𝑼𝒏𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝑩𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒔: 𝑨𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑼𝒔

Chapter VIII: Danger Within

HARPER

Red in sight, I entered the headquarters and started walking down the corridors towards Kye's office. Without any hesitation, I barged in without knocking and was pleasantly surprised by Krystal's singing. Her melodious voice echoed in the entire room as Kye listened to the song that plays on a repeated loop.

Kye hummed the song with his eyes closed. I slammed the door behind me making him startled but before he could even say something I cut him off by saying "We have a problem!"

Kye opened his eyes and looked at me, "What's going on?"

I took a deep breath before answering, "I think Damon is on the move. Krystal received a bouquet of tulips, a box of chocolates and a box of jewelry with a crown symbol."

The icon Damon uses to symbolize nobility is the crown. During past eras, his father held dominion over the mafia as the prince, but Kye overthrow both him and the current ruler.

The mafia world does not work alone; rather, they are under the control of a King and Prince who govern all their actions. Damon objected vehemently to his father's decision to appoint Kye as the Mafia leader. He supported Kye's plan but in Damon'e defiance, he teamed up with Kaellan and escaped from one of their detention facilities.

Kye's face fell, "That's not good. We barely have enough time to track him down and he's already making moves on Krystal. Send some spies and assassins for a lookout in Krystal's workplace and report everything to me immediately!"

"I know. I had already informed and sent two spies on the job. Leave everything to me," I said, trying to sound hopeful.

Kye sighed, "I'll cancel my plans for the weekend and we'll both stay late every night to watch over her, got it?"

I sighed, "On it. And I already took a background check on everyone working in their corporation." I said giving Kyle a nod. But before leaving I said, I mentioned, "By the way, she's doing fantastic despite constantly yearning for your presence. She misses you."

"I feel the same way," he responded while rubbing his temples.

"That's not fair to her," I argued. "You can't keep stringing her along like this. She deserves to know where she stands with you. She's still waiting for you, no matter how many times I told her to move on."

"I know," he sighed. "But I can't just leave the mafia without tying up loose ends first. Damon and Kaellan are a threat to us and to her. It's not safe for me to just walk away."

"Then tell her that," I said. "Be honest with her about the danger you're in, about what needs to happen before you can leave. She deserves to make an informed decision about whether or not she wants to wait for you."

He nodded, looking pained. "You're right. I'll talk to her and tell her everything. I've been selfish, trying to protect her without considering her feelings. But not today, soon!"

"It's not too late to make things right," I said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Just be honest and give her the closure she needs. It's the only way for both of you to move on."

"I know it won't be easy," I acknowledged. "But you can't keep putting it off. You owe it to her to give her closure and the truth. And who knows, maybe it will make things easier in the long run."

"I hope you're right," he said, running a hand through his hair. "I just don't want to hurt her any more than I already have."

"I understand that," I said. "But the longer you wait, the more it will hurt her. It's better to be honest now, even if it's painful, than to keep stringing her along."

He nodded slowly, looking deep in thought. "You're right. I'll talk to her as soon as I can. It's time to face the consequences of my actions."

"I'm proud of you," I said, giving him a reassuring smile. "It takes a lot of courage to own up to your mistakes and do what's right."

"I know, but you can't keep using that as an excuse to avoid a difficult conversation. You can't keep leading her on, either. It's not fair to her," I said, standing my ground.

"Look, I get it. I know you're trying to protect her, but you can't do it forever. At some point, you have to let her make her own decisions and trust that she can handle it. And if she can't, then you'll be there to support her."

He looked at me, his expression softening. "You're right. I need to talk to her and be honest. It's the only way forward."

"Exactly," I said, giving him a small smile. "It won't be easy, but it's the right thing to do."

He nodded, the weight of the decision apparent on his shoulders. "I'll do it. I'll talk to her as soon as I can."

"Good. And if you need any support or backup, I'm here for you," I said, patting his shoulder. "We'll get through this together."

"Thank you." He said.

Kye was unaware that Damon had been sending letters to Krystal for a period of two months before. I had been receiving them and disposing of them nightly, but it seems that Damon found out about my actions and stopped sending letters.

The level of my concern has heightened significantly due to Damon's actions of sending Krystal gifts and flowers to her place of work. As a result, I became apprehensive and confronted Kye regarding the gifts, however, I chose to keep the matter of the letters to myself. I am aware that he will be angry, but my primary concern is the fact that Krystal has not read any of the letters. Nevertheless, the fact that Damon possesses knowledge of our living location is concerning. I guess I'll just have to add more security.