Passing through the security gate, Lữ saw smoke rising from the spot where his Jaguar had been parked; debris from the car's chassis was scattered everywhere. The assistant guard ran up to him, on the verge of tears:

"John is dead! He was killed when he drove your car—it exploded!"

Lữ said nothing; his lips were pressed into a tight line. John had died in his place. Had the Jaguar’s brakes not failed, Lữ would have been the one blown to bits the moment he started the engine. He knew instantly who was behind the plot to kill him: Vấn.
 
Vấn had collaborated with the Chinese Triads to plant a bomb in the car—retaliation for Lữ hiring Montello to take a shot at him on the San Diego Freeway. He could not underestimate this man. Vấn had survived a Mafia hit attempt, deduced the connection between Triệu Tôn and the Triads, and knew how to leverage that criminal organization to strike back at Lữ. Vấn was far more cunning and resourceful than Lữ had imagined.

Lữ dialed Uyên’s number on his cell phone. He realized immediately that the story about her being in the hospital had been a ruse to lure him into driving the booby-trapped car. Her voice on the other end sounded normal:

"What is it, Lữ?"

Lữ replied:

"My car was blown up by a bomb. I’m fine, but the guard who drove it for me was killed."

Uyên sounded panicked:

"What are you saying? Who planted a bomb in your car? Are you really unhurt?"

Lữ reassured her:

"I was lucky enough to switch to the Mercedes instead of the Jaguar, so I’m safe. It’s just a tragedy that John died in my place. Stay inside and don't open the door for anyone. I’m coming over right now."

He hung up, thinking about how Uyên was facing the same threats he was. He had to find a way to deal with the situation and protect her immediately.

Lữ got into his car and drove out of the condo complex. He began to hear the wail of police sirens. He needed to get Uyên out of the house and to a secure, discreet location as a precaution; he couldn't afford to linger. The police would soon be questioning everyone and investigating the car bombing. He would deal with the official statement later, alongside Kim.

As Lữ drove toward Uyên’s house, his mind raced over the car bombing orchestrated by Vấn and the Triad. Given the power wielded by this Chinese mafia group, Vấn had transformed into a dangerous enemy and a formidable adversary. His immediate priority was for him and Uyên to go underground, denying the Triad another opportunity like the recent bombing.
 
It wouldn't take long for them to realize he hadn't been inside the Jaguar—that the assassination attempt had failed. He needed to move Uyên somewhere they couldn't be tracked down. Furthermore, he needed Montello’s help now more than ever to counter this threat.

Lữ pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He hadn't smoked in a long time, as both Kim and Uyên disapproved, but in these perilous, trying moments, he felt he needed the smoke to help him think and formulate a plan. Vấn had undoubtedly briefed the Triad on Triệu Tôn’s death and the partnership agreement regarding the inheritance of a partner's share upon their demise.
 
The plot to kill him was about more than just revenge; it was a scheme to seize the assets of the VietCal Partnership. Lữ saw Vấn’s calculations clearly: once he and Uyên were eliminated, Vấn would inherit everything, as he remained Uyên’s legal husband on paper.

Vấn had surely promised the Triad a cut of the profits, motivating them to assist in taking him out. Lữ regretted having been so overconfident and having underestimated Vấn so badly. The cuckolded husband—vile and despicable though he was—possessed far more ingenuity and cunning than Lữ had imagined. The tide had turned; the man was gaining the upper hand, aided by the Triad in his plot to bring Lữ down.
 
Lữ realized he needed to be even more cautious and shrewd in this life-or-death struggle. It was a hard-learned lesson—the price he paid for underestimating his foe and for the arrogance that had grown alongside his unbroken string of successes in recent years.

Lữ gave a grim, sardonic laugh. He would be more careful, certainly, but his enemies would not escape. They would taste the vengeance he was preparing to unleash—a retribution that was fully deserved, and a punishment magnified tenfold, a hundredfold, beyond the harm they had inflicted upon him.

 
Chapter 47
 
Lữ pulled up in front of Uyên’s house. She rushed out, threw her arms around him, and asked anxiously:

"Are you okay? What happened with the car explosion, Lữ?"

Lữ guided her into the house and urged:

"I’m fine! Go change and pack a bag—we need to leave right away. You shouldn't stay here; it’s too dangerous."

