Page 13

Rhys

O ur run begins on time on Monday morning, but Jade is a silhouette of bottled energy next to me, her breaths measured but rapidly quickening. I can tell she’s upset. It’s the rigid set of her shoulders and the way she keeps her gaze fixed dead ahead. I want to ask what’s wrong, but I think it’s better if she tells me when she’s ready. Instead, I just keep pace, or at least I try.

She’s taken off like she’s trying to outrun her shadow, and I’m panting to keep up. Jade darts around corners and sprints up inclines with a fierce determination that has me in awe—and in agony. I’m no slouch when it comes to fitness, but this pace is brutal. Soon, every muscle in my legs screams in protest, and I mentally prepare myself for the soreness that’s sure to follow. There’s also no conversation this morning, as this speed does not allow enough oxygen for talking.

When we round the final stretch back to the hotel, we’re both slick with sweat, breathing hard. Jade eventually slows to a walk, and I take the opportunity to stop completely and catch my breath, hands on my hips as I gulp the morning air.

“Didn’t sleep much last night,” she confesses out of the blue, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. “Think I might crash for a bit before my meeting later this morning.”

“Is that an invite?” I tease, nudging her with my elbow. It’s a gamble, but sometimes, humor bridges gaps words can’t cross.

To my relief, her face softens, the lines of tension easing just a fraction. A blush colors her cheeks, and she offers a smile. “Very tempting, Rhys,” she says, despite the shadows beneath her eyes.

I grin, content with the small crack in her armor, and wave as she heads toward the hotel entrance.

“Hey, Jade,” I call before she can disappear completely. She turns, an eyebrow raised in question. “Would you like to grab dinner tonight?” My heartbeat kicks up a notch as I wait for her answer.

She hesitates, her gaze moving to the ground as if searching for the right words. “I’ll let you know,” she finally says.

“Sure, no pressure,” I respond, trying to keep my voice light, pushing the disappointment away.

She nods and then vanishes inside.

With a deep breath, I turn away from the hotel, starting the walk back to my place. The morning air has lost its early chill, warming as the City awakens around me. The run with Jade, while physically exhausting, has sparked a restless energy within me, an eagerness for something more between us.

As I unlock my front door and step inside, I strip off my damp running gear and head straight for the shower, letting the cold water shock my overheated skin into submission. Under the relentless spray, my thoughts churn about Jade.

How do I advance this? Treading carefully feels like trying to navigate a minefield blindfolded. Jade’s healing from her breakup, and the last thing I want is to be another complication. But damn, I feel like there’s potential here I’ve never experienced before.

I cut the water and reach for a towel, briskly drying off as I consider my next move. It has to be subtle, a show of support without overwhelming her. It needs to be a gentle nudge rather than a push. I need to give her the space to come to me when she’s ready. If she’s ready.

Pulling on a pair of jeans and a fresh shirt, I make my way downstairs and out to where Scott’s waiting by the car. He gives me a nod as I slide into the rear passenger seat, my thoughts still bouncing.

“Rough morning?” Scott asks, eyes meeting mine in the rearview mirror as we set off toward the office.

“Sorry. Good morning.” I scarcely acknowledged him. “You could say that,” I murmur. I’m not in the mood to divulge the intricacies of my personal life, even to Scott.

But I am still thinking about them, and by the time we pull up to the office building, my mind is a mix of strategy and anticipation. How do I protect what’s fragile between Jade and me, yet encourage it to grow?

As I step out of the car, I give Scott a grateful nod and a quick thank you before heading inside. Time to focus on work, for now. But the hope that Jade will say yes to dinner tonight still flickers persistently.

Mackenzie is usually the picture of composure, but today, her face is pale when I arrive upstairs, her eyes wide with what looks like shock. She makes a beeline for me the moment I step out of the elevators, her heels clicking urgently against the marble floor.

“Rhys,” she breathes. “You have a voicemail. It’s Justin.”

Her words are like a cold splash of water. “Get Crystal, Austin, and Theo here. Now,” I say sharply, my mind racing. “And call Jim and Mason.”

She hesitates, biting her lip. “Maybe you should listen to it before you include Crystal.”

I suddenly feel sick. What could he have said?

My office feels smaller as I close the door behind me. I open the email that holds the voicemail, then close my eyes and rub my temples before pressing play.

