Equal value. Willing sacrifice.
Her parents were in the kitchen making dumplings. Smiling. Unaware.
Twelve days.
Ava squeezed Victor’s hand and began to plan.
CHAPTER 17
Tuesday morning. Ten days left.
Ava had been staring at the same page of contract law for twenty minutes when her phone rang. The screen lit up with her mother’s photo: the one from last year’s Lunar New Year, her face flushed from cooking, laughing at something Dad had said.
She answered on the second ring. “Mom? What’s…”
“Bao Bei, there are men here.” Her mother’s voice was high, tight with panic. “Official men. They say there’s a gas leak, that we have to shut everything down. They’re making everyone leave: the lunch customers, the prep cooks, everyone.”
Ava was already standing, grabbing her jacket. Across the office, Victor’s attention snapped toward her like a compass finding north.
“Mom, slow down. What men? What agency?”
“I don’t know! They have badges and meters and they’re saying the readings are dangerous. Your father is arguing with them but they won’t listen. They’re going to shut off our gas. They’re going to close the restaurant.”
“Is there a gas smell? Anything?”
“Nothing! The kitchen smells like always: ginger and pork and the soup stock I started this morning. But they keep saying their machines show a leak.”
Lilith. It had to be.
“Mom, listen to me carefully. Don’t sign anything. Don’t agree to anything. Just stall them. I’m coming.”
“How can I stall? They’re from the city…”
“Ask for credentials. Every single one. Make them show you the specific readings. Ask what kind of leak, where it’s coming from, why you can’t smell it. Just keep asking questions until I get there.”
“Ava, I’m scared.”
The words stopped her cold. Her mother didn’t say things like that. Her mother had immigrated with nothing, built a business from scratch, worked eighteen-hour days for thirty years. Her mother didn’t get scared.
“I know, Mom. I’m coming. Twenty minutes.”
She hung up and turned to find Victor already on his feet, jacket in hand.
“Lilith?” he asked.
“Has to be. Fake gas leak inspection. They’re trying to force a shutdown.”
Victor’s expression darkened. “If they stop serving food…”
“I know.”
They were moving toward the elevator when Derek came sprinting around the corner, laptop clutched to his chest, tie flapping behind him.
“Wait! Wait wait wait.” He skidded to a stop in front of them, breathing hard. “I found something. You need to see this before you go.”
“Derek, my parents…”
“I know, I heard. But this is important.” He was already opening the laptop, fingers flying across the keyboard. “I’vebeen researching old property laws. Like, really old. Pre-modern property laws that might still be on the books. And I found something called hearth rights.”
