Chapter 57
I walked into the bedroom and found Freya sitting comfortably in the lounge chair and reading a book. Her hair was up and loose bun, a few strands framing her face. On hearing nie enter the room, she looked up, her lips curving up in a serene smile, Fuck, she was beautifull
“Hey!” She mumbled, putting the book down. I was still standing at the door gazing at her like a lovesick puppy.
“Hey” I walked further into the room. “Carlos said you made dinner.
“Yeah. Thought that would be a nice way to show how much I appreciated the flowers. She came and leaned into me, her arms coming around my neck. I wrapped mine around her waist and pulled her closer. Up this close, her eyes looked even more enchanting, more green.
“So you liked the flowers. I stated, casting a quick glance at the flowers that rested in a clear vase on the nightstand.
“Yes. I love peonies” Her eyes twinkled with humour. “Although Reyna said that a blowjob says the best thank you.
Involuntarily my grip on her waist tightened. Images of Freya on her knees and her soft pink lips wrapped around my cock filled my mind. My eyes dropped to her lips and I groaned.
“She sounds like a wise woman.” I muttered. Always knew I liked this girl. She was a good friend.
Freya drags her hands down my chest, smirking. “Yeah? Then let me show you how thankful I am.”
She gets on her knees in front of me while maintaining eye contact. I swear I had never had any of my dreams come true so fast. Freya pulled the zipper down and took my cock out. She gave it a few strokes before closing her lips around it.
I hissed at the warmth of her mouth. She took it as an encouragement and went faster, hollowing her cheeks. It didn’t take her long to push me over the edge. She was way too fucking good at it and in no time I was shooting my cum inside her mouth. She swallowed every drop and smiled up at me through her watery eyes.
I grabbed her face and kissed her on the mouth, tasting myself on her.
“Fuck baby. That was. I might just have to buy every flower shop in the city”
She let out a soft chuckle, full of satisfaction. The sound of it did things to my heart. Weird things.
urge to touch her, to feel her skin. I was afraid that this
“I need to fuck you right now.” I muttered, stealing another kiss. There was this constant u urge would kill me one day.
“Yes, please” She wrapped her arms around me and that’s all the invitation I needed, 1 picked her up heading straight for the bed where we do unimaginable things to each other, dirty dirty things.
When I walked in through those doors, everything was set up. ‘Sips and Stories. That was the new brand name for the Ink and Pages stores that would be remodeled. For now just this one.
I was on one final inspection of the place I had spent months picturing. Because of different issues, this was getting delayed. Work on this finally began last month and it took the entire three and a half weeks before we were ready to open. Tonight. No shit, I was fucking nervous just thinking about when gisests would start coming in
Connor had sent invites to a lot of important people. All business people. And the paparazzis were already here. I rubbed my sweaty hands on my dress and went straight towards Avery who was managing everything for me. She had been here the whole day, standing on her feet since the Thothing
ing here actually helped.
She refused to go lume laut to le
be honest I was grateful she was here. I was a nervous wreck and her being
“Avery—” i was ruit off inmediately
“For the milleth
good” She said in one irralli, like a well remembered vene. Well I had been persistently weighing her down with my anxiety all day and maybe
li time, yes, a taste test was dase on all the signature confectionaries, yes they taste good and yes everything else is in place. You’re ‘inillionth time” wasn’t that much of an exaggerations.
I breathed out, trying to let go of one of that energy and smiled at her. “I know I have been a wreck today”
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Chapter 57
rd! Here it comed!TM
She groaned, “Oh lord“”
“You know I can’t thank you enough.”
“shut up
She held up one finger with a look that was supposed to be scary. In reality, this woman didn’t have a scary bone in her body. She was one of the most affectionate people ever.
“No, seriously. Thank you. I couldn’t have done it without you.” Even though she wasn’t a fan of accepting gratitude, I had to say it. Because every word I muttered, I meant it. She was the backbone of my business and I always give credit where it’s due.
“I’m inclined to believe that you get some sick pleasure out of watching me cry because you damn well know this is going to get me crying” Avery protested and she wasn’t even lying. Her eyes were actually welling up. I chuckled before hugging her.
“I’m sorry”
She lightly shoved me. “Go away!
