Chapter 545

Layla shifted slightly on the stool, thinking. "Once or twice a week. Sometimes more. He doesn’t always buy a lot, but he comes by often."

"Alone?"

"Most of the time," she said, then paused.

I caught that immediately. "Most of the time?"

Her fingers tapped lightly against the counter again. "Sometimes he brings someone."

"Who?"

"I don’t know his name," she admitted quickly. "He never introduced him or anything."

"That’s fine," I said. "Describe him."

She took a breath, trying to recall. "Taller than Jack. Lean... but not weak. Dark hair, kind of messy, like he doesn’t care much about fixing it. His face was sharper than Jack’s. More serious."

I nodded slowly. I could already picture the guy.

"And how do they act?" I asked. "Like business partners? Friends?"

Layla shook her head almost immediately. "No. Not like that."

"Then what?"

She hesitated again, then finally said it. "Closer."

I leaned in just a bit. "Closer how?"

"They don’t touch much," she explained, choosing her words carefully. "Not in an obvious way. But they stay near each other the whole time. Jack talks softer around him. And that guy... he watches everything. Mostly Jack."

"Watches him how?"

"Like he cares," she said quietly.

That was enough.

"So not just a friend," I concluded. "A boyfriend."

Layla looked uneasy, but she nodded. "That’s what it feels like, yeah."

I let that sit for a second, then pressed further.

"Then why hide it?" I asked. "Jack doesn’t seem like the type to be shy about anything."

"It’s not about him," she said quickly. "It’s his family."

I raised an eyebrow. "Explain."

She shifted again, then leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice even though we were alone. "His parents are big in charity circles," she said. "Like, really big. They organize events, donate money, help churches raise funds... that kind of thing. People know them."

"Religious?" I asked.

"Very," she nodded. "Strict, too. The kind that talks about morals all the time. Image matters to them. A lot."

I let out a quiet breath through my nose. "And having a son with a boyfriend wouldn’t fit that image."

"Not even a little," Layla said. "If that got out? It would mess things up for them. The charities, the reputation... everything."

"So he keeps it quiet," I muttered.

"Yeah," she said. "They’re careful when they come here. No public displays, no names, nothing that could trace back to him. If you didn’t pay attention, you wouldn’t even think twice."

I nodded slowly, piecing it together.

Jack Kuinn. Clean public image through his family. Private life completely different. And a secret he clearly didn’t want out. That wasn’t just useful. That was leverage.

I looked back at her. "Anything else? Something small, something odd, anything you remember."

Layla thought for a few seconds, then shook her head. "No... that’s really it. He comes, buys what he wants, leaves. And when that guy’s with him, they just... stay close."

I studied her for another moment, then straightened up.

"Alright," I said.

She looked at me cautiously, like she was waiting for something else. Instead, I nodded once.

"Thanks," I added. "You helped more than you think."

She blinked, a bit surprised by that.

"I... just told you what I saw," she said.

"Exactly," I replied. "And that’s enough."

I stepped back from the counter, adjusting my jacket slightly.

"Sorry for pushing earlier," I went on. "Had to make sure you didn’t shut me out."

She let out a small breath. "Yeah... I figured."

I gave her one last look. "Take care of yourself, alright? And... be careful around him."

Her hand instinctively rested on her belly again. "I will."

I nodded, then turned and walked toward the door. The bell chimed softly as I pushed it open and stepped out into the street.

Now I had something real on Jack.

Something he wouldn’t want anyone else to know.

⟁ ⟁ ⟁

The elevator doors slid open, but I didn’t step out right away. I just stood there for a moment, arms crossed, leaning back against the glass wall as I rubbed my face. My eyes felt heavy, my head even heavier. I was tired, yeah, no point denying that. But stopping now wasn’t really an option.

The doors closed again with a soft hum, and the lights dimmed slightly as the elevator began moving.

Jack Kuinn. Religious parents. Charity faces. Clean reputation. And somewhere behind all that, a carefully hidden relationship he didn’t want anyone to see. If that got out, it wouldn’t just be awkward for him, it would tear through that polished image his family built. The kind of thing people whispered about at those charity events, the kind of thing that stuck.

The real issue wasn’t knowing anymore. It was proving it.

I exhaled slowly, letting my head rest back against the glass. "How the hell do I get evidence..." I muttered under my breath.

I didn’t even know where the guy lived. Couldn’t exactly knock on his door and ask him to pose for a picture with his boyfriend. Following him might work, though. Someone who knew how to stay out of sight, someone who didn’t mind getting their hands dirty.

Cora came to mind almost instantly.

"Ugh..." I groaned, pushing myself off the glass as the elevator slowed to a stop again.

The doors opened automatically. Something felt... off for a second. Not something I could point at, just a faint shift in the air, like walking into a room that had been empty a second ago but suddenly wasn’t. I frowned slightly, then shook it off. I was tired. That had to be it.

I stepped out, pulled my keycard from my pocket, and walked up to the door. A quick swipe, a soft click, and I pushed it open.

Then I froze.

Mana.

She was standing right there in front of me like she had always been there, like she hadn’t just appeared out of nowhere. Same short dress that barely did its job, same unreadable expression on her face. Calm. Neutral. Like none of this meant anything to her.

I shut the door behind me slowly, my grip tightening on the handle for a second before I let go.

"Mana..." I said, narrowing my eyes slightly. "What are you doing here?"