Chapter 36 – Between the Visible and the Essential
May 7, 2017 – 5:04 PM
Kris Jenner's House – Hidden Hills
The house was huge, as always. Bright, spacious, with glass walls and meticulously modern decor. A light scent of jasmine hung in the air. Kris was in the kitchen with a glass of white wine, and Corey was chatting in the corner, scrolling through his phone.
In the living room, Kim, dressed in white and wearing sunglasses, was typing intensely on her laptop. Khloe, in a loose sweatshirt and plush slippers, was watching something on her tablet. Kourtney was cross-legged, scanning product labels for Poosh on her iPad. Kylie, the quietest, was drinking a vegan smoothie.
Kendall walked in slowly, wearing jeans and a black knit top. No heavy makeup. Her hair down. Her gaze was direct.
"Hi."
"Hi, love!" Kris said. "Sit here, get a bottle of wine."
Corey looked up.
"Hey, Kendz."
The sisters murmured greetings. Kendall sat on the couch, intertwined her fingers, looked at the floor, then at everyone.
"I need to tell you something."
Immediately, four phones were lowered. Kris leaned her elbow on the backrest.
"Is it something good?"
"Yes. But it's serious. And... intimate."
Khloe frowned.
"Are you pregnant?"
"No!" Kendall laughed nervously. "Nothing like that. It's... about someone."
Kourtney was blunt:
"Are you seeing someone?"
Kendall took a deep breath.
"Yes. And it's not casual. We... decided to try for a serious relationship."
Kim looked over her glasses.
"Who is he? Someone famous? A footballer? Actor? DJ?"
Kendall answered firmly:
"No. He's an LAPD officer. Ex-CIA. His name is Mike Edwards."
Silence.
Corey lowered his phone.
Kris arched an eyebrow.
"CIA?"
Kylie was the first to react:
"That guy from the Kiss Cam?"
Kendall nodded. A slight blush creased her eyes.
Khloe laughed:
"Okay. That's unexpected. A guy who doesn't have an influencer Instagram, doesn't wear Balenciaga clothes, and routinely carries a gun? Girl... that's a Netflix plot."
Kim bit her lower lip.
"How many followers does he have?"
"Three thousand. Private account. Has photos from his CIA days, but nothing sensational. No sponsorship, no brand."
Kris took a deep breath.
"Daughter, you know the media has been circling this since the game. And if you confirm this publicly, they'll pry into every aspect of his life."
Kendall nodded.
"I know. That's why we're not going to confirm anything. We're just... going to live it up. Discreetly. He doesn't want to be seen. And honestly? This is the first time anyone has looked at me and not seen a PR opportunity."
Corey, who until then had just been listening, commented:
"And is he trustworthy? What does he want from you?"
Kendall looked directly at him.
"He wants to talk to me. Listen to me. Protect me. He doesn't need me. He chose to be with me. And that, to me, is worth more than a thousand red carpet events."
Khloe smiled.
"Okay, that was convincing. I already liked him a little."
Kourtney crossed her arms.
"And what's he like... in real life?"
"Silent. Observant. The kind of man who never takes a picture of food. He made me coffee at his house and placed the cup next to me without saying anything. He just... knew what I needed."
Kylie finally spoke.
"Does he have scars?"
Kendall nodded. She lowered her eyes.
"Many. Some visible. Others... deeper. But he carries them all with dignity. He never poses as a hero. And he never pretends he's not afraid."
Kris leaned back on the couch, thoughtful.
"So you love this man?"
Kendall bit her lower lip.
"I don't know if it's love yet. But it's more real than anything I've ever had."
7:20 PM – Outdoor Patio, with Kris
Mother and daughter sat in reclining chairs beside the pool. The light from the house softly illuminated the palm trees in the garden.
Kris held a glass. Kendall, a bottle of water.
"You know that if he's with you... he'll be thrown into the media arena. Whether you like it or not."
"I know. But we'll protect this. We'll keep it private. Like it's... my safe place."
"And you think he can handle this world?"
"He's faced real wars, Mom. He's seen people die. He's saved lives. He's kept secrets for years. He's not a kid looking for fame. He just wants... peace."
Kris smiled.
"Then maybe he's the only thing that can give you that."
8:10 PM – Cell phone message
Kendall:
"I talked to everyone. It was... better than I imagined. They listened. And they respected me."
Mike:
"I guess the 'Kiss Cam Guy' is officially accepted now?"
Kendall:
"Still in the observation phase. But Mom already smiled."
Mike:
"When Mom smiles, the field is clear."
Kendall:
"You're much more charming over text. In person, you just disconcert me."
Mike:
"Disconcerting you is my favorite part."
And there, that night in Hidden Hills, two different worlds began to collide more powerfully—not as a spectacle, but as a possibility. Because what's visible isn't always what counts. And what's built in silence... resists the clamor of the world.