I was dismissed as she sauntered back into the kitchen. All the previous nervousness came rushing back. God! It felt like the first time I was presenting my school in an interschool debate competition. I was living that day all over again.
“Are you going to faint!” I was startled by the sudden voice that cut through my thoughts. I hadn’t realized when Connor had walked up to me. He had cleaned up well, sharp yet approachable in a semi–formal attire.
“What?” I mumbled, my brain lagging because of all the stress.
“You seem nervous. So I’m asking if you’re going to faint on me. That won’t be a good look in front of the media.” He stared at me, amusement in his eyes. He was joking while I was a bundle of nerves. There was no trace of nervousness in his face.
faint
“I hope not. It’s just this is huge, Inks and Pages is a big brand. And it’s partnering up with a small cafe. People are going to have some mighty expectations.”
went quiet for good few seconds. His eyes narrowed slightly as he gave a gentle shake of his head, almost like he
he was disappointed in me. “Give yourself a little credit. And you should know I only do what’s good for my business. I’m an excellent businessman.”
“And a humble one.” I teased even though I knew what he meant to say. He shrugged, not quite denying
* Knight coming to join your
“He is” I confirmed before I remembered to ask what I had been meaning to
to “Did yo
you guys talk?”
ould hurve missed the slight grimace if I hadn’t been observing him carefully. These men and their egos.
“Figured” I muttered just then a woman made her way to us. She looked young, probably in her early twenties. Pin straight chocolate brown hair that barely toured her shoulders, dark hazel eyes and curves in all the right places, In fewer words she was beautiful, made for the runway.
“Mr. Warren Mr. Zhou sends his apologies. Said he can’t attend the launch because of some personal problems. Her eyes were solely trained on him and I had a feeling that she was trying to avoid looking at me.
“Noted” Connor’s reply was clipped. Both of them just stared, none more awkward by the second. I took a step back
making
a move. The air had somehow gotten thick with tension. It was getting
Til just go over there” Maybe I should’ve just left without a word judging by the way they were busy staring each other down, I doubt my exit would have been notu ed
Connor marked a land out and touched my back, bringing me back to where I was standing previously. The woman’s gaze sharpened where Connor’s hand disappeared behind nur “No, I’m worry. I should’ve introduced you. Freya is any business partner. And this is Nera. My personal
beren eyes mapper back to his face, hostility burning in them. They were met with an uadifference in Connor’s gaze. I was no stupid. I had an
canes you.” I smiled at her. She finally acknowledged me, directing her cold stare at me. She didn’t like me and although the seran irr woodd be settled by that fart, I was amused given the situation.
“You too. If youdi ruse nr She stormer away to the back of the store. Connor’s lundi word, his eyra till she was new visible any mor. I turned to face lum
that was tou
ching me fell to his side, as he followed her
Chapter 57
“She’s really pretty. I quipped which brought his attention back.
“What?”
My lips curved up in a teasing smile. “Nera. She’s very pretty. So you like them young?”
His lips were pursed, a displeased look on his face which further confirmed my suspicion.
“Go back to biting your nails” He muttered which just made me gun wider
Chapter 58
FREYA
“Mommy!” Gia’s voice pulled my attention from some of the people I was talking to. She let go of her father’s hand and sprinted her way to
“Hey, Sweetheart! Did you come to support Mommy?”
She nodded big and hugged me. Initially we did not plan on bringing her to the opening party laut last night she insisted on coming. She wanted to be her for my big day: Gosh! 1 didn’t know where she was learning these things. But it was really sweet and honestly, my big day‘ would have been incomplete without her. She was such a big part of my life. My sweet girl.
“Oh, is this your daughter?” The lady I had been speaking to, Ellen, gushed, smiling at Gia. She was a senior editor at a media company that mainly worked on online magazines and articles and was here to cover the launch of Sips and Stories.
“Yes. Her name’s Gia” I said, glancing at her.
“You have a beautiful name darling” She crouched a little to get Cia’s attention.
Given her shy nature, she grabbed my hand before responding to her. “Thank you”
“You’re welcome.”
“If you’ll excuse me.” I said to Ellen, rising to my full height.
“Of course
In the meantime I had scanned the room for Aiden because obviously Gia was here with him. I found him, and he was already looking at me. He was in a black polo t–shirt, tucked in his dress pants and a dark gray blazer. How could a man look so gorgeous in every single thing he wore. God definitely had his favorites. And it was embarrassing how hot and bothered I was by him. I think I had a crush on my boyfriend.
