Chapter 9 : Missing her while in Mexico

Chapter 9: Missing her while in Mexico

Roman POV

Ever since my uncle died and I took over his company, I had not been in the headspace to commit to anyone.I stayed away from anything that could even potentially lead to a relationship. If there was a woman who I found myself attracted to I would always keep my distance.

I could even say that I had begun to do this even before Alitair had died. I had only ever been in one relationship, it had been with a woman named Vivienne. She had been kind and charming at first, positively sweet while also alluring.

But it soon became clear that she was more interested in the status that came with my family name than me. she became fiery and impatient, superficial and insincere. After I broke up with her I vowed that I would not indulge in even thinking about another relationship until I was sure I was ready.

Yet I found myself unable to get enough of Keava. There was no reason for us to keep meeting, everything that we discussed could be easily done over the phone or via text, but I kept asking for us to meet again.

Any more of this and I would probably end up inviting her for dinner.

I was so distracted that Matthew needed to remind me that I had a business meeting in Mexico during the week. I had spent months negotiating a partnership with Cobalt Tech and was finally signing a partnership deal with them, a deal that would most likely be the most important one of the year…and it had slipped my mind.

“You’re drifting off again,” Matt whispered in my ear.

I was brought back to the reality where Connor Roran, CEO of Cobalt Tech was giving a toast to the freshly signed alliance.

“Please focus…we don’t want to insult our new friends,” he hissed.

“They already signed the papers, so they can’t back out if they just feel insulted,” I hissed back. “This whole thing was a tiring process so I’m sure they’ll understand if I get lost in a little daydream.”

Matt said nothing but I knew he was annoyed, so I paid the remainder of my brain power to Mr. Roran’s toast.

“–And so finally, long-time rivals become friends and allies, a feat I’m sure that the late Alastor Cabot would be proud of his nephew for achieving…To Cabot Industries and Cobalt Tech!”

“CHEERS!”

Champagne made its way to every glass in the conference hall. I raised my glass to Roran which he returned. I didn’t really like the man but I admired his tenacity and his dedication to his company. Being his colleague would be more enjoyable than being his friend, as I heard he could be rather obnoxious in social settings.

“So Roman,” Connor Roran said after he waded his way through handshakes and congratulations, “Are you planning on staying in Mexico any longer? It would be my pleasure to show you around our beautiful city.”

“Actually, my schedule is rather tight–” I wheezed as Matt elbowed me in the ribs. “–which is why I’m only available for one more day. I hope that is enough for some site-seeing?”

“Not nearly enough but we’ll make do with what we have,” the old man laughed. “Come! I want to introduce you to my wife.”

I steeled myself for the next few hours, finally taking a breath of relief once I was back in my hotel room.

In the sweet silence my thoughts drifted to Keava.

“I just don’t want her to get hurt” is what I told myself. It was true; knowing that someone else could be killed in this whole Salazar conspiracy was not something I could allow…not again.

“Call Russell,” I said.

The large television screen began to patch through my call until Russell’s grizzled face appeared on the screen.

“Mr Cabot,” Russell greeted.

“Russell. I trust the assignment is going well?”

“I’ll tell you this, sir; this girl knows when she’s being followed and how to lose a tail.” Russell grunted. “Either that or I’m losing my touch.”

I stifled an impressed smile at Keava’s intuition.

“Regardless, just make sure that she isn’t being tailed by anyone else, especially whoever went after her main source.” I said firmly.

Atlas, also known as Reggie Gordon, had gone missing around the same night I met Keava at the club. I had often used his services in order to vet who I conducted business with. At the time I didn’t know he was a source of hers until Russell followed her to his bunker.

“Yes sir,” he grunted. “Oh and one other thing…”

Russell entered a few keys on his keyboard and a file was sent to my encrypted email address.

“I found this when I searched her computer; she has a little file on you that I thought you might like to read.”

I nodded to Russell in thanks before hanging up.

I hovered the cursor over the email. I felt bad for invading her privacy and reading a file stolen from her pc but…I needed to know more about her for my own safety…or did I desire to know more for my own curiosity?

I gave into temptation and opened the file to find an article in a rough state, reading more like a journal entry in its current incarnation:

Roman Cabot- he can’t really be as saintly as he portrays, can he?

I’ve looked into every past article ever written on him and nothing scandalous ever comes up. The only suspicious activity in Cabot Industries all seem to have taken place before Roman took over for his uncle.

Roman seems to have a habit of purging corruption due to the retrenchment of dozens of high ranking employees who had ties in unethical practices within the company.

Another entry read:

“The more I look into Roman, the more I wish that everything I find is true…Though my gut is still telling me to remain sceptical.

There seems to be a bit of conspiracy surrounding Alastor Cabot’s death and the fact that he left everything to Roman while he still had a child of his own; a daughter named Theodora.

Further investigation revealed that Theodora Cabot’s mother had been a mistress of Alastor, hence why she was left out of the will.

After Roman inherited everything he tracked down Theodora and gave her three million dollars worth of assets and another three million in cash as compensation.

I did more digging on Theodora and found that she now ran a children’s home in Argentina which was funded by Roman.

Further interviews revealed that she actually had zero interest in Cabot industries or even her inheritance But she said that Roman insisted she take her share because he would not overlook any family member.

I’m starting to fear that if I ever publish an article on Roman it’s going to look like a fluff piece. ANyone who read it would say immediately that I was smitten with his charm and wealth, rather than write a neutral article.

The way she wrote it, she made me seem like everything I did was selfless, which was not true. Everything that I ever did that seemed philanthropic or generous was to stifle my own guilt.

Keava was kinder than I thought; any other journalist would have found something to twist into a scandal…but she seemed to be entirely invested in the truth and not bending facts to suit her narrative.

I searched her pseudonym, Miss Cathlyn, and perused through her other articles she had written over the years. Not only was she one dedicated to exposing corruption among the rich and influential, but she was also dedicated to lifting up those who benefited the community with their wealth or just their effort.

I missed her…a thought that scared me the moment it entered my head.

I barely knew her and yet I missed her.

I wanted so badly to hold her…and perhaps even kiss her again, only this time I wanted it to be a real kiss.

I’ll ask her on a date the next time that I see her and treat her to something else besides coffee at a harbour café.

At least that’s what I would like to do. Whenever I was about to meet up with her I would have lines rehearsed in my head…lines that were never ever spoken. I was not shy…just overly cautious.

What If I pushed too far too quickly and she became uncomfortable. Or…what if I became too comfortable and let my guard down.

I could admit that the time I spent with her, while in the vain of business, was becoming more of a pleasure each time. It went against my code of avoiding women I found attractive.

I was getting in deep and I needed to pull out before it was too late.

Perhaps after Salazar’s legacy was destroyed, then I could evaluate what it was that I wanted all of this to be.