Chapter 4

“Mysti Arts Cooperation was supposed to be mine!” He went on. “I should be the CEO, and not some worthless woman like you!”

Three months ago, I was voted by the board of directors as the company's CEO.

Raymond and I founded the company together. For ten years, we'd built it from a garage-based software games company to owning a company building of our own with several branches spread across the country.

Although the company was both ours, I did most of the management work. 

It was the reason why the board of directors voted me as the CEO.

If Raymond had been against it, he could have voiced it instead of planning my death.

I swallowed, my tears long dried up.

Realizing I'd dated a monster for many years was my current biggest regret. 

How could I be so blind to his true colors? How could I be oblivious to the wolves surrounding me?

I moved. 

I couldn't stay.

No need to cry or lament.

They wanted me gone. I would fulfill their wish.

Not by ending my life, but by living it far away from them.

But as I walked, Raymond grabbed my arm, his fingers digging into my skin. “If you’re thinking about reporting this to the authorities, quit it. You have no evidence. Stir up trouble, and I’ll end you for real.”

A sad laughter tore from my lips. 

I pushed him away, snatching my arm. “I have no evidence, but karma will soon get you!”

“Well, Raymond is mine now.” Anita hooked her arm around his, smiling sweetly. “I advise you to quit from Mysti Arts Cooperation. I don't want you showing your face in front of my man.”

“Otherwise.” Her gaze turned cold. “You're a nobody in this city, Melissa. No one will come to your aid or save you. Step foot in the company, and you might never come out alive. I'm showing you mercy now, don't play with it.”

This new side of Anita gave me no doubts that she could do exactly as she promised. 

If my returning to the company would be at the cost of my life, I wouldn't be a fool.

I also didn't want to see Raymond’s face again. 

Forcing a sweet smile, I replied, “Gladly. Mysti Arts Cooperation is nothing compared to the brain that built it. You want the company, you can have it. I'll build a dozen of its types.”

“Stop bluffing,” Raymond snickered.

“Oh, am I?” I blinked. “You know me better than anyone. You know what I'm capable of.”

For a moment, his expression shifted from anger to uncertainty.

Raymond clenched his fists, his eyes burning with hatred. “Think about how to survive first before having impossible dreams. Three days is enough for someone like you to die on the streets.”

“We shall see.”

With that final statement, I walked away, neither sparing him another glance nor looking back at my parents.

Standing outside the cold empty streets, my eyes burned as I stared at the stars. 

He might be right.

I might not be able to survive.

With my condition, I could barely survive two days in this cold weather.

No friends or any close relatives I could go to.

No clothes, no money, I didn't even have my phone with me to think that I could sell it to buy food.

Raymond might be right,

But I must prove him wrong and everyone who wished for my downfall.

I had to survive no matter what!

…

~DESMOND~

“Dad! Dad! Will you take me to Mummy now!?”

In the middle of the night, I was awakened by the loud call from my son.

I woke up to find him sitting on the edge of my bed, beating the headboard as if it were a drum.

My head pounded, the headache intensifying.

For two days straight, he'd disturbed me nonstop. He was becoming more aggressive with each day that passed by.

He'd even started tossing things around, throwing constant tantrums for the first time.

For heaven's sake, how was I supposed to find a woman I knew nothing about?

Melissa Brown.

My Intel could only retrieve a little information about her.

Her parents were immigrants. 

She started a software company with her “fiancé” when she was sixteen.

Mystic Arts Cooperation was thriving quite well in the industry, and she was recently announced as the CEO.

Apart from that, I got nothing else.

Not her current address.

Not her whereabouts.

“Dad!” Caleb’s scream deafened my eardrums. 

I scratched my ear, wincing. 

“Stop it.”

“I want my Mummy!”

I sighed.

“Don't you love my Mummy anymore? Why don't you wanna bring her back?”

“It's not like that—”

“Fine!” His lips trembled, his eyes reddening. “I’ll go find Mummy on my own.”

And then he jumped from the bed and stormed out.

Peace returned.

I could finally breathe properly.

I closed my eyes and went back to sleep. 

The Next Morning, a commotion jolted me awake; the loud voices of the servants.

Caleb again!

Groaning, I held my forehead, ready for another headache.

I got down from the bed and slipped on my slippers.

Still in my pajamas, I left the bedroom and headed downstairs, following the direction of the noises.

The servants were conversing among themselves, and some were sobbing.

“I swear I tucked him in last night. He was fast asleep before I left his room.”

“Have you searched everywhere? Maybe he's hiding somewhere in the villa.”

“What about Mr. Steele’s bedroom. Have you checked if he spent the night there?”

“You know Caleb never likes to share a bed with anyone, not even his father! I swear I checked everywhere- I- I, what if he has been kidnapped? Is he in trouble?”

“Who would dare enter this Villa and kidnap him? Stop overreacting!”

“But he has gone missing and none of us could find him! Did he just disappear?”

Missing?

My son?

I halted in the middle of the stairs, the servants’ words traveling straight to my ears. 

Raw fear engulfed my heart.