Dominate Showbiz: Media Tycoon Discovered My Talent-Chapter 29: Talk to Me!
Kaija was stunned upon recognizing his voice, but her mind quickly snapped back to the crucial conversation that might decide her fate.
"I’m okay," she replied, trying to keep her voice calm, "I’m still in one piece."
"They’re not hurting you?" he asked, his tone was tight with worry.
"No, I’m just... kept in a room." Her eyes flicked toward the old man, who was still standing there, watching and listening to every word. Her voice lowered. "Charles, what is this about?"
"I can’t explain everything right now," he said, softer now. "But I’ll get you out of there. Soon. Just don’t do anything reckless."
"I won’t," she said, though my chest felt heavier rather than relieved. "Are you okay? Did I cause you any trouble?"
"Time’s up," the old man interrupted, taking the phone from her hand before she could say more. "Thank you for your cooperation, Miss Sepala." He turned to leave.
"Wait!" she called after him. "Who are you? Who do you work for?"
The man glanced over his shoulder, his eyes as sharp as a knife. "I’m afraid if I answered any of your questions, you wouldn’t make it out of here alive, Miss Sepala."
A chill ran down her spine. Her gaze lowered. "You have the wrong person. I have no value to Charles Kosonen, or to you, or your boss."
His expression didn’t change. "If that were true, you wouldn’t be sitting here warm and well-fed like a guest, Miss. Now, please, continue enjoying your stay with us."
The door closed behind him with a quiet click.
She threw some punches in the air out of frustration. Couldn’t anybody at least tell her what the hell was going on? She felt like she was the only clueless person in this whole grave situation.
She walked up to the door and peered through the tiny gap between the two flaps. The old man was still lingering outside. Someone else was outside with him. She pressed her ear to the door.
The old man’s stern voice came first. "Our guest has finished the call just as I instructed, Young Master."
"How did she receive it?" A young male voice replied, soft and calm.
Upone hearing the voice, Kaija froze in place. Did she just hear that wrong, or had she gone mad from being locked up? The young man’s voice sounded eerily familiar to someone she’d known so well.
"She seemed as calm as when she first arrived," the old man replied. "She only confirmed with Charles Kosonen that she wasn’t hurt. She also asked a few questions, which was natural for someone in her position. I gave her no answer."
"Good," the young man said. "Make sure you monitor her stay closely until Kosonen gets back to us on our little request."
"Of course, Young Master," the old man replied.
Kaija gripped the door handle, trying to steady her trembling hands. Now that she’d heard the voice spoken twice, she couldn’t possibly be mistaken.
It was Juho’s voice.
At this point, she couldn’t possibly stay calm anymore. Every last bit of composure she’d managed to hold these past three days shattered in an instant.
"Juho," she whispered, clenching her fists.
Rage and disbelief surged through her, overwhelming her senses like a forest fire. With all her strength, she slammed against the door.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
"Juho!" she shouted, "Is that you? Answer me, Juho! Open this door!"
No response came. Nothing.
Her anger spiked higher. She pounded the door again, harder this time. Her voice rose, sharp with fury. "OPEN THE DAMN DOOR AND TALK TO ME, JUHO! I HEARD YOUR VOICE! TALK TO ME!"
Clack!
The door swung open.
The face staring back at her was indeed of the young, handsome man with emerald eyes and soft black hair she’d come to adore so much. The same man who’d taken her breath away just three months ago. The same man who’d pressed his lips against hers with barely restrained passion just last week.
She could feel the blood draining from her face looking at those lovely, brilliant eyes. They were calm now, colder, unmoving as they stared down at her.
"Kaija," he said simply, as if greeting her.
She had no patience left for being nice to him anymore. "What is the meaning of all of this?" she gripped his shirt, yanking furiously. "At least tell me what the hell is going on!"
The old man quickly stepped forward and gripped her wrist, his face murderous as he growled, "Let go, Miss!"
"Gustav," Juho said, his expression calm. "Leave us."
The old man immediately released his hand, stepping back at Juho’s command without protest. "Yes, Young Master," he said with a respectful bow before turning to leave without looking back.
None of that eased the anger and hurt still coursing through her veins and burning her mind right now. She wasn’t just mad at Juho. She felt betrayed.
"Would you like to sit down and talk, or do you prefer we stay like this?" Juho asked, his voice cold. He calmly glanced down at her hands, still clutching his white shirt, before lifting his gaze back at her, his face a blank expression.
She didn’t let go. She pulled him down further, her voice rising. "I don’t care! I want answers! Tell me now!"
"Alright, I’ll tell you." He raised both hands in surrender, smirking. "But haven’t I treated you well since you first got here? Can we just talk like we normally do?"
He knew damn well they couldn’t! But gosh, she hated how he had a point! She held back the urge to throw a punch at him, let go of his shirt, turned to the bed, and sat down with her arms folded tightly across her chest.
"That color looks lovely, though," he commented casually, gesturing at her hair. "It suits you."
She shot him an intense glare. "Talk now before I lose my temper again."
Juho didn’t seem bothered by her attitude. He remained calm, walked over to the bed, and sat down next to her, his fingers interlaced in his lap. "It’s complicated," he said, clicking his tongue. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶
"I’ve got all the time in the world now that I’m your hostage, Juho," she scowled.
"What do you want to hear first?"
"Start by telling me who you are. I don’t even know whether your name is actually Juho or what."
The corner of his mouth lifted. "It is. But my last name isn’t."
