Chapter 5 - Optimistic
by CameoLover93
WRITTEN BY CAMEOLOVER93
05. OPTIMISTIC
Hours Later...
"Unless you want the paparazzi to be all over your ass, I suggest you stay inside for the next few days until the heat from Little Town's story dies down," Kyle said to Aiden over the phone, even though he knew that he was wasting his breath because Aiden – a wise ass – more than likely wouldn't follow the simple request he'd asked for. "By the way, I couldn't track down who left that tip so we're at a dead end there. Also, I've finally sent out a statement, not claiming or denying the photo, so if anyone asks you about it just keep your big mouth shut, okay?"
"Damn. What's gotten your panties in a twist, brother?" Aiden laughed. Despite the serious situation that he was stuck in, he couldn't take Kyle seriously. He rarely ever did. "I thought you worked best when you were under pressure, no? Was I wrong?"
"Just consider what I said." Kyle sighed in vexation. He didn't have any more energy to waste in begging his idiotic brother to take his advice. "Please try and stay your ass inside today. Don't go out and do something stupid and bring any more unwanted attention to yourself."
"I'll try, but after the nap that I just took I'm kind of itching to go out and stretch my legs. But don't worry about me, though. I'll be a good boy, I promise." Aiden smirked to himself and hung up the phone before Kyle could say anything else. Stretched out on his bed, he finally began to go through the stack of mail that Julian had brought in when he'd first arrived. "Something's not right with that guy. Nobody's that damn polite," Aiden muttered to himself.
He was secretly peeved at not being able to figure Julian out. He could feel it in his gut that there was something more to the brown eyed muscle man than the amiable facade that he'd been portraying and Aiden was anxious to know what it was. He'd have to remember to call Kyle back later to get him to do a thorough background report on his new bodyguard.
"No! This crazy bitch is at it again?" Aiden exclaimed in a furious tone after he tore open a blank envelope to reveal yet another letter from his anonymous blackmailer.
The letter read:
Dear Mr. Grayson,
How'd you like that story that I put out about you being a druggie? Classy, right? I timed all this together in hopes that you got this letter the day the news dropped. And just in case you're wondering -- yes, I do have a shitload of other dirt that I can leak about you, so now you see that it'd be in your best interest to do what I say, when I say it.
Damn, threatening you gives me such a rush.
I wish I were there to see your reaction to all of this. I bet it's killing you not knowing who I am. Even if I were to tell you my identity you'd be lost with it because you've been with so many women after me that trying to figure out who, when, and where you met me would be nearly impossible for you to do.
It honestly makes me sick that I actually fell in love with you when we were together. I was such a fool. Thank God we ended things. I was sure that I could get over you in time, but then I found out that I was pregnant and that changed everything.
And just so you know, I wanted no parts of what grew inside me at first. I almost got rid of it because it was a part of you and I didn't want it being a part of me. That's just how badly I despise you. But then I started thinking about how I could use this baby in my favor and thus here we are where we are today.
I know you've probably been questioning if all this is legit because I could be lying about everything. Yes, I could be doing all this just for the money and to spite you for how badly you treated me when we were together, or you know, I could actually be fucking pregnant with your child. You'll never know the truth and that's the fun in all this, for me at least.
I'll have more details to come about how you'll be getting me my money.
Until next time,
Watch your back, Grayson.
"I'm going to kill her!" Aiden crumbled the letter and tossed it across the room after he finished reading it. The mysterious woman didn't know it, but she had in fact succeeded in getting under Aiden's skin. He hasn't been this on edge in a long, long time. Not since his first day of being named CEO of Grayson Enterprise. "She's dead when I get my hands on her. Fucking dead!"
Julian had just gotten back from retrieving the rest of his belongings from his condo when he heard a loud commotion going on upstairs. He could hear things being thrown around, and Aiden was screaming and shouting profanities. It was a clear sign that either he or someone else was in major trouble.
So having thought the worst, Julian dropped the suitcases that he'd been carrying, pulled his gun from the holster on his jeans and then darted up the staircase with lightning speed.
