Chapter 114
ERICA
The sharp ring of the intercom on my desk pulled me out of my thoughts. 1 blinked at it for a second before pr
ame through, low and firm as always,
the button. Aiden’s wäre.
“Erica come to my office.”
He didn’t wait for a response before cutting the connection. Typical. I let out a slow exhale, bracing myself before standing up Just as I turned, Max was already moving to follow me. His massive frame loomeil behind me like a shadow,
I stopped, spun on my heels, at narrowed
wed my eyes at him.
- n. “Is this really necessary? Following me around inside the officer
Max shrugged unapologetically, his expression unreadable. “Ross’s onders”
I gritted my teeth, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. “Of course it is”
Without another word. I stormed off, the sound of my heels clicking against the sleek floors echoing through the hallway. The whole uruation was suffocating Knowing I had someone tailing me at all times, like a fragile little thing that needed constant protection, was frustrating beyond belief.
As I reached Aiden’s office, I didn’t bother knocking. I pushed the door open, only to immediately notice Aiden’s gaze shift from me to M
Maxx who stopped just a few steps behind me.
The scrutiny in his eyes sharpened, assessing, measuring. Max, on the other hand, regarded Aiden with cool indifference, like he couldn’t care les that he was standing before one of the most powerful men in the business world.
The silent tension between them didn’t go unnoticed by me, but before Alden could open his mouth to say something, my gaze flickered i who was seated on the couch in the office. Her presence took me by surprise.
- Freyt
The moment she saw me she stood
and walked over, pulling me into a warm, tight hug. For a brief second, I allowed myself to sink into t saching softly against her shoulder. Freya had a way of making people feel safe, and today, I needed that more than I cared to admit.
When the pulled back, her kind eyes searched mine. She didn’t ask about the pictures. Didn’t prod into anything. And for that, I was grateful. Because if she did, I ipnew the truth might slip out–the break–in, the stalking, the fact that I had to move into Gillian’s place for protection.
Instead, the simply asked, “Are you okay?”
1 forced a small smile. “I will be”
It wasn’t a lie, not entirely, I didn’t feel okay, but I had to believe I would be.
Freya audied me for a moment longer before nodding “What brings you here? You have a lunch date with this old grump?” I teased, nodding towards Aiden
see you
Freya snorted, while Auden shot me an unimpressed look from behind his desk. “No, I actually came
ly came to see yo
I didn’t know why her words sparked the faintest irritation in me. I knew she had the purest intentions, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that people wer landling me differently siner this whole thing happened. I wasn’t fragile. I wasn’t broken. And the worst part? They didn’t even know the full
op worrying
I stuffed on my feet, my sole coming out sharper than I intended. Tin tine, okay? All of you c
Freya dadn’t Huch, didn’t take offense. Instead, she added lightly “I know but that’s not why I came
waited to inate you over to our place for a girls night. Reyats and Bianca will be there too?
1hemated, procesungher words. Rayna had been barya’s best friend for years, and CircumstanceL. A survivor of the life alie had been forced into Bianca had found her
a was the woman Freya bad met under the moni cape through Freya And Freya, being the person she wa
Agarh night wi
to go. I just wasn’t sure if I was ready to be around people acung like everything was
| shifted slightly, unsure. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to
Kull, I found myself nodding. “Okay. I’ll be
Chapter 114
Freya grinned. “Great! Don’t be late, okay! I have a lot of things planned.”
I turned to Aiden with mock hesitation. “Did I say yes too soon!”
100
Aiden’s lips twitched slightly. “Oh, you’re going to regret it when she pulls out the matching bunny costumes.
Freya gasped dramatically, turning to glare at her husband. “Hilarious.
Aiden smirked at her, the way he always did when he got under her skin just enough to amuse himself. The sight of them, of their quier understanding and love for each other, made my chest ache in a way I couldn’t explain.
Aiden had proposed to Freya six months ago, shortly after their son, Weston, was born. He had flown her to Italy for the proposal–and not just her He flew all of us there, their friends, the people closest to them. It was beautiful. A breathtaking sunset, Aiden down on one knee, the sheer awe in Freya’seves
But they were wanting for Weston to turn one before getting married. The wedding would be in a few months. Another grand celebration, another moment of happiness that they truly deserved.
I looked at Freya, her eyes still shining with love and for a fleeting second, I wished I had something like that–something solid, something that wouldn’t slip through my fingers the moment I tried to hold on
My mind immediately wandered into forbidden territory.
Why did I think of Cillian! He was no one. He had been nice to me when I needed help but friends do that in times of need
But we were not friends were we! We had always either been at each other’s throat or we had ignored each other’s presence. There had been no in
between, ever.
Then why was I suddenly thinking about him!
I pushed that feeling away, focusing on the present.
Freya turned her attention back to me. “Seven sharp. I’ll see you then.”
I exhaled, letting the tension ease from my shoulders just a bit. Maybe this was what I needed. A distraction. A reminder that my life wasn’t just the nightmare 1 was currently living through
With that, I gave a small nod. “Alright. See you then”
And for the first time in a while, I almost believed that things might get better.