Chapter 37 – Images of Silence
May 7, 2017 – 8:45 PM
Kris Jenner's House – Living Room
The evening remained lighthearted, despite the serious revelations. Everyone was back in the living room, sitting on sofas and armchairs. Half-empty glasses of wine, the background music was soft jazz. Kylie sat with her legs folded on the sofa. Kim, now without sunglasses, had her phone on her lap, but was 100% attentive. Kourtney looked at Kendall as if analyzing a thesis. Kris drank slowly. Corey was curious, but discreet.
Khloe was the first to speak:
"Okay... so, you said all this about him... but no one here knows what he looks like. Like... we haven't even seen a picture. Are you serious?"
Kendall, a little embarrassed, but not straying from the topic, fiddled with her phone.
— "He doesn't have many public photos. Most are on his private profile. But I have some he sent me. And some he took himself—from his time at the agency. Nothing confidential. He knows what he can and can't show."
Kim arched an eyebrow.
— "He sent photos from the CIA? That's like... extremely James Bond meets Instagram."
Kourtney crossed her arms.
— "Show it."
Kendall laughed.
— "Okay. But don't freak out. He's not a model. He's real. And... handsome in his own way."
She opened the photo app and turned her phone toward her sisters. She zoomed in on the first image.
📸 1ST PHOTO – Afghanistan, 2010
Mike had a thick beard, tactical sunglasses, a worn black t-shirt, and multicam cargo pants. He wore a Crye Precision plate carrier, an HK416 slung over the sling and a Glock in a Safariland side holster. In the background, a dirt base with improvised structures and an American flag blowing in the wind. Beside him, three men, all without visible identification—Delta Force operators, recognizable only by their eyes and posture.
Khloé's eyes widened.
"OMG."
Kylie laughed:
"Okay... this looks like a movie. Literally. What is this, Call of Duty?"
Kris took the phone from Kendall's hands to get a closer look.
"He's... armed. And confident. And... calm. He has this look in his eyes like he knows exactly what to do."
Corey commented:
"That's combat fatigues. Special-purpose plate carrier. The guy knows what he's doing."
Kim bit her lower lip.
"He looks like... the guy who would rescue a hostage without messing up his shirt."
Kendall smiled discreetly.
— "He doesn't like this photo. He says it was a rough day. But he sent it to me because it was part of the story."
📸 2ND PHOTO – Beirut, 2013
Mike is sitting in a sidewalk cafe. He's wearing a light blue dress shirt, dark gray cargo pants, and a pair of black Oakley tactical shoes, understated but sturdy. His sunglasses reflect the busy street behind him. He's reading the newspaper L'Orient-Le Jour, and beside him, a cup of Turkish coffee.
Kourtney narrowed her eyes.
— "Beirut? What was he doing there?"
Kendall answered without hesitation:
— "Monitoring negotiations and trying to intercept smuggling routes for Hezbollah. It was one of the missions he could tell you about."
Kim:
— "That's so... classy. Like Jason Bourne at a secret brunch."
Kylie:
— "Those shoes are Oakley SI. My security guard wears them. They can handle anything."
Khloé picked up her phone.
"This man lived TWELVE lives before you. And now he makes you coffee on Venice Beach?"
Kendall laughed.
"Exactly why."
📸 3RD PHOTO – US Embassy, Brasília – 2015
Mike is wearing a dark suit, a discreet gray tie, and a blue dress shirt. Sunglasses, hands crossed in front of him. Behind him, the modern facade of the US Embassy in Brasília. On his lapel, an American flag pin.
Kris squinted.
"He was a CIA station chief?"
Kendall nodded.
"For two years. Brazil was his last posting before he returned and left the agency. He said that was where he started thinking about a... different life."
Corey commented:
"Being in Brasília with that level of access... is no small feat. He had permission to sit with generals."
Kim:
"So he knows everything the government doesn't tell you."
Kourtney:
"And yet, he treats you like none of this matters. That's rare."
📸 4TH PHOTO – LAPD, 2016
Mike now appears in full LAPD uniform, tactical vest with the "EDWARDS" tag, blue cap, expressionless. The photo was taken during a break from patrol—Athena appears in the background, laughing at something.
Kylie:
"This is the only one that looks... normal. And yet, he looks like the protagonist of a police show."
Khloé:
"He's like... a protector by nature. You can see it in his eyes. He's not posing. He's just there."
Kim:
"And he lets you show it?"
Kendall nodded.
"He knows you'd ask. And he doesn't hide from anyone I trust. But for the media... there's nothing. He wants our story to be lived, not sold."
Kris handed the phone back. She took a deep breath.
"You know what impresses me most? It's not his physique. Nor his background. It's his silence. This man carries the world, but he doesn't advertise it."
Kendall smiled.
— "That's why he's the only one I can rest with."
9:30 PM – After the dispersion
Kendall sat on the porch of the house, alone. Cell phone in hand.
Mike:
"Did I outlive your family?"
Kendall:
"Not only did you. You impressed."
Mike:
"Should I be worried about a summons for a formal meeting with your mother?"
Kendall:
"She just wants to know if you're real."
Mike:
"I am. And I'm here."
Kendall:
"Then come. Tomorrow. No pictures. Just us."
And there, under the California breeze, Mike's past was seen, understood, and accepted by a group of women who knew perfectly well how to distinguish appearance... from essence.
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