Business as Usual

Aiden

The sharp chime of my Rolex marked the end of my patience. Almost noon. This conversation needed to end now.

"You don't know what I want," I said, my voice steady but tight with frustration. "But I'll tell you what I don't want: to become heir to the Kesington Group."

A soft knock interrupted me. Samantha, my secretary, peeked through the door, her hand hovering awkwardly in the air as if asking permission to exist. I waved her off, and she vanished as quickly as she'd appeared, her retreating steps as if she was already eager to escape the tension radiating from my office.

On the other end of the phone, my mother's sharp inhale was audible. Her tone was as frigid as ever. "You're becoming more like your father—a spoiled brat. Opportunities like this don't fall into everyone's lap, and you're treating it like a game."

I clenched my jaw. "I'm tired of repeating myself to you. You don't know the first thing about running that group. You can't even manage your own affairs."

Her scoff crackled through the speaker. "Don't you dare talk to me like that. I endured years of suffering at the hands of your father. It's only right I reap the rewards now."

"Then go ahead and reap them." I replied exasperated. "Take that case—what is it, assault? The one you filed against Charles and his wife. That'll get you more than enough. But leave me out of it. I'm not your extension, Miss Victoria."

Before she could continue, I ended the call and let the phone drop onto the desk. I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly, though it did nothing to dissipate the heat crawling under my skin. Maybe I should've cut her off years ago. Miss Victoria and the Kesington legacy—the last unsolved mess in my life—and they are nothing short of a poison.

A soft knock pulled me back to the present. I opened my eyes to see Jack standing in the doorway, his polite smile means he overheard anything. "Sir, it's time to go."

I nodded, pushing to my feet. "Let's move."

Samantha's hurried steps clicked on the floor as she emerged from her office, matching my brisk pace. "Sir, there are several approvals pending—"

"Not important," I interrupted, my tone curt. "What is important is getting a memo to the PR team. Post it on the board. Every department is up for inspection this week, except Operations. We can't have a company running international projects with departments slacking off. Have the reports redone and send them back. I want everyone doing their real jobs."

"Yes, sir," Samantha replied with a nod, her composure unshaken, weirdly reminded me of Nelly.

"Good," I said sharply, glancing again at my watch. The minute hand was inching closer to twelve, and the day's schedule loomed heavy in my mind.

As we moved through the office, employees straightened in their chairs or avoided eye contact altogether. A murmur of greetings followed me, painted with the nervous energy that comes when people know they're under scrutiny. Months of focusing on Operations had left other departments to coast, but those days were over. Especially for PR. Their latest reports were more excuses than work.

The thought simmered in the back of my mind, feeding my irritation as Jack held the door open for me.

"You look tense, boss," Jack said as he slid into the driver's seat and shut the door behind him. The engine hummed to life.

I didn't answer right away, my gaze fixed on the distant line of cars crawling along the lanes. "Nothing's working right now," I muttered, more to myself than him.

Jack hesitated, his tone cautious as he spoke. "All the departments met their yearly goals—"

I cut him off. "Goals? We didn't grow; we just coasted. We hit those numbers because of loyal customers, not new ones."

He cleared his throat. "But didn't you say we didn't have the capacity—"

"I said we didn't have the capacity then. I didn't say we couldn't find capacity." My words quickened, frustration mounting. "Jack, we work in operations every single day. Does that look like a team afraid to break new ground? They're capable of so much more, but we're stuck in neutral."

Before he could respond, my phone vibrated against the pocket. I sighed, turning to the window as I picked it up and swiped to answer.

"This is the man terrorizing his employees—despite them hitting their yearly targets!" Jake's voice dripped with mockery on the other end.

A chuckle escaped me. "You've got a hard life, Jake, spying on me all day."

"It's a hobby," he quipped. "You're my competitor. But I heard you've been riding them pretty hard lately."

"Jake, holding people accountable isn't terrorizing. Our loyalty base carried those numbers, not new clients. There's room for growth, and I'm not paying my team to leave it up to luck."

"Paranoid much?" Jake teased. "New clients will come. Relax."

"I pay them not to rely on fate,"

Jake laughed, the kind of laugh that meant he was about to hit a nerve. "Speaking of fate, I hear yours took a nosedive. Word is, you and your 'lady' broke up."

"That wasn't even a relationship," I replied flatly.

"Really? She seemed pretty dedicated. Signed the NDA, bent over backward to be whatever you wanted—"

"I told her early on it wouldn't work, don't make me look like the jerk here."

Jake's tone turned mock-sympathetic. "You sure you're not setting yourself up to die alone? Big house, no one to share it with, hearing your own echo bounce off the walls."

"And you think your looming string of divorces is going to better?" I shot back, smirking despite myself. "You're headed for it, Jake."

"Hey, don't be jealous. I attract them all, and you scare them all away."

"If that's what helps you sleep at night," I replied, leaning back against the seat as traffic began to crawl forward.

Jake's laugh softened into something more pointed. "Just thought I'd check in. I heard the heat's on you now—Kesington and all. Good luck with that."

I sighed, shaking my head. "The irony of it all."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Jake said with a laugh. "So, you wanna hang out this weekend?"

"If everything works out today," I replied, noncommittal.

"You're no fun. Come on, let loose for once. Besides, everything's falling into place for you now—I'm that confident."

"People who mix business and personal life are the hardest to deal with, I am oddly nervous about this client" I muttered.

"You'll figure it out. Just come over this weekend. I'll text you the location. There'll be fat asses and alcohol—enough to make you forget whatever's got you so wound up."

"I have that at home," almost slipped from my lips, but I caught myself. The image of Nelly flickered in my mind, her face, her laugh, and the memory of last night. It softened the anger roiling inside me, even if only for a moment.

"What? Why're you so quiet? Wait—don't tell me Eva's out of the picture, and now you've got someone else?"

"That's not what this is. Mind your business, Jake," I snapped, but it lacked the bite I intended.

Jake snorted. "Wow. Now you have to make it to the hangout. I'll see you there."

"Yeah, sure."

"Later, man," he said before hanging up.

I lowered the phone and sat there for a moment, Jake's words having stirred thoughts I was trying to suppress. Nelly's presence kept resurfacing in my mind like a craving. I caught myself glancing at my phone, disappointed—no, annoyed—that I didn't even have her number. The thought of her pressed against me, her warmth, her voice—it was maddeningly vivid and the effect immediate. I shifted in my seat, trying to shake it off, but even the air felt heavier. I turned my gaze to the bustling road outside, forcing my thoughts elsewhere.

It wasn't long before Jack's voice pulled me back. "We're here, sir."