Caspian made it back to the bedroom without any incidents, quickly getting rid of all of his clothes to he could clean up.
The shower’s steam did help him feel better, and he went straight to bed afterwards.
Unfortunately, he had already taken a nap late in the morning so he couldn’t fall asleep again, stuck with his thoughts under the covers.
The fact that he would have dinner with Asher weighed heavily on his shoulders. In a way, the Mafia King being so tolerant only served to compound his problems.
Because if he had been caught on the first night, he would have known his fate instead of being several feet deep into a lie that wore him down.
Caspian couldn’t even bring himself to wear clothes, lying down in bed while wearing a robe, which was a terrible idea considering that Asher could walk in at any time.
The hours went by slow, a gentle breeze in the room although the curtains were drawn.
He must have dozed off because he woke up at sundown with a start, his robe slipping down a shoulder as he tried to figure out where he was.
It was clear he had slept too much if he woke up thinking he was still back in Moonstone, he sat up and just stared into the distance for a bit.
He knew he needed to get up and put some clothes on but he still sat for a bit longer. And because nothing ever went right for him, there was a knock on the door then.
Caspian started, holding his robes close, a look of trepidation on his face.
The door opened shortly after to reveal a maid holding a tray, "I was directed to bring you dinner," She informed him.
Caspian frowned slightly, "Just for me?"
"Yes," The maid smiled patiently, leaving just as abruptly as she came.
Caspian eyed the door for several minutes after she left, certain that Asher would come marching through it.
That thought was enough to push him to his feet, he walked to the bathroom to get dressed, trying to figure out the hidden ploy behind this.
The only loose tops were see-through so he had to wear lacy underwear that was halfway between a vest and a bra. After getting dressed, he threw on the robe, his feet cozy in the new slippers he found as he sat down to eat.
He remained on guard even then, constantly expecting the door to open and reveal the very last person he wanted to see.
Jael finally had enough as the day came to an end, he would tell Asher what he had found out.
Keeping it from him just didn’t feel right, and seeing that the boss was yet to even mention it, he couldn’t keep waiting for the right moment.
Finding Asher was easy, the Mafia King had a home study he rarely used because he never took a day off...
And just like that Jael was back to wondering how Asher hadn’t found out yet.
"I did a background check on Cassia," He announced as he strode in, a polite knock the only warning to his entrance.
Asher was doing some filing at his desk, the Alpha not even gracing him with a look. "And I remember telling you not to."
Jael didn’t slow down, confident that his boss would find the information he discovered just as important as he did. "Well, I’m going to tell you anyway," He said stubbornly.
"Son of a bitch," Asher muttered under his breath, finally looking up.
"I’ve got your attention now, great." Jael sat down without any invitation.
"Well?" Asher prodded when his second-in-command said nothing more, sitting up.
"Noticed anything odd about her?" Jael started in a roundabout manner.
It wasn’t exactly easy to straight up tell his boss that the Omega he had bought for sex at an auction was male.
Asher looked unimpressed by this tactic, why was he being interrogated? "Do you have a report to make or not?"
Of course, there were several things odd about Cassia, it was why he was seated in his study working after taking the day off because of her.
There was always a niggling thought in his mind, a piece of information just out of reach, a final piece of the puzzle refusing to fit.
"I do," Jael gave in. "I went to the auction organizers and got info on who sold her."
"Do I know them?" Asher asked despite himself.
"No, he’s a small-time thug. He kidnapped your Omega off the street and sold him off."
Asher’s frown was just as painful as Jael had been when he first heard those words from Frank, and he knew that the Mafia King would need a moment to process his words.
Asher’s frown quickly smoothened out, however, the Alpha went silent as he considered the implication of his words.
Jael studied him closely, he had expected more of a reaction than that, but other than his initial confusion, Asher didn’t even look surprised.
"You already knew." He accused, irked that he had spent the entire day in a tizzy because of it.
Asher shrugged and leaned back in his seat, tendrils of his long dark red hair falling out of his low ponytail.
"I had my suspicions. But my dick doesn’t care and neither do I."
Jael had been the one to bring such shocking news but he was the only one stunned. However, it was so in line with what Asher would do, that he recovered quickly.
"His name is Caspian Mendez, and he’s new to Haines." He rattled off, choosing to have selective amnesia regarding his boss’ last words.
"I’m still investigating him, there’s no leads to go off on so it’ll take a while."
Asher couldn’t be more blatantly disinterested in what he had to say, his expression taking on a thoughtful look that couldn’t be anything good.
"I also handled the thugs responsible," He tagged on, unbothered by Asher’s disinterest. "So what’s your plan?" He asked bluntly, knowing that that was the only way to get anything out of Asher.
Asher glanced over, completely composed. "There’s no plan. Nothing changes."
"Right," Jael muttered, getting to his feet.
He was the second-in-command to a Mafia King, not a love counselor. Asher could handle his romantic life just fine.