Part 40 Kayden
The Uber dropped me off in an unfamiliar area. I glanced at my phone, double-checking the map link from the text to confirm I was in the right spot. The app showed I was exactly where I needed to be.
The surrounding buildings were all brand new, their sleek, modern designs hinting that they'd just opened for commercial use. The streets felt empty, with only a few cars parked along the curbs and an occasional pedestrian in sight. The quietness gave the place an almost unfinished feel, as though it was waiting for life to fill it.
Directly in front of me was a large building with gray concrete walls and an aluminum roof. A narrow, horizontal window sat high on the wall, and a massive metal double door marked the entrance. I looked up at the building number: No. 10 . I checked my phone again. Yes, this was it.
But it didn't make sense. Why did he ask to meet me in this kind of place?
Needing to be sure, I reopened the conversation and tapped the call button, but before it connected, I heard my name.
"Kayden!"
I turned to see Theo jogging toward me, a frown on his face.
"Hey," I greeted him.
He stopped in front of me, slightly out of breath. "Kayden," he panted, hands on his hips. "Why did you ask to meet me here? What is this place?"
Now, it was my turn to frown. "What do you mean? You asked to meet me here."
"What?" Theo balked. "I got a message from you, and it had this address!"
I shook my head, feeling just as confused. "No way. I got a message from you asking to meet here."
"Same here!" He bellowed, pulling his phone from his back pocket. After scrolling for a moment, he held up his screen. "See? You asked me to come here."
I showed him my screen as well, and the confusion on his face mirrored my own.
Just then, the big double door swung open, and a face appeared that made Theo go rigid. I could sense the tension as he froze beside me, his face turning pale. He let out a soft gasp, "Keith."
I glanced at him, noticing the shock in his expression, before turning back to the tall man now stepping outside onto the sidewalk. I knew who Keith was, but I had no idea what was happening.
"He's waiting for you inside," Keith said in a low tone, his gaze fixed firmly on Theo. Then his eyes shifted to me. "You too."
Theo swallowed audibly. "Okay," he said, his voice small and timid. He looked like a kid who'd had one too many beers and got caught sneaking in past curfew. With his head hung between his shoulders, he whispered to me, "Come on, Kayden. Let's go in."
Bewildered, I decided to follow him, walking past Keith, who I noticed was even taller than me. The man's gaze followed me until I was inside, and then he closed the door.
The place turned out to be a multi-purpose facility that combined both basketball and futsal into one court. The floors were marked with lines for each sport, creating distinct spaces for games. The high ceiling and bright overhead lights gave the place a spacious, open feel. It was clear that the place was newly built and hadn't been used much, if not at all.
Then I noticed another man, just as he sank a shot into one of the hoops. He wore black track pants and a black sleeveless hoodie, his head shaved close, arms covered in intricate tattoos. He let the ball bounce forward until Keith caught it.
The man turned to face me, and I felt my breath catch. I'd never seen him in person, but I knew exactly who he was.
Liam Banks.
The founder of InfiniTech.
The man I'd idolized for as long as I could remember.
Also, the man who'd been pining for my mom.
As he walked toward me, his stride full of the confidence of someone who'd conquered the world, I was struck by how young he was—probably in his early thirties. Definitely a lot younger than my mom, which just felt... weird. I didn't really know what to think about it.
"Kayden," he gave me a nod as he stood in front of me, hands in his pockets, mirroring my own stance. "I don't think introductions are necessary," he smiled. "But it's nice to finally meet you."
I had to look up to meet his gaze. "Likewise, Mr. Banks," I replied.
"Just Liam would be fine," he said, tilting his head as he studied me. "Your eyes are exactly like your mother's." He said it almost to himself, as if in awe.
"So, I've been told," I mumbled.
Liam turned slightly, his face still in my direction. "You play basketball, don't you, Kayden?"
My eyes narrowed, suspicious. "Yes."
