These Violent Delights

These Violent Delights Plot Summary

Introduction

# These Violent Delights: Blood and Monsters in Shanghai's Shadow Shanghai, 1926. The city pulses with jazz and gunfire, split between two criminal empires locked in a blood feud that has painted the streets red for generations. The Scarlet Gang controls the west, the White Flowers rule the east, and between them flows a river of hatred four years deep. But something darker than gang warfare now stalks the neon-lit streets—a madness that drives victims to tear out their own throats with their bare hands, leaving corpses with glassy eyes staring at the moon. Into this chaos step Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov, heirs to rival gangs and former lovers whose betrayal still burns like acid in their veins. She has returned from America with flapper dresses and a reputation for ruthlessness. He carries the weight of a secret that destroyed their love and nearly cost her life. As bodies pile up on both sides of the blood feud, whispers spread of a monster lurking in the Huangpu River, of Communist plots and mysterious vaccines sold by someone known only as the Larkspur. The madness respects no territory lines, no wealth, no power—and soon these star-crossed heirs will discover that some enemies can only be faced together, even as their own hatred threatens to consume them both.

Chapter 1: A City Divided: The Blood Feud Between Scarlets and White Flowers

The first body appeared at dawn, sprawled across the wooden planks of the wharf like a broken marionette. Juliette Cai stood over the corpse, her silk dress fluttering in the harbor breeze as she studied the man's throat—torn open by his own fingernails, blood pooled beneath him in a perfect crimson mirror. This was the fourth death this week among Scarlet Gang members, each more brutal than the last. "Another one lost his mind," Tyler Cai said, approaching with the swagger of a man who had never left Shanghai. Unlike his cousin Juliette, who had spent four years in American exile, Tyler had climbed the Scarlet ranks through blood and ambition. "They're calling it madness—some disease that makes men claw themselves to death." Juliette's eyes narrowed as she crouched beside the victim. The dockworker's face was frozen in terror, his eyes wide and staring. "Diseases don't target only Scarlet territory," she murmured, noting the man's calloused hands and the way his body had contorted in his final moments. The Scarlet Gang headquarters buzzed with tension when she arrived. Lord Cai sat at the head of a mahogany table, his weathered face betraying nothing as his lieutenants argued around him. The room reeked of cigarette smoke and fear—a dangerous combination in a city where weakness meant death. "The White Flowers must be behind this," one lieutenant insisted, slamming his fist on the table. "They've found some new poison, some way to drive our men insane before killing them." Juliette stepped forward, her heels clicking against marble. "Give me three days," she said, her voice cutting through the debate like a blade. "I'll find the source." Her father studied her with calculating eyes, measuring the daughter who had returned from America with sharp edges and sharper instincts. Finally, he nodded. "Three days." That night, Juliette slipped through Shanghai's neon-soaked streets to the burlesque club her cousin Rosalind managed. The establishment served as the perfect front for Scarlet business—foreigners came to indulge their vices while gangsters made deals in shadowy corners. Rosalind moved through the crowd with a dancer's grace, collecting secrets as efficiently as she gathered payments. "People are whispering about a monster," Rosalind told her in the back room, her voice barely audible above the jazz music. "Something with horns and scales, seen near the docks before each outbreak." Juliette scoffed, but unease crawled up her spine. "Superstition." "Perhaps. But here's what isn't—the White Flowers are dying too. Same symptoms, same madness." Rosalind's eyes met hers. "Someone is targeting both gangs." The revelation hit Juliette like ice water. If both sides were suffering, then who stood to gain from their mutual destruction? The Communists seeking revolution? The Nationalists wanting order? Or something else entirely, something that moved in the shadows between territories? As she prepared to cross into enemy territory for answers, a familiar figure emerged from an alley—Roma Montagov, heir to the White Flowers, his dark hair falling across haunted eyes that had once looked at her with love instead of wariness. "We need to talk," he said simply. Juliette's hand moved to her concealed pistol, muscle memory from four years of nursing betrayal. "Give me one reason not to shoot you where you stand."

