Theon's office felt smaller when he was restless, and right now, it was suffocating.
The sound of his shoes striking the polished floor echoed through the space as he paced back and forth, hands clasped behind his back, jaw tight. The city skyline stretched wide beyond the glass floor to ceiling windows, but he wasn't looking at it. His mind was elsewhere,fixated, circling, and refusing to settle.
Nathan sat on one of the chairs opposite the desk, leaning slightly forward, elbows on his knees, fingers loosely intertwined. He wasn't watching Theon pace, but he was aware of every movement the man made. His own thoughts were just as tangled, though far quieter on the surface.
Finally, Theon stopped. He turned suddenly, his eyes locking onto Nathan. "How is that even possible?"
Nathan lifted his gaze slowly. "How is what possible, Sir?"
Theon exhaled, dragging a hand through his hair before gesturing in frustration. "Ms. Freeman…Azaria… She's been here. In this building. Right under my nose. And I didn't…" He paused, his expression tightening further. "I didn't smell her. Not once."
A heavy silence filled the room as Nathan's expression turned to one of realization and disbelief. He leaned back slightly, considering Theon's words before speaking. "We're not talking about a small office, Sir. There are hundreds of employees in this building. Scents overlap and mix. It's not as clear-cut as you're making it sound."
Theon scoffed lightly, though there was no real amusement in it. "You're saying I just… missed it?"
"I'm saying it's possible," Nathan replied calmly. "Especially if she wasn't close enough, often enough, for you to distinguish her scent from everyone else's. There hasn't been a reason where she had to ever come and see you directly."
Theon's eyes narrowed slightly as he processed that. It didn't sit well with him, but it made a frustrating kind of sense.
"And Idris?" he pressed. "He's been in contact with her."
Nathan shrugged lightly. "From what I can tell, it's been strictly work-related. Conversations, files, maybe the occasional check-in. Nothing personal. Nothing that suggests… anything beyond that. Idris has a mate. There's no reason he needs to get in physical contact with Ms. Freeman."
Theon studied him for a moment, searching for doubt, but found none. Slowly, he nodded. It was plausible. Annoyingly plausible. Still, something about it all felt off, like he had missed something important, something obvious, and now it was too late to catch it.
His jaw tightened again.
"I need to speak with my family," he said finally, more to himself than to Nathan.
Nathan didn't question it. He simply nodded once.
Theon moved quickly after that, grabbing his phone from the desk. He dialed his father's number without hesitation, his expression set. It didn't take long for the call to connect.
"Dad, I need you to go to my place," Theon said without preamble. "Bring Mum and Valeria. It's important."
There was a brief pause on the other end, then a short response.
Theon didn't elaborate, he needed to speak to then in person. "I'll explain when I get there." He ended the call just as the office door opened again.
Idris stepped in, his expression unreadable but his posture slightly tense.
Theon turned toward him immediately, then he looked over his shoulder at the entrance, but there was no sign of Azaria. He looked back at Idris. "Well?"
Idris exhaled quietly. "I couldn't get to her in time. She was already leaving the building by the time I got down." He paused briefly. "She drove off."
For a split second, something flickered across Theon's face: frustration. "Of course she did," he muttered under his breath. Why wouldn't she? They had completely treated her poorly.
His hand clenched slightly at his side before he forced himself to relax.
"Fine," he said after a moment, his tone clipped but he tried to keep it steady. "We'll deal with that later."
He walked back toward his desk, picking up a few files and handing them off to Nathan.
"I need you to handle these," he said. "Make sure everything is processed before the end of the day tomorrow."
Nathan took them without complaint. "Understood."
Theon then turned to Idris. "And you, follow up on the pending contracts from this morning. I want updates first thing."
Idris nodded. "Yes, Sir."
Theon didn't waste another second. He grabbed his coat, already moving toward the door. "I'll be unavailable for the rest of the evening," he added as he stepped out.
And just like that, he was gone.
***
Azaria's apartment felt like a completely different world. It was quiet and it was warm. The tension from earlier still lingered in her chest, but it was softer now, dulled by distance and the simple comfort of being home. The faint hum of the city filtered in through the windows, blending with the gentle clatter of utensils as she moved around her kitchen.
Dinner was almost ready.
She stirred the pot absently, her thoughts drifting back to everything that had happened at the office. The meetin, the stupid decision they made and the way it had all unfolded so quickly and so unfairly. Her grip on the spoon tightened slightly.
She had given so much to that company. More than she had ever been asked to. She had stepped in when things almost fell apart under Callaghan's watch, solved problems that weren't hers to fix, carried responsibilities that went far beyond her role… and for what?
Absolutely nothing.
Not even the courtesy of being properly considered.
A scoff left her lips.
Unbelievable.
