Dear Immortal Tyrant

DeHaven Conglomerate.

"This could've been a damn email," Kaden grunted, sitting back in his large office chair. 

Kaden rubbed his forehead irritably, frowning at the sight of Sebastian and Priscilla. They did everything but look their Boss in the eyes.

"He initially wouldn't cooperate," Priscilla responded. "No matter how many times I told him—"

"You're too soft." 

Priscilla lowered her gaze, frowning to herself. She always took pride in her femme fetale. 

Priscilla was confident in herself and her abilities. Being told she was too soft, especially by a man, made her feel even worse. She didn't think she was soft. She thought she could stomp anyone silly.

"Threaten him and his company next time. I raised piranhas, not pups," Kaden growled, throwing the reports onto his desk. 

Kaden came from Lina's house to the mall and then back to his company all because of some damn flowers.

What took Priscilla hours to deal with, Kaden finished in ten minutes. Even so, he was irritated by Priscilla's inability to argue with people that pointed out her flaws. One mention of how unsuitable a pretty woman like her was for the director position of the mall, and Priscilla hesitated.

"Yes, Mr. DeHaven," Priscilla grumbled, feeling as if she should've just smacked the vendor silly. 

No matter how many times she said she represented the Dehavens, they wouldn't believe her. 

Priscilla felt like her Boss was right. Maybe, she should've stomped on his foot like some thug and demanded things to be done correctly. The second her Boss showed up, their confidence crumbled. 

No one dared to challenge Kaden DeHaven—especially when they could go to sleep in their bedroom and wake up in the middle of nowhere.

"Reflect on your actions," Kaden stated, but it was far from a suggestion. "Now, go."

Priscilla frowned to herself and left without looking back. She wasn't able to get the praise and compliment she wanted from him today. It was rare that he looked at her. But after today's failure, she felt even more dejected.

When was her Boss going to look at her as a woman? 

Holding back a sigh, Priscilla closed the door behind her. 

"Sebastian," Kaden commanded.

Sebastian jumped. Oh great, now he was on the chopping block. If there was one thing about their Boss, it was the fact he didn't hit him. But his words stabbed where it hurt the most.

"The food. Did you send it?" Kaden asked, with a dangerous edge to his voice.

Sebastian slowly blinked. He felt like he had just been spared from getting his head chopped off. It was just this simple request?

"Yes, Boss," Sebastian quickly said. "Everything was packed and delivered just as you've requested. Including the desserts, which was her favorite, according to the report."

"Well your report is trash," Kaden deadpanned.

Sebastian held back a whimper. That report took him a whole night to craft. He thought he had researched every single detail about Lina Yang, including the layout of her bedroom! What else was there to look into?

"It's too clean," Kaden added. His mouth dipped into a deep frown. His brows were taut with displeasure.

'Way too clean,' Kaden thought to himself.

Kaden lifted the report off his desk. It was multiple pages, which showed the length of detail and research. Everything was picture perfect.

Lina was home-schooled up until middle school, where she attended a prestigious boarding school. Lina was a child prodigy and a national chess champion. 

Then, everything came to a stop when she had to leave her home and across the country to a school where every celebrity, politician, and affluent person sent their kids. 

Not a single flaw in sight. Top of her classes. Stellar grades. High praises. A girl like her was destined to change the world with her words, but she was biting her tongue. Why?

"Look more into the period of her home-schooling," Kaden demanded, throwing the report back onto his large, oak desk. 

There was something amiss. Kade was certain of it. 

Kaden thought back to the multiple times she fainted or was in pain. She'd always clutch her forehead as if she was suffering from a migraine. 

Kaden had seen cases like those in his underground employees. Those that suffered from trauma-blocked memories had the same reaction as Lina.

What trauma did she experience? Her childhood was perfect. 

Lina wasn't loved by the rest of her relatives, but she was loved by the most powerful people. In a family like the Yang Clan with its multiple branches of family, being adored by Lawrence Yang was all that Lina needed.

"That's the problem, Boss…" Sebastian trailed off. "I also figured that aspect of her childhood was intriguing. Most aristocratic parents hire tutors for their kids. For example, the royal children of Wraith were homeschooled by the best teachers money and prestige could offer."

Sebastian raised his head from the floor to pull out the tablet that was always tucked under his arm.

"But Lina Yang didn't have any record of tutors. Even the maids who took care of her didn't recall seeing any anywhere. If she was home-schooled, it was in a private and closed-off part of her house," Sebastian said.

Sebastian scrolled on his tablet. "This treatment is often reserved for—"

"Illegitimate children," Kaden deadpanned.

Sebastian winced at the outdated term, but reluctantly nodded his head. The Yang Clan had existed for hundreds of years. Their blue blood was undeniable. It was what made them traditional in the aspect of favoring legitimate children.

"We've looked into Lina Yang's records, and although she was born within Evelyn and Linden's marriage, her mother comes from a questionable background. Furthermore, she was born six months after the marriage…"

A rushed wedding.

Kaden narrowed his eyes. With Evelyn's bizarre background, shot-gun wedding, and Lina's borderline status as legitimate, she should've been the black sheep of the family. Yet Lawrence Yang, the most powerful man in the Yang Clan, doted on her. 

William favored her and protected her. Her Second Uncle trained her in combat and weaponry. Lina Yang was the pearl of their eye, the docile and only daughter of the Clan. 

Lina was the flower that bloomed in the soil of human bones and blood. The one thing that should've been squashed the second she blossomed, but was instead nurtured.

Interesting.

"Find out if the servants actually saw her in the house," Kaden stated. "If not, she was kept in a different place."

Kaden was suspicious of Lina's childhood. He thought back to the time he saw her in the hotel. After touching him, she had a distant look in her eyes. She was physically there, but her mind was thousands of miles away.

"W-what do you mean, Boss?" Sebastian asked. How could a child not be in their own house when they were home-schooled?

"Exactly as you're thinking," Kaden muttered. 

"Right away, Boss," Sebastian responded. He felt like he was eventually getting to the bottom of this story. All they needed was the final missing piece to connect the puzzle.

Just that final piece.