Elvin POV
With a low grunt, I drove my fist into the punch bag again.
And again.
And again.
Each hit echoed the same words in my head.
"I'm sorry."
Her body collided into my chest clumsily while rushing to prepare for a three month presentation.Her fingers brushed mine as she was clumsily picking up her presentation.
Bumping me the second time rushing to wherever she was rushing to, then the necklace slipping from her neck.
Her smile,her voice, her muffled sorry, her tears.
Then it shifted to eight years ago my very own father.
"I disown you as my son."
My father's voice overlapped hers.
My stepmother's satisfied expression burned behind my eyes.
The bag shook under my fists.
Eight years.
Eight years of building connections. Power. Influence.
And yet…
I still couldn't find Catherine Mason.
Not a trace. Not even history. Not even the origin of that necklace.
Worse, every time I got close, that hacker interfered.
Mee J.
Whoever you are… you won't stay hidden forever.
Maybe it was time to stop chasing ghosts and focus on reclaiming what was rightfully mine.
The punchbag suddenly tore open under my final strike. Gravel and sands spilled onto the floor.
Silence only my heavily breathing echoing.
"Boss."
My assistant's voice cut through the tension.
"We found someone who resembles the lady in your sketch. She goes by Cee J. She'll be working for Mo Company again. She left five years ago… but now she's returning as Design Director. Would you like to see the pictures?"
I took the tablet from him.
And everything went still.
It was her.
The same woman the hacker had been shielding all this time.
But the name…
Cee J? Not Catherine Mason.
Interesting.
I dialed my secondary hacker.
"Dig into Cee J. Full profile. Six minutes."
Next, I contacted Mason Joel, CEO of Mo Company.
"I'm coming to Q Country."
"I'm currently in S Country. SH City," he replied.
Perfect. So that's where you are, my runaway lady. Six minutes later, the file came in.
Cee J real name: Catherine Mason.
Lost her mother five years ago.
Relocated to M Country.
Returned with a spotless profile.
Too spotless, M Country was not a place one went to "start over."Unless you had protection.
Or secrets. A slow smile curved my lips. Prepare the jet.
Upon arriving in S Country, I went straight to Mo Company.
Inside the CEO's office, I found Mr. Mason frowning at his computer screen. The more he stared, the deeper the frown became.
I cleared my throat.
"Mr. Mason, what's so fascinating on your computer that you didn't even notice me walk in? Share the good news," I said sarcastically.
He rolled his eyes. "Since you became the low-key youngest billionaire and business emperor, you've grown lazy. Can't you deduce the meaning of my expression, Elv?"
I laughed lightly. "For you to leave Q Country for S Country, it must be serious. What can I help my former boss with?"
He sighed.
"This branch is supposed to generate the highest profit among all our companies. But it isn't. I'm seeing discrepancies, and I don't even know where to begin or who to hold responsible."
I observe him.
"Are you in some kind of debt? When I was working with you, I noticed something similar and sent the file through the manager. Didn't you receive it?"
We discussed it briefly. The issue was complicated.
"I'll send one of my men to assist you," I told him. "I'm not here to fix this. I came for something else."
For someone else.
At the elevator, I saw her.
Catherine Mason.
A faint smirk rested on her lips before her face returned to a composed, serious expression.
I was surprised at how different she looked.
Five years ago, she seemed naïve, her emotions easy to read.
Now?
She looked reborn.
Sharp. Controlled. Refined.
Her composed, measured steps only made me want to know more. Who was she now, and what had forged this steel beneath the softness I remembered. Deep down, I was glad she had changed.
Though… I still loved that naïve version too.
She stared at me for a moment, as if I looked familiar but she couldn't place where from. Then she smiled politely at both Mr. Mason and me.
The next question she asked Mr. Mason caught me completely off guard.
What the hell…?
"Mr. Mason, what's wrong? Is there an issue with the company's finances? Some kind of discrepancy?" I asked calmly. "If I were you, I'd start by checking your most trusted aide." she said.
Before Mr. Mason could respond
Ding.
The elevator doors opened.
She stepped out.
Graceful. Composed.
She walked past us and headed straight toward a car waiting outside.
Then I saw it.
A shadow of a man seated inside the vehicle, clearly there to pick her up.
For a brief second, I pause.
"So there's someone beside her."
"Interesting."
This lady isn't just an ordinary person to be trifled with as I already confirmed it, due to the question she asked Mr. Mason.