His Crush, His Brother's wife

Chapter One

Rosemary ‘Mei’ Zeng stepped off the plane into the crisp air of Shanghai, her hometown. Ten years away had done nothing to dim the fire in her eyes. If anything, it had kindled new sparks of willfulness, nonchalance and a hint of recklessness. The Zeng family had failed to tame their snobbish heiress of the multibillion-dollar Kiss and Hotel chain, which Mei detested despite its popularity for weddings and honeymoons. She cherished solitude and freedom

Rosemary walked towards a private exit, where a bodyguard was supposed to be waiting. She kept her mask on, intending to stay incognito until she was safely in the car. Spotting a man holding a plaque with her name, she waved and hurried towards him. But then, she noticed another man holding a plaque with her Chinese name.

Her instincts flared. Something was off. She halted abruptly, a charming smile spreading across her face as she asked, “What’s the code?”

The man looked momentarily confused but quickly recovered, smiling politely. “Miss Zeng, your parents are waiting,” he said, opening the door to a sleek Mercedes Benz parked nearby.

“Suitcase, please?” Rosemary smiled sweetly and pretended to get into the car. As the man turned to place her suitcase in the trunk, she acted. With a swift push, she sent the suitcase flying and delivered a sharp punch to his face. Before he could react, her heeled foot connected with his stomach, making him yelp in pain. She bolted, sprinting past her real bodyguard.

“It's Mei Zeng, follow me!” she shouted as she dashed by. Her bodyguard snapped to attention, but instead of following her, he engaged a group of men who had appeared, clearly intent on capturing her.

Rosemary darted in front of a taxi, forcing the driver to slam on the brakes with a screech. She jumped into the passenger seat, thrusting her business card into the driver’s hand. “Drive!” she commanded. The driver, recognizing the name, quickly exited the car. Rosemary took the wheel, speeding off with four cars in hot pursuit. Unfamiliar with Shanghai’s streets, she navigated on instinct, her heart pounding.

She didn’t notice the traffic light change until it was too late. The air filled with the sound of screeching tires and crunching metal as several cars swerved to avoid her. She had collided with an SUV. Dazed, she stumbled out of the car and approached the vehicle she had hit. Inside, a young man with striking features was slumped over, blood trickling from his head.

“Are you okay?” she asked, removing her mask. Her bodyguard arrived moments later. The man in the Compact SUV lifted his head slightly, his vision blurry. He caught a glimpse of her face and, seemingly satisfied, lost consciousness.

Panicked, Rosemary ordered her bodyguard to call an ambulance. It arrived within half an hour, a speed that made her wonder if they were near a hospital or if it was just a coincidence. But she had no time to ponder. She and her bodyguard climbed into the ambulance beside the injured man.

“Someone followed me, and you didn’t notice?” she snapped at her bodyguard as the ambulance sped away. “Didn’t you see that man? He was right at the entrance. Why weren’t you there?”

“I found him there, and he refused to move. He claimed there were many people with your name,” the bodyguard explained.

“You're easily fooled. How many Chinese people in my circles have the same English name and surname as me?” Rosemary bellowed, frustrated.

“Your return was top secret, Miss Zeng. I didn’t anticipate this setback,” the bodyguard replied, remorseful as he watched her panting with anger. He studied her. Gorgeous, fierce, and a good fighter. She was his kind of girl, but sadly, she was from a wealthy family. Standards, family, and wealth—he didn’t match her in any of these.

“Such an oversight is unforgivable,” Rosemary snapped, intruding on his thoughts.

“Still, I ask for your forgiveness,” he said, smiling apologetically. Rosemary looked amused by the bodyguard’s nonchalant behavior. He still had the audacity to smile after what he’d put her through.

“What’s your name?”

“James Fang.”

“I will complain about you to my father, Mr. Fang.”

“It's my fault. I should be punished,”

“Do you need water?” a nurse interjected to ease the tension. Rosemary nodded, and soon she received a bottle.

“We need to report this to the police immediately,” Rosemary said, opening the bottle. She gulped down the water in one go and looked at the man on the stretcher. “Poor thing. So unlucky to meet me.”

“Hardly,” the bodyguard murmured under his breath.

“What do you mean?” Rosemary asked, her eyes peering closely at the victim. He was now awake but pretending to be unconscious. “Gabriel Cheng Xu?”

“And the scales fall from your eyes,” James chuckled.

“This is bad, very bad. His family will think I did it on purpose.”

“Like they attacked you at the airport?”

“The Xus are behind the ruckus at the airport?” Rosemary was bewildered. “How bold can they get? I was just a girl when my parents flew me to the USA because of the Xus’ k********g attempts on me.”

“It’s not surprising that it almost happened as soon as you returned, is it?”

“Not surprised,” Rosemary shook her head, “but I didn't anticipate it. My childhood was traumatizing. I wonder if the feud will end, especially now that I hit Gabriel.”

“I will take the blame.”

