Chapter 20

Levi. Monday... Next day...

11 am. We had just left the private airstrip where my plane touched down. I was being driven to the address Blake had tracked for me. My heart was a chaotic mix of unidentifiable emotions and a simmering frustration. She dared to run. I had spent the previous day calling Kenya endlessly, my mind racing with a restless energy that I directed at everyone around me until she was finally located.

Things shouldn't have unfolded this way, but they had. Now, I had to salvage the situation.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out to see a message from a hidden number.

"Unknown Number: I shouldn't contact you, but this is an emergency. Someone is digging into your businesses—the mines and plantations. We are laying low for a while."

I stilled, pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration. Not now. Who could be behind this? I needed to stay focused.

"Me: Okay Rico. Keep me updated."

A few seconds later, the car pulled up in front of a charming beach house on Miami Street. It was modest and beautiful, with a small patch of trimmed lawn and vibrant flowers adorning the surroundings. Even in my state of mind, I was impressed.

Strolling up the cobblestone walkway, I reached the front door. It opened after a couple of rings, and I found myself looking at an older version of Kenya. She was beautiful and cheerful; I recognized her immediately from the dossier I had on Kenya’s family.

"Mrs. Anderson. We finally meet."

Her gaze fixed on me, wide with surprise. "Oh my God! Mr. Ruthford. Please, come in." She stepped aside, and I walked into a home that smelled of roses, citrus, and fresh baking.

She smiled warmly at me. "This is such a surprise. Kenya didn't tell me you were coming, or I would have made preparations."

"She isn't expecting me. Can I see her?" I offered a polite smile, though my heart was pounding in anticipation. She nodded with a knowing look that I couldn't quite place. She turned and called out.

"Kenya, someone is here for you!"

I waited, my pulse quickening. Kenya appeared a moment later, standing before me. My heart seemed to stop. She looked simple yet breathtakingly beautiful. When she saw me, the color drained from her face.

"Hello, Kenya. Miss me?" I asked quietly, my voice steady despite the rush of relief at seeing her. She trembled slightly. God, I thought I had lost her.

"Oh honey, say something," her mother prompted softly.

"Levi, I..."

"I know. You missed me," I finished for her, closing the distance between us. I stood over her, my presence commanding and intense as I looked into her eyes.

I took her hand in a firm but controlled grip and leaned in, placing a brief, lingering kiss on her lips. She didn't resist, though her tension was palpable.

"Oh, Mr. Ruthford, I am so happy you came," her mother chimed in. "Perhaps you can distract her. She has been so somber since yesterday."

I pulled back, holding Kenya’s gaze with a look of feigned concern. "Is that true? What’s making you sad, darling?" I asked. She flinched away from my touch, her eyes flashing with a silent, sharp defiance.

"Nothing. I'm fine."

I studied her expression, wondering if her distress was still tied to the past she was trying to flee.

"I do hope you'll be staying long," her mother offered, breaking the silence. "We were just making strawberry tarts."

I turned toward Mrs. Anderson, a bright, charming smile crossing my face. "I'll be staying until my task here is finished, Mrs. Anderson."

I turned a possessive gaze back to Kenya, my hand resting firmly on the small of her back. "And it would be a pleasure to taste what you both have prepared," I added.

Mrs. Anderson beamed and walked away toward the kitchen. As soon as she was out of earshot, Kenya turned on me with a desperate look. "What are you doing here? How did you find me?"

I smiled at her calmly. "I tried calling you yesterday, but it seemed my calls were being ignored." I let the weight of that statement hang in the air. "I went to your apartment and found it empty. Even Dave hadn't seen you."

She shifted uncomfortably, moving toward the open window to avoid my stare.

"Then it hit me," I continued lightly. "You were trying to leave your future behind."

"You are not my future," she retorted sharply.

I smiled darkly, stepping closer until I was right behind her. "I had you tracked and received this address last night." I watched the realization hit her face. I had known where she was for hours, but I had wanted to give her one last taste of the freedom she so desperately sought.

"You tracked me?" she whispered, her voice laced with fear. I nodded.

"What do you want?"

"You already know what I want, Kenya."

"It would be torture... being with you," she whispered, tears beginning to well in her eyes.

I gazed at her, and for a fleeting moment, the old tenderness I felt for her tried to surface. I pushed it down. "I had initially given you until Saturday," I said, ignoring her plea. "But the timeline has changed. You have until tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow morning?" she gasped.

"Yes. Tomorrow morning, a car will arrive to take you to the chapel. Everything will be ready for the ceremony. You don't need to worry about a thing."

She stared at me, horrified. "I won't do it. I won't! You can't force me."

I turned toward the window, looking out at the beautiful view of the beach. It reminded me of my house in Malibu, a place I hadn't visited in years. On the sand, I saw a couple in a passionate embrace, a stark contrast to the cold negotiation happening in this room.

"I have already sent the evidence to the D.A.'s office in Manhattan," I said coldly. I hated that I had to use this against her, but I wouldn't let her go. "If I don't give the command to stop by tomorrow evening, the proceedings will move forward. The culprits will be prosecuted. It will be a devastating blow to your family’s legacy, Kenya."

"Why are you doing this, Levi?" her voice broke, a sob escaping her.

I kept my eyes on the horizon, fighting the urge to pull her into my arms and comfort her. I steeled my heart, my voice dropping to a low, determined whisper.

"Because you are the bane of my sanity. To be sane, I need you by my side."