Chapter 37

FREYA

Breakfast was excellent. I’d never experienced such a lavish spread, but I wasn’t complaining. I almost groaned with pleasure at the first bite of a flaky croissant. This was good!

“I suppose the breakfast is to your liking, Ms. Wilson?” Carlos asked, expertly folding a napkin. He reminded me of Joseph, the majordomo, in Dynasty. His mannerisms were uncanny.

“You’d be correct,” I wiped my mouth, hiding a smile at Carlos’ slightly raised eyebrow. He’d noticed my imitation of his formality. “Please, be less formal, and call me Freya.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” He nodded, then something behind me caught his attention.

“Carlos! I can smell your amazing food all the way from the parking lot!”

I whipped around to find the source of the familiar female voice. My mood instantly dampened, slightly. I’d met her at the club that night: Erica. She was with Aiden. A friend, or?

“Ms. Davis, please take a seat. I’ll fix you a plate.”

Their interaction suggested familiarity. She probably visited often. I didn’t know why this left a sour taste in my mouth.

“I would love that, thank you.” She flashed a bright smile at Carlos before her eyes landed on me. It took her a moment to place me.

“Freya, right!”

“Well, I didn’t think I’d be here.” She cut herself off, but the meaning was clear. She shook her head and offered another radiant smile. “It’s so nice to meet you. We didn’t talk properly last time.”

Before I could reply, Aiden interrupted.

“Erica,” he greeted, his tone suggesting surprise.

“Aiden,” she replied, mirroring his tone with a playful smile.

“What are you doing here?” He glanced at his watch. “We have a meeting at ten.”

“We had a meeting. Change of plans.”

He raised an eyebrow, hands in his pockets, waiting for an explanation. Erica sighed, taking a few steps toward him.

“This client is difficult to please. They’ve requested a postponement until lunch. They’re meeting with Vivid Corp to explore their options. I thought we should be gracious; it reflects well on our confidence. In the meantime, we can discuss a few things.”

I tuned out their conversation and watched them.

Erica was stunning. A model's rival. Wavy red hair, long, toned legs, and beautiful olive skin. She exuded confidence, and, to top it off, she had a gorgeous smile.

And, in case I haven't mentioned it, Aiden was equally attractive. In formal wear, he was something else entirely—a straight woman's dream.

A pang of something hit my chest. I reluctantly admitted they looked good together. I didn’t understand why this bothered me. Aiden worked with her, went clubbing with her. They were probably…

Suddenly, the croissants weren't as appealing. I finished my juice.

“Breakfast?” Aiden offered Erica.

Just then, Carlos placed two plates on the counter. I silently wiped my mouth, contemplating, when Aiden finally noticed me.

“Good morning, Freya.”

Looking up, I tried to ignore his gaze and the way my name sounded from him. I pressed my lips together and managed a small nod before standing.

“I should excuse myself. I—uh—need to get Gia ready for school.”

Before I could leave, Aiden stopped me.

“Chris can drive her,” he said, already staring at me. “You can trust him. He’s worked here a long time.” Sensing my hesitation, his gaze softened. He sighed. “But if you want, you can go with her.”

I mumbled a thank you and practically fled, not wanting to intrude.

Fine. That was a lie. After four hours of denial, I admitted it. I'd left the dining hall not out of concern for interrupting their work, but because my brain was in dangerous territory.

I'd removed myself before reaching an undesirable realization, but it didn’t work. Hours later, I was still thinking about it. I didn’t want to know why I was so bothered.

“Freya.”

“Yes?” I looked up to see Avery frowning.

“Darling, you seem distracted. Anything wrong?” she asked, concerned. I didn’t know if anything was wrong; I needed someone to tell me that.

I exhaled. “No, Avery, just—I’m tired. That’s all.” Yes. Exhaustion. That was it. I blamed my overthinking on it.

“You should take a day off. I can manage here, you know.” She placed a hand on my arm. I covered her hand and smiled.

“I do know that.” She smiled back.

“You wanted to say something?” I asked, unsure if I’d missed something.

“Oh, yes, I forgot. That gentleman wants to talk to you.” Avery nodded toward a man at a corner table.

“About what? A wrong order?” I asked, eyeing the man, who looked to be in his early thirties. He seemed to enjoy his coffee.

She shrugged. “I don’t know. He didn’t seem angry.”

“Cool. I’ll find out.” I put away my apron and approached him. He lowered his coffee cup as I drew near.

“Hi, I’m Freya. Is there a problem?”

“No problem.” He gestured for me to sit. Confused, I sat. He leaned back, giving me a warm but unsettling stare.

“I’ll cut to the chase. I have a business proposition.”

My forehead creased. “Business proposition?”

“Connor Warren.” He slid a card across the table. The moment I picked it up, my eyebrow shot up.

“You own Ink & Pages? Fuck!” One of the most renowned bookstore chains in the world, and my favorite.

“Among others,” he muttered casually. His wealth was apparent. Broad shoulders in an expensive jacket, sleek hair—he was as out of place here as Aiden was. He looked like someone who frequented high-end restaurants for his coffee.

Putting my observations aside, I focused on the proposition. “You own this huge chain, and I have this small cafe. I don’t understand how we can do business.”

He rubbed his jaw. “The cafe seems packed. Should we discuss this elsewhere?”

I glanced around. The cafe wasn’t suitable for serious conversation, especially now. The rush was good, though.

“Uh—yeah, I think—give me a moment. I’ll let my staff know.” I stood. He nodded.

Avery was removing an empty tray. She raised a curious eyebrow. “So? What did he want?”

I shook my head, grabbing my phone and bag. “Not yet. He wants to talk business. I’ll be gone a couple of hours. Think you can manage?”

“Definitely, honey. Go make us more money.” I smiled, amused by her enthusiasm.

“I’ll see you—”