Chapter 2: The Madness Spreads: Insects of Insanity and Whispers of Monsters

Rain hammered the abandoned warehouse where Juliette and Roma faced each other across twenty feet of concrete and four years of hatred. Water dripped through rusted beams, creating puddles that reflected the dim light filtering through broken windows. Neither had lowered their weapons. "My sister is dying," Roma said, his voice tight with desperation. "Alisa. She's fourteen, and the madness has taken hold of her." Juliette remembered the girl—wide-eyed and innocent, trailing after her older brother through the gardens of the Montagov estate during those stolen afternoons when love had seemed possible. Her grip on the pistol wavered slightly. "Why come to me?" she asked, though part of her already knew the answer. "Because this isn't gang warfare. Something else is hunting in Shanghai." Roma stepped closer, his eyes intense. "The victims—they all see the same thing before the madness strikes. A creature with silver eyes and a spine covered in horns." The same rumors Rosalind had mentioned. Juliette's mind raced through possibilities, each more disturbing than the last. "You think it's real?" "I think we need to find out. Together." The word hung between them like a bridge over an abyss. Together. They had been together once, secret lovers across enemy lines, dreaming of uniting their divided city. Until Roma's betrayal had shattered everything, sending her fleeing to America while Shanghai burned with their broken promises. "A temporary truce," she said finally, holstering her weapon. "Nothing more." Their investigation began at the docks where the first victims had fallen. The harbor was quieter than usual, workers giving the area wide berth after the deaths. Marshall Seo, Roma's closest friend, joined them with information gathered from Communist newspapers. "They're reporting similar deaths in the factories," Marshall said, his usual easy smile replaced by grim concern. "Workers tearing at their throats, dying in agony. The Communists are blaming capitalist working conditions." "Convenient," Juliette muttered, studying the bloodstains that still darkened the wooden planks. A dockworker approached nervously, his eyes darting between them. "You looking for what's causing the deaths?" he asked in a whisper. Roma nodded. "Do you know something?" "Zhang Gutai might. He's the Secretary-General of the Communist Party, been asking questions about the monster too. But he's been acting strange lately—nervous, like he's hiding something." The Communist headquarters occupied a modest building in the Chinese quarter. Zhang Gutai wasn't there, but his elderly assistant Qi Ren received them with thinly veiled suspicion, his hands shaking as he poured tea. "The Secretary-General is very busy," he said, sweat beading on his forehead despite the cool air. "Perhaps I can help?" While Roma questioned the old man, Juliette's eyes caught on a drawer left slightly ajar. Inside were sketches of a creature—the monster people claimed to have seen. She slipped the drawings into her pocket when Qi Ren stepped out. "He's terrified," she whispered to Roma. "And those sketches—someone's been documenting the monster." That night, as they examined the drawings in a neutral teahouse, screams erupted from the street outside. They rushed out to find a man clawing at his own throat, blood pouring between his fingers as he collapsed. And behind him, disappearing into an alley with inhuman speed, moved a hulking shape—scales glinting in the lamplight, horns protruding from its curved spine. "There," Roma breathed, pointing at the retreating figure. They gave chase through Shanghai's maze of streets, but the creature vanished like smoke. When they returned to the victim, he was already dead, his throat torn open by his own hands. A flyer fluttered to the ground beside the corpse—an advertisement for a vaccine against the madness, available from someone calling themselves the Larkspur. "Someone's profiting from this," Roma said, his jaw tight with anger as he read the exorbitant price. Juliette pocketed the flyer, noting the address at the bottom. "Then let's pay this Larkspur a visit."