“Hey, Rhys…” Justin’s voice crackles through the speaker. “Congrats on the promotion. It’s a big job, but you’ll do fine.”

The voice is unmistakably Justin’s, calm and casual, as if he hasn’t disappeared without a trace and left us all scrambling to pick up the pieces. Mackenzie walks in and shuts the door behind her.

“Listen, I’m in deep—too deep—and I had to step off the grid,” he continues. “Tell Jim to stop hunting for me. It’s pointless. I’m always moving.”

His voice is tinged with something I can’t quite name—regret, maybe, or resignation. It’s unsettling.

“Leaving…it was the only way to keep you all safe,” he continues. “Don’t come looking. And Rhys, as CEO, make sure Crystal gets my voting shares. It’s important.”

The request jolts me, unexpected and heavy with implications. I rub the back of my neck where the hairs have risen, standing straight as soldiers.

“Be careful,” Justin adds, and I can almost see the wry twist of his lips. “Not everything is as it seems. One day, I’ll fill you in. Until then, take care.”

The line goes dead. Silence sprawls in the aftermath, loud and insistent. I replay the message, Justin’s words embedding themselves into my memory. “Not everything is as it seems.” What isn’t he saying?

My hands tighten into fists as memories flood back. The late nights at the lab, Justin’s easy laughter filling the space between equations and prototypes. And now, he’s running, leaving cryptic warnings instead of answers. It feels like a loss I’ll never recover from.

I lean back in my chair, a dull throb starting at my temples. There’s a mystery here, one that’s just compounded with every word Justin didn’t say. We’ll have to unravel it, thread by precarious thread. For now, though, I wait for my team to gather, for us to listen together and decide what move to make next.

“Jim and Mason are on their way,” Mackenzie says. “Austin and Theo just got in. They’ll meet you in your office when Jim and Mason arrive.”

“Good,” I murmur. I push the button again to replay Justin’s message.

The next twenty minutes pass in a rush of anxious glances and shuffling papers as everyone arrives. We convene in my office and sit around the table. I may be the CEO, but company decisions should be made as a group.

“Is Crystal in yet?” I ask.

“Not yet.” Mackenzie looks at her phone.

Maybe it’s not such a bad idea that we decide how to manage this without her at first. I take a deep breath. “Okay, thank you all for coming on such short notice. I received a voicemail from Justin.”

Everyone freezes.

“Let’s hear it,” Austin says. The air in the room feels thick, anticipation coiling like a spring.

I play the message on the speaker at the center of the table. Justin’s voice fills the room, and we listen intently, straining for any background noise that might betray his location or state of mind.

“Give Crystal his shares? Is this about selling the company? That’s absurd,” Austin says, his voice rising. “He built EnergiFusion from nothing. Why would he want to dismantle it now?”

“Maybe it’s not about dismantling,” Theo counters, his tone measured. “Maybe it’s about protecting what’s left.”

“Protecting it by selling it off piece by piece?” Austin snaps. “That’s not protection. That’s destruction.”

“Enough,” I interject, my voice cutting through the rising tension. “We’re not going to figure this out by arguing. Let’s focus on what we know and build from there.”

“Can you play it again?” Jim asks.

I nod, and we listen to it several times.

“That’s him, right?” I say. It’s been so long since I’ve heard his voice, I don’t want to fool myself.

Theo nods. “Yes.”

“We need to focus on what he’s asking,” Mason says.

“Which is a terrible idea,” Austin interjects, shaking his head. “Giving Crystal control of his shares? It doesn’t add up.”

“Legally speaking, he can’t simply give them away, not even to his wife, not while he’s alive.” Mason’s voice carries the authority of someone who has been down this path before. “The only way she can control his shares is if he’s declared dead or if he specifically gives her the rights in writing.”

“Are you volunteering to break that news to her?” I half-joke, though the throbbing in my temples tells me it’s no laughing matter.

Mason just raises an eyebrow, the ghost of a smirk dancing on his face. “I won’t shy away from it. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We’ve got bigger fish to fry.”

I nod, feeling the gravity of the situation. Justin’s warning loops in my mind. What was he talking about?

Across from me, Theo rubs his chin thoughtfully. “Why is he suddenly talking to us? I can somewhat understand why he’s contacted Crystal, but now he’s reached out to you.”

