Goro, the asshole that’s begging to get punched? What’s he got to do with this?
“Yes,” Aran confirms. “I tried to pull the surveillance, but it was missing. The staff logged a technical issue. It didn’t get fixed until the next evening.”
“That’s definitely fishy,” I offer helpfully, making Chai crack a smile.
“Anyway,” Aran cuts in, sounding not at all impressed with my valuable insight, “I contacted the staff and gave them the description. They said Minister Kasem met with Goro.”
Why would a minister meet with one of the Akiyama Group’s lieutenants? And why so obviously in secret?
“Do we know what they discussed?” Chai asks, his tone hard. I think he’s wondering the same thing.
“No. They were in the private VIP area.” There is a short pause, the silence heavy as it settles around us. “This is concerning.”
Chai looks at me. I can practically feel the gears of his brain spinning in some direction, but I have no clue what he’s thinking. “Aran. You said this was six months ago?”
“Yes. But there is no guarantee they haven’t met before.”
“Which means this has been going on for at least half a year and my father doesn’t know about it.” Chai drums his fingers against the couch’s leather seat. “I can confront the Minister.”
“I’m not sure that’s wise. I’ll speak to Daichi first.Don’tdo anything. Both of you.”
Whoa, did Aran really need to add that last bit? I’m not as bad as Chai at following instructions.
“We’re flying back tomorrow, Aran. I don’t like this. Something is going on. If I don’t talk to him now, we might not get another chance,” Chai insists, frown lines appearing across his forehead.
“No. Stay put. Whatever this is, we need to be careful.”
Chai rubs his temples. “You need to bring Goro in ASAP.”
“I intend to. I’m on the way to the office. I’ll speak to Daichi and call you. Don’t do anything stupid,” Aran warns again and hangs up, leaving us staring at each other in confusion.
I didn’t like Goro the moment I saw him, but I didn’t necessarily think he might be up to no good. “Okay… That escalated quickly. I knew to trust my gut, but that’s some next level premonition shit.”
“Your lack of filter is truly refreshing, Leo,” Chai says, the smile in his voice palpable. “Even if inappropriate sometimes.”
He stands up and paces over to the window. I join him and we watch the guests as they leave, the crowd shrinking until it’s just the venue staff that remains. They start putting away the banners and signs.
“Are we reallynotgoing to do anything?” I ask, leaning my head on his shoulder.
His hand comes up and starts stroking my hair. “I don’t like it, same as you. But Aran is right. We can’t let on we are onto them. Not until we know what we are really dealing with.”
“Damn. Who knew you could be so responsible?” I chuckle, feeling the vibrations of his laugh as he joins in. “Now, are you going to tell me what you think it might be or do I have to use any means necessary tomakeyou tell me?”
He makes a thoughtful noise when I slide my hand down his ass and rub along his crease. “I don’t suspect anything per se. It’s just that the hits on our warehouses and the leaks about our business dealings started around the same time. They didn’t happen that often, not now or before, but I’d get intercepted sometimes, like they knew where and when I’d be going.”
“That’s why you were in trouble the night we met, right?”
He nods, sighing. “Yes. But my father refuses to listen. He’s very… stuck to his beliefs. Traditional? To him it’simpossible that someone working for him might do such a thing. And with the convenient way in which the Tokyo incident was resolved, he won’t even let me bring it up again.”
“Well, good thing you have me on your side, isn’t it? So, if you think that what we discovered today has anything to do with it, then I’m going to help you prove it.”
He laughs, but I think he knows I mean every word despite my light tone. Chai is smart and observant. He’s also ambitious and wants to make his father proud. So, if he thinks there is some fishy business going on, I am inclined to trust him, even if his father chooses to remain blind to it.
“Let’s drop by the control room and head back. We need to change. The dinner with Phat is in an hour,” he says eventually, leading me back.
The security guards have already gone home, leaving just the techies to sort out the equipment. Chai gives them a set of concise instructions after secretly ordering pizza for them, and we make our way to the elevators. I wrap my arm around his waist since it’s just the two of us and there is no one around.
“So… Do you wanna do thatthing?” I whisper, keeping my voice intentionally low.
