All day, Keeley was a bundle of nerves. She barely managed a "Happy birthday" to Aaron by the coffee machine that morning, too afraid of ruining the surprise. He'd continued offering her coffee all week, even though she'd refused since discovering her pregnancy; caffeine wasn't good for the baby. He didn't seem surprised when she chose milk with her bagel instead. He insisted she have coffee to wake up, but she refused. "You won't be offering me coffee tomorrow, that's for sure," she thought.

Her anxiety made her fidget through classes, scribbling notes furiously. When not taking notes, she doodled in the margins. She glanced at the clock: 1:48 PM. "Why can't this day be over already?" she groaned. She'd been stressed for over a week!

Aaron typed furiously at his keyboard, working on his expansion proposal. He had enough contacts in Canada to establish branches in several provinces. Aside from a hurried "Happy birthday" from Keeley that morning as she rushed out the door, it was a typical workday. Birthdays weren't special to him anymore; they hadn't been for most of his life. His parents' large parties were networking events, never genuine celebrations. Often, they weren't even on his actual birthday.

Keeley was the first person to truly celebrate his birthday. It fell on a Saturday after the first week of their freshman year at Boston University. She'd texted all week, insisting they meet Saturday, not Sunday. He was confused—he didn't know she knew his birthday. Their freshman dorm lacked a kitchen, but she'd bought him a cupcake from a downtown bakery and added a candle. Meeting in Boston Common, she revealed the hidden cupcake, smiling brightly.

"Happy birthday, Aaron!"

Overwhelmed, Aaron stared blankly for a moment before thanking her and taking the treat. She lit the candle, sang "Happy Birthday," and he blew it out.

"What did you wish for?" she asked.

"I'm not telling."

He wished she'd be there for every birthday. That wish hadn't come true; he'd spent decades celebrating alone. Her recent warmth made him hopeful she'd celebrate with him today, but she had to work. He considered bringing her dinner to avoid eating alone.

Aiden poked his head into the office. "Boss man! I have a request."

"What is it?"

Aiden sprawled on the couch. He visited Aaron's office daily, clearly comfortable there.

"There's this Korean restaurant I've wanted to try, but no one will go with me. As your favorite employee, pretty please, come with me tonight?"

On any other day, Aaron would've refused. But he was lonely. Was this a coincidence, or did Aiden, an all-knowing hacker, know his birthday?

"Does it have to be tonight?"

"Why, are you busy?" Aiden asked doubtfully.

"No…"

Aiden grinned. "Come on, it'll be fun! I won't even tease you about the spicy kimchi."

"Alright," Aaron agreed. It was better than being alone.

"Excellent! I'll text you the address; meet me at six!"

Aiden left. Did he really come to the top floor just for dinner plans? Usually, he had more to say.

Aaron shrugged and returned to his proposal. It needed to be done before the next board meeting. Since proposing a Monaco headquarters, he'd prepared a new expansion plan for each meeting, showcasing himself as a forward-thinking leader, unlike his father, Alistair, who no longer generated new ideas. He needed to sow doubt about Alistair in the neutral shareholders' minds while presenting himself positively. This would increase their likelihood of siding with him later.

Progress was steady, but not as swift as he'd like. There were no major setbacks. Was Alistair oblivious, or confident he'd prevail? Aaron wasn't sure which was better. Overconfidence could be disastrous, but what if Alistair had a counter-plan?

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