Chapter 41: Is The Past, The Past?
Kyle didn’t understand how his life kept taking unexpected turns, but his encounter with Cassandra—Casey, as she liked to be called—remained stuck in his mind. She was a married woman, yet he considered using her as a distraction from his growing feelings for Aiysha.
The thought was dangerous. Aiysha wasn’t just anyone; she was Mr. Jones’s wife. Jones was like family to Kyle, a man who had been nothing but kind to him during some of his darkest moments. Hurting him was out of the question. If Kyle crossed that line, it wouldn’t just destroy Jones but would ripple into his family.
Kyle sighed deeply, gripping the steering wheel as he sat in his parked car. He couldn’t let himself become the person who broke up a home. He knew the pain that came with that too well. His own parents’ divorce had left scars he carried to this day.
"Man, what am I even doing?" he muttered to himself.
Kyle was lonely, that much was clear. For all his newfound wealth, he didn’t have anyone he truly cared to spend it on. Friends? He had none. Family? He no longer spoke to them. Right now, he needed to build something solid in his life—something to justify the sudden influx of money.
People would ask questions eventually, and Kyle had to be prepared. Mr. Jones, for one, already seemed suspicious. While he wasn’t the type to pry, a lesser man might have called the authorities by now. Kyle’s transactions were anonymous, but they weren’t invisible. There was no name or address attached to the sender, making the money impossible to trace. Still, Kyle knew better than to think his wealth wouldn’t raise eyebrows.
"This is such a hassle," Kyle thought, shaking his head. He needed a valid reason to explain his wealth, and fast.
That was part of the reason Kyle had slowed down on spending money on women. Sure, the system rewarded him handsomely, but those rewards would mean nothing if they brought him the wrong kind of attention. A nightclub was the first step in masking his newfound fortune, but it wouldn’t be the last.
"I feel like I’m laundering money..." Kyle muttered to himself before stepping on the gas pedal and speeding away.
His thoughts shifted as he drove. The building he lived in was falling apart, and Kyle knew it was only a matter of time before they shut it down—or worse, slashed the rent so low it became unsustainable for the landlord. Kyle didn’t want to see that happen, especially since the landlord was Mr. Jones.
The solution was obvious: Kyle could partner with Jones to renovate the building entirely. They could modernize it, attract new tenants, and leave the rent as it was. Even if it wouldn’t turn a profit immediately, Kyle didn’t care. He wasn’t doing it for the money. He just didn’t want to see Jones lose everything when Kyle had the power to help.
"It’s time to have a talk with him," Kyle thought. He knew where Jones worked and figured it wouldn’t hurt to drop by. Business was business, after all, and no man in the world would turn down a chance to increase his wealth.
---
Meanwhile, across town, Calista sat nervously in the waiting room of Lucas Rossini’s office. She had come for a meeting with the influential producer, but something about the situation felt off.
The office was surprisingly empty, considering Rossini’s stature in the industry. Calista couldn’t shake the feeling that she was walking into something she wasn’t prepared for.
"Um, are you Calista?" the receptionist behind the desk asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.
"Yes, I am," Calista replied softly. "I have a meeting with Mr. Rossini."
The receptionist gave her a dismissive look. "Mr. Rossini isn’t here right now, but he asked me to let you know he’ll meet you at the Pika Resort instead."
Calista frowned. Why hadn’t she been informed about the change in venue beforehand? And why a resort, of all places?
She hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided to go. This was her big chance, and she wasn’t going to let it slip away. Still, something about the receptionist’s tone nagged at her, as if this wasn’t the first time she’d delivered such instructions.
Calista drove to the Pika Resort, one of the most expensive resorts in Los Angeles. She knew Lucas was trying to impress her—or, at least, to make her feel out of her depth. He probably assumed she was just another wannabe actress who would do anything to get ahead.
When she arrived, she handed her car off to the valet and was greeted by a woman waiting at the entrance.
"Miss Wave?" the woman asked.
"Yes, that’s me," Calista replied.
"This way, please," the woman said, leading her toward the building.
Calista followed, but her unease grew with every step. They weren’t heading to the open seating area of the resort; instead, the woman was leading her to a private room.
Calista paused outside the door. She had a choice to make. No one was forcing her to go inside, but she wasn’t naive. She knew exactly what awaited her behind that door.
This was showbiz, after all. You had to give something to get something.
Taking a deep breath, Calista pushed the door open and stepped inside. Whatever happened next would define the kind of person she truly was.
Back in his car, Kyle couldn’t stop thinking about Aiysha. No matter how hard he tried, she kept slipping into his thoughts. She wasn’t just beautiful; she was strong, intelligent, and deeply loyal to her husband.
That loyalty was what made his feelings for her so frustrating. Even if he wanted to act on them, he knew he couldn’t. Mr. Jones was a good man, and Aiysha was devoted to him.
Kyle sighed again, his grip on the steering wheel tightening. He needed to let this go, but how could he when the system seemed to thrive on creating these complicated situations?
"Hey, system," Kyle said, trying to distract himself. "What else can you do?"
[The cashback system grants the host a multitude of rewards for spending money on beautiful women.]
The response was as unhelpful as ever.
"Figures," Kyle muttered, shaking his head.
He returned his focus to his next move. Helping Mr. Jones renovate the building wasn’t just a good deed; it was a strategic one. With the building transformed, Kyle would have a plausible explanation for at least part of his wealth.
He didn’t need to break even or turn a profit. The money was endless. All he needed was a believable front—and this was it.
For now, though, he needed to figure out how to approach Jones without raising any red flags. Business was business, but this was personal, too. Kyle owed him that much.
