Chapter 4

Had he missed something crucial about that incident? Kaiden's anger had clouded his judgment, making him overlook vital details. What really happened ten years ago?

"Damn!" he muttered, slamming his hand on the desk. "How could I have missed this?" How had he not questioned all those whys?

"Sir, the meeting is in five minutes," his secretary's voice broke through his thoughts.

The truth was, Kaiden wasn’t in the mood for the meeting anymore. His mind was a mess, but as a successful businessman, he couldn’t let his emotions affect his work.

"Noted," he replied coldly.

His secretary, not wanting to risk getting caught in his bad mood, quickly left the office. She wasn’t foolish. She could tell her boss wasn’t in the best state.

Kaiden took a deep breath, forced himself to push his emotions aside, and grabbed his jacket before heading to the meeting room.

That night, Kaiden lay awake, Jerome’s words echoing in his mind. There were so many whys. He had to find out what really happened that year. Maybe, just maybe, answering those questions would help him stop blaming his mother and let go of the past.

Penelope. Could he ever forget her? Jerome had said there was no love between them, but Kaiden didn’t believe that. If there was no love, why did his heart still ache so much because of her death? Why hadn’t he moved on with another woman? Nothing felt right without her.

He was only 22, and she was 19 when the tragedy struck. Such a young life taken so suddenly.

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed deeply. He missed her, more than he cared to admit. Back then, their friends had envied their relationship.

Penelope had been such a wonderful person, always there for him. Kaiden thought back to the good old days and a sad smile tugged at his lips. "I miss you, Penelope," he whispered softly to the empty room.

If she were still alive, who knows? They might have been married by now. Since her death, he had become bitter. He had tried to let go, but it never worked.

In an attempt to fill the void, he sought short, meaningless sexual encounters with different women, but even then, he regretted it. He had spent four years as a celibate since then, trying to make sense of it all.

None of the women his mother introduced to him ever seemed to like him. He remembered once trying to make a relationship work with one of them, but he walked out on their first date. It just wasn’t right.

There were rumors. Some said he was gay. People even thought Jerome was his partner. Did Kaiden try to clear things up? No. He didn’t care.

At one point, people went as far as to assume he indulged in bestiality. Bestiality? How could they even think that?

It all started after several young men, thinking he was gay, approached him, hoping for a relationship with such a successful businessman. But when Kaiden rejected them all, they assumed something was wrong with him, something beyond just being uninterested in men or women. They must’ve thought he preferred animals, since he didn’t want anyone.

How the rumor spread, Kaiden never bothered to figure out. Let them think whatever they wanted, he didn’t care. Only Jerome and the women involved knew about his past flings. He paid them generously and threatened them to keep quiet. So, his secret remained just that his secret.

Kaiden picked up his phone, typed out a few instructions, and dialed a number. "I’ve sent the instructions to you," he said flatly.

Once done, he dropped the phone on the nightstand and stared up at the ceiling. Slowly, his mind wandered, and soon, he drifted off to sleep.

BLASAN GROUP

"Come in."

The door swung open, and Kaiden’s assistant, Alex, walked in, holding a brown envelope.

"I'll send for you later, Emily," Kaiden said, gesturing for his second assistant to leave. She had been explaining some details to him before Alex arrived.

"Okay, Sir," Emily replied, giving him a polite nod. As she approached the door, she paused for a moment, casting a brief glance at the brown envelope in Alex's hand.

"Any problem, Emily?" Kaiden asked, his tone sharp. He had caught her little action.

Emily quickly composed herself, flashing a broad smile. "Not at all, Sir." She then left, shutting the door behind her.

Kaiden chuckled under his breath. "Be careful of her."

"I know, boss," Alex replied, a trace of caution in his voice. "I don’t trust her." He had been working with Kaiden long before Emily joined the company, and from the moment she arrived, Alex had felt something was off about her. Though they worked together frequently, his instincts told him that Emily wasn’t as harmless as she seemed.

"Good," Kaiden said. "If not for her input in the company, I would have let her go a long time ago."

His gut told him Emily had a secret, something dangerous, but he hadn’t been able to find any concrete proof. She appeared calm, responsible, and innocent, but his instincts screamed otherwise.

"Were you able to get what I requested?" Kaiden asked, turning his attention back to the task at hand.

"Yes, boss," Alex replied, stepping closer and handing over the brown envelope.

Kaiden opened it and pulled out the documents, flipping through them quickly. A satisfied nod followed as he reviewed the contents.

"Good job, Alex."

"Thank you, boss. Is there anything else?" Alex asked, his voice steady but curious.

Kaiden tapped his pen on the desk, lost in thought. "Tell the driver to get the car ready," he said, his tone firm but calculated.

"Okay," Alex responded before quickly leaving the office.

Kaiden continued to read through the documents in his hands, his expression darkening. "I hope I can unravel this," he muttered under his breath. His mind was already racing with possibilities, wondering what secrets might lie hidden within the pages.

Minutes later, Alex returned. "It's done, Sir."

"Let's go," Kaiden replied, tucking the documents into his cabinet. He grabbed his jacket and made his way out of the office, Alex following closely behind.

As they neared the elevator, Kaiden stopped suddenly, his voice dropping to a whisper.

"Alex."

"Boss?" Alex was confused, wondering why Kaiden had halted.

"Go back to my office and get the document from my cabinet." Kaiden's instincts were on high alert. Something wasn’t right. He remembered dismissing Emily when Alex arrived, yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that she was up to something.

He had caught a glimpse of her sneaking behind the coffee room, trying to hide as they walked out. The movement was quick, but Kaiden had seen it. Why was she still on the 10th floor? Was she hiding from them?

"Okay, Sir," Alex said, now fully understanding that Kaiden was onto something. He quickly went back to retrieve the document.

Once Alex returned with the file, they both entered the elevator. Kaiden’s lips curved into a small smile, a mix of amusement and curiosity in his expression.

"Emily," he whispered to himself. "Such a smart move... but I’m smarter. What are you up to? My instincts are never wrong."

He leaned back slightly, her action quickly processing in his mind. It’s okay. Two can play the game.