Jaxton tapped his pen against the polished wood of the conference table, his gaze fixed on the documents before him. The words blurred together, shifting into a swirl of ink and paper. The meeting was already dragging, filled with investor concerns and legal discussions he usually dominated with ease.
Today, however, was different. His mind kept circling back to Aneira.
"Mr. Haydra?" Mr. Chen, one of the investors called.
Jaxton raised his head. The room was silent, all eyes on him.
Across the table, Mr. Chen's brow shot up and he asked. "Do you have any input on the environmental impact clause, or should we move on?"
Jaxton rarely, if ever, lost focus in meetings.
Jaxton exhaled slowly, adjusting his cufflinks. "The assessment was conducted in accordance with regulatory statutes," he said smoothly, flipping to the correct page with practiced ease. "There will be no interference with protected land. If the council wants further assurances, they can take it up with our legal team."
Chen didn't look convinced, but he nodded, flipping through his own notes.
Jaxton forced his mind back to the meeting, though a flicker of irritation crawled beneath his skin. He needed to regain control of his focus. He needed to stop thinking about—
His phone vibrated.
A message.
Jaxton's fingers twitched, but he resisted the urge to check it immediately. He already knew who it would be.
Aneira.
—
Meanwhile, at the Haydra estate, Aneira sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the untouched tray of food before her.
She knew.
The staff had been tight-lipped, but she wasn't stupid. The perfectly plated meals, the carefully curated dishes, it was Jaxton's doing. He hadn't called. He hadn't sent a message. Just silent gestures that spoke louder than words.
And she didn't know how to feel about it.
With a frustrated sigh, she picked up her phone and typed out a message.
"Did you tell them to do this?"
A simple question. No accusations. No unnecessary words. She hit send before she could second-guess herself.
And then she waited.
Jaxton's phone vibrated again. This time, he glanced at it.
Aneira: Did you tell them to do this?
A smirk tugged at his lips.
Straight to the point. No pleasantries, no unnecessary words.
He didn't reply immediately.
Let her wait a little.
Before he could type a response, his phone buzzed again. This time, it wasn't a message. It was a call.
Jaxton hesitated for only a second before rising from his chair. He ignored the flicker of curiosity in Mr. Chen's gaze and the way Dana stiffened at the corner of the room.
"Excuse me," he said smoothly, already buttoning his suit jacket. "I need to take this."
The room fell silent. No one objected, but he could feel their stunned surprise as he strode toward the exit.
Jaxton Haydra didn't leave meetings for personal calls.
Once he stepped into the hallway, he lifted the phone to his ear.
"You finally decided to call me?" His voice was casual, teasing.
Aneira exhaled, and for the first time, he noticed the slight hesitation in her tone. "I just wanted to ask if you told them to send the food."
"You already know the answer."
A pause.
Then, "Why?"
Jaxton leaned against the cool marble wall, his free hand slipping into his pocket. "Because I didn't want you starving."
"I wouldn't have."
"I wasn't willing to take that risk."
Silence stretched between them. He waited for her to argue, to push back like she always did. But instead, her voice softened.
"About this morning… I shouldn't have said those things. I was angry, and I took it out on you." She hesitated before adding, "I'm sorry."
Jaxton froze.
He didn't realize he was smiling until he caught his reflection in the glass wall beside him. It wasn't the usual smug smirk he wore in the courtroom. No, this was something different. Something warmer.
"Jaxton?" she called when she didn't hear him say anything.
His fingers tightened around the phone. "You surprise me, Mrs. Haydra."
"Don't get used to it."
A deep chuckle rumbled in his chest. "Noted."
Just as he was about to say something else, the boardroom door opened. Dana stepped out, looking both hesitant and apologetic.
"Mr. Haydra," she said carefully. "They're waiting."
Jaxton's jaw clenched slightly, the interruption pulling him back into reality. He met Dana's gaze, his usual cold sharpness returning.
"Give me five more minutes," he said smoothly.
Dana blinked, clearly surprised. He had never asked for more time before. He had always been the one dictating the pace, keeping everyone else waiting, not the other way around.
But Jaxton was already turning away, lifting the phone back to his ear.
"Where were we?" he murmured.
"Wait… Are you in a meeting?"
He exhaled through his nose, his jaw tightening. "Yes."
Aneira paused for a while before she said, "Jaxton, go back."
His brows furrowed. "What?"
"You don't have to step out because of me. I don't want to keep you from your work," she said firmly.
His grip on the phone tightened. Reluctantly, he sighed. "Fine."
Aneira hummed in approval. "Good."
Jaxton hesitated for half a second before adding, "I'll call you later."
He wasn't sure why he said it. He wasn't the type to reassure people with check-ins. But for some reason, the thought of leaving this conversation unfinished didn't sit well with him.
"Okay," she said simply.
His lips parted slightly at how easily she agreed.
No sarcasm, no protests.
"Goodbye, Aneira."
"Bye, Jaxton."
The call ended.
Jaxton lowered the phone, staring at the black screen for a moment before slipping it back into his pocket. His frown deepened.
Since when did he let someone else dictate when a conversation ended?
Pushing the thought aside, he turned and walked back into the boardroom.
—
Back in the Meeting
The silence in the room was thick when Jaxton re-entered. The investors had fallen into quiet murmurs, exchanging subtle glances. Mr. Chen, in particular, looked smug, as if he'd just witnessed something rare.
Jaxton strode back to his seat, his expression unchanged, his movements unhurried. He was aware of the unspoken questions hanging in the air, but he didn't acknowledge them.
Dana cleared her throat. "Shall we continue, Mr. Haydra?"
Jaxton turned his gaze to her. She was composed as ever, but he didn't miss the curiosity on her face.
He adjusted his cufflinks, settling back in his chair. "Yes. Where were we?"
Chen leaned forward, tapping his pen against the table. "We were discussing the wetland classification issue. But I have to say, Mr. Haydra, I didn't expect you to be… distracted today."
A few of the investors exchanged knowing looks. Jaxton didn't miss the slight amusement in their eyes. They weren't used to seeing him step out for personal reasons.
He met Chen's gaze with cool detachment. "And yet, here we are, still discussing the same issue. Clearly, my absence didn't affect much."
A slow chuckle spread through the room, but Chen wasn't deterred. "Still, I can't recall the last time you prioritized anything over work." His lips curved. "Must have been an important call."
Jaxton's expression didn't change. He didn't flinch, didn't blink. He merely let the silence stretch long enough to remind everyone who they were dealing with.
"Mr. Chen," he finally said, his voice smooth but edged with warning. "I don't recall needing to explain how I allocate my time. Unless, of course, you'd like to discuss how long you spent reviewing irrelevant documents before this meeting."
Chen's smirk faltered.
Jaxton leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp. "Now, if we're done with the unnecessary observations, let's move forward. The wetland classification-" he flipped open the file with a decisive motion "-isn't an issue. Section 47B has been reviewed twice, and all environmental concerns have been cleared."
Dana, taking his cue, swiftly handed out the updated documents. "You'll find the legal team's assessment on page seven," she added.
The investors straightened, adjusting their focus back to the paperwork.
Jaxton smirked slightly to himself as he watched them scramble to regain control of the meeting. Within moments, the murmurs died down, the room settling back into professional discussion.
Just like that, order was restored.