Beneath the Surface: Secrets of an Obsessed Heart-Chapter 86 - 85

Despite this, he just smiled and signaled his secretary, who was sitting beside him. The young man with blonde hair quickly dropped his chopsticks and took out some files from his bag then began to tell them about the proposal.

Raiden tried not to roll his eyes as he listened. CEO Kang of Sejong International was a person of little to no importance to Raiden. In fact, Raiden’s interest in the proposed project was nonexistent; he had already decided it was a waste of time. He had only agreed to this meeting because the former CEO of Sejong International was his friend and his mentor.

Old Kang was a friend of his grandfather’s and had always been fond of Raiden since he was young. After Raiden came out of Juvy and was basically abandoned by his family, Old Kang took him under his wing and taught him half of everything he knew.

It was a pity his son was nothing like him. Under Kang Do-Hyuk’s leadership, Sejong International had been reduced to a mere shell of what it used to be. It pained Raiden to see things turn out the way they did but Kang Do-Hyuk was an arrogant conniving man and Raiden had no intention of dealing with someone like him.

When the secretary was done, Mr Kang cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. “Mr. Yamato, I think you’ll find that our proposal offers significant benefits—”

Raiden didn’t bother to hide his disdain as he cut Mr. Kang off with a dismissive wave of his hand. His eyes narrowed slightly. “Save your breath, Mr. Kang. I’m well aware of what your so-called ‘proposal’ truly entails,” he said, his voice cold and precise.

Mr Kang laughed nervously. "Mr Yamato, I’m afraid I have no idea what you’re talking out."

Raiden scoffed. “You think you can deceive me with a project filled with loopholes and hidden clauses designed to siphon a significant sum of money from my pocket?"

Mr Kang quickly went pale. So did his secretary.

Miss Ling just smiled slightly. She had always hated the people of Sejong International and couldn’t wait for her boss to put them in their place. Just because her boss was friend’s with the former CEO didn’t mean Mr Kang could do as he wished to Raiden.

Raiden saw how Mr Kang was unable to hide his shock then smiled as he continued. "The real plan, of course, is to use that funding to turn everything around and position yourself as the sole owner, cutting me out entirely. Isn’t that right, Mr Kang?"

Mr. Kang’s confident expression immediately shattered, his face growing more twisted with each word.

Raiden leaned back in his chair, the corners of his mouth curving into a cold, almost pitying smile. “Did you really think I wouldn’t see through such a transparent scheme? Or perhaps you thought I was too distracted by other matters to notice your little tricks? Either way, you’ve overplayed your hand, Mr. Kang.”

The atmosphere in the room grew tense and suffocating, as Raiden’s icy calm contrasted sharply with Mr. Kang’s reddening face.

“Let me make this clear,” Raiden continued, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper, “You don’t get to play games with me, Mr Kang. Not now, not ever. If this is the best you can offer, then this meeting is over, and I suggest you reconsider your career choices before attempting to deceive me or anyone else again.”

Mr. Kang’s mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. The realization that his plan had been completely exposed had left him utterly speechless. His team had told him that it was absolutely impossible for Raiden to know his true motives. How was it that he was exposed so easily?

Raiden didn’t wait for a response. He took Hiro’s hand and stood up, giving him one last look of disdain.

“Consider this your final warning,” he warned, his voice echoing with finality. “If you ever try something like this again, I won’t be so merciful.”

Mr Kang’s expression darkened as he watched Raiden walk away with his boyfriend and secretary. At that moment, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He checked the screen and his anger immediately vanished but it was replaced by a slow, sly smile.

He quickly stood up and followed Raiden. "Mr Yamato! Please, wait up!"

Raiden groaned inwardly and he had half the mind to keep walking but the image of Old Kang surfaced in his mind so he paused and patiently waited for Mr Kang to catch up.

Mr Kang chuckled when he reached them and his gaze flickered to Hiro, a newfound confidence gleaming in his eyes. “I apologise, Mr Yamato," he said bowing respectfully. "I shouldn’t have done that. I’ve just been under a lot of stress lately. Please forgive me."

Raiden just snorted. He could already tell that the apology was insincere but he didn’t care. He just wanted to go back home and spend some time with Hiro.

"By the way," Mr Kang said, standing up. "I was wondering why your little boyfriend here looked so familiar. Turns out he’s the youngest child of the Watanabe main family.”

Hearing this, Hiro tensed and he moved closer to Raiden. His eyelashes trembled but he didn’t dare look up. He hadn’t expected the man to recognise him. After all, he had never met Mr Kang before. He had quietly listened to everything they talked about and it didn’t involve him so it made him wonder why his identity was suddenly exposed.

Raiden felt a flare of fury ignite in his chest but his face remained impassive, betraying none of the emotion that surged within him. His voice was calm, almost indifferent, as he responded, “And what does that have to do with our discussion?”

“Oh, nothing much,” Mr. Kang replied, his tone deceptively casual. “Just that I heard you’ve bought most of the Watanabe family’s research facilities and pharmacies all over the country—including the ones abroad." His voice then went low as he gave Raiden a sly smile. "I also heard that you’ve continued the research on Project Aegis.”

For a split second, Raiden’s heart skipped a beat. The mention of Project Aegis sent a jolt of panic through him but he masked it quickly, forcing a laugh that lacked any real humor. “You seem to know quite a bit, Mr. Kang,” he said, his voice laced with cold amusement. He discreetly glanced at Hiro to see that Hiro was wearing a frown, looking deep in thought. His heart began to beat rapidly for this was something he didn’t want Hiro to know about.

Mr. Kang’s smile widened, satisfaction clear on his face. He had struck a nerve, and he knew it. Turning to Hiro, he continued, “Would you like to know what research your boyfriend is conducting? Don’t you want to understand why he bought up all of your parents’ facilities?”

This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