Chapter 30 - Callahan
I suppressed a smile as I stared at my phone.
The photo Vani had sent earlier filled the screen, and no matter how many times I looked at it, I couldn’t stop the warmth that spread through my chest. She had taken it at the café during a half shift, her hair tied back loosely with a faint smudge of flour near her cheek.
She looked… happy.
And ridiculously cute.
Cute enough that the moment she sent it, I immediately made it my wallpaper.
Now every time my phone lit up, there she was.
I told myself I was just checking the time.
Theo’s snicker from across the office made it clear he wasn’t buying that explanation. “Unbelievable.”
I looked up slowly, already knowing the expression on his face. Theo leaned against the edge of my desk with his arms crossed, watching me as though he had just caught me doing something embarrassing.
“What?”
He pointed at my phone. “You.”
I frowned slightly. “What about me?”
He shook his head and laughed. “You’re a simp.”
I locked my phone and set it down. “Very mature.”
“I’m serious,” he continued, still amused. “You’re grinning at your phone like a teenager with a crush.”
“This isn’t a crush,” I leaned back in my chair. “It’s my wife.”
“That’s exactly my point.”
I sighed. “Why don’t you join the simp club and get married?”
Theo recoiled slightly, as if I had just suggested something outrageous. “No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I enjoy being a bachelor.”
“And what exactly does that lifestyle include?”
“Freedom.”
“Freedom to do what?”
Theo shrugged casually. “Whatever I want.”
I opened my mouth to comment further when there was a knock at the door. The sound interrupted whatever argument we were about to have. My eyes moved toward the door immediately. My assistant had gone out to grab lunch not long ago, so I knew it wasn’t him.
Instead of getting up right away, I reached for the tablet beside my desk and pulled up the security feed. The camera outside my office appeared on the screen, showing my father on the other side of the door.
I immediately set the tablet down, walked over, and opened the door. “Dad.”
He stepped inside, offering a small nod as he looked between us. “Hey, Cal.”
“Mr. Sterling,” Theo greeted politely.
My father nodded in acknowledgment. “It’s good to see you.”
“You too.”
Once the greetings were out of the way, my father stepped further into the office.
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
“Not at all.”
He looked at me for a moment before speaking again. “I wanted to ask if everything was in place for the charity ball.”
The moment he mentioned it, I reached for my phone. While he waited for my answer, I quickly sent a text.
Callahan: Don’t forget to contact Christina. She needs to help Vani get ready for the charity ball.
Then I sent another message.
Callahan: How’s everything going with what I asked you to handle this morning?
A few seconds passed before the reply came.
Daniel: Everything’s going according to plan.
Satisfied, I slipped my phone back into my pocket and focused on the conversation.
“Yes,” I told my father. “Everything is going well. The preparations are in place.”
He nodded slowly. “That’s good.”
The charity ball was something we took seriously every year. It raised a significant amount of money for the causes we supported and attracted substantial attention from donors and business partners.
My father seemed satisfied with my answer. Then his expression shifted slightly. “There’s something else I wanted to talk about.”
He looked at me with a faintly apologetic expression. So I already knew where this was going.
“I want to apologize for your mother’s behavior.”
I shook my head immediately. “You’re not the one who should be apologizing.”
“I know,” he said quietly. “But—”
“Dad,” I interrupted gently, “you didn’t do anything wrong.”
He sighed slightly. “I still feel responsible.”
“You shouldn’t.”
He didn’t argue, but the tired look on his face told me he wasn’t entirely convinced. I leaned back against my desk.
“If anything,” I continued, “you should be firmer with her.”
He raised his eyebrows slightly.
“So she’ll control her attitude,” I added. “And be nicer to people.”
My father watched me quietly for a moment. Then he gave me a tired smile. “I understand.”
I held his gaze. “Do you?”
“Yes,” he said after a moment. “I do.”
He paused briefly before continuing. “And I know what I need to do.”
That was enough for me. “Good.”
The room fell quiet for a second. Next, my father glanced toward the door.
“Well,” he said, straightening slightly, “I’ll let you get back to work.”
Theo nodded politely. “It was good seeing you.”
My father returned the nod. “You too.”
He looked at me one last time. “I’ll see you at the charity ball.”
“Of course.”
He turned and left the office. The door closed behind him, leaving Theo and me alone again. Neither of us said anything. Theo looked at me. I looked back at him.
He shook his head slowly. “Watching your parents doesn’t exactly motivate me to want a relationship.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re just using them as an excuse, so I won’t keep pestering you.”