Uyên pulled away slightly:

"Why am I in danger? Why do I have to leave my home?"

Lữ replied:

"I’m certain that Vấn and the Triads were behind the car bomb meant to kill me. They could come here to harm you at any moment."
 
Uyên asked fearfully:

"Do you really think Vấn would do something like that?"

Lữ nodded:

"I’m sure he’s lost his mind. It’s one thing for him to want me dead, but I’m worried that because of the Triads' involvement, you’re at risk too—especially regarding the partnership's assets."

Uyên stammered:

"You mean Vấn is using the Triads to kill you—and then me—so he can seize all the assets from our partnership?"

Lữ kissed her gently on the lips:

"That’s just my guess. But as long as I’m with you, no one can hurt you. Still, hurry up and get ready! We need to find somewhere else to stay."

Uyên stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips firmly against his:

"As long as I’m close to you, I’m not afraid of anything! I’ll go pack right now."

Lữ sat on the sofa, lit a cigarette, and waited for her. He felt his hunch was right. Vấn was a despicable man; he wouldn't forgive Uyên for her betrayal, especially with such a huge fortune at stake. People have killed—even their own wives and children—for just a few tens of thousands of dollars, let alone the nearly ten-million-dollar fortune Lữ and Uyên currently held.
 
Lữ put himself in Vấn’s shoes and imagined what the other man might do. He wanted to anticipate Vấn’s next moves and counter the schemes Vấn was devising. Lữ had underestimated his adversary in the past; now, he realized he needed to be more cautious and treat the situation as a contest between equals in terms of cunning and strategy.

Uyên appeared at the foot of the stairs, carrying a small suitcase. The look of fear was gone from her face. The prospect of staying with Lữ—walking by his side and relying on him for protection—made her eyes sparkle. She seemed as excited and intrigued as a young girl running away from home with a lover. She smiled:

"I'm all set! Where are we going to hide?"

Lữ took the suitcase from her:

"We’ll stay at the Hilton for a few days, then move to another hotel. I don't want them to know where we're permanently based."
 
Lữ walked her out to the car. He needed to check into the hotel and contact Montello immediately—there was no time to lose. The dynamic had shifted; Lữ and Uyên had gone from hunters to prey on the run. He had to turn the tables and hunt Vấn down. To deal with the Triad, he would need to leverage the influence of Al Montello and the Los Angeles Mafia family.

° ° °

Lữ called Sơn from the hotel. He told him about the bomb planted in the Jaguar and how he had narrowly escaped death by switching cars just in time. Lữ instructed him:

"Go to my office and handle all the partnership matters for me. Uyên and I will only stay at this hotel for a night or two before moving elsewhere until things cool down. I don't want them tracking us. The Triad is powerful here and might have wiretaps in place, so I won't be calling you often. If anything comes up, call me on my cell phone."
 
Sơn asked Lữ:

"How do you want me to explain your absence? I can handle the tasks that don't require your personal touch, but there are some groups that will only deal with you. What should I tell them?"

Lữ thought for a moment:

"Just tell them I’ve gone to Europe on business and won't be back for another two or three weeks. As for the ones who refuse to deal with you—forget them; tell them to come back later!"

Sơn warned:

"You have to be careful. The Triads are ruthless. They have henchmen everywhere, even in the hotels. You’ve got your gun with you, right? Call me immediately if you need anything. I’m sick of the gun life, but I can't seem to shake it. That Beretta you bought me back then is still right here, in perfect condition!"

Lữ smiled and hung up. Sơn was like a saint, yet he was still ready to charge into the line of fire just as they had done together back in the Trường Sơn mountains. He had bought Sơn that Beretta two years ago as a mere trinket, never imagining they would ever need to touch a weapon again. But circumstances forced him to revert to his old self—a man who treated life and death like a joke and for whom gunfire was a daily staple.

Uyên stepped out of the bathroom, a towel draped loosely around her. Her eyes sparkled in her radiant face, and her body seemed to radiate a scorching heat. She let the towel drop and moved toward him. The danger of the chase thrilled her even more than the prospect of getting rich had two years ago.
 
Uyên was grateful to Vấn and the Triads; without them, Lữ would never be with her day and night like this, allowing her insatiable desires to be fulfilled so completely and exquisitely—just as they were in this very moment.