“Nonsense. Were you the one driving the taxi? Besides, between you and me, who stands to get off the hook better?” Rosemary reminded him that she was wealthy and powerful without saying it. But at least she was accountable for her deeds.

“Regardless. I have made a few calls already. You won’t be blamed for this,”

“Are you serious, right now? I'm not a criminal, you know.”

“If we go to the police, you will have a criminal record, Miss Zeng.”

“That doesn't make it right, does it?” Rosemary asked, then looked at the nurse. “Then I guess all these people are in too.”

“This is for the best,” James said as he handed her another mask. “You might want to put that on.”

They stopped at the emergency entrance, and nurses flanked the ambulance as Gabriel was wheeled inside. He opened his eyes, struggling to focus on his surroundings. His head and leg throbbed with agonizing pain.

“I must go,” he muttered weakly. “I must see my brother.”

“Ma’am, he's one of the Xu sons. What happened to him?” the nurse on duty asked worriedly. “I’m afraid we can’t treat him without a police report. We’ll get into trouble with his family.”

“And me?” Rosemary pouted. “Are you not afraid of me?”

“Who are you? And who is he to you?”

“He’s…” Rosemary paused, then removed her mask. “I am Mei Zeng. Cheng is my fiancé.”

“Miss Zeng, I am so sorry,” the nurse stammered, looking bewildered. “I will inform the doctor to attend to him immediately.”

“Miss Zeng, you shouldn’t…” James began, but she interrupted him.

“It’s okay, James. I’m sure Nurse Oh,” she read the name tag, “is not a nosy person. Everyone here, for that matter.”

“Yes, Miss Zeng,” the medics responded more out of fear than loyalty. With a curt nod, Nurse Oh left to call the doctor.

“It’s a secret love affair, you see. We haven’t told our parents yet. I just returned to China today to share the good news, and this happened,” Rosemary played damsel in distress. “Oh God, I don’t even know how we’ll reveal the truth now.”

“I understand, Miss Zeng,” one of the nurses spoke up. “You must be afraid you’ll be blamed, right? I mean, who doesn’t know how your families are always bickering?”

The nurse frowned. Bickering was not quite the word she wanted to use, but it was a considerable one. Perhaps, business sabotage, k********g and occasionally, violence would do.

“Yes, quite unfortunate,” another nurse added. “But it’s good you two are in love. Your love will unite the families.”

“Yes, that's true,” Rosemary smiled hopefully. Soon the doctor arrived, and Gabriel was rushed into the emergency ward. The nurse at the registry handed Rosemary a treatment form and asked her to fill it out.

“Sure,” Rosemary said, grabbing a pen, but James stopped her, his grip tight on her wrist.

“May I, Miss Zeng?” he asked. “Mr. Xu may need you.”

Rosemary was about to argue but knew the implications of signing the form. “Sure.”

James filled in the form, except for the part stating the relationship with the patient. When he went out, the nurse handed the form back to her.

“Indicate your relationship,” she said. Rosemary looked worried and she smiled. “Don’t worry. Hospital records are confidential.”

“Right,” Rosemary smiled. Without thinking, she wrote ‘fiancé’ and signed the form. The nurse took it back with a smile as James walked in.

“Miss Zeng, your family is wondering where you are,” he said.

Rosemary turned to the nurse. “Can I come back in a few hours? I just have to see my family.”

“Sure, Miss Zeng,” the nurse agreed.

“Thank you,” Rosemary said, put on her mask and left with James. No sooner had they reached the exit than they saw the men who had chased her from the airport.

“Quickly!” James lured her to the nearby elevator.

“To the rooftop,” Rosemary commanded as the elevator doors closed. She grabbed a rope from a utility basket as they rushed towards the edge. “We will jump.”

“Only you’d propose something dangerous,” James smirked. The woman after his own heart, he thought as he tied the rope around them, thrilled to be so close to her. He glanced down and saw a hospital garbage truck below.

“This will be one hell of an interestingly smelly escape for you, Miss Zeng,” James remarked, a sly smile playing on his lips.

Rosemary’s eyes followed his gaze. “Smelly isn’t bad as long as we escape,” she chuckled. “I’ve been through worse.”

“Good,” James began, but his words were cut off by the sound of gunshots. They exchanged worried glances and jumped instantly. But they were too late. A painful moan escaped Rosemary’s lips as a bullet pierced her chest, waltzing into James’s shoulder blade. James yelped in pain as they fell, hitting the paved surface. In the chaos, they didn’t realize the driver had fled, driving away unnoticed.

“Am I going to die?” Rosemary whimpered breathlessly. “Huh, James?”

“Not if you continue to be a good girl,” James chuckled, though his heart ached.

It was a wrong move, James thought as Rosemary lay on him, her body cold and still. But he wasn’t going to let her die. This was his silent promise to her. James looked up through slanted eyes and saw William Xu standing on the hospital rooftop with his men. A satisfied look crossed William’s face as he aimed his missile gun at them, sending them into flames.