  “You are still young. The other families will take advantage of your absence.”

  “If they do, I’ll just return the favor.”

  “You are too confident. By the time you react, it will be too late. Xiao Hui will be dead, and so will my children.”

  “No one’s going to attack.”

  “You cannot say such things carelessly. I am worried about my children! Do not forget what happened to your—”

  “Yin Mei, do not forget I can throw you and your children out. My father left nothing to you. Do not push my generosity.”

  Aiden shivered by his bedroom. He heard nothing more of the last argument, though he was certain it kept going. His heart pounded louder against his chest. His ears rung. He squeezed his eyes shut and rocked his body, but goosebumps burst from his skin at the chill gripping aroun
d his hands. Don’t think about it. He hugged himself tighter. Just don’t think about it.

  The panic passed, and his brother left. Aiden walked into his home with a smile on his face, but nobody greeted him. He Bao walked past him like he was air. Zhu Zhu never looked him in the eye. His stepmother wagged her finger at him, barking, “Things are so hectic these days. Do some chores, why don’t you? Hui Ye really spoiled you, hasn’t he? Look at the countertops, they’re dirty!” The three ate dinner together at the big table, and Aiden grabbed his dish to eat alone in the kitchen.

  Too late did Aiden decide he would rather face the danger than have his brother leave. Without Hui Ye, he lived a world where no one loved him.

  “One last question before I go—how’s she treating you?”

  Aiden blinked. “She?”

  “Yin Mei.”

  “Oh—she’s treating me fine.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep.”

  “She’s not forcing you to do anything?”

  “Your last threat was effective.” Aiden continued folding clothes.

  “I’m shocked. That is unlike her.”

  He paused. “She’s still not happy with my decision, but she’s not going to stop me. I’ve already decided on what I want to do.”

  “Good. Do what you want. I’ll take care of everything else.”

  I should at least ask him what that means. He asked no questions.

  His stepmother’s accusation of selfishness echoed in his ears.

  He twisted a shirt between his hands. “Do you think she’ll ever accept it?”

  “Who cares if she does or doesn’t? She doesn’t matter.” A skip entered Hui Ye’s voice. “What matters is that you’ll be here with me in two days.”

  “Technically one since I’m a full day behind you.”

  “Ha ha, very funny. We’ll enjoy the food, go sightseeing or do whatever else you want. I promise I’ll have my schedule completely open for you. Just the two of us.”

  Aiden smiled. He moved faster, packing his clothes away. “Have you already taken care of everything for when the semester starts? Like where I stay and my furniture?”

  “I’ve taken care of everything. Just promise me you’ll stop thinking about Yin Mei and whatever snooty opinions she has.”

  “I promise.”

  “Good. I miss you. Can’t wait to see you in Hong Kong.”

  Aiden beamed at his phone. “It’ll be fun.”

  “It’ll be fun.”

  • • •

  Aches crawled up and down his spine, his stomach tumbled with the air turbulence, and his butt flattened like stone against the seat of a sixteen-hour flight. He stumbled off the plane, his legs numb, but a smile continued beaming as the air of Hong Kong’s airport hit his nose. Amongst the crowd waiting, Hui Ye’s head towered above others with his stylized pitch-black hair that reminded Aiden of CEOs modeled on magazines. His tailored jackets and one-of-a-kind specially designed sunglasses from whichever rare designer Aiden wouldn’t know glistened underneath the airport’s lights. Smile stretching wider, Aiden waved his whole body. The two ran up to each other, arms stretched, but stopped right when they could reach each other. His brother grabbed his suitcase to take to the car waiting outside.

  “Wang Xing, this is my little brother, Lang. Lang, this is Wang Xing. My life is in his hands every day once you see how bad the streets can be.” Hui Ye settled in the back.

  The chauffeur looked back with a polite smile, highlighting the wrinkles on his forehead and his receding hairline. “Good to meet you, Lang.”

  “Nice to meet you!” Aiden fell back against the impeccably clean black leather seats with a sigh, rotating the ache of his shoulders away.

  “How was the flight? Exhausting?”

