Not Him

Gary entered the room. He was wearing nice clothes and carrying some boxes.

"Did you eat lunch? I got takeouts." He spoke.

"I did not eat yet."

Gary placed the food on the table and started opening them. The aroma of food made Lena's stomach grumbled. She walked over to look at all the tasty food. If she remembered correctly, they were several varieties of street food that she was not able to taste last time.

"I saw a man leave from your office. Why are you associated with Kris Li?"

Lena stopped drooling and stared at the man. Gary usually never use his serious tone of voice on her.

"Secretary Collin just came to deliver something on behalf of Kris Li. It's nothing big."

Gary stared back at Lena, trying reading everything about her. Other than Hazel, only he can read her emotionless state. He spent years chasing Lena, so reading everything about her was a talent he accumulated.

He ruffled his hair and sighed. He stood up and walked over to Lena.

"I was waiting til after we eat to tell you, but I guess I can tell you now."

"What is it? That seriousness tone of yours is giving me the chills, I do not like it one bit."

"Was it him?"

Lena didn't reply, but she knew what Gary was implying with that question.

"I know you told me not to look into it, but you know me, I can never let something this big go. Nor let you deal with it alone. Lena, listen to me carefully. It wasn't Kris Li who put this hit on you?"

"What? This one?" Lena stepped back and glanced at the pearl necklace on her desk. "Why would he not deny it when I confronted him?"

She was confused. Kris Li isn't a man to put off with her hassling if he really had nothing to do with it.

"There were two hits on you. I couldn't trace both hits but if Kris Li was one, then it made sense."

"Two?" Lena was shocked. If Kris Li was one, who was behind the other one?! For sure she had not made any enemies yet that wanted her to end up in such bad shape.

"Kris Li has a huge underworld reputation, he doesn't need to pay anyone to do the dirty work for him. With one command, many groups would offer to do his biddings if that meant being on the good side with him."

Gary continued. "However, the Beast Gang did their work based on money. The second hit offered a bounty on you. That one was not done by Kris Li."

"But he still put a hit on me though?"

"He did. That one has been retracted. I believe it was the day you were released from the hospital. The other hit is still active though."

Lena sat down on the sofa. She had to process this new information and think.

"Could the hit on me be directed to the Shen family? Since they didn't want me dead, just…. in bad shape." Lena asked.

"I don't know." Gary sat down with Lena. However, she suddenly stood up and walked to her desk.

Lena stared at the pearl necklace again. It was indeed expensive, but now, looking at it, Lena knew what it meant.

Lena chuckled. "He sent me a pearl necklace to mock me. To show me that I lack the experience compared to him."

Lena closed the pearl necklace container, grabbed her bag and started to walk out.

"Where are you going?" Gary yelled back.

"To see him."

"What about lunch?"

Lena stopped and stared at the delicious lunch on the table. "After lunch then…"