Chapter 6

AIDEN

It was her. The moment my eyes fell on her, I knew. She was the woman I'd been obsessing over for years. Everything else blurred. Everyone else seemed insignificant.

That face, those forest-green eyes—pure fucking innocence radiating from them. Unforgettable. A tightening in my chest—desire and frustration swirling. The room ceased to exist. The party, the people, the noise—nothing mattered.

She was here, right in front of me. I wanted to jump off the stage and reach her. My speech? Irrelevant. I didn't matter.

I rushed through the rest of it, barely maintaining composure—something I'd never done before. My entire focus was on her. When I finished, I didn't wait for applause or handshakes. I needed to be near her, to confirm it was really her. Six years. Six fucking years. And now, here she was.

I followed her to the bar.

"Scotch, on the rocks," she ordered.

As soon as she heard my voice, she squeezed her eyes shut, her lips a thin line. A second passed before she opened them, keeping them fixed on her drink, deliberately avoiding me. I leaned against the bar, watching her with amusement and annoyance. Did she think ignoring me would work?

"Ignoring me won't make me go away, love," I murmured, low enough for her ears only.

Her face remained composed, but I noticed her fingers tighten around the glass, her knuckles whitening. That gave her away, and I grinned. She might have been trying to act indifferent, but her body betrayed her.

"Then what would?" Her voice was even, though I detected a slight tremor. Her chin jutted out defiantly—adorable. She was trying so hard not to show she was intimidated.

Fucking cute!

I grinned, enjoying her game. A second later, she glanced my way. The blush that crept up her neck was instant, a beautiful crimson that told me she wasn't unaffected. Good. Because the thought that she might not even remember me after all these years? That would have bruised my ego beyond repair.

"Feels familiar, doesn't it? You sitting at the bar with a drink, all alone," I remarked as the bartender slid my drink over. I didn't take my eyes off her. Her reaction was ecstatic.

"I'm not alone," she snapped, her words defensive, laced with panic. I raised an eyebrow. She glanced behind me, her eyes flicking to something—or someone—before she looked away.

I had a bad feeling. Confirmed when a man, probably in his early thirties, approached, all too casually. His presence grated on my nerves before he even spoke.

"Hope I'm not interrupting," he said with a polite smile, his gaze shifting between us.

Yes, you are. In fact, you're ruining everything.

"No, of course not," she replied sweetly, her tone suddenly warm as she smiled up at him. That smile… It made me want to grab the guy and toss him out a window. She hadn't smiled at me like that. Not even close. Who the fuck was this guy?

"As I was saying, I'm here with my boyfriend," she added, leaning into him slightly. I hated it. Hated how at ease she seemed, how he seemed to belong beside her.

Boyfriend. She had a fucking boyfriend! Six years had passed; she wasn't going to wait for me. Still, it pissed me off.

"Noah Rivera," he introduced himself, offering his hand. "I'm honored to be working at Architec Associates."

He worked for me. Interesting.

I glanced at his hand, not hiding my lack of enthusiasm. If I shook it, I wasn't sure I could stop myself from breaking it. After a few awkward seconds, he pulled it back, looking embarrassed.

"Which department?" I asked. His face lit up.

"The…" he replied eagerly.

"Are you previously acquainted?" Noah asked, sensing the tension.

"No," she answered too quickly.

That rushed "no" hung in the air. I smirked. She was so determined to distance herself, I wasn't letting her off the hook that easily.

"Mr. Knight here confused me with someone else," she added, shooting me a pointed look, begging me to play along.

"Right," I said slowly. "She looks very familiar to someone I've been looking for, for the last six years."

Her eyes widened slightly. The idea that I'd been searching for her for six years seemed to catch her off guard.

"Oh!" Noah muttered, buying the story.

Fucking idiot.

I turned my attention back to her, ignoring Noah. "I didn't quite catch your name," I said, my voice soft but insistent.

She hesitated. Clearly, she didn't want me to know. Why? Did she think I was a threat? That I'd chase her if I knew her full identity? Maybe I would.

"Freya," she finally said. Just her first name. But it wasn't enough. I could find out everything I needed to know.

"Well, it was nice to meet you, Freya," I said, savoring her name. It felt good. Right. Like I'd finally uncovered a missing piece.

I nodded at them both before turning and walking away.

Turns out I didn't hate parties anymore.

SIND GIFT