CHAPTER 47: CHINATOWN

Chapter 47

JACE MARINO

The next morning came with gray skies and tired silence. No one said much during the drive back to the main house. The roads were clear, like the city itself had decided to step out of our way. Marco drove, one hand on the wheel, music off. Mateo sat in the back seat, scrolling through his phone, trying not to think too loud.

I sat in the passenger seat, eyes fixed on the blur of passing streets. Every mile closer to that house felt heavier.

When we pulled through the gates, the guards looked nervous. They always did when we showed up unannounced. The Marino house had that effect — even the walls seemed to listen.

"Is he home?" I asked one of the guards as we stepped out.

"No, sir. Mr. Marino left early for a meeting. He hasn’t returned yet."

Good. We didn’t need to deal with him right now.

Marco gave me a look. "Perfect timing."

Mateo adjusted his jacket. "Then, let’s find Aiko before he gets back."

We went straight upstairs. Her room was on the second floor, right where the hall split in two. The door was open.

It was too quiet inside. The curtains were drawn, bed neatly made, no trace of her anywhere. Not a single cup on the desk, no jewelry left out, not even a hair tie. That wasn’t normal.

"Maybe she went out," Marco said, though it sounded more like a question.

Mateo checked the closet. "Her clothes are gone."

That said it all.

I called one of the servants, an older woman who’d been with the family for years. She looked uneasy the second she saw us.

"When did you last see her?" I asked.

The woman fidgeted. "Not since... three days ago, sir. She left early that morning. Didn’t say where she was going."

Marco frowned. "And you didn’t tell anyone?"

"She told me not to," she said quickly. "Said she needed space."

Mateo stepped closer, his tone calm but sharp. "Space from what?"

"I don’t know," she said. "She seemed upset."

We questioned the guards next. Same answers. Aiko had left quietly early morning, no driver, no escort. She told them she’d be back soon.

But "soon" had already come and gone.

"She’s not stupid enough to run off without telling anyone," Marco said, pacing by the door.

Mateo looked at me. "Unless she thought she couldn’t trust anyone."

I took out my phone and scrolled through contacts until I stopped on one name. Enzo.

Marco noticed. "You think he knows?"

"He knows everything," I said.

Mateo frowned. "You sure that’s a good idea?"

"No," I said. "But we don’t have a choice."

Enzo wasn’t answering his phone. Not calls, not texts. Which meant one thing. He was hiding. Again.

We got in the car and drove out to the edge of the city, where the trees started replacing buildings. Enzo’s so-called "hidden estate" wasn’t exactly hidden; it was just far enough off the grid that most people didn’t care to find it.

By the time we got there, the air smelled like pine and old concrete. The house stood at the top of a hill, sleek and glassy, like someone had dropped a modern fortress in the middle of nowhere.

Marco killed the engine. "This guy’s a ghost when he wants to be."

"Let’s make him appear," Mateo said.

We walked up the stone path. Two men stood near the door — Enzo’s personal guards. They didn’t move when they saw us, just nodded once and let us in.

Enzo was exactly where I expected him — in the main room, lounging on a couch like a cat who’d already eaten. He smiled the second he saw us.

"Well, if it isn’t the Marino boys," he said. "What brings you to my little hideaway?"

"Cut the bullshit," Marco said. "Where’s Aiko?"

Enzo raised a brow. "Straight to business. I missed you too."

"Enzo," I said, keeping my voice steady, "we don’t have time for your games. We know you’ve been moving people behind Father’s back. If you know where she is, tell us."

He leaned back, arms spread on the couch. "And what do I get in return?"

Marco stepped forward. "You’ll keep breathing."

Enzo laughed, actually laughed. "You always were the hothead."

Mateo moved between them. "What do you want?"

Enzo smirked. "Now that’s the right question." He glanced at me. "I want assurance. If I give you what you’re looking for, you’ll keep my identity hidden from Julian. He never finds out about me."

Marco frowned. "Why do you care?"