 
Chapter 48
 
Lữ strode up the steps of Al Montello’s villa—only the second time he had ever visited the place. The previous occasion had involved the Triads and Triệu Tôn; this time, Triệu Tôn had been replaced by Vấn, yet the situation had become infinitely more complicated. Back then, Triệu Tôn had harbored no suspicions, and the hit had been child's play; the Triads hadn't even realized they were walking into a trap.

This time, however, they knew everything, and Lữ had become the hunted.

Lữ felt a twinge of concern regarding Montello’s attitude. The man might find it too troublesome to tangle with the Triads and simply leave Lữ to fend for himself. On the other hand, Lữ understood the Italian temperament and the competitive pride of the Cosa Nostra. Montello had already lost face over the botched attempt on Vấn’s life on the San Diego Freeway; he would be even more furious to see the Triads threatening one of his clients.

Lữ followed a butler clad in a stark white tuxedo into the house. He had insisted on this meeting—despite knowing Montello rarely received guests at his villa—because only a face-to-face encounter would reveal the man's true intentions.

Montello stepped out of the living room to greet him. He walked with a long, solid stride; the early morning sunlight bathed his square, rugged face, highlighting the long scar that ran from his chin down to his neck. Montello embraced him warmly.

"It’s been a long time, Lữ! What’s so important that it couldn't be discussed over the phone?"

Lữ nodded.

"It’s pretty important, Al. You know how I am—if it were a routine matter, I’d just have your men handle it."

Montello nodded in agreement.

"True. Let’s have a drink first, then you can tell me all about it."

He snapped his fingers sharply. The butler in the white tuxedo respectfully brought out a tray of drinks. Montello tilted his head back and downed his drink in one gulp, then urged:

"Drink up, Lữ! Is this about the botched hit on that guy Vấn?"

Lữ took a small sip to humor Montello; he wasn't in the habit of drinking in the morning like a true alcoholic.

"That's the one. Vấn is causing me a lot of trouble lately. He’s made contact with the Triads and teamed up with them. I suspect he got wind that Triệu Tôn’s death wasn't a car accident and traced the connection back to the Triads. They planted a bomb in my car yesterday!"

Montello’s eyes widened:

"A car bomb? They’ve got some nerve! I’ve been a bit lax with them lately, thinking they wouldn't dare do much outside Chinatown. But bombing your car means they’ve stepped way beyond their usual territory!"

Lữ let out a breath. At least Montello was angry about the Triads' brazen behavior. He was still wondering which group held more power in the region. He knew the Mafia family was currently struggling due to the FBI's crackdown on organized crime, whereas the Triads were new enough to have largely escaped the agency's notice.

He decided to goad him a little:

"I hear the Triads have expanded into Orange County and even San Diego. Their turf isn't limited to just the Los Angeles area anymore!"

Montello slammed his fist onto the table in anger. The drink tray flew up, sending two glasses crashing to the floor. He growled:

"They dare cross me? Trying to kill you means they’re messing directly with us. I’m going to wipe them out—every last one of them—and send them running back to Hong Kong!"

Lữ added fuel to the fire:

"I hear the Triads are claiming to be the new kings of California. People must have forgotten all about you guys!"

Montello’s eyes turned red. Bloodshot veins bulged on his face, looking as if they might burst at any moment. Lữ mused that the rumors about the local Mafia’s decline and their humiliation at the hands of the Triads were no exaggeration; the fact that Montello was so easily provoked by the subject was proof enough.
 
Montello seemed to be choking on his own rage, breathing heavily like a cornered bull in the arena:

"Just you wait and see. I have a plan to wipe them out."

Lữ smiled. That was exactly what he had been hoping for. He needed Montello to mobilize his full force against the Triads, thereby relieving the pressure they were exerting on him. As for the matter regarding Vấn, he would handle that himself. A clash between the Italian Mafia and the Chinese Triads was inevitable regardless of his involvement; the city couldn't accommodate two criminal organizations vying for supremacy—a showdown was simply a matter of time.
 
Lữ asked:

"Do you know where their headquarters are?"

Montello had regained his composure. He curled his lips into a grim, menacing smile:

"Of course! I know everything! Rest assured—within a week, there won't be a single Triad member left on this turf!"

