Chapter 4

By the time they arrived at the penthouse, night had already fallen. Parker helped his boss into the elevator and then guided him to his bedroom.

"Thank you," Asher muttered, making Parker’s eyes widen in surprise.

When was the last time he had heard those words from him? He couldn’t recall.

"I've ordered your dinner; it should arrive soon," Parker informed him.

They would have eaten earlier, but the chaos of the day had pushed everything back.

"You should freshen up first. I'll prepare the bath," Parker said, turning to leave. But just as he reached the door, the phone rang.

Retrieving it from its compartment, he glanced at the caller ID. "It's Jalen," he announced.

"Answer it," Asher instructed without hesitation. Jalen was one of the few people he actually wanted to talk to at that moment.

His heart felt unbearably heavy, his muscles weak, as if his body might give out at any moment. Right now, all he needed was a familiar voice—a shoulder to lean on.

"Ash! Where are you?" Jalen’s worried voice came through the line the moment the call connected.

"Penthouse," Asher responded, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Okay." And with that, Jalen ended the call.

"He should be on his way. He'll take over from here," Parker murmured, the sorrow in Asher’s voice tightening his own chest.

"I’ll be in the other room," Parker said, placing the phone back in its compartment before stepping out.

But not long after, he returned. A thick silence filled the room, tension swirling in the air. Asher stared at Parker, and the latter narrowed his eyes, unsure of what his boss was thinking. Something about the atmosphere had shifted, growing heavy with unspoken emotions.

After a long moment, Asher looked away. He knew Parker wanted to say something but was hesitating. He wouldn’t force him.

"Sir," Parker finally spoke, his voice quiet.

"It seems the other party is determined to go through with this."

Asher's eyes sharpened. "Go on." His deep voice sent a shiver through Parker.

"The news is out, but Cruz has taken it down again," Parker explained cautiously.

Asher’s expression darkened. "Tell my legal team to handle it immediately."

"Understood." Parker quickly typed out a message on his phone.

"Done, sir."

"One more thing," Parker added, glancing at his screen. "Miss Sheila’s location has been disclosed—Pentaville City, Austra."

A long silence followed. Parker watched Asher’s expression turn unreadable.

After what felt like an eternity, Asher finally spoke. "My surgery is in a few days. I’ll meet her before then," he said coldly.

"I’ll make the arrangements right away. When do you plan to leave?" Parker asked.

"Tomorrow."

Parker's eyes widened. "Tomorrow?"

A lot had happened in just one week. Traveling to Austra so soon might not be the best idea.

"Sir, you're exhausted. Maybe you should—"

"Tomorrow," Asher cut him off, his tone final.

Parker swallowed the rest of his words.

At that moment, the door swung open, and both men turned to see Jalen entering. Parker exhaled in relief. Asher’s pain had become too evident—it was written all over his face. If anyone could help him release that burden, it was Jalen.

Jalen rushed in, his tense shoulders relaxing slightly when he saw Asher sitting in his wheelchair, seemingly unharmed.

"Ash," he called as he moved closer. "How are you today?"

Asher didn’t answer.

Jalen pulled a chair from the reading table and sat in front of him. "You look good today."

It was a lie. Asher looked worse than ever, but Jalen wouldn’t say that out loud. He just wanted to lift his friend’s mood, but Asher didn’t even react to the compliment.

Even so, Jalen smiled warmly and placed a hand over Asher’s. "Dinner is here. We’ll eat together."

Finally, Asher looked at him.

Parker, realizing he had forgotten about the dinner order, hurried out of the room.

Asher then surprised Jalen by asking, "How’s your family?"

Jalen felt a sudden warmth spread through him. Asher rarely asked about such things—especially since the accident. He had become withdrawn, more brooding than ever. In fact, happiness seemed like a foreign concept to him.

"They're good," Jalen replied with a smile.

"And work?"

Jalen shrugged. "Just the usual routine."

Then, in a quieter voice, Asher admitted, "I miss her. A lot."

Jalen felt a pang of sorrow. Asher had always been a cold, distant man, but there was one person who had softened him—his fiancée.

Their wedding was supposed to take place the same month as Asher’s accident. The moment she heard the news, she had collapsed and lost consciousness.

By the time the Woods family rushed to the hospital, she had already disappeared.

Two days later, a video went viral—Hilda jumping into the sea.

A search ensued, and a decomposed body was eventually recovered. The only way they identified it was by the clothes she had been wearing that day.

Her family buried her immediately.

Asher, still unconscious at the time, only learned about her death six months later. The guilt had haunted him ever since.

"Would she have stayed by your side if she were alive?" Jalen asked sincerely.

Even if Hilda had lived, would she have left him anyway? The thought was unbearable, but the pain of not knowing was even worse.

"She shouldn’t have died," Asher murmured, his voice breaking. His body trembled.

"Ash, the body they buried wasn’t hers."

Jalen couldn’t bear to watch Asher grieve any longer. He had intended to keep this truth hidden until he had solid proof, but he couldn't stand the pain in his friend's eyes any longer.

Asher's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

To the best of his knowledge, Hilda had been buried by her family. He had visited them after his recovery and had gone to the cemetery several times to mourn her.

Jalen lowered his gaze before looking back up. "The DNA doesn't match," he said quietly.

Asher's breath hitched. "How?" His gaze drifted toward the floor-to-ceiling window, his mind racing.

A heavy silence hung between them before Jalen stepped closer and gently placed a hand on Asher's shoulder.