Kane

"He’ll tell you the name of the organization. Transfer 5 million dollars to his account; you don’t have to disclose the organization’s details." I paused, watching Zara negotiate. Her intelligent eyes betrayed that she was making arrangements. "This will remain between us."

She nodded cordially. I guessed she enjoyed the way I spoke to her father.

"I understand, sir."

"Go home, Zara, get some rest. Remember, I’m always available if you need me." I’d already assigned a bodyguard to her. He was also to provide her with transportation, as she was stubborn and insisted on using her own car.

Kaysir was Olfie’s best friend and a very reliable man. His easy-going nature was very different from Olfie’s and mine. I knew he would suit Zara as well. She would be at ease with him, and she would happily let him do his job.

"I know, thanks for last night. I appreciate what you did."

Watching the security footage from her office, I discovered she had indeed been texting someone, and it was none other than her father, the sole owner of the Adams Corporation. The company was the leader in import and export, and I wasn’t even surprised.

Zara was the daughter of one of the most successful businessmen in the Sterling Empire, and no matter how she disguised herself, I always knew it.

We had chosen her specifically, and to our surprise, she accepted our job offer and applied to be my secretary. And now she was using her connections to help me, even though I had treated her like a jerk.

Her gesture warmed my already cold heart, and I didn’t want those painful emotions to be touched. The call was sincere, and I knew the shipment would arrive the next day.

Deciding to ask her if she was ready to confess, I called her into the office after Ronald left, but, as I expected, she flatly and calmly denied everything.

She truly was a woman full of mysteries and didn’t want her cover blown.

I didn’t press her and let her go, but I eagerly awaited the day when she would realize I’d always known about her identity, even though I’d rarely seen her before.

As the daughter of such an influential Legan, she always tried to avoid attracting media attention. Perhaps she hated reporters as much as I did and wanted to keep her life private.

As soon as Zara left, I left the office to go home. Olfie took my suitcase as we pulled into the basement parking lot, and there I heard her scream. It pierced my heart, and I frantically ran in the direction from which her voice was coming.

Olfie was hot on my heels when I spotted her. Standing in front of her new car, she stared at the piece of paper.

Without thinking, I rushed forward, placed both hands on her trembling shoulders, and turned her toward me.

Fear stared at me as she blinked and stared back at me.

"What happened? Are you okay?" I asked, tightening my arms around her shoulders. She continued to tremble, her gaze falling back to the piece of paper.

"I... uh..." she said, completely lost.

Olfi picked up the paper and handed it to me without reading. The writing was bloody, even using some blood.

Seriously, it looked like a prank people pull on Halloween, but the words were ominous. Same as the last threat paper in the pack.

"Where did you find this?" I looked back at her terrified face.

"On my windshield... when I arrived." She was still shaking violently, and I pulled her close, hugging her side.

At my command, my gaze met Olfie’s.

"Run a full scan. Bring me the security footage from today, and I need logs of everyone who came in here today."

Olfie nodded quickly but professionally and left, and I turned my attention to Zara.

Did she have a stalker? Perhaps she had some dark history. In the pack, the threat paper was not for the pack.

"Is someone constantly bothering you?" To my surprise, her arms wrapped around my waist, she rested her head on my chest, and rubbed her temple, as if trying to shake off some terrible memory.

"No, but someone threatened me... nothing... I don’t know." She seemed about to open up, but then changed her mind.

Threatened her? That infuriated me so much.

"Who threatened you? Did someone hurt you, Zara?" I asked, gritting my teeth, and despite myself, my hand clenched into a fist, my nails digging into my skin.

"It was a long time ago, I don’t want to talk about it." She shook her head, and I realized there was some unpleasant memory attached to it.

Since she was slowly accepting me as her superior, I knew she wouldn’t open up to me. I had to use my other personality to get answers from her.

Patience, I had to be patient.

"You don’t have to. No one will hurt you, I’ll figure it out," I assured her, gently stroking her hand. "Let me drive you home." I folded the piece of paper and put it in my pocket.

I didn’t want her driving like this or being left alone. She accepted my offer without hesitation as I escorted her to the passenger seat.

I slid my hand into the car seat and helped her get settled. While I fastened her seatbelt, she looked at me with teary eyes, and I felt her legs still shaking.

It was a traumatic experience for her. I gently placed my hand on her trembling knee, still leaning over her. We were so close, and she didn’t pull away, just looked at me with her frightened eyes.

"It’s normal to be afraid; sometimes it makes us human, but no one has the right to invade that safe space and make someone go through that. I’m with you, and as I said on the first day, I care about my pack member."

The fear gradually faded as a thin, fragile, but still real thread of trust and confidence grew between us.

"Thank you!" she said, her voice shaking.

I got out, ran to the other side, opened the door, and got into her car. The key was already in the ignition. Fastening my seatbelt, I started the car, and it slowly came to life. I called Olfie through the Bluetooth headset and asked for news as we pulled out of the parking lot into the evening traffic of Sterling City.

He hadn’t noticed anything suspicious yet, but he and the security guard on duty were reviewing the footage.

"Keep me updated," I ordered before ending the call and focusing on driving. My gaze occasionally glanced at Zara. She seemed to have calmed down a bit, but her hands, clasped in her lap, were still shaking and twitching.

I wanted to reach out and reassure her again, but I gave her time to gather her thoughts.

She didn’t expect me to hug her and comfort her the way I did, but she was grateful I was there. The trembling continued, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that the past incident was coming back to haunt me.

Even though the memories of that attack were blurry, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this was somehow connected to it.

Was her past haunting me here?

Or was someone just trying to scare her? Perhaps it was the reporter who had exposed the truth about her identity and was trying to blackmail her.

Her mind raced, and her hands grew cold in her lap. She didn’t even notice when we pulled up to the apartment where she recently shifted with Hunter, and I pulled into the parking lot. Opening the door, I helped her out and put a reassuring arm around her shoulder.

"I’ll walk you to your apartment," I said quietly, and she let me lead the way.

"Let me check inside first," I said firmly, telling her to wait. Quietly opening the door, I cautiously entered and looked around. She waited nervously, clutching her purse.

"You can come in, Zara," my hoarse voice said, and she entered.

Everything seemed to be in its place, just as she’d left it. Our house was safe, as no strangers had been there.

I closed the door and began checking the two bedrooms and bathrooms, but everything was in its place.

Maybe it was someone at work? I thought, leaving the bedroom and throwing her purse on the table. But that seemed highly unlikely.

Seeing her confusion, I cleared my throat.

"Are you okay? Do you want me to get you some water?"

She shook her head.

Olfi told me that Zara’s car was parked in a blind spot, so they couldn’t see who left the note. Besides, we often had people coming in for interviews, so it could have been anyone.

I told her about the find, and she took the news calmly.

"It’s fine."

I needed to talk to security and install more cameras. There shouldn’t be any blind spots, especially where her car would be parked.

"We’ll catch him," I tried to reassure her again. She straightened her legs and, with a slight nod, rose from the couch.

"Do you want something to eat? I only have some food from last night’s dinner. I’m not much of a cook; I’m a terrible cook," she said innocently.