Chapter 6: The Man Who Should Be Dead
1419 Words
The room fell into stunned silence.
Amara stared at the frozen image on the screen while cold fear crept slowly through her body.
“That man died three years ago.”
Kael’s words echoed heavily in the office.
“What do you mean he died?” she whispered.
Kael didn’t answer immediately.
His sharp gaze remained locked on the screen as if he were trying to convince himself he was wrong.
But whatever he saw there clearly terrified even him.
And that frightened Amara more than anything else tonight.
The guard beside the screen cleared his throat carefully.
“Sir… should we continue tracing the vehicle?”
“Yes,” Kael answered instantly, his voice turning cold again. “Use every resource we have.”
“Yes, sir.”
The guard left quickly.
Amara looked back toward the screen.
The hooded figure stood frozen beside Selena’s car like a ghost pulled from the grave.
“Who is he?” she asked quietly.
Kael finally turned off the screen.
“A mistake from my past.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s enough of one.”
Frustration sparked inside her immediately.
“You keep doing that.”
“Doing what?”
“Giving half-truths.”
Kael stepped away from the desk slowly.
“You already know too much.”
Amara stared at him in disbelief.
“You think this is too much? Someone kidnapped my cousin trying to get to me!”
His expression hardened instantly.
“And that is exactly why you need to stop demanding answers before you’re ready for them.”
“Ready?” she repeated sharply. “How exactly does someone become ready for this?”
Kael’s silence answered nothing.
The tension between them stretched dangerously.
Then suddenly, his phone rang again.
Kael answered immediately.
“What?”
He listened silently for several seconds.
Then his jaw tightened.
“When did they release it?”
Amara watched him carefully.
Whatever he was hearing clearly wasn’t good.
Kael ended the call slowly before looking toward her.
“The press leaked your engagement publicly.”
Her stomach dropped.
“What?”
“Your face is everywhere now.”
“No…”
Amara backed away slightly.
“No, no, no…”
She had spent years staying invisible.
Quiet.
Forgotten.
And now suddenly the entire world knew her name.
Kael walked toward her carefully.
“This changes things.”
“Of course it changes things!” she snapped. “People are already kidnapping the wrong person because of me!”
“You are not responsible for this.”
“But it’s happening because of me.”
His gaze sharpened slightly.
“No,” he said quietly. “It’s happening because of what your mother left behind.”
The words hit like ice.
Amara shook her head slowly.
“I don’t even know what that means.”
Kael looked away briefly.
Then,
“You deserve rest tonight.”
The sudden change in topic startled her.
“That’s it?” she asked incredulously. “You’re just ending the conversation again?”
“For now.”
Amara laughed bitterly.
“You really are impossible.”
Something unreadable crossed his face again.
“Probably.”
The quiet repetition of his earlier answer caught her off guard.
For the first time since meeting him, she noticed exhaustion beneath his cold exterior.
Not physical exhaustion.
The kind that came from carrying too many secrets for too long.
Kael walked toward the office door.
“Come.”
“Where?”
“I’ll show you your room.”
Amara followed him upstairs through long dimly lit hallways.
The third floor felt completely different from the rest of the mansion.
Quieter.
More private.
More guarded.
Two security men stood near the staircase entrance alone.
Kael opened a large double door at the end of the hallway.
The bedroom inside was breathtaking.
Soft gold lighting illuminated modern furniture, floor-to-ceiling windows, and elegant cream-colored décor.
Fresh flowers rested near the bed.
A private balcony overlooked the city lights outside.
The room looked less like a guest room and more like it had been prepared carefully for someone important.
Amara slowly stepped inside.
“This is too much.”
“You’ll get used to it.”
“I don’t want to get used to this life.”
Kael leaned slightly against the doorway.
“You may not have a choice anymore.”
The honesty in his voice unsettled her again.
Amara turned toward him slowly.
“Why are you really protecting me?”
His expression became unreadable instantly.
“I already answered that.”
“No. You didn’t.” Her voice softened slightly. “You protect me like you owe my mother something.”
Silence.
Then Kael looked directly into her eyes.
“I owe her everything.”
The words stole the air from her lungs.
Before she could respond, he stepped back.
“Lock the doors tonight.”
“Kael”
“Goodnight, Amara.”
The door closed before she could stop him.
Amara stood frozen in the middle of the room.
I owe her everything.
What did that mean?
What kind of connection had existed between Kael and her mother?
Her thoughts spun endlessly as she walked toward the balcony.
The city lights glittered below like distant stars.
Everything about her life had changed within days.
A forced marriage.
Kidnappings.
Secrets.
A dead man returning somehow.
And Kael Laurent was standing at the center of it all like a shadow she couldn’t escape.
She barely slept.
The next morning, sunlight poured softly through the curtains when a knock sounded at the door.
Amara opened it carefully.
A young woman stood outside carrying breakfast.
“Good morning, miss,” the woman said politely. “Mr. Laurent asked me to bring this.”
Amara glanced at the tray.
Coffee.
Fruit.
Pastries.
More effort than anyone in her own family had ever shown her.
“Thank you.”
The staff member smiled faintly before leaving.
Amara carried the tray inside slowly.
Beside the coffee sat a folded note.
Her pulse quickened slightly as she opened it.
Wear something comfortable. We’re leaving in one hour. K
That was it.
No explanation.
No details.
Typical.
An hour later, Amara entered the downstairs living area wearing simple jeans and a cream blouse.
She nearly stopped walking when she saw Kael.
He stood near the entrance dressed more casually today in a black shirt with rolled sleeves.
Without the suit jacket and formal appearance, he somehow looked even more dangerous.
More real.
His gaze lifted toward her immediately.
For a brief second, something softened in his eyes.
Gone almost instantly.
“We’re going out?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“You ask many questions.”
“And you avoid all of them.”
A faint almost-smile touched his lips again.
The sight startled her more than it should have.
Outside, a black luxury car already waited.
This time there were fewer security vehicles.
Still enough to remind her that danger followed him everywhere.
During the drive, Kael remained unusually quiet.
Amara finally sighed.
“If you brought me out here just to sit silently beside you, I could’ve stayed in bed.”
That actually earned a low chuckle from him.
A real one.
The sound shocked her completely.
“You’re different this morning,” she said carefully.
Kael glanced toward her briefly.
“How?”
“Less terrifying.”
“Give it time.”
She rolled her eyes softly before looking outside again.
Eventually, the city disappeared behind them.
The roads became quieter, lined with tall trees and ocean air.
Amara frowned slightly.
“Where are we?”
Kael finally answered.
“The coast.”
About twenty minutes later, the car stopped near a private beach hidden away from the public.
Waves crashed softly against the shore while sunlight reflected across the water.
The place felt peaceful.
Too peaceful compared to everything else surrounding him.
Amara stepped out slowly.
“It’s beautiful.”
Kael watched her carefully.
“Yes.”
Something about the way he said it felt deeper than agreement.
Amara walked closer to the shoreline.
Then suddenly she froze.
Her eyes widened slightly.
There, near the edge of the cliffs overlooking the water, stood an old white bench.
Weathered by time.
Familiar.
Too familiar.
“No…” she whispered.
Kael went still behind her.
Amara slowly approached the bench.
Her breathing became uneven.
Because carved into the wood were two initials.
E.M. and K.L.
Her mother’s initials.
And Kael’s.
- Writer
