Dominate Showbiz: Media Tycoon Discovered My Talent-Chapter 96: Interrogation

Kaija’s shoulders stiffened at the icy tone. She folded her arms, letting out a sharp exhale. "What are you even asking? I thought the two of you are on the same side now."

Charles’s eyes widened slightly. He turned sharply to Juho. "You told her?"

"No," Kaija replied before Juho could. "I overheard the two of you. I was awake."

The air grew awkward as Charles fell silent, while Juho kept sipping his coffee, letting the scene unfold with obvious amusement. The scary look from the night before was nowhere to be found on his face.

Shifting uncomfortably, Kaija decided it was best to make Charles and herself a coffee as a gesture of peace. Only after she set the two cups down and took the seat next to Charles did the tension finally begin to ease.

"Why don’t you start by telling me exactly what happened last night when you disappeared for two hours straight from the show," he demanded.

A weary expression settled over Kaija’s face. She spent the next five minutes telling Charles the whole truth. By the time she finished, Charles’s face had visibly darkened.

His icy stare shifted from Kaija to Juho, his tone dropping dangerously low. "You choked her?" He’d already mentally smacked himself for leaving Juho alone with her so carelessly last night.

"Man, you have no idea," Juho shrugged casually. "She’s a feisty one."

Kaija matched Charles’s scornful expression now, glaring daggers at Juho. "Yeah, and this feisty missy saved you from a thorough beating, mister."

A laugh broke out of Juho. "Why don’t we get this whole deal settled as quickly as possible now that we all understand each other’s intentions well?" he suggested in an easy tone. "I’ve gotta go back and report to my old man real soon, or he’s gonna get suspicious, and I’ll be damned before I can snitch anything out of his den for you, Kosonen."

"You mean I have to come with you now?" Kaija asked. "But I have classes today."

"You can leave for your classes now. I’ll deal with him myself," Charles replied.

"No, no, no," Juho wiggled his finger. "I’m not going anywhere with you without Ms. Sepala. That’s the deal."

Kaija’s brow twitched slightly at Juho. Then she turned to Charles, her voice small. "Well... I kinda agreed to accompany him when he provides you useful information."

Charles showed no reaction. He took a long, slow sip of his coffee, as if swallowing down his frustration. "I’ll have someone inform your instructors for your classes," he said at last. Then, to Juho, "Get dressed, punk. I don’t have all day."

With an easy smile, Juho finished his coffee, left the counter, and headed to the laundry room.

At the table, only Kaija and Charles remained, sipping their coffee as the air between them turned painfully awkward again.

A little while later, Juho finally put on his clothes, and the three of them headed to the Security building.

Once they reached the fifth floor, Juho was led into a small room, and Kaija was taken into the room next to his. But while Juho’s room contained him and five other men in black suits, the other room held only Kaija and Charles.

It was a minimally decorated waiting room. Plant pots stood in the corners, black couches were arranged around a coffee table, with napkins and two pots of coffee and tea on top of it.

Kaija wore a white sweater over a maroon wool skirt now, her wavy hair braided into one shiny golden strand. She stood by the windows instead of sitting at the table with Charles, who was already on his second coffee of the day.

She’d had enough caffeine earlier. She didn’t need more, and the air between them was already suffocating enough.

From where he sat, Charles could only see her back. Her gaze drifted outside as if admiring the view, though he knew there was nothing interesting to look at on that side of campus.

"I saw the video," Charles said at last, his voice thin as a thread.

Only then did her gaze shift to him. She turned and leaned against the window.

"Would you have gotten me out of there if you saw it then?" she asked.

"I already tried to get you out without even seeing it," he replied firmly. "The decision to release the evidence wasn’t mine alone."

"I see," she murmured, gaze dropping. "I’m sorry that you had to see something so disturbing."

"How come you never told me about that?" he asked, impatience slipping into his tone. "There wasn’t even a single mark on your body that night when we were together, and I remember that night very well."

"Oh, it was because Juho helped me with it," she said.

The cup paused in his hand. "Be more specific," he demanded flatly.

"You know the balm they use for injuries?" she asked, hands gesturing like she was applying balm to herself. "Juho just smeared that stuff all over me before he sent me out of there, and the marks were all gone."

"He applied it... for you?"

"Yeah," she shrugged, still oblivious to the iciness in his tone. "Just three times a day. I think he used some moisturizing cream too."

The cup landed on the table with a heavy thud that made her flinch.

"You... you okay?" she asked.

Charles was pinching the bridge of his nose now, steadying himself so not a single hint of anger slipped out.

Still, his mind had already drifted to that smug look on Juho’s face when he slid the phone across the table. Turns out the was still so much more information that green-eyed punk had deliberately chosen to withhold from him.

"What else did they do to you?" he asked. "Is there anything else I don’t know about?"

She tilted her head, thinking hard. "Hm, nothing I can think of. They only beat me up once, but other than that, I was treated well."

A sigh slipped out of Charles. "I’m sorry again that you had to go through that, while here I am, completely clueless about it until now."

"Well, we made good progress now with Juho coming to your side, didn’t we?" she said lightly. "I guess it was worth it."

"Don’t say that," his voice rose sharply. "I’m not trusting that kid entirely, no matter how much you’re indebted to him."

"I wouldn’t say I trust him entirely either," she replied, "but if this deal could elevate your position in Kosonen Media, and maybe in Kosonen Group later, then I think it’s worth giving it a try."

He stared at her for a while before he sank back into the couch, his mouth lifting into a pleased smirk.

Did that mean she’d agreed to mediate this deal because she knew it would benefit him too? Turns out she wasn’t as clueless about politics as she claimed to be, after all.

"There’s one thing I need to ask you personally, though," her voice came again. "Why did you offer me a monthly stipend along with the contract, when nobody else receives it?"

The faint smirk faded from his face. "You found out?" he asked, not even bothering to deny it.

"Accidentally, yeah," she shrugged.

"I only make added offerings to those I think deserve it," he admitted plainly. "I’m invested in your future here. The stipend is merely an encouragement for you to be invested in your future with KE in return."

"Hm," she hummed. "If so, then... did my performance last night prove to you that I’m serious about my future with KE?"

"You didn’t just prove to me that you’re serious," he murmured, rising from the couch. "You also proved that every single artist in this place is no match for you."

Kaija’s eyes slightly widened. Charles was standing before her now, his left hand resting on the edge of the window frame, right hand pressing against the window behind her.

Their faces were now mere inches away from each other, his silver gaze piercing into hers with an intensity she’d known so well by now.

Wasn’t this the very look she’d always seen of him, whenever he was locked inside her in a face-to-face position? And yet, he’d seemed so lukewarm at the judges’ table the entire night, that she could hardly tell whether he even wanted to see her on the stage or not.

"Look who’s talking," she teased, leaning back against the window. "I didn’t know you could be so smooth with your tongue. I didn’t win last night, remember?"

"You didn’t," he replied, burying his face in her neck and placing a kiss there, "and I’m going to look into it."

Then his lips traced up her neck, his low murmurs vibrating against her ear. "As for how smooth my tongue can be, do you need a little reminder?"