002

Kai's Point Of View.

I let out a puff of smoke, staring at the dying embers of the cigarette as they cast a faint glow in the dim light of my study. Lex stood at the doorway, stiff as a board, his hands clasped behind his back.

“She's secured, boss,” He said finally, breaking the silence.

I smiled, flicking out the cigarette between the crystal bowl on my desk. “Have a doctor examine her. If her amnesia is real, I need to know. If it's an act, we'll find out soon enough.”

Lex dipped his head. “Understood.”

I polished up my shirt cuffs and walked confidently into the majestic hallway and the thud of my footsteps reverberated. Outside, my car waited for me, sleek and polished, its presence as commanding as my reputation. Lex trailed behind, his ever-present shadow.

“The car is ready, Boss,” he replied as I got into the driver's seat.

I said nothing. My mind was already far away. A gun lay on the passenger seat beside me, its weight a comforting presence. Tonight's work called for finesse-and control, though the latter was never exactly my strong suit.

The warehouse reeked of treachery.

Gunner knelt at my feet, hands tied behind his back and a blindfold over his eyes. He was shaking, his breathing catching in short gasps.

“P-please,” He stammered and his voice broke as he bore the crushing weight of his terror. “I-I didn't mean to cross you. It was a mistake!”

I spun the gun in my hand leisurely, the motion a calm contrast to the storm brewing inside me.

“Gunner,” I said, my tone almost conversational, “You've made it remarkably difficult for me not to blow your brains out. Do you even understand the mess you've created?”

“I can fix it,” He pleaded, his head swiveling as though he could sense my movements. “I have information-valuable information. Let me go, and I'll tell you everything!”

My jaw tightened. “Is your life really worth the breath you're taking right now?” I asked coldly. “You betrayed me, Gunner. Loyalty is currency, and you're bankrupt.”

He sobbed, his tears splashing into the eye running from the corner of his nose. “I have daughters—little girls. They need me, please.”

His utterances made their mark on my ears, igniting a rage in my belly. He dared to use his children as leverage? Pathetic.

“Start talking,” I said, my voice sharp. But, please cut it and forget, you're leaving this alive.

Fear did wonders for loosening tongues. Gunner spilled secrets he'd likely kept buried for years. Names, locations, deals-everything I'd spent months trying to uncover.

At every utterance, a flicker of victory could be seen in my heart. But it was short-lived.

The wail of police sirens shattered the moment.

“Boss,” Lex barked, bursting into the room. “We've been tipped off. Cops are closing in.”

Of course. Gunner's desperate comrades had sent the cavalry, with the expectation of rescuing their voluble companion.

I turned back to Gunner, incoherent with sobs.

“You should've begged harder,” I said, raising my gun.

The shot cracked out across the warehouse. His body slumped forward, lifeless.

“Get out of here,” I growled at Lex, going for the hidden door. We slipped down an abandoned alley, vanishing before the police could close the net.

Back in the car, Lex broke the silence.

“I suspect the Italians might have been involved,” he said. “Their operations align too closely with tonight's tip-off.”

“Let them think they're smart,” I said, coldly. Before they can figure out they're wrong, their kingdom will be powder.

Lex hesitated. “Master Dion and Ares sent a message. They're waiting for you at the club. They threatened that they will storm your home unless you appear within one hour.”

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. My so-called friends thrived on testing my patience. A raid would be dramatic, but within their capability.

“Fine,” I muttered, waving him off. “Handle the cleanup here. Divert the cops to the Italians. Make sure they're the ones left holding the bag.”

“Yes, boss.”

The nightclub throbbed with power, its heavy bass music resonating in its walls. I walked out of the car, vacated my bloodstained shirt, donned a new black shirt, and threw the bloody one into the backseat. The night wasn't over yet.

Inside the private room, Dion was wasted, surrounded by seducers who clustered around him like gnats to a flame.

“Kai!” He bellowed, pushing the women aside to greet me. “You’re late, but you’re here. That’s all that matters.”

He arm around my shoulder, grinned with a silly expression. “Folks, this is Kai, the highlight of the program! Drinks are on him tonight, so do whatever you want!”

For a moment, I took a deep breath, shutting my eyes and refusing to snap his. When I opened them, I fixed him with a glare that made him step back, his hands raised in mock surrender.

“Relax,” he said, laughing. “You're too uptight. Have a drink, unwind.”

I ignored him, sat down in the furthest corner of the room with a glass of champagne, and let my mind drift back to the girl.

The girl with no memories.

Lex had reported the tests had confirmed the authenticity of her amnesia. Temporary, but real. She was an empty canvas, a puzzle I could not crack yet.

I sat in the private room for a while, and after an hour of meaningless small talk and forced conversation, I was out of the club, ready to head back to the estate.

Back at home, Lex was waiting at my door.

“The results are in, boss,” he said. “The girl's memory loss is genuine. The doctor said it could take months before she recovers.”

I smirked. “Good. Move her to a proper room. She's no longer a prisoner-she's an asset. Keep a close eye on her, though. I don't want her slipping through our fingers.”

Lex hesitated. “Are you sure that's wise? She could still be dangerous.”

“Dangerous?” I mocked. “She doesn't even know who she is. If you and the rest of my men can't handle one amnesiac woman, then you're more useless than I thought.”

Lex nodded, but skepticism was written across his features.

As I stepped inside my room, closing off the world from myself, a long breath huffed out my lungs.

The girl was a riddle, and I feasted on trying to solve her.

But puzzles had that way of revealing truths that you were not ready for, and something told me that she was more than some random victim.

Much more.