The Golf House's private line buzzed on my desk, a low, insistent hum in the otherwise silent penthouse office. I picked it up on the first ring, my senses immediately on high alert. David.
"David," I stated, my voice a calm, even tone, a mask I perfected years ago.
"Mr. Jaden. She just left. Miss Adams. I gave her the message, exactly as you instructed." David's voice was always efficient, a rare quality I valued. "She was quite distressed about her mother's situation, tried to get me to identify you, mentioned needing a job. She was, as you predicted, persistent."
A flicker of something, perhaps triumph, perhaps a cold, calculating satisfaction, crossed my face. "Good. She took the message to heart?"
"She certainly seemed to be pondering the 'unexpected opportunities' part," David confirmed. "She didn't get any further information about you or Ken. I maintained our patron's privacy, despite her rather emotional appeal."
"Excellent, David. Keep an eye out. And forward any relevant information about her if she contacts the Golf House again, or if you hear anything through your channels." I ended the call, the click of the phone echoing in the vast room.
Earlier this morning, David had called me the moment Karen first appeared at the Golf House, asking questions. My instructions had been immediate: do not reveal our identities. No matter how much she persisted, no matter what sob story she might offer. Instead, I crafted a simple, cryptic message, a subtle lure designed to ensnare her in my web. "Unexpected opportunities arise from unexpected places." It was vague enough to pique her curiosity, direct enough to hint at a path forward.
Ken, who had been observing my end of the conversation from the plush leather sofa, leaned forward. He'd been with me since my return from the Golf House last night, tirelessly compiling the dossier on Karen Adams. He knew the depths of my obsession with this woman, knew it wasn't a casual interest.
"So, the first bait is cast. 'Unexpected opportunities.' You're really going through with this, aren't you?" His tone held a familiar mix of concern and grudging admiration for my ruthlessness.
I leaned back in my executive chair, allowing my gaze to drift towards the sprawling cityscape outside the panoramic window. The city, bathed in the twilight glow, was a tapestry of ambitions and desperate struggles. Karen Adams was just one thread in it.
"I told you, Ken," I murmured, my voice low. "She's a problem. A trigger. And a potential solution. She'll find her way to the opportunity. They always do when they're desperate enough." My eyes narrowed, focusing on a distant, impossibly tall skyscraper – Aether Corp's main tower. "And when she does, I'll be waiting."
My mother's memory demanded answers, and Karen Adams, the girl who ignited my nightmares, was going to be the key. This wasn't about romance; it was about exorcising a demon that had haunted me for over a decade. The rage, the guilt, the blame I carried for my father's supposed role in her death – it all festered, corrupting every aspect of my life, including my ability to simply exist without those torturous flashbacks. If Karen was somehow connected, if understanding her unlocked the truth, then I would use every resource at my disposal.
A slight smirk touched my lips. "The net is closing, Ken. The mouse is already sniffing the cheese."
Just as I talking , a ping sounded from Ken's tablet. He glanced down, his eyes widening.
"Hey, man, I think we're going to get Miss Adams in our trap soon," Ken said, a hint of surprise in his voice. "She has sent in a job application email to Aether Corporation. Entry-Level Administrative Assistant."
My smirk widened into a triumphant grin. So much faster than I anticipated. She hadn't even waited for the sun to fully set. Her desperation was a powerful current, and I had simply provided a subtle nudge in the right direction. The real game had just begun.