Serendipity: The Amazing Journey Of A Soulmate

71. Six degrees of separation

The days are dying one after the other, summer turned into autumn in the blink of an eye. And although they seem to pass so fast for everyone else, for me they have been nothing but pure torture. As if caught in a never ending loop, all I did was working and plotting. Every day seemed like one in hell without Namjoon, burning in my own shame and guilt. The only thought that kept me going was knowing he is well. Their tour was a success and it's about to end soon. A few more concerts left and he'll be back home. Namjoon shined so brightly on the stage, but there was something in his eyes that I recognized because I have it too. Longing. If I didn't know him this well, I would've missed it. He is good at hiding his emotions, I must give him credit for that. I haven't talked to him since that night almost a month ago, but I've watched all the news about them, read all the articles and followed them on social media. It was the only way I could be close to him. I don't know if we'll ever have another chance, but it brings me comfort to know that at least one of us is doing better. If someone would've told me that I will go to these lengths to protect another human being aside from my parents, I would've died laughing in their face. The joke's on me. Here I am doing just that. For another person and for myself all the same.

A while ago I managed to slow down the investigation on WildCat which only pleased Jonathan, making him believe he's about to come clean. Little did he know that the whole thing was a stunt plotted in advance to make him trust me more. Now the police came back in full force with additional proof and Jonathan is pissed. He's fuming, pacing around the office like a mad man.

"I thought you took them off my tail!" he snarls, not really managing to intimidate me. I actually anticipated this.

"It was bound to happen, Jonathan. They are good investigators, not kids playing police. Of course they figured things out," I say with a calm I didn't know I possessed in his presence.

"I asked you to work for me because I know you are damn good at your job, not to sabotage me!" he snaps back at me. I blink. This is probably the best compliment he ever gave to me, that I am good at what I'm doing, and he is not even aware of that. He never paid attention to what I like or who I really am. What flatters me and what insults me. But his words make me angry all the same. The calm I managed to display until now vanishes into nothingness as I sense my blood boiling in my veins.

"You hired me for an entire different reason!" I snap, getting up from my chair. Then seeing the opportunity, I set my trap. "And regarding the investigation...who's fault is that? You asked me to work on this case and only fed me scraps of information. I did the best I could with what I received from you. You get back what you give," I say, the last sentence bearing more meaning than I intended. If he caught it, he doesn't show. Then I change the tone of my voice into a softer one, all part of my plan. "If you want this case to be handled with care and professionalism, you have no choice but to trust me more, Jonathan. I can't help you if you keep hiding things from me. I may not like that you forced me into this, but keep in mind that I'm still your lawyer. There is still a contract we signed and my reputation is at stake. And I don't like to lose," I explain, my words not far from the truth. Normally, this would be exactly how I'd feel about a case where my job is putting me at risk. But at this point I give no shit about my reputation anymore as long as I get to see him wipe the floors of prison for a really long time. He just stares at me, not saying anything, but there is a war inside his head visible through his restless eyes. For a second I believe my act didn't convince him, but then I hear him sighing heavily, his shoulders dropping in defeat.

"Okay," he says and I'm left with my mouth open.

"Okay?" I repeat after him, not knowing how to interpret his words.

"I'll give you more. I'll give you what you need. Just make sure you get them off my back. This investigation is a pain in my ass," he says, running a hand through his perfectly styled hair. Then he crosses the room to the wall behind his desk where a huge painting of a female nude is hanging. I always hated that picture, for some reason. Maybe because it's a fragrant display of his twisted mind. His love for women and sex was never something he tried to conceal, but still pisses me off seeing him so casual about it. As if women are nothing but pawns, playthings, sex toys. He moves the painting to the side, revealing a small vault behind it. Typing a code, it opens with a click and he pulls out a thick set of papers from it, before he slams the little door back shut and rearranges the painting back in its place. Then he crosses the room back to where I'm standing, dropping the pile of files on the desk near me.