When she arrived at the office, she threw her feet up on the glass coffee table and let herself fall back, staring at the ceiling. The memories of happy childhood moments, laughing with her parents, came flooding back, and then the suffering and emptiness left in the wake of their tragic loss. Maybe Martha was right; maybe she wasn't really running from her feelings but hiding behind a mask of indifference to numb the pain.
Her daydreaming was interrupted when Aiden burst through the office door like a storm, followed by Kyle and his fiery secretary, Vivienne. Tatum wrinkled her nose at the sight of her, just as Vivienne, a well-built redhead, looked at the brunette with disdain.
Weird creature, Tatum thought.
"This can't be happening!" shouted Aiden, frustrated, banging on the desk.
Well, if you have the money to replace it...
"This is impossible; what can I even do now?" he said, looking first at Kyle, then at his secretary, waiting for at least one of them to offer a solution.
"I could call Mr. Paul, Mr. Magnus's assistant. Maybe I could negotiate with h—"
Kyle chuckled, both amused and annoyed, while Tatum remained quiet, adjusting her legs on the glass table, silently observing the situation and the reactions of her colleagues.
"Negotiate? Do you call that a solution? What would you negotiate, Ms. Vivienne?" Kyle asked rhetorically, stepping in front of her and waiting for the redhead's response. "The news you just published isn't accurate; please take it down?" he added, gesturing wildly, like a high-strung drama queen.
"I—"
"There's no room for negotiation here. The fact that I've supposedly made mistakes in my contracts is being spread everywhere, Vivienne," Aiden sighed, defeated. "Especially in the contract with Barbara," he added, fixing his gaze on Tatum.
Aiden scowled and sighed at the same time—he didn't want to fight with Tatum, but darn it, why did she always have to put her feet on things she wasn't supposed to?
Think, Aiden, think.
The commotion around her and the fact that her boss was in such a tight spot made Tatum finally decide to jump in and help solve the problem. While her colleagues continued their frantic search for a solution, she took out her phone and found the only contact she needed in that moment.
Tatum: Doc, I can't deal with this right now. I need your help.Louis: I'm here.Tatum: Delete all the news about Aiden Kane and block any search for his name in the coming days. I owe you!Louis: Done.Louis is typing...Louis: You still owed me from last time, anyway.
"How do you suggest we proceed, Ms. Joy?" the redhead's voice filled the room, making Tatum close her eyes for a few seconds as if to provoke her and nothing more.
Cat. Claws. Blackboard. Dreadful. Quiet.
The brunette sighed, smiling, and finally lifted her feet off the table, rising from the couch herself. She stretched, causing the three of them to stare at her in bewilderment.
"Do you even care about what's hap—"
Kyle began sarcastically, but Tatum silenced him with a raised hand, leaving him even more stunned when she covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a yawn. This woman was beyond anything he could handle.
"I've already taken care of it," she said, walking leisurely toward Aiden's desk.
"Did you think negotiating with the enemy would do your boss any good, Vivienne?" She shot a serious look at the redhead, who now seemed to be swallowing every word she'd wanted to let out. "Never think you can make a deal with the devil, Reddie, because one way or another," she continued, stepping closer to her, "you'll end up in the same position."
Tatum tilted her head, smiling sourly."It's like spinning in circles, trying to find a corner to rest in—which, of course, doesn't exist."
The brunette turned again to face her boss, who now looked at her as if he were seeing her for the first time—with that glassy, curious gaze. He was intrigued by her quick thinking and felt an intense urge to learn more about her—he didn't even know what yet, just that he wanted to know. To know about her, how she'd ended up here, her agile mind, her life. All of it. And that impossible solution of hers.
"How did you solve it?" Aiden asked, standing and circling the desk to come closer to her.He was taller, which was perfect for looking down at her—but for some reason, he didn't like doing that. It made her lift her head too high; it couldn't be comfortable.
"You'll see soon," the brunette replied with a smile.
Tatum's phone buzzed.
Unknown: The past always catches up, Tatum. You can't bury it forever.
She frowned, gripping her phone tighter. Another message followed:
Unknown: Or maybe you're too busy protecting someone else to watch your own back?
------------------------
Tatum wrapped her jacket tighter around her as she strolled through the park, her boots clicking faintly against the cobblestone path. The autumn breeze carried the faint scent of leaves and distant streetlights cast a soft glow over the scene.
The lake shimmered in the distance, the faint ripple of water breaking the silence. She stopped by a bench, sitting down with a heavy sigh, letting her eyes wander over the calm surface.
"Didn't peg you for the outdoorsy type."
The deep, familiar voice startled her. She looked up to see Aiden standing there, hands in his coat pockets, the faintest smirk playing on his lips. His dark eyes studied her, as if trying to gauge her mood.
Tatum rolled her eyes. "Didn't peg you for the intrusive type."
Aiden chuckled, sitting down beside her without an invitation. His presence, infuriating as it was, filled the empty space beside her with a warmth she didn't want to acknowledge.
"I needed some air," he said, shrugging as if that explained his appearance.
"And you thought, what? This park was big enough for the two of us?" she quipped, folding her arms over her chest.
"Are you always this prickly?" Aiden sighed, his gaze shifting to the lake, its surface reflecting the soft glow of the moon. He leaned back on the bench, stretching his legs out as if settling in for the long haul.
"Are you always this nosey?" Tatum shot back, her tone clipped. She pulled her coat tighter around her as if it could shield her from his presence.
He smirked, tilting his head toward her. "Only when someone's being this entertaining."
Her lips twitched, but she quickly masked it with a scowl. "You should charge admission then."
Aiden let out a low chuckle, the sound warm and maddeningly infectious.
"So," she began casually, her tone deliberately nonchalant, "let's say someone writes this airtight will with one of those ridiculous conditions attached. Like, I don't know, reconciling with someone they haven't spoken to in years before they get their inheritance. That kind of thing ever hold up in court?"
Aiden's lips quirked in a small smile. "Sounds like someone's been paying attention in law school."
She rolled her eyes, glancing at him briefly before turning her attention back to the lake. "Not everything's about school. Maybe I just find it amusing that people think they can control things from beyond the grave."
"Amusing? Or infuriating?" he countered, leaning back against the bench.
"Depends," she said, a corner of her mouth lifting. "You tell me—what happens if the person they're supposed to reconcile with just flat-out refuses? Does the whole thing fall apart?"
Aiden crossed one leg over the other, his gaze steady on her profile. "It depends on the wording. If the condition requires a genuine attempt, courts might accept proof of effort. If it's stricter, though? No attempt, no inheritance."
Tatum tilted her head, pretending to mull that over. "So, phrasing is everything."
"Welcome to law," he said with a dry chuckle. "And here I thought you were just here for the scenery."
"Scenery's overrated," she shot back, a smirk playing on her lips. "Besides, why should I waste the opportunity when I've got the great Aiden Black sitting right here? Might as well pick your brain while I can."
Aiden gave her a mock look of offense. "Using me for free legal advice, are we?"
"Not free if you consider the work that I do for you," she quipped, finally turning to face him.
He shook his head, clearly entertained. "Alright, future counselor. What's the real case you're stuck on?"
Her smirk faltered for just a second before she covered it with a shrug. "Let's just say it's hypothetical."
"Sure it is," Aiden replied, his gaze lingering on her for a beat longer than necessary.