Chapter 4: Business Ties

Aveline Hayes had built her company from the ground up, brick by painstaking brick, with every deal carrying the weight of her professional future. But today, the pressure felt different. She sat behind her glass-topped desk, staring at the document that had the potential to make or break her business. Her office, a sleek modern space in the heart of London, boasted floor-to-ceiling windows with a panoramic view of the city skyline. Despite the view, her eyes remained fixed on the contract, her mind whirling with anxiety. The deal before her was critical—her company had been selected to bid on a massive, multi-million-dollar project with a renowned international conglomerate. Winning this deal would solidify her company's place in the global market and set it up for future growth. The stakes were astronomical. And her partner for this venture? Richard Thompson is the CEO of one of the largest investment firms in the country. A man whose reputation preceded him. She tapped her pen against the desk, feeling the knots in her stomach tighten. 

For weeks, the pressure had been building as negotiations dragged on. Richard's firm was notoriously tricky, demanding precision, efficiency, and results. This was her chance to prove herself on the world stage. A soft knock on the door broke her concentration. "Aveline?" Her assistant, Zoe, peeked her head in. "Your meeting with the board is in fifteen minutes. Do you need anything before you go in?" Aveline smiled, though the stress was evident in her eyes. "No, I'm fine, Zoe. Thanks." She straightened the pile of documents on her desk, mentally preparing herself for the meeting. As Zoe left, Aveline leaned back in her chair, running a hand through her dark blonde hair. She knew she needed to calm down before the board meeting, but her thoughts kept returning to the impending deal. She hadn't felt this stressed about a business matter in a long time, and that was saying something.

That evening, after a long day of meetings and negotiations, Aveline was at home, scrolling mindlessly through her phone. The stress of the day still lingered, weighing heavily on her mind. She sighed, wishing she could relax for a moment. Her phone buzzed with a message notification. Noah: How's your day been? You sound stressed. Her heart lifted slightly at the sight of his name. Noah made her feel lighter, even when everything around her was closing in. She quickly typed back. Aveline: You have no idea. Stress is an understatement. Noah: Want to talk about it? She hesitated, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. They had only been seeing each other for a few months after meeting on the dating app, but she already found herself opening up to him more than she had with anyone in years. Noah was different—he made her feel heard and understood, even when their lives drastically differed.

Aveline: I've got this vast business deal coming up with an important client, and everything feels... tense. Like I can't afford to make any mistakes. Noah: Sounds intense. Who's the client? Aveline: Richard Thompson. The deal is massive, and I can't seem to shake this anxiety about it. Noah didn't respond immediately, which was unusual. Usually, he was quick with a joke or an encouraging word. She frowned, wondering if she had said something wrong. Noah Thompson sat frozen in his small apartment on the other side of the city. His phone buzzed in his hand with Aveline's message, but his mind was spinning too fast to respond. Richard Thompson. His father. Aveline was working on a business deal with his father. The revelation hit him like a punch to the gut. His father, the man he had barely spoken to in the last few years, was suddenly part of this world he shared with Aveline. It was too much to process at once. Noah stood up from the couch and began pacing his living room, trying to clear his head. How was this even possible? Out of all the clients in the world, how could it be him? He had been falling for Aveline—hard. There was no denying that. 

Despite their age difference and their different worlds, something about her had pulled him in. She was confident, intelligent, and fiercely independent. She made him feel things he hadn't felt before, emotions he hadn't even realized he was capable of. But now, knowing that she was working with his father—a man he had a complicated and strained relationship with—everything felt... different. Should he tell her? Should he mention the connection? Noah wasn't sure. He didn't know how she would react. Hell, he didn't even know how he felt about it. The next evening, Noah and Aveline met for dinner at their usual spot, a cozy little restaurant on a quiet city street. Aveline arrived first, sitting at their favorite corner table, nursing a glass of red wine as she waited. Noah walked in a few minutes later, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth when he saw her. 

For a moment, just seeing her made him forget the turmoil in his head. But the closer he got, the more the weight of the situation settled back in. "Hey," she greeted him with a smile, her stress from the previous day still lingering but less intense now. "You look... tired." "Long day," Noah said, sitting down across from her. His heart raced as he tried to figure out how to bring up the elephant in the room. "I bet," Aveline replied, sipping her wine. "Honestly, I feel like I haven't stopped working all week. This deal with Thompson's firm is taking everything out of me." There it was again. Thompson. His father. The man who had been a looming presence in his life for as long as he could remember. Noah took a deep breath, forcing a casual tone. "So, how's it going with that? The deal, I mean." Aveline sighed, setting her glass down. "Stressful. Richard Thompson is a hard man to read. His firm's reputation is impeccable, but he's... well, let's say he's not the easiest person to work with." Noah clenched his jaw at the mention of his father's name. 

Aveline didn't know. She had no idea what connection they shared. How could she? Still, he couldn't bring himself to tell her. Not yet. It was too soon, too complicated. He wasn't even sure how he felt about the whole thing. "Sounds intense," Noah said, trying to keep his tone light. "But you'll pull through. You always do." Aveline smiled softly, appreciating his support. "Thanks. I wish I could fast forward through all of this and get to the part where the deal is signed, and I can relax." Noah nodded, though his mind was elsewhere. He was torn. Part of him wanted to come clean, to tell her the truth about his father. But another part of him was terrified of what that revelation might do to their relationship. What if it changed everything between them? What if she looked at him differently once she knew? He couldn't risk that. Not yet. So, he pushed the thoughts aside and focused on the present—on her.

Aveline couldn't shake the feeling that something was off with Noah. He seemed distracted, quieter than usual. Usually, their conversations flowed effortlessly, but tonight, there was a tension in the air that she couldn't quite place. As they finished dinner and walked out into the crisp night air, Aveline slipped her arm through his, pulling him closer. "Are you okay?" she asked, glancing up at him. Noah smiled at her, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a lot on my mind, I guess." "Anything you want to talk about?" He hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "Not tonight. Let's... enjoy the evening." Aveline nodded, though she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. She wasn't used to seeing Noah like this—so distant, so distracted. But she didn't press him. She knew better than anyone that, sometimes, people needed space to process their thoughts. They walked in comfortable silence, the city lights flickering around them as they strolled through the quiet streets. But in her mind, Aveline couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to change. Something big. As the days passed, Noah found it increasingly difficult to keep the truth from Aveline. Every time they talked, every time she mentioned the deal with Richard Thompson, it was like a knife twisting in his gut. 

He hated the secret hanging between them, its weight growing heavier daily. But he couldn't bring himself to tell her. Not yet. And then, one evening, as they sat in her apartment, Aveline casually mentioned something that made his heart stop. "I have a meeting with Richard tomorrow," she said, leaning back on the couch beside him. "It's the final stage of negotiations. If all goes well, the deal will be done by the end of the week." Noah stared at her, his chest tightening. A meeting with his father. He swallowed hard, trying to keep his voice steady. "That's... great. I'm sure it'll go well." Aveline smiled, though she looked tired. "I hope so. This deal has been the most stressful thing I've worked on in years." Noah nodded, but his mind was elsewhere, racing about what the next day might bring. What if his father recognized her? What if he said something that revealed the truth? To be continued...