Love Under The Siege

CHAPTER 2 : UNDER PRESSURE VS TRUTH

RHYSAND CARTER POV :

My dad's eyes were red and sad when he hugged me tight. "You're in charge now, son," he said, his voice shaky. "I don't want to go, because you'll be alone, running everything. But you can do it. I trust you." He meant the family business – buildings, computers, and even new energy stuff – and the Crimson Syndicate, our secret group. My dad always felt bad about the Syndicate.

"Don't worry, Dad," I said, hugging them both before they left on the private jet. The Syndicate and the company – it was all on me now. It wasn't just money; it was lots of workers, fights with other gangs, and the police. But I'm a Carter. I'd handle it.

"Take care," my dad said, waving goodbye. I smiled and waved back. But as soon as the jet was gone, I felt the pressure.

________________________________________

(few days after)

Back in my office, the quiet was scary. I felt like I wasn't using my brains enough. Then, someone knocked.

My secretary, usually calm, looked scared. "Mr. Carter," she whispered, "it's... about... the company." She seemed really worried.

"What is it?" I asked, frowning.

"The Tanghuen Company," she said quietly, looking down. Tanghuen was a big partner, a huge tech company, and they owned a lot of my new project – a super smart computer.

"What about them?" I asked, louder now. "Tell me straight."

"Sir, they quit. We lost our shares," she said quickly and left.

"What the heck?!" Only a few days in, and a big problem. Tanghuen was super important to my new computer. Without them, the project would fail, and the company could go broke. I wouldn't let that happen. I had to fix it, fast.

My phone rang. It was Jaf, my top guy in the Syndicate. "Sir, bad news... we got raided. Some of our people are in jail, and our money is frozen." This was a different kind of disaster, but just as bad. The police could find out about the Syndicate, hurting both the secret group and the real company.

"Jaf, what did I tell you?! Fix it!" I hung up angrily.

Great. One problem after another. I felt the pressure. Think, Rhysand, think. You can do this.

________________________________________

RAVENNA'S POV: (way back, when Ravenna's been shot)

The taxi ride home was quiet. My arm hurt from the bullet, but it was nothing compared to my mom's angry silence. I'd just been shot at a secret meeting with Detective Wood, the guy I hired to look into my dad's murder. He seemed good, but now I was paying the price for finding out the truth.

"Mom, I'm sorry," I said softly, holding her hand. "I had to do this." I meant hiring Detective Wood. My mom always warned me not to reopen my dad's case, because it would put me in danger.

She was really mad that I wanted to reopen my dad's case. The quiet in the taxi showed how angry she was.

Home, it was still quiet. "Here's the fare," I told the driver. Our house felt empty.

"Mom... we need to talk. Still mad?" I asked gently.

Her eyes filled with tears. "Ravenna, I've told you! You could get killed! I lost your dad, I can't lose you too!" She was really scared. She was afraid of losing me.

"But Mom..." I started, but she stopped me.

"We can't fight the Carters. They're too strong, too rich. We can't win." What she said was scary. The Carters seemed unbeatable. Or so it seemed.

"The Carters? What do they have to do with Dad's death? Mom, what are you not telling me?" A new clue. A scary one. I needed answers.

"Let's not talk about this," she begged.

"Okay," I lied, hugging her. I couldn't push her now. But I would find the truth, no matter what.

"Look what happened! You got shot! If you hadn't met that detective..." She was angry and scared.

"Mom... how did you know about the detective?" I was surprised. How did she know?

"I know everything, Ravvy. But please, don't do it again. Let's eat, you need to rest."

I pretended to agree. She'd be mad if she knew the truth. But I'd be more careful. What else did she know? Why did she want to keep me from the truth?