Thomas's voice cut sharply through the quiet morning air, his tone laced with that characteristic steel that always made Aiden’s skin crawl. "Your new bodyguard, Julian McAndrew, will be here any minute," he announced without preamble, eyes narrowing as if daring Aiden to argue.
With no room to protest, Aiden ran a hand through his disheveled blonde hair, already tasting the bitterness of another confrontation. Thomas’s demands were always precise and unyielding. "Clean yourself up," his father ordered, voice low but commanding, "You need to look presentable, at least."
Normally, Aiden might have let a sharp retort fly, but today his reserves were empty, drained from the endless tug-of-war with his father. So, with a resigned sigh, he muttered under his breath and traipsed to the bathroom, scrubbing at his face and ruffling his unruly hair in a futile attempt at civility.
Once Thomas’s footsteps faded away, Aiden caught Kyle’s eye. "Your ride’s about to leave," he mumbled, voice rough with fatigue. "Not that I want company now, but... yeah, no offense."
Kyle, ever the persistent pragmatist, followed him upstairs, undeterred. "Hold on. I need to tell you something important," he said, weaving through the narrow hallway toward Aiden’s bedroom.
Still half-dressed, Aiden barely spared his brother a glance as he peeled off his shirt, the weight of the morning’s tension hanging between them. "If it’s about the company, just forget it. I can’t deal with Grayson Enterprises today," he grumbled, voice thick with frustration. "Dad’s been on my case nonstop — like I have zero say in anything in my own life. I’m this family’s punching bag, and honestly, I’m running on empty."
Kyle’s expression sharpened, a flash of impatience in his steady gaze. "Quiet for a sec. It’s not about business. It’s about the blackmailer."
Aiden froze mid-strip, irritation flashing across his face. "Can you wait until I’m out of here before dumping this on me?" he asked, voice clipped.
"You need to hear this." Kyle pulled his phone from his pocket, screen glowing with an incoming message. "Karla, my contact at Little Town Magazine, tipped me off. One of their writers is about to drop a nasty story on you. Word is, an anonymous source is claiming you’re some kind of drug and sex addict."
Aiden’s laugh was bitter, almost hollow. "They’ve thrown worse at me before," he said, but the edge in Kyle’s tone gave him pause.
"This time, they have photos," Kyle said sharply, flipping his phone to show Aiden the damning evidence before he could ask. "There’s no way to deny it."
The image was a brutal flashback that smacked Aiden with uncomfortable clarity. There he was—mid-tumble through a haze of intoxication—surrounded by women whose faces had been blacked out, but whose intentions were clear. The setting looked like some seedy nightclub or strip club, the kind of place Aiden vowed he'd never let anyone connect to the Grayson name.
Aiden’s eyes locked on the camera, a crooked smirk playing on his lips as he flicked his middle finger at the lens. His tongue lolled out, two tiny white pills perched dangerously on its tip. The photo was all proof anyone would need of his wild past—proof that, for once, left no room for argument.
"Damn," Aiden muttered, feeling the old sting of shame poke through his usual armor. "I don’t even remember that night. It’s just a blur now—too many of those nights mixed together."
Kyle’s frustration simmered beneath his calm demeanor. "No shit it’s a blur. You were out of your mind that night. And now it’s out there for the world to see." He slid the phone back into his pocket, rubbing his temples. "I’ve got to start damage control ASAP."
"Could be an old photo," Aiden said, trying to grasp at straws. "Hell, it might be from years ago—back when I was going through one of my phases."
"Doesn’t matter." Kyle’s voice was grim. "Little Town’s going live with the article in less than twenty minutes. I tried talking to them, bribing them—nothing’s working. They won’t pull it. We’ll have to spin this fast before it blows up."
Aiden stumbled toward the bed, the weight of the news crashing down like a tidal wave. His head throbbed from last night’s excesses, and now the chaos was piling up on him, relentless and unforgiving.
He sank onto the mattress, running a hand over his face. "Do you think it’s her? The blackmailer?"
Kyle nodded slowly. "Timing’s too perfect. The threatening letter came before this. It’s got to be connected."
"She’s got too much on me," Aiden growled, fists clenched. "How much more is she holding? What else is waiting in the dark? God, I’m going to find her, and when I do—"
"Calm down," Kyle snapped, already growing tired of the spiraling chaos. "Little Town won’t give us any info on the tipster. Privacy laws, confidentiality—you know the drill."
Aiden’s glare was sharp enough to cut glass. "Either you handle this, or I will. You don’t want to see what I’m capable of when I’m pushed."
Kyle rolled his eyes. "Relax. I’ll get it sorted, like I always do. You need to lay low until the storm passes."
"Yeah, yeah." Aiden’s voice was heavy with sarcasm as Kyle left the room.
Left alone, Aiden finally made his way to the shower, the hot water pounding down on him like an assault. The steam blurred the world outside the glass, but inside, his mind raced—frustrated, overwhelmed, desperate for an escape.
He hadn’t meant to snap at Kyle, one of the few constants in his chaotic life, but the strain was breaking him down piece by piece. Talking calmly was never his strong suit; when pushed, he exploded, sharp words and anger flying like missiles.
Apologies were rare currency in his world, and even rarer when his emotions ran this raw.
As the water sluiced over his lean frame, Aiden seized onto a fleeting distraction—a mental image of a sultry brunette with deep chocolate eyes and curves that could stop a man cold. For a moment, the storm inside him quieted, replaced by a whisper of desire and something dangerously like hope.
But beneath it all, the cold truth remained: the woman out there, whoever she was, held every card. And Aiden wasn’t done fighting yet.