~Aiden~

“Thank you” I ended my speech.

Applause rippled through the crowd and I stepped down from the podium. I shook hands with the executives on my way down.

“Mr. Corleone” a man smiled at me. “It's been a long time.”

I studied his face, trying to remember where I'd seen him.

“You don't remember me?” he chuckled.

“I'm afraid I don't” I smiled guiltily.

He nodded and extended a hand toward me.

“Samuel Ryker... from London. I was at your wedding to Jewel Barrett.”

Her name struck a nerve but I fought my emotions and just nodded.

“I'm so sorry for your loss, Aiden.”

I nodded again.

“Thank you. We saw it coming.”

He smiled.

“You've made a name for yourself... very impressive.”

“Thank you, Sam.”

He looked around.

“Where's Iris?”

“Back in Virginia” I replied. “She's a lawyer now.”

He patted my shoulder.

“Your parents would be proud of you if they were here. Jewel too.”

I smiled politely.

“Thank you. Who are you here with?” I asked.

“My son, Steven. You remember him?”

I barely remembered you.

“Yes, sure.”

“He's interested in getting into the tech business too,” Samuel said.

“Really?”

“Yes. He's quite passionate about it.”

I nodded and reached into my wallet to retrieve a card.

“Have him call and set up an appointment when he can.”

Samuel smiled and took the card.

“He'll be thrilled. Thank you Aiden.”

“Aiden!” Ronbie waved at me and gestured for me to come over.

My eyes fell on the man beside him and I felt so lucky.

Ian Forbes... multi-billioniare? This is gold!

“It was nice to see you, Samuel. I have to go now” I quickly said.

He nodded in understanding and let me go. I quickly reached Ronbie's side and the man smiled at me.

“Mr. Corleone... aren't you a busy man today” he chuckled.

“Mr. Forbes. It's such an honor to meet you” I smiled offering my hand.

He nodded and shook my hand before he smiled.

“I've been trying to set up a meeting with you but it's been impossible” I chuckled.

“Well this is your lucky day then Mr. Corleone” he smirked. “I'd like to invest in Jewel Interactive. It's mind-blowing what you've done in just a decade.”

Wait what?!

“We should have dinner, tonight then. Right, Aiden?” Ronbie asked, equally stunned and excited.

“Why Mr. Martin you're absolutely right. There's a new place that's opened up and my sources tell me it's magnificent” Ian winked.

He's remarried hasn't he?

“Yes, yes of course, Mr. Forbes” I smiled.

He nodded and smiled back at me. I'm about to say something else when a disturbing sight catches my eye.

What the...

Arms around her waist and spinning her around was a man. And she was laughing? Why was she laughing?! I flexed my jaw in annoyance and clenched my fists.

“Would you excuse me for a minute, Mr. Forbes?” I said in a dark tone and not waiting for a response, I walked away.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

~Brie~

I followed the crowd out of the hall, rolling my neck. How were the days not going fast? I sighed.

“Breanna!” Julio called out to me.

I turned.

“A bunch of us are going to this new restaurant that recently opened. Wanna come?” he asked.

“She has to come” Megan chipped in, joining us with Cynthia.

“Shouldn't you two be waiting on your bosses?” I asked them.

“They said we could have the rest of the day off” Megan chuckled.

“Hm,” I hummed.

“You coming? Glenn said she knows the chef so he can get us in” Cynthia asked.

I shook my head.

“No, I'm going to get some rest and call Roman when I wake up.”

“Eat first, jeez” Megan scolded.

“Yeah, I'll get something from the hotel restaurant later. You kids have fun” I smiled.

“It won't be fun without you” Cynthia pouted.

“Yeah, who's going to take the pictures?” Julio adds.

“Glenn's there” I teased.

He made a face.

“Yeah about her... she's all sparkly but zero shine.”

I laughed.

“That's your problem. I just want this to be over so I can go back to my baby boy—”

“Bee?” I heard someone call out.

I turned.

“Steven?” Megan and I said in unison.

His eyes fell on her.

“Mighty Meg!” he teased.

She laughed and moved over to hug him. I followed.

“Oh my goodness, Breanna Lucille Nolan” he grinned and picked me up to spin me around.

“Steven” I laughed.

He set me down, his hands still on my waist.

“You're still weightless,” he said. “Meaning Aubree still weighs a ton.”

I smiled.

“It's so good to see you, Steven. We missed you so much.”

