"You were at his place?" Asher asked.
Jaden's throat bobbed as he swallowed, panic creeping into his voice. "I wouldn't try anything to kill him."
"See, Jaden," Asher murmured, his fingers flexing at his sides as he stepped in close, "why were you there that night?"
But Jaden said nothing, his head bowed.
One of the men lashed out, gripping Jaden's jaw and forcing his battered face upward.
"I told you," Jaden whispered, his breath shaking, "he never gave me a chance to get close to him that night."
At the snap of Asher's fingers, a man walked in carrying a metal briefcase. The case clicked open the moment he reached them, revealing surgical scalpels, forceps, retractors, suturing needles, sterile gloves, and a sealed organ preservation container nestled beside labeled specimen bags.
"You're going to talk," Asher's voice dropped, cold and measured, his eyes never leaving Jaden's face. "Or you'll leave here in pieces."
The man holding Jaden's jaw tightened his grip, fingers digging into bruised skin, forcing Jaden to meet Asher's hard gaze.
"I swear… I didn't—" Jaden's voice cracked, but he winced as the fingers pressing into his jaw silenced him.
Asher reached for the metal briefcase, pulling out one of the surgical scalpels. He turned it between his fingers with ease, the movement slow, deliberate.
"Jaden?" His tone remained calm. "Explain what you were doing at Caleb's building. And how Henry ended up in that hospital bed."
Jaden's eyes widened, his chest rising and falling with quick, shallow breaths. His lips trembled, stained with dried blood.
"He never let me close to him," Jaden cried, his gaze flickering to the preservation container beside the instruments.
"And the next morning?" Asher asked, his voice cold.
"He left angrily when he saw that I stayed back," Jaden said with a shaky voice.
"You made him run into the road," Asher said, moving closer to Jaden, the blade tracing a slow line along Jaden's cheek.
"I never meant for that to happen," Jaden burst out crying, as Asher's phone rang.
Asher stared at Jaden as he reached for his phone in his suit pocket. He answered the call, listening for a moment before saying, "On my way."
With slow precision, Asher handed the scalpel to one of his men.
"If you're lying… the next time you see these," Asher glanced at the metal briefcase, "it'll be your organs in one of those specimen bags."
Jaden flinched, his breathing unsteady as Asher's final words sank in.
"Let him be," Asher ordered his men as he turned and walked away.
The briefcase snapped shut as the men closed in.
---
Caleb paced around the room, his phone gripped tightly in his hand as his brows creased with worry. His eyes kept darting to the screen of his phone.
"Asher," Caleb called, walking up to him as Asher walked into the house. "You have not been picking your calls… you got me worried."
Asher remained still, saying nothing as Caleb leaned in and kissed him. "Where have you been?" Caleb asked, taking off his suit.
Asher exhaled slowly. "With Henry."
"How is he doing?" Caleb asked, hugging Asher with his head resting on Asher's chest.
"You know… the doctor said if the graft takes and there are no complications, he could be walking within six months. But nerves heal slowly, and sometimes not completely, depending on his body's response and willpower. That is why I have to be there, even though his mother is," Asher explained calmly.
"I am happy he is recovering," Caleb hesitated. "I just wish Jaden would be fine, wherever he is… or probably come back." Caleb lifted his head from Asher's chest, looking into his eyes.
Silence fell between them for a moment as they remained locked in each other's gaze.
"If that disturbs the peace of my love," Asher broke the silence, wrapping his hands around Caleb's waist, "I will make contacts with personalities I know can help," Asher said, smiling softly.
"You will?" Caleb asked as his face brightened with hope.
"For you, baby," Asher whispered, kissing Caleb passionately.
Caleb drew away with an infectious laugh. "You have to freshen up… I made your favourite."
Asher arched a brow. "Really?"
"Doubting me?" Caleb teased, turning his back to him as Asher's arms remained wrapped around his waist, planting gentle kisses along his neck as they moved upstairs to the bedroom.
"You are a bad boy," Caleb said, laughing as he tried to escape the kisses. "Do not worry, you will eat… after you eat."
"You are ridiculous," Asher said, laughing along as they made their way upstairs into the bedroom, still wrapped in each other's arms.
---
Jaden sagged against the chains as the two men loosened him from them. His body slumped, barely able to hold itself upright, and his face twisted with pain as his eyes lifted to meet Asher's.
"You should've stayed away from my son," Asher growled, his voice low and thunderous. "The only reason you're still breathing is because he survived."
Tears streamed down Jaden's bruised face as his legs gave out beneath him, collapsing him flat to the ground.
Asher's eyes lingered on him for a moment, cold and unforgiving. Then he turned away.
"Take him away," Asher ordered with a low growl, striding out of the hall without another glance.
The two men exchanged a silent glance before grabbing Jaden by the arms, dragging him across the floor.
His vision blurred at the edges, darkness creeping in, but he forced his eyes open. His throat ached from holding back the sobs building in his chest.
"Keep him locked down," one of the men muttered as they reached the far end of the hallway, shoving open the exit door.
Outside, a black car waited, engine still running. One of them popped open the trunk.
Without care, they tossed Jaden inside like discarded trash.
The trunk slammed shut with a heavy thud, drowning him in darkness.
Jaden curled onto his side, trembling uncontrollably. His limbs were weak, his face pulsed with pain.
The men's voices filtered through the thin barrier, their tones low but distinct.
"Tell me why he's still breathing," one of them asked, lighting a cigarette.
"Capo Nero wants him alive," the other replied flatly. "Whatever made him let this guy live must mean something… maybe even a god to him."
"Never happened before," the first man snapped, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. "That is unlike the Black Boss."
The engine started, tires crunching against the gravel as they drove off into the dark road.