5

Numerous vehicles were squeezed tightly together in the unbearable length and thickness of the traffic. They appeared like a queue, moving at a snail's pace. The honking of cars was incessant. Some drivers rolled down their windows to see what was happening up ahead, while others were on the verge of losing their temper and violently gripping the steering wheel.

Kalixo could only let out a sigh as his black car inched forward slowly. He decided to rest his elbow on the open window before resting his chin on his fist. The sun was blazing, but its heat was not too intense. Every now and then, a loud shout reached Kalixo's ears, coming from behind him. He glanced at the source of the noise through the side mirror.

"Hey! Can't you all be more careful?!" shouted a man wearing a summer polo shirt, giving the impression that he was headed for a vacation in Hawaii.

"This isn't funny!"

The shouting from the people behind caught everyone's attention. Every now and then, a few motorcyclists wearing masks would suddenly weave through the traffic, almost grazing some cars. Laughter could be heard from this group.

Kalixo was taken aback as the motorcycles passed by him. "What the heck?" he exclaimed.

With a furrowed brow, Kalixo could only shake his head at the actions of these individuals. They were like rule breakers, so to speak.

As the traffic eased up slightly, Kalixo noticed a large billboard on a tall building. It displayed Felicia's smiling face. He stared at it for a moment before redirecting his attention back to driving. As the traffic further cleared, he picked up speed. Before long, he arrived at his office.

He immediately headed to his office to work on the papers he hadn't finished reviewing and signing. They were piled up, and some needed to be reprinted as copies.

In the midst of his work, Kalixo took out his phone to call his secretary since he couldn't sense her presence and had something he needed to delegate. He dialed her number several times, but there was no answer. Instead of getting frustrated, he decided to focus his attention on his current tasks.

Understanding that he couldn't reach his secretary at the moment, Kalixo resolved to handle the work himself. He dove back into his tasks, determined to make progress and complete them to the best of his abilities.

--

Meanwhile, in Felicia's building, everyone was busy. They had just concluded their meeting, and people started to disperse. Felicia and Cedrick remained inside. Felicia was engrossed, looking at the papers in her hands and flipping through the pages.

"Aren't you going to eat? Or should I bring you some snacks?" Cedrick asked.

"I'll eat later; I'm not hungry yet," Felicia replied, still focused on the papers. "There's still a lot to sort out with the perfume. I know the people who are eagerly waiting for it will be disappointed because I promised it would be released this week."

"They'll understand too. Just tell them the truth," Cedrick reassured her.

Felicia placed the papers on the table and looked at Cedrick. "It's really challenging to make promises because there's always a chance they won't be fulfilled. Remember, the surprise shoes?" she said.

Cedrick smiled. "Seems like you have deep emotions about this, Ms. Avimayor," he teased.

"It's already afternoon, Cedrick. I'm tired of your teasing," she replied with a slight chuckle. Felicia stood up and handed the papers to Cedrick. "You take care of this for now. I need to leave because I have something to attend to," she said before exiting the room, leaving Cedrick behind.

Felicia went down to the parking lot. She was headed to the site of their new building under construction. It was smaller compared to their main building. Her successful business continued to expand, with more and more employees being added to the team.

Felicia was already in the parking lot, and she took out her keys from her pants pocket. However, in the middle of walking towards her car, she felt something unusual. It was as if someone was watching her, but she knew she was the only person there at that moment.

As she reached her car, she heard a metallic sound coming from a distance. She immediately turned around, trying to locate the source. "Is there someone there?" she called out.

After a few moments, a man wearing a black hoodie emerged from a dark corner of the parking lot. Then, three more men came out simultaneously from different areas. The group of three became five because one of them was actually close to her position. She hadn't noticed the last one because he was behind her.

"Wh-Who are you?"

Now, even the bravest person would hesitate when surrounded by men armed with weapons. They held steel pipes and guns in their hands.

"Sleepwell, Ms. Avimayor," one of them said from behind her. Before she could even turn to face him, he quickly covered her face with a white handkerchief.

Felicia struggled, fighting against their hold, until she eventually lost consciousness. They carried her to a black van parked nearby her car. They put her inside the van before they themselves got in and drove away.

One of them took out a phone and sent a text message. "We've got her," it read.

--

It was already six o'clock in the evening, and Kalixo was still not finished with his work. He paused when he felt a pang in his neck, so he stopped what he was doing and tilted his head back slightly, massaging his neck. He checked his wristwatch to see the time. It was eight o'clock, and he usually went home to his condo at this hour, so he still had some time left for work.

He turned on his computer, but unfortunately, it refused to start up.

"What the fuck?" he muttered in frustration.

He despised anything that disrupted his schedule, and now his computer was not cooperating. He immediately called the IT department using the phone.

"Did you replace my computer?"

"Not yet, sir. We're still fixing it because there were no issues with the system earlier," replied the person on the other end of the line.

"But didn't I tell you to replace it? I don't want any interruptions in my work," he said, his tone warning. "My computer is broken. When I arrive tomorrow, it should have been replaced without any glitches. Do you understand?"

"Understood, sir," came the response from the other line. After that, he hung up the call.

He let out a sigh and proceeded to tidy his desk. Once he finished organizing his belongings, he left the office. Some employees were still awake and busy with their work.