He smiled back.

“I missed you girls too,” he said.

Stepping back he took another look at Megan and me.

“I can believe I'm standing in front of the Mighty Bee team again.”

We chuckled. Cynthia cleared her throat loudly.

“Won't you introduce us to your friend?” she asked with a smile.

Julio eyed Steven.

“Cynthia, Julio, this is Steven, our childhood friend” Megan chuckled. “Steven? Our co-workers, Cynthia and...”

“Julio” Steven finished.

I glanced between them.

“I hear the first time, Mighty Meg” he teased.

I chuckled.

“It's nice to meet you Steven with the nicknames” Cynthia laughed. “We were on our way to the new restaurant that just opened.”

“Oh, the one blowing up on social media?” Steven asked.

“That one” Megan answered.

“It's really exclusive. Please make reservations weeks before and still don't get in” Steven said. “So how are you going to manage that?”

“We know someone who knows someone” Cynthia winked.

“Ahhh” Steven let out.

“You wanna join us?” Megan asked him.

“You should” Julio quickly said.

I pursed my lips.

“You'd be filling in for Breanna” he quickly added.

Steven smiled at Julio before turning to me.

“And why are you not going?”

“I... unlike these fine people, have an appointment with my bed and pillow.”

Steven chuckled and slipped a hand around my waist, tugging me to his side. I smiled and folded both my arms on his shoulder. He examined my face

“Have you always been blonde, Brie? Because I swear this is new.”

“The mystery behind that one” Megan shook her head.

“I decided to try something new” I whispered to him.

He leaned in and smiled.

“Well, you're totally pulling it off. It's like you were born to be the hot blonde in my life.”

Flirt!

I smiled. Steven had always been such a flirt. I smiled and he held out his hand to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear.

“You two still look adorable together” Megan teased and pulled out her phone to take a picture.

“You bet we do,” Steven said as Megan took the picture.

“Oh, you should totally recreate our middle school prom night!”

“Yes oh my gosh Steven!” I chirped. “You should totally kiss me.”

He made a face between his smiles and glanced at Julio.

“IIIIIIIIII... don't know” he dragged.

“Oh c'mon. It's just one kiss” I chuckled. “You want to borrow my lipgloss?” I teased.

“Use mine” Megan laughed.

Steven chuckled, his eyes lingering on Julio.

“Maybe this isn't the right time?” he asked.

Megan frowned.

“Are you trying to say this is a bad idea, Steven?” she asked.

“Well, I just think—”

“It's a terrible idea” Aiden's voice cut through our conversation.

We turned and he was standing there with a frown and a folder in his hand.

“Oh my goodness, it's Aiden Corleone!” Steven whisper shrieked beside me.

His eyes moved from Steven to his grip around my waist, to my arms on him, then back to Steven's face, and then finally to my face.

“Mr. Corleone, do you need anything, sir?” Cynthia asked.

He ignored her and kept staring at Steven and me. His frown grew intense and Steven stopped smiling.

“Ms. Nolan” he finally spoke up.

I let go of Steven and put some distance between us. Aiden held the file he was holding in my face.

“I need you to go through all of this for me,” he said.

“Sir?” I asked, confused.

Wasn't that Cynthia's job?

“Did I stutter?” he asked coldly in return.

What's with the attitude?

“No Mr. Corleone,” I said and took the file.

“Good,” he said and looked at me.

My eyes darted around, wondering if I'd missed something else. The silence dragged on.

“Why are you still standing there, Ms. Nolan?” he asked.

I blinked.

“Err... right” I muttered and turned. “I'll see you guys. Steven, we'll catch up later.”

He smiled sweetly at me.

“We'll bring you something from the restaurant okay?” he whispered.

I smiled and leaned in to press a quick kiss on his cheek.

“Thank you.”

He smiled wider at me.

“Oh, I didn't get that” Megan pouted.

Aiden gave her a look only I seemed to have noticed.

Who's upset him?

I glanced over my shoulder real quick and moved out of the hall.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

~Aiden~

A soft knock sounded on my temporary office door.

“Come in” I called out.

She stepped in and closed the door.

“I finished what you asked, Mr. Corleone,” she said.

I nodded, fighting not to look at her. She stood there in a top that looked too small for her... or was her chest too big for it? Her blonde hair was up in a high ponytail and her jeans... well. She owned the figure.

“Mr. Corleone?” she called out.

