CHAPTER 436: FEELINGS KEEP GROWING STRONGER

After Roderick left, Roger shifted slightly and said, "Demitri had lunch with us today. He seemed a bit stressed... it’s about Nora."

Lucius straightened in his chair, his hands clasped tightly on the table. "What happened to her? Did the loan sharks show up again?"

"No, nothing like that, Boss," Roger replied quickly, pulling out a chair and sitting down. "It’s something else. Demitri told us about an incident involving Nora, and it’s been weighing on him. Her colleagues still treat her differently because she knows Demitri. So, she’s considering switching the job."

Lucius’s brows furrowed with concern, but he nodded. "I’ll speak with Demitri this evening. But I have a feeling Nora might already know what I do regarding the front desk staff."

Roger’s eyes widened slightly. "Boss, I thought we weren’t supposed to tell her about that."

Lucius shook his head. "That’s not the right way to handle things. Yes, as the company’s director, it’s my duty to put a stop to what’s wrong, but that doesn’t mean keeping the people involved in the dark. Especially not someone like Nora. She won’t appreciate being kept out of the loop. I’ll explain everything to Demitri myself."

Roger nodded slowly, finally understanding what Lucius meant. Hiding the truth from someone you cared about, especially when Nora was Demitri’s girlfriend, was never the right move.

"I get it, Boss," Roger said with a nod.

Lucius gave him a knowing smirk. "So, when are you and Varya getting married?"

Roger chuckled, a shy smile tugging at his lips. "Still working on the proposal, Boss. Once that’s done, we’re not waiting. We’ll get married right away."

Lucius leaned back in his chair. "Hmm. I wonder what Aiden’s been up to lately."

"You don’t know?" Roger raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise.

Lucius narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing, Boss," Roger said quickly, already standing. "You should ask Aiden yourself."

Lucius tilted his head, suspicion growing. "Wait, is he seeing someone?"

"I’m not saying a word," Roger replied with a grin, inching toward the door. "I’ll get back to work now."

Before Lucius could press further, Roger darted out of the room, leaving behind a curious director with a million questions, and a smirk of his own.

