Chapter 2

Callum's POV 

I clenched my fist, my nails biting into my palm as I strode towards the black SUV. Miguel swung the door open for me but I barely registered him as the parking lot tilted. 

Yeah, I knew. My father and brother? Shady as hell. But I never snooped. Asked no questions. Because I kept my own little shit separate until I decided I no longer wanted to be a part of it.

I stared forward, motionless in the backseat of his car. Miguel adjusted the rearview mirror.

"Sir? Are we headed home now?"

I shook my head slowly. "No. Take me to the office. Now."

"Right away."

The engine of the car roared softly as it turned toward Kensington Industries headquarters. 

My jaw clenched hard.

I pulled my phone back up. There were no new calls. No messages. I tapped into the call log. No number saved. Just a private number. Typical.

The car pulled up to the private underground parking garage of my company.

I had built up this empire in five years. Made a name for myself without any family's assistance and now what? I'm in danger now.

I stepped out before Miguel could open the door for me and marched toward the private elevator. I slid my card through the access panel.

On the 29th floor, the doors opened to a quiet hallway. Clean. Glass walls. Controlled lighting. I walked past the open-plan departments, ignoring the nods and greetings. People knew not to interrupt me when my expression was that sharp.

As I entered his office, my secretary, Sophia, stood up.

“Good morning, Mr. Kensington, you have—”

“Hold my meetings for the next two hours. No calls unless it's critical." I interrupted, walking down to my office.

She nodded, her hands already on her tablet.

I entered my office and shut the door. I walked straight to my desk, placed both hands on the surface, and leaned forward. I was breathing hard. Trying to think fast.

I hadn’t heard from Ethan in over six years. Not since we fell out over inheritance battle. Not since he disappeared, leaving behind chaos, betrayal, and unanswered questions.

And now this.

I sat down and opened my laptop. Tapped in my password. I launched the security software of the company, inputting my secondary code. Every confidential project was backed up and monitored. I began running checks. File integrity. Access logs. Email records.

Nothing abnormal.

Then my desk phone rang. Sophia.

"Sir, there’s a man downstairs. He says his name is Xavier. He doesn’t have an appointment, but he says it’s about a personal matter."

My eyes narrowed. "Physical description."

"Early 30s. Sharp suit. French accent."

French?

Damien’s eyes narrowed. "Tell him to leave his card and schedule through proper channels. Security is not to let him in."

"Understood."

I hung up. Took a breath. Then I stood and walked to the cabinet behind my desk. I opened the top drawer and pulled out a thick envelope. Sealed. Old. With Ethan's name written on the back in ink.

I had kept it out of spite. Never opened it.

I ripped it open.

Inside were a set of coordinates. And a key. Nothing else.

No note. No context.

I sat down again. My fingers tightened around the key. I recognized the shape. A storage facility key. One of their family-owned units in the lower part of the city.

I cursed under my breath.

Then Sophia's voice returned in the intercom.

"Sir. There’s something you should see."

"What is it?" I snapped at her.

"A security breach. I’m sending it to your monitor now."

I turned to my screen. A live feed popped up. Someone was in one of the restricted server rooms. He was hood up, his face partially hidden. They moved like they knew the layout.

What the hell has Ethan been involved in and why am I being involved in this?

I hit the intercom. "Shut down all access. Sound the internal alarm. Do not make it audible. Lock every server door from security."

"Yes, sir.”

I grabbed my phone and buzzed building security. "Who is inside Server Room 3B?"

"Sir, we were just alerted. No record of entry under staff IDs."

"You have sixty seconds to lock it down. Track where they entered. Scrub every camera log in reverse."

I ended the call. Walked toward the wall cabinet. Punched in a code. A panel slid open. I pulled out a handgun, checked the clip, and tucked it under my suit jacket.

I wasn’t going to wait around.

By the time I got to the tech wing, security had surrounded the hallway.

"Anyone come out?" I asked.

"No sir. The door to the server room was shut. Locked.”

"Override it.”

The guard at the panel input a master code. The door clicked.

I entered.

It was empty.

Wires had been unplugged. Drive mounts exposed. But no one inside.

I scanned the room. A single USB device sat on the floor. I picked it up with a tissue. Slipped it into a case. I’d have my team run an analysis on it.

Security swept the rest of the building. Whoever it was had gotten out clean. There was no face or prints.

I returned to my office with my heart still pounding.

Sophia stood as I entered. "Sir, the board meeting—"

God, doesn't she know how to read the room?

"Reschedule it. I need quiet."

I closed the door and sat down again. Picked up my phone and dialed a secure number.

"Marcus. I need full surveillance reviewed for the last 48 hours. Entry points. Badge scans. Camera loops. Everything. Also, I want background on anyone new hired in the last 30 days."

"On it.”

I hung up. Stared at the USB device I had picked up from the server room. Then I picked it up and inserted it into the isolated terminal.

It had one file and was password protected.

My finger hovered over the keyboard but my mind strayed briefly, irrationally. The man from the church flashed in my head. He looked captivating.

Something must definitely be wrong with me. Why am I fantasizing over a man despite everything going on today? A man! 

I clenched my jaw and refocused.

I tried a few combinations. On the fifth attempt, it unlocked.

A video.

I clicked play.

The screen filled with a feed from inside a private room. It looked like a medical facility. A man was strapped to a gurney. Gagged. Bruised.

I leaned forward. 

The man looked like Ethan. I tried to look if there was any figure or object that could give me a hint about the location, but there was none.

Then a voice from offscreen: "Tell your brother. The past isn’t dead. It’s waiting."

The video ended.

I sat back. Frozen. 

What the hell was this? The fuck was happening?

My throat tightened. Seeing him like that, if that was really him, did something to my chest I wasn’t ready to admit. I didn’t want to care. I didn’t want this.

Is the video real or is this all part of his big plan to bring me down?

I opened the secure drawer in my desk and placed the USB inside.

There was a knock.

Sophia stepped in. "Sir, about tomorrow’s briefing with the investors—"

"Cancel the morning roundtable. I’ll meet with them over dinner. Book a reservation for me for tomorrow evening. Somewhere private. Two security men will be present."

"Noted."

She turned to leave.

"Sophia."

She paused.

"Book it under an alias. No one must know I’ll be there. And ask Alex to see now."

"Understood."

She closed my door. I rubbed my temple and relaxed into my chair. Then my internal line buzzed. It was an

unknown source.

I answered.

"Where are the files?" 

I didn't answer. I didn't know what to say.

The line went dead.

Who the hell are these people? And what files did they want from me?