Chapter 30 30

Chapter 30 30


Lily's POV

The flight to San Francisco seemed interminable. I flew first class with Aiden, holding my hand so close that I could not feel my fingers. He looked out the window, his jaw clenched tight, lost in whatever brooding thoughts filled him.

I tried to think of something comforting to say but words seemed inadequate. His empire was falling apart because of a spiteful woman and her edited video. The tabloids were having a ball. I could hear my phone buzzing with notifications I was not going to check.

“Quit watching those,” Aiden finally said, motioning to my phone.

"I'm not."

"You keep glancing at it." He snatched the receiver from my hand and hung up. “There is nothing good on there right now.”

“This will pass,” I said, having no confidence in my own words.

"No, it won't." His voice was flat. "Sophia made sure of that. She's had this in the works for weeks. Maybe months."

"Why though? What does she gain?"

"Control. She believes that if she can ruin my reputation, I’ll have to come back to her. Let her fix it. Be grateful." He laughed bitterly. “She doesn’t know how I would just as soon lose everything than be with her.”

The plane landed, and we were mobbed at once. Paparazzi somehow knew what flight we were on. Cameras flashed in our faces, questions screamed over one another.

“Mr. Cole, junior fellatio posture” “Why did you sexually harass Sophia Chen?”

“Lily, are you standing by him in the face of evidence?”

“Were you aware of the way he was acting?

"Is your relationship a sham?”

Aiden’s security detail began to plow through the gathering, guiding me into the waiting car. Once inside, Aiden's mask cracked. He buried his head in his hands, shoulders shaking.

“Hey.” I stepped closer to him, clapping me on his back, “We’ll get through this.” He buried his face against my shoulder.

“I built it all from nothing,” he said into my skin, “Fifteen years of work. And she’s tearing us apart with lies in fifteen minutes.”

“Then we’ll fight back. We’ll show everyone the truth.” He pulled away, eyes red, “How do I show them it’s the truth? Her video already seems so bad… Even if I point out she kissed me first, they’ll say I should have stopped her or been more professional or never let it go this far.”

“But it wasn’t your fault.”

“None of that will matter. I’ve been convicted in the world court of opinion.”

We finally reached his penthouse in San Francisco and James, his lawyer, was already on the screen in the office. The man looked exhausted. His hair was all over the place.

“Board meeting in two hours,” he said, “They’re going to ask you to step down until the investigation is over.”

“Investigation?” Aiden snapped back, “Into what? I did nothing wrong.”

“It’s not that simple, Aiden,” It never was. “Three board members have called for your permanent resignation and your largest investor just pulled out. The company stock is crashing.”

“Do you suggest I roll over and surrender to Sophia?”

“I suggest you settle. Pay her what she’ll take to go away.”

“Absolutely not. That’s admitting fault.”

“That’s sacrifice,” James said, “If this goes to court, the trial will take months, possibly years. We can’t have that over our heads.”

They kept talking. I sat on the sofa, feeling alone and impotent. This wasn’t my place. I didn’t know this world. I was just the girlfriend watching my man lose everything.

When the call was through, Aiden poured himself scotch, even though it wasn’t much past noon.

"Don't," I said.

"Don't what?"

"Drink yourself numb. That won't fix anything."

"Neither will staying sober." But he set the glass down. I want to shower before the appointment. Get my head straight."

He went into the bedroom and I could hear water begin to fill. The San Francisco skyline in the distance, I sat at his giant penthouse desk alone. This city was alien and hostile. I missed New York. Missed my little apartment, and also my studio and Hannah.

My phone buzzed. I had turned it back up, out of habit. Daniel’s name came up on the screen.

"Hey," I answered.

"I saw the news. Are you okay?"

"Define okay."

“Lily, you need to have wonder about yourself here. This is going to be worse before it gets better. If it gets better."

"I'm not abandoning him."

“I don’t want you to leave him. I’m telling you to look out for your own safety. Your career. Your reputation." He paused. "That gallery opportunity in Paris? It's still available. You could leave tomorrow. Start fresh."

"I can't just leave."

"Why not? What's keeping you there? A man who will likely be tied up in litigation for the next year? Lily, you can create something for yourself here. Don't throw it away for him."

After we ended our call, I stayed with what he had said. Daniel wasn't wrong. This was going to be ugly. Long and public and damaging. Did I really want to attach myself to that?

I thought of my art, career and all the hard work I’d done. There was already a backlash in the New York gallery from my connection to Aiden. Two artists had withdrawn their works, not wanting to be associated with the “scandal.” My next show was in doubt.

The bedroom door opened and Aiden walked out, he was dressed in a sharp suit looking every bit the commanding CEO. But I could see the terror in his eyes.

"How do I look?" he asked.

"Dangerous."
He smiled slightly. "Good. That's what I'm going for."

“Aiden, I have a question to ask.”

“What if you lost everything? The company, the money, everything?”

His expression softened. "Then I start over. Build something new."

"And us?"

"What about us?"

"Do we survive this? The pressure, the scandal, the uncertainty?”