She turned off the stove, setting the spoon aside before reaching for her phone, which was resting on the counter nearby. She dialed her mother's number, already knowing she needed to inform her mother that she was currently unemployed and talk about what had happened. She needed to get it out of her system.
The call connected quickly.
"Hey, Baby." Genevieve's voice came through, warm and loving as always.
"Hi, Mum," Azaria's voice did not sound as chirpy as he mother was accustomed to.
Genevieve immediately caught on. "What's wrong, Honey? Did something happen?"
Azaria let out a small, tired laugh. "Is it that obvious?"
"When you call me this late sounding like that? Yes."
Azaria leaned back against the counter, crossing one arm over her stomach as she recounted everything; the meeting, the decision, the way her work had been brushed aside in favor of someone with less experience but stronger connections.
She didn't rush through it. She let it all out, piece by piece, her frustration threading through her words.
By the time she finished, there was a moment of silence on the other end.
"That is ridiculous!" Genevieve sounded absolutely livid.
Azaria huffed a quiet laugh despite herself. "I know."
"No, Azaria, that's not just disappointing, it is absolutely insulting," Genevieve continued, her voice hard with anger. "After everything you've done for that company? For them to turn around and choose someone else simply because of family ties?"
Azaria nodded to herself. "Nepotism at its finest."
"I understand supporting family," Genevieve went on, "but not at the expense of competence. Not when it risks everything else. That girl, what's her name?"
"Celeste."
"Yes, Celeste," Genevieve repeated, clearly unimpressed. "Does she even understand the magnitude of that position?"
Azaria shook her head, even though her mother couldn't see her. "I highly doubt it. Not with what she said."
"She's going to run that place into the ground," Genevieve said flatly.
Azaria exhaled softly, pushing off the counter and moving to set the table. "Not my problem anymore."
There was a brief pause, and when Genevieve spoke again, her tone had softened slightly. "You did the right thing, you know," she said. "Walking away."
Azaria placed the plates down carefully. "Did I?"
"Yes," Genevieve replied without hesitation. "You deserve to be somewhere that recognizes your worth. And if they couldn't see that, then they didn't deserve you in the first place."
Azaria swallowed.
"You've always been exceptional," her mother continued. "This is just one chapter. There will be better opportunities, greater ones even. I'm certain of it."
A small smile tugged at Azaria's lips.
"Thanks, Mum."
"Always."
They spoke for a little while longer, the conversation drifting into lighter territory before eventually coming to a close.
"I love you, Baby. Don't you forget it," Genevieve said.
"I love you too, Mum. Goodnight."
The call ended, leaving behind calmness Azaria needed. She set her phone down just as the doorbell rang.
She blinked, glancing toward the door. A smile spread across her face almost instantly.
"Right on time," she murmured to herself.
She already knew who it was.
Rowan.
He wouldn't have been able to sleep without getting every last detail of what had happened. The thought made her chuckle as she quickly removed her apron, hanging it neatly on its hook before heading toward the door.
The bell rang again. And again. And again.
"Okay, okay, I'm coming," she called out, laughing softly. She reached the door and pulled it open and Rowan practically burst inside.
"Finally!" he exclaimed, stepping in with two plastic bags in hand.
Azaria laughed, stepping aside to let him pass. "Hello to you too."
He kicked off his shoes near the door without breaking stride, already making his way toward the kitchen.
"You have no idea how long this day felt," he continued, his words tumbling out rapidly. "I swear, the clock was moving slower just to annoy me. I almost left early, but then I thought, no, no, I need the full story, I need context!"
Azaria closed the door behind him, shaking her head with amusement as she followed him in. Rowan had already reached the kitchen counter, setting the bags down and immediately beginning to unpack them.
"I brought snacks," he announced. "And wine. Because obviously we're going to need wine."
"Obviously," Azaria echoed, leaning against the counter as she watched him.
He moved with surprising speed despite the nonstop talking, placing snacks into cupboards, arranging things as though he had done it a hundred times before. Which he probably did considering the number of times he's been to her home.
"Also," he added, pulling out the bottle of wine and setting it on the table, "I need you to start from the very beginning. Do not go skipping any details. I want to know everything; what you said, what they said, what expressions were made–"
"Rowan–"
"No, no interruptions," he insisted, already moving to grab glasses. "This is important."
Azaria couldn't help it. She smiled. It was wide and genuine. There was something comforting about this. The familiarity, the ease, the way he filled the space with his presence. He finally sat down at the table, placing the glasses in front of them before looking up at her.
And then he just stared at her for a full minute. Azaria raised an eyebrow, her smile turning slightly amused.
"…What?"
Rowan blinked, then very calmly, as if he hadn't just stormed in like a whirlwind.
"Hi."
Azaria burst out laughing.
She shook her head as she took her seat across from him, the tension from earlier finally dissolving completely.
Only Rowan could manage that.Only Rowan could turn everything upside down and somehow make it feel light again.