32 - PHONE CALL

32 - PHONE CALL
Aiden's POVThe moment I stepped into my office, the heavy silence greeted me first. It was the kind that pressed down, thick and oppressive, like the weight of the past refusing to stay buried. I swallowed it down, forcing my focus on the only thing that could keep me sane—work.Numbers. Contracts. Emails. Anything to drown out the thoughts clawing at the back of my mind.But then I saw her.Anika.She was sitting on the couch near the floor-to-ceiling windows, legs crossed at the knee, a picture of effortless confidence. She didn't glance up right away. No, she made sure I saw her first. Her lips parted slightly, her jaw moving slow and deliberate as she chewed her gum, the glossy pink sheen of it catching the morning light. Then, with an almost practiced sensuality, she blew a bubble, holding my gaze as it popped.My grip tightened around the handle of my briefcase.I hadn’t invited her here.Hell, I hadn’t even seen her since the benefit that night. Hadn’t texted. Hadn’t called. And yet, here she was, making herself comfortable in my office like she owned the place.Because that was Anika. She never waited for permission. Never needed an invitation.And maybe… maybe I needed the distraction.I took a slow breath, forcing the tension out of my shoulders as I stepped inside, my polished dress shoes barely making a sound against the sleek hardwood floor."What are you doing here?" My voice was even, controlled.Anika tilted her head slightly, studying me with those knowing eyes of hers. "Just thought we should get breakfast together. I know this new place," she said, voice dripping with casual amusement.I turned away, walking to my desk, setting my briefcase down onto the smooth, cool surface of the large oak table. It was custom-built, an imposing structure that anchored the room. The centerpiece of an office I had designed with my blood, sweat, and sleepless nights.Scott’s Insurance Limited stood at the very top of the city. My office sat at the highest floor, a symbol of everything I had built, everything I had fought for. The view stretched endlessly, towering over the skyline. Black-and-gold accents filled the space, sleek leather chairs, and bookshelves stacked with more than just financial reports—pieces of my past, reminders of where I came from and where I refused to return.I leaned against the edge of my desk, leveling a gaze at Anika. "I don’t remember agreeing to breakfast."She smirked, a slow, deliberate thing, her dark lashes lowering slightly as she popped her gum again. "You never really say no to me, Aiden."I exhaled, dragging a hand through my hair. She wasn’t entirely wrong. Anika was relentless, had been since high school. We had spent years in an unending cycle—on again, off again, passion and destruction tangled so tight they became one and the same.Now that I was back in town, she was trying to be "on" again.I wasn’t sure if I had the energy to stop her."Sure," I muttered. "I could eat something."She grinned, pleased, uncrossing her legs slowly as if savoring the moment. But just as I was about to push off the desk and gesture for us to leave, she spoke again."Cheryl dropped by."Every muscle in my body tensed.I didn’t freeze, didn’t react. But inside, something sharp cut through me, twisting deep in my chest. My heartbeat skipped, then pounded, a dull, insistent ache I had no control over.Anika was watching me, and I knew she was waiting for a reaction. I didn’t give her one.Instead, I kept my expression blank, carefully controlled. "Did she need something?"Anika leaned back against the couch, her fingers grazing her thigh as she let out a soft hum. "Something about a hospital and your mother." She twirled a strand of dark hair between her fingers, feigning disinterest. "Said it was urgent." A slow shrug. "I don’t really remember."My jaw tightened.She was lying. Or at the very least, twisting the truth for her own amusement. Anika never "forgot" details. If Cheryl had stopped by, if she had left a message, Anika knew exactly what it was.She was holding it over me, waiting to see if I’d bite.I watched as she reached into the clutch beside her and pulled out a small slip of paper. She held it between her manicured nails, just enough space for me to see the neat, precise handwriting.Dr. Lin’s number.I took it from her, tucking it into my pocket without looking at it. But inside, my thoughts were already spiraling.What were Cheryl’s exact words?Did she seem worried? Rushed?Did she offer to go with me—like she always had?The questions burned at the back of my throat, but I swallowed them down. I knew better than to ask. Anika was perceptive. Too perceptive. If she caught even the faintest whiff of something deeper, she’d latch onto it, dissect it, twist it into something else.So instead, I met her gaze evenly and asked, "Was that all?"A pause.A deliberate one.Anika’s lips curled into a slow, knowing smile."Sure," she murmured, standing gracefully, her dress shifting against her curves. She stepped close, her perfume curling around me, something warm and sweet. Her fingers traced the edge of my tie before she met my eyes again, amusement flickering in the depths of hers."What else could there be?"I clenched my jaw.And then—My phone buzzed.The sound cut through the tension, sharp and immediate.I pulled it out of my pocket, my fingers tightening around it as I glanced at the screen.Unknown number.But I knew.I knew before I even answered.Before I even lifted the phone to my ear, I knew whose voice I was about to hear.And the moment I did, my blood ran cold."Aiden?"Cheryl.Her voice was barely above a whisper, but I heard it all the same.Tense. Strained.And then—"It’s your mother. You need to come. Now."