Loving the Cold CEO

Chapter Five- Calculated Indulgence

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Ha Joon's PoV

Nightfall always seemed to soften New York City into something tolerable. And tonight was no different as I gazed at the view spanning before me through the floor-to-ceiling windows. From the upper floor of the gentleman's club, Cigar & Crown, the city seemed to glow- almost close enough to command.

The gentleman's club was discreet by design despite being owned by the least discreet individual in New York. Nyx Vero had cemented himself as the center of the entertainment sector in all of New York. Not only was his exclusive, adult-themed club, Lussuria, considered to be the place that everyone in upper society wanted to be invited to, Cigar & Crown had also earned its place at the top of the list. No signage, no cameras beyond the first floor- all measures to ensure absolute privacy. The perfect haven for men like my friends and I. Nobody could stumble into these walls. You had to be invited.

Leather, dark wood, low light, and cigar smoke.

This club oozed power that was dressed as leisure.

I sat back in the corner booth, suit jacket draped neatly beside me with sleeves rolled just enough to expose ink that never failed to make strangers uneasy. A crystal tumbler rested untouched in my hand, my gaze turning to my phone beside me, whose screen stayed infuriatingly dark.

Across from me, Kazuto Mori adjusted his cufflinks with habitual precision. His suit coat was also gone, leaving him in his half coat, which made him look more casual, but it did nothing to take away from his sharp countenance. He was the kind of man who could sit at a boardroom table at noon and dismantle an empire by midnight. I was honored to have him by my side.

To my right, Luka Zakarian lounged with lazy elegance, one ankle crossed over his knee, dark eyes half-lidded as he surveyed the room like a man watching a play he had already memorized. Old habits died hard, and despite his laid-back appearance, I knew he was observing, calculating, always alert and ready for anything.

"You're quieter than usual," Luka murmured, a small smile on his lips, before he sipped his vodka cranberry, "that's never a good sign."

"I'm thinking."

My response was met with a scoff to my left as Kazuto turned his attention to me, his gaze sharpened.

"That's exactly the problem."

I looked at him then...like really looked.

Kaz had known me since blood meant something different. Since survival required fewer signatures and more knives. He didn't speak unless it mattered. And this time, he was determined to see if I gave him the chance.

"Speak openly."

He was not a man who defied orders. This moment was no different as he nodded.

"This Carrington deal... is sound on paper. Retail expansion, brand alignment, international penetration. But the timing is aggressive. And your insistence on being personally involved-"

"-is strategic."

I cut in calmly. Luka let out a soft chuckle before speaking.

"That's one word for it."

Kazuto ignored him, facing me fully now as he spoke.

"You accelerated negotiations by months. You overruled two risk assessments. And now, Prion Group is committing capital at a pace that suggests urgency. It's a wonder that Chairman Kang has not reached out to us yet."

The mention of Kang Han-Seok, the Chairman of Prion Group and my mother's father, made me raise a brow at my second in command and Chief of Operations. He rarely mentioned my mother's family, a clear sign of his concern about this matter.

I swirled the whiskey in my glass slowly.

"I was always going to sign. Carrington Retail fills a gap we've been circling for years. They're the best at what they do, and you know very well that perfection is what the Kang family strives for...Viola Carrington merely forced the conversation out into the open."

Kazuto studied my face, processing my words. He always did this, not for tells - he knew he would find none- but for intent.

"And the heiress?"

There it was. The reason for this charged conversation.

I didn't look away as I responded, voice cool and controlled.

"Ayana Carrington is not a factor in the numbers. But she is relevant to the optics. The public already believes there is a connection. Ignoring that would be inefficient."

Luka barked a laugh, breaking the tension that was growing between my old friend and I.

"You shared your first public dance with her under a crystal chandelier, and now you're calling it efficiency?"

I shot him a look, barely restraining the darkness within me at his pointed gaze. He raised both hands in surrender, still smiling, clearly pleased at the fact that he had managed to rile me up. It was rare for anyone to do that. But Luka had a way of getting under your skin.

He was, after all, famous for it back home.

"Japan is stirring, " Kazuto continued, voicing yet another reason for this line of conversation, "Nothing dramatic. Yet. But certain...conversations have resumed."

My fingers stilled against the glass.

"Which ones?"

"The kind that begin with your first name and end with questions."

I nodded once at his response, the three of us sharing a knowing look. Luka and the rest of my friends knew a lot about me, just as I knew quite a bit about them. Secrets were not a currency we could use against each other, not that we would either way.

"Keep watching. Quietly."

Kazuto nodded firmly.

"Always."

Luka's gaze passed between the two of us, his interest sharpening as he sat up for the first time since we arrived.

"You planning to tell him?"

His gaze shifted to Kazuto, amusement shining in his gaze as I shook my head at his games.

"Tell me what?"

Kazuto asked, gaze shifting between us.

I exhaled through my nose, a ghost of amusement slipping through.