Chapter 3: Reluctant Alliance: Former Lovers Become Desperate Partners

The vaccine clinic occupied a nondescript building in the French Concession, its windows glowing with warm light that promised salvation to those who could afford it. A line of wealthy merchants and foreign businessmen stretched around the block, all clutching money and hope in equal measure. Juliette studied the crowd with disgust. "Look at them. Willing to pay anything to save themselves while workers die in the streets." Roma's cousin Benedikt waited in the shadows, his tall frame pressed against a lamppost. Unlike Roma's haunted intensity, Benedikt moved with calculated precision, every gesture deliberate and controlled. "I've been watching for hours," he reported quietly. "People go in, get their injection, leave looking relieved. No one's shown symptoms afterward." "So the vaccine works," Roma concluded. "Or it's expensive water and the whole thing is a scam," Juliette countered. They decided to split up—Juliette would enter through the front door using her status as Scarlet heir to demand service, while Roma and Benedikt found another way in. Inside, she discovered a makeshift medical facility with curtained areas where nurses administered injections to paying customers. "I want to speak to the Larkspur," she demanded of the receptionist. "The Larkspur doesn't see clients directly," the woman replied smoothly. "But I can assure you our vaccine is completely effective against the madness." Juliette leaned closer, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Do you know who I am?" Recognition flickered in the woman's eyes. "Miss Cai. Of course. But even for you, I cannot—" A commotion erupted at the back of the clinic as Roma and Benedikt were confronted by guards. Juliette used the distraction to slip past the reception desk into a room marked "Staff Only," where she found vials of blue liquid arranged in refrigerated cases. She pocketed one just as the door opened behind her. "We need to go," Roma said urgently, a cut bleeding on his cheek. "Now." They fled into the night with their stolen sample, weaving through crowds to avoid the guards pursuing them. On the street, they walked quickly but didn't run—drawing attention would be fatal. "We need someone to analyze this," Juliette said, patting her pocket where the vial was hidden. Roma nodded. "I know a scientist. Lourens. He works for the White Flowers, but he's trustworthy." The laboratory was hidden in a basement, accessed through an unassuming building on White Flower territory. Lourens, an elderly man with wild white hair, greeted Roma warmly before eyeing Juliette with suspicion. "A Scarlet in my lab?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "She's with me," Roma said firmly. As Lourens conducted his tests, uncomfortable silence stretched between the former lovers. Finally, Roma spoke. "Why did you really come back to Shanghai?" Juliette met his gaze steadily. "My father summoned me. The heir to the Scarlet Gang belongs in Shanghai." "Is that all you are? Your father's heir?" The question stirred memories of whispered conversations about escaping their families' expectations, of dreams they'd shared under starlit skies when the future had seemed full of possibilities instead of blood. "It's all I can afford to be," she replied. Lourens interrupted with a triumphant exclamation. "I've identified the primary component—an opiate derivative called lernicrom." Juliette straightened. "Lernicrom? A British merchant named Walter Dexter tried to sell that to us in bulk recently." "So Walter Dexter is the Larkspur?" Roma asked. "Or he's supplying the Larkspur," Juliette countered. "Either way, we need to find him." As they prepared to leave, Roma caught her wrist. The touch sent electricity through her veins, awakening memories she'd tried to bury. "Be careful," he said softly. "The monster isn't the only danger in Shanghai." She pulled away, ignoring the lingering warmth of his touch. "I know how to take care of myself, Montagov." But as she walked away, Juliette couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched—not just by the usual spies who monitored territorial borders, but by something else. Something that moved through shadows with unnatural grace, waiting for the perfect moment to strike again.

