Chapter 13 He rules the world in secret
Her scent seemed to soothe the ache in his heart and Karen was not asleep. She was waiting for the opportune moment to gather her things, with her phone thankfully charging.
But why call her kitten? This was the second time he had called her that, and she wanted to ask, but that would expose her pretense.
The first time might have been a slip, but a second time meant something, right? Just as she was drifting off to sleep, she was startled awake by the ringing of a familiar phone, which happened to be Roger's.
Gently disentangling himself from her, he answered the phone. "Lexi, are you okay?" His voice was as soft as a feather, a tone she never imagined he possessed. "Hey, it's no trouble, I'll be there."
Bingo, the opportunity presented itself, but what she didn't expect was Roger returning to kiss her faked sleeping form on the forehead. You think I'll divorce you? Think again," he whispered, but she heard it, anger bubbling through her.
What an egocentric man he was. As soon as the door shut, she waited a moment before sitting up and rushing to the window.
She saw his car maneuvering out to the parking lot, prompting her to grab a duffle bag. She quickly gathered her most essential items, mostly documents and IDs, followed by her electronics like laptop and iPad.
As she zipped up her pants, a message appeared on her phone from an unknown number, but the content hinted at the sender. 'You can change your mind if you want because my help isn't for free.'
Without hesitation, she replied, ‘It’s worth the risk.’
‘Then meet me at the car park in five minutes,’ came the swift response. Karen left, uncertain of what fate awaited her, but a few hours later, Roger returned.
To his surprise, the door was locked, so he fished out his key. The apartment was quiet, too quiet for his liking.
"Kitten," he called out, holding a bouquet, but the emptiness weighed heavily on him.
This morning, he was grieving so deeply that he had forgotten to bring flowers as usual, but not this time.
Strangely, there was no response, and he hurried upstairs. Was she sick or had she gone somewhere? Why was the door locked?
"Kitten," he called out again, his voice met with the silence of the bedroom. The bed was neatly made, but something felt off.
Immediately, he dialed Karen's number, but it went straight to voicemail. "Karen, where are you?" he called out, his breath becoming uneven.
He called the driver he had assigned to her. "Did you take my wife anywhere?"
“No, sir, she hasn't contacted me today," he replied sharply, feeling the unevenness of his breath settle in his chest, rising like a vapor into his heart.
He had never cared much about her, but the news that she wasn't going to school had him worried, prompting him to come back early to be there for her.
Then it dawned on him. The secret surveillance cameras should have picked up something. Roger controlled this world in secrecy, surpassing even the reach of mafia organizations.
Power was a tool he wielded like a child's toy, hidden from the knowledge of others.
Disguise made his life easier in every aspect except his love life. Cyber manipulation and the stock market were his primary businesses when he was just eight years old.
By the age of eleven, he had already amassed his first billion. Due to his stature, his age was often exaggerated in important circles, and he excelled in every game except love. Nothing could evade his scrutiny, yet he acknowledged his error.
In his eyes, Karen was merely a young girl, akin to the kitten he affectionately named her. Timid and lacking any exceptional talents except in academics.
Without her parents, she felt insignificant, which was the crux of the issue.
His failure to recognize her true potential led to his oversight of the warning signs. The living room CCTV captured her departure with a duffel bag.
Roger's expression darkened, his heart constricting as he reviewed the car park cameras.
Karen had boarded a GL 600 Maybach, a vehicle he had noticed earlier that morning but dismissed. Upon rewinding the car park footage, he observed her exiting the same car before his arrival.
She had lied to him, and the truth of it made him taste bile in his mouth. If she had just returned that morning, where had she been all this time? Roger already knew the kind of death to give whoever the driver of the Maybach was.
Despite his efforts, he couldn't make out the face of the driver, and the camera didn't capture the number plate.
Whoever planned this, Roger hated being outplayed. "Kitten, you can't hide from me," he muttered through gritted teeth, feeling irritation surge through him like sand in his mouth.
Having worked with the Fletchers for months, Roger knew Karen had no friends like Tonia, so who was that guy?
Roger was growing increasingly uneasy and was about to call Hector when his phone rang. It was Lexi, but he answered the call abruptly, "Lexi, I'm busy."
“Roger, I twisted my ankle," her tear-filled voice sounded, but Roger was too upset to care. "Sorry, but my wife left me and I need to find her."
"You're married?" The voice at the end of the line was devoid of any pain, only filled with shock.
"I'll explain later." Roger ended the call without waiting for another word, instantly calling Hector on the phone.
"Hector, tell me you know nothing about my wife leaving me."