He walked away, catching the ball that Keith threw his way. "Want to play with us?"
I swallowed, a sense of unease creeping over me. Whatever this was, it felt like I was about to play with people way out of my league—not in basketball, but in everything else. These were the kinds of people who shaped industries. People like Liam Banks were on an entirely different level.
"Sure," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. I noticed Theo standing off to the side, still tense. "You play?" I asked him.
He shook his head, looking sheepish. "I usually just sit on the side, eating snacks and cheering for whichever team's losing."
"We usually play with people from the office," Liam said, dodging Keith, who tried to snatch the ball from him. He tossed the ball to me, and I caught it, dribbling as I walked closer to them. "You and I can team up against Keith. He's just too damn good at this."
"Okay..." I trailed off, my heart pounding in my chest. I had no idea where this was going, but there was something Liam wanted to say. And I had a strong feeling it had something to do with what Theo and I were involved in.
Liam and I lined up against Keith, who stood across from us like he owned the place. He had that air about him—calm, confident, like he knew he was about to win no matter what. Keith made the first move, and holy shit , he was fast, dribbling hard and closing the space between him and Liam. Liam didn't flinch, though. He stayed tight, keeping his footing, not giving Keith an inch. I hung back a bit, watching for my chance, but Keith was pushing forward, trying to break through.
Just as I'd hoped, Keith went for the basket. I stepped in, forcing him to pull back and make a pass. The ball flew to the side, and Liam was right there, grabbing it before Keith had a chance to react.
Liam was quick, scanning for me as he moved. Keith was closing in, but Liam didn't back down. He passed the ball to me, and I was already heading toward the hoop. Without hesitation, I took the shot. The ball sailed through the air and dived cleanly through the net.
Keith watched the ball fall to the floor, then turned to me with a wide grin. "Nice shot, kid," he said.
Liam gripped my shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. He didn't say a word; he just flashed me a smile, and I took it as a silent acknowledgment. My chest swelled with pride.
"One more," Liam said.
One more? And then what?
The game started again, and the pace picked up. Keith wasn't holding back this time, charging toward the basket right away. Liam stepped in to block, but Keith spun past him and sent the ball up for a shot. It bounced off the rim, then rolled in. The score was tied at one.
Liam leaped for the rebound, grabbing it before Keith could get to it. He passed the ball to me, and I was already set at the three-point line.
I didn't waste any time. I took the shot, feeling the ball leave my hands, and watched as it whooshed through the air, landing perfectly in the net with a smooth swish.
The game wrapped up. I stood there, suddenly frozen. Nervous sweat started to form, and it wasn't from the exertion.
"Good game, Kayden," Liam said with a nod. "Not every day Keith gets beaten at basketball."
Keith chuckled, brushing off the loss with a grin. "Yeah, let's do this again sometime. Next time, we'll play a proper game."
My mind whirled on the words ' next time.'
"Now. Let's talk over there." Liam pointed at an area off the court with a few round tables, each with four chairs.
Oh, fuck. What's happening here?
Liam and Keith walked ahead, and I followed, my confidence suddenly faltering. I'd never felt more like a little kid than I did right then, and they hadn't done or said much to me beyond the basketball game.
Behind me, Theo followed, his head down like he was heading to detention.
"Water?" Liam asked, glancing over towards us. He opened the chiller by the wall.
I nodded. "Yeah
He grabbed four bottles of water at once and brought them to the table where the three of us were sitting. As he handed them out, he said, "You probably know we brought you here to talk about something."
I twisted the cap off my water and took a long drink before responding. "I have a guess, sir."
"Liam," he corrected with a grin. "Please, no 'sir.'"
"Okay," I muttered. I wasn't sure why, but calling him by his first name still felt off.
"Mind telling us what you thought what this was about?" he asked, before taking a sip of his own water.
"I'd rather you tell me, sir—uh, Liam. There's a chance I might be wrong about this."
