Chapter Fifteen

Kane got into his car and drove out of the hospital yard onto the highway. He was very upset, at the same time sad.

He had made a very difficult decision to let go of Sultan for the sake of peace. It was a hard decision that he wouldn't recover from so easily. His eyes welled up with tears as he drove away. He could still hear sultan's heart wrenching cries in his heart, but there was no turning back now.

Caitlin was also feeling guilty after he left. Her conscience judged her for being so hardened and ungrateful. Sultan had stopped crying and now looked out the window with teary eyes. He had seen his daddy's car drive out into the road, but could only stare in tears.

She felt very guilty for making him cry. She could not fathom why her heart would be so hardened whenever Kane tried to plead with her. She didn't want to nurse so much hatred for him, but she couldn't control it either. After all, Kane had saved her son's life. Who knows what could've happened if he hadn't shown up?! He had searched so much for her and finally found her and saved her life, yet she was still so ungrateful?!

She sat down on the bed and covered her face with her hands.

"What is wrong with me?!" she said silently as tears welled up in her eyes. While she sobbed over her foolishness, she suddenly remembered how Kane abused her without mercy. Even when she pleaded, he turned deaf ears to her pleas.

"No….i shouldn't feel guilty at all. He does not deserve any bit of mercy from me. He turned deaf ears to my pleas and ignored my cries so I should do the same."

With this thought, she was able to console herself and suppress her guilt. She turned to Sultan who still stared out the window tearfully and walked towards him. She carried him in her arms and consoled him. He started to cry afresh in her arms and she patted him gently.

"It's alright Sultan. Everything is going to be fine. Mummy's here for you ok?"

He nodded slowly and she hugged him again.

Kane arrived late at his pent house and Darian was surprised to see him. He had been gone for nearly three days now.

"Master! You're back!"

He remained silent.

"You've been gone for three days now. I've been trying to call but your phone was off."

Kane still ignored him.

"What happened? Did you find her? Please say something."

"I did and you know what?"

"What?"

"I'm done going after Caitlin."

Darian was shocked.

"What is that supposed to mean?! I thought you wanted to be with Sultan. I thought you wanted to set things right between you and Caitlin. Why give up after you've found them?!"

"Don't you get it?! no amount of pleading will make her forgive or accept me. She will never forgive me or let me anywhere near my son!" Kane said in a very frustrated tone.

He narrated everything that happened, how Caitlin was attacked by a kidnapper and how he saved them, but yet she still said such rude and hurtful things to him. Darian was saddened by the news. He sighed and shook his head.

"I would never be able to be with Sultan, and as long as I'm around, he will never be happy. So i have to stop trying…..i have to stop trying to set things right. Nothing will ever be set right!" he said with the most hurting tone ever.

He covered his face with his hands and tried not to cry. Darian felt very sorry for his master. He had been through quite a lot because of Caitlin and he had really paid the price for his crimes.

"I'm so sorry about everything Master…I didn't expect it to end this way."

"You don't have to apologize…. It's all my fault. I'm the reason behind all this. I'm to blame for everything!"

There was a short silence.

"What will you do now?"

"I'm going back to Allensouth, and I'm moving on with my life, Darian. That's all there's to do."

That night, Caitlin could not sleep. She tossed and turned on the bed as she battled with her conscience. Even though she convinced herself that she had done the right thing, she still felt so much guilt.

She sat up on the bed and turned on the lights. Helping herself to a glass of water, she remembered how Kane beat up that kidnapper to save their life, and how he pleaded with her afterwards but she refused him. She remembered the pain and sadness in his eyes. She sighed and rubbed her forehead gently, then laid on the bed. She looked at the ceiling as so many thoughts flooded her mind.

The next day, Caitlin went to work after dropping Sultan off to school. At work, she did some paperwork for her boss and went to his office to give it to him.

"Here are the documents you requested, sir." she said and he took them from her with a smile.

"Thank you for your help, Miss Caitlin. You've always been a very hardworking staff here." Mr Murray said with a broad smile.

"You're welcome sir, I appreciate it."

"How about we have lunch together later?" he said with a smirk and Caitlin thought for a while.

"Well ...that's fine sir."

"Awesome. See you at lunch then. Bills are gonna be on me." He smiled and Caitlin smiled nervously.

She left the office wondering what had gotten into him. He wasn't usually this charismatic towards her. She shrugged it off as a kind gesture for her good work and left.

During lunch, she was on her way to meet the boss when she met with one of her colleagues, Sara.

"There you are. I was hoping we could go have lunch together, Caitlin."

"Oh…. I'm going to have lunch with Mr Murray."

Sara was shocked to hear that.

"Really? Why?"

"He told me to have lunch with him. He was probably happy that I did the paperwork right." Caitlin shrugged.

"Hmm….well you better be careful Caitlin."

"Why did you say that?"

"I don't know....it's just the rumors that say Mr Murray is the leader of a ruthless mafia group."

Caitlin was so shocked to hear that.

"Leader of a mafia group? That's impossible! He's a good man."

"Well, like I said, it's just a rumor. Maybe it's not true after all, but you have to be careful around him. He's a real womanizer."

Caitlin thought for a while. She was greatly disturbed now. Mr Murray had always been so nice to her ever since she got the job. Could Sara be telling the truth?

"Good luck on the lunch though." She waved and left. Caitlin watched her leave. Suddenly she didn't feel like going any more, but she was afraid of what would happen if she refused his kind gesture. She decided to go anyway, after all, people are bound to make up rumors to put a worker in serious trouble. Whatever they thought about Mr Murray, she wasn't ready to be part of it.