"Grayson? Are you all right?" Julian burst through Aiden's bedroom door, gun out in front of him, and began scanning the room for any intruder. None was there, so he put his gun away and then looked at his restive boss who'd been pacing the floor before he barged, taking Aiden off guard. "Sorry, I thought you were—"
"Fucking hell, can you at least knock before you come bum-rushing into my room without warning?" Aiden lashed out at Julian before later lowering his tone, "I'm alright, sort of. I was just having a moment."
"Can I ask what's gotten you so upset?" Julian spoke in a soft tone, remaining stationary at the door.
"Have you been contacted again by the anonymous woman?" When Aiden didn't reply right away, Julian glanced down at the mess on the floor and noticed a crumpled letter. Thomas had mentioned to him briefly about a letter that Aiden's blackmailer had written to him, and it didn't take Julian long to put two and two together. "Has she written another letter?"
"Yes," Aiden muttered as he went to sit at the edge of his bed. He leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees, and held his head in his hands as he tried to fight the urge to go down the hall to the bar.
"Whoever the hell she is, she's too good at covering her tracks and staying hidden. I've been waiting for the bitch to slip up and make a mistake so that I could finally catch her in the act but she's just too fucking good. I may never figure out who she is," Aiden finally admitted his biggest fear out loud. "Hell, I might actually have to pay her off just to get her to leave me the fuck alone."
Julian felt unsure of what to say to his boss. But in a way, he couldn't help but pity Aiden, even though he had gotten himself into this mess by having made poor choices and wounded the wrong woman. Still, for Julian, it had been hard to see Aiden sitting there on his bed when he looked so miserable and defeated by someone that he couldn't even put a name or a face to. That definitely made Julian a little more empathetic towards his boss' unfortunate situation.
And then, out of nowhere, it hit him - he knew of a way to help!
"I think I've got an idea, something to help you catch your blackmailer." Julian cautiously walked over to his despondent boss.
After being around him for only a couple hours, Julian had managed to see three completely different sides to Aiden: there was Angry Aiden, Drunk Aiden, and now Sad Aiden. So far, Aiden Grayson had been the most interesting person Julian's worked for. There was no denying it.
"I'm not promising you that it'll work, so don't get too excited about it," Julian said. "But I definitely think that what I have in mind is worth you trying out."
Aiden's head shot up to meet Julian's gaze, little flickers of hope glimmering in his dazzling green eyes. Julian couldn't help but think to himself, damn, what a stunning pair of green eyes this crazy bastard has. He shook his head, and promptly dismissed the inappropriate thought before it sidetracked him. "Do you want to hear my idea or not?"
"Of course!" Aiden stood from the bed, feeling eager to hear what Julian had to say. "What did you have in mind?"
"Well, I happen to know a guy that works in forensics. He owes me a favor, so I was thinking that I can call him up and see if he can work his magic and maybe pull some fingerprints off of the letter. It'll bring us one step closer to finding out your anonymous woman's identity," Julian said with a smile. Aiden's face lit up as he began to feel a little optimistic. "The letter is handwritten, right? Or was it typed on a computer? Your father didn't go that deep into detail when he told me about your situation."
"It's handwritten," Aiden replied. "That's good, right?"
"It's perfect," Julian smirked, and he could've sworn that Aiden's cheeks reddened a bit. "Since it's handwritten that means that she had to touch all over the paper, unless she's a pro at this whole blackmailing thing and wore gloves while writing the letter. If not, I'm almost positive that she had to have left a few fingerprints behind."
Why hasn't Kyle thought of this? Aiden wondered. Damn, maybe I'm working him too hard.
"I'm not going to lie, this is hard for me to say because I don't say it to people often, but thank you, Julian," Aiden said. "Thank you for doing this for me, even though you're not obligated to. I really appreciate it, even if things don't turn out how I want them to."
"It's no problem, Grayson. I'm always happy to help a person in need," Julian replied. Aiden smiled and nodded. "I'll make the call to my friend as soon as I bring in the rest of my stuff from the car. We can head out after that. How's that sound?"
"Yeah, that's fine. Take your time. Do whatever you need to do," Aiden replied.
Julian then turned to leave his room and if he didn't know any better, he'd like to think that his kindliness was rubbing off on Aiden.
