Chapter 59
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
ORION
Stress had worn me ragged the past week, and it was giving me a headache. I realized I hadn’t been drinking my dandelion tea. Elena had given me a box of tea bags and a bottle of honey for me to make at work.
God, I miss her so much.
I just needed one more week to complete things, and I could return to her. Then we could deal with whatever hung between us. There was a barrier wedged between us, and I needed to remove it.
I added a little honey like she always did, stirred, and sipped the tea. My body immediately relaxed. It was like I was drinking in happiness. I didn’t know what she had in the tea bag, but it always worked for me. I sat back in my office chair and enjoyed this quiet moment. Her face splashed into my vision and released the tension that had wrung my body.
I’d received confirmation that the summer camp—which my parents had funded for a long time—was now closed because of an ongoing international investigation involving sex crimes. All the directors and staff assistants who had disregarded the complaints of former victims were being questioned. Jasper, Connor, and his other buddies were also on the list.
He’d posted bail and was now missing. I was fucking pissed at the incompetence and oversight of the authorities. I knew he’d paid one officer. Jasper wouldn’t be hiding for long. He’d been involved in murdering Kate, and now her father knew this. As an INTERPOL authority, he’d make sure Jasper paid for killing his daughter. I didn’t need to worry about Jasper. But I also sent out an alert to my team to help locate him.
Jasper was a member of The Trogyn, but he was just a minor player in this dangerous game. There was one more character who had lurked under the radar. A man who had stood in the shadows to instigate and watch the crimes unfold. He was the worst of them all.
I had a meeting scheduled with him tomorrow when I arrived home in Providence. The plan was already set in motion, and I couldn’t wait for this ordeal to be over with.
I checked my computer for new emails and saw the response from the boys regarding my Level Six demo. They enjoyed the recent updates to Madame Sarcasm, who grew magical dandelions. Yellow ones could heal wounds and extend the player’s life force, while black dandelions were poisonous weapons that were used to kill the enemies. She whipped them out like darts and teamed up with a master thief. Together, they battled their enemies, trying to level up. Level Six of WaterFyre Rising was now complete. In the multiple levels created by the other boys, the WaterFyre was the sacred life force—produced by water and fire—that linked all the games together.
I finished my dandelion tea, then packed my things to prepare for my flight home in a few hours. I was about to send Elena a text when my phone rang.
“What can I do for you, Ralph?” I asked. “Are you ready to retire earlier, like I had suggested?”
“You sound like you’re in a good mood,” he said, sounding too serious for my liking. Ralph always had put an amusing spin on things.
“What’s up?”
“Do you know that Elena’s been suffering?”
My heart cracked. “What do you mean?”
“Do you love her?”
“Yes.” What kind of question was that?
“Who do you love more? Kate or Elena?”
I had been thinking about this. My answer had always been the same.
“Elena. I don’t understand why it’s not obvious.”
“Maybe it’s obvious to you, but not to Elena. She heard you call out Kate’s name while you were sleeping. And your reaction to Jasper mentioning Kate’s pills threw Elena off. She saw something that made her question your relationship with her. She believes you’re still hung up on Kate.”
Fuck. The revelation hit me.
“For someone so intelligent, you’re dense about relationships.”
I was going to retort that he wasn’t great at relationships either, but I dropped it. He wasn’t wrong. I’d been so blind that I’d hurt Elena unintentionally.
“What do you suggest I do, Smarty Pants?”
“Show her she’s the one. Show her she matters the most. Be creative, idiot.”
I smiled at his insult. He usually whipped them out when he was angry.
“I’ve seen you with Kate, and I’ve seen you with Elena. I can tell who holds your heart. Make her understand this before it’s too late. Listen to this old man who’s made a lot of mistakes.” He sighed. “She gave you time to think about things, but you’re taking too damn long. Even for my old ass.”
“Okay,” I said.
“That’s it? Just okay? No smart comeback?”
“You’re right about everything.”
I’d been blinded by anger and vengeance. I didn’t see how my reaction would have appeared from Elena’s perspective. She’d been assaulted by Jasper that day, and I’d been furious with him. But his comment about Kate’s pills ignited a wrath I didn’t see coming. Kate’s death had been ruled a suicide, but no one knew about the pills except me and Ralph.
Jasper’s comment confirmed he was present the day she died. They’d killed her andmadeit appear like a suicide. That was the darkness that rose in me.
I mentioned this to Ralph, and he replied, “I know they’ll pay for it.”
“I’ll make it up to Elena,” I said. “Thank you for the reminder.”
Ralph continued reprimanding me for another five minutes until he had to leave for a date with Evelyn.
I imagined Elena feeling miserable and thinking she held a second place in my heart. It was my fault for failing to make her understand she was the most important person to me. I loved her with everything I had. She dominated my heart and soul. I had to let her know.
Even though it was late, I sent her a text message so she could see it tomorrow.
Orion: We need to talk. I love you. I’m sorry for taking too long to think.
Then my phone buzzed with a message. But the text came from an unfamiliar number. Unease wormed into my stomach. Normally, I wouldn’t click on unknown numbers, but something urged me to check this one out.
I clicked on the image.
Unknown: Step down as CEO of Reimann Corporation or this will be all over the news.
A video of me kissing and fucking Chantel appeared on the screen. Fury spiked in me. Who had created this video? They’d used all the events where Chantel and I had appeared together. The video was fake. The man looked like me, but I could tell it was AI manipulation. I owned a company that specialized in this kind of technology.
Who was behind this?
Unknown: Elena already has a copy of this. I can send her more. RESIGN NOW.
Rage rose in my blood, making my fingers tremble. But I closed my eyes for a moment to gather myself. These people wanted to unsettle me so they could attack when I least expected it.
Though I wanted to reply, I stopped myself.
Elena. The video must have devastated her. She had to know the person in the video wasn’t me.
I sent the video to my tech team and asked them to look into the source. I also gave them the unknown phone number that was used to contact me and Elena.
Someone from the Reimann Corporation was desperate because I was getting close to him.
Tomorrow, I’d settle this family matter once and for all.