Nova
"I want you to lay low and gather intel," Kai says, his voice low and urgent. "The bastard is getting a kick from forcing you to work under him after all he's done to you, to us. Use that to our advantage while I make some…arrangements. My contacts will help us bring him down."
I stare at Kai, hoping desperately that he is not serious, but the determination in his eyes tells me otherwise.
"Can you do this?" I can see the question in his eyes. And the hint of doubt. "Can you make sure not to be caught?"
For a moment, I hesitate. Kai's doubt makes me want to prove him wrong. I want to scream 'yes', to show him I am worthy of his trust and validation. But the faces of those I will be betraying flashes through my mind.
Mrs Jenkins is the sweetest old woman and the twins need a caretaker who has no ulterior motives.
My gaze locks onto the floor in shame as I realize I can't go through with this plan.
The door bangs from the outside, and Xander's hushed voice comes through. "Guys, you might want to finish up soon. I have a job to get back to and I fucking love you Nova, but I don't want to lose it."
"That's our cue," Kai says as he turns to the door. "Call me when you have information."
"I can't." My voice is barely a whisper and my gaze remains on the floor.
Silence fills the small room.
"What do you mean you can't," he asks calmly, but I can feel the questioning look he gives me even without seeing it.
I avoid his eyes, my eyes darting around, looking for a distraction. A part of me wants to back down and blindly agree to his proposal but instead, I steel myself and stand my ground.
"I mean I don't think I can lie to them," I admit, my voice rising in frustration. "Mama and Papa, they wouldn't want you taking revenge and I don't want you to go back to dealing with shady people to provide for us-"
Kai's voice cuts through my protest, laced with a hint of hurt. "And yet I have done exactly that, time and time again to keep you safe."
His words hit me like a cold slap, stripping me of all the confidence I just mustered. I retreat into myself, silenced by the weight of his statement. The accuracy of his words sting and we both know I am completely unable to respond to it.
Kai sighs loudly and pinches the bridge of his nose. Then, he steps closer, setting his hands on my shoulders. "Nova, look at me," he says with a much softer voice.
I hesitate, but eventually meet his gaze. Kai offers me a gentle smile that makes the corners of his lips crinkle. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. But you have to understand. You have always been…idealistic, trying to take the high road in life. And it would have worked." I hear the pride swell in his voice. "You would have had your degree, you would have opened that music studio you keep going on about, you would have been everything you wanted to be. No doubt about it."
A wide smile spreads across my face even as I try to hide it. Kai's opinion has always mattered to me. After our parents died and I dropped out of school, Kai became the only person I could depend on, my rock. As a new adult, fully responsible for his younger sister, he had to make sacrifices and do some questionable things to provide for us. Sometimes, I worry that he resents me for causing everything that went wrong, so the pride I hear in his voice now fills me with joy and my smile widens.
Kai sees my smile and rolls his eyes at my reaction to his praise, making my smile widen even further. For a second, I remember how much closer we were when we were younger.
The moment passes and Kai's smile disappears as he continues. "Unfortunately, that life was taken away from you. It kills me to think of everything you have lost just because of the whims of a spoiled rich boy, but I want to help you take back what's yours. It might not be the ideal solution for you, but let me help you get your life back on track."
As I stare into his eyes, I see the genuine concern and sincerity etched on his face. For the first time in a long while, I am reminded that my brother still cares very deeply about me.
However, a nagging doubt still lingers in my mind.
"I still don't think I can do this, Kai," I say as I remove myself from his grasp. "Destroying Theodore's life for my personal gain? No matter what he's done to us, think about his children, his wife…"
Kai flinches a little at my reply and I look down at the floor again. "I don't want to hurt people, Kai. I don't want to stoop down to that level."
The sound of Kai's quiet chuckle draws my attention away from the floor.
"Nova, if selling one or two corporate secrets is enough to topple Theodore Thompson's business empire, I would have done it years ago."
I stare at him in confusion as he continues. "These corporations are willing to spend billions, just to catch up to their counterparts. Selling business information can set us up for life, but to them, it's just a drop in the ocean. Maybe we can't cripple Theodore but we can get our lives back on track."
Xander bangs the door again, but Kai's eyes remain on mine.
"So?"
I bite my lips as I think about it, but the answer comes easily to me now that I know I won't be harming anybody. Theodore took away my choice in life, it is only fair I get that life back using him.
"Ok. I'll do it."
Kai's face immediately breaks into a genuine smile, and I realize he knew what my answer would be long before I did. "Good."
He quickly kisses my forehead and opens the door, strutting out.
"Alexandria." He says curtly.
"Kaiyan," she replies in a matching clipped tone and we both watch him walk away.
"Well…what happened?"
"You told my brother I was being kidnapped?!" I ask her incredulously.
"I didn't know what to think!" she replies in a high pitched voice and starts walking away. I roll my eyes and catch up to her, refusing to let the conversation die. "I mean why else would he send literal fucking guards to escort you here!"
"Well…" I sigh, telling her about the clause in the contract. He might not have kidnapped me, but that clause binds me to him anyways.
"Oh damn!" Xander's eyes widens in shock. "So you're stuck working with him."
Before I can respond, a sturdy man in a black suit and driver's cap approaches us, scanning me briefly before nodding. "Nova Patel?" he asks firmly. "I've been waiting for you. We need to leave."
My brows furrow in confusion and I glance at Xander, who raises an eyebrow. "Getting kidnapped again?" she asks with a hint of amusement.
I chuckle and shake my head as I remember a car was supposed to take me back. "I guess this is goodbye, X. I need to nanny the twins and possibly be a maid to their mother if necessary. Who knows? Maybe my salary will be doubled," I say with a taut smile and resigned shrug.
Xander's expression turns serious and she opens her mouth to say something but the driver starts walking away and I hurry after him, turning back to wave Xander goodbye.
Unspoken words linger at her lips and she looks at me with concern, but she quickly returns my wave as I step into the sleek black car waiting for me by the entrance.