Chapter 4: Following False Leads: Communist Conspiracies and Vaccine Profiteers

Walter Dexter's warehouse crouched at the harbor's edge like a sleeping beast, its corrugated walls streaked with rust and salt spray. Juliette approached from the east while Roma circled to the west entrance, their plan simple—confront Dexter about his connection to the mysterious Larkspur and the madness consuming Shanghai. Inside, they found not Walter but his son Paul, a thin man with nervous energy and a smile that never reached his pale eyes. He sat behind a desk stacked with ledgers, seemingly unsurprised by their arrival. "Miss Cai," he greeted, standing with exaggerated politeness. "And Mr. Montagov. What an unexpected partnership." "Where's your father?" Juliette demanded, her hand instinctively moving toward her concealed weapon. "On business in Hong Kong. Perhaps I can help instead?" Paul's gaze lingered on Juliette with an intensity that made her skin crawl. Roma stepped forward, his voice hard. "We know about the lernicrom. We know it's being used in vaccines against the madness." Paul's unsettling smile didn't waver. "My father's business dealings are quite diverse. I couldn't possibly comment on every product we supply." "People are dying," Juliette snapped. "If you know something about the Larkspur or the monster, now's the time to share it." A flicker of something—recognition or fear—crossed Paul's face at the mention of the monster, gone so quickly she wondered if she'd imagined it. "I'm afraid I can't help you," he said smoothly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have appointments to keep." They left the warehouse no wiser than before. On the street, Roma kicked a loose stone in frustration. "He's hiding something. Did you see his reaction when you mentioned the monster?" Juliette nodded grimly. "We follow him." They tailed Paul through Shanghai's winding streets, keeping their distance as he moved from the warehouse district toward the Chinese quarter. To their surprise, he headed directly for the Communist headquarters. "What business does a British merchant have with revolutionaries?" Roma muttered. They watched Paul enter the building and emerge twenty minutes later looking satisfied. As he walked away, Juliette made a quick decision. "I'll follow Paul. You go inside and see what he was doing there." Inside the Communist headquarters, Roma found the building strangely quiet. Most offices were empty, papers scattered as if people had left in haste. In Zhang Gutai's office, he discovered a letter addressed to the Secretary-General from someone signing as "the Larkspur." The letter mentioned delivery schedules for lernicrom and included a cryptic reference to "our mutual friend's transformation progressing as expected." Roma pocketed the letter just as footsteps approached. Qi Ren, Zhang's elderly assistant, entered and startled visibly at seeing Roma. "Mr. Montagov," he said, his voice shaking worse than before. "The Secretary-General isn't here." "Where is he?" Roma asked, studying the old man's increasingly nervous demeanor. "I don't know. He's been absent for days." Sweat beaded on Qi Ren's forehead. "Please, you should leave." Roma backed toward the door, suddenly wary. The assistant's hand kept moving to his throat, fingers trembling as if something crawled beneath his skin. Meanwhile, Juliette had followed Paul to a teahouse where he met with dock workers, exchanging money for small blue vials—the vaccine being distributed at street level. The operation was larger than they'd imagined, with tentacles reaching into every level of Shanghai society. When they reunited that night, both shared disturbing discoveries. The connection between the Communists, the Dexters, and the Larkspur was becoming clearer, but the monster remained elusive. "We need to find Zhang Gutai," Roma said, showing her the letter. "This mentions transformation—maybe he's seen the monster up close." They gathered with their closest allies on the roof of an abandoned factory between territories. Kathleen, Juliette's sharp-eyed cousin, had mapped the monster sightings, while Marshall brought intelligence from the streets. "The creature appears near the river before each outbreak," Kathleen reported, pointing to red marks on her map. "And the timing is getting more frequent." "What if Zhang Gutai isn't just studying the monster?" Benedikt suggested quietly. "What if he's becoming it?" The suggestion hung in the air like smoke. Transformation, the letter had said. In a city where nothing was impossible, the idea of a man becoming a monster seemed almost reasonable. "We stake out his apartment," Juliette decided. "If he's the source, we end this tonight." But as they prepared to move, screams erupted from the street below. Another victim had succumbed to the madness, and in the distance, a familiar shape moved with inhuman speed toward the water—scales glinting, horns catching moonlight as it disappeared into Shanghai's maze of shadows.