Theo shrugged. “Maybe.”
I leaned back in my chair again. But honestly? He wasn’t wrong.
By the time I left the office, the city lights were already starting to glow.
Most of the employees had gone home hours ago, but being CEO meant the work rarely stopped when everyone else left. I leaned back in my chair, rubbing a hand over the back of my neck as I stared at the final document on my screen.
I wasn’t even reading it anymore.
All I could think about was her.
Knowing I still had a surprise for her. I saved the file, shut my laptop, and checked the time. Seven thirty. Perfect.
Grabbing my jacket, I headed for the elevator. The ride down to the parking garage was quiet, but my mind was already moving ahead, replaying the plan I’d been piecing together all afternoon.
When I got home, Vani was nowhere to be found, so I headed for her library. She was curled up on the couch with a blanket over her legs and a book open in her hands. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, and she had on one of my sweaters.
“Careful,” I said as I stepped inside. “You’re starting to look like you live here.”
She glanced up immediately, her face lighting when she saw me. “Well, considering I do live here, I think that’s acceptable.”
“Debatable.”
She set her book aside and stretched slightly. “You’re home early.”
“Seven thirty is early now?”
“For you? Yes.”
I stopped in front of the couch and looked down at her for a moment. Then I leaned down and kissed her. Vani made a soft sound of surprise against my lips before kissing me back, one hand automatically coming up to rest against my chest. When I pulled away, she blinked up at me.
“That was hello,” I said.
“Mm,” she said thoughtfully. “I approve of this greeting method.”
I smiled faintly before reaching down and pulling her to her feet. “Come on.”
Her brows lifted immediately. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
Her suspicious look was instant, followed by a quick glance down at her outfit. “Should I change?”
I looked her over.
The oversized sweater.
Leggings.
Bare feet.
“No,” I said.
She frowned slightly. “That didn’t sound convincing.”
“You look fine.”
“That still sounds suspicious.”
I grabbed her hand. “Trust me.”
Vani studied my face for a moment before sighing.
“Fine. But if this turns out to be an event that requires real pants, I’m staging a protest.”
“You’re very dramatic.”
“You love it.”
I didn’t deny it.
The drive through the city was easy. Traffic had thinned, and the streets glowed under the warm haze of evening lights. Vani rested her elbow against the window, watching the skyline as we drove.
“You still haven’t told me where we’re going,” she said.
“That would ruin the surprise.”
“I promise I’ll pretend to be surprised.”
I glanced at her. “You’re terrible at pretending.”
“That’s rude.”
“It’s accurate.”
She crossed her arms. “I could still demand answers.”
“You could try.”
She narrowed her eyes at me before smiling slightly. “You’re in a good mood tonight.”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
“Maybe I missed you.”
Her expression softened. “You saw me this morning.”
“It’s been a long day.” That answer seemed to satisfy her.
When I pulled into the underground garage of the office building, she looked over at me slowly. “You brought me to work?”
“Not exactly.”
We got out of the car and headed toward the elevator. The building was almost empty at this hour, the quiet echo of our footsteps bouncing softly through the lobby. When the elevator opened on the executive floor, Vani glanced around.
“This feels illegal.”
“It’s my building.”
“That doesn’t mean I can’t feel like we’re sneaking in.”
Instead of heading toward my office, I walked to the stairwell door.
Her curiosity clearly spiked. “Where are we—”
“Up.”
We climbed one flight of stairs before I pushed open the rooftop door. The cool night air drifted over us instantly. The skyline stretched wide around the building, the city lights sparkling endlessly below. But Vani barely noticed the view.
In the center of the rooftop, a picnic blanket sat, surrounded by small lanterns glowing softly in the evening breeze. A low wooden table held neatly arranged food, wine glasses, and a bouquet of weeping begonias because she called them pretty.
She stared ahead, her lips parted in awe. “You did this?”
I shrugged slightly. “I had some help.”
Her gaze moved slowly across the setup again. “This is beautiful.”
Something in my chest tightened hearing the quiet amazement in her voice. “I thought we could have a date. Will you let me?”
She smiled as she stepped toward the blanket. “I feel spoiled.”
“You should.”
She slipped off her shoes before sitting down.
“Well,” she said, glancing up at me, “this is definitely the best surprise ever.”
“That sounds like a challenge.”
“It isn’t, though I look forward to you trying to top this.”
I sat beside her and poured two glasses of wine. She accepted hers with a small smile. “To random rooftop dates.”
I clinked my glass gently against hers. “To random rooftop dates.”