There was absolutely nothing in Caelum's house. He checked everywhere. It felt like a dead end—until he opened a dusty drawer. It looked like Caelum hadn't been there in months... it was almost a year.
Kieran hadn't touched the guest room in months. It wasn't really a guest room—not anymore. It had become Caelum's room. Or rather, the room where his presence lingered the most.
He wasn't sure what made him step inside that evening. Maybe it was the exhaustion of pretending to move on. Maybe it was the way the air felt heavier that night, like the walls were holding onto something unsaid.
He sat on the bed, running a hand over the wrinkled sheets. Everything was as Caelum left it—his scent still lingering in the room. The bookshelf stood untouched in the corner, a layer of dust settling over its once-vibrant collection. Kieran never cared much for fiction, but Caelum did. He could still hear him teasing: "You should read something other than contracts and finance reports, boss."
Sighing, Kieran reached for one of the books at random, flipping through absentmindedly. That's when he saw it.
A folded piece of paper, tucked between the pages. Yellowing at the edges, as if it had been waiting there for far too long. His breath hitched as he unfolded it, his fingers trembling before he even saw the words.
"If anything happens to me, don't believe what they say."
Kieran's heart stopped.
The handwriting was unmistakable. Caelum's.
The words blurred as a sharp chill ran down his spine.
Caelum knew.
He knew something was coming.
And Kieran had been blind to it.
Kieran scattered the whole room. There might be clues. He found an old broken phone in the drawer. "This isn't mine," he thought. He was finally getting closer to justice.
He plugged in the phone and, surprisingly, it came on. The wallpaper was the picture Caelum took of both of them at the beach. Tears ran down Kieran's face... the sadness was fresh once more.
There was a password. It was easy. Caelum used one password for everything. He cried while typing it in. He was surprised he still remembered—it had been too long. He had almost given up.
He checked his files, his pictures, but it was all nothing. Just memories Kieran wished he didn't remember. Then he got curious about how Caelum saved his name. He checked his recent calls. He had saved it as "My sweet." Kieran burst out crying. This was too much to handle.
After crying his eyes out, he kept checking the calls. There was a number that kept calling, so Kieran decided to check.
He called the number back with the phone—and he picked up.
"Boss! I knew you weren't dead! I've been waiting for your calls! It's been hard running everything alone without your instructions, sir," the voice said.
Kieran was left speechless. Boss? Did Caelum have a company he knew nothing about?
He was zoning out when the voice said:
"You're not THE boss, are you?"
"No, I'm not. I'm HIS boss," Kieran said, still wondering what was happening.
"Mr. Kieran, right? The boss kept yapping about his boss wife" the voice said.
Kieran was beginning to tear up.
"You don't believe the boss is dead now, do you?" the voice spoke like he was certain he wasn't dead.
"I don't," Kieran said.
They were on the same page. Caelum isn't dead... he can't be. Kieran wanted to see the man working for Caelum, and he agreed. He agreed like he had nothing left to lose.
They agreed to meet that same night and get to know the real Caelum Hills.
Kieran was restless. He was happy his love wasn't dead, but shocked that he also wasn't dead. He kept checking the time, waiting for it to be 7 p.m. It felt like it had been 6 p.m. for hours.
"Don't call me back. I'll come to your place to see you. I don't need directions. Just wait," Kieran remembered the voice saying.
Kieran decided to lay down a bit—and suddenly, it was 7 p.m.
He heard the bell and walked to the door. The man at the door towered over him, built like someone who had fought too many battles and won most of them. The scar over his brow left a patch of missing hair, a mark that told stories Kieran wasn't sure he wanted to hear.
This man—ruthless, imposing—called Caelum boss? What kind of person was Caelum?
He walked in like he knew the place. Maybe he did.
He went straight to business.
"The boss was kidnapped. I don't have enough proof, but our men say they've been seeing the boss outside, being accompanied by some men—and those men don't belong with us."
He dropped a bunch of photographs. Kieran's heart became heavier. His love was alive. He was breathing. Kieran felt relief for the first time in years.
"Tell me about your boss," Kieran said.
"You're his partner, aren't you? You should know him," the man said.
Kieran looked him in the eyes. He was no longer playing. He needed to know what kind of thing Caelum got himself involved in.
Kieran brought out the note and showed the man.
The man's eyes widened. His expression changed—and so did his voice.
"We Kill People."
The words were quiet. Almost lazy.
He leaned back like he was expecting something.
Kieran felt the room tilt. His heart pounded so hard he thought it might crack his ribs. Kill? His fingers twitched at his sides. He wanted to move—step back, run, anything—but his body wouldn't listen.
He continued, like he'd just stated the weather—but Kieran was lost in thought.
"Kills people?" Even thinking about it sent shivers down his spine. His stomach twisted into a knot. What kind of information was this?
He leaned against the chair for support. Kieran had wanted to keep standing—to show he was ready for business—but not this type of business.
The man got up and walked towards Kieran.
"My name's Charles, and I'm the boss's right-hand man. We deal with people who refuse to pay our money. We give loans. We're an illegal organization. You most likely haven't heard about us," the man said calmly.
Kieran—sweating profusely—was frozen in shock.
"Can I leave now? I'll be going to investigate the boss's disappearance and what gang took him," he said casually.
Kieran was scared. His eyes wide open like he had seen a ghost. Gang? Kill? Loan? Those were words he never thought he'd associate with Caelum. What kind of business was this? Is this a mafia kind of thing? Is this why he kept coming back with scars? What is going on?
Kieran was lost in thought when Charles touched his shoulder.
"The boss didn't tell you anything because he wanted to protect you. He kept dreaming about a peaceful life with you—but that can never happen."
Kieran just stared at him. Tears were building up again. What is going on?!
On his way out, Charles said in a calm tone—like he didn't just admit to murdering people:
"Call me if you find anything. Let's work together to bring back the boss."
Kieran nodded. It was about time Caelum answered his questions.