In The Dark

Part 15: Kai

The sun had just started to set, casting an orange glow through the windows of my father's estate. I could see the shadows creeping across the marble floors, the fading light making everything look cold, distant. Empty. Just like how I felt standing here, trying to make sense of things that didn't add up.

I was sitting in my father's office, the place where he'd built his political career on promises of justice and integrity. But right now, all I could see were the cracks beneath the surface. Lies. Secrets. I was starting to wonder if everything I thought I knew about him—about my family—was a carefully crafted illusion.

The more I dug into Angel's death and my mother's "suicide," the more I started to realize that nothing was as simple as it seemed. Every thread I pulled led back to my father. And every answer I found only raised more questions.

Could he have been involved?

I hated myself for even thinking it. But I couldn't shake the feeling that he was hiding something. Something big.

A quiet knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts. I didn't need to look up to know who it was. I could hear the way his footsteps fell lightly on the floor—measured, deliberate. Always the politician, even in his own home.

"Kai," my father said as he stepped into the room. His voice was calm, even warm, like nothing had changed between us. Like he wasn't the reason I was spiraling into this mess. "You've been avoiding me."

I looked up at him, trying to keep my expression neutral. "I've been busy."

"Busy with what?" he asked, taking a seat across from me, his gaze sharp as always. "You've barely been around. Is everything alright?"

I forced a smile. "Yeah, everything's fine."

It was a lie. But it wasn't like I could tell him the truth—not without putting a target on my back. Not without tipping him off that I was onto him.

He nodded slowly, studying me with that same scrutinizing look he always had. The one that made me feel like I was back in high school, being quizzed on why I didn't make the honor roll. But this was different. This wasn't about grades or performance. This was about life and death. About trust—or the lack of it.

"Good," he said after a moment, leaning back in his chair. "You know, I worry about you, Kai. I know things haven't been easy since... well, since your mother."

I stiffened at the mention of her. He rarely talked about her anymore, and when he did, it was always like this—carefully measured, distant. Like she was just another statistic, another talking point for his campaign.

"Do you?" I asked, keeping my voice steady. "Worry about me, I mean."

He frowned, clearly not expecting that. "Of course I do. You're my son."

"Right," I said, leaning back in my own chair. "Just like you worried about Angel?"

His expression didn't change, but I saw the flicker in his eyes—the brief moment where his guard slipped. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but it was there.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice carefully controlled.

"Angel," I repeated, crossing my arms over my chest. "You said he was like family to us. You took him under your wing, protected him. But now he's dead. And I can't help but wonder... why?"

My father sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "Kai, I told you before—Angel was a complicated man. He made some bad decisions. Got involved with the wrong people."

"Like the mafia?" I pressed, watching his reaction closely.

He hesitated, just for a split second. But it was enough.

"Yes," he admitted finally. "Angel got himself in over his head. I tried to help him, but in the end, there wasn't much I could do."

I narrowed my eyes. "So you knew he was in danger? You knew the risks he was taking?"

"I knew," he said, his voice firm. "But there are limits to what even I can do, Kai. Sometimes, people make choices that seal their own fate."

"Like Mom?" I asked, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

His gaze hardened. "Your mother's death was a tragedy. A personal tragedy. But it had nothing to do with any of this."

"Did it?" I challenged, leaning forward. "Because the more I dig, the more it seems like she was tangled up in something bigger. Something you don't want me to know about."

His jaw clenched, and for a moment, I thought he was going to explode. But instead, he just stared at me, his eyes cold and calculating.

"You're letting your emotions cloud your judgment, Kai," he said quietly. "I understand that you're upset. But you need to let this go. It's not going to bring your mother back. And it's certainly not going to help you find peace."

I shook my head, disbelief washing over me. "That's the thing, Dad. I don't want peace. I want answers."

"And what if the answers aren't what you want to hear?" he asked, his voice softer now, almost pleading.

I stood up from my chair, unable to sit still any longer. "I don't care. I just want the truth."

He watched me for a long moment, his eyes unreadable. Then he stood up as well, walking over to the window and staring out at the sunset.

"The truth..." he murmured, almost to himself. "The truth can be dangerous, Kai. Sometimes, it's better to leave things buried."

I clenched my fists at my sides, frustration boiling over. "Is that what you did with Mom? Buried the truth?"

He didn't answer for a long time. And when he finally did, his voice was barely a whisper.

"You're asking questions that could get you killed, Kai."

I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. "Is that a threat?"

He turned to face me, his expression carefully neutral. "It's a warning. Stay out of this, son. For your own sake."

I stared at him, a cold chill running down my spine. The man standing in front of me wasn't just my father. He was something else—something darker. And for the first time, I realized that he wasn't the man I thought he was.

He was a stranger.

And I didn't trust him. Not anymore.

Without another word, I turned and walked out of the room, my mind racing. If he thought I was going to back down, he was dead wrong.

I wasn't done digging.

Not by a long shot.