Mira stopped.

Silently, in the corner of her mind, she kicked herself. She had screwed up. She had let him lead her on and make her remember one of her most painful memories. And she always told him all about it.

"Because of what?"

"Can we talk about something else?"

"No. Let's talk about Jasper."

Mira looked and all the smiles were gone. He was back to the Kade she knew. That mean, calculating, monster, and son of a bigger monster Kade.

"I said I don't want to talk about this anymore, Kade."

"But that was not part of the deal. You promised to do what I say when I say it, and how I say it, no questions asked." His voice was as icy as winter. "Now, what I want to be here is why you named your bloody cat, Jasper."

"I don...You....He..."

"What in the world happened to you? Cat caught your tongue?" Kade said and chuckled.

Mira closed her eyes and blinked tears back. She doesn't understand why she felt like this. Maybe it was the cruel maneuver. Kade dealt her with the pain of the memory long gone. One thing was certain however, she felt a sharp pain in the middle of her heart.

―――

The memories rushed back. 

No matter how hard she tried to stop them, they flowed. It was like trying to stop an ocean with your bare hands. And the same way you will get swept off by the water was how she was overwhelmed by those memories.

She had named the cat Jasper because that was her Dad's name. She went to the impound for the first time three years ago when her father shot himself. What she said was true, she went to the impound because she needed a companion.

Jasper (Avery) was the first cat that caught her fancy. There was something about this cat that told a story that she needed to hear. Her golden eyes captured her pain and painted a masterpiece of grief. She knew at once that she needed to get that cat.

And she named him Jasper to remember how she felt that day. That name projected her misery and grief. It was a loss, she was crushed. But with this cat, she sees a new hope, something else to fill their void and nurture her back to shape.

Kade managed to open her wounds fresh again and it was painful.

And for him to constantly ask about this, Kade knows about the story behind the name Jasper. That is why he went to get the cat, to ignite this bad memory and rub salt in her wounds.

As if he could read her mind, he confirmed her doubts.

"Jasper was your Dad's name, wasn't it?" 

Tension arised as his words rumble in her head.

"You named your cat after your Dad, Scott Jasper Delaney. What a smart move, Mira. You did this to never forget what I did to you. To never forget how miserable he died. You did this so that you can take revenge on me and my family." Kade laughed. "Jasper is the reminder. The little check on my name. Well, I want to have this talk to clarify things."

"You destroyed my family."

"I don't deny it, nor confirm it. Your family was in the way of mine and others' business. They definitely were in a bad spot and they had to go."

"Okay."

"God dammit, don't be so smug. I know of your intentions towards me. Do you think all of your acting got to me? Do you think I fell for them? You think I lasted this long in this business because I trust people blindly?"

Kade laughed again. The cat got alerted from Mira's lap, but it just started licking its furr.

"My family thinks I have fallen for your charms." he stood up, adjusted his clothes covered in her cat's furr and raised both of his arms to exagerate. "That is extremely funny!" 

"I called you in here to tell you that you should not have your hopes raised, you are not escaping from here and there is nothing you can do about it." 

He leaned closer to Mira. The two were face to face.

"I have told you I am going to use you. When the time is right, I will tell you how. Your father opposed the Valenti family, and died miserably. I am asking you to be wise now, and choose differently." 

He leaned further. His lips were almost touching her left ear.

"I was playing you, and I was enjoying it." He puffed hot air from his mouth into her ear.

Mira felt shivers down her spine. 

She pushed with both her hands his chest away from her. Jasper stood up, and quickly run away from Mira and Kade.

"Now you know I am up with your game. It will be a delight to beat you at it. So contrary to what you thought, Mira, I wasn't fooled by your gimmicks. Now that you know where you stand, let's see what you will do." 

She looked at his eyes, her arms still touching his well defined chest, and her attention shifted to his neck. 

His veins. Adam's apple. And this situation. It would be perfect for the most acclaimed murder of all history of mankind.

Amazing!

Now, she was almost becoming exactly like him. Covered in blood with all the people around her declaring war against her.

Except the fact she was already surrounded by enemies..  

A woody cologne made her turn back into her reality. 

His cologne.

Kade was in front of her with her own cat's furr being still in some parts of his clothes.

He was definitely smirking at her.

"That will be all." Kade said and pointed at the door to wave her away.

As if on cue, one guard came to lead her away.

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Deep inside an abandoned room, Alex sat. He was face to face with a man cloaked in blue light. Cigarette smoke rose steadily from him and he was cool and calculating. He was in a turtleneck shirt, which the blue light had distorted its true color, shades, and a Panama. Periodically he puffed his smoke drinking the apprehension on Alex's face.

"Is that all that happened?" he spoke. His English carries a heavy Scottish accent, exactly like that loquacious taxi driver, who conveyed him some time ago.

"Yes."

"All of it?"

"Yes. All of it. Why would I want to keep anything from you?"

"I don't know. I am not in your mind. I have had many clients, Alex, and many of them have been peculiar. If you have had as many clients as I have, you will learn a rare fact: people lie to make their stories rock. You have a juicy story on your hands but I got to be sure, you are not fucking with me."

"Felix. How long have you known me? Do I look like the guy who would fuck with you? Look at me long in the eyes and you will see I am not fucking with you."

"I feel what you are saying. But people change, my friend. I have not seen you for two years and you show up on my doorstep and tell me such a fantastic story and you expect me to accept it without questioning. Oi! That is some real shit, right there."

"Okay, okay. I am sorry Felix. I have already told you so many times why I can no longer pay you a visit like before. I am an investigative journalist, and you are well, you are what you are. I cannot be seen with you."

"And why don't you go to meet your fellow investigative journalists eh? Since you can't be seen with me, why don't you go and get them and let them get you out of this mess."

At that, Felix rose to go, but Alex caught him before he could leave.

"I am sorry. I am sorry Felix, my bad. I am in the wrong. I have clearly taken you for granted and I am sorry."

"And you do know I don't like to be taken for granted. If you were not my good friend, I wouldn't have honored your invitation in the first place and here I am, I came and you still had the guts to insult me."

"I am sorry, Felix."

"If ye know that I am a gangster and you are a fucking reporter or whatever you call yourself just now, then you won't come to me for help. Now tell me, why on earth have you come?"

"I need you to calm down Felix. Please, I beg of you."