Chapter 35: A Distracted CEO

*Aryanna*

Darren’s phone lay cold in my hands, the screen a familiar shade of blue as I hovered over the message. My thumb trembled over the lock screen. The lines of Lisa’s text blurred, but I could see enough. Whatever she wanted to say couldn’t be anything good for me. I swallowed hard, pressing my other hand against my thigh to keep it from shaking. I didn’t have much time.

I tried entering the password—no luck. I tried again. I was locked out. My heart pounded, the seconds slipping by faster than I could keep track of. I thought about what Darren would use as a password. He was practical, cold, calculating, and efficient. It was probably some combination of numbers no one would guess.

I tried a date—a random one. I was wrong again. My fingers lingered over the numbers uncertainly until an old memory nudged into place. I typed in Charline’s birthday, an action that felt almost surreal.