UNDER COVER PENTHOUSE~
KAI'S POV
My blood simmered, a low boil just beneath my skin, as I marched through the opulent hallways of the penthouse. The plush carpet muffled my steps, a stark contrast to the thunderous rhythm of my heart.
He's here,
Pedro is down here!?
The thought was a furious drumbeat in my skull. I'd left Neil alone to his raging self in the other building, a deliberate and necessary space, to confront Pedro, only to be told he'd went to his lounge for 'relaxation'.
Relaxation?
The word was a joke, a pitiful excuse.
I needed to see him,
I needed to make him see me, j needed to ask him what exactly he wanted from me.
A sleek, modern reception desk appeared in my path. A woman with a practiced, porcelain smile looked up. "Sir, how may we help you? Did you book an appointment?"
I didn't break stride, I ignored her completely, my gaze locked on the polished mahogany door behind her.
"Sir!" Her voice sharpened, a note of alarm cracking her professional status.
The door swung open and two figures in dark suits moved to block my way, hands raised. "You can't go in here, please,"They said, but I wasn't in the mood for that.
My body reacted before my mind could process the command. A swift, hard kick connected with the first guard's knees,
A grunt, a stumble, as my elbow jabbed backward, catching the second in the ribs with a satisfying thud. They weren't out, but they were staggered, and that was all the opening I needed. I walked past them, my hand shoving the heavy door wide open.
The scene in the lounge hit me like a physical blow. The air was thick with the cloying scent of jasmine and sandalwood. Low, thrumming music vibrated through the floor.
And there he was,
Pedro.
Sprawled on a huge bed, like a king on his throne, as three hot, utterly naked, ladies were massaging him, their hands slick with oil, moving over his chest and legs.
My sudden entrance froze them all, as four pairs of eyes snapped toward me.
Pedro lifted his head, his expression one of mild, irritated curiosity. "What is the meaning of this?"
"We tried to stop him, sir," one of the guard I had knocked out guard's who tried to stop me stammered, "He was—persistent."
Pedro's sigh was a deep, weary thing, as he waved a dismissive hand. "Everyone out, Now!" His voice held no room for argument.
The Ladies scrambled, gathering robes and disappearing through a side door without a backward glance, leaving no space for disobedience.
He rose from the bed, his movement fluid, unconcerned, he was almost naked, wearing only a pair of black shorts, and he casually shrugged into a deep crimson robe that lay at the foot of the bed, not bothering to tie it.
That casual display of power, of utter nonchalance, made my teeth grind together.
He walked to a glittering minibar, selecting a crystal amber whiskey. "What is this about, Kai?" he asked, his back to me.
So calm, So controlled, as if he didn't know why I was here.
"Why are you doing this, Pedro?" My voice was low, a gravelly thing strained through my clenched teeth. My breath felt ragged in my lungs, my shoulders were a solid block of cold, tense fury.
He poured two fingers of whiskey into a glass, the liquid clinking softly, as he turned, a dark chuckle rumbling in his chest. "Why am I doing this?" He took a slow sip, his eyes never leaving mine over the rim of the glass.
"I'm making things easier for you. fasster, get married, and Secure your legacy, have children. Isn't that what's supposed to be on your mind now?"
I scoffed, the sound harsh in the quiet room. "You and I both know you don't care about my legacy or children to that extent! What do you actually want?"
"Kai," he said, his tone shifting into something patronizing, almost pitying. He took a step closer, the scent of expensive whiskey and his cologne momentarily overwhelming the air. "You're supposed to be complying, not complaining. Just accept this, and see it as your fate."
I watched him, every muscle in my body tightened. "I'm not getting married to Neil." Those words were flat, final, a stone dropped into the space between us.
"Why?" Pedro asked, a knowing, dark grin spreading across his face, and It was a look I hated, a look that said he held all the cards. "Because he broke your pretty little heart back in college? Or was it because he—"
"You don't know anything!" The snap in my voice was sharp, a whip-crack that made him blink in genuine surprise.
Good!
"You don't know a single damn thing about my life, and it sucks when you keep trying to make everything worse!"
He just watched me, his head tilted, the grin gone, replaced by a calculating stillness, he took another slow sip of his drink, buying time. "What is it you want, then? Hmm? a woman? a pretty, uncomplicated lady? Is that the issue?"
A hot wave of disgust rolled through me. "Oh, don't you dare go there…" I trailed off, my voice dropping to a deadly whisper, as I took a step toward him.
"Why can't you just fucking embrace it!" he barked, his own composure finally fracturing. He slammed the glass down on the bar, the sound echoing like a gunshot, the whiskey spill over at the sides. "Calico and I are sealing a deal, a massive one, and I will not let that slip away because of your… your tantrum!"
"And why am I involved in your shitty deals?" I retorted, now standing just feet from him, close enough to see the faint lines of tension around his mouth.
"Because you are my son!" he roared, the words vibrating with a frustration that felt decades old.
"Son indeed," I chuckled, the sound utterly devoid of humor, a hollow, disbelieving thing. I took a deliberate step back, breaking the intense proximity, and turned to stare out the floor-to-ceiling window at the glittering city below.
The world went on, oblivious to the cage being constructed around me up here in the clouds. I drew a slow breath, turning back to face him. "And I'll gladly remind you, I'm not your only son." My voice was icier now, the heat of my anger hardening into something more dangerous. "You have so many of them already, why can't you use one of them!, why must it always be me?"
His jaw tightened.
I could see the muscle working, and I knew had struck a nerve.
I took my victory, small and bitter as it was. "I just came to tell you something, Pedro. Something you need to hear clearly." I held his gaze, letting him see the absolute, unshakeable resolve there. "You cannot force me to be someone I don't want to be."
I didn't wait for a response. I turned on my heel and stormed out of the lounge, leaving him standing there in the wreckage of his own arranging, the door swinging shut behind me with a heavy, final warning.