She arrived at his office and knocked. After a short while, a young woman who was also a staff member came out from the office. She looked at Caitlin coldly, then walked. Caitlin was quite confused about the cold stare, however she walked in and there was Mr Murray sitting by his table with a broad smile.

"Hello! Miss Caitlin. I'm glad that you came! You're looking beautiful as always." he smiled and she smiled nervously.

"Well…thank you sir."

"Let me put on my suit and we shall be on our way."

Shortly, they left the office accompanied by two hefty men in black. Caitlin felt cold chills in her spine when she saw them. They looked so vicious and so muscular, and thick veins protruded from their thick muscly arms.

"Don't worry about them miss Caitlin!" he laughed and put an arm around her shoulder. "They're just my body guards."

Caitlin wasn't relieved even after he explained. They got to his car and drove out of the office garage.

"Um….Sir, why didn't we just eat in the canteen at the office?"

"How could you suggest such a thing to Miss Caitlin? That place is so cheap, and definitely not a place for a beautiful young damsel like you." he smiled broadly, showing off his sets of paper white dents. Caitlin became very uncomfortable. Now she wished she didn't agree to have lunch with him in the first place.

They arrived at a fancy and exquisite restaurant. It was such a fancy place with the most expensive meals in the country.

They were welcomed by the waiters who took them to their table but the body guards didn't sit down. They stood beside Mr Murray, looking at nothing apparently.

"You already ordered a table?" Caitlin asked.

"Of course! I like to plan ahead of time, you know?" he smiled as he signaled one of the waiters to come. He whispered something into his ear and the waiter nodded and left. Shortly, three waiters came with trays of exotic dishes and placed them down on their table. Caitlin was shocked at all the food he ordered. As she stared speechless, Another waiter arrived with a very expensive premium wine. It was a La Costa 1845 premium. It was so expensive that one shot cost more than eighty dollars. Caitlin was so shocked.

"Sir…what's all this for?! It's too much! We can't eat all this!" she said in shock and he smiled.

"Well dearest, I did this all for you. Let's dig in, shall we?" he said with a sly smirk.

Caitlin didn't understand what he meant by that. She has become really uncomfortable now. She looked at the food for a while and helped herself to a plate. She tried to eat but her appetite had suddenly disappeared. As tasty as everything looked, she didn't want to eat, so she dropped her fork.

"What's wrong, Miss Caitlin?"

"Sir…..i'm not very hungry. Can I go back to the office now?"

Murray looked at her for a while and burst out laughing.

"You can't leave just yet my dear. Why don't you help yourself to some wine? Here let me help you." he was about to pour her a glass when she stopped him.

"I don't drink alcohol sir." she said politely and he laughed loudly again. Caitlin was starting to despise his loud outbursts.

"A beautiful damsel like you don't drink alcohol?! What a shame! You should try it sometime. Try this one for a start. It's a premium one you see? One shot of this baby costs over eighty dollars!" he said, holding the bottle to the side of his face and pointing to it in a dramatic manner. Caitlin was really taken aback. She had never seen this side of her boss at all.

"Well, thank you sir but I don't want to drink alcohol."

He put down the bottle and frowned.

"Then what do you want? Should I order some juice then?"

"No thank you…. I don't want to drink anything."

Murray frowned again.

"I don't like this behavior at all. You're making me feel bad! You should feel free and ask for anything. Anything at all! I would do it for you!"

Caitlin didn't like where all this was going. Was Sara really right? Was he really a womanizer? Was she now his next target? No way!

"I'm sorry sir but I have to go now. Thanks for everything." She stood up to leave.

"Sit right there!" one of the bodyguards suddenly hollered. Caitlin was terrified and slowly sat down on her seat again.

"Why so fast miss Caitlin?" Murray asked with a dark smile.

"That's certainly no way to treat your boss now, is it?"

"I'm…sorry sir."

"That's more like it." he grinned.

After eating, Mr Murray and Caitlin got to his car and they got in.

"Before we return to the office, I must tell you this."

"What is it sir…." Caitlin asked, still shaken.

"You know my dear, ever since you came to work at my office, I can't help but admire your beauty. You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen in my entire life! You're so different from other women…I don't know why I feel this way about you….."

Caitlin was stunned. She stared at her boss in absolute shock. What on earth was this old man saying?! Fear gripped her instantly. Sara was right after all. Mr Murray was really a womanizer.

"...I really want us to be more than just bosses and employees. I want to make you my special woman." he said with a foolish smile and Caitlin could only stare in shock.

"So…. What do you say?" he smiled and reached for her chin.

"Will you be mine?"

Caitlin rebuked him immediately. She was so agitated now. What on earth is wrong with her boss? Was he drunk?"

"Sir….i don't understand what you're trying to do. you're my boss and you're way older than me. Even if you weren't, I'd never do such a thing with my boss!" she explained seriously and his smile turned to a dark frown.

"So, is that how it is?!" he suddenly fired.

"I'm sorry sir…but I just can't do what you asked of me."

"It's fine. I should've been patient with you. I'll give you a few days to think about it. Remember, your job could be on the line, and I understand how important this job is to you." he said with a smile and Caitlin stared at him in shock. Was he trying to black mail her? She quickly got out of the car and rushed to get a taxi. Murray watched her leave and smile turned into a furious frown.

"Should we go after her sir?" one of thsbodyguards asked.

"Don't bother. She will have to agree to my demands, one way or another. If not…." he brought out a gun from his pocket and looked at it for a short while. "I'll have to take her by force."

The bodyguards smiled and Murray let out a sinister chuckle.