I KNOW MANY THINGS!

KING

I was at my office building, and in my chamber with Cameron. We were discussing a construction project that we were working on.

Now I had to do some business to show the world from where I got the money because my real business was not for all of them to know.

"Okay, King! I will prepare the report after discussing it with the team of architects. I am sure they must have additional values regarding this matter."

I remained silent and was about to divert my attention from him to my laptop when he opened his mouth again.

"King, have you thought about the visit to Italy? Angelo Mancini is desperate to meet you!"

Angelo Mancini, once my loyal dog then thought he could bite me just because I ignored his barks. He misinterpreted my ignorance as my weakness.

It didn't take me even a month to show him his place that was right at my feet while sitting in the States. I didn't need to even fly to Italy to take care of him.

And now he was pleading for mercy. I would have ignored his pleading if he hadn't offered something alluring.

I still didn't know what he was planning, but if he indeed had the right plan, then I could spread my empire into every corner of Europe easily. And thus, I had still kept him alive.

"I have thought about it, Cameron. But before we decide to go, we need to check everything twice. We also need backup plans and counter offers ready for that dog because he has a big appetite."

Cameron nodded his head in agreement. "Yes, King! I will make sure that we check everything first and be prepared before we send him any answer."

I began working on my laptop as I was done with him. He knew it too, as he stood up to leave. He halted when his phone rang. He received the call.

"Yes?"

Pause.

"What? Who?"

I was distracted by his surprised voice, but then I saw the colour on his face changing before he cut the call. I waited for him to say something, but he looked stupefied.

"What are you waiting for?" I asked, making him snap out of his thoughts.

Cameron hesitated for a moment, and that irked me. My men never hesitated in front of me except if they had done something wrong or they were scared of me.

A look of determination flashed on his face before he looked up at me.

"King, Benjamin... he got a call."

I narrowed my eyes though he couldn't see it because of my dark shades.

"Who called him?"

Cameron gulped as a bead of sweat rolled from his forehead. "Gabriel!"

And the news was enough for me to put me in a furious mode.

Hours later, I stood in front of the bathroom mirror in my bedroom shirtless after taking a shower. I had so much going in my mind, and my anger saw no end to it.

I was literally seething in anger as I stared at the scar on my abdomen on its right side. My jaw ticked looking at that scar. The scar that turned my life upside down.

And then my gaze shifted to the worst part of me. The part that I hated the most and others did too. The part that I had been hiding for years now.

My eyes!

-"Are you scared that the world could read your soul through your eyes?"

Fire had asked me that once.

Maybe I was! I was scared that the world would break me into pieces if I didn't protect myself.

-"It's great to have someone who could read you through your eyes that easily."- She had said then.

No! No one could do that for me... no one! No one would ever understand it. And I didn't need anyone to understand it. I had been like this for a long, and I would do just fine the way I was. I didn't need anyone beside me.

'I am better left alone!

I am Hayden King, and I don't need any-fucking-thing besides power!'

Why does she keep bothering my mind? She was playing not only with my mind but also with my rules and now... my men!

And she needed to know her place, and today I decided to do just that.

I couldn't get any sleep for the last twenty-four hours and that unfortunate night had only worsened my mood. I checked the time to see if it was already time for her training session.

"You are in big trouble, Miss Maxwell!"

When I reached the gym, she was already there busy in her routine stretching exercises. I ignored her and began getting ready for today's session.

"Hey look!" She called after me, and I turned to see her.

I was teaching her this particular move for two days, but she sucked at it. But she never quit!

She took the stance and rose her right leg in the air while balancing her body weight on her left leg. Before she showed me the move, she fell to the ground clutching her left leg.

She got a cramp! She must have practised it too much.

She began wailing loudly, irritating the fuck out of me. I thought of leaving her there to her misery but then decided against it when she asked for help. I scooped her up in my arms, making her yelp in surprise, before walking to the bench.

I placed her on it and tried to help her, but she kept refusing to fold her pants.

How was I supposed to help her when she couldn't let me touch her leg?

'This is why I don't like to deal with women. They are complicated and unreasonable!'

Faded up with her tantrums, I decided to use her weakness. I pressed her leg where it hurt her the most, and she yelped in pain. I covered her mouth with my other hand and neared her face, making her eyes wide.

"Listen and listen carefully! I will leave you here by yourself and lock the door from outside. I will starve you for the whole day, and when I will let you out, you will be banned from watching, touching, smelling or eating anything that contains chocolate. I will feed you only broccoli three meals a day for a week. So, cooperate with me, and we will not have to deal with that situation! Understood?!"

And it worked just fine!

She finally gave up and sat quietly. But she turned her face away from me when I rolled up her pants.

'Oh, so this was the reason she didn't want me to see her leg!'

I began massaging her leg with a straight face. I could feel her eyes boring holes in my head, but I ignored the look of surprise and puzzlement.

She hissed in pain, and her hand shot up to clutch the front of my shirt. She closed her eyes, and when she felt the same pain again, she blurted out.

"It's hurting, Benji!"

My hands stopped working, and that made her look at me in confusion.

"Miss Maxwell, I am not Benjamin Lachat."

"I-I am sorry. I- wait. What did you just say? Benjamin Lachat?"

Why was she so surprised?

"Are you sure you are talking about my Benji, not about any other Benji?"

I slowly nodded my head, still trying to figure out the reason for her reaction.

"What? His last name is Lachat? But-how-I-" She looked puzzled.

I cocked my head to the side. "You didn't know the last name of your guardian with whom you were living all your life?"

She looked embarrassed at that.

"I- I asked him when I was little, and he always dodged my question. As I grew up, I let it go because it never mattered what his last name is or anything at that matter unless and until he was with me." She said lowly.

What the hell did she mean it never mattered? Didn't she get suspicious at all at why he never gave his last name to her? What the hell was wrong with this girl?

Every time I began to think that she was smart, she dropped some dumb bomb that made me rethink of my opinion.

Something was not right!

I got up and began heading straight towards the door.

"Hey, you didn't answer my question. How do you know Benji's last name?" She asked from behind.

"I know many things, Miss Maxwell!" Came my distinct reply.

"Like what?"

"Like you haven't shaved your legs for almost two weeks now."

Yes! that was the reason she didn't want to show me her leg and protested when I tried to roll up her pants.

"They poke out of your thin leggins every time I touch you to correct your moves and stances."

I closed the door behind me before the water bottle hit my face. She needed to work on her timing!

And while I walked to my bedroom with the thought of Benjamin Lachat on my mind, I couldn't help but wonder, why women feel uncomfortable showing their natural bodies?

Well... they shouldn't!