I blinked, my eyes leaving her thighs to her face.

“The file... I'll leave it here,” she said quietly and from a distance, slid it across the table. “If that's all I'd like to—”

“What did you think about it?” I asked.

“Sir?”

I picked up the file.

“The presentation for tomorrow night. What did you think about it?”

She smiled.

“It was good.”

Good?!

I only nodded.

“I'll just go now.”

“Ms. Nolan” I stopped her again.

There was an unusual yearning for her. I thought my late wife was the only person who could make me yearn but right now, it didn't feel like it. I wanted to make her mine.

“Did you want something, sir?” she spoke up.

Did she not feel what I felt?

“You seem to be in a hurry.”

She smiled.

“Yes, I'm having drinks with an old friend.”

“Old friend?”

“Yes. You met him earlier yesterday after your speech.”

Yes, the prick.

“How do you know Steven Ryker?” I asked

She fully turned to face me.

Goodness!

I pinched my thigh.

“Megan and I went to school with him” she replied. “We've been friends since our elementary school days.”

“So you graduated with him?” I asked.

“Err no. He had to leave for London the summer before our senior year in high school.”

I nodded like I didn't already know that.

“His parents got divorced and his father gained full custody of him so he had to leave” she continued. “Megan and I hadn't seen or heard from him before yesterday.”

I nodded, about to say something when her phone interrupted me. She quickly pulled it out of her pocket and grinned.

That son of a...

“It's Roman” she smiled at me.

Oh...

I nodded.

“Excuse me, Mr. Corleone,” she said. “Hi baby. What's wrong... I miss you too my love... are you okay? Manny I promise I'll be there as soon as this is over. We have one more week and then I'm all yours okay?”

One more week?

I checked my calendar. Tomorrow was Friday.

“Already?!” I muttered.

“I know baby... this is hard for me too...”

I looked up from my desk. I had one week... one week before we went back and I was losing the little time I could steal her to myself to some old childhood friend?

I fumed.

I'm not going to let that happen.

I looked around the table as I racked my brain.

Think, think, think Aiden!

Then my eyes landed on the file she'd just brought back and I took one last glance at the back of her head.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

I flipped through the documents, not bothering to read.

“No, no, no, no, no,” I said with each turn and closed it.

Steven stared at me, confused as to what he'd done wrong again.

“Mr. Corleone—”

“No,” I said again.

The employees glanced at one another.

“If you want to succeed in the tech business you have to be willing to push past your limits,” I told him. “Go hard or go home.”

Breanna watched me from across the table.

“But sir—”

“No,” I said, checking my phone.

“Listen to what he has to say at least, Aiden” Ronbie said to me.

“One minute,” I said, glancing up at Steven. “What is it, Mr. Ryker?”

“I was just hoping you could help me out with it. I know you're the best in the business so if you could give me some pointers, that would be really—”

“No,” I said again.

Ronbie stared at me in disbelief.

“What is wrong with you?” he whispered.

I stared at the boy.

“I'm not in the position to help you,” I told him, when in fact I was.

Steven nodded in understanding and looked at her hesitantly.

“Bee?”

She looked away from me and smiled sweetly at him.

“Yes, of course, Steven,” she said.

“And we'll all help with our ideas” Cynthia offered

It wouldn't hurt anyone if I helped Steven but I wasn't going to. Steven moved over to their side, taking the empty seat beside Breanna.

“Aiden!” Ronbie scolded in a whisper. “Fix your face! What has gotten into you?!”

I looked away from them and at my phone. Throughout the thirty minutes they spent coming up with surprisingly good ideas, I kept stealing glances at them. He'd say something funny and she'd laugh and playfully shove him. But it wouldn't end there. Their hands would linger and they'd stare at each other quietly as if they shared a secret.

Was she letting him screw her?

I frowned again and flexed my jaw.

How could she let him screw her? I bet he wouldn't even be that good.

I turned my attention back to my work and tried to drown out her increasing laughter.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

~Brie~

“I owe you guys” Steven chuckled, putting his chair back.

“You sure you're good?” Julio asked.

“Yes, I got the concept. I'm not sure how I got all five previous ones wrong but if Mr. Corleone said it wasn't good then it wasn't good” he said. “But I know he's going to be impressed with this one.”

Cynthia smiled.

“Thank you, guys,” Steven said.

“No problem,” Megan grinned.

He lingered for a second and I waited expectantly.

