Chapter 19: Warm Mornings & Cold Realizations
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Chapter 19: Warm Mornings & Cold Realizations
Raven stirred awake, the morning sun casting soft golden rays across the plush sheets. A dull ache reminded her of the night before—an unforgettable night etched deep into her skin and soul. She stretched slightly but paused, frowning. The space beside her was cold. Empty.
Her heart sank. Did he leave? Just like that?
The whirlwind of passion from the night before suddenly felt like a storm that had passed too fast, leaving destruction in its wake. She sat up, pulling the sheets to her chest, her heart heavy. Did I just get used? Was it just a one-night thing for him?
A knot formed in her throat. Regret started to claw its way into her chest. Her fingers tightened around the sheets. She wasn't the type to fall easily. But with him... everything was different. She let him in. Was that a mistake?
Suddenly, the door burst open.
Startled, she looked up.
Kai stood there, slightly breathless, his tie loose around his neck, his shirt rolled at the sleeves. In his hands was a tray of warm food—steaming ramen, crispy scallion pancakes, dumplings, and hot jasmine tea. At his feet, a blur of white fur darted into the room—Death, their strange but adorable pup, yapping excitedly.
"You're awake," Kai said, his voice calm, a small smile on his face.
Raven stared, expression unreadable.
"Breakfast," he added, walking toward her.
She didn't respond.
He set the tray down and glanced at her face, reading her mood instantly.
"What's wrong?" he asked, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face.
She looked away. "Do you regret it?" she asked quietly, voice tight. "Last night… was it just a one-time thing for you?"
Kai blinked, surprised. Then, without a word, he flicked her forehead.
"Ow!" she yelped, scowling at him.
"No," he said firmly, eyes soft but serious. "Don't ever think that again."
She bit her lip, still unsure.
Kai sighed, then handed her chopsticks. "Eat. You'll feel better."
She hesitated, then took them. He pulled her up gently. "But first… teeth."
Minutes later, after brushing together—awkward but strangely intimate—they settled back into bed, sitting cross-legged as the scent of freshly made ramen filled the room.
She offered him a dumpling. He took it, and she smiled faintly.
Death barked once, and Raven dropped a piece of meat from her bowl. The dog munched happily, tail wagging.
"So this is what I've been missing," Raven whispered, watching the simple, warm moment unfold—shared food, shared silence, a strange little family forming.
Just as she was about to take another bite, her phone buzzed. She groaned and reached for it.
Her assistant's voice came through the speaker, panic lacing every word. "Miss Castillo, there's a serious issue at the engineering firm. You need to come immediately."
Raven's smile faded. She ended the call and turned to Kai.
"We need to go. Something's wrong at the firm."
Kai didn't hesitate. He stood and pulled out his phone. "I'll call the pilot. We leave in thirty minutes."
She gave him a grateful nod before hopping off the bed.
After a quick bath, she stepped out in a fitted, cream-colored dress paired with sleek gold bracelets that caught the morning sun. Her heels clicked confidently on the floor, her aura sharp again—but her heart, still warm from the morning, thudded a little faster when she glanced at Kai adjusting his cuffs near the window.
He turned, eyes meeting hers.
There was no need for words.
They were no longer two strangers forced into a marriage.
Something had changed.
Something real had begun.
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Raven stood beside the sleek black car that brought them to the private airstrip, her puppy nestled in her arms like a tiny cloud of comfort. The wind tousled her dark hair gently, her eyes fixed on the distant skyline of China — a place where everything changed for her.
She clutched Death closer to her chest and whispered under her breath, her voice low and filled with a bittersweet sadness, "Say bye, China."
Kai stood a few steps behind her, watching her silently, his expression unreadable. The crew had just finished loading their luggage into the private jet, and the engines had begun to hum with life.
As they walked up the staircase into the jet, Raven didn't look back again.
Once inside, the atmosphere shifted from the softness of morning to the sharp focus of business. Raven changed into a sleek, black jumpsuit, tied her hair into a high ponytail, and slipped on her glasses. Her laptop sat open on the table in front of her, and a virtual meeting with her assistant connected via encrypted link.
Kai, lounging nearby in his signature white shirt and black pants, sipped an espresso and kept half an eye on her—he didn't want to intrude, but he wanted to listen.
On the screen, her assistant looked anxious. "Boss… we've confirmed it. The perpetrator embezzled exactly 3 million dollars from the company's innovation fund. They routed the money through multiple shell companies and international accounts."
Raven's expression changed instantly. Her calm shattered into a storm of rage. Her eyes darkened, lips pressed into a thin line.
"Three. Million. Dollars," she said slowly, coldly. "Do you know how many engineers I could've hired with that? How many systems we could have upgraded?"
Her voice was low, but it dripped with fury.
"Who is it?" she demanded.
Her assistant hesitated, gulped. "It's—Marco Fernan. The senior finance strategist."
Raven blinked. Her nails tapped the screen. "I trusted him. I handpicked him."
"Yes, ma'am. But he disappeared right after the last transaction. We think he's fled the country."
Raven slammed her laptop shut.
Kai raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He knew better than to interrupt her when she was in this mode.
"I'm going to make sure he regrets every cent he touched," she muttered. "Freeze all his known accounts. Get the legal team on this. Call our hacker unit and track his every digital breath."
"Yes, boss."
Raven rubbed her temples and leaned back, exhaling sharply.
Kai stood and walked toward her, wordlessly placing a steaming cup of lavender tea in front of her. She looked up at him, a flash of appreciation in her eyes.
"He stole from me," she whispered, anger mixing with hurt. "Three million. Do you know how hard I worked to build that?"
Kai nodded slowly, then leaned down and kissed her temple gently. "Then we'll burn everything he's hiding in. You're not alone, remember?"
She didn't say anything. But she let the warmth of his words sink in.
As the jet cruised high above the clouds, Raven held Death in her arms once again, stroking his fluffy ears, her eyes burning with determination.
This wasn't over.
Not even close.
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