Chapter 5: The Monster's True Nature: Discovering the Source Behind the Plague

Zhang Gutai's apartment building stood silent in the pre-dawn darkness, its windows like dead eyes staring down at the empty street. Benedikt and Marshall crouched on a rooftop across the way, watching for any sign of the Secretary-General or the creature that had been terrorizing Shanghai. Hours passed with nothing but the distant sound of the city waking up. Then, just as Marshall began to doze, Benedikt grabbed his arm. "Movement," he whispered. A shape emerged onto the small balcony of Zhang's apartment—not the Secretary-General, but something else entirely. Something that moved with jerking, unnatural motions, its silhouette distorted by protrusions along its spine. The creature paused, as if sensing their observation, then leaped from the balcony to the street below with impossible grace. "Follow it," Marshall hissed, but Benedikt was already moving. They pursued the monster through Shanghai's narrow alleys, staying far enough back to avoid detection. The creature moved with purpose toward the Huangpu River, its claws scraping against cobblestones with each step. At the water's edge, it paused and did something that made both men's blood run cold. The monster's body convulsed violently, its spine arching as if in agony. Then, like a seed pod bursting, it expelled a cloud of tiny black specks that scattered in all directions—some flying into the city, others crawling along the ground with insect-like determination. "The insects," Benedikt realized with horror. "The monster is releasing insects." By morning, another wave of madness had swept through Shanghai, claiming dozens of lives. The pattern was becoming terrifyingly clear—the monster released insects by the river, and those insects somehow infected victims, driving them to tear out their own throats. When Roma and Juliette received this news, they knew they were running out of time. Alisa's condition was worsening, and the death toll was mounting on both sides of the blood feud. "We need to confront the Larkspur," Juliette said, her voice tight with determination. "If someone is controlling this monster, the Larkspur must know how." Using the address from the vaccine flyer, they tracked the mysterious figure to a teahouse in the old city. The building's top floor had been converted into an office, separated from what appeared to be a laboratory by thin partitions. Behind a white curtain, a figure sat at a desk. "Welcome, Miss Cai and Mr. Montagov," a voice greeted them, distorted and unnatural. "I've been expecting you." The office reeked of antiseptic and something else—a brackish odor that reminded Juliette of the river at low tide. She kept her hand near her pistol as they approached the curtain. "Show yourself," she demanded. "I prefer to maintain a certain mystique," the voice replied. Through the fabric, they could see only a silhouette. "But I understand you have questions about the madness plaguing our fair city." Roma stepped forward, his patience exhausted. "We know about Zhang Gutai. We know he's transforming into the monster." A chuckle emanated from behind the curtain. "Very good. You're cleverer than most who come seeking answers." "How is it happening?" Juliette asked. "And why are you selling vaccines instead of stopping it?" "Business, my dear. Simple business." The Larkspur's silhouette shifted, leaning forward. "Zhang Gutai came to me months ago, seeking a way to gain power over the gangs. I provided him with a solution—a serum that would transform him into something capable of spreading madness through the city." The casual way he spoke of such horror made Juliette's blood run cold. "You created the monster?" "I facilitated his transformation, yes. And now I profit from the chaos by selling protection to those who can afford it." The voice carried a note of pride. "Quite elegant, really." Roma's hand moved to his weapon. "Where is Zhang Gutai now?" "Where he always is before a transformation. His apartment, preparing for tonight's release of insects." They left the teahouse with their target identified, but doubt gnawed at Juliette. "It was too easy," she said as they hurried through the streets. "Why would he tell us exactly how to stop his business?" Roma's expression was grim. "Maybe there's more to this than we understand." At Zhang Gutai's apartment, they found the door unlocked. Inside, the Secretary-General himself sat at his desk, looking tired but entirely human. He startled when they entered, reaching for a drawer that likely contained a weapon. "We know what you're doing," Roma said, his pistol already drawn. "We know about the monster." Confusion crossed Zhang's face. "What monster? What are you talking about?" "Don't play innocent," Juliette snapped. "The Larkspur told us everything. You're transforming yourself to spread madness through Shanghai." Zhang's eyes widened in genuine terror. "The Larkspur? I've never heard that name. Please, there must be some mistake—" The shot rang out before he could finish. Roma watched in horror as blood bloomed across Zhang's chest. The Secretary-General looked down at the wound, then back up at them with bewilderment rather than guilt. "I don't understand," he whispered before collapsing. Even as Zhang Gutai died, screams erupted from the street below. Looking out the window, they saw people clawing at their throats, falling in the familiar throes of madness. In the distance, a hulking shape moved toward the river—the monster, still very much alive. "We killed an innocent man," Roma said, his voice hollow with realization. "The Larkspur lied to us."

