chained by destiny

CHAPTER5

“ We found something. “

Pedro read out a message on his phone, from Chris.

His heart skipped a beat as he quickly excused himself from the just concluded meeting, walking briskly out of the conference room and into the hallway. He dialed Chris' number, his pulse racing.

“Tell me,” he said the moment Chris answered.

“I’ve been talking to the hotel staff again, and we finally got a break,” He said, his voice steady but with a hint of confidence .

“They managed to pull some surveillance footage from the night you stayed. It was tricky to get them to cooperate, but we’ve got a few leads.”

Pedro's grip on the phone tightened. "Go on."

“They found images of her leaving your room early in the morning. I had them send me everything. It’s not much, just a few grainy shots of her as she was leaving. But there’s one clear picture of her face.”

Pedro’s heart pounded in his chest. “Send it to me.”

There was a brief pause before his phone buzzed again. He pulled it away from his ear and opened the message. His breath caught in his throat as he stared at the image on the screen.

It was her.

Even though the quality was poor, the sight of her face sent a jolt of recognition through him. Her dark hair, the delicate features, the look in her eyes, it was all there.

And now, he had something. A piece of the puzzle.

“Do you know who she is yet?” Pedro asked, his voice low and urgent.

“We’re working on it,” Chris replied. “I’m running the image through some databases. I’ll have more soon.”

Pedro nodded, though his mind was already racing ahead. He had her picture. He had a lead. And now, he wouldn’t stop until he found her.

His phone buzzed again and this time it was his father, San Antonio!

“How did it go? Did they close on the deal, son?”

He already knew what the answer was, but he just needed an affirmation from his son.

“Yes, they took the offer without any hesitation.”

“Good, very good” he added before he hung up the call.

San Antonio leaned back in his sleek, leather office chair, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. Now he had two good news.

The message had come through not more than an hour ago: Cathryn James had signed the contract. She was now his, in name at least.

Not that he needed a wife. No, San Antonio had long ago sworn off the notion of needing anyone, let alone a woman, to complicate his life. His ex-wife, Mirage, had been more than enough proof that a life of independence was better suited to him.

Mirage had been wild, unpredictable, and exhausting everything Cathryn James wasn’t. Cathryn, with her quiet grace and calm demeanor, was the opposite in every way.

“She wouldn’t be demanding or cause a scene. No tantrums, no unpredictability”, he thought to himself.

He remembered the first time he saw her, when Mr. James had attended one of his infamous parties.

The night had been filled with laughter, music, and the usual displays of wealth and power that San Antonio so enjoyed. Cathryn had been there, though. Standing to the side, almost invisible, her father mingled and drank with the crowd. She had been the very picture of quiet elegance, with her soft features and unassuming presence.

He hadn’t spoken to her that night. There hadn’t been a need to. But something about her intrigued him. Cathryn had seemed at peace with the quiet.

“Yes, she would do just fine” he said proudly and smiled as he took another glance at the contract now lying on his desk.

It wasn’t love or even desire that made San Antonio want this arrangement, it was control. Power. The satisfaction of knowing that someone like Cathryn James, so young, graceful and proper, would be his wife.

She was James, and that name alone carried weight in certain circles. For that alone, she had value.

He could attend events with her, flash her on his arm whenever necessary, bring her to important business functions, and most importantly, she would quietly disappear into the background once her role was fulfilled, a trophy wife without the drama.

He had desperately wanted this from his ex-wife, but she had been ambitious, driven by her own desires, always trying to pull him in directions he had no interest in going. She had wanted things, needed things, and it had worn on him until he had to put an end to it!

Thoughts of his ex-wife triggered him. He wanted to toss the newspaper he was reading previously on the wall. He could feel the tension on his chest.

“Bastard” he cursed silently.

That was San Antonio did. He could barely control his anger and if things didn’t go his way, a price must be paid.

Those who work in San Antonio always fear him for one thing: he doesn’t smile or exchange unnecessary pleasantries with his workers.

A knock on his door pulled him from his thoughts. It was his assistant, Raul.

“San,” Raul’s voice crackled as he walked through the door. “ The James contract is finalized. Everything is in place.”

San Antonio smirked, leaning back even further in his chair. “Good. Very good.”

Raul hesitated. “Heard she’s... quite different. Quiet. Reserved.”

San chuckled, the sound low and amused. “That’s exactly what I want, Raul. No surprises, no demands. I don’t need love or passion at this age,I need control. And Cathryn James will play her role perfectly.”

Raul didn’t say anything for a moment, then simply replied, “Understood.”

“You’re dismissed Raul, I will call you if I need anything”. San said as he stared out the window of his penthouse office, overlooking the city. The view was as powerful and commanding as he felt.

He thought once more about their future public appearances, lavish dinners, business meetings where the presence of a poised, respectable wife would solidify his image as a man in control.

This marriage isn’t a partnership, he reminded himself. It’s a contract. And in a contract, both parties play their part.

San Antonio stood, adjusting his cufflinks, his smirk widening. Now, all that was left was to solidify his hold, to bring Cathryn into his world where he would always be in control.

He reached for his phone, dialing a number he hadn’t used in a while. The voice on the other end answered after a single ring.

“Make the necessary preparations,” San Antonio ordered, his voice smooth and commanding. “The James family will be making their first public appearance with me very soon. I want it perfect.”

There was no hesitation in the response. “Yes, sir.”

As he hung up, San Antonio felt the familiar thrill of control and power coursing through him. Cathryn would be by his side, whether she liked it or not.

He laughed hysterically, like a man drunk from the pleasure of old wine.