The night air outside Kennedy's mansion was cool and quiet.
The driver was already waiting beside the car, holding the door open as soon as I stepped out.
Neither of us spoke during the ride back.
The only sounds were the hum of the engine and the faint rustle of the trees along the road.
When we finally reached my house, I muttered a soft "thank you" and hurried inside.
As soon as I got to my room, I dropped my bag, kicked off my shoes, and lay flat on my bed.
But sleep wouldn't come.
My mind kept replaying everything, his words, his stare, the way he had touched me, then suddenly pulled away when I told him I was a virgin.
Why had he stopped? Why had he sent me home instead of… whatever else he had in mind?
And his last words "Be careful, Elena."
I turned on my side, clutching my pillow. My chest felt tight, my thoughts restless.
By morning, I was still replaying every moment in my head.
The next day at work, I kept my head down and walked straight to my desk.
For a moment, it felt like everyone was staring.
Maybe it was just my imagination, or maybe guilt had a way of making you paranoid.
Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that they somehow knew I had been at his mansion last night.
Kennedy wasn't in the office that day.
A small part of me was relieved, but another part was strangely disappointed.
I buried myself in work, forcing my focus on the spreadsheets and reports, reminding myself why I was there in the first place.
I wasn't here to get lost in him. I was here to find something, something that could expose him.
Something that could help me get my mother's company back.
But how?
He was too careful, too composed. If he really was hiding something, I'd need to be smarter, patient, invisible.
During lunch break, I sat in the cafeteria with Ada, my colleague from the finance department.
She was funny, easy to talk to, and thankfully, she didn't pry too much.
We were halfway through our meal when I decided to ask.
"Hey, Ada," I said lightly, stirring my juice with the straw. "Has there ever been… I don't know, any scandal or rumor about the company?"
She blinked, surprised. "Scandal?"
"Yeah," I said, trying to sound casual. "Just curious. A company this big must have had something at some point."
Ada shrugged, glancing around before lowering her voice.
"Not much that I know of. But… there was one story a while back. It almost brought Peter & Co. down."
My heartbeat quickened. "Really? I've never heard about that. What happened?"
Ada leaned forward a little, her voice dropping to a whisper.
"Well… people said Kennedy Peters was working with an underworld cartel. Something about drug and arms trafficking. Apparently, the company's funding was tied to money laundering for some big name, a man called Jagu."
I froze slightly, keeping my face neutral. "That's… serious."
"Yeah, but nothing was ever proven," Ada said, spearing a piece of meat with her fork. "The authorities came in, and after a while, they cleared his name. Everything went quiet after that."
I forced a small smile. "So, he's innocent then."
"Maybe," she said with a shrug, then leaned closer again. "But there's no smoke without fire, right? We just work here. As long as my salary keeps coming, I don't care what happens underneath."
She laughed softly and went back to her meal.
But I couldn't laugh.
Her words echoed in my head long after lunch was over.
No smoke without fire.
I stared at my computer screen later that afternoon, pretending to type while my mind spiraled with new questions.
If what Ada said was true… then maybe Kennedy Peters wasn't as clean as he looked.
And maybe, just maybe, I was finally getting closer to the truth.
By the time work ended, the sun had dipped behind the skyline, leaving the evening air cool and soft.
I walked out of the building, my bag slung over my shoulder, ready to catch a cab home.
A sleek black car slowed beside me.
The tinted window rolled down.
It was him.
Kennedy.
My heart stumbled.
"Get in," he said quietly.
I hesitated, glancing around. The street was half-empty, the security guard by the gate pretending not to look.
I opened the door and slid in.
The familiar scent of his cologne filled the space between us.
For a moment, neither of us said anything. He just looked at me.
His eyes were dark, steady, and before I could say a word, he reached out, pulled me closer, and kissed me.
It was soft… but desperate.
A mix of tension, confusion, and something I couldn't name.
And I didn't pull back.
I didn't even think.
I just let myself fall into it.