Chapter 180 Drifting
Chapter 180: Drifting
The evening air in London carried a soft chill as Golden stepped out of the cab and into the grand entrance of the hotel.
The entire ride back from work had been a blur.
She exhaled slowly as she walked toward the elevator, pressing the button with a calm she did not feel. The doors opened almost immediately, and she stepped inside, her reflection staring back at her from the mirrored walls.
She looked composed. Put together. Untouched. It almost annoyed her.
By the time she reached her floor and stepped into her room, the quiet wrapped around her instantly. It should have felt comforting, but instead, it felt too still, too empty.
Golden dropped her bag onto the chair and moved toward the bedroom, shrugging off her coat as she walked. She kicked off her heels near the bed, flexing her toes slightly before reaching for the zipper at the back of her dress.
Just as the fabric began to loosen around her body, her phone lit up on the bedside table.
Xander was calling.
She paused for a second before picking it up and answering the video call.
His face appeared on the screen, warm and familiar, instantly grounding.
“Hey, princess,” he said with a smile.
Golden forced one back, adjusting the phone slightly as she continued to undress, turning her back to the camera as she slipped out of her dress and reached for a robe.
“Hey, baby,” she replied.
“How was your day?” he asked.
“Good,” she said automatically, tying the robe around her waist before sitting at the edge of the bed.
Xander studied her for a moment, but before he could ask further, he leaned back slightly in his chair.
“You won’t believe who stopped by my office today.”
Golden hummed softly, distracted. “Who?”
“Hannah,” he said. “My high school ex.”
Golden blinked once, then nodded slightly. “Oh.”
There was no curiosity in her tone. No reaction.
Xander’s brows lifted slightly. “That’s it?”
Golden shrugged faintly. “What do you want me to say?”
He watched her more closely now. “Nothing dramatic. Just thought you’d be a little… interested.”
“I’m not,” she said simply.
A brief silence followed.
Xander leaned forward slightly, his voice softer now. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Golden replied quickly, too quickly.
He didn’t look convinced.
“Gigi,” he said gently.
She avoided his gaze, reaching for a strand of her hair and twisting it slightly between her fingers. “I said I’m fine.”
Xander held her gaze for a moment longer, then sighed lightly and let it go.
“Alright,” he said, shifting the conversation. “How was work? First full day.”
Golden hesitated. Her mind blanked.
For a second, she couldn’t even remember what she had done at the lab.
“It was…” she trailed off, her thoughts drifting again.
“Gigi?”
She blinked, snapping back slightly. “It was fine. Busy.”
Before he could ask more, there was a knock on the door.
Golden turned her head toward it, relief flashing briefly across her face.
“That must be room service,” she said quickly. “I’ll call you back.”
“You don’t have to hang up,” Xander said. “Just grab the food and come back.”
Golden shook her head, already standing. “It’s fine. I’ll call you.”
“Gigi, you really don’t need to…”
“I’ll call you back,” she repeated, ending the call before he could respond.
The room fell quiet again.
Golden stood still for a moment, her phone still in her hand. She turned slowly toward the mirror, her reflection staring back at her once more.
This time, she didn’t like what she saw.
She exhaled deeply, dropping her phone onto the bed before walking toward the door.
For a brief, irrational second, something flickered in her chest.
Hope.
She pushed it down immediately.
When she opened the door, the disappointment was instant.
Aj stood there, dressed in the hotel uniform, a polite smile on his face as he held the tray.
“Good evening, ma’am,” he said.
Golden’s shoulders dropped slightly before she could stop herself.
“Where’s Allan?” she asked without thinking.
Aj blinked once.
“Who?”
Golden caught herself immediately. “Martin,” she corrected, her tone more controlled now.
Aj’s expression didn’t change much, but there was a faint glint of recognition in his eyes.
“Martin is off duty,” he said simply.
Golden nodded slowly. “I see.”
There was nothing else to say.
She reached for the tray, her fingers brushing briefly against the edge as she took it from him.
“Thank you,” she said.
“You’re welcome, ma’am.”
She stepped back and closed the door without another word.
The silence returned, heavier this time.
Golden placed the tray on the table, staring at it for a moment before turning away.
Her phone buzzed.
Xander was calling again.
She looked at the screen, her expression unreadable.
The call rang and rang. She didn’t pick up.
A few seconds later, another call came in.
It was Alex.
Golden stared at the name for a moment longer this time.
Then she turned the phone face down on the bed and walked away.
Miles away, the evening had settled differently.
Xander stood in his kitchen, sleeves rolled up, a simple meal half-prepared on the counter. The soft hum of the refrigerator filled the quiet space as he moved around, his mind only half on what he was doing.
Golden had sounded off.
He knew her well enough to recognize it.
And he didn’t like it.
He reached for a pan, placing it on the stove before pausing.
Something outside caught his attention.
Through the large kitchen window, he could see movement in the house next door. Boxes. A car parked in the driveway. Someone unloading items.
He frowned slightly, stepping closer to the window.
Then he saw her.
“Hannah?” he muttered.
She was standing near the open trunk of a car, directing someone as they carried boxes inside.
Xander picked up his phone without thinking and dialed her number.
She answered after a few rings.
“Hello?”
“I can see you,” he said, amusement creeping into his voice.
There was a pause.
Then Hannah turned, scanning the area before her eyes landed on him through the window.
Her face lit up instantly. She waved.
Xander laughed, shaking his head slightly as he waved back.
“You’re moving in?” he asked.
“Looks like it,” she said, her voice light with excitement. “What a coincidence.”
“Crazy,” he replied.
“Very,” she agreed. “Out of all the places.”
Xander leaned lightly against the counter, watching as someone carried another box past her.
“Well, welcome to the neighborhood,” he said.
“Thank you,” she replied. “I’ll call you later, yeah? I’m a bit busy settling in.”
“Of course,” he said.
“Talk later.”
The call ended.
Xander lowered his phone slowly, glancing out the window once more before turning back to the stove.
The pan was still empty. The food untouched.
For a moment, he just stood there, caught between thoughts he couldn’t quite place.
Then he shook his head slightly and returned to cooking.