Chapter Text
Alberu Crossman was in a rather precarious situation.
With his hands tied crudely around the back of his chair, somewhere in the midst of his captors’ lair, he had missed about five meetings and a dozen phone calls.
His personal assistant was not going to enjoy rearranging his schedules for the month.
That was why he couldn’t help but look at his kidnappers with pity when they tugged the blindfold off of him.
“Roan Corporation CEO, Mr. Alberu Crossman. A big catch, aren’t you?”
Alberu smiled pleasantly at the man who had spoken. “I try,” he agreed.
He received a kick to his lower leg for his attitude. His wonderful personal assistant had a much sharper kick, so Alberu’s trained smile remained unfazed.
His attacker leaned forward and sneered.“Too bad your assistant doesn’t think so. Think roughing you up a bit will convince him?”
Alberu belatedly noticed that his phone was in the hands of the second kidnapper, who was standing a few feet away near the only door in the room. He immediately brightened and called out.
“Oh, is the speaker on?”
The man at his side kicked him again. This time he was unprepared and a pained grunt escaped him. Of course, he may also have exaggerated the sound a bit.
“Do you hear that, Cale Henituse?”
The identity of the man who was the Roan Corporation CEO’s right hand man and most trusted person was not a secret.
Although Cale worked hard to keep his personal life private, there was no way to hide his distinctive, vividly red hair nor the boyish handsomeness of his face.
Given the amount of limelight that fell on Alberu Crossman, one of the youngest and brightest minds of his generation that had turned around a single modest-sized company to the conglomerate it was now, it was a given that the people closest to him would become a common household name as well.
Whenever Alberu stood in front of the hundreds of flashing lights, Cale was in the background, meticulously orchestrating the entire appearance.
Of course, no one except Alberu himself knew how involved Cale really was. To the public, it just seemed that a man of unknown origin had shown up one day by his side and never left since.
It was therefore natural that his attackers had selected Cale’s name from his contact list. If Cale was the first person they had called, then they were likely not part of a more elaborate sabotage involving Roan’s.. certain rival companies. That was a relief.
“Cale Henituse, if you want to pick up your esteemed boss in one piece, I suggest that you listen carefully to our demands.”
The man who was closest to Alberu was speaking loudly as he watched Alberu with a wicked expression. He was certainly thinking that he would become a rich man overnight, and already rubbing his hands with glee.
Cale’s cold voice sounded from behind him. “Is that so? But I’m already here.”
The man whirled around. “You—AAACK!”
Before he could properly react, Cale swiftly kicked him across the room where he collided into the wall and collapsed into a heap.
From the middle of the room where Alberu sat, he had the best view of the entranceway he was facing. The two captors who had their attention focused on him did not stand a chance.
The one who had been holding Alberu’s phone was already unconscious on the floor. Said phone was now carefully pocketed away as Cale turned his attention to the remaining man who was trying to scramble backwards, as far as he could go with the wall at his back.
“I’m sorry! I-It was just a joke, a ha-harmless prank! Aren’t you supposed to just be an assistant? Let me go! Eek!”
Cale smiled. Cale had a very pretty smile where his eyes shone full of light and yet were biding darkness at the same time, and he generously bared his teeth. When he smiled like that, a chilling aura would also slowly seep forth.
“Let you go? Sure. Ah, but let me hit you one more time first. That makes it even, right?”
The man screamed and promptly fainted.
Alberu watched Cale clean up. There were three others outside the room which Cale had already neutralized and dragged into the room as well. Since Cale had knocked the front door frame loose and they had to remove all traces of their being here, he was thorough in leaving other evidence to suggest a normal robbery had taken place. This included looting the home, which didn't have anything of worth anyways, and making sure no hidden cameras were installed.
Fortunately, the kidnappers seemed to be inexperienced amateurs and had just gotten lucky after spotting Alberu in the area. Cale pocketed their identification to deal with them later. Their contacts in the police would do the rest.
He was steadfastly ignoring Alberu, while Alberu was fixedly watching him.
When he saw that Cale was mostly finished, Alberu spoke up with a light tone.
“You’re late.”
Cale finally turned to him with a vicious glare.
“Who’s the one who had to track you down because you snuck off without telling me where you were going again?”
Alberu held his gaze and read the tiredness that was hidden under the irritation in Cale’s eyes.
“Sorry.” Alberu said sincerely. “I didn't want to call you out since I knew you were busy planning the gala, but I caused more trouble for you in the end. I had just intended to take a short walk.”
Cale still looked a bit angry, but his voice eventually softened. “Whatever. Please get up now, your highness, seeing as you've already untied yourself.”
Alberu grinned at him. His darling of a personal assistant, who was also his personal bodyguard and chauffeur and as talented at navigating the treacherous boardroom and eating up the competition as Alberu himself.
How else could Roan become the shining conglomerate it was today?
He dropped the rope around his wrist that he had loosened earlier and followed Cale outside.
He had been brought to a quiet, suburban neighbourhood that he recognized. It wasn't actually very far from where he had been walking alone after taking a taxi to the area.
The night was young, and the skies were especially clear. It was a calm and moderate night that had made him think a short walk outside, a bit away from the daily bustle, would be refreshing.
Actually, his leg was a bit sore but he still wanted to finish his walk.
Alberu faced Cale when they reached his car. Naturally, he had brought a lower end model that would blend in with the others in the neighbourhood.
Cale opened the door for him and frowned when Alberu made no move to enter.
'Should we go for a walk together?’ Alberu wanted to ask. The problem was that Cale might still be too pissed off at him to entertain the idea.
The words were just behind his lips, and the desire was certainly expressed on his face.
Rolling his eyes, Cale locked his car again. As always, Cale Henituse really understood him best. “Half an hour. Then you're going to sleep so you can call back everyone you missed the first thing tomorrow morning.”
Although tomorrow would be a real hell, Alberu didn't let it deter his mood.
His night that admittedly didn't start off well would end with a good viewing of the full moon. He was accompanied by Cale Henituse who was many things to him, an assistant who was a bodyguard and a chauffeur and—if he would have it his way—a boyfriend, so in the end it became a night he would properly savour.