Chapter 4

It was already late at night when Kaleb left the police station and returned to his parents' house.

Even after he changed his clothes, his mother immediately noticed the injury on his arm and called the family doctor over.

"Mom, I'm fine." He took her hand. "I was actually pretty amazing today. I saved a little girl."

Corrine looked at him, her voice gentle but firm. "You've always been a kind person."

Kaleb froze. He remembered how, whenever he'd gotten into trouble as a child and people accused him of being willful and reckless, his mother would smile and defend him in exactly the same way.

"Our Kaleb is a good boy. He's just a little too straightforward."

Khloe's accusations hadn't made him cry, but his mother's words of affirmation brought tears to his eyes.

He quickly lowered his head and changed the subject. "Mom, Dad, our international plans are almost complete. In about half a month, we should be able to shift the company's focus there. When that happens, we'll all leave together."

A few days later, at the Monroe Group headquarters, Kaleb was in a meeting when his secretary, Graham West, entered and whispered something in his ear.

He stood up. "Everyone, I'm sorry. We'll resume the meeting later."

Several officials in uniform were already waiting in the corridor.

"Mr. Monroe, we're from the tax authority. We've received a report filed under the complainant's real name and are required to conduct an investigation in accordance with the law. We ask for your cooperation."

Kaleb raised an eyebrow. The Monroe Group had always operated lawfully under his father's management, so he wasn't afraid of an investigation. He was simply wondering who would choose this particular moment to report them.

He assured the officials that he'd cooperate fully, then gave Graham a meaningful glance.

Half an hour later, he read the message Graham sent him and immediately called Khloe.

"Did you authorize Diego to file the tax report against us?"

There was a brief silence on the other end. She didn't deny it.

"What happened with Lilah is something you owe Diego for. Let him vent his anger, and we'll call it even."

Kaleb was so furious at her matter-of-fact tone that he nearly laughed. "Khloe, with a brain like yours, the only reason the Allen Group hasn't gone bankrupt is that your guardian angel must be watching over you."

With that, he hung up.

The investigation proceeded slowly but methodically. Just as he expected, the Monroe Group had done nothing wrong. As the officials worked through their checks, their attitude toward him became noticeably more cordial.

But just after he saw them out, another group arrived. This time, they were from the financial regulatory authorities.

"Mr. Monroe, we've received information that you've recently been transferring large sums of assets across borders on a frequent basis. You're suspected of manipulating profits. Please come with us to assist in the investigation."

These allegations were far more serious than the tax inquiry.

Looking at the documents they presented, Kaleb knew this was Khloe's doing. Diego's mind wouldn't have been capable of coming up with something like this.

"Fine. I'll go with you." He turned and calmly arranged the necessary work before instructing Graham to contact the lawyers.

The investigation turned out to be far longer and more grueling than he'd expected.

Kaleb sat on a hard chair as one investigator after another took the seat across from him. They went over the same questions repeatedly, asking him to explain the same things over and over again.

He answered each time, his voice gradually growing hoarse.

No one offered him any water, and he didn't ask for any.

The daylight outside faded into darkness, then returned. He lost track of how long he'd been sitting there.

He was allowed to use the restroom only twice, and each time, a regulatory officer followed him closely, watching his every move.

The lack of sleep made his temples throb. His vision blurred from hours of intense concentration, and the pain in his back gradually spread.

Yet he kept his back straight throughout, answering every question clearly and maintaining his composure without showing either submission or defiance.

Finally, after what felt like countless rounds of checks, he was allowed to leave.

As he walked out of the building, his steps faltered. He wanted to call his parents to let them know he was safe, but neither of them answered.

It wasn't until Graham told him that something had happened to Waylon that he learned his father was lying unconscious in the hospital.

Outside the private hospital suite, Corrine looked as though she had aged years overnight. When she saw Kaleb, she took his hand, struggling to hold herself together.

"After they took you away, we asked everyone we could think of, trying to find out if you were all right. Then we heard that someone was deliberately making things difficult for you and that you'd been put through a lot.

"We were frantic. We kept thinking about how you'd never had to endure that kind of humiliation before, so we had no choice but to go to Khloe.

"But Diego was the one who came out to see us. He said so many cruel things. Your father was so furious that his face turned ashen."

Tears streamed down Corrine's face.

"He'd never spoken harshly to anyone in his life. But that day, even his hand was trembling as he pointed at Diego. On the drive back, your father... he suddenly stopped moving..."