The Monster at My Feet novel Chapter 27

Quentin remained silent for two long seconds.

"You acted completely normal, sir."

Caspian exhaled a lungful of hot air, closed his eyes, and gave a sharp hand signal.

Understanding the command, Quentin put the car in drive and headed toward the corporate headquarters.

The climate control in the back was turned off, making the air stiflingly hot.

Caspian felt his own breath turn scorching, but the suffocating heat didn't bother him.

He obsessively replayed the sensory memory of her scent, her voice, and the brief brush of her fingers. He unfolded the slip of paper and stared at it endlessly.

Through the neat handwriting, he could almost see her slender fingers holding the pen.

He felt a sickening surge of jealousy toward the plastic pen.

If only...

If only he could be touched by her like that.

He needed to stop dreaming. She was entirely too pure.

He would only ruin her.

...

The fully blacked-out Rolls-Royce was unmistakable.

As it drove through the academy grounds, everyone scrambled to get out of its path.

When the car pulled up to the administration building, the Board Director was already waiting on the curb.

He rushed forward with a sycophantic smile, opening the door himself.

"Mr. Graves. We've been expecting you."

Caspian gave a curt nod.

The slip of paper burning a hole in his palm was too precious to put away.

He glanced one last time in the direction of the dorms before turning and walking inside.

As the second-largest shareholder of the Griffin Group, Caspian sat at the head of the table, his face a mask of absolute apathy as he listened to the presentations, his fingers drumming rhythmically against the mahogany.

When he finally spoke, there wasn't a trace of the gentleness he had used with Sylvie.

There was no facade—only his signature freezing, raspy drawl dripping with lethal impatience.

He ruthlessly tore apart their proposals, exposing every financial flaw and personal agenda in the room.

The executives sat in trembling silence, absolutely terrified to defend themselves.

He finalized the new restructuring budget with a few brutal amendments.

And signed his name.

The Board Director carefully slid another folder across the table.

Caspian didn't even look at him. "I didn't come here for your feedback."

Kendrick chuckled. "Unfortunately for you, I'm still the majority shareholder. Whether you want to listen or not, you will."

Caspian squeezed his eyes shut and said nothing.

Kendrick tilted his head, his dark, hollow eyes roaming over his son's face, desperately searching for a ghost of the past.

A violent storm brewed in the older man's numb, empty gaze.

Kendrick murmured, "Smile for me, Caspian. You look just like her when you smile."

Caspian finally snapped. Blood vessels popped in his eyes, turning them crimson.

"My mother has been dead for years, and you still won't let her go. Could you possibly be any more pathetic?"

The older man blinked. Instead of getting angry, he let out a low, raspy laugh.

"It's because I loved her too much."

Caspian's hands curled into tight fists, his nails biting so deeply into his palms that they drew blood before he violently forced them open.

"You loved her so much you drove her to suicide, and then you refused to let her body or her ashes go?

"Stop trying to bait me into killing you. I'm not going to let you die.

"I'm going to make sure you stay alive, and every single day will be more agonizing than the last. Father."

A twisted mix of agony and rage flashed across Kendrick's face. He gasped for breath, his voice dropping into a raspy, inescapable curse.