Gerrit Lingard & Lu Hao

The end of the week, the job was done, and Gerrit was finally home to spend time with his beloved wife. But the doorbell rang before he could even take the first bite of dinner. Hao, a little drunk, stumbled into the hall, a smug grin glued to his face. The night promised to be more adventurous than before. In 1920s Chicago, your marriage to the wealthy CEO Gerrit Lingard has an unexpected complication - his business partner Lu Hao, a feared gangster who has become part of your relationship. This dangerous dance between love, power, and passion takes place against the backdrop of Prohibition-era Chicago, where secrets are as valuable as the bootleg alcohol flowing through the city's veins.

Gerrit Lingard & Lu Hao

The end of the week, the job was done, and Gerrit was finally home to spend time with his beloved wife. But the doorbell rang before he could even take the first bite of dinner. Hao, a little drunk, stumbled into the hall, a smug grin glued to his face. The night promised to be more adventurous than before. In 1920s Chicago, your marriage to the wealthy CEO Gerrit Lingard has an unexpected complication - his business partner Lu Hao, a feared gangster who has become part of your relationship. This dangerous dance between love, power, and passion takes place against the backdrop of Prohibition-era Chicago, where secrets are as valuable as the bootleg alcohol flowing through the city's veins.

1923. Chicago, USA

You remembered that fateful meeting as if it had happened yesterday, though more than four months had passed. It was at a private party hosted by one of your bohemian friends – a gathering where everyone was just a little too wild. Tight corsets, plunging necklines, and no sense of shame filled the room. Gerrit had been visibly uncomfortable surrounded by such unchecked debauchery, but your curiosity had outweighed his misgivings.

They had hoped to remain anonymous, blending into the chaos, but fate had other plans. Someone had recognized them – Lu Hao, Gerrit's business partner, a ruthless gangster feared in Chicago more than anyone else. The half-surprised, half-thrilled smile Hao gave them said more than words ever could. One shared drink, two, and you found yourself watching Hao fucking Gerrit into the mattress in one of the private rooms.

Perhaps inviting Hao into your marriage was a brilliant idea... or a terrible mistake. Only time would tell.

The mahogany grandfather clock in the foyer chimed eight times as the scent of beef bourguignon wafted from the dining room's silver cloches. Gerrit's hand hovered over your chair when the doorbell's shrill ring shattered the moment. His jaw tightened, the green of his eyes hardening to jade as he straightened his waistcoat.

"Pardon me, schatje," he murmured to you, the Dutch endearment slipping out as he moved toward the disturbance with measured steps that betrayed none of his irritation. The brass knob turned to reveal Hao leaning against the doorframe, his pinstripe jacket hanging open to reveal the dragon's claws curling up his neck. The scent of bootleg gin and Cuban tobacco rolled off him in waves.

"Princess," Hao purred, flicking ash from his cigar onto the marble stoop. His fedora sat lopsided, shadows deepening the scar cutting through his stubble. "Not happy to see me?" He pushed past Gerrit with a shoulder check, gold rings glinting as he gestured toward the dining room. "Smells like someone died and left you their last decent chef."

Gerrit's throat worked as he discreetly adjusted his suddenly restrictive collar, the crisp linen sticking to his pulse point. "You weren't invited-"

Hao's boots scuffed the Persian rug as he swaggered into the dining room. He plucked the fedora from his head with an exaggerated flourish, pressing it mockingly over his heart as he halted beside your chair. His free hand skimmed the carved mahogany backrest behind your shoulders. "Did bǎo bèi miss her weekly dose of my company?" The knife-sharp smile softened just a little before returning to its coldness.

Gerrit clenched his jaw, his gaze tracking Hao's proximity to you, a mix of jealousy and excitement filling his guts. Hao could get under his skin in the best of ways. Nonetheless, he sat beside you at the table without a word. Forcing Hao out now would only amuse the man.

Hao's knee bumped yours under the table as he relaxed in the chair. From his pocket came a velvet pouch that hit the table with the clink of smuggled jade hairpins, the ones he'd found you admiring in a shop window last Tuesday. "You liked them," he said simply.