Beside me, Theo sighed. "Come on, Liam. Let's not drag this out. I'm getting very anxious here. You want to lecture me about helping Kayden hack into his dad's phone, don't you?"
"And hack into that woman's phone," Keith added, his voice laced with irritation. He glanced at Liam, as if searching for something in his memory. "What's her name again?" He paused, and then the realization seemed to strike. "Oh, right. Vanessa?"
"Yes," Liam replied, his gaze steady on mine. But there was something about his expression—no judgment, just a quiet concern, as if he was unsure how I'd react to hearing her name.
"I did it with good intentions," Theo muttered defensively, crossing his arms. "I'm just trying to help."
"Help who?" Keith snapped, his voice rising, clearly pissed off.
Theo shrank under their combined glares, his posture deflating. "Helping Liam..." he mumbled.
"And why the fuck do you think I needed help?" Liam asked; his voice was only a soft growl, but I shuddered a little at the sound. "I've told you many times before, Theo—stop meddling in my business. But you never listen."
"But she kept playing with your heart, Liam. You love her so much, and she—" Theo started, but the sharp glare Liam shot at him immediately silenced him.
"Why you decided to help Kayden, Theo?" Keith asked, sounding bewildered. "I don't quite understand that part."
"Well..." Theo paused for a moment, likely trying to find the right words. "He's her son. I was hoping that when you get her back and finally move forward with her, you wouldn't face much resistance from Kayden."
"Fuck, Theo," Liam sighed, shaking his head. "You're making it sound like I'm so hopeless that I need help with my relationship."
Theo opened his mouth as if to defend himself, but he shut it again, struggling to come up with a response.
Liam shifted his attention to me. "I know that you tried to hack my phone and email too," he said, not with an accusation, but as if stating a simple fact. "Which means that you found out about me from your mom's phone."
I swallowed, my nerves kicking in even more, but I hoped my anxiety didn't show. "Yes. But I didn't succeed."
"Of course," Liam replied, the tone almost as if he was thinking, Duh, do you even know who I am?
He paused before continuing, "And I'm guessing that's how you ended up meeting Theo."
I nodded, keeping my gaze fixed on the table in front of me, not wanting to meet his eyes.
"I'm not here to judge you, Kayden," Liam said, his voice calm. "Nor to reprimand you for your actions. But don't get me wrong—I don't agree with what you did to your dad or to that woman. I'm sure you've already reflected on that yourself."
I nodded, my head hanging lower. I never expected things to turn out like this. I never thought she would lose control or hurt my dad. I just wanted her to face the consequences of what she'd done to our family. I wanted her to suffer for making my mom suffer like that. And I thought I was helping that Ryan guy by showing him what a horrible person his fiancée was.
She hurt my dad. The image of him, bruised and battered, with his leg so badly injured, hit me again. The guilt and anger that had been eating at me since I found out came rushing back in full force. My hands were clammy, and I didn't even realize I'd been squeezing the bottle so tightly until it spilled over.
"The reason Keith and I called you and Theo here is to stop you both from doing even more damage," Liam said, his gaze fixed firmly on Theo. "More than what you've done these past two days."
Theo paused, his face shifting as the realization seemed to hit him. "You know about that?" he asked, shock clear in his voice.
Liam let out a sigh, clearly exasperated. "Theo..."
"Yeah. Why am I even surprised?" Theo exhaled, leaning back in his chair, looking defeated. "I should've known I couldn't fool you. I just thought you wouldn't have time for something like this."
"Keith and I could've talked to Theo alone about this and stopped him from helping you," Liam continued, addressing his words to me. "But then we realized that by now, you could've done it yourself even without Theo's help. You're a very smart kid, Kayden. I'm in awe at what you can do at this age."
It should've been a compliment, and I should've felt proud of myself. But all I could think about was the time I was called to the principal's office for hacking into the school's system to get the physics exam questions and handing them out to my friends.
