Chapter 22

AIDEN

The harsh edge in my voice cut through my composure. I let the rage I felt towards him reflect in my eyes before resuming my mask of blankness.

"I'm not telling you all that," I said. "That seems a bit intense for this."

I looked at Cillian. "Is there any other possible reason why he would do as I ask?"

"I can think of one," he said, lazily scrolling through his phone. "Zenith Rivera. Checked into a mental health facility four years ago."

Noah froze. With any luck, he'd caught a hint of what we were getting at.

"What happens if Naali's found guilty of data theft?" I rubbed my jaw thoughtfully.

Cillian shrugged nonchalantly. "He gets fired and put behind bars."

"And any chance he gets unofficially blacklisted?" Noah's eyes darted between us, as if we were oblivious to his presence.

"Very likely. In fact, I could put in a little effort to seal that fate."

"Huh, wonder how he's gonna pay for his mother's care," I said.

Bringing up his sick mother was a low blow, I admit. But whatever gets the job done. Besides, I never claimed to be a good man. The morally high road never gets you to the top.

He gritted his teeth, glaring at the floor. "I'll do it. I'll break up with Freya. Today. And then I want you out of her hair. You're not going to think of her or my daughter again, or next time the conversation won't be this pleasant."

He didn't miss the threat in my words; his throat bobbed as he swallowed.

"Do I make myself clear?" I gritted my teeth when he still hadn't reacted. He clenched his jaw before nodding jerkily. I gave him a hard smile.

"See? That wasn't so difficult, was it? Now go home."

He stood and walked out of the club.

"What did she see in him? The fucker was ready to play under the table," Cillian commented dryly, ordering another drink.

"Fuck if I know!" I grunted, disgust evident. "A guy like him doesn't deserve someone like Freya in a thousand lifetimes. Stupid fucker!"

"What's next?" he asked, taking a sip.

"Now we wait."

FREYA

I turned off the TV. I hadn't been paying attention anyway. Lately, I'd been getting lost in my thoughts, zoning out. It wasn't like this before. But then Aiden walked in, and suddenly I was questioning everything. I was confused about my feelings.

Our time at the park earlier had been consuming my thoughts. Seeing them together, enjoying each other's company, was wholesome. It's hard to explain. I'd always wanted that for Gia, but I hadn't thought Aiden could be that person.

But I was wrong. Aiden was good with her. Even though it was early to judge, I could tell he would become the father Gia deserved. The adoration in his eyes whenever they fell on her was proof enough.

Gia's words from earlier echoed in my ears: "We can stay together and get a dog. No, two dogs."

Despite not knowing his real identity, Gia was accepting him quickly. I'd never seen her like this with Noah. Was there some kind of bond between her and Aiden?

The doorbell brought me out of my thoughts. Noah was back. I could slip into Gia's room; I wasn't ready to face him after our morning conversation. It was exhausting, and I needed space.

Unfortunately, nothing ever goes as planned, and I only have myself to blame. It was rude to ignore him at the door, though.

Besides, we needed to talk. Gia's words were on repeat in my head. All I wanted was for her to be comfortable and happy. Today, I realized she wasn't comfortable with Noah.

I hadn't seen her interact freely with Noah before, but I'd thought maybe she was just slow to warm up to new people.

But seeing her with Aiden… I knew I'd been wrong. Gia was my priority, and I would do anything to protect her interests.

I cleared my throat. "How was your day?"

"Peachy," Noah said, slumping onto the couch. He looked stressed and restless.

He dragged a hand down his face and sighed. "Freya, we should break up. It's over."

I wasn't expecting that. I waited for the heartbreak, the hurt, but after a few seconds, feeling nothing, I knew we were over long ago. Even though I'd considered saying something similar, I thought it would be painful. But the only feeling was relief that we were on the same page.