OWNED BY THE BIKER KING

Chapter 13

Morning sunlight cut sharply through the towering glass windows of the Kane corporate headquarters, casting long, geometric shadows across the minimalist office.

Inside the private executive suite on the highest floor, Luca Kane sat quietly behind his expansive mahogany desk, methodically flipping through several confidential financial files. But his calculating attention wasn’t fully on the corporate numbers today.

The faded photograph still rested face-up beside his keyboard. His gaze lingered briefly on the little girl standing between him and Ryder in the picture, her small hands holding theirs. Nana.

Then—his personal phone suddenly rang, shattering the heavy silence.

Luca’s expression immediately shifted, turning fractions colder the moment his eyes caught the encrypted international caller ID. Without wasting another second, he swiped the screen and brought the phone to his ear.

“What happened?” he demanded flatly.

The voice from the other end sounded incredibly tense, drowned out by distant background noise. “There’s a major problem with the shipment overseas, Boss.”

Luca’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. “What kind of problem?”

A heavy silence stretched over the international line before the operative finally managed to answer. “Someone completely sabotaged our logistics network. The ports are locked down.”

The atmosphere inside the executive office turned volatile. Luca slowly leaned back against his leather chair, his posture rigid. “How bad is the damage?”

“One of our main distribution warehouses was raided by local authorities. The cargo was seized.” The man’s voice trembled. “And... we lost millions in a single night.”

Silence. Cold, absolute silence descended on the office.

The operative continued carefully, whispering into the receiver. “We also highly suspect a security breach, Boss. Someone leaked the coordinates and the manifestation data from the inside.”

Luca’s fingers slowly tapped once against the polished wood of his desk. Tap.

A traitor. Interesting. Very interesting.

“Who’s responsible for the sector?” Luca asked, his voice deadly calm, devoid of raw anger.

“We still don’t know yet, sir. We are running background checks on everyone.”

For a long moment, Luca stayed completely silent. That utter lack of sound was far more terrifying than any loud outburst of fury. His men knew that a quiet Luca was a lethal Luca.

Then finally, he delivered his mandate. “Find out who it is before my flight touches down.”

The man on the other end immediately straightened his posture instinctually. “Yes, Boss. Understood.”

The call ended shortly after with a clean click. Luca slowly lowered his phone onto the desk before rubbing his temple lightly with his thumb. This wasn't a minor logistical hiccup anymore. If this targeted sabotage continued unchecked, it could structurally damage the entire foundations of the Kane empire overseas.

Without another word, Luca stood up, adjusting his tailored suit jacket before walking toward the large floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the sprawling city below. His expression remained an unreadable mask of stone. But behind that eerie calmness, the wheels of a dangerous tactical mind were already turning.

A few minutes later, Luca grabbed his wool coat from the rack and headed straight downstairs toward the private parking area. He had a flight to catch.

A few hours later, across the city at Hell’s Throttle, Ryder's burner phone vibrated against the wooden table.

Luca.

Ryder answered the call immediately, not wasting time with pleasantries. “What is it?”

“I’m leaving the country tonight,” Luca said calmly from the other side, the faint sound of airport announcements echoing in the background.

Ryder frowned slightly, his grip tightening on the phone. “For what? What came up?”

“There’s a massive security leak overseas.” The atmosphere between the brothers instantly grew serious. Luca continued, “Someone actively leaked highly sensitive information about our distribution routes over there.”

Ryder’s expression darkened into a scowl. “How bad is the impact?”

“One of my primary businesses got hit and completely sabotaged.”

Silence stretched over the line. Ryder leaned back slowly against the leather couch of the private room, his mind connecting the dots. “How long are you going to be gone?”

“Maybe a week,” Luca answered, his voice steady as always. “Or longer. Depending on how deep the rot goes.”

Ryder immediately understood the gravity of the situation. Luca didn't leave the country unless the fire was burning out of control. This was a direct attack on their family assets.

“I need to find the traitor first,” Luca continued quietly, his tone dropping. “Before this mess spills over into the local territory.”

The unspoken tension between the two brothers became heavier. Then, Luca suddenly added a final warning.

“Be careful with Adrian Vale while I'm gone.”

