AARON
"Who are you to Claire, huh?" Riley repeated, his voice growing louder and more aggressive.
I raised my head, feeling a surge of anger at his words. "What's it to you, man?" I shot back, trying to keep my cool.
"Answer the damn question!" Riley demanded, his eyes flashing with anger.
I hesitated, unsure of what to say.
Riley snorted. "Can't even answer a simple question, huh? You're a nobody to her, that's what you are!"
Alexa rushed into the room, her eyes wide with concern. "Sir Riley, please, let's go. I'll explain better to you outside."
Riley turned to her, his face red with anger. "No, I want to know who this guy is to Claire. He's clearly hiding something."
I stood up, my fists clenched. "And who are you to her, huh? You think you're so special?"
Riley sneered.
"Of course! I'm her best friend, that's who I am. And you? You're just a... a..." He looked me up and down, his eyes filled with disgust.
Alexa quickly intervened, her voice smooth. "Actually, Sir Aaron is the new bodyguard Mrs. Walker just hired."
Riley's eyes lit up with amusement. "Oh, great. So you're just a disgusting bodyguard, and you think you mean something to her? You're just a bodyguard, a hired hand. You don't mean shit to her. Don't you dare talk when I'm talking, you wretched animal."
My anger boiled over, but I kept my cool, barely. Alexa begged Riley to leave, and eventually, he stormed out of the office, leaving me seething with anger.
As I waited for Claire, my anger turned to frustration, and eventually, exhaustion. I lay down on the bed in the secret room, my eyes closing in sleep.
****
CLAIRE
I watched Rachel dancing on the dance floor, her body moving effortlessly to the music. She twerked and whined her waist, drawing attention from the guys around us. I smiled and gestured that I was fine, content to watch her from afar.
Rachel was the life of the party, always the center of attention. She was the "bad bitch" among us, never afraid to speak her mind and live life on her own terms. Sophia, on the other hand, was quiet and naive, with a baby face that belied her 23 years. Rachel was the oldest at 26 and always played the big sister role.
I sat back down, ready to text Aaron and let him know I was okay. But before I could pull out my phone, Rachel appeared in front of me, a drink in hand.
"Hey, girl! That felt great, I haven't had this much fun in a while," she said, giggling.
I smiled and took a sip of the drink. "Yeah, it's been a blast."
Rachel sat down next to me and started telling me about her time in New York. "Oh my god, you would love it there! The energy is just amazing. You have to come with me next time."
I listened intently, feeling a pang of jealousy. Rachel always seemed to be living her best life.
But then I remembered Sophia. "Hey, how's Sophia doing? You mentioned she was sick earlier."
Rachel's expression turned serious. "Yeah, she got dumped by her boyfriend."
My eyes widened in surprise. "What? I had no idea she was even dating anyone!"
Rachel shook her head. "I know, me neither. She never told us. But apparently, they've been together for two years and she was totally in love with him."
I gasped. "That's awful. I can't believe he would dump her like that."
Rachel nodded. "I know, right? I wish I knew who the jerk was so I could teach him a lesson."
We both laughed, and then Rachel turned to me with a curious expression. "So, Claire, have you stopped... you know, with the nymphomania?"
I shook my head, feeling a twinge of embarrassment. "No, not yet."
Rachel raised an eyebrow. "And do you have a boyfriend now?"
I chuckled. "No, no boyfriend."
But then my mind wandered to Aaron, and I couldn't help but smile. Rachel noticed and grinned.
"There's something on your mind, isn't there?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
I hesitated for a moment before spilling the beans. "I've been seeing someone. Aaron, you need to see this dude Rachel, he's so dead drop gorgeous but.... We're just... fuck mates, I guess."
Rachel's eyes widened in surprise. "Just fuck mates? That's interesting. I didn't know you could do that without emotions getting involved."
I shrugged. "Yeah, me neither. But it's working for now."
Rachel nodded, a thoughtful look on her face. "I'm happy for you, Claire. You deserve it."
We chatted for a few more minutes before Rachel checked her phone. "Oh, it's 4 pm already. We should go visit Sophia."
I nodded, feeling a pang of guilt. "Yeah, I should go too. But I have to head to the office first."
Rachel nodded understandingly. "No worries, I'll go see Sophia on my own. We can catch up later."
We hugged and pecked each other on the cheek before parting ways.
****
AARON
When I woke up, the office was still quiet. I got up and walked out of the room, only to find Alexa snooping around, as if she was looking for something. She didn't seem to notice me, so I stepped back into the room and watched her from the exposed window. She continued checking around to see if someone was watching, and I wondered what she was about to do.
I was surprised to see her counting a huge amount of money from Claire's drawer and stuffing half of it into her own bag. As if that wasn't enough, she proceeded to the other drawers in the office and brought out the pairs of jewelry boxes she found, opening them one by one and stuffing more than five into her bag.
What is this? Is she trying to steal from Claire? Or has she always been stealing it? Does that explain why she was shocked to see me in the morning? What am I even saying? She's already stealing it right under my nose. I have to do something. I have to confront her, because I'll be the one suspected if Claire finds out her things are gone.
I also need some proof, because she might deny it if I confront her now. I grabbed my phone and started recording as she packed more jewelry into her bag. Then I stepped out.
"What do you think you're doing?" I asked, and I could see she froze as she heard me, her eyes wide with surprise. "Sir Aaron, I didn't know you were still here. I thought you left." she stammered, trying to hide her bag behind her.
"What is that?" I pointed at her bag, my eyes narrowing.
"It's my bag, sir, nothing else." She replied, her voice shaking.
"Alexa, I saw you taking money and jewelry from Claire's drawers. You're stealing from her." I accused, my anger rising.
"No, sir, I'm not! I swear!" she denied, her eyes darting around the room.
I pulled out my phone and showed her the video. "This proves otherwise. You're stealing from someone who trusts you."
Alexa's face fell, and she sank to her knees, her hands clasped together. "Please, Aaron, don't tell Claire. I'll do anything, just please don't expose me."
I crossed my arms, my expression unyielding. "Why are you doing this, Alexa? Claire trusts you, and you're betraying that trust."
Tears streamed down her face. "My sister is sick, and we need money for her treatment. I didn't know what else to do."
"You should have asked Claire for help. She would have assisted you." I said, my voice softening slightly.
"I know, I was wrong. I promise to return them, just don't tell Ma'am Claire about this." Alexa continued begging, her words tumbling out in a desperate plead.
"Please, Sir Aaron, have mercy. I'll do anything you want, just don't tell Claire. I'll work extra hours, I'll do any task you give me, just please keep this secret."
Her words were interrupted by Claire's entrance into the office. "What is going on here?" she asked, her eyes scanning the scene before her.