Unknown POV
The girl seems to be getting closer to the policeman. He is a cute one, although he looks generic. Blonde hair and blue eyes are so common, there is nothing interesting about them. I click "send" on my latest email, then stand up and stretch. It's a pretty nice day, even though Christmas is around the corner. As I stare at the road, I can't help but think of a beautiful day just like this one, years ago. It was close to Christmas too, and it would have been poetic justice to end my hunt at Christmas also. However, thats's not likely to happen.
Strolling across the room, I pour some wine into my glass and down it in one gulp. I am staring at the window, but I'm not really seeing it. To be honest, despite all my planning, I thought Kaden would have figured it out by now.
Brow furrowing, I wonder whether I haven't left enough clues. No matter, the next phase of my plan starts today. I ran into some difficulties that delayed my timeline, but everything is back on track. Constantly hacking his clients hasn't helped. I need to destroy his reputation and fully spoil his closest friendships. Smiling widely now, I drink some more wine, then make a call.
"Hello! Yes, it's time. I'll wire your balance once the story breaks."
Kaden
Having the police on your side was a good thing. Having a policeman who seemed to have a thing for your girl...was definitely not a good thing. Over the past few days, Mitch and Sera seem to have gotten close. He calls her everyday to check on her, making me feel like punching the wall. Every. Single. Time. While that rubs me up the wrong way, I cannot fight a grin when I remember her horrified face when I showed up at her doorstep with my bags. Instead of going to her place from my doctor's office, I went home, packed a few things, and showed up at her doorway like an orphan. Her house is so tiny though, but since she is stubbornly refusing to leave her home, I will move in to protect her. Everything has been quiet, though. Too quiet.
"So, it's obvious this whole thing is connected."
Mitch's voice jerks me back from my thoughts and I look up blearily. I have a headache, and everything seems a bit foggy. I need to rest. Scraping a hand over my jaw, I add silently and shave too, from the feel of it. Although things have quieted down a bit, I haven't been sleeping well. Nightmares daily tend to have a negative effect on one's mental sharpness, apparently.
Frustrated, I run a hand over my face again and bite back a little sharply "Of course, it's all connected. It's just not a connection that makes sense." Sitting up in the uncomfortable chair in his office, I stare at the detective. "How can the hacking be connected to the fact that a sick person is trying to copycat a dead woman? What do they stand to gain apart from seriously pissing me off and re-traumatizing me?"
"You are the common denominator in this, Kaden. It's your company that's being targeted, your parents' home was broken into, your friend was warned away from you and her house was defaced. This person wants your attention."
"And they've damn well got it," I growl. That gives me an idea though.
"Kaden, I need to ask." Something in Mitch's voice grabs all my attention. His voice is very gentle, and I wonder why he is speaking to me like one does to a wounded animal. His next question clears all that from my mind though.
"What if Blossom is ...?" I do not allow him to finish that ridiculous question, before interjecting with "No. That's impossible."
He fixes me with that pale gaze "The records say she died in the ensuing fracas."
"No, no." Shaking my head, I know I am confusing the man further, so I try again. "I mean, Yes she died. The report is right. I am absolutely certain."
"But how? You were a child, Kaden. Memories get distorted as we grow up, and sometimes, it's impossible to remember accurately how events happened..."
"No, Mitch. Blossom is dead. I know this because I killed her."
Silence. Mitch seems frozen in his chair, then he shakes off the shock and says, "But you were so young."
Forcing myself to stay still even though my skin is crawling again, and it feels like nails are being scraped over my organs, I say calmly, "Youth is relative, Detective. I might have been young, but I assure you I was not a child. I hadn't been one for a long time."
His gaze wanders down to my hands, and I fight the urge to hide them behind my back. It's been a long time since I felt self-conscious of my scars.
"Why hide what you cannot change? People should stare at you, fear you, and quake before you."
I hate that her teachings still run through my mind. When I need advice on how to act, what to do, it's her voice I hear in my head. Not my mother's. Hers. The nails raking my organs have intensified now, so I stand up and tell Mitch I need to go. He is about to answer when a beep from his laptop steals his attention. Taking that as my cue to leave, I am halfway to the door when he says quietly, "You'll want to sit down for this, Kaden."
Turning, I ask him "Whay? What happened?"
He is reading something quickly on his laptop, and when he raises his eyes to me, I am surprised to see something that resembles pity there. Wordlessly, he turns his system towards me, and as I read, I feel myself grow colder and colder in horror.
Hello, new reader. Welcome to my new blog Bee's confessions where I do a deep dive into the hidden secrets of Melbourne's elite! Yes, I'm Bee. I'm sweet like honey, but my sting can be quite painful.
You might ask why I am doing this. I have just one answer. Curiosity. I know people are curious to know the hidden secrets of the rich, and my job is to give them to you. I'll write about one person for a period, before moving on to the next. Let's start!
Our first celebrity is Kaden Baker. Most of you know him as the CEO and co-owner of Sol Security with his best friend Dayo (Now, that is a beautiful man I'll be writing about sooner rather than later!). However, in certain circles, he is known as The Dom of Pain. Sounds kinky, right? There's a twist. Unlike those involved in the lifestyle (we listen, we don't judge people) who love submissive partners, and inflicting pain sometimes, our dear Kaden apparently loves pain being inflicted on him. He apparently has such a need for pain that he has scared most of his partners off.
That's all for now, folks. I'll bring you more tidbits next time and answer why our handsome but scarred tech mogul has such shocking needs. Feel free to ask questions about anyone I write about, and I'll do my best to answer them. Toodles!
"Kaden. Kaden... "
"Mitch's voice brings me back to myself and I look up to see him watching me warily.
"I know this doesn't seem like a good thing, but it is, Kaden! This person has played their hand. It's obviously someone who knows you well and has had contact with you in the past. It's also probably a woman. I'll need names of previous sexual partners, clubs you may have frequented, etc."
I give him the information he needs then get up and leave. The short walk to the car makes me feel like everyone is looking at me. Logically, I know this cannot be true but a part of me is glad to get into the relative safety of my car. We're halfway to the office when I think of Sera. Maybe she won't have seen the article. She's so innocent though, she might not know what the writer means. Bee indeed. A shudder runs through my spine, but I force myself to focus on work. Dayo and his flavor of the month Cersei -what type of name is that? - are leaving the office when I arrive. Our conversation has been quite stilted since the blow-up, but I have too many things going on right now. He gives me a rundown of some new clients we have, and I decide to sign them on as quickly as possible. Cersei says hello, and I respond but something about her rubs me the wrong way. She seems too nice, all soft smiles and kind words, but I shake it off as my trauma reacting negatively to basic human kindness. I am sitting in my office, low-key wondering if I haven't been too harsh on Dayo and simultaneously worrying about Sera's reaction to this stupid blog post, when our receptionist pokes her head in to announce a visitor.
The woman that walks in reminds me of a panther. Small boned and petite, slanted eyes hint at her Asian heritage, and her long black hair is pulled back into a high ponytail. She is dressed in a simple t-shirt and jeans, with enough piercings to start a jewelry business.
"Hello. My name is Kaden. Welcome to Sol Security. You just missed my partner, but I'll be happy to help you with any problems you might have."
Sitting down, my visitor tilts her head in a strangely bird-like manner before she completely throws me for a loop when she says, "Actually, Kaden, I'm here to help you. I'm the one who's been hacking into your firm."