Chapter 53 Unrest
Caleb
My father sat behind his desk, his eyes fixed on the files scattered across it. I stood across from him, hands shoved deep into my pockets, trying to read his mood.
“How was the delivery?" I finally asked him, trying to sound casual, like I was asking about the morning mail. I watched him closely as he ran his fingers over a few files on his table.
Malcolm groaned softly, pushing the documents aside. He looked up, and his eyes were heavy with disappointment. "I told you to stay out of that business, Caleb. What exactly were you doing there?"
"You fell asleep," I said, trying to stand my ground. "The doctor said you shouldn't be resting, and Diego needed someone to sign off on the manifest."
He leaned back slowly, his hands coming to rest on the edge of the desk. He didn't blink. "Or you thought you laced my coffee with something strong enough to put me under until dawn. You must think I’m stupid."
A cold sweat broke out on my neck. He knew. He didn't even sound angry, just deeply disappointed.
"Mrs. Chavez had it replaced when she saw you.” he continued, waving a hand in dismissal. “You focus on running the front. The firm. The legitimate business. That’s where you belong. I don’t want my sons walking into danger. Gregor is a very dangerous man, and he’s tied into this shipment. Let me deal with him myself."
I felt the heat rise in my chest. "I hate that you don’t trust me enough to handle things," I argued, my voice tight. This was the part where I had to play the ambitious son.
He leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing. “You’ve done enough handling.”
“I’ve been running the front for years,” I said, trying to hold my temper. “I’ve made this family a fortune without problems. Those bastards know what I’m capable of. They don’t fuck with me.”
Malcolm sighed, the sound slow and practiced. "I know your value to the firm, Caleb. But you are out of the human trafficking business. Completely. I don’t want the last time mistakes repeating themselves."
My throat went dry. The memory hit me like a wave.
“I was a child then,” I said softly.
His voice hardened. “A child who made decisions that cost lives. I’m not having this conversation again.”
He stood, smoothing the front of his suit, signaling that the discussion was over. “And don’t you dare try to knock me out again next time.”
That hit like a slap.
He picked up a pen, a clear sign that the discussion was finished. "Finalize the business with Mr. Musk. You haven’t answered his calls, and that acquisition is worth fifty times more than that shipment tonight. Get it done."
The night air was cold when I stepped into the garden. The moon hung low, silver light spilling across the trimmed hedges and marble fountain. I breathed in deep, letting the quiet ease some of the heat that burned in my chest.
Father still saw me as the reckless boy who ruined everything. He never saw the man who cleaned his messes, who sat in meetings with killers and sharks, holding this family together while he played the respectable lawyer in the daylight.
I’ve bathed in the blood of our enemies. I’ve cut the throats of bastards who stood in our way, I'm not a saint. I’m a fucking monster. So why do I care about girls being trafficked and sold to greedy old ass morherfuckers who used them as sex objects? I detest hurting vulnerable people and those girls are vulnerable and scared. I hurt only those who deserve it.
The trafficking ring had to end. Completely. No more girls stolen from border towns, no more young lives sold like goods. I’d seen enough. Done enough.
This time, I wasn’t going to be the fool who acted out of emotion. I’d been that boy before, the one who tried to do the right thing and ended up watching five girls die for it.
No. This time I’d be smarter. I’d take over everything, quietly, carefully, and dismantle it from within. Every deal, every shipment, every man who thought himself untouchable. I’d make sure no one got hurt. Not the innocent ones. Not again.
My phone buzzed in my hand, interrupting the storm in my head. I sighed, pressing it to my ear.
“Yeah, Musk,” I muttered. “I saw your message. The deal stands.”
He said something on the other end, his tone low and businesslike. I barely listened. My gaze drifted toward the house. Through the tall glass doors, I saw Elsie walking toward me, carrying a tray.
She came out carefully. The silver light caught her hair, making it shimmer faintly. She was holding a glass of water on a small silver tray, the one I’d asked for earlier. I’ve specifically requested that she bring it. I wasn’t thirsty, I just needed a moment alone with her.
I straightened a little as she approached, still pretending to listen to Musk’s endless talk. “Yes,” I said absently into the phone, “we’ll finalize it by tomorrow.”
Elsie stopped a few feet away, lowering her eyes the way the staff always did around me. “Sir,” she said softly, “your water.”