The sound of Gavin's laughter abruptly vanished the moment he stepped into the apartment unit. The atmosphere inside was so thick and cold, as if all the oxygen had been sucked out. Gavin's steps came to a halt in the living room. The phone that had been pressed to his ear nearly fell.
There, Aruna stood with her arms crossed over her chest. Her gaze was direct, sharp, and cold as ice—aimed straight at Gavin's heart. Beside the sofa sat a middle-aged man in a neatly tailored suit, with a leather briefcase beside him. Mr. Eza. Meanwhile, Kenzie had fallen asleep again in the bedroom after crying herself exhausted, leaving behind a tense silence in the room.
“Uh... Aruna? Mr. Eza? What's going on?” Gavin asked, suddenly nervous. The last traces of his cheerful mood from the café downstairs evaporated without a trace.
Smack!
Aruna slapped Gavin across his smooth cheek, leaving him reeling in shock with the mark of her five fingers.
“Where have you been, Gavin?” Aruna asked. Her voice didn't explode, but the low, trembling tone packed with anger was far more terrifying.
“I... I was just at the café downstairs. I grabbed coffee with a friend for a bit. Kenzie was asleep, Ru. It was only for a moment—”
“For a moment, you say?!” Aruna took a step forward, breathing hard. “Whether it was for a short time or a long time, you left a one-and-a-half-year-old child alone in this apartment! Do you know what could happen if she woke up and climbed onto the balcony? Do you know what could happen if there were an electrical short?! You're selfish, Gavin! You're a heartless bastard!”
Gavin was stunned, suddenly unable to get his tongue to work. Guilt began gnawing at his chest as he realized his own stupidity.
“That's enough, Aruna. Please calm down first,” Mr. Eza interrupted in a deep, authoritative voice. The middle-aged man adjusted his prescription glasses, then gave Gavin a judgmental look. “Mr. Gavin, please sit down.”
With no choice, Gavin walked heavily to the sofa across from Mr. Eza and sat down, while Aruna remained standing, unwilling to be anywhere near her husband.
“Mr. Gavin,” Mr. Eza began, his tone calm yet pressing. “Your actions today constitute gross negligence in caring for a child. Under the late Rendy's will agreement, custody of Kenzie and all accompanying assets can be revoked entirely if either party is proven to have endangered the child's physical or psychological safety. Aruna has the full right to kick you out of here without allowing you to take a single penny of your brother's inheritance.”
Gavin clenched his hands on top of his knees. “I admit I was wrong, sir. I was careless. But I truly didn't have any bad intentions—”
“Intentions don't change the fact that you left a toddler alone, Gavin!” Mr. Eza cut in firmly. “I'm here not only as a lawyer, but also as someone trusted by the late Rendy and your deceased parents.”
Mr. Eza let out a long sigh, his gaze softening with deep concern as he looked back and forth between Gavin and Aruna.
“Listen to me, both of you. Getting married young and being forced to raise a child while grieving is not easy. I know you both feel like strangers to each other. But you need to rein in your egos. The late Rendy wasn't foolish when he gave you custody of Kenzie for free, let alone when he bound you together in marriage.”
Aruna frowned. “What do you mean, Mr. Eza? Didn't Rendy only want Kenzie to be cared for by her biological family?”
Mr. Eza smiled faintly, a mysterious smile that suddenly made the hairs on Gavin's neck stand on end. The middle-aged man leaned forward and lowered his voice.
“Rendy knew exactly what he was doing before that tragic accident happened. He bound the two of you under one roof for one primary reason: protection.”
“Protection?” Gavin repeated, his brow furrowing. “From whom?”
Mr. Eza didn't answer immediately. He opened his leather briefcase and took out a brown envelope sealed with black wax—one that neither Aruna nor Gavin had ever seen before.
“Rendy knew his position in the company was under threat. He knew there were people who wanted to bring about his downfall, and the most terrifying part... they were after the company's greatest asset, which would eventually pass into Kenzie's hands as the sole heir,” Mr. Eza said, his eyes fixed sharply on Gavin.
“Gavin, I want you to start opening your eyes. Don't be so naïve. Be careful around the people closest to you. Especially... those currently serving on the board of directors and in the management of your family's company.”
Gavin's heart pounded. His thoughts immediately flew to several familiar names at the office. Why was Mr. Eza suddenly bringing this up?
“Mr. Eza... what do you really mean? Could Rendy's accident...” Aruna let the sentence trail off, her eyes widening in shock as a horrifying possibility flashed through her mind.
Mr. Eza immediately raised a hand, signaling Aruna to stop speaking. He placed the sealed envelope back inside his briefcase.
“I can't say more without solid physical evidence. But one thing is certain: if the two of you are busy fighting, busy with your own egos, and negligent like you were today... you're opening the door for those ‘wolves’ to come in and hurt Kenzie.”
Mr. Eza stood and straightened his suit. “Think carefully about my advice. Starting today, Mr. Gavin, this is my first and last warning. If anything like this happens again, I will personally make sure you lose all your rights, both to Kenzie and to the company.”
With calm yet authoritative steps, Mr. Eza walked toward the exit, leaving the married couple in a silence far more ominous than before.
Aruna looked at Gavin, her expression now filled with a tangled mixture of anger and deep unease. Meanwhile, Gavin sat frozen in place, cold sweat beginning to dampen his temples. Mr. Eza's words continued to ring in his head.
“Someone close to me? Who is really behind all this? And was the accident involving Rendy and Sis Adisti... really just an accident?”
To be continued...