Chapter 6: Betrayals and Revelations: The Larkspur's Identity Unveiled

The truth hit Juliette like a physical blow as they raced down the stairs of Zhang Gutai's building. The monster was still alive, still spreading its plague of insects through Shanghai, which meant the Secretary-General had never been the creature at all. They had been manipulated, used as weapons to eliminate someone who might have been trying to stop the madness. "Qi Ren," she gasped as they reached the street. "Zhang's assistant. Remember how nervous he was? How he kept touching his throat?" Roma's face went pale with understanding. "He's the one transforming." They pursued the monster through crowded streets, warning people to take cover as they ran. But they were too late to prevent it from reaching the river, where it released another cloud of insects that scattered across the water and into the city like a black plague. Exhausted and defeated, they retreated to regroup. The death of Zhang Gutai would soon be discovered, and both gangs would be implicated in the murder of a Communist leader. The situation was spiraling beyond their control. "We need to find the real Larkspur," Roma said, his voice tight with frustration. "He's been playing us from the beginning." Through Marshall's connections in Shanghai's underworld, they tracked down a British smuggler named Archibald Welch, rumored to make deliveries for the mysterious vaccine seller. They found him in a dangerous neutral zone called Mantua, where gangsters from both sides mingled in uneasy truce. Archibald was a mountain of a man with a scar running from his left eye to his jaw. He agreed to answer their questions, but only if they matched him drink for drink—a dangerous proposition given the potency of the local alcohol. "The Larkspur's been operating in Shanghai for months," he revealed after several rounds of rice wine. "But here's the interesting part—he had the vaccine formula before the madness even started spreading." "How is that possible?" Juliette asked, the room beginning to spin slightly. Archibald leaned in conspiratorially. "Because he brought the first infected insects here from London. He started the whole bloody mess, then positioned himself to profit from the cure." The revelation staggered them. The madness wasn't a Communist plot or gang warfare—it was a calculated business venture by someone who created disasters to sell solutions. "Who is he?" Roma demanded. "That's the million-dollar question, isn't it?" Archibald grinned, showing gold teeth. "But I can tell you where to find him. The Long Fa Teahouse, top floor. He's got a laboratory up there where he makes his precious vaccine." Before they could leave Mantua, police sirens wailed outside. The municipal forces were raiding the establishment, and everyone inside was trapped. Juliette grabbed Roma's hand, pulling him toward a back staircase as officers flooded the main floor. They found themselves pressed together in a small storage room, hiding from the police as they searched the building. In the close confines, with adrenaline coursing through their veins and alcohol lowering their inhibitions, the tension that had been building between them finally broke. "I never stopped loving you," Roma whispered, his hand touching her cheek. "You betrayed me," she replied, but there was no venom in her words anymore. "I had no choice. My father threatened to kill you if I didn't help him stage an attack on your family. I thought if I made you hate me, if I drove you away from Shanghai, you'd be safe." The confession hung in the air between them. Four years of hatred and hurt suddenly recontextualized. Roma had sacrificed their love to save her life, choosing to become the villain in her story rather than let her die. Before Juliette could respond, his lips found hers, and for a moment the world outside ceased to exist. When they finally broke apart, reality came rushing back—the city was still in danger, the monster was still loose, and they had a Larkspur to find. "We'll figure this out later," Juliette said, straightening her clothes. "Right now, we have a city to save." But as they slipped out of Mantua and made their way toward the Long Fa Teahouse, both knew that something fundamental had shifted between them. The hate that had sustained Juliette for four years was crumbling, replaced by something far more dangerous—hope.

