KISS OF BETRAYAL

Chapter FIVE - KISS OF POWER

Power doesn’t bow to grief

That night, I kept pondering on Tristan Carter’s words. Was his company involved in the death of Dad?

Turning from side to side on my bed . Soon, morning came. I had a hot bath went down for breakfast, and headed to “Alexander Holdings and Co.”

It was my first time here in a while.

Ryan came down from the car, held my hand, and whispered, “Are you ready?” He said faintly. I nodded, and we walked in, with eyes on us.

We headed straight to Dad’s office. His personal assistant, Miss Jessica, was so happy to see us. “Good afternoon, Madam. It’s a pleasure seeing you,” she said with a wide grin on her face

“I'm sorry for the death of Mr Alexander, I'd be around incase you need my help” she added

Every corner of the office reminded me of him. The last time I was here, I passed by my fashion academy to see him. I could hear his faint laughter echoing from my head

I moved closer to the desk and held the family photo. It was a picture of Dad, Mom, and I.

Ryan held my hands. “It’s okay, Cassie.” He tapped my back

We continued to search the drawers

“Ryan!” I cried out. “Come over here!”

It's a flash!

We took the flash and inserted it into Ryan’s laptop. Attached was a file named “Project Eden.” It was a real estate project to convert all old industrial zones to smart cities.

And what did this mean?,my heart sank into my feet

“Jessica!” I called out breathless She came running to the office in a short breaths

“What was this?” I asked my eyes glistening “Project Eden? Tell me everything about it.”

Project Eden was a government contract awarded to our company to convert industrial zones to smart cities. Actually, it wasn’t totally given to us. The government chose two companies: “Alexander Holdings” and Carter Holdings to handle the project. So each made an outline.

On the day we went to see the minister to present, our project idea was stolen by Carter Holdings, so they were awarded the full contract. It was a blow to us because we invested so much into it .

Our shareholders withdrew their shares which threw the company into bankruptcy, until Mr. Tristan Carter bought all the shares. That was what saved us.

So what did Project Eden have to do with Dad? It was the last opened file, I cut her short

Mr. Alexander was sad and wanted to find the truth about it, so he reopened the case and filed a lawsuit against Carter Holdings. Everything was going fine until the accident,” Miss Jessica said.

This was all beginning to make sense.

“The Carters were responsible for my Dad’s death,” I said with furrowed eye brows

“I will pay back with every drop of blood in me,” I clenched my fist hard on the table

“You can go,” I said.

Ryan opened Daddy’s email and saw a message from an anonymous person: “Do not reopen the case, else your life is at risk.”

Dad was right; it was planned!

Miss Jessica came in a few minutes later. “The company has a board of shareholders meeting.”

We headed out to the meeting room.

“Good afternoon, everybody,” I said. “Welcome.” assuming seat at the head of the round table

Mr. Patrick, a shareholder, said, “We express our condolences to the family for the recent tragedy. We called this meeting to dissolve Mr. Alexander.”

He was absent for a while, and nobody was here to represent him. The company suffered largely, so we need a new CEO; even his shares dropped.

What ?, why? ,wait that can’t be , I pleaded on deaf ears

They voted right there and made Tristan the new CEO.

I slammed my hands on the table. ‘This can’t happen!’ My voice shook, but the board ignored me.

The company my father built with his sweat would be handed over to someone else just like that? , I cried out

“I’m sorry Miss Cassandra” Tristan answered me with a beaming yet wicked smile

“Power doesn't bow to grief”

The Carters and Alexander feud goes way back to our grandparents. They were business partners and friends for a while. They even started a company together, which bloomed into something great.

When the time to register the business came, Sir Carter secretly registered it as his company. It was wrong. What my grandfather built on sweat was just taken away from him by deceit.

Mr. Grandpa immediately exited the now Carter Holdings to start his own company, “Alexander Holdings,” which bloomed in a couple of years.

With trembling hands, a dry throat, or silent fury.

I went back to Dad’s office to pack up his things, every object in the office reminded me of him .The air was heavy with memories and betrayal.

Then the door opened.

Tristan Carter stepped in black suit, calm eyes, the faintest trace of power in his posture.

“Hi, Cassandra,” he said smoothly, as if we were old friends and not enemies bound by deceit and revenge.

“I came to express my condolences. Your father was… a great man.”

I didn’t respond. My hands tightened around Dad’s wristwatch on the desk.

He took a slow step forward, eyes locked on me. “I also want you to know,” he said quietly, “that from today, Alexander Holdings is under my control.”

My chest burned. “You stole this company ”

He raised a hand, cutting me off, his expression cold

“I didn’t steal anything,” he murmured. “I just took back what should’ve never left my family’s hands.”

The words pierced through me.

He leaned closer, lowering his voice until I could feel the weight of every syllable

“You can fight me, Cassandra. You can dig for answers, chase ghosts, make threats.”

A pause.

“But if you’re smart, you’ll remember one thing power doesn’t bow to grief.”

He adjusted his cufflinks, glanced once at the photo of my parents on the desk, and walked out without another word.

I stood frozen, his cologne still lingering in the air, his warning echoing in my head.

“He thought it ended here. He was wrong.”