"Luka thinks I'm obsessed."

"I think...that you've been orbiting one woman like she's gravity."

Luka corrected lazily, releasing a dark chuckle as he raised his glass to me before downing it all in one go.

Silence stretched between us, thick and deliberate.

I didn't deny it.

Instead, I took my first sip of whiskey.

Smooth.

Controlled.

"My sister hasn't left for Europe yet," I spoke casually, gazing at the ice that shifted in my glass with every small movement of the glass, "She's still stateside, finishing preparations for the tour and global launch."

"The VR Project."

Kazuto spoke up, tilting his head as he processed my words. I nodded slightly.

"The biggest one her company's ever done. When it comes out, it will change the industry."

I confirmed, watching subtly as Luka said nothing, and instead, went very still.

I turned to him fully, raising a brow.

"Interesting timing, though."

His gaze slid towards mine, assessing.

"Is it?"

"You've spent years swearing you'd never step foot anywhere near your old haunts. And yet, the moment Aimi announces her Europe tour, you suddenly have...business."

I stated mildly, watching my friend closely as a slow smile curved his lips, his emotions hidden behind an impenetrable wall. I would not be catching him off guard again. Whatever he had shown me would have to do.

"Coincidences happen."

"They don't."

I replied flatly, distracted only by Kazuto's subtle shift in his seat. He probably wanted to be anywhere else but here for this conversation.

Luka's gaze wasn't defensive. It was resigned. A silent acknowledgment between men who understood inevitability when they saw it.

"You're her brother. Of course, you'd see it."

Luka stated quietly, seemingly deep in thought.

"I see everything, my friend."

Silence stretched between us, not tense but filled with words that were not ready to be revealed just yet.

Luka laughed softly, shaking his head as he leaned back into his seat once more, tension completely forgotten.

"Careful, Ha Joon,"

I glanced at him, giving him my full attention at the sight of his shifted body language.

"Women like that," he continued, voice light and playful but dark gaze sharp, "they come with a cost."

I took another sip of whiskey, weighing the warning that seemed to be for the two of us.

"Good. I dislike bargains."

Kazuto stood, effectively ending the line of conversation as he pulled a slim tablet from his coat.

"The documents will be finalized by morning. I'll have them sent to Carrington Retail first thing."

"Make one adjustment,"

Decision made, I turned to Kazuto, who paused expectantly.

"Name it."

"Ensure all collaborative discussions require representation from Carrington's Brand Ambassador and Creative Lead."

Kazuto frowned slightly.

"You mean..."

"Ayana Carrington. If she isn't present, the meeting is postponed."

I stated evenly and firmly, finishing my whiskey in one gulp.

"Subtle."

Luka stated, arching a brow.

"It's practical. She's the face of Carrington Retail. Excluding her would undermine the project entirely."

Kazuto's gaze held mine for a long moment before he nodded once.

"Understood."

He didn't ask why. A sign that this was the first and last time we would have this conversation again.

He learned how to weigh his words carefully at an early age. That's why he's still alive.

Luka stood to leave with Kazuto, clapping a hand on my shoulder.

"Cold men burn the fastest, you know."

He murmured, seemingly just as deep in thought as he was minutes ago.

I watched them disappear into the shadows, leaving me with my thoughts and the panoramic view before me. Then, my phone vibrated, finally lighting up the dark screen with a name that had plagued my thoughts from the first moment I met her years ago.

Ayana Carrington.

My tsuki.

I didn't open it immediately.

That, too, was a test of my restraint.

One that I failed instantly.

The noise from the club seemed to fade completely as I read the message.

Tsuki:

Thank you for last night's dance. And I'm sorry for the trouble this has caused you.

I don't know what my aunt is planning, but... I believe you when you say you have it under control.

The second message arrived a moment later, softer somehow but more dangerous for it.

Tsuki:

I just wanted you to know that.

My thumb hovered over the screen, heart beating as it did for her and her alone.

She hadn't asked for anything.

No reassurances.

No promises.

No rescue.

Just an acknowledgment.

Something in my chest tightened at the shift between us.

I typed once. Deleted it.

Typed again.

Ha Joon:

You don't need to thank me or apologize.

Nothing will touch you.

Not this. Not them.

Three dots appeared.

Disappeared.

Reappeared.

I waited.

Tsuki:

Then I'll try to be brave.

Brave.

As if she hadn't been standing in a room full of predators with her spine straight, perfect in every single way. As if surviving didn't already require more courage than most people ever spent in a lifetime.

My reply was immediate this time, determined to chase away every one of her misconceptions.

Ha Joon:

You already are.

I locked the phone and set it down, the glow fading from the screen.

Everything around me continued, unchanged. But something within me had shifted even more.

Kazuto was wrong.

This wasn't distraction.

This was clarity.

And whatever cost came with a woman like Ayana Neela Carrington?

I had already decided.

I would pay it.

***