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him?’
    â€˜He’d have to threaten me before I could do that. As I said last night, he never does anything wrong . Not in the eyes of the law.’ Jianne gave a weary shrug, her expression beyond bleak. ‘You don’t know what he’s like. He’s very very good at winning people over to his way of thinking.He’ll be charming and helpful and invoke guanxi and then they’ll be his. That’s what he does. It’s how he wins. He gives people nowhere else to go but to him.’
    â€˜How long has this been going on?’ She didn’t answer. ‘Jianne?’ he said more gently.
    â€˜Five years,’ she said, with an alarming tremor in her voice. ‘It took a while for me to realise what he was doing and how he was doing it. My father called me crazy at first, and then he too got caught up in Zhi Fu’s web. My father doesn’t think I’m crazy any more, only now there’s nothing he can do about it. I’m so sick of there being nothing anyone can do about it. I want my life back. I want to fight this.’ Her chin rose stubbornly. ‘I want to win.’
    â€˜What do you want from me, Ji? You want me to accompany you to his house party? I’ll do it. What else?’
    â€˜I want him to think we’re in the process of renewing our relationship.’ Hot colour stained Jianne’s cheeks but she held his gaze. ‘I want you to give off signals that we’re…that you’re…’
    â€˜Protective?’ he offered gruffly.
    â€˜That too.’
    Jake Bennett had never considered himself a twice-cursed man. Until now. ‘What else?’
    â€˜I can’t stay at my uncle’s any more, knowing Zhi could be watching every move I make. I can’t .’ Twelve years ago Jianne’s calm reserve had seemed to run soul deep. Either she’d come out of her shell somewhat over the intervening years or she was deeply spooked by Zhi Fu’s latest move. ‘I need a place to stay. Somewhere that fits with the overall plan. Somewhere I can feel safe.’
    She looked at him then and he knew, he just knew what was coming next. ‘Oh, no,’ he said. ‘No,’ and ran his hands through his hair for good measure. ‘You can’t be thinking of staying here.’
    â€˜Madeline says you have a row of rooms out the back that you put people in.’
    â€˜Yes, but…have you seen them? We’re talking no frills here, Jianne. Not one.’
    â€˜I don’t need much.’
    â€˜No cook, no maid, just me and Po and four or five karate classes a day, starting at six and running through until late. The kid hardly sleeps. Sometimes if I’m awake we’ll train during the night. And this is the kitchen. It’s also the dining room, lounge room, and Po’s study.’
    She stared at him steadily.
    He couldn’t believe she thought this would work. That they could make it work. Escorting her here and there on occasion was one thing, but this… ‘Wait till you see the bathrooms.’
    â€˜If you don’t want me here, just say so,’ she said calmly. ‘It’s a lot to ask of you. An invasion of your privacy that makes going through your wallet look like child’s play. I know that. I will understand if you say no, Jacob.’
    â€˜And if I do say no?’ he countered. ‘Where will you go?’
    She had no answer for that.
    â€˜You won’t like it here. There’s no softness here,’ he warned her one last time. ‘It’s sweaty and hot and noisy and raw. The street is two steps away. It’s not a particularly peaceful street.’
    â€˜I’ll manage.’
    He couldn’t believe he was even considering her request. Thinking forward to where to put her and how best to protect her. He paced the tiny kitchen with growing agitation. He scowled for good measure. She looked like a fragile fairy-tale princess. Snow White in