  “More than you know.”

  “Well, you don’t need to worry about anything. I’ll plan our schedules every day. I’m taking you to the best restaurants, and if any distractions come my way, I’ll just silence my phone. You like museums, and trust me, we’ve got great museums here.”

  The sweet song of a Chinese singer blended with his brother’s droning voice in perfect harmony, despite how high pitched she sang and how low pitched he spoke. His brother’s straight shoulders, forward eyes, and relaxed smile, lulled Aiden to the wheels churning beneath his body. It’s fine now. Hui Ye’s here. He’ll take care of everything for me. Aiden fell asleep in the car.

  For two weeks, he lived and slept in bliss.

  Then, the weather abruptly changed on his last day. A flash of lightning splitting the gray sky reminded Aiden of the headlights from a black van pulling around the corner. Men in sunglasses, despite the darkness of the night, stepped out and pointed their guns toward the window of a house.

  “Aiden, are you listening?”

  Jumping, he looked away from the gloomy world outside and back at his older brother. Hui Ye tipped his head. “Clearly not. I guess you’ve gotten bored of me already.”

  “That’s not true—I was just distracted by the storm.” Aiden straightened against the seat. “What’d you say?”

  “I’m asking if you wanted to go anywhere else before your flight. And while we’re on that topic, we should buy you some snacks before you head back to the States.”

  “I don’t need to go anywhere else. Snacks would be nice.” Aiden’s lips quivered. The clap of thunder and sudden downpour of rain sounded like bullets pelting against the glass. His hands continued to shake. He jammed them under his legs and prayed his brother didn't notice.

  He glanced over to ask about the restaurant they were heading to, but his brother focused beyond the car window. An empty road stretched before them, and the car glided against the rain.

  Hui Ye reached for Wang Xing. “Hey, I told you that I like busy roads.”

  “The weather is bad today, Hui Ye. Not many people are out on the roads.”

  “This is Hong Kong. There are always people out on the roads, no matter the weather. Find one.” He settled back against the leather seat with a slight jitter in his leg. He reached into his jacket, revealing the handle of a weapon, and ran his thumb over the cold steel gun. Aiden tensed at the sight, but Hui Ye just turned toward him with a bright smile. “I’m sorry, Aiden. I know you’re probably annoyed that I keep taking us into traffic.”

  “It’s fine. It’s business…” He glanced down. “You still don’t have…business today, do you?”

  “Everyone’s aware today is your last day with me. If they have any respect for me, they'll let me spend every last second with my younger brother.”

  The car turned sharply onto a larger road and slowed upon approaching a long line of cars. Hui Ye’s hand loosened from around the gun and pulled out his phone instead. “I don’t really have anything planned after lunch. I wanted to go to the park today, but we can’t with this weather. Why don’t we catch a movie instead?”

  The tight coils relaxed around Aiden’s chest. He smiled. “Yeah, I’m down for anything. What do you want to watch?”

  He leaned over to look at his brother’s phone, but angry honks blasted from behind. Both of them jumped at the fury cutting through the tinted glass. Wang Xing stuck his head out into the rain, releasing a string of profanities at the driver behind them, and ducked back inside the car, grumbling with a dripping head.

  The two brothers watched the drama unfold with wide eyes. Aiden pursed his lips, but upon seeing Hui Ye’s own cheeks ballooning like a puffer fish, they both gave into their laughter. “Oh man, if only they knew who they were honking at.” Aiden snorted.

  “I’d be tempted to reveal our identities if it didn’t mean getting myself, the family, and the group in trouble all at once.” Hui Ye wiped his eyes. “Head of the Famous Hui Reveals Entire Existence Due to Hong Kong Local Because He Got Honked At. That’s a good headline.”

  “Yeah, right. That headline would never exist.”

  “It definitely can. In a fantasy perhaps.”

  Aiden’s smile faltered slightly. He eyed the gun against his brother’s jacket.

  “Stop thinking so hard. I can see the rabbit hole of questions written all over your face.” His brother pushed him back. “Are you here to visit me or are you here to stress about my life?”