Kage's Revenge: Not All Are Forgiven

5: A little bit perfect

chapter 5: A little bit perfect 

Kage sat in his office, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the polished mahogany desk. It was 6 pm. His shift was almost over. He wasn't expecting any visitors, especially not Clara. As much as he would enjoy watching her suffer her repercussions, he doesn't feel like tolerating her at the moment.

 He could vouch that she saw him earlier today, something told him she didn't get it easy as usual.

 Three days of silence had stretched between them, a fragile peace after the explosive fallout of their last encounter. He opened the email from his morning meeting, a virtual call with the top executives of Allen Creed Hospital and Pharmaceuticals.

 A slow, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips as he read the report. The subtle shift in his posture, the way his fingers lightly tapped the desk, betrayed the quiet satisfaction he felt, the power he wielded from the shadows, the empire he secretly controlled.

He was enjoying this too much already.

 Perfect.

 His initial plan was to have a meeting with the boards, announcing his return, but that would spoil the fun. To them he was broken— he wouldn't let anyone underestimate him again.

 "You came?" Clara interrupted.

 Clara’s entrance was abrupt, her arrival as unexpected as a sudden rain because he knew her. He knew the type of person she was and her shallowness and pride would not let her but when he raised his head to look at her, he was not so shocked.

 She looked harried, her usually sharp features dulled with exhaustion, dark circles underlining her eyes. Her short hair was held up in a messy bun and her make up wasn’t as sharp as always. He knew the signs – a long, emotionally draining heart surgery.

 “Kage,” she said, her voice sharp. “Why aren’t my cards working?”

 The audacity.

  He raised an eyebrow. “Are we still married, Dr. Reeds?” he asked, his tone even, devoid of any emotion just like how she used to reply to him. “I don’t believe a disabled man like myself should be expected to support his ex-wife’s lavish lifestyle.”

 He averted his gaze from her and stared back at his monitor. Since he was just resuming back, he noticed his schedule wasn't plain long. The hospital was giving him time to adjust and he was glad his hospital was doing the right thing.

 Kage's attention shifted to Clara as she as she moved closer. Her gaze fierce, glaring into his still he adjusted on his seat.

 "Can I Help you, Dr Reeds? If not, as you can see, I have some work to do." he said calmly, too calm for the raging storm in Clara’s heart. 

  Clara scoffed. “You arrogant, annoying son of a bitch. You don't think I dodged a bullet, Kage? I wasn’t expecting you to be useful anyway. I have my own position, my own earnings. I can perfectly handle my expenses.” Her pride, always a fragile thing, was particularly frail tonight.

 Ignoring her, Kage rested his chin with his left elbow. It was obvious she was stressed out already why even bother.

  A flicker of disdain crossed Clara's eyes. "Were you seeing Salomé?" She asked.

  "Who?" Although in awe, Kage laughed. "Lady, are you feeling okay?"

 Clara edged closer, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper as she sneered. "You’re a failure, Kage, remember to know that," she smirked. "I’ll get you out of this hospital. And you’d better watch yourself. Don’t think I won't find a way to 'accidentally' push you down a flight of stairs."

 This should have been collected as evidence but it doesn't matter. Kage knew she wouldn't even be able to touch him. Not when he could walk out of any situation. 

  Literally, now.

  "You seem like a very ambitious woman, Dr. Reeds. Perhaps you should focus on your career instead of plotting a petty scheme." He remained composed.

 A small smile creeped on his face as he realized his plan was working. 

 "Watch you back," She snarled leaving him to his thoughts

 Kage returned to his emails, his eyes scanning the message from the Chief Operating Officers of both companies: “Actions have been taken.” A slow smirk spread across his face.

  Actions indeed needed to be taken. If Clara could be so ungrateful, Kage knew he could just let her live her normal life. He could let her face her shifts without setting someone in, let her work and deal with her school expenses like a star she claimed to be. 

 Soon, it was time to leave. He had stayed more than his required shift already. He called John, his driver, to meet him at the garage. Getting out through the front, he felt he might expose himself before he really wanted to.

 "Nobody need to see me walking" he muttered with the smuggest grin.

 The pretense remained necessary. As he navigated his wheelchair towards the garage, he found John already waiting with the door open and a questionable look on his face. Getting closer, Kage’s gaze fell on Clara’s car. He had to pass it, and he saw her crying inside.

 Could she be over reacting? 

 Kage knew he didn't do anything much, just made sure she would do her job henceforth. Was that too much for an ambitious woman?

 He pretended not to notice, his expression carefully neutral as he passed her window. Quickly, she wiped away her tears and rolled down her window.

  “Oh, I forgot to mention,” she said, her voice edgy dripping with sarcasm. "You pathetic little snitch. Are you using your disability to sabotage my career? I hear you’ve been running around telling people how pitiful you are, huh? You’ll regret it. Mark my words, I'll be the Chief Operating Officer.”

 He smiled faintly. Her delusions were entertaining, if nothing else. He knew she deeply loved the sound of her voice and ignoring would give her time to talk more.

 John helped him into the car, the wheelchair stowed away in the back. The ride to his mansion was somewhat short with no congealed traffic. He stepped out, his movements straight, establishing he doesn't still need his chair.

 He turned to see John's blank expression. “Anything to say, John?”

  39, living the life he felt good with, John knew when he should mind his business. He shook his head, a grim smile on his face. “My mouth is sealed, sir. I trust you have a good reason for this. I just need to do my job.” 

 He brought the wheelchair out the car and stood still. As much as he knew that Kage had issues with his wife, he was okay to stand down as long as it doesn't go far. He would probably his Boss. He knew that.

 “Good,” Kage said. 

 He entered the mansion, the weight of his secrets settling comfortably around him. The game was far from over, but Kage was ready to play. The fresh aroma of Chicken stew filled his lungs as he stepped in the kitchen. Her usual smile, Roseanne, the newly employed cook gestured towards the dinning. 

 "Dinner is ready, sir" she said. 

 Her sweet smile. The impatient eyes and satisfied nod when Kage tired the meal. Roseanne was the perfect person for the job, especially with her kids gone, she had someone else to take care of.