Second Time's a Charm (MxM)✔

Chapter 24 - Crime

Cains's sour attitude only got worse when he returned home to find that his half-brother had yet again ransacked his room. Only this time he'd gone as far as to destroy the valuable painting he still had hanging by his bedside.

He was glad he'd started hoarding the others in a safe house, waiting until his mansion was confirmed complete before decorating it, but this was still a blow to his future fortune.

Worse. He couldn't order Gideon or any of the servants to bar his half-brother from coming in here anymore, otherwise it would raise suspicion from the investigators.

Andrew wasn't very thorough at least, or he'd have discovered the loose board under his carpet, where he'd hidden his mask and coat along with various other incriminating items...

Needing to calm down and knowing someone may burst in again at any moment, he leaned a chair against his door and sat on it as he took out the mail he'd gotten, starting with the letter from Maddox.

'Unknown Owl,

I noticed you seemed to have stopped trampling on my business prospects since our last encounter. Perhaps that was what you were after all along? If you wanted to work together, you could have said so. You are welcome to come to my home to discuss any details you had in mind. Preferably sans fighting, but I wouldn't mind another round if you insist. You could do with a proper lesson anyways.

-S. Maddox

Cain blushed, slightly embarrassed to be reminded of his horrific fighting prowess. His super strength was not going to be enough to keep him protected if he ever found other strong enemies in the future. Perhaps he would take the man up on his offer? 

Flipping through the remaining letters, he found replies to his other business offers from before his imprisonment. Some of them were signed copies of his contracts, others were questions on why he was reaching out about an unfinished project in the first place. Plenty of them were old, so he decided it may be best not to reply at this point.

Tying the letters into a bundle, he quickly hid them in his secret floor cubby and removed the chair. From there, he had the maids clean his room up, with no excuse on why it had been trashed again. Though he overheard one of them mention hearing noises while Cain was out, so it was clear they knew Andrew had done it, which riled up his temper again.

Their piteous looks only increased as he stormed downstairs and burst through his Father's study doors, where the man was surrounded by guards and going over a map with a layout of Lena's last known whereabouts.

"Father, I insist you do something about Andrew!" He demanded, standing right in front of the stooped-over man while the guards looked on at the spectacle. "He not only destroyed my room, but he even went so far as to destroy my property!"

"Enough!" William raised a hand angrily. "I'm in the middle of something! Can't you wait till later?"

"This investigation has gone on for weeks, and this is the second time he's gone in and upturned my room. He may do so yet again if I wait!"

"You shouldn't be so concerned if you've got nothing to hide!"

Cain glared. "I HAVE nothing to hide. I just have things I'd rather not be smashed!"

"So you can pawn them off? Yes, I know!" The man slammed his hand down on the map and straightened. "How can you come in here acting so unruly when your mother is missing? That should be your priority! Not your gambling funds!"

"What?!" He snapped back. "This is not about-"

"Don't make excuses!" William suddenly rushed forward, finger in Cain's chest as he jabbed angrily at him. "Can't you see I have enough on my plate without you bickering with Andrew? He's put in so much work to help find your mother while you've done nothing!"