Halfway to Aiden, Cia had seen Avery and she called out for her. “Avery!” She let go of my hand and ran in her direction. Avery waiting for her.
“Slow down.” I warned her but that fell on deaf ears. When I saw she had reached where Avery was, I turned back towards Aiden. “You’re late.” I stated, walking to him.
“You’re beautiful” He responded and he was good at saying the right things at the rig
at the right time
I was caught off guard by the sudden compliment and was at a loss for words for a few seconds. “You can’t do that!” I exclaimed,
lul been
“Do what?” Aiden hit me with an innocent look while snaking his hands around my waist. I rested my hands on his chest as he pulled me closer. “Sweet–talk your way out of everything
Tim sorry” He apologized but he hardly looked the part. “But it’s true. You are beautiful. And that dress on you! Makes me want to peel it off ravish you
I had to try very hard to not choke on air and appear composed, like his words weren’t tempting me to let him take me back home. “Yeaht Is that conight’s plant” I asked, my face warming up.
“As soon as Cia goes to bed He promised and I would recoge that look in his eyes at any time. It was a look of pure desire that had my insides singling Leleared my throat, attempting to wipe off that horny expression off my face. Not a good look with a house full of strangers and important people
I detangled from him, putting som
some distance between us. Such close proximity to me tampered with my ability to think properly.
He kissed my leek Wu don’t need ut. Becau
ause my wife in already amazing”
“Okay, stop” I playfully but him even thigh I’t check my smile.
“Fine. I’ll stop Now go and talk to je
to people?
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Chapter 58
“Will you talk to Connor?” I asked, hoping that he would at least give him a chance. In the past days that I have spent with Connor, he seemed decent. Maybe he wasn’t lying, and if it was the case, I didn’t want Aiden to lose a close friend because of some misunderstanding.
His face hardened just a bit at my suggestion.
“Go.” He chose not to respond to it. I didn’t push him further. If they wouldn’t talk today, I would just have to find a way to make them. But first I needed this evening to pass smoothly.
AIDEN
“Knight.”
in my life.
Great. This was great. Just what I needed! It was a voice I recognized all too well, a voice I had never planned on hearing again in Unfortunately he had somehow woven his way into my life owing to the fact that he was Freya’s business partner.
On top of that Freya had been on my case for months now, since that fundraiser gala, She wanted me to give Connor a chance to explain himself. I wasn’t convinced that he had anything worthwhile to say but there was this one problem. When it came to Freya, it seemed I had lost my ability to say no. I could not just refuse her, so 1 had tried my best to avoid the topic until now.
“Warren.” 1 clipped, making sure my tone was reflective of the apathy felt towards him.
Connor thrust his hands inside his pant pockets. “So cold. You can hold a grudge, huh?”
“I’m sorry, am I hurting your delicate feelings?” He surely caught the mockery in my words. He smiled, gently shaking his head once, almost to
himself.
“Will you ever give me the chance to explain!”
If not mistaken, I felt like I heard a faint note of frustration in his question, even though he was doing a near perfect job of hiding it. I could imagine Freya giving me the puppy eyes to let him explain and I was about to give in. I was truly fucked.
“I wouldn’t have if it was up to me but for some reason my girlfriend thinks that I should hear you out.” I was annoyed by the situation and I made sure it was clear in my tone. “Seriously, what bullshit did you feed her!”
He let out an amused chuckle. “I can feed you the same bullshit if yo
you are ready to listen.”
“Get on with it.” I muttered, wanting to be done with this episode as soon as possible.
“Let’s step outside.”
Chapter 59
FREYA
lex” Chlor gave my hand a gentle
and Chlor wanted me to bake a cake for
yes. Filbe sure to visit by the end of this week. My daughter’s picky but I bet she’s going to love your cake squeeze. She was Connie’s sister and the kindest woman ever. She had a daughter who was about to tur her birthday.
I laughed. “Well, that’s the hope.”
“Freya, am I right?” A snobby voice interjected our conversation. A short woman in her mid forties, a fake smile and unkind eyes.
“You are.
“So nice to meet you, dear.” I didn’t even know this woman but I had a bad feeling about how she carried herself. Condescension dripped from every syllable she uttered..