Chapter 7: Love and Sacrifice: Racing Against Time to Save Shanghai

The Long Fa Teahouse stood empty in the pre-dawn darkness, its windows black and lifeless. Juliette and Roma approached cautiously, weapons drawn, knowing they were walking into the heart of the conspiracy that had terrorized Shanghai for months. Inside, they climbed narrow stairs to the top floor, where the Larkspur had established his laboratory. The door stood ajar, as if he was expecting them. They entered to find a figure seated behind a desk, his back turned to them. "Welcome," the man said without turning around. "I wondered when you'd finally track me down." He swiveled his chair to face them, and Juliette's blood turned to ice. Walter Dexter smiled at them with cold satisfaction, his merchant's facade finally dropped to reveal the calculating predator beneath. "You," she breathed. "Disappointed, Miss Cai? I thought you'd have figured it out sooner." Walter stood, moving with the confidence of a man who held all the cards. "Did you really think a simple British trader could afford a mansion in the International Settlement? I've been the Larkspur since before I came to Shanghai—creating diseases, then selling cures. This city was just my latest market." Roma kept his gun trained on Walter. "You're insane." "I'm a businessman," Walter corrected. "And business has never been better. The beauty of my operation is its simplicity—I control both the supply and demand. I create the monster, then profit from people's desperation to escape it." "How?" Juliette demanded. "How do you control the creature?" Walter reached into his desk drawer, producing a strange whistle made of what looked like bone. "Qi Ren was dying of cancer when I found him. I offered him a choice—death, or transformation into something powerful. He chose transformation, and now he serves me completely." "The insects," Roma said, understanding dawning. "You're using him to spread them." "Precisely. The creature releases insects on my command, the insects drive people mad, and the desperate survivors pay handsomely for my vaccine." Walter's smile was triumphant. "I've made more money in six months than most men see in a lifetime." Before either of them could react, Walter blew the whistle. The sound was barely audible to human ears, but its effect was immediate. From somewhere below came an answering roar, followed by the sound of claws scraping against wood. "I'm afraid our conversation must end here," Walter said, backing toward a window. "The monster doesn't distinguish between friend and foe once it's been summoned." The creature burst through the floor below them, its horned spine and silver eyes exactly as witnesses had described. Up close, it was even more terrifying—a fusion of man and nightmare that moved with deadly purpose. Juliette and Roma scattered as the monster charged, its claws gouging deep furrows in the wooden floor. Walter had already escaped through the window, leaving them trapped with his creation. "The whistle," Roma shouted over the monster's roars. "If we can get the whistle, maybe we can control it." They fought their way toward the window, but the creature was too fast, cutting off their escape routes. In desperation, Juliette grabbed a vial of the blue vaccine from Walter's laboratory equipment and hurled it at the monster's face. The liquid hit the creature's eyes, and it screamed—a sound of pure agony that shattered the remaining windows. For a moment, it seemed stunned, giving them the opening they needed. Roma tackled the monster around its legs while Juliette dove for Walter's dropped whistle. Her fingers closed around the bone instrument just as the creature recovered and swung its claws toward Roma's exposed back. Without thinking, Juliette threw herself between them. The claws meant for Roma tore through her shoulder instead, sending her crashing into the wall. Pain exploded through her body, but she managed to bring the whistle to her lips. The sound that emerged was different from Walter's command—not a summons, but a dismissal. The monster froze, its silver eyes losing their feral gleam. For a moment, it looked almost human again, and Juliette could see traces of Qi Ren in its tortured features. "I'm sorry," she whispered to the creature. "I'm so sorry this happened to you." The monster—Qi Ren—nodded once, then collapsed. As it died, its body began to dissolve, releasing one final cloud of insects. But these insects were different—instead of seeking new hosts, they simply fell to the ground and crumbled to dust. Roma caught Juliette as she swayed, her shoulder bleeding heavily. "You saved me," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "We saved each other," she replied, leaning into his warmth. Outside, Shanghai was waking up to a new day. The madness that had plagued the city for months was finally over, the monster dead, its creator fled. There would be consequences—questions about Zhang Gutai's death, investigations into the vaccine conspiracy, political upheaval as the power balance shifted. But for now, in the ruins of the Larkspur's laboratory, two heirs from feuding families held each other as the sun rose over their divided city. The blood feud between Scarlets and White Flowers would continue—some hatreds ran too deep to heal overnight. But perhaps, in time, love might prove stronger than the violence that had defined their world. "What happens now?" Juliette asked as sirens wailed in the distance. Roma's arms tightened around her. "Now we go home. And we figure out how to build something better from the ashes."

Summary

In the neon-soaked streets of 1926 Shanghai, love and hatred danced their eternal waltz while monsters both human and inhuman stalked the shadows. Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov, heirs to rival criminal empires, discovered that some enemies can only be defeated together—even as their own blood feud threatened to consume them. The madness that drove victims to tear out their own throats was not the work of Communist revolutionaries or gang warfare, but the calculated cruelty of Walter Dexter, a merchant who

About Author

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Chloe Gong

Gong investigates the intersections of political intrigue and complex romance through richly detailed historical settings, particularly in her young adult fiction. Her debut, "These Violent Delights," a New York Times bestseller, reimagines "Romeo and Juliet" in 1920s Shanghai, showcasing her knack for blending classical influences with dynamic new contexts. Her books often explore themes of societal conflict and individual agency, drawing upon her academic background in English and International Relations to construct narratives that are both immersive and thought-provoking.\n\nIncorporating elements of fantasy and historical depth, Gong's work invites readers to engage with layered stories that transcend traditional genre boundaries. Her spinoff duology starting with "Foul Lady Fortune" and her adult fantasy trilogy, which begins with "Immortal Longings," demonstrate her ability to expand upon established worlds while introducing new perspectives and conflicts. The success of these books underscores her skill in crafting narratives that resonate on multiple levels, appealing to diverse audiences seeking both entertainment and reflection.\n\nReaders drawn to Chloe Gong's bio will find an author whose career is marked by both critical acclaim and commercial success, with her works published in over twenty countries and featured in prominent publications like The New York Times and Cosmopolitan. Her recognition as one of Forbes' 30 Under 30 for 2024 further cements her status as a significant literary voice of her generation, connecting with audiences through stories that resonate with historical richness and imaginative depth.

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