And in secret, Aiden couldn't help but wonder the exact same thing.
by CameoLover93
WRITTEN BY CAMEOLOVER93
05. OPTIMISTIC
Hours Later...
"Unless you want the paparazzi to be all over your ass, I suggest you stay inside for the next few days until the heat from Little Town's story dies down," Kyle said to Aiden over the phone, even though he knew that he was wasting his breath because Aiden – a wise ass – more than likely wouldn't follow the simple request he'd asked for. "By the way, I couldn't track down who left that tip so we're at a dead end there. Also, I've finally sent out a statement, not claiming or denying the photo, so if anyone asks you about it just keep your big mouth shut, okay?"
"Damn. What's gotten your panties in a twist, brother?" Aiden laughed. Despite the serious situation that he was stuck in, he couldn't take Kyle seriously. He rarely ever did. "I thought you worked best when you were under pressure, no? Was I wrong?"
"Just consider what I said." Kyle sighed in vexation. He didn't have any more energy to waste in begging his idiotic brother to take his advice. "Please try and stay your ass inside today. Don't go out and do something stupid and bring any more unwanted attention to yourself."
"I'll try, but after the nap that I just took I'm kind of itching to go out and stretch my legs. But don't worry about me, though. I'll be a good boy, I promise." Aiden smirked to himself and hung up the phone before Kyle could say anything else. Stretched out on his bed, he finally began to go through the stack of mail that Julian had brought in when he'd first arrived. "Something's not right with that guy. Nobody's that damn polite," Aiden muttered to himself.
He was secretly peeved at not being able to figure Julian out. He could feel it in his gut that there was something more to the brown eyed muscle man than the amiable facade that he'd been portraying and Aiden was anxious to know what it was. He'd have to remember to call Kyle back later to get him to do a thorough background report on his new bodyguard.
"No! This crazy bitch is at it again?" Aiden exclaimed in a furious tone after he tore open a blank envelope to reveal yet another letter from his anonymous blackmailer.
The letter read:
Dear Mr. Grayson,
How'd you like that story that I put out about you being a druggie? Classy, right? I timed all this together in hopes that you got this letter the day the news dropped. And just in case you're wondering -- yes, I do have a shitload of other dirt that I can leak about you, so now you see that it'd be in your best interest to do what I say, when I say it.
Damn, threatening you gives me such a rush.
I wish I were there to see your reaction to all of this. I bet it's killing you not knowing who I am. Even if I were to tell you my identity you'd be lost with it because you've been with so many women after me that trying to figure out who, when, and where you met me would be nearly impossible for you to do.
It honestly makes me sick that I actually fell in love with you when we were together. I was such a fool. Thank God we ended things. I was sure that I could get over you in time, but then I found out that I was pregnant and that changed everything.
And just so you know, I wanted no parts of what grew inside me at first. I almost got rid of it because it was a part of you and I didn't want it being a part of me. That's just how badly I despise you. But then I started thinking about how I could use this baby in my favor and thus here we are where we are today.
I know you've probably been questioning if all this is legit because I could be lying about everything. Yes, I could be doing all this just for the money and to spite you for how badly you treated me when we were together, or you know, I could actually be fucking pregnant with your child. You'll never know the truth and that's the fun in all this, for me at least.
I'll have more details to come about how you'll be getting me my money.
Until next time,
Watch your back, Grayson.
"I'm going to kill her!" Aiden crumbled the letter and tossed it across the room after he finished reading it. The mysterious woman didn't know it, but she had in fact succeeded in getting under Aiden's skin. He hasn't been this on edge in a long, long time. Not since his first day of being named CEO of Grayson Enterprise. "She's dead when I get my hands on her. Fucking dead!"
Julian had just gotten back from retrieving the rest of his belongings from his condo when he heard a loud commotion going on upstairs. He could hear things being thrown around, and Aiden was screaming and shouting profanities. It was a clear sign that either he or someone else was in major trouble.
So having thought the worst, Julian dropped the suitcases that he'd been carrying, pulled his gun from the holster on his jeans and then darted up the staircase with lightning speed.
