Chapter 34 Release and Boardroom ( Aalam)( Cadeyrn)
"Number 43 you’re up." The officer’s voice was flat, routine, as he unlocked the holding cell.
Out stepped a man who looked like he’d just fallen from a runway into reality. Dressed in designer sneakers, a wrinkled linen shirt, and a hangover clinging to his temples, Niko squinted against the white glare of morning.
"Oh, my baby boy!" his mother cried, sweeping toward him in theatrical panic. Her perfume arrived first. Then her outrage.
She spun on the tall, silent figure standing off to the side.
"Aalam, what kind of brother lets his baby brother sit in jail overnight?!"
Aalam didn’t move. In his black Armani suit and gold timepiece, he was composed stillness—impeccable, distant, unbothered. His expression didn’t register guilt or irritation, only finality. He handed Niko the court summons without a word, then adjusted his cufflink with quiet precision.
“The lawyer’s been informed,” he said evenly. “Answer the phone this time.”
He turned, leaving the words to echo behind him as the door clicked shut.
Outside, cameras flashed like lightning strikes. Forbes’ Most Eligible Bachelor. Business genius. The heir apparent to House Chāruzu. Another headline. Another scandal. Another cleanup.
Aalam didn’t slow. He slid into his custom Lamborghini, the matte-black finish gleaming against the sun. His phone buzzed—an alert for a meeting at House Chāruzu headquarters.
“Another summons,” he murmured, his tone unreadable. He called his assistant.
“Inform Mr. Wu I’ll be there shortly.”
Across town, Cadeyrn’s morning was already half-finished before most men’s alarms rang.
Wake at dawn. Run four miles. Review training reports from Apex Academy. Shower exactly seven minutes. Suit pressed, cufflinks aligned, tie at perfect center.
He moved like a metronome in human form unrushed, unwavering, intentional. His cream suit and gold-accented cufflinks were less fashion and more armor; his gaze, sharp enough to cut through pretense.
His phone buzzed. Aalam.
“You still coming?”
Cadeyrn’s reply was clipped, measured. “Already en route. Punctuality is non-negotiable.”
Minutes later, they met at their usual place a discreet Starbucks off the harbor, tucked behind mirrored towers and unmarked cars. The kind of place where billion-dollar negotiations hid behind casual conversations and the air smelled of roasted beans and secrecy.
They arrived simultaneously. No greeting. Just the quiet understanding of men who didn’t need one.
Aalam took the corner booth, sliding a black folder across the table. His movements were economical, deliberate.
“Rune Calder,” he said.
Cadeyrn lifted a brow slightly. “The ghost?”
“Apparently,” Aalam replied, tone cool, eyes steady. “The legendary tech architect. Word is, he’s resurfacing. If that’s true, whoever gets to him first controls the next decade of innovation.”
Cadeyrn opened the folder, scanning. His expression remained unreadable. “And you believe this isn’t rumor?”
“I believe in leverage,” Aalam said simply. “I intend to secure a meeting before anyone else does.”
A pause. The faint hiss of the espresso machine filled the silence.
Cadeyrn leaned back, the corner of his mouth almost—almost—curving. “You’re playing ahead of the market again.”
“That’s the only way to stay above it,” Aalam returned.
Their exchange was minimal, efficient each word measured like currency.
Cadeyrn finally closed the folder. “I’ll handle the logistics. You focus on access. If Rune Calder truly returns, we ensure Chāruzu stands at the gate before the world even knows it’s opening.”
Aalam lifted his espresso cup. “To precision.”
Cadeyrn mirrored the motion, his tone low, absolute. “And to control.”
The clink of porcelain was quiet, but final.
Outside, the city pulsed with noise and movement. Inside, two men of power sat in absolute stillness plotting a future that would move the world before the world even knew it had shifted.
Cadeyrn didn’t blink. “Already halfway there. I don’t do tardy.”
Before another meeting with Mr. Wu and Mr. Rei to introduce them to their company, Lotus and Joy decided to meet up at Starbucks. As they walked in, Lotus accidentally bumped into Akio Aalam, who gave a rude look. Lotus raised an eyebrow and said, "Excuse you."
Aalam blinked, startled by her tone. He waited for recognition. None came.
"You should watch where you're going, or say excuse" she added, voice cool as iced coffee.
He scowled, but she had already turned her back.
Across the Star Bucks, Cadeyrn watched with a faint smirk. and says peasant as they drove off.