Ryder’s jaw tightened, a sharp muscle ticking in his cheek. “He’s already moving. He called my burner an hour ago.”

A brief silence filled the call as Luca processed the information before Ryder finally spoke again. “You think these two situations are connected? The traitor overseas and Adrian Vale showing up here?”

“I don’t know yet,” Luca admitted, his voice remaining analytical. “But right now...” His tone darkened slightly, carrying the weight of a seasoned leader. “We can't afford to trust anyone too easily, Ryder. Watch your back. And watch the girl.”

“I know.”

“I’ll contact you when I arrive at the safehouse.”

Click. The line went dead.

Ryder slowly lowered the phone away from his ear, staring quietly at the heavy rain pouring outside the office window. Everything in the private room felt even colder, darker than before.

Somehow… everything was starting to feel intricately connected. And he absolutely hated that feeling.

Ryder leaned back deeply into the cushions before pressing two fingers lightly against his throbbing temple. One massive problem after another. Adrian Vale’s sudden appearance. Elena’s mysterious past. The internal traitor. The structural sabotage overseas.

And more than anything—the haunting familiarity of the day he found Elena at the bus station.

Everything felt tied together by an invisible thread, as if a ghost from their past was orchestrating a massive chess game against the Kane family. Ryder exhaled a slow, heavy breath, closing his eyes for a brief moment. For the first time in a very long while—he felt a profound sense of exhaustion creeping into his bones.

Suddenly—the phone vibrated aggressively against the table again.

Ryder frowned, his eyes snapping open as he glanced at the caller ID. The scowl vanished, replaced by a slight look of disbelief.

Drayton.

A faint, tired sigh escaped from Ryder’s lips before he finally slid down the screen to answer. “What do you want?”

A lazy, cheerful chuckle immediately echoed from the speaker, cutting through Ryder’s dark mood. “Well, look who it is. Nice to know you’re still breathing, big brother.”

Ryder rolled his obsidian eyes toward the ceiling. “Cut the crap, Drayton. What do you want?”

Drayton laughed softly, the sound full of mischief. “Oh, nothing much. Just that I heard about the little circus happening over there, and the mess Luca is currently flying into overseas.”

Of course he did. Nothing stayed hidden from Drayton for long. He had eyes and ears in places even Luca couldn't reach. Unlike Luca’s calm, calculating nature or Ryder's raw, intimidating force, Drayton was louder, sharper, and fundamentally more unpredictable. He was a wild card. But despite his reckless demeanor, he cared deeply about his brothers—acting like a protective shield even though he was technically the youngest of the Kane trio.

“Are you okay?” Drayton suddenly asked. His voice dropped the lazy sarcasm, becoming uncharacteristically serious this time.

Ryder stayed completely silent for a moment, his gaze tracking a droplet of rain sliding down the glass. That silence alone was a code. It was more than enough for Drayton to understand that things were rapidly going downhill.

“...That bad, huh?” Drayton murmured on the other side.

Ryder rubbed his forehead slowly, feeling the weight of the world. “One problem after another, Drayton. It's an avalanche.”

A quiet, contemplative sigh came through the receiver. “And I’m guessing this avalanche has something to do with the mysterious girl you picked up from the bus terminal too?”

Ryder’s entire posture stiffened, his expression darkening instantly at the mention of Elena. “Maybe. Mind your own business.”

Drayton’s sharp mind immediately caught the subtle shift in Ryder’s tone. The defensive edge, the slight protective anger. A slow, knowing smirk spread across Drayton’s face, even though Ryder couldn’t see it across the miles.

“Well, well, well...” Drayton muttered casually, his tone dripping with absolute amusement. “Look at that. It looks like our cold-hearted, lethal Ryder Kane finally found someone actually worth protecting.”

“Shut up, Drayton. Or I'll break your nose the next time I see you.”

The younger man only laughed louder, completely unfazed by the threat, before hanging up the call.

But the moment the line disconnected, the faint trace of annoyance vanished from Ryder's face. His gaze slowly drifted back toward the dark storm outside. For some reason—a heavy, instinctual gut feeling told him that a massive storm was coming for them.

And this time... it wasn't just the weather.

To Be Continued