I also remembered that Dad had to pay the school a lot of money to keep me from getting expelled or reported to the police. They quickly changed the questions for the test, and it ended up being the hardest one we'd ever taken. The class hated me for it.
I still got an A, though. So... there's that.
"You both created a lot of rifts in the corporate world these past few days," Liam said, his expression one of clear disappointment. But he was looking at Theo, so I figured he wasn't upset with me. "We managed to retract most of it, but some of the emails had already been read, so there's no way to stop that."
I knew exactly what Liam was referring to—the anonymous email Theo and I had sent to HR at Vanessa's company, along with a few prominent headhunters in the city. I'd kept my dad's involvement out of it, but the rest of the details—the police report revealing her obsession with a man (with my dad's name covered), her stalking him, and ultimately running him over—were enough to destroy her career. No one would want to hire someone like her—unhinged and with a criminal history.
And even if my dad's name had been revealed, nothing could be done to him. He owned a very prominent, very large company, and in the report, he was the victim of a crazy woman's actions.
"You both made Keith and I very busy." Liam added.
"You both need to stop this," Keith said, his voice heavy with disappointment. "I get wanting payback, but this has gone way too far."
I could feel Theo tense up, just like me, especially when Keith added, "I expected more from you, Theo. You're supposed to be the adult here."
"I'm sorry," Theo murmured, his voice so quiet I could barely catch it. I glanced over and saw the look of shame on his face.
"I need your word—from both of you—that this stops here," Liam said, his tone firm. It took me right back to Principal Boone's office—he'd always had a way of making me feel like a little kid, and now Liam seemed to have the same effect. But unlike Boone, who liked to abuse his authority, Liam seemed genuinely concerned, like he wanted to pull us back before we headed down a worse path.
"Okay," Theo said quietly, lifting his gaze and noticing Keith's unconvinced expression. "Okay, I promise!"
"Kayden?" Liam asked me.
"Okay," I conceded with a sigh. I knew already that I had to stop. That email was the last one I would do this to her. "I'll stop."
"I know that you were the one who found out about the accident," Liam said, turning to me. "How is he, by the way?"
"Theo helped me with that," I replied. "He suggested checking hospitals, and he searched through all the ones around the area where my dad works and lives until we found him. I couldn't have done it with all the chaos of packing and traveling back home. He's recovering now. The doctor says he's going to be okay, but he'll need therapy to walk properly again."
Liam nodded thoughtfully, absorbing it all. I noticed that Keith's expression had relaxed, his gaze on Theo now carrying a hint of pride.
Then Liam turned his attention to me again and asked, "How's your mom?"
I studied his expression, noting how his gaze softened when he mentioned my mom. "She's doing well," I replied. "The holiday was really good for her." He gave me a smile—a genuine one—that made me think he was truly happy to hear she was doing okay.
"Up for another game of basketball?" Liam asked, standing up.
"Yeah," I said, feeling myself lit up, relieved that the talk was over, and it wasn't as bad as I thought. "That'd be great."
We played for another half hour. Keith came back with full force and ended up beating Liam and me two to one when the game finished. Throughout the whole time, Theo kept complaining about the lack of snacks at the court, pouting and scowling in the corner with his arms crossed over his chest.
Liam asked if I wanted a ride back home, but I declined, telling him I'd take an Uber to the hospital to check on my dad. He nodded and said, "Safe trip, then."
When the Uber app on my phone notified me that the car was approaching, I walked toward the front door. But halfway there, I stopped and turned to Liam. The question that had been nagging at me since the game started finally slipped out.
"Are you..." I hesitated, trying to find the right words, "Are you my mom's boyfriend now?"
His face shifted, and for the first time, I couldn't read him. "Your mom decided to leave me. She wants to move on with her life."
"Okay..." I trailed off, unsure whether I should feel relieved or disappointed. Honestly, I didn't know what I was supposed to feel about this.
"And I decided," he continued, his tone going cold, " that I'll do the same."