Unspoken [Chapter 6]

The phone buzzed against the hard desk. Akiko didn't even glance at it.

Dr. Vian. Again. Probably panicking, wondering where she had gone. But she wouldn't answer. She had made her choice-no treatment. No saving. Not anymore.

Weeks under Glen Xander McKenzie had taught her one thing: obedience wasn't optional. She wasn't an assistant anymore. She was his property-silent, present, predictable.

Working for Glen was chaos in control. At the office, his word was law. At home, it was no different. Space to breathe? Peace of mind? Nonexistent.

Glen's firearm company had grown into a colossus, respected publicly, feared privately. Few understood the truth: this empire had a dark heart. Built from his father's fragile business, now a machine of power, money, and lethal influence. Glen didn't just protect-he commanded. He destroyed.

"Aiko," Glen's voice cut the quiet like a knife. "Come here."

She hesitated. Crossing the room felt like stepping into a storm. When he patted his lap, the unspoken command was clear. She obeyed-not from affection, but survival.

"Which one do you like?" he asked, pointing at the glowing screen.

"That one," she said, random. Careless.

"You know," he said slowly, leaning back in his chair, "your work is flawless."

Akiko didn't react.

"But could you at least try to act like a human?" he added, irritation slipping into his voice. "You follow schedules. Rules. Orders. Like a machine."

She stayed silent.

"You don't argue. You don't react. You don't even look annoyed," Glen continued, fingers tapping against the desk.

"It's like nothing matters to you-as long as it fits my rules."

All she wanted was distance-from him, from his hands, from the storm he carried.

"Get me coffee," Glen ordered at last, leaning back lazily-though the edge in his voice betrayed his frustration.

Glen let the coffee order slide for a moment, his sharp gaze following Akiko as she left the office. The calm efficiency of her steps didn't hide the storm it stirred inside him. Bored and restless, he decided to follow-curiosity and irritation warring within him.

Around the corner, he noticed one of the staff trying to strike up a conversation with her. The young man's face lit up, clearly enjoying himself, while Akiko remained indifferent, her expression unreadable.

But Glen saw it differently. The casual interaction, the way the man smiled at her-it ignited a sharp spike of annoyance deep in his chest.

"How dare someone act like that around her," he thought, his jaw tightening. "As if anyone could treat what's mine like a game."

The frustration made him move faster, closing the distance until he was standing just behind her, shadowing her with quiet dominance. He didn't speak, but the weight of his presence alone made the air feel charged.

Glen pulled out his gun and fired a shot into the air. Both Akiko and the young man froze, eyes wide with shock. They immediately turned to Glen, whose expression was dark with anger.

Akiko thought maybe she'd taken too long making the coffee, but the sharp glare told her otherwise-Glen didn't like anyone getting close to her.

"You two having fun without me?" Glen asked deliberately.

"N-no-" Akiko started.

"I told you to make coffee, not flirt," he growled.

"Sorry," she whispered.

"Do it again, and the next bullet will be in your head," he threatened, pulling Akiko close.

Usually, they returned home around eight, but tonight, Glen made them leave early. When they reached the apartment, he dragged her straight into a dark room.

"Glen... please..." Akiko's voice trembled. "Don't lock me in. I'm sorry...."

"I don't care," he said coolly. "And you won't have dinner either."

The door slammed shut, leaving Akiko shivering in the cold darkness.

She sank to the floor, hugging herself. Shadows and memories clawed at her. Warm trickle of blood from her nose-a reminder of illness creeping in. Pain. Hunger. Thirst. No relief.

Akiko thought about it-Glen was just like her father. Fate had already written the path, and no matter what she did, she couldn't change it. The torment she had endured still clung to her, even with someone else.

Exhausted, she finally drifted into sleep.

Three hours later, the door creaked. Glen stood there, sharp eyes gleaming. Silent authority radiating. He didn't need words.

Akiko knew exactly what she had to do-she had to get things in order, and there was no time to waste.

Without a word, she walked to her bedroom, the pounding in her skull growing heavier with each breath.

Inside, she swallowed a painkiller, the familiar bitter taste coating her tongue. Her trembling fingers found the faucet next, turning on the cold water. She stood under the shower, the icy stream numbing her aching body.

By the time Akiko stepped out of the shower, the sharp ache in her head still lingered. She froze when she saw Glen - seated before the TV, eyes fixed on her like a predator claiming his prey.

"Come here," he commanded, patting his lap.

She obeyed, sinking down carefully, her body trembling slightly. Glen's arm wrapped around her waist, firm, possessive.

"I don't like you talking to other men," he murmured, breath brushing her ear. "You're mine."

Akiko nodded faintly. "I'm sorry."

Glen's thumb brushed her jaw, his gaze sharp. "The way you look at me... it feels like you're hiding something."

Her eyes drifted toward the TV, unfocused, silent.

"Aiko." When he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, she flinched - an instinctive recoil, hands gripping her shirt.

"Sorry," she whispered.

Glen fell silent, studying her fragile frame. That quiet, obedient face hid far more than she ever showed.

Glen McKenzie's jaw tightened as he looked down at her - Akiko. Fragile. Innocent. Unaware of the storm she'd been swept into.

Fifteen years. Fifteen years he'd waited. Fifteen years he'd planned.

Revenge had always been simple.

Find the man. Break him. Take everything.

Glen thought Akiko was nothing more than leverage-a perfect, obedient weakness. But now, watching her curled quietly on his lap, her small hands trembling slightly, something felt... wrong.

She didn't know what was coming. She didn't know who he truly was. She didn't know the full weight of the game she'd been drawn into.

Because the man he wanted to destroy... was her father.

And when Akiko finally learned what Mr. Eloise had done-would she survive the truth... or would it destroy her first?

Could a girl so innocent... really be the instrument of his revenge?

"I'll stay focused," Glen muttered under his breath. "He'll pay... every last thing he stole from me."