Lữ stood up and shook Montello’s hand before taking his leave. He felt a great weight lifted off his shoulders. Despite the heat they were facing from the FBI, the Mafia remained the most powerful criminal organization in the area. While the Triads could operate among the Asian minority communities without issue, the moment they infringed upon *Cosa Nostra* interests, top bosses from across the United States would immediately coordinate forces to shut them down.
 
Montello might be struggling locally, but he would soon have reinforcements flying in from other families to aid in the war against the Triads. For now, the priority for Lữ and Uyên was to lay low and avoid detection by the Triads; only after Montello had eliminated the gang could Lữ safely step back into the open. 
 
° ° °

Kim paced restlessly, unable to sit still, after receiving a call from Lữ. His voice had been calm, yet Kim—with a woman’s keen intuition—sensed the gravity of the trouble he was facing. He had briefed her briefly:

"A bomb was planted in my car, but I’m unharmed. I have to go off the grid for a while so they don't track me down. Please handle the police reports for me. If you need to reach me, call Sơn."

Lữ didn't mention his new whereabouts, and Kim didn't ask. She knew his nature well enough to realize that asking would yield no answers. A pang of hurt washed over her. Lữ trusted only Sơn, keeping secrets even from her. Could his love for her really be so superficial? Were those moments of passionate, ecstatic intimacy—which left her trembling and spellbound for days—nothing more than fleeting breezes?

Kim wondered if Lữ viewed her merely as a lawyer needed to resolve his legal troubles. Was love, to him, nothing more than a conquest—nothing more, nothing less? She surmised that the car bombing was linked to Uyên and Vấn, even though he hadn't explained the details. That woman was the source of his misfortune; Kim was certain of this, despite having only glimpsed Uyên for a split second as they passed each other—Kim arriving at Lữ’s office just as Uyên was leaving.

Kim never brought up the matter of Lữ and Uyên. She didn't pry or question whether their relationship had ended before she entered his life. She respected Lữ’s freedom. She felt no need to possess him completely or harbor jealousy toward Uyên, even though she suspected the affair between Lữ and Uyên was ongoing.

Everyone has a private corner of their life that belongs only to themselves. She and Lữ had no formal commitment; why, then, did she need to concern herself with Uyên? Kim knew she was free to see other men and that Lữ would respect her autonomy—that was the unspoken understanding between them. Yet, how could she possibly go out with anyone else when she already had Lữ? The disadvantage always fell to the woman, Kim concluded bitterly. True equality between the sexes simply didn't exist, and perhaps she just had to accept it.

Kim couldn't stop thinking about the woman who had brought such calamity upon Lữ. She had often heard heated discussions in her law firm’s conference room about the kind of woman who wreaks havoc on men—leaving them divorced, cuckolded, or jilted by mistresses. Her male colleagues would eagerly chime in, even with her present, as if she were one of the guys and they didn't need to watch their tongues.

Every male colleague had a story about a woman who had ruined his life, sowing disaster and tormenting him in every conceivable way. Successful men—men who had excelled in every aspect of life—would find themselves entangled with a "calamity woman" whom fate had seemingly destined for them, embarking on a disastrous downward spiral. Lost fortunes, ruined reputations, heart disease, strokes, or cancer—these were often the final rewards awaiting such unfortunate men.

Kim rarely paid attention to what she considered mere gossip from her male colleagues, but the news that a car bomb had been planted for Lữ immediately made her think of Uyên—and of that archetype of the destructive woman she had heard so much about.

Disaster after disaster had struck Lữ, and the cause always seemed to revolve around Uyên. She was like a magnet for misfortune and hostility, drawing down calamities upon Lữ like a raging torrent. Yet, Uyên herself was blameless. Kim understood this, and she felt a sense of pity for the role fate had assigned to Uyên in her romance with Lữ.

Kim sensed something ominous. She seemed to foresee their destiny and visualize the terrible events about to unfold. She shuddered; her intuition filled her with dread. Into what abyss was Uyên leading Lữ? Kim felt as though she were standing on high, watching the two of them fleeing together through a thick fog, unaware of the precipice awaiting them at the end of the path. What could she do? What could she possibly do for the man she loved—a man ensnared in the web of that woman who embodied both calamity and the abyss?

Kim let out a long breath. She had made her decision, and a fierce resolve ignited within her like a spark. She would do everything in her power—and even the impossible—to save her lover; she would banish the shadow of that calamitous woman from Lữ’s life with the radiance of her own light, and reclaim him for herself.