TRIGGER MY HEART

Trigger My Heart

Chapter 4: Ten Years Later

Ten years had passed, but the world didn't feel better.

It felt colder.

The city had changed. Tall buildings touched the sky. Cars moved without sound. Everything looked new. People walked faster, spoke less, and smiled even less.

But inside Kai Harlan, nothing had changed.

He was twenty-six now. CEO of Harlan Corporation. The youngest in the company's history. The media loved him. The business world respected him. He had it all—money, power, a name that could open any door.

But behind closed doors, people called him something else:

The Ice King.

Kai didn't smile. He didn't talk much. He didn't care.

He had no warmth in his eyes. No softness in his voice. Everything about him was sharp and cold. His clothes were perfect. His timing was exact. His decisions were final.

He sat in his big office on the top floor, the city view behind him. But he didn't look outside.

He didn't care how beautiful the city was.

He didn't care how high he had climbed.

Because the person he once cared about the most… had vanished without a word.

---

His day started the same as always.

Alone.

His alarm went off at exactly 5:30 a.m. He didn't hit snooze. He never did. He got up, showered in silence, shaved, and put on his dark gray suit. He looked at himself in the mirror. He barely recognized the boy he used to be.

He ate breakfast in silence. The housekeeper had already laid it out. Eggs, toast, coffee. He didn't taste it. He ate because his body needed food, not because he wanted to.

He got into the black company car waiting outside. The driver nodded. Kai said nothing.

When he arrived at the Harlan Tower, everyone stood straighter.

"Good morning, Mr. Harlan."

He nodded once. That was all.

No one expected him to smile.

He walked through the halls like a storm in a suit.

His steps were quiet. His presence was loud.

He reached the top floor, where only the board and top executives had access. His office door opened automatically as he approached.

Mara, his assistant, was already waiting. "Your first meeting is at nine. Documents for the Mendez deal are on your desk. Also, your uncle called and said he's sending someone today."

Kai didn't look at her. "I told him I don't want a secretary."

"I know, sir. But he insisted."

Kai sat down. "Fine. Let him do what he wants. He always does."

---

He spent the next hour reading contracts, flipping pages, writing notes. His handwriting was neat, like his thoughts—clean, clear, and cold.

People feared how sharp his mind was. How he caught mistakes in seconds. How he always knew more than he said.

At exactly 11:03 AM, his phone rang.

Richard Harlan spoke with his usual loud voice. "Kai, I've sent the new hire"

Kai sigh tiredly. "Didn't need one."

"You need someone to help you with your schedule. You've been doing too much yourself and overworking Mara. This one is good. Trust me."

Kai clicked his tongue, annoyed. "I don't like strangers in my space."

Richard smiled. "Just give him a chance. He's not really a stranger."

Kai frowned. "What do you mean?"

Kai could feel Richard 's smirk through the phone "He's waiting outside. Call him in"

Kai looked down again at the paper on his desk. "Come in"

The door opened.

Soft footsteps entered the room.

Kai's hand froze. The pen stopped moving.

Something about that sound.

That rhythm.

He looked up.

And his heart stopped.

River.

He was standing there.

Older. Taller. Still soft in the face, but with sharper eyes. His black suit fit him perfectly. His hair was combed back. But the sadness in his eyes was the same.

Exactly the same.

Kai couldn't breathe.

He was sixteen again.

Sitting on a bench after school. Handing River an envelope. Promising ramen for life.

Waiting outside an arcade.

Knocking on a door that never opened.

His uncle's voice broke through on the phone . "His name is River Ellison. He'll be your personal secretary. Starting today."

River didn't speak.

"I will leave the rest to you" Richard said through the phone and cut the call.

Kai stood up slowly, as he dropped the phone on the desk.He didn't know what to feel. Pain? Anger? Betrayal?His heart pounded so loud he couldn't hear anything else.

"Hello Mr Harlan" said River

Out of mixed emotions, he brought out his gun from the shelf and pointed directly at him..