Chapter 113 The Sting of Betrayal

The tension in the air was palpable as I walked into Kai’s office. It was a cold, gray morning, the kind that felt like it seeped into your bones and stayed there. Kai was on the phone, pacing back and forth behind his massive oak desk, his voice clipped and sharp. I could see the agitation in the way his fingers flexed, the lines of frustration etched into his forehead. He ended the call with a sharp, “I’ll handle it,” before slamming the receiver down. When he turned to me, there was a darkness in his eyes that I hadn’t seen in a long time—an anger that simmered just below the surface, waiting to explode. “Kai, what’s wrong?” I asked, trying to keep the anxiety out of my voice. Whatever it was, it was serious. He ran a hand through his hair, his jaw clenched so tightly that the muscles in his neck stood out. “They got to Williams,” he said, his voice barely controlled. “Those damn scammers. They hit him hard.” A cold shiver ran down my spine. Williams had been with us for years,