His lips thinned and for a moment, the Cayden I remembered peeked through—someone unaccustomed to being contradicted. His tone turned curt. "Suit yourself."
Without another word, he walked past me and into the living room. His movements were confident, almost too casual, as if he had walked these halls a hundred times before. The way he glanced at the furniture and decor made it clear: this house wasn't just a gift for me.
"Why did you call me yesterday?" he asked, lowering himself onto the sofa with the ease of someone settling into familiar territory. He rested one arm on the backrest, his piercing gaze flicking to me briefly before focusing on the room around us.
I leaned against the doorframe, watching him, the question hanging between us. Instead of answering, I countered, "When can I return to work?"
Cayden tilted his head, as if caught off guard by my directness. He seemed to think for a moment, but I knew better. Cayden was never indecisive. He had already made up his mind; this was all for show.
"Stay by my side," he said finally, his tone firm. "You're the person I trust most. You can help me handle important matters."
I looked down, my fingers curling into fists at my sides. Memories of the past crashed over me—the chaos, the victories, the betrayals.
***
The year Nathan and Cayden clashed head-on was the most chaotic period of our lives.
Nathan was a titan in the business world, untouchable in reputation and wealth. When Cayden first challenged him, Nathan barely acknowledged his existence. But we made sure he noticed us. Using connections from both sides of the law, Cayden and I dismantled Nathan's empire piece by piece. Factories, shipping lines, even his loyal allies—we took them all.
At the height of our success, we celebrated like kings. But it didn't last. Nathan struck back and this time, he had an ace up his sleeve—a traitor within our ranks. The evidence Nathan gathered was enough to put Cayden behind bars.
I'll never forget the look on Cayden's face when he first saw the reports. He paced his office like a caged animal, his usually steady hands trembling as he clutched the papers.
"Aubrey, what should I do?" he said, his voice breaking. "I can't accept this. I just can't!"