Enzo’s smile faded a little. "Let’s just say I’ve been keeping an eye on your little friend. And he reminds me of someone I used to know."

That wasn’t comforting.

"You give us Aiko’s location," Marco said, "and your name stays buried. That’s the deal."

Enzo watched him for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Fair enough."

He reached for a tablet on the coffee table and swiped through something. Then he turned the screen toward us.

"She’s in Chinatown," he said. "Has been for the last three days."

Mateo frowned. "Doing what?"

Enzo looked amused. "Sneaking around. With her forbidden boyfriend."

We all stared at him.

Marco was the first to react. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Exactly what I said," Enzo replied. "She’s seeing someone she’s not supposed to. And before you ask, no, it’s not business-related. It’s personal."

I blinked. "She’s in Chinatown with a boyfriend?"

Enzo smiled again, like he was enjoying every second of this. "Hard to believe, right? The perfect daughter, breaking her engagement deal and sneaking off under your father’s nose. I’d almost admire her if it weren’t so stupid."

Mateo rubbed a hand over his face. "Jesus Christ."

Marco looked at me. "You think Father knows?"

"If he did," I said, "he’d already have half the city looking for her."

"That’s what I thought," Enzo said. "So, if I were you, I’d keep this little discovery to yourselves. You don’t want him finding out you lost the bride."

I didn’t rise to his bait. "Where in Chinatown?"

Enzo tapped something on the screen again. "Small apartment near Pell Street. She’s been using a different name, paying in cash. Smart girl, but not smart enough."

Marco stepped closer to him. "If you’re lying—"

Enzo raised his hand. "I’m not. I could even take you there myself, but that might ruin the fun."

"Fun?" I repeated.

He smiled again, too calm. "You Marinos are always so serious. Relax. She’s safe for now."

That word hung there.

We left without saying goodbye. Marco slammed the door behind him hard enough to rattle the glass.

By the time we reached the car, he was fuming. "She’s sneaking around with some guy while the rest of us are drowning in fire? You’ve got to be kidding me."

Mateo leaned against the hood, trying to breathe. "If Father finds out, it’s not going to be a lovers’ quarrel. He’ll end her."

I said nothing for a long time. I just stared out at the stretch of trees and the gray clouds hanging low.

Aiko was supposed to be the symbol of peace between two empires. Now she was the spark that could set everything off.

Marco turned to me. "What do we do?"

"We find her," I said quietly. "Before he does."

"And the boyfriend?"

I met his eyes. "We’ll deal with him later."

No one spoke after that.

As we drove away from Enzo’s estate, I looked back once through the side mirror. Enzo stood outside his house, hands in his pockets, watching us go.

I didn’t like that look on his face.

It wasn’t victory. It was patience. Like a man waiting for something he already knew would happen.

Back in the city, the streets were waking up. Markets were opening, vendors shouting in half a dozen languages. Chinatown was always alive, even in the rain.

Marco parked two streets away from Pell. Mateo scanned the corners, cautious as always.

"Place is too crowded to pull her out quietly," Marco said.

"Then we’ll have to be smarter," I said.

We waited for a few minutes, watching the movement. A woman selling dumplings shouted in Mandarin, kids ran past holding paper lanterns, steam from food stalls curled into the damp air.

And somewhere in that chaos, Aiko was hiding with someone she wasn’t supposed to be with.

I wasn’t sure what I’d feel when I saw her. Anger, probably. Disappointment. But underneath it all was a quiet fear. Because if Aiko had someone she loves, then everything we’d built. Every sacrifice, every lie was about to fall apart.

Mateo broke the silence. "You think Enzo told the truth?"

"Yes," I said. "He has no reason to lie."

Marco gave me a sideways look. "He always has a reason."

He wasn’t wrong.

We stepped out of the car and started walking. The air was thick with the smell of oil and rain. I kept my hands in my pockets, head low, blending in.

Somewhere ahead, a door slammed. A shadow moved across a narrow alley.

I didn’t know if it was her.

But if it was, then everything was about to change.