Your first venture and you’re already in the field with the big boys. Being Aiden Knight’s girlfriend surely helps, huh?” Chloe inhaled sharply. I on the other hand froze at what she was trying to say. She was implying that the only reason I was here today was because I was sleeping with Aiden.
“Excuse me?” I sputtered, disbelief coating my tone. Thinking this in their mind is one thing. Straight up saying it on my face is a whole different
level of insolence.
“I’m just saying that it’s wonderful how far personal connections can get you, isn’t it?” She laughed, although the only person amused was her. That amusement however faded when a looming presence joined us. Aiden. I could recognise the smell of his aftershave anywhere. It brought me an odd sense of comfort. He was behind me, a palm placed against my belly. The heat seeping through made my body involuntarily relax in his
I looked up to find his unforgiving eyes trained on the woman in front of us. He offered her a dangerous smile of his own.
“Julia, I heard about your interior design business. Wonder why it couldn’t get off the ground. I wish I could help you with my connections and all but Owen has already tried everything, havn’t he?”
Chloe smothered her laugh with a cough. Julu, on the other hand, didn’t look happy. Her face had turned a bright shade of red as she tried to live down the humiliation she had suffered served her right for such outrageous accusations. Allen hadn’t pulled strings to get me here and even if he would have referred me somewhere, the reference would have done shit if I didn’t have the skills to back it up
I was surprised by how this one evening had done wonders in building up my confidence because for once I was admitting that I had the chops.
“Good niglu, Aiden. Freya” Julia glared at both of us before trotting her way out. She would have preferred to throw a fit but I had a feeling that Aiden’s presence stopped her from doing that. In every public event that I have accompanied Aiden to, I love observed how people try to appease him or at the very least not get in his shit list.
“That woman is a spiteful bitch” Chloe muttered once Julia had left. I chuckled.
“Yeah! Couldn’t tell.” From what I gathered by Aiden’s words, this woman had a business which wasn’t successful in spite of all the connections that this “Owen‘ had. That would explain her bitterness and need to bring down others.
“Aiden.” Chloe walked closer towards Aiden.
“Chloe Aiden responded in a similar tone.
“I haven’t seen you in such a long time. How long has it beent” She placed her hand on his arm. “Ten yeapt All because of some stupid fight you two had. Connie wouldn’t even tell me what it was about.”
Right. Chloe was Connor’s sister. She obviously knew his b
his best friend. And guessing by the interaction they l
had an raw telationship
“Don’t. You’re not getting it out of me.” Aiden smiled at her
She rolled her eyes. “Fine. But you’re grownups now. Just sort it out. You two were best friends fur trud’s “Good to see you Chloe” He pu
purposefully moded her request which brought a smile out of her
“Idiots” She shook her head and walked away
ay after waving bye to the
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Chapter 39
“You two seemed awfully close.” I dryly noted once we were l
left alone. Aiden’s li
lips twitched, a spark of amusement in his eyes.
He gently grazed my check with the back of his hand. “Do 1 hear jealousy, darling?”
“Oh please. I don’t do jealous.” I was lying through my teeth. With how they talked, they seemed awfully close and well I had read too many books with best friend’s sister trope. Even if something was there it didn’t matter because it’s in the past but that didn’t stop me from feeling a little annoyed.
“Sure you don’t.”
“I’m not jealous. I emphasized which made him grin.
“Okay.” He agreed even though his face clearly said he didn’t believe it at all. “But just so you know she and her husband dated since highschool.”
“Good for her.” I muttered, acting disinterested. I was fake, I was a fake person. And by his expression Aiden knew that. He wiped the smile off his face before wrapping his hands around my waist. We were flush against each other. But most of the people were already gone and frankly I didn’t
care who saw us like this,
“You
were great today. People couldn’t stop talking about your pastries” He murmured, brushing his lips against mine. With how low and whispery it was, we could be talking about anything else other than something so innocent like pastries.
“Yeah, it went much better than I was expecting” I too was whispering
“Told you. My wife’s amazing” He flashed a lazy smile that could melt the panty right off me
I hummed. “You told something else too. I hope that wasn’t just an empty promise.”
I was provoking him, I liked doing that. It made the sex more exciting. His eyes flared up with a mix of challenge and hunger.
