That night Cain slowly sneaked into Claire's room after she was asleep. He asked the maids to light a calming incense. He took a spot by the bed, positioning himself next to her. He stroked her hair and massaged her head through the night to make sure she didn't get any nightmares.
As the morning sun rose, without delay, Cain rushed out of the mansion, sat in the car and strode away towards the location sent on his phone last night.
Cain looked out the window of the car as it tore down the narrow, rugged road, leaving the bustling city far behind. Mark had been given strict orders—get Beth out of jail without a hitch. It was rare for Cain to prioritize anything over business, but today was different. Last night, he'd received an anonymous message with a location, a story, and an unexpected link to Maria. The details were vague, but something in him told him this was urgent.
The road eventually led them to a deserted stretch in the countryside. They finally stopped near an old, crumbling building, its walls covered in cracks and grime.
Cain stepped out and looked around, assessing the desolate surroundings—a building that time had forgotten, shadows clinging to broken walls. Then he spotted them: a man in his forties, injured sitting with a kid who was around seven years old.
He looked at Cain and beamed with happiness. As Cain gazed around to analyse the surroundings, he found the building to be very old and unclean. It seemed like nobody had been here for years, and this man in front with a kid might have come here to take shelter. Or perhaps, hide from someone who intended to harm them.
Cain took a few steps forward, his eyes narrowing.
"Who are you? And how did you get my number?" His voice was as sharp as the edge of a blade. "What message did you send? Do you have evidence?"
The man lifted his gaze, a glimmer of hope briefly flickering in his eyes before he steadied himself. "Mr. Cain. Before I say anything…I need your word. You will ensure my son's safety, his future. I-I need you to promise me. Otherwise, I won't speak a word."
Cain inhaled, glancing at Mark, who took a step toward the child. "Take him to the car."
"No!" The boy cried, clinging to his father. His voice trembled as he pleaded, "Please. Let me stay with him."
The father's expression softened as he whispered gently, "Son, you need to go. Just for a little while. Be brave, okay?"
The boy's gaze lingered on his father, eyes swimming with tears as he reluctantly allowed Mark to lead him away. He kept on looking back at his father till he disappeared out of the building.
Cain turned his attention back to the man. "Now, talk." The man let out a bitter laugh, wiping his eyes roughly.
"I don't know how valuable this is to you, but-" His voice caught, and he swallowed. "Maria–Ms. Maria–came to me a few weeks ago. You see, in my prime, I was a infamous local goon and had done many bad deeds that I am not proud of. When my wife bore a child for me, she begged me to quit, otherwise, karma will hit us and our child in the worst way possible. And Indeed, she was correct.
A few weeks ago, Ms Maria reached out, offering me money for a favour. She needed help arranging her faking something—an assault. She said that it was all harmless, and she trusted me a lot. I was shocked at first. But she said that it was just a game for sympathy to win over some man."
Cain's face darkened, his fists tightening, but he let the man continue.
"I didn't want anything to do with it. I tried to refuse, but she was persistent, even showing up at my doorstep. She convinced me eventually, and I-I helped her." The man shuddered.
"But now, when she visited me, rather than giving me the promised amount, she brought goons and injured me and threatened me to leave the city forever or she might kill me and my son. I can't compromise when it comes to my family. So I decided to contact you for the safety of my son. I know Ms Maria very well. She doesn't make empty threats. I don't want to be seen with my son and I want to protect him. I trust you are an upright man. Please protect my son," Saying that, he went inside, leaving Cain in shock and despair.
Cain remained silent, the weight of what he'd just heard crashing down on him. Each word seemed to echo, his mind racing not to Maria's deceit, but to Claire. How she'd been dragged through hell on the strength of a lie. His heart twisted, anger burning deep within. The ache of his own guilt, mingled with disgust, left him cold and empty.
He wasn't focused on what Maria did. All that mattered to him was Claire's suffering due to his senseless choice. He wanted to rush home to Claire. He wanted to hug her badly and apologise and comfort her. He wanted to see her smile bright and be humorous as before. But was that really possible?
Mark returned, snapping Cain out of his haze. "Sir, your meetings were postponed as you requested," he said, his tone carefully neutral. But Cain barely heard him. He moved almost mechanically, dragging himself out of the building.
As he reached the car, he gestured to Mark. "Bring him with us. Make sure he and his son get to the warehouse apartment and arrange for their safety," He said while looking at the building.
Back at his office, Cain tried to focus on the meeting, but his thoughts were consumed with only one person. Claire. He'd seen her endure betrayal, but he hadn't truly understood her suffering—not until now. He concluded the meetings and walked out. His phone buzzed, displaying a name he had no patience for: Maria.
He glared at the screen, his jaw clenching. He ignored and walked towards his car, but his phone kept on buzzing. Every cell inside him bursted with anger, but still, he answered. Maria's voice came through soft and pleading.
"Cain, you haven't come to see me. Did you forget about me?" She hesitated, feigning vulnerability. "I'm scared, Cain. Now that Claire's out. I'm afraid she'll try to hurt me. I had a horrible nightmare…"
"Tomorrow," Cain replied, his voice dead of emotion. "I'll pick you up. We'll go for a peaceful long drive." He ended the call, shoving his phone away, his face red with fury.
Ignoring everything, he left the office, heading straight for home. He had only one thought—to find Claire.
---
He entered the mansion and called out to Claire, but got no response. The maids informed him that she was in the garden. He fastened his steps and reached the quiet of the garden. That's where he found her.
She was sitting alone on the grass, her head leaning to one side, shoulders slumped. As he drew closer, he saw the glistening trails of tears down her cheeks, her silent sobs visible only in the way her shoulders rose and fell.
This scene broke Cain into thousands of pieces. He felt like the glass shards were being stabbed into his flesh. His eyes turned red; he quietly took a step forward and sat beside Claire. The sudden presence altered her. Wiping her tears, she looked at him with surprise but said nothing. Cain continued looking at her. Eventually, Claire broke eye contact and looked away.
Cain was even scared to touch her, thinking she might hate him to the core. But he couldn't sit there doing nothing, so he slowly moved his hand and gripped her shoulder. Claire still didn't budge. Making her face him, Cain gently touched her cheek to wipe her tears away. Unable to control himself, he buried himself in her arms.
Claire was taken aback by his actions. She panicked but couldn't push him away. It was as though he wanted to find comfort in her arms. He seemed too exhausted and tired to breathe; his shoulder seemed to bend down with burden.
Claire was speechless, She didn't push him away nor she comforted him. She sat still without moving, she could feel something warm near her neck. She realised that he was crying. Claire's eyes widened.
What must have happened to make him this vulnerable? Her hands involuntarily moved towards his head, slowly stroking his hair.
Claire softly spoke with a mix of surprise, "Are you okay?"
This made Cain ecstatic. He strengthened his grip around her and hugged her more tightly, nestling his head against her neck. Claire was too overwhelmed to speak and they both sath there silently for God knows how long.
Suddenly his phone started buzzing. He finally drifted apart to receive the call. He heard Mark on the other side.
"Mr Wilson, I've made arrangements for tomorrow. Are you sure you–" Cain interrupted him with a determined voice. "Yes, No second thought, do as I say."
You want to play dirty games Maria? So be.it. Let me teach you how to play dirty. With an evil smirk, he disconnected the call.