Chapter 3

"Why did you all die? Why did the Smiths die? Why did Penelope die?" Cheryl sobbed uncontrollably, her heart breaking with each word.

"Mom, it wasn’t your fault. You only wanted to help," Sylvester tried to comfort her, though he, too, carried the weight of those events. If not for his mother’s attempt to warn the Smiths, the tragedy of that day would never have happened.

"But Kaiden doesn’t see it that way," Cheryl whispered, her voice filled with guilt and sorrow. "I know it's because of Penelope."

Penelope had been very close to Kaiden. She was the only daughter of Marvel Smith and Rosalie Smith, and aside from her, they had one other child, Jerry Smith.

Kaiden and Penelope had been childhood friends, growing up side by side. As time passed, their friendship blossomed into love, and they became inseparable. Their families were thrilled when they realized the two had fallen for each other, and the relationship seemed perfect.

Their love was without flaws, and everyone thought it was a match made in heaven. Both families had high hopes for their future, dreaming of a marriage that would unite them even more. But that future never came. Penelope died in that crash.

Since then, Kaiden changed dangerously. He became cold, distant, and ruthless. The vibrant, loving man he once was had vanished, leaving only a shadow of his former self. He showed no mercy to those who wronged him, his heart hardened by the loss.

Kaiden poured himself into his business, building an empire with the perfection and dedication of a true tycoon. He earned the respect of both partners and competitors, with a reputation for being flawless in business. But there was one thing missing. There was no serious woman in his life.

No woman was ever close to him, except for his second assistant, whom he kept around due to her dedication and work ethic.

Cheryl had tried for years to introduce him to countless women, hoping to help him move on, but Kaiden never showed any interest. He remained unreachable, his heart forever lost to the past.

Emily was one of the many women Cheryl had introduced to Kaiden, hoping that one of them would finally reach his heart. She had even given Emily the spare keys to Kaiden's house, expecting that this would be the breakthrough she needed to help Kaiden move on. But things didn’t go as planned. Instead of bringing Kaiden closer, Cheryl ended up being hurt, feeling betrayed by both Emily and Kaiden.

"It's okay, Mom. I'll talk to him. He must have reacted out of anger," Sylvester reassured her, trying to comfort her through her tears.

"Okay, son," Cheryl nodded, a soft, tired acceptance in her voice. "I'll take a shower."

Sylvester left the room, his face a mixture of anger, sadness, and pity. When would Kaiden finally let go of the past?

10TH FLOOR, BLASAN GROUP

The office, carefully decorated and filled with a sterile silence, felt heavier than usual. Two men sat across from each other, immersed in their own thoughts. The heaviness of the atmosphere matched the bleakness in their expressions.

"You shouldn't have, KD. You went too far," Jerome's voice broke the silence. His concern was clear, and it was obvious he disapproved of Kaiden's actions.

"She caused it. She pushed me too far," Kaiden responded in a low, sober tone.

After the confrontation with his mother, he’d gone home and replayed everything in his mind.

Had he gone too far? Maybe he shouldn’t have brought up the accident, but it had hurt him deeply every time he remembered that his mother had been chasing after the Smiths just before their tragic deaths.

An entire family was wiped out in that crash. Mr. Smith, his wife, their only daughter, their only son, and the housekeeper. All gone. The thought haunted him. His mother wouldn't have chased them. She would have just let them go.

"She did all that for you, KD. You're 32 and still haven't had a serious relationship," Jerome said, concern edging his words.

"For me?" Kaiden’s voice became bitter. "It wasn’t for me. It was for her own benefit." He scoffed. "Can't you see that? All those women are just daughters of her circle of friends and business partners. She wants to be seen as the perfect mother, pushing me into some ideal relationship. But they don't understand." He cut Jerome off, his frustration growing.

"KD—"

"Stop, Jerome." Kaiden’s voice was sharp. He leaned back in his chair, the weight of his words hanging heavily in the room.

"It’s not about me, it never was. It's about her own image, her connections, her business. None of it was ever about what I wanted."

Kaiden realized his friend was right. Those women were indeed connected to Cheryl Glevon’s circle. But still…

"Wait a minute, KD, aren't you supposed to marry someone from one of those prestigious families? Isn’t that the rule in your family? So, your mom did what was expected," his friend Jerome said, making Kaiden feel like he was losing this argument.

It was clear Jerome was fully backing his mother’s actions and had come to his office to indirectly scold him. Kaiden didn’t even feel like responding.

"You're not saying anything, KD? If you don’t want the women she introduced, then find someone yourself," Jerome raised his voice a bit.

Kaiden’s brow furrowed in irritation. "Are you yelling at me, Jerome?"

Jerome quickly regretted raising his voice, swallowing hard. He would never shout at Kaiden, but he couldn’t hold back. "I’m sorry if I raised my voice, but just listen to me for once."

He’d tried to help, but it felt like nothing worked.

"Fine!! KD!! You can pick one of those women you've had flings with." The moment the words left his mouth, Jerome immediately regretted it. It was too late. The topic was one Kaiden could never tolerate.

Kaiden's face twisted with anger. Did Jerome really just mention those women?

His eyes flared with fury, and his fists clenched tight. "Jerome!!!" Yes, those flings had been a way for him to release his pent-up desires, but afterward, he always hated himself for it. For three years, he had stayed away from that life. Now, his friend had dragged him back into the ugly past he desperately wanted to forget.

"I’m sorry, man," Jerome quickly apologized, realizing how deeply he'd hurt him.

Kaiden gave Jerome a cold, intense glare, his chest tightening as he took a deep breath. He slowly unclenched his fist.

"I have a meeting to attend, Jerome," he said, standing up from his chair. He opened the drawer and began rifling through it.

Jerome could feel the finality in Kaiden’s tone. It was clear the conversation was over, and he had crossed a line. Without another word, Jerome grabbed his phone and stood up to leave.

"Fine, I’m leaving, but instead of dragging up the past with your mom, maybe think for once!" Jerome’s voice was sharp.

"Why were the Smiths running that day? Why didn’t they pick up your mom’s calls? Why didn’t they stop when they saw her chasing after them? Did they commit some crime? Are they involved in that attack on your mom a few days before?"

Jerome paused, watching Kaiden’s face for a reaction. When he saw Kaiden’s expression was calm, he pressed on.

"You’ve been sulking over Penelope’s death, but ask yourself. Did you even love her? Was it real love? Or was she just like a sister to you?" He spat firmly.

"I loves her Jerome and you know it," Kaiden voiced in annoyance.

Jerome stared intently at his friend, then shook his head. "I'm sorry KD, but I didn't know,"

Jerome had always felt that something was missing between Kaiden and Penelope. That spark, the kind of love that burns brightly, was never there. All he saw was affection, a fondness that could easily be mistaken for something deeper, but it wasn’t love.

Maybe his judgment was wrong, after all, people love in different ways. But then… the accident.

As he turned to leave, Jerome couldn’t help but add, "There are so many questions about that accident. You've been investigating, but don't you think you've missed something crucial?" And with that, he stormed out, not sparing Kaiden another look.

Kaiden sat there, stunned, the words sinking deep into him.

Jerome’s words hit him harder than he expected. Kaiden’s mouth opened, but no words came out. He sat frozen, staring at the door as his friend stormed out, his mind swirling. Slowly, he sank back into his chair, his hands clutching his face, lost in thought.