Chapter 7 Something's Off with Raiden

• Raiden was in a meeting, and his phone was placed on the table next to him. When he heard the notification sound, he glanced at it and saw a text message from Ellie. Then, his gaze paused briefly.
• Stefan, who was giving a presentation, was skilled at observing people's expressions and moods. He stopped speaking when he noticed Raiden's distraction and couldn't help but sneak a look at Raiden's phone. He only managed to see the name "Isabelle" before Raiden flipped his phone and placed it face down on the table. Raiden then raised his gaze to look at Stefan.
• Stefan had a moment of hesitation as he thought that Raiden might be about to criticize him. But instead, Raiden just gave him a cold look and said, "Continue!"
• Stefan nodded reluctantly and continued with the design proposal he hadn't finished explaining. However, as soon as he finished speaking, Raiden's brows furrowed.
• "Who approved this garbage proposal?" he asked. His voice was not loud, but it instantly raised the tension in the already strained meeting room to its peak.
• Stefan was taken aback by the question and hesitated as he glanced at Raiden for a moment before falling silent.
• Since Raiden didn't get an answer, he shifted his gaze to the others in the room.
• The other attendees immediately lowered their heads and pretended to be deep in thought. They were afraid to meet Raiden's gaze and be singled out.
• "Can't anyone answer?" Raiden asked.
• No one dared to speak up.
• Their seeking eyes turned discreetly toward Stefan for help.
• Stefan, who served as Raiden's special assistant and the company's vice president, was always the one to handle the firing line in the meeting room, especially in recent times.
• Even the most obtuse person could sense that something was off with Raiden. It wasn't that he had become irritable or critical, but he seemed to be carrying an unexplainable low mood, and he had become unusually demanding when it came to work. His gaze carried an icy aura wherever it passed.
• Most importantly, he seemed to be suffering from memory lapses or, perhaps, absent-mindedness.
• Under the scrutiny of their colleagues, Stefan felt immense pressure. He could usually handle the heat, but this time, he wondered if he could take it. He lowered his head while trying to minimize his presence as much as possible. However, Raiden's gaze followed everyone and eventually landed on him.
• "Since everyone is looking at you, Mr. Martinez, please answer on behalf of everyone," Raiden said, then glanced at the large screen displaying the Estronean architectural design blueprints behind Stefan. "Who approved this garbage proposal?"
• Stefan hesitated to respond. It felt like everyone was conspiring against him.
• Raiden looked at him and said, "Mr. Martinez?"
• Stefan looked at Raiden with a forced smile and said, "I... don't know." He couldn't find the courage to say more.
• Raiden gave him a brief look before shifting his gaze to the others.
• One by one, the other attendees avoided eye contact and pretended to be deeply engrossed in their thoughts.
• "Mr. Duke, what do you say?" Raiden randomly called out.
• Van Duke, who had been singled out, glanced at Stefan with trepidation and then threw the question back to Stefan. "Mr. Martinez... is in charge of this project."
• Raiden's gaze returned to Stefan. "Stefan."
• Stefan looked at his colleagues, who were pretending to take detailed notes with their heads down, then hesitated as he turned his attention back to Raiden. He was torn between speaking up or remaining silent.
• Raiden said, "Speak your mind."
• Stefan gritted his teeth. "You approved it, Mr. Galloway." Then, he softly added, "Last night."
• The meeting room fell into silence.
• Stefan, glancing discreetly at Raiden, noticed an unusual hint of surprise on Raiden's typically composed and handsome face. Raiden, in turn, returned his attention to the design blueprints displayed on the screen. Assessing Raiden's expression, Stefan inquired cautiously, "Mr. Galloway, have you been... feeling off lately? Is everything okay?"
• Raiden's expression had already returned to calm. "I'm fine. I apologize for my oversight. The design needs to be redone. The meeting is adjourned." With those words, he picked up his phone, which he had placed face down on the table, and left the room.
• As the meeting room door closed, the previously tense atmosphere immediately relaxed.
