Chapter 86 Burner phone

Chapter 86 Burner phone


Aysel stood still in the parking lot, the cold night wind blowing her hair around her face as she stared down at her phone’s screen. She read the strange text message over and over, looking at the picture of her and Ruan eating steak just twenty minutes ago and reading the words.

She didn't scream or drop her phone. Instead, she took a slow, deep breath, letting the air fill her lungs. She remembered the promise she made to herself that morning. Turning around slowly, she held the phone out to Ruan, showing him the screen without saying a word.

Ruan took the phone from her hand, his eyes scanning the picture. His jaw clenched slightly, he looked around the lot, his face calm and bored. He wrapped his arm securely around Aysel's waist, pulling her close to his side.

"Who do you think sent it?" Aysel asked softly, looking up at him. Her voice didn’t shake at all.

"I don't know, baby," Ruan replied simply, handing the phone back to her. "It's probably just a dirty reporter trying to get a reaction for a new story."

"Or maybe it’s one of Julian's old business partners," Aysel suggested, slipping the phone back into her purse. She shrugged her shoulders. "They lost a lot of money when you canceled the hotel deals. They might be angry and trying to prank us."

"Exactly," Ruan said, smiling as he opened the car door for her. "Cowards love to hide in the dark and send anonymous pictures, but we won’t let a random text ruin our night. We just had the best date ever."

"I refuse to let anyone ruin my night ," Aysel agreed, sliding into the seat. She looked up at him with a spark in her eyes. "I feel so happy right now, Ruan. I'm not letting anyone steal my joy."

"That’s my queen," Ruan chuckled, kissing her cheek softly before closing her door. He walked around to the driver's seat and started the engine, which roared to life.

They drove back to the island in peace, listening to music on the radio, holding hands over the center console. They completely ignored the threat, choosing to be happy and calm together.

When they walked through the doors of the house, the living room was quiet. Mina was fast asleep in her room. Aysel kissed Ruan goodnight and walked down the hall to take a shower.

Ruan went straight to his office, turned on the desk lamp, and sat down in his chair with a heavy sigh, feeling relieved that the day was finally over.

A quiet knock sounded on the door, and Cole walked into the office. He held his tablet and kept his head down, stopping in front of the desk.

"Boss, do you have a minute to talk?" Cole asked, his voice rough and quiet as he shuffled his feet on the rug.

"Come in, Cole," Ruan said, leaning back in his chair. He crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for him to speak.

Cole took a deep breath, quickly wiping his eyes with his sleeve. He looked up at Ruan with a face full of gratitude.

"I checked my bank account today," Cole started, a tear slipping down his cheek. His voice cracked. "I saw the big transfer you made. You paid for my little sister to go to that safe boarding school across the country. You covered her room, food, and books for the next four years."

"I made sure she is safe," Ruan nodded slowly, his eyes serious but understanding. "She’s living on a locked campus with top security. Nobody can find her, and nobody can use her to threaten you again, Cole."

Cole began to cry openly, covering his face with shaking hands, sobbing heavily in the office.

"You should have put me in prison," Cole cried, dropping his hands to look at Ruan. "I betrayed you. I pointed a gun at your head. I let crazy people into your house. You should have fired me and thrown me out, but you paid for my family and let me keep my job as your head guard."

"You made a stupid mistake, Cole," Ruan said softly, leaning forward on his desk. His voice held no anger. "You thought you were protecting your sister from a monster. You panicked and chose wrong."

"I’m so sorry," Cole choked out, wiping his face and feeling a crushing weight of guilt on his chest.

"Listen to me," Ruan ordered firmly, making Cole look him in the eyes. "When Liana held that broken glass over my wife, you didn’t pull the trigger. You dropped your gun on the floor and refused to shoot me. You found your real loyalty when it mattered most and proved your true heart."

Cole sniffed loudly, nodding quickly and standing a bit taller. "I swear on my life, Ruan, I will never lie to you again. I will die before I let anyone hurt you or Aysel."

"I know you will," Ruan said, He pulled a phone out of his pocket and slid it across the desk. "Now wipe your face and get back to work. I need you to do something for me right now."

Cole picked up the phone quickly, wiping his eyes dry and looking ready to work. "What do you need, boss? Who does this phone belong to?"

"Someone sent a creepy picture to Aysel while we were leaving the restaurant tonight," Ruan explained, his face turning serious again. "They took a photo of us eating and sent a message saying they were right behind us. I want you to trace that number and find out who's trying to prank my wife."

Cole plugged the phone into his tablet with a small wire. His fingers typed incredibly fast on the screen as he ran special tracking programs to find the hidden signal.

"It’s a burner phone, boss," Cole muttered, his eyes glued to the scrolling numbers. "They used fake routing servers to hide the location, but I’m breaking through the firewalls right now to find the exact GPS ping."

"Is it a reporter?" Ruan asked, watching Cole work as he felt a little tired.

"Give me one second," Cole said, tapping his finger on the screen and waiting for the final location map to load.

The screen blinked twice, and a bright red dot appeared on the map. Cole frowned deeply, confusion etched on his face.

"Boss, this is very weird," Cole whispered, typing the command again to make sure he didn’t make a mistake.

"What’s wrong, Cole?" Ruan asked, sitting up straight in his chair as he noticed Cole’s pale face.

"The text message was sent twenty minutes ago when you were in the parking lot," Cole explained, his voice shaking slightly. He turned the tablet around so Ruan could see the map. "But the GPS signal isn’t coming from the restaurant, Ruan. It’s not coming from the city at all."

"Where is it pinging from?" Ruan asked, narrowing his dark eyes and staring at the blinking dot.

Cole swallowed hard and looked at Ruan with wide eyes.

"It’s pinging from inside Aysel's car," Cole whispered, pointing a shaking finger at the screen. "The same car that’s locked in our garage right now."