“I don’t make empty promises Sweetheart,” My heart skipped a beat everytime he looked at me like that, like he was going to “In that case, I’m ready to leave this place and go home.” I mumbled suddenly feeling a little out of breath. “Good you say your goodbyes. I’ll find Gia.” He placed another lingering kiss against my mouth before releasing me.
Chapter 60
FREYA
I had to take a moment to school my face and not look flush or giddy before I went to find Connor. He stood talking to some men. himself once he saw the waiting for him,
to some men. He excused
“Hey, I was about to leave, if that’s okay? I desperately hope he would say it was okay and we were done for the day because I was ready to go home and let Aiden fuck me into the next morning.
“Yeah, go on.” He shrugged. “Oh, and we need to sit down to decide on the next locations.”
Took me a second to make sense of what he said. Next locations? For. Sips and Stories?
“I thought we were supposed to give this some time, see if it works out.” My voice came out confused, mirroring my feelings.
“Tonight tells me it will” He finished with a smile.
“Hold your horses I muttered even though I couldn’t help but reciprocate the smile. Tonight was indeed a success. People loved it. Success felt good, I would have to admit. But still I wanted to wait and see how this worked. Putting so much faith on opening day seemed a little. I don’t know, unwise. Then again Connor knew much more about this than me, he knew the pulses better than me,
Still I felt like he was rushing. My turmoil must have been clearly visible on my face. “We’ll talk about it later. He said after a breath and I couldn’t have agreed more.
“Okay, have a goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Freya”
I walked away, looking around for Avery. I wanted to someone. My breath was caught in my mouth as I froze in place. I looked back. There was no one there. But I could swear I saw him. Noah. He was say bye before leaving but she wasn’t in sight. I was surveying the room when I thought I saw there by the French window
v rib cage.
I almost jumped when a hand came to rest on my shoulder. My heart was was pounding hard against my Aiden. It was Aiden. I thought it was God! Was I getting paranoid?
“Hey, you okay?” His forehead creased in worry. His eyes did a glance over to check for injuries or something-
I breathed out shakily. “Yeah, I thought I’m just tired”
Yep that was probably it. Else why would Noah be here? It didn’t make sense. Aiden still looked concerned but nodded nonetheless “Okay. Let’s get you home. Avery’s in the car with Gia. We will drop her off on our
I took his hand. “Okay”
AIDEN
way
av home.”
- g. So fucking good. Everytime it further fueled my
We both lay there staring at the ceiling still catching our breaths. Sex with her was like a drug. craving for her a little more, I was sure I would never get enough of her.
I pulled her close to me.
“God! How are you hand again?” She groaned, feeling my cock against her ass. I kissed her shoulder while running my hand up and down her arm. “If you” Imutnured, the wants coming out low, thick with hoursty, “I can’t think of anything else.” And it was true. My mind seemed to short- circuit every time I looked at her, every time I touched her. It was really partie but I had made peace with it.
Commor! I saw
She let out a small, amused buff, mudging for slightly. “Fine” she was trying to sound nonchalant. Tell me about how it went with Con you guys talking*
Tfrowned, the mention of lid breaking the happy bubble I was in. Connor was the last person I wanted to think about right now, not with her lying beside me, her face still flushed from earlier, proof of the multiple orgasms I gave her.
“Fuck no.” I muttered, shifting a little closer to her. “I don’t want to talk about him while l’im naked and in bed with you. I could feel her chuckle
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Chapter 60
through the slight shiver that ran down her body.
“Then let’s talk about your parents,” She suggested, like it was a casual question, like it didn’t bring a familiar weight down on my chest.
I groaned, burying my face into the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent, that coffee flavor now mixed with the smell of sex. “Yeah,” I said with a muffled laugh. “That’s just so much better.”
“Just tell me why you hate them so much,” she murmured, her voice softening, the teasing fading into something more earnest “Your father, I get it. He is kind of unbearable. But your mother?” She was trying to catch my eyes but I trained them strictly on the ceiling. We were venturing into a territory I never wanted to bring up.
I swallowed, a hollow feeling settling in my stomach. That wasn’t something I was ready to unpack, especially not here, not now, and especially not with her watching me so closely, in a way that made me feel exposed. I could almost feel her reaching for something buried inside me, something raw and still tender.