“Could Crystal know more than she’s saying about his disappearance?” I ask.

“I saw how upset she was when he left,” Theo says. “But maybe he’s telling her more now.”

Jim nods in agreement. “It stands to reason. But none of the calls Crystal has received were from numbers we can track. He’s using burners, which makes intercepting these communications next to impossible. And, according to Crystal, she hasn’t actually spoken to him. He just leaves messages, like this one he left for you, Rhys.”

“Does that sound crazy to anyone else?” I ask.

“He’s not telling us what the danger is. Why?” Austin’s frustration is evident.

“Until we understand this, there’s the matter of your safety,” Jim continues. “We need to tighten security. Everyone needs a detail, around the clock.”

Austin shifts in his seat. “Danica’s not going to like this,” he mutters. His gaze meets mine, searching for an ally.

“None of us like it,” I say. “But if Justin’s warning is worth anything, we can’t afford to take chances.”

One by one, heads nod, albeit reluctantly. The idea of being shadowed day and night feels claustrophobic, like walls closing in, but the alternative, a blindside from an unforeseen threat, is far worse.

“All right,” I finally proclaim. “Twenty-four/seven coverage it is.” I turn to face Austin and Theo. “Justin’s alive. That much we know. And if he’s out there, doing whatever, he must have had his reasons for moving the money. We all know the kind of person he is.”

Theo nods, his analytical mind ticking. “We need to focus on what we can control,” he says. “Jim, you’re handling the FBI and police, right? We can’t let this distract us from running the company.”

“Agreed,” Austin chimes in. “Clear Security and the authorities can chase down leads. We’ve got EnergiFusion to run.”

“Speaking of that, when does the new CFO start?” Mason asks.

“Emerson just got the signed agreement from Jeannie Young. She starts on the first of next month. She’ll start by going through the books to get a baseline, and we’ll see what she finds.”

“Are you worried?” Mason asks with a smile.

“Nope,” I say with as much bravado as I can muster. “The accountants have gone through it, but I would love it if she did see something. Maybe then we’d be a step closer to understanding all this and having Justin return.”

“Agreed,” Theo says, picking up his tablet and swiping through notes. “So, Jim will forward the voicemail to the police and FBI. That’s settled.”

I nod, though nothing about this situation is truly settled. “And I’ll talk to Crystal,” I add.

“I’ll join you,” Mason says.

I look down at my phone. “Security has just notified me she’s here.” Better to rip the Band-Aid off now than wait.

Our meeting concludes, and Jim heads back to his office, his phone to his ear the second he’s outside my door. Mason and I walk over to Crystal’s office. She’s chatting with her assistant when we walk in.

“What’s up?” she asks. “Any news?”

“Crystal,” I start. “I got a voicemail from Justin last night—”

“I want to hear it,” she demands.

I pull out my phone, open my email, and tap the attachment. The voicemail begins, and I put it on speaker.

Crystal’s eyes shimmer with unshed tears as she listens to Justin’s voice. For a moment, the weight of her grief presses against us all.

“He always did know how to make things complicated,” she says softly when the message concludes.

But as Mason explains the legalities of the shares, her expression hardens, vulnerability replaced by sharp determination. “If Justin thinks he can leave me to clean up his messes, he’s underestimated me. Again.”

She stands angrily to pull out the bylaws. Through the glass I see Austin and Theo lingering outside their offices, watching us. I need to get everyone back on track.

I turn to Mason. “You’ve got this?”

He nods.

I stand and look at Crystal. “You can continue this discussion with Mason. And whatever happens, you still have your own shares, and you’re still a founding member of the company.”

I return to my office, and as I pass Mackenzie, she points to her wrist. I need to move to my next appointment, but I just need a minute to think.

I collapse into my chair, my mind reeling. With a press of weary fingers, I unlock my phone and navigate to Jade’s contact. I want to reach out to her, to get her advice and opinion on what’s transpired today, but I hold back. That could be too much. She’s not even sure she wants to meet me for dinner.

Mackenzie walks into my office. “I moved the meetings with Maloney Chemical and the ad agency back. You have a meeting with human resources now.”

