Chapter 7- THE CEO's GAME

The house was quiet when Kael stepped inside.

Warm light spilled across the living room. For the first time all day, the place felt calm.

The faint scent of brewed tea lingered in the air.

“Kael”

The voice came from the living room.

He loosened his tie slightly as he walked in.

His grandmother sat comfortably on the couch, a cup of tea resting in her hands.

Her eyes lifted the moment she saw him, a gentle smile forming on her lips.

“I was starting to think you would sleep at the office.”

“There was so much to do today,” Kael replied.

“You always say that.”

He didn't respond, he sank into the seat across from her, resting his arm lightly against the side.

She took a slow sip of her tea, watching him.

"You have that look again."

"What look?"

"The one you get when you've already made up your mind.”

"Something's bothering you.” She continued.

“It's nothing I can't handle.”

“You've always said that.”

"This has something to do with your company.”

“You're getting involved again, aren't you?”

She paused, watching to see his reaction.

“Or is it something else?”

His silence was answer enough.

“You always think you can handle everything.”

She smiled sadly.

“You can’t.”

She reached over to pour him tea, and he accepted it, sipping slowly without saying a word.

She stared straight at his face once more.

"I know that look."

"No one can change your mind once you've made a decision.”

“Yes,” he replied after what seemed like ages.

“It's already started.” His voice was almost like a whisper.

“Just be careful.” She replied.

Neither of them spoke again. They both knew there was no changing his mind.

Whatever lay ahead, he'd already made his choice. There was no turning back now.

***********

The apartment was dark when I finally made it home. I didn’t bother turning on the overhead lights.

I just dropped my keys on the counter, kicked off my heels, and sank onto the edge of my bed, staring blankly at the wall.

My thoughts refused to slow down. Kaelen's warning kept replaying in my head, along with Robert's threat and the image of my wiped computer screen.

Three days.

Somehow I had to dig through altered records without alerting the people who were hiding them.

A sharp, vibrating buzz cut through the quiet.

The screen lit up.

Maggie.

I sighed, a faint, genuine breath of relief escaping my nose.

Margaret was my only real friend, but she was also a thunderstorm of hyperactive energy.

“Oh thank god, you're alive!" Margaret’s voice exploded through the speaker, fast and loud enough that I had to pull the phone a few inches away from my ear.

"I’ve been waiting all day! It’s day two, Quincy. Day two! Give me the details. Tell me you didn’t quit. Tell me you haven’t been swallowed whole by corporate America.”

"I'm alive," I said, leaning back against my pillows, my voice dry. "I didn't quit.”

"Okay, good. Because I looked up Sanders Tower on I*******m, that lobby alone looks more expensive than my entire life. Are you a big corporate girl now? Do you have your own desk? Please tell me you have a window view.”

"I have a cubicle," I corrected, a small smile finally pulling at the corner of my lips.

"And plenty of work to keep me there.”

"Ugh, boring. Bounce past the work. Let’s talk about the actual perks of the job.”

I could hear the grin in her voice. "The boss, Kaelen Sanders. Tell me the truth, is he actually as ridiculously hot in person as he is on the news? Because if a man looked at me with those jawline-and-suit vibes every morning, I’d forget how to type.”

If only she knew.

To everyone else, Kaelen Sanders was the billionaire on magazine covers.

To me…

He was something else entirely.

"He's just a boss, Maggie," I said quietly, keeping my tone casual.

"Mostly he just hands out impossible deadlines and stares at people until they lose their minds.”

"Boo. You have zero romance in your soul, Quincy Hale. If I were his assistant, I’d be practicing my wedding signature on the company post-it notes."

Margaret giggled, but then her voice softened slightly, a rare moment of perception breaking through her chatter.

"You sound tired, though. Seriously. Is it going okay?”

"It's just a lot of data to catch up on," I lied smoothly. "I'm fine. I'm just exhausted.”

"Alright, alright. I'll let you go to sleep. But you owe me drinks this weekend, corporate girl. Full breakdown. No filtering."

"Deal. Goodnight, Mags."

"Night!”

The line went dead. I dropped the phone onto the mattress beside me, the silence of the apartment settling back. I closed my eyes, inhaling slowly, trying to let go of the day's tension.

Nothing about this company made sense. I was a target on the floor, a pawn in the executive office, and—

The phone buzzed again.

I sighed in frustration.

“Oh Maggie, what again?”

I turned to look at the screen, but as I stared at the caller, every bit of warmth drained from my body.

The phone kept vibrating, persistent in my trembling palm.

No.

Not now.