“We are not discussing this,” I said, my voice coming out more clipped than I intended. I could see her face fall slightly, a shadow of disappointment crossing her features.
“Aiden
“Let it go, Freya.” My tone was firmer this time, which clearly conveyed that this was non negotiable. A few moments of silence stretched between us before she pulled herself away from my arms.
“Fine” Freya grunted before making her way to the bathroom. I watched her disappear behind the doors. I had shut her down and I hadn’t been very gentle while doing it.
I hate that this had to come up when I was enjoying the moment with her. Frustrated, I ran my fingers through my hair. This wasn’t how the day was supposed to end.
Chapter 61
FREYA
After that conversation–or, more accurately, non–conversation- I had with Aiden, sleep didn’t come easy. He had shut me down completely. every freaking time. For some reason, he wouldn’t let me in. I could feel the walls he’d built around himself, sturdy and impenetrable. I was trying so hard to respect his boundaries, to honor whatever distance he needed, but it stung. I couldn’t help but feel disappointed that he refused to share his life with me, especially when he knew everything about mine. It left this bitter ache in my chest, a dull throb that refused to quiet. Why couldn’t he let me in the way I had let him into my world!
I tossed and turned on my side of the bed, my mind buzzing with all the things left unsaid between us. I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was bothering me, but the weight of it pressed down on me with every restless shift. At some point, exhaustion overtook me, and I finally drifted into an uneasy sleep— though it was brief. The sound of Aiden’s phone ringing jerked me awake. Who the hell was calling at this hour?
I rubbed my eyes, squinting into the darkness, trying to
ying to make sense of the situation. Aiden’s voice, low and tight, broke through the fog of sleep, his words clipped with irritation.
“What?” I heard him bark into the phone, his tone rough, like something had already set him off.
“Stop shouting and tell me what’s the matter.” He gritted out. I turned towards him to find him sitting up. I couldn’t see his expression but his posture was stiff, shoulders taut with tension. Whatever it was couldn’t be good. Aiden’s side of the conversation sounded clipped and strained. “That’s my fucking decision. He growled. There was shouting on the other end, muttled but frantic. He went silent for a full minute, his fingers flexing around the phone as though he were trying to hold onto something anything, to keep himself from losing control.
“Greenleaf Memorial?” I froze. The words made me sit up straight. A hospital. It didn’t take much to make the connection, and my pulse quickened, The fog of sleep was entirely gone now, I watched as Aiden ended the call, his movements stiff and jerky, as though every action took more energy than he had to give. A sigh–heavy, laden with defeat- escaped him.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” I couldn’t keep the worry out of my tone, especially when he was so silent
“Aiden. Whose call was it?” I asked again, trying to catch his gaze. He stared down at his hands, his jaw clenching as if it was the only thing holding him together in that moment.
“Cillian,” he answered. Why was he calling so late? It had to be some kind of an emergency
“You mentioned the hospital,” I said, my voice barely a whisper now, the cold twist of dread tightening in my stomach. “Is he okay!” Something in his demeanor told me this wasn’t a simple situation.
“Yeah. It’s my mother, Aiden said, each word sharp and heavy, the weight of them sinking into the room between us. “She had a cardiac arrest.” “Oh my God!” I whispered not knowing what else to say. What do you say to that?
Aiden ran a hand through his hair, clearly agitated but not letting it show in his face. He was already standing, moving toward the door as though he was preparing
for
something he didn’t want to face.
“Okay.” I finally said, pushing myself off the bed. “We have to go. I’l
I’ll go get ready in five minutes. We can leave then.”
Aiden protested as soon as the words had left my mouth. “No. You don’t have to. You should stay with Gia.
I knew where this was coming from. The last time we went to meet his family things had taken a turn for the worst and he was trying to save me from potential humiliation. But if he thought I was going to leave him alone in a situation like this, he was sorely mistaken. Besides Barbara was sick and admitted in a hospital. I doubt his father would have the mood or energy to stir up a scene
“Carlos can take care of Gia,” I said, pushing myself up to my feet, my voice firmer than 1 felt. Also, I’ll call Reyna, see if she can drop by.” Cia would probably be a little upset to not see me first thing in the morning but this was important.