“Are you free tonight?” he asked, looking in my direction, but his eyes weren't exactly on me.

I blinked in surprise.

No way!

“Um, tonight? I'm—”

“She's busy,” Aiden suddenly answered for me.

Wait what?

I turned to look at him.

“I am?” I asked.

He didn't say anything and turned his attention to Steven.

“It's for work, don't worry” he continued. “I think everyone in this office knows about your little crush, Mr. Ryker. Ask her another time.”

I furrowed my brows at Aiden before looking up at Steven who scratched the back of his head sheepishly. He looked directly at me this time.

“I was just wondering if you wanted to grab dinner, that's all,” he said.

Way to go Aiden!

“But it's okay, Bee. Maybe some other time,” he replied for me.

I nodded.

“I'd love to. Yeah, of course Steven” I smiled.

He nodded.

“Awesome. I'll see you later then?”

“Steven wait” I called out and picked a small sheet of paper.

He narrowed his eyes as I grabbed a push pen and scribbled a number on it.

“You should call me,” I said.

“Really?” he chuckled in surprise.

“Absolutely,” I said.

“Don't think about it, Steven. Just do it” Megan chipped in.

He smiled.

“Okay,” he said and took the paper.

“Wait, wait” I called out again and took the paper back to scribble sometime else on it.

“What's that?”

“My room number” I smiled. “You should come over whenever, okay? I'd love to spend more time with you.”

Steven smiled sweetly and pulled me into a hug. I hugged him back.

“Thank you Brie” he whispered.

“Always” I whispered back.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

~Aiden~

“But I know he's going to be impressed with this one.”

I looked up at Samuel's son.

Can't he just leave?

“Thank you, guys,” he said for the umpteenth time.

“No problem,” Megan said to him.

He moved towards the door and I exhaled with relief. For a second, I thought he'd never go away. Now all I needed was to find an excuse to be alone with Breanna.

Maybe I can...

“Are you free tonight?” his voice came again.

The fuck?!

I glared upwards and he was looking at Breanna. She blinked and stared at him in what looked like thought. Why the hell was she thinking about it?!

Say no!

“Um...” she began and I knew I'd be screwed if I didn't do something. “I'm—”

“She's busy,” I suddenly answered for her.

From the corner of my eyes, Ronbie glanced at me from the files he was going through. Breanna turned to look at me.

“I am?” she asked.

I didn't say anything and kept my attention on Steven.

“It's for work, don't worry” I continued. “I think everyone in this office knows about your little crush, Mr. Ryker. Ask her another time.”

Breanna furrowed her brows at me before looking up at Steven who scratched the back of his head sheepishly. He looked at her again.

“I was just wondering if you wanted to grab dinner, that's all,” he said.

Didn't he know how to quit?!

“But it's okay, Bee. Maybe some other time,” he said.

Leave!

“I'd love to. Yeah, of course, Steven” Breanna smiled.

I frowned. Was he that good?

“Awesome. I'll see you later then?” he bid and turned away.

“Steven wait” Breanna called out, stopping him.

My stomach sank. I watched her scribble something on a piece of paper.

“You should call me,” she said.

My stomach grew cold this time.

“Really?” Steven chuckled in surprise.

“Absolutely.”

What?!

She really liked him then. They were doing calls now? I clenched my fists in my lap and Ronbie furrowed his brows at me.

“Aiden. What has gotten into you?” he asked, almost inaudibly.

I kept my eyes on Breanna who took the paper back from her lover to scribble sometime else on it.

“What's that?”

“My room number” she smiled. “You should come over whenever, okay? I'd love to spend more time with you.”

The pen I was holding snapped in my hand and Ronbie's eyes popped.

“Aiden!” he whisper-yelled.

Steven smiled sweetly and pulled her into a hug. The moment she hugged him back, I pushed my chair to get up but Ronbie was quick to hold me back.

“You're not seriously considering creating a scene here in front of your employees are you?” he asked.

I frowned.

“Aiden” he whispered out. “Miles is manipulative. He wants to take your position. Don't give him the chance to have more ridiculous proof to present to the board that you're not fit to be CEO. Calm yourself. You can't create a scene over her. She's an employee. It'd just put you both in a bad place!”

I exhaled deeply and let my shoulders droop a little. I reluctantly nodded and watched him kiss her cheek before letting her go. She smiled after him and returned to her seat to continue working.

Thank you for reading! ✨