I stared at the business card. Simple, expensive-looking—just his name and a phone number.
Nikia and I sat in the car for a long time before I could even start the engine. She crawled into my lap, something she hadn’t done in months, and we just held each other.
“Is Daddy going to come back?” she asked quietly.
“No, baby. Not anymore.”
I didn’t know if that was true, but I wanted it to be.
When I got home, my older sister Janelle was already there. Our mother must have called her. She took one look at me and pulled me into a hug so tight I almost started crying again.
“Mama told me what happened,” she said. “Are you okay? Is Nikia okay?”
“We’re okay,” I said. “Someone helped us. Someone.”
I showed her the card. Her eyes went wide. “Adrien… do you know who this is?”
“No. Should I?”
She pulled out her phone and searched his name. The results made my blood freeze.
Young Chul Yu, owner of half a dozen luxury hotels and restaurants. Suspected ties to organized crime. Known associate of several high-profile figures in both legitimate business and less legitimate ventures.
“He’s connected,” Janelle said carefully. “Like… seriously connected. People don’t mess with him.”
“He saved my life.”
“I know. I’m just saying… be careful.”
But I didn’t feel like I needed to be careful around him. I felt safer than I had in years.
The next day at work, my boss, Dr. Patel, asked if I needed time off. My coworkers had seen the bruises on my neck—dark purple marks shaped like fingers. They’d been whispering all morning. I told them I was fine.
But Rhonda, the other receptionist who’d become a good friend, pulled me aside during lunch.
“You can’t keep doing this alone,” she said. “If that man comes back, he won’t—”
“How can you be sure?”
I thought about Young Chul’s eyes, the way his men had moved, the authority in his voice. “I just am.”
That night, DeAndre called from jail. I didn’t answer. He called seventeen more times. I blocked the number.
Then three days later, I got a call from an unknown number.
“Miss Adrien,” a woman’s voice said, professional and polite. “Mr. Yu would like to know if you and your daughter are safe. He asked me to check in.”
My heart did something strange in my chest. “We’re fine. Please tell him thank you.”
“He also wanted me to inform you that your ex-husband has been denied bail. The charges have been escalated due to witness testimony and video evidence.”
Video evidence. The mall security footage was provided to the district attorney’s office. Mr. Yu made sure it was prioritized. He was still protecting us even from a distance.
Two weeks later, Nikia and I were at the park when a black car pulled up. My first instinct was panic. But then Young Chul stepped out. He was dressed more casually this time—still expensive, but not a full suit. He walked over slowly, hands in his pockets.
“I hope I’m not intruding,” he said.