Due to the demanding workload and numerous tasks assigned by Kalixo, his employees often had to work overtime. It was nothing new and had become a habit. Their salaries were high, which was why they continued to endure. Despite the strict rules, they were not hindrances to their work. Instead, they contributed to the organized workflow in the office.

With the strictness and volume of tasks assigned by Kalixo, his employees often had to work overtime. It was not something new but rather a routine. Their salaries were also high, which was why they continued to persevere. Despite the strict rules, they were not hindered in their work. On the contrary, these rules contributed to the organization of their tasks.

The city was still alive, as if the people never slept. Viewing the entire city from above was breathtaking, with the mesmerizing beauty of the city lights.

While driving his car towards his condo, Kalixo rested one arm on the car window while the other gripped the steering wheel. His gaze was focused intently on the road. Suddenly, his father called him.

In the past few days, his father had been calling him frequently. However, Kalixo didn't mind because they had a good relationship. It was like every move he made was being reported to his father.

He answered the call. "Dad."

"Son, it seems like the arrival of the products has tripled what I anticipated. I have nowhere else to store them. Do you have any ideas?" his father said.

"One basement is still empty. They haven't delivered yet because one person doesn't agree until I finish the paperwork. They're being too cautious," Kalixo replied.

"Hmm, I also have some concerns," his father said in a tone that suggested there might be a problem.

"What is it?" Kalixo asked.

"It's about the plan I wanted to implement. It seems that your company can no longer handle everything. We really need a broader scope," his father explained.

Kalixo pulled the car over to the side because he sensed that this was a serious conversation that required careful discussion.

"Dad, didn't you say you were taking care of that matter?" Kalixo inquired.

"I did, but it didn't yield the results I wanted. Felicia is a different kind of person, and she's incredibly stubborn. If you think about it, she's like a tiger," his father chuckled lightly.

Kalixo paused for a moment, contemplating his thoughts. It seemed that his decision regarding his father was justified. He was about to speak, but suddenly, he heard the sound of gunshots on the other end of the line.

His father shouted through the phone, "Don't let that traitor escape! Shoot them!"

Kalixo's facial expression remained unchanged. He could hear louder gunshots and shouts. It seemed that another traitor would not live to see the light of day tomorrow. It was saddening, but that was what had to be done to a traitor. It was the code upheld within their business, dictated by his father, and he had no power to change it.

"Kalixo, I just wanted to let you know that I won't be able to contact you for the next few months. We'll meet at the palace instead," his father stated before ending the call.

In Kalixo's mind, he had a planned surprise waiting for his father. It would take a few months to prepare, so his decision was correct. His father would also be going to the palace, so it was fortunate that he chose to hide his surprise there. He was certain that his father would be overjoyed once he learned about it.

Kalixo arrived at his condo. The entire day had been exhausting, and the peacefulness within his condo was the only thing that brought him solace.

He went through his evening routine, cooking, eating, and taking a shower. When he went to sleep, he wore nothing but boxer shorts, revealing his well-sculpted and enticing physique. Kalixo was ready to sleep when a fucking phone call suddenly heated up his temper.

He saw that it was from his secretary, which surprised him because she hadn't shown up at the office, nor had she requested leave. He couldn't understand her negligence, and he decided that her salary would be reduced due to her irresponsibility.

He swiped the green button and sat on his bed. He remained silent, holding the phone to his ear. His forehead creased when he heard a sob and rapid breathing.

"Where are you?" Kalixo couldn't help but ask.

"Sir..." Her voice trembled.

"Answer me, where are you?"

"Sir... it's Ms. Avimayor..." Kalixo stood up. "It's Ms. Avimayor, sir..."

"Take a deep breath and calm down before you continue. Relax, you're talking to me now."

"I-I saw it, someone grabbed her, sir... they were all wearing black. Then they put her in a van, sir. Sir, what should I do? I just returned to the office, sir--" she stammered.

Kalixo pulled at his own hair in frustration. "You went back to the office?!"

"Y-Yes, sir. I thought you were still here--"

"Did you only inform me about this?"

"Y-Yes, sir," she replied.

Kalixo took a deep breath. "Go home now. Calm down. I'll take care of everything, don't worry. And don't mention what you saw earlier to anyone, including me, because we'll both be in danger. Let's stay out of this."

"Alright, sir. I'll follow your instructions," she said.

After the call, Kalixo immediately contacted someone else. The call was answered promptly, but there was no chance for the person on the other end to speak due to Kalixo's seething anger.

"Erase all the CCTV footage that shows my secretary's car from the Avimayor building to my building. Make sure every trace is eliminated, or else you'll be in deep trouble," Kalixo ordered.

Kalixo contemplated the possible consequences if his secretary's car was seen and they were implicated in a major mess. That's why he needed to ensure their protection. He had strong suspicions as to why his secretary was in that building when he hadn't instructed her to go there.

That incident needed to be kept hidden. Let the public itself determine the nature of this kidnapping. They couldn't afford to be implicated because they would face dire consequences. Especially since they were great adversaries, he would find a way to navigate through these matters.

Fortunately, his secretary called him, and he was the first to be aware of the situation.