Who Is It

A ruined cardboard box hit the dining table with a dull, heavy thud, scattering dust across the polished wood. Elena collapsed into the nearest chair, her face pale and drawn from sheer exhaustion. She had returned to the apartment just before lunch, bringing nothing but bad news.

"Your crucial documents were shredded by Colin," she told Gareth, her voice shaking with suppressed anger.

Gareth froze. The lit cigarette slipped from his trembling fingers and bounced against the glass ashtray. He leaned over the table, staring down into the cardboard box at the mangled, useless heap of paper. A dark, ugly flush crept up his neck, turning his face a mottled purple. He slammed his closed fist onto the tabletop, rattling the porcelain teacups in their saucers.

"That bastard Colin!" Gareth hissed through gritted teeth, his chest heaving with sudden exertion. "How dare he do this!"

Profound regret washed over Gareth, twisting his stomach into painful knots. Those files represented years of grueling, sleepless effort. He thought back to the previous day, remembering how he had put on a virtuous, proud facade. He had foolishly rejected the hundred-million-dollar black card Kaelen offered him, choosing to act like a man of unshakeable principle. If he had just swallowed his pride and taken the money, he would not be sitting here mourning a pile of ruined financial records.

The kitchen door swung open. Miriam emerged in a cloud of savory steam, wiping her damp hands on her floral apron. She glanced at the shredded paper on the table and shrugged, unconcerned about the destroyed corporate files. To her, Gareth's business woes were trivial.

"It is just some paper, Gareth. Stop making such a fuss," Miriam scolded lightly, dismissing his life's work in a single breath. She set a steaming cast-iron pot of rich mushroom soup on the dining table, her eyes darting eagerly toward the front entryway. "Lena, why are you alone? Where is Kaelen? I have been waiting for him to get back."

Elena stared at her mother, bewildered by the sudden shift in priorities.

Minutes later, the front door clicked open. Kaelen stepped inside, having finished his slow pedal back from the luxury car dealership. The moment his worn sneakers crossed the threshold, Miriam’s face lit up with a blinding, ecstatic smile.

"Kaelen, you are finally back! Come sit down," Miriam fawned, rushing over to pull out a chair for him with exaggerated care. She grabbed a delicate porcelain bowl and began ladling generous scoops of the hot, delicious mushroom soup. "I made this just for you. I have been cooking it all morning. Drink it while it is hot."

Elena watched the bizarre scene unfold, jealousy burning in her chest. Her mother was treating Kaelen like royalty. Miriam kept pushing the thickest, best pieces of mushroom into his bowl, her eyes sparkling with unhidden adoration. Elena could not fathom the sudden change in attitude. She remained unaware that her mother had already visited the bank, witnessed the terrifying display of wealth, and discovered Kaelen’s supreme identity.

Early Monday morning, pale sunlight pierced through the bedroom curtains. Elena shifted in her sleep, feeling the strange, prickling sensation of being watched.

She snapped her eyes open. Kaelen’s handsome face hovered right in front of hers.

"Ah!" Elena let out a loud, startled scream, scrambling backward until her spine hit the solid wooden headboard. She clutched the thick blanket defensively against her chest, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs. Dread pooled in her stomach. Two mornings in a row of screaming. Her parents were inevitably going to make inappropriate assumptions again.

"What on earth do you want?" she gritted out, glaring at him with sleep-filled eyes.

Kaelen offered a gentle, proud smile. He brought a thick, bound document out from behind his back and handed it toward her. "Happy birthday, Lena!"

Elena blinked, the lingering sleep draining from her mind. She had forgotten her own birthday. Hesitantly, she loosened her white-knuckled grip on the blanket and accepted the heavy stack of papers.

Her eyes scanned the bold, black text printed on the front page. *Stanton Corporation Transfer Agreement.*

Stunned, she flipped eagerly to the back page of the contract. The authentic, desperate signatures of Victor and Derek Stanton stared back at her, scrawled across the dotted lines in stark black ink.

"You spent only five million to acquire Stanton Corporation?" Elena gasped, her eyes wide with shock. "That is impossible!"

"It is very possible," Kaelen explained calmly, his voice steady. "The Blakely family applied relentless pressure. All of Stanton Corporation's business partners severed their ties and ran. The banks moved in to collect on their massive debts. The arrogant Stantons were backed into a corner. They had no choice but to sell for five million to avoid a humiliating public bankruptcy auction."