*Virya—”
“No, I’m coming with you The words slipped out before I could stop them. I wasn’t going to let him go through this alone. And I knew some part of him would like me to be there with him. He was trying to protect my feelings but his were on the line. He avoided his family at all costs and wlutever lig reasons were, I knew they weren’t for nothing.
He didn’t answer at first, his jaw tight, his back still turned. But I could feel the conflict rolling off him, the struggle between wanting to protect me from whatever was coming and needing me there in some quiet, unspoken way. He relented, giving a small nod of acceptance,
Chapter 61
ʼn was a forty–minute ride. The entire journey was enveloped in an uneasy silence, heavy and thick, like a storm cloud just waiting to break. I stole a few glances at Asden, but his face was unreadable. He didn’t seem upset exactly–just lost in some deep, private thoughts I wasn’t privy to. Whatever was on his mind, I decided to leave it alone, as if disturbing the silence would shatter something fragile. Maybe he needed this moment to himself
When we finally reached the hospital, we stepped out, letting Chris hardle the parking. From what I remembered, he’d told me once–he was an investor here. It made sense, then, how the staff straightened up the moment we walked in, recognizing him immediately.
“Mr. Knight. I’m assuming you’re here for your mother. The receptionist’s voice was warm yet formal, her expression concerned as she rose to her
“Yes.” Aiden’s reply was curt, restrained, his facial muscles tensed.
“She required a coronary bypass graft. She was taken into surgery two hours ago. I can take you to your family.”
She led us through a maze of sterile white corridors to a waiting lounge that was tucked away, seemingly a bit private. Cillian and their father were already there. Cillian was pacing, and even from a distance, I could sense the tension radiating off him like heat. When he saw us, his eyes flashed with an anger that felt raw, unfiltered. I knew he had some big feelings about the situation.
un from w
where he was seated. His gaze traveled from
“Look who decided to join!” He spat, the words dripping with venom. Preston Knight looked up Aiden to me, turning disgusted. He shot me a glare before looking away.
did the doctors say?”
Aiden just looked at him, unmoved, his face unreadable as always. “What d
“Nothing. They said nothing.” Cillian’s voice wavered, like he was teetering on the edge of something he couldn’t pull back from. “She had a major arrest, and the doctors can’t say anything right now before they know more. His eyes were wild, a mixture of fear and fury. “She might fucking die in there! Does that make you happy?”
“It should make you happy. You should be fucking ecstatic right now because you don’t give a shit about her.” Gillian’s voice cracked, the accusation sharp enough to cut. “She’s dead to you. That’s what you said, right” Well, congratulations–you’re about to get your fucking wish!”
Aiden’s face hardened, but he stayed calm. “Just calm down.” He murmured, his tone gentle but unyielding
“Don’t tell me to calm down.” Cillian’s voice was almost a roar, raw with years of pent–up resentment. “You failed her. She called you. So many fucking times since that dinner. You couldn’t bother to pick up any of her calls. You fucking failed her.”
The words hung in the air, heavy and bitter. I felt like I was intruding on something deeply personal, witnessing a wound ripped open. Cillian’s voice, shaky and hurt, lingered painfully in the silence. He let out a shaky breath
“You know i
what, do us all a favor and go away.” He finally hissed, his voice cracking. “Till let you know if she dies.”
Aiden stood there, unmoving his eyes still fixed on his brother. Realizing that there was no other way to handle this situation better than walking away for the moment, I grabbed his arm.
“Come our. We’ll wait outside”
He hadn’t moved a muscle and for a second I thought he hadn’t heard me. But then abruptly turned around and stormed out. I followed him outsidr
On the way out, there was such an urgency to his movements like he was finding the walls of the hospital difficult to breathe in. He slowed down ONCE WE Wen outside
Aiden ran his fingers the
through his tousled hair, face crumpling with frustration.
“He doesn’t understand.” His voice was laced with bitterness. “I only came here for him. He doesn’t know how much damage they have done to me He fucking don’t know!”
I reached out, resting a hand on his arm, trying to ground him. “Okay, okay. Just breathe,” I murmured, hoping the words would reach him.
He closed his eyes, exluling slowly, but his shoulders remained tense, his jaw tight. “I need to get out of here.” He whispered, and I heard the desperation in his tone. I nodded.
“Okay, let’s go home.”