"Grayson? Are you all right?" Julian burst through Aiden's bedroom door, gun out in front of him, and began scanning the room for any intruder. None was there, so he put his gun away and then looked at his restive boss who'd been pacing the floor before he barged, taking Aiden off guard. "Sorry, I thought you were—"
"Fucking hell, can you at least knock before you come bum-rushing into my room without warning?" Aiden lashed out at Julian before later lowering his tone, "I'm alright, sort of. I was just having a moment."
"Can I ask what's gotten you so upset?" Julian spoke in a soft tone, remaining stationary at the door.
"Have you been contacted again by the anonymous woman?" When Aiden didn't reply right away, Julian glanced down at the mess on the floor and noticed a crumpled letter. Thomas had mentioned to him briefly about a letter that Aiden's blackmailer had written to him, and it didn't take Julian long to put two and two together. "Has she written another letter?"
"Yes," Aiden muttered as he went to sit at the edge of his bed. He leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees, and held his head in his hands as he tried to fight the urge to go down the hall to the bar.
"Whoever the hell she is, she's too good at covering her tracks and staying hidden. I've been waiting for the bitch to slip up and make a mistake so that I could finally catch her in the act but she's just too fucking good. I may never figure out who she is," Aiden finally admitted his biggest fear out loud. "Hell, I might actually have to pay her off just to get her to leave me the fuck alone."
Julian felt unsure of what to say to his boss. But in a way, he couldn't help but pity Aiden, even though he had gotten himself into this mess by having made poor choices and wounded the wrong woman. Still, for Julian, it had been hard to see Aiden sitting there on his bed when he looked so miserable and defeated by someone that he couldn't even put a name or a face to. That definitely made Julian a little more empathetic towards his boss' unfortunate situation.
And then, out of nowhere, it hit him - he knew of a way to help!
"I think I've got an idea, something to help you catch your blackmailer." Julian cautiously walked over to his despondent boss.
After being around him for only a couple hours, Julian had managed to see three completely different sides to Aiden: there was Angry Aiden, Drunk Aiden, and now Sad Aiden. So far, Aiden Grayson had been the most interesting person Julian's worked for. There was no denying it.
"I'm not promising you that it'll work, so don't get too excited about it," Julian said. "But I definitely think that what I have in mind is worth you trying out."
Aiden's head shot up to meet Julian's gaze, little flickers of hope glimmering in his dazzling green eyes. Julian couldn't help but think to himself, damn, what a stunning pair of green eyes this crazy bastard has. He shook his head, and promptly dismissed the inappropriate thought before it sidetracked him. "Do you want to hear my idea or not?"
"Of course!" Aiden stood from the bed, feeling eager to hear what Julian had to say. "What did you have in mind?"
"Well, I happen to know a guy that works in forensics. He owes me a favor, so I was thinking that I can call him up and see if he can work his magic and maybe pull some fingerprints off of the letter. It'll bring us one step closer to finding out your anonymous woman's identity," Julian said with a smile. Aiden's face lit up as he began to feel a little optimistic. "The letter is handwritten, right? Or was it typed on a computer? Your father didn't go that deep into detail when he told me about your situation."
"It's handwritten," Aiden replied. "That's good, right?"
"It's perfect," Julian smirked, and he could've sworn that Aiden's cheeks reddened a bit. "Since it's handwritten that means that she had to touch all over the paper, unless she's a pro at this whole blackmailing thing and wore gloves while writing the letter. If not, I'm almost positive that she had to have left a few fingerprints behind."
Why hasn't Kyle thought of this? Aiden wondered. Damn, maybe I'm working him too hard.
"I'm not going to lie, this is hard for me to say because I don't say it to people often, but thank you, Julian," Aiden said. "Thank you for doing this for me, even though you're not obligated to. I really appreciate it, even if things don't turn out how I want them to."
"It's no problem, Grayson. I'm always happy to help a person in need," Julian replied. Aiden smiled and nodded. "I'll make the call to my friend as soon as I bring in the rest of my stuff from the car. We can head out after that. How's that sound?"
"Yeah, that's fine. Take your time. Do whatever you need to do," Aiden replied.
Julian then turned to leave his room and if he didn't know any better, he'd like to think that his kindliness was rubbing off on Aiden.
And in secret, Aiden couldn't help but wonder the exact same thing.
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