• Someone asked in confusion, "Mr. Galloway seems to be going through something lately. He's not acting like himself. What’s going on?"
• "Yes. I've noticed that too, and he even seems absent-minded."
• "I feel the same way. It's not like him at all. Could something be happening in his personal life?"
• They exchanged a few more jokes and returned to the office.
• Their office was adjacent to Raiden's office, and there were several other assistants in the room. They were originally discussing their work in a relaxed manner, but when Raiden passed by, they immediately straightened up, sat upright, and focused their gaze, avoiding any random glances. However, this seriousness relaxed when they saw Stefan enter, and one by one, they secretly heaved a sigh of relief.
• Stefan smiled as he tapped the heads of a few of his colleagues with his documents. "Behave yourselves!"
• Raiden’s temper was not bad. Although he was a workaholic, he never imposed the same level of dedication on his employees. He treated his staff kindly, offering higher salaries than the other industry peers. He was a very good boss. However, his strong presence and his generally strict and unapproachable demeanor created an atmosphere in which no one dared to be impertinent in his presence, even though he was not strict in his day-to-day interactions with employees.
• This was probably the aura of an upper-class person. Stefan thought as his gaze passed through the office area and landed on Raiden inside the room.
• Raiden had already taken a seat in his office chair, and his phone was tossed to the corner of his desk.
• Stefan suspected that this bad mood was related to the name "Isabelle" that he had accidentally glimpsed earlier.
• Raiden had entrusted Stefan to handle the divorce proceedings with Isabelle's lawyer, so he was aware of their divorce. However, the reason for their divorce remained unclear to Stefan.
• He knew that Raiden had been acting increasingly strange during this period, and Raiden's behavior had become even more erratic and severe ever since he informed Raiden about Isabelle's intention to sell their house. Raiden couldn't even remember design proposals that he had previously approved.
• ...
• Raiden, in his office turned his gaze to his phone, which he had carelessly left in a corner of his desk after a brief moment of silence. He hesitated for a moment, then reached out to pick up the phone. He opened Ellie's WhatsApp message and then the attached photo. He immediately saw Isabelle, who appeared lost in thought at the bar, and Hamza, who was gazing at Isabelle.
• His actions came to a brief halt as he looked at the two individuals in the photo. The candid shot was taken under a dim light, and every detail of their expressions was vivid and on point.
• As a man, Raiden clearly understood what the gaze of the man looking at Isabelle with such affection represented. It wasn't just admiration or fleeting interest; it was an intense love.
• He didn't know who this man was, and he had never seen Isabelle have any picture of this man.
• Isabelle...
• Raiden's long finger paused slightly on his phone. He suddenly realized that he had never even checked her phone. Where did he get the notion of having seen or not seen that man?
• Stefan noticed that Raiden's eyes were gradually becoming sharper and colder as if they could freeze the air. Raiden's handsome face had lost almost all expression but was eerily calm. This calmness reminded Stefan of the calm before the storm.
• He thought that Raiden might stir up something, but instead, he saw Raiden tap the photo back and reply to the message on his phone.
• 'It's someone I arranged for her. Don't worry about it.'
• After sending the message, he turned off the phone and tossed it aside before calling out to Stefan, "Stefan!"
• "Coming." Stefan quickly stepped forward while adopting a professional demeanor. "Mr. Galloway, may I help you with something?"
• Raiden looked up at him. "What time is the meeting with Mr. Patton? Is he already in the meeting room?"
• Stefan nodded promptly. "The meeting is set for ten minutes from now, and he's already in the conference room."
• "Good." Raiden nodded, picked up the meeting materials from his desk, and stood up. "You should come along too."
• Stefan nodded. "Certainly." He couldn't help but hesitate as he glanced at the phone left behind on the table. He subtly reminded Raiden. "Mr. Galloway, if you have an urgent matter, I can—"
• "No need." Raiden cut him off with a low voice. Then, he left the room.
• Stefan hesitated for a moment while looking at the abandoned phone. Then, he followed after Raiden.