Chapter 23 - KAYLA THOUGHT GUNTHER HAD BOUGHT HER A LIFE IN SEATTLE
She arrived at Gunther’s house furious.
Again.
Gunther saw the housing packet.
His expression turned blank.
“I didn’t reserve this.”
Kayla stared.
“We’ve done this before.”
“Yes.”
“That answer was true last time.”
“It’s true now.”
“Woods Residential.”
“I sold it.”
She froze.
“What?”
“Three years ago.”
“To whom?”
“Woods Family Office retained the name under independent trustees.”
Kayla’s anger shifted.
“Victor?”
Gunther’s jaw tightened.
“Not anymore.”
They called.
The trustee responsible for Woods Residential answered immediately.
“Yes, Mr. Woods.”
“Did you reserve property for Kayla Hughes in Seattle?”
Pause.
“Yes.”
Gunther closed his eyes.
“Why?”
“Your standing family-protection protocol.”
Kayla stared.
“What protocol?”
The trustee explained.
For years, anyone designated as close family or high-threat associate of Gunther automatically triggered residential-security review when relocating.
Kayla’s name had been added during the federal trial because of credible retaliation threats.
The protocol had never been removed.
When her employment move surfaced in a commercial relocation database, Woods Residential automatically reserved a secure property.
No human asked Gunther.
No one asked Kayla.
The machine of his old life had moved around her without either of them touching it.
Gunther looked sick.
“Cancel it.”
Kayla held up a hand.
“Wait.”
He stopped.
She asked the trustee, “Would I be required to live there?”
“No.”
“Pay?”
“No.”
“Would anyone monitor me?”
“Exterior protective systems only.”
“Who has access?”
“Contract security under Woods Family Office.”
“No.”
Gunther said it immediately.
“Terminate the protocol.”
The trustee hesitated.
“Sir, threat assessment—”
“Terminate.”
Kayla looked at him.
Then corrected.
“Pause it.”
Gunther turned.
She continued.
“I want an independent assessment first.”
“If there’s a real threat, I want to know.”
“Then I choose what security I accept.”
Gunther nodded.
“Good.”
The trustee agreed.
After the call, Kayla sank into a chair.
“This is exhausting.”
Gunther sat across from her.
“My life has administrative trauma.”
She laughed despite herself.
Then became serious.
“Do you see why I keep wondering whether you’re behind things?”
“Yes.”
“Even when you aren’t, systems built around you still reach into my life.”
“Yes.”
“That’s what scares me.”
Gunther nodded.
“I’ll dismantle what I can.”
“Not because I’m moving.”
“Because no one should have automated protection they didn’t request.”
Good.
They spent the next month identifying legacy protocols.
Travel tracking.
Threat alerts.
Financial flags.
Security-designation lists.
Kayla discovered her name in seven systems.
Sam in four.
Victor in twelve.
Jacqueline in two.
Gunther looked at the spreadsheet.
“This is obscene.”
Kayla raised an eyebrow.
“You built it.”
“I know.”
“Growth.”
“Don’t.”
She smiled.
Long-distance began in October.
Seattle rain.
Chicago cold.
Calls.
Flights.
Missed dinners.
Time zones.
Gunther visited after asking.
Always.
Kayla built her program.
Elias became her boss but maintained boundaries.
No flirting.
No emotional ambiguity.
One evening, after a brutal board meeting, he hugged her.
She hugged back.
Then stepped away.
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”
Elias smiled.
“You know, for someone everyone said would become dependent on a billionaire, you’re aggressively difficult to help.”
Kayla laughed.
“Thank you.”
“I think.”
Gunther called that night.
She told him about the meeting.
About Elias.
Everything.
Gunther listened.
No jealousy until the end.
“Did he hug you?”
Kayla smiled.
“Yes.”
“I hate Seattle.”
“You haven’t even mentioned the weather.”
“I hate him more.”
“He’s your least favorite cardiologist?”
“He’s not a cardiologist.”
“See? You don’t even know him.”
“I know enough.”
Kayla laughed.
Long distance was hard.
But it worked.
May you like
Until Gunther appeared in Seattle six weeks later without telling her.
And Kayla saw him walking out of a real-estate office.
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