Kelvin turned around at the words and saw a figure dressed in black at the doorway, appearing to be in his early thirties.
He was of average height, not tall nor short, with a slightly chubby figure. He had a fair and refined face, accentuated by a pair of silver-framed glasses, which added to his scholarly elegance.
Kelvin assumed that this man must be Noe, the deputy CEO of NIGHTBREEZE and also Omari’s roommate.
“No worries, I came unannounced today,” said Noe. He had only caught glimpses of Kelvin at a few important gatherings before, but he was astonished by the handsome face of this young billionaire. Being in close proximity to him now, Noe could sense his extraordinary aura, which explained why he was such a successful individual.
“Mr. Foley, you’re too kind. It’s NIGHTBREEZE’s honor to have you visit. Please have a seat,” Noe said, gesturing towards a chair.
Noe wanted to shake hands, but he had heard that Mr. Foley had a germophobic tendency and never indulged in handshakes. So he refrained from approaching further, not wanting to risk an awkward situation.
After Kelvin sat down, Noe prepared a pot of tea with his own hands and placed it in front of him. “Mr. Foley, please have a taste. This is authentic Earl Grey tea.”
“Thank you,” Kelvin replied. He wasn’t particularly particular about food and beverages, and tea tasting was neither his hobby nor expertise. He took a sip and went straight to the point, stating his purpose, “Mr. Kirkland, no need for formalities. I believe you’re aware of the connection between Mr. Lara and me. I’m here on behalf of Cheyenne to inquire about Mr. Lara’s whereabouts.”
As Noe had been Omari’s roommate during their university days, he was well aware of Omari’s deep love for the lady known as “Cheyenne.” For her, Omari had remained chaste throughout their four years in college, rejecting any advances from the opposite sex.
For her, he had given up high-paying jobs abroad upon graduation and had chosen to return to the country without hesitation.
For her, he had put aside the ongoing cases, ready to lend his support to her at any moment of need.
…
Their aspirations for wealth and success differed from those around them. The Omari family was already affluent, with a prestigious position that commanded respect from the top of the social pyramid.
Omari’s dedication stemmed solely from a woman named Cheyenne.
NIGHTBREEZE had witnessed Omari’s deep affection for Miss Lawrence over the years. So it came as a surprise to Noe that Kelvin was the one trying to find Omari. He thought Kelvin would be delighted by Omari’s disappearance.
However, he had misunderstood. Kelvin disliked Omari, that was true, but he did not wish to witness the downfall of an exceptional man.
Perhaps… it was an unspoken understanding between rivals.
“In that case, I will directly inform Mr. Foley of the information we have regarding this matter. It all began with a child abuse case three months ago.”
Three months ago, as the pandemic subsided, various industries gradually returned to normal, including NIGHTBREEZE, whose business had suffered due to the outbreak. With the pandemic settling down, there was an influx of divorce cases, most seeking legal assistance for property disputes within marriages.
Amidst this hectic period, Omari proposed a charitable project-a month of free legal aid.
It was his response to the national call for solidarity.
As a prestigious international lawyer, it was already difficult to hire him even with substantial wealth, let alone for free.
During that time, there were many people looking for Omari, but he was selective, only choosing to help those who truly needed it. One case in particular involved domestic violence.
The child involved was named Juan Hood, a seven-and-a-half-year-old boy. Omari came into contact with him not because Juan sought him out, but through a video. The video was taken by a neighbor near Juan’s house, and it showed Juan lying in a dark ditch between two buildings, covered in blood.
His whole body was covered in blood and mud, making it difficult to determine his gender. His neck and limbs were chained, with one end of the chain secured to a wall. There was a circle of wire in the ditch, coated with glue. It was already pitiful enough that the child was chained, but being stuck to the wire with glue made it impossible for him to move.
Every night, his foster father would throw a piece of bread through the window for him to eat. When he was thirsty, he would drink the dirty water from a pipe. This went on for several days, and Juan became so weak and thin that he was nothing but skin and bones. In the hot weather, the ditch was filled with flies and mosquitoes, causing abscesses to form all over his body due to the infections.
Because of the bacterial infection, his wounds itched, and he could only alleviate the pain temporarily by rubbing against the iron chain underneath him, allowing the spikes to pierce his body. Only through this excruciating pain could he temporarily relieve his suffering. Being mute, he had no chance to cry out for help; he could only make feeble breathing sounds.
It wasn’t until a valuable doll accidentally fell into the ditch that the cat’s owner, came to search for it and discovered the child. The owner immediately called 911, and this incident made it to the newspaper, causing a sensation online.
Omari came across this news when he was reading the newspaper in the morning. Intrigued, he took the initiative to contact the journalist from the newspaper. To uncover the truth, he went to the hospital to visit Juan.
The doctor explained that because of long-term malnutrition and systemic fungal infections, Juan’s vital signs were extremely weak. It would require a significant amount of money for his treatment. Omari generously offered to cover most of the medical expenses, and additional funds came from donations received from the community.
At that moment, Juan’s foster father arrived at the hospital. He tearfully admitted his mistakes to Mr. Lara, explaining that he had been away dealing with matters in his hometown and was unaware of what had happened to the child.
As there was no evidence or clues to verify the foster father’s words at that time, Omari left the money behind and departed. Little did he know that the very next day, the man took Juan out of the hospital. When Omari and the local police returned to find Juan and his father, the doctor informed them that Juan had already been discharged.
Juan’s father had swallowed the money, and sadly, Juan couldn’t survive for more than three days before succumbing to his illness.
This incident deeply affected Omari, and he decided to sue Pablo Hood for domestic violence. During the investigation, it was discovered that Pablo was not Juan’s biological father, but his foster father-the one who had locked Juan in the ditch. It was his daughter who had been throwing bread from upstairs.
After years of marriage without children, Pablo and his wife had decided to adopt a child from the southwestern mountain region to carry on their family name. That child was Juan.
He had been a victim of trafficking, sold to Pablo when he was only six months old, shortly after being weaned. Coincidentally, shortly after bringing Juan home, Pablo’s wife became pregnant, and after ten months, gave birth to a daughter. By then, Juan was already a year and a half old, but still unable to speak. Pablo realized he had been deceived.
He had paid ten thousand for a mute child. Meanwhile, his wife had given birth to a daughter.