He stepped over to me and took my face in both his hands. ”I don’t know what happens with my company. But I know I’m not staying lost. Not after everything we’ve gone through to get here.”

"I love you," I whispered.

"I love you too." He kissed me softly. "Wait here. I'll be back in a few hours."

Once he was gone I tried to forget about it. I sketched, walked the floor, brewed coffee I never drank. And then, finally, I could not take it. I needed air.

I put on sunglasses and a baseball cap, as a half-hearted measure to avoid recognition, and walked down into the street. San Francisco was beautiful in the light of late afternoon. I strolled, clearing my head best I could.

My phone rang. Hannah.

“Please tell me you are not actually in San Francisco,” she said.

"I'm actually in San Francisco."

"Lily, what are you doing? This is career suicide."

“I’m out here supporting the man that I love.”

“The man you love is going to be the most hated man in tech. Do you even realize what that means for you? The gallery is already receiving calls. People saying they’ll boycott if we continue to showcase your work.”

My stomach dropped. "You're kidding."

"I wish I was. Margaret is freaking out. And she’s talking about canceling your show indefinitely.”

"She can't do that. We have contracts."

“She is willing to breach and pay penalties for so that she does not have to deal with this mess.” Hannah's voice softened. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. But you need to come home. Back off before it's too late."

As soon as we got off the phone, I was on the sidewalk, feeling like the earth had cracked open beneath me. Everything I had fought for, now put at risk simply because of my love.

I was at the coffee shop, ordering something I didn’t even want just so I could take a seat somewhere. I was gazing into my latte when someone sat across from me.
Sophia Chen.

She looked stunning, as always not a hair out of place, in a cream colored suit when probably cost more than my rent.

"We need to talk," she said.

"I have nothing to say”

"Then listen." She clasped her hands on the table. "I can make this all go away. The lawsuit, the video, everything."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I don't want to kill Aiden. I want him back. But if I can’t have him, at least I want him to know what he’s giving up.” She leaned forward. "Leave him. Walk away. Show him that you are not strong enough for his world. That at the first sign of adversity, you skip and go running.”

"I'm not running."

"Aren't you?" She smiled coldly. "I know about Paris. About Daniel's offer. I know your gallery is giving you the boot. You will have no career if you stay with Aiden. But if you go, I make the lawsuit go away. Aiden keeps his company. You keep your career. Everyone wins."

"Except Aiden loses me."

"For now. But in a year, when his life has settled down again, when he’s no longer in crisis mode and he thinks more clearly about the past and the future, he’ll realize you weren’t for him anyway. I'll be there. I understand his world. I won't crumble under pressure."

I wanted to throw my coffee in her face. Wanted to tell her she was fantasy. But a tiny scared part of me worried that she might be.

“Imagine that,” Sophia added, getting to her feet. "You have until tomorrow morning. And then, I’m pushing on with the rest of it. I got the lawsuit, I’ve got more evidence and character witnesses. I’m to ruin him utterly, beyond repair.”

She walked away from me and left me sitting in the chair, my hands trembling around the edge of my cup.

When Aiden came home hours later, I never talked about Sophia’s visit. He seemed weary, defeated in a way I’d never known.

"How bad?" I asked.

"Bad. The board voted. I'm suspended pending the investigation. Effective immediately." This time he poured scotch and I didn’t refuse. "Marcus Chen is interim CEO. Sophia's cousin. She planned this perfectly."

"I'm so sorry."

"Fifteen years. Gone." He drank deeply. “You know what? I can fight this. Can drag it through courts. But by the time they admit I’m right, the company’s going to be gone anyway. She wins either way."

I just held him as he took everything in. His hands were on my head, his face pressed to my neck.

"I need you," he whispered.

"I'm here."

"No, I mean I need you." His hands dropped to my sides and tugged me closer. “I need to feel something other than this.”

I understood. I needed it too. You had to feel as if you were somehow connected, remember why we were out here fighting so hard.

We kissed desperately, frantically. Between the living room and the bedroom garments were lost. We didn’t even make it to the bed and by then we were both completely naked, panting as though we’d been running.

Aiden was harder than usual, his hold a bruise setting grip and kiss punishing. I matched him with my own intensity, though, raking my nails down his back.

"Let me hear that you're not going to leave," he growled at my neck.

"I'm not leaving."

"Promise me."

"I promise."

He put me in hard and I yelled. There was no tender strumming tonight, no gradual getting there. Desperate need and lots and lots of fear that she was going to lose him.

We were leaning on and rushing toward each other, both pursuing something we did not have a name for. His hands were all over, staking a claim; marking his territory. I tightened my legs around his body, he pushed into me deeper.

“Mine,” he bit out against my lips. "You're mine."

"Yours," I gasped. "Always yours."

We made out, both coming to pieces, both looking for something solid in a world that felt as if it were ending.

Afterward we lay tangled up, sweating and spent. Aiden’s fingers drew on my skin.

"What if I lose everything?" he asked quietly. "What if this is it? No business, no funds, no reputation. Just me."

I pushed myself up to stare at him. "Then it's just you. And that's enough."

"Is it?"

"Yes." I kissed him softly. "I didn't fall in love with your empire.