Lucius picked up the file that he was supposed to read and sign in it to approve the new project related to the semiconductor chips.

~~~~~

Aiden stepped out of the elevator just as his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, glancing at the screen.

A message from Sylvia.

She had sent a photo of her from her office space, smiling brightly, with a caption underneath.

"Guess why I’m happy."

Aiden smiled instinctively, his steps unhurried as he walked toward his office. He quickly typed back:

"You closed a big deal?"

A moment later, her reply popped up.

"Nope. You’re terrible at guessing."

He chuckled quietly, the sound escaping him as he lowered into his chair. Setting the phone down on the table, he leaned back and stared at the screen.

"What made her happy?" he murmured to himself, eyes softening with curiosity.

He reached again for the phone, already typing another message.

"You won the lottery."

This time, Aiden was teasing her.

Sylvia’s reply came back almost instantly, accompanied by a facepalm emoji.

"Seriously?? That’s your guess?"

Smirking, Aiden tapped out another message.

"You should just tell me. You know I’m terrible at guessing."

But this time, no response came.

He waited for a moment, watching the screen, half-expecting her to reply with a dramatic comeback.

"Maybe she got busy," he muttered and placed the phone face down on the desk.

"I’ll call her later once I wrap up."

With that, Aiden turned his attention to the stack of paperwork in front of him.

After finishing his work, Aiden drove home, stopping by the store to pick up some groceries. He parked the car and carried the bags up to his apartment.

As he was typing the code on his door, the door next to his opened.

Sylvia stepped out and caught sight of him.

"You’re back late," she said, her eyes drifting to the two large grocery bags in his hands.

Without waiting, she reached out and took one from him.

"Let me help."

They walked into his apartment together.

Inside, Aiden set the bag down and removed his shoes, sliding into his slippers.

"So, what was it?" he asked, glancing at her with a small grin. "The thing that made you so happy today?"

Sylvia turned toward him with her vibrant smile which she would hardly show.

"Make a Guess."

Aiden chuckled, shaking his head. "Again? You already know I’m terrible at this." He followed her to the kitchen.

Sylvia turned to him after placing the bag on the table. Aiden stepped closer and set down the one in his hand beside hers.

"I met the kids from the orphanage," Sylvia said, her voice softening. "The one my brother donated to before he passed away. They were so happy because of Matteo. He even helped some of the adults get jobs."

Aiden nodded slowly. "That was definitely a tough guess."

"It wasn’t," Sylvia said with a small laugh. "The photo I sent you was taken at the orphanage. You just didn’t look closely."

"My bad," Aiden admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "But you went without telling me?"

"I got a sudden call from them," she explained. "And even if I had called you, you probably wouldn’t have been able to make it. I didn’t want to bother you."

"Layla wouldn’t have minded if I left," Aiden replied with a hint of a smile. "My boss is quite understanding, you know," he asserted.

"I know," Sylvia murmured. "Should I cook for us?" she offered, already brushing past him toward the refrigerator.

But before she could take another step, Aiden caught her wrist and gently pinned her against the kitchen counter.

Sylvia froze, caught off guard. Her eyes widened as she looked up at him, confused by the sudden shift.

"Do you want to go on a trip with me?" Aiden asked, his gaze fixed on hers.

"A trip?" she repeated, still processing his words.

"Yeah," he said with a small nod. "Actually, my boss suggested it. Everyone’s bringing their girlfriends... and I want to introduce you to them as my girlfriend. Nobody knows about us yet."

Sylvia’s lips parted, but no words came out.

"I don’t think it’s a good idea," Sylvia finally said.

Aiden tilted his head, searching her eyes. "Why? Are you uncomfortable around them?"

She hesitated, biting her lower lip. "It’s not that... I just... I’m not ready yet."

Aiden’s eyes softened with understanding. "They don’t care about anyone’s past mistakes. Everyone has their own faults. And I’m sure they’ll be happy to know we’re together."

Sylvia lowered her gaze, her fingers nervously twisting the edge of her shirt. "I’m sorry, Aiden. I just need more time."

He gave a slow nod. "Alright, I get it. If you’re not ready, I’ll tell them I can’t make it."

She immediately shook her head. "No, don’t do that. You should have fun with everyone. It’s been years since you took a break from work and just enjoyed yourself."

"Well, I want to be with you," Aiden said, his lips brushing her cheek, making her heart race. "We can go to a place of your choice," he murmured in her ear.

Sylvia swallowed hard while hesitating. "I—I think you should go with your friends."

Aiden’s eyes met hers again. "And what would I do surrounded by all these couples? Boss is married, and the others will bring their girlfriends, like I told you. It would only make me miss you more."

"But I’ll feel upset if you don’t go with them," Sylvia said. "I mean they all are your close friends."

"Yeah, they are. But you’re going to be my wife with whom I want to spend time with to know her better," Aiden spoke in a rush his last statement, causing Sylvia’s eyes to turn big.

"What did you say?" Sylvia asked with a surprised gaze.

"You heard me," Aiden said. "You don’t want me to become your husband?"

"I’ve not thought of that far," Sylvia admitted, her chest rising and falling.

"In the beginning, I said you’d be my first and my last," Aiden stated, not blinking while looking at her. Then, without waiting for her response, he kissed her. His hand cradled her neck, her soft tresses entangled in between his fingers as poured all his feelings in that kiss. Sylvia reciprocated with equal fervor, her hands tightly holding the edge of the counter as her back arched.

Sylvia pulled away, but Aiden continued the kiss and parted her legs with his knees. Only when they were out of breath, Aiden pulled away.

"You should start thinking then. My feelings keep growing stronger for you. I don’t understand casual dating and stuff, Sylvia. I am a man who wants only one woman in my life and that’s you," Aiden stated with a serious look.