Elena stared at the signatures, her mind spinning. The explanation made logical sense, but a fresh wave of panic hit her system. "If we take over the company, we inherit their crushing debt! How are we going to afford paying off those bank loans?"

Kaelen brushed off her frantic worry with a light laugh. "Do not worry about the loans. Have you forgotten that I am the God of War? I will handle everything seamlessly."

Elena’s grip on the thick papers tightened, her knuckles turning stark white. She refused to believe his absurd claim. There was only one logical explanation for this miracle.

"You are shameless," Elena snapped, her voice rising in anger. "I know exactly where you got that five million. You secretly drained my father's personal stock savings to fund this purchase! I used to think you were an honest man, but it turns out you were just pretending all along!"

"Lena, wait—"

"Get out of here right now!" Elena yelled, her temper flaring. She swung her leg out, kicking him hard in the hip and shoving him off the edge of the mattress. Kaelen stumbled backward, baffled by the sudden hostility, as Elena chased him out of the room and slammed the bedroom door shut in his face.

At the breakfast table, the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. Elena sat with her head bowed over her plate, her cheeks burning red.

Miriam glared at her daughter across the table, tapping her wooden chopsticks against her ceramic bowl. "I spoke to you about this yesterday, Lena, but you refuse to listen. You are a woman, yet you have no sense of restraint. What are you doing yelling so loud in the bedroom every single morning?"

Elena shrank into her chair. "Mom, please..."

"I will not stop," Miriam scolded mercilessly, her tone sharp. "You are incredibly lucky you found a strong man with Kaelen's stamina. Any other man would have a broken back trying to keep up with how demanding you are in bed. Learn some manners!"

The humiliation hit Elena like a physical blow. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes. Frustrated and unable to explain the massive misunderstanding without sounding insane, she shoved her chair back. The wooden legs scraped loudly against the floorboards.

"I am going out," Elena choked out. She grabbed the signed transfer agreement from the kitchen counter and sprinted out the front door.

"Lena, wait!" Kaelen called out, dropping his silverware and chasing after her.

Elena ignored her parked bicycle, opting to hail a passing taxi instead. She yanked the yellow door open and threw herself into the backseat. Before Kaelen could reach her, the cab sped down the busy street.

Left with no other option, Kaelen flagged down a second taxi and ordered the driver to follow her.

The chase ended right at the grand entrance of the Stanton Corporation headquarters. Elena stepped out onto the concrete pavement, clutching the crucial documents to her chest. Kaelen caught up to her, his large hand wrapping around her wrist to stop her from marching inside.

"Lena, listen to me," Kaelen pleaded.

Elena broke away from his firm grip, her eyes flashing with cold determination. "Let's talk after I am done with Stanton Corporation's affairs."

Without sparing him another glance, she turned and marched confidently through the automatic glass doors. Kaelen fell silent. He slipped his hands into his pockets and followed closely behind, acting as her silent escort.

Meanwhile, a heavy, suffocating atmosphere filled the grand conference room on the top floor of the corporate tower. The devastated core members of the Stanton family were gathered around the long mahogany table, their faces etched with pure despair. Soft, pathetic weeping echoed from the corners of the vast room.

Winston Stanton sat at the head of the table in a wheelchair, a plastic oxygen mask strapped tightly over his pale, wrinkled face. His chest rose and fell in shallow, jagged breaths. He looked at the defeated faces of his sons and grandchildren, his old heart breaking under the crushing weight of their ruin.

Their prized, billion-dollar empire was gone. Decades of ruthless expansion, backroom deals, and arrogant pride had been wiped out in a matter of days. They had been backed into a corner, forced to sign away their legacy for a pitiful, insulting five million dollars just to keep themselves out of a cold prison cell.

The glorious days of the Stanton family had come to a bitter end. They were nothing but defeated failures waiting to hand over the keys to their conqueror.

Suddenly, the quiet click of the heavy conference room door echoed through the depressing silence. The polished brass handle turned slowly.

The weeping stopped instantly. The air in the room grew stale and tight.

Every single member of the Stanton family turned their heads as one. They stared at the opening door, morbidly curious to see exactly who had taken advantage of their sudden downfall to buy their corporation.