I look out and Deborah Cox, the head of HR, is waiting for me. This will not be good news. There’s always an idiot manager who overpromises and makes her life miserable and our bottom line smaller.

“And the accounting firm will be here in twenty,” Mackenzie adds as she trades places with Deborah.

Fortunately, Deborah just wants to clarify a few things about the new CFO, and in no time I’m back to moving from meeting to meeting. As the day wears on, I return to my office and lose myself in emails and reports, the usual rhythm of work a welcome distraction from the crazy start of the day. But the peace is short-lived.

Mason’s name flashes on my phone, and I answer immediately. “Rhys here.”

“Hey,” he says. “I meant to stop in to see you before I left, but I had to run to another meeting. I wanted to tell you that Crystal is rattled. She told me Justin’s left quite a few voicemails for her. She said she has her phone on twenty-four/seven waiting for him to call, but when she wakes up in the morning, the messages are there. It never rings.”

I’m on my feet, pacing my office. “So he doesn’t speak to her? Just leaves messages?”

“Exactly. Like he’s reaching out without wanting real contact. Jim’s digging deeper.” Mason sighs.

“How would he do that?” I ask.

“The guys at Clear seem to think he records them and uploads them to the number. That makes him harder to trace.”

“Do you think it’s the same with what he left for me here at the office in the middle of the night?”

“He’s going to look into that too.”

“Thanks, Mason. Keep me posted on anything else that comes up,” I reply before ending the call.

I sit back down and the image of Crystal, alone with nothing but Justin’s voice for company, stirs a mix of sympathy and suspicion in me. I think she knew he was going to tell us to give her control of his shares. He must have let her know. What game is Justin playing?

I look over to Crystal’s office, and it’s empty. This must be a real blow. This is just the kind of thing that gets her triggered, even when Justin is around.

I lean against the cool glass of the window, watching the barges cruise through the Bay Bridge heading to the South Bay.

I can’t sit. I have so much energy coursing through me. Instead, my hand hovers over the conference call button. It takes a deep breath to steady myself before I press down, dialing Theo and Austin.

“Get in here,” I say, no pleasantries to pad the urgency. “We need to talk about Justin’s shares.”

Theo, with his analytical gaze, steps in first, followed by Austin. I close the door behind them, sealing us in my office. Still, everything we do can be seen through the glass. We loved it when we moved in, when we didn’t have any secrets. Now, I’m wishing we had real walls.

“Have a seat,” I gesture, but remain standing myself, restless. “I know I said we’d let the authorities handle this, but it’s impossible to separate from running the business. Justin wants Crystal to have his shares, and she’s told us he wants to sell EnergiFusion, split the pieces.” My hands spread out, palms up, an appeal to reason. “Why? Why would he want that? Could someone be forcing his hand? Crystal told me she’s not in favor of selling, but who knows if that will stay true. Maybe he’s promised her something?”

Theo taps a pen against his notepad. “There’s no logical explanation if we consider only the surface. Could be a strategic move to divert attention or something more complex.”

Austin crosses his arms. “Maybe selling could allow Justin to come back from wherever he’s hiding without facing the music for the mess he’s left behind.” He shakes his head. “But it doesn’t add up. We’re missing something.”

“Exactly,” I agree. “It feels like we’re playing a game with half the rules hidden from us.”

We fall into silence, each lost in our own whirring thoughts. But there’s also fear, the fear of a future where EnergiFusion is just a memory, dismantled at the whim of a ghost.

“Okay.” I finally break the quiet. “Let’s think outside the box. If Justin is protecting us, maybe the sale is another layer of that protection?”

“Or maybe it’s not protection at all,” Theo offers. “Maybe it’s desperation.”

“Desperation leads to mistakes,” Austin adds. “We’ve got to find out why he’s desperate.”

“Right, let’s dig deeper.” I nod. “We can’t make a move until we understand the full game, Justin’s real intentions.”

I thank them, and Austin and Theo return to their offices. I lean back in my chair, staring at the ceiling as Justin’s words replay in my mind. “Leaving was the only way to keep you safe.”

Safe from what? From whom? Every answer leads to more questions, each one twisting the knot of uncertainty tighter.

But beneath the frustration, another thought creeps in. What if Justin’s right? What if walking away is the only way to protect what you’ve built?

What does that mean for everything I’m trying to hold together?