After watching the cricket match, Raymond was awakened from his deep thoughts by a knock on the door—three taps, then two.
He knew it was his company's chief security director, Marcus, a man who enjoyed riddles and had made this specific knock for the two of them.
Opening the door, Ray was greeted by the old Marcus, a man who looked almost the same as his father, William.
"It's been so long since we last met, little Ray," the old man said, walking into the room and sitting on a chair in the hall.
"You always reminded me of your father when he was a young boy, but you're a lot more ruthless."
Ray offered Marcus some water. "Yeah, uncle, it's been so long," he said. "So, straight to the point—did you find anything about the incident?"
"Oh yes, Ray. We've checked and reviewed all the footage since you left the bar. We even hacked some bank cameras to piece together what happened, and it turns out exactly as your grandfather suspected."
"That night, Daniel carried you to your car and placed you in the passenger seat. He then caused the accident himself, shifted you into the driver's seat, and sneakily escaped in the chaos."
Ray was not surprised. Instead, his expression showed only a deepening curiosity. "Why would he have me framed?" Ray asked. "We never had any fights. If it was for our business or anything else, he could have done something else."
"It's a long story, and it involves your past," Marcus said. "Are you sure you want to know about it?"
"Yes. Not knowing about things sometimes makes them more complicated."
"Alright," Marcus said, settling back in his chair. "This all started back in your college days, when you and your best friend, Julian, used to hang out... before he died in a car accident and you became depressed."
"It turns out that back then, Julian found out about something crazy and tried to stop it, but he eventually got caught in the mess and was killed by them."
"Do you remember the group KLC Lands, which was buying up land all around your old school by saying they were building an amusement park? They bought all the land, one way or another."
"It turns out some people in the surrounding areas were killed and robbed of their land. Some people were threatened, and some people in the government were even bribed."
"Julian found out about this from a friend who came from the neighborhood and witnessed it happen."
Ray's eyes widened in surprise. "Let me guess," he said. "Julian tried to dig deeper into this, ultimately found out everything, but then got caught and killed?"
"Yes, but the thing is, Daniel planned to pin the blame on you and Luna for killing Julian in a car crash after drinking. But Luna transferred to Stanford from Harvard, so the plan changed."
"We also seriously believe that Daniel planned to kill both you and Luna, along with Julian, to erase his future competition and take over your companies. It was like three birds with one stone."
Ray's voice was filled with anger. "But what does that have to do with me being framed now?"
"He wanted you to be the scapegoat, since he claimed you taught Julian your tendency to crash cars, which led to his death."
Marcus's hand trembled on the chair as anger tightened his grip. "That bastard tried to get you locked in prison, ruin your reputation, weaken our company, and swallow it with his new shady company!"
Ray took a few deep breaths to calm himself. "Relax, uncle," he said. "Let Grandfather know about this, and I will decide what to do with Daniel in my own way. I'll make him regret killing my friend Julian."
"Take care of yourself, Ray. Julian is gone, but he wouldn't want to see you suffering from the guilt. He would kick your ass if he were here."
"Yeah, uncle. Thank you again. Be careful outside, because now that they know we're aware of the scandal, they might try to silence us."
After Marcus left, Ray had a drink and fell into his thoughts, his mind wandering back to his college days.
October 2015
Raymond walked into the classroom and noticed Julian sitting alone on a bench, watching the empty sky from the second-floor window. He felt how lucky it was to be as free as Julian.
He turned to see a pair of cold eyes staring at him, as if she was waiting for him to compliment her new dress.
He looked at the young girl, whose black hair was as attractive as her fair face, and her blue dress showed off her developing curves.
"Stop looking at me like a rare dinosaur, Luna," he said. "You know you're beautiful, but you always expect a compliment from me, as if you're superior. We have a rivalry, remember?"
"Oh yeah, Ray," Luna laughed. "Remember how you used to buy new stuff just to show off at school before me and then begged me with your eyes for compliments?"
"Hey you two, stop always bickering like some old married couple," Julian chimed in. "Someone might even think you're married instead of being from rival families."
They both laughed and acted as if it was normal. They chatted that day, not knowing it was the last day the three of them would ever spend together.
That night, Luna called Ray, her voice breaking into whispers. "They're making me move to Stanford, Ray. My dad is opening a new business there, and he wants us to move. I don't want to, but I have no choice this time."
Ray felt something for the first time but ignored it as he spoke normally. "Take care of yourself, Luna. I think there will be a lot of boys complimenting you at that new college, so you won't be stuck with an idiot rival like me."
Luna's face turned red as she yelled into the phone, "Who are you calling an idiot? You're not an idiot because that would make me an idiot too! You better take care of yourself before we meet again, as I might outgrow you and shine brighter than you."
"Okay, okay," Ray laughed. "Let me know if you need any help at the new college. I'll fly by to help if it's possible, Luna."
That night, Julian died in a car accident, which came as a shock to both Ray and Luna. Luna tried calling Ray, but he didn't answer. He was stuck in grief, hearing the rumors that he was the cause of Julian's reckless nature. It enraged him and changed him.
After Julian died, after Luna disappeared, after everyone looked at him like he was some kind of monster... he figured if they were going to see him as a reckless playboy anyway, he would become one.
His heart, filled with self-loathing and anger, threw himself into clubs, meaningless relationships, and anything that would make him forget how much he had lost.
Ray sighed as he recalled what had happened, deciding to meet his grandfather the next day. He also planned to try and contact Luna once he reached New Harbour City.