57. CHAPTER 57
SEBASTIAN
I t was the middle of December, and the board thought it would be a good idea to meet before Christmas.
Sometimes I wondered how these stuffy old suits managed to get out of bed in the morning and make it here.
I sat there, trying to look interested—until Mr Kingsley mentioned something that caught my attention.
“What’s this?” I asked, sitting forward in my chair.
He turned to face me. “We’ve appointed a new COO to work under you.”
“Why? You haven’t needed one before.”
“What with your recent time off—”
I cut him off before he could finish.
“That was due to personal reasons.”
“Yes, well, personal or not, we have made the decision,” he told me firmly. “And the majority shareholder has put it in place.”
I blinked. The majority shareholder was my dad, and he’d fucked off to Europe. This couldn’t be right.
“Mr Kingsley, I think you are mistaken. There’s not a fucking chance the majority shareholder has agreed this.”
“Oh, but he has, and you would do well to fall into line.”
The side of my fist met the table, drawing everyone’s eyes to me.
“Now, Mr Caspian Whitmore will be starting with us next month,” he said. “Jessica, please can you show him in?”
I leaned back in my chair, glaring at the man who walked through the door.
His dark brown hair was neatly styled back, his blue eyes staring straight at me as he strutted into the boardroom like he owned the place.
He looked a few years older than me. He straightened his suit, then greeted everyone. Who did this guy think he was?
“Sebastian, Caspian will be working under you. I expect you to show him the ropes,” Mr Kingsley said, looking at me.
“Sure,” I replied stiffly.
“Now, let's show you around so you can get familiar with everything before you start.”
Everyone got up, and I soon followed. I started shaking everyone’s hands, my smile fake, as they filed out.
“I’ll see you around, Sebastian.” Caspian flashed me a smile, then let go of my hand.
After work, I found myself back at the place I felt most at home.
The Organisation was running smoothly again, and they had already found someone to replace Nicholas.
A guy called Micah. He had a chain of barber shops around London, some legit and some that ran the money through.
Hayden had made sure he didn’t work for anyone else before inviting him in.
I walked through into the main room of the Organisation, where Soran sat at the table alone, sipping his Kurdish tea.
“Ah, Sebastian. Come sit.” It wasn’t a request.
I did as asked, the tea and sugar already laid out for me.
“Has everything been sorted?” I asked.
“Yes, everything is clean. Nothing can be traced,” he replied, sipping his tea. “Don’t forget the price, Sebastian.”
I nodded. “Soon. I have a couple of loose ends to tie up first.”
I stopped in the doorway, leaning against the door-frame.
Aria was decorating the Christmas tree I’d told her I didn’t want, but she’d still managed to make us go and get one.
The lights were already on, twinkling around it.
She was adding silver and blue baubles, pausing frequently and tilting her head, considering where to place each one.
It was nice seeing her like this, being up and about, doing things.
I knew she’d still need time, but it was the small things. It made me confident she’d get through this.
She turned around, jumping slightly when she clocked me standing there. I pushed myself off the frame and walked into the living room.
“Sorry, Nyx. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“No, it’s fine.” She smiled at me.
“I’ve got a surprise for you.”
“A surprise?” she replied, raising her brow at me. “What kind of surprise?”
“I know you don’t get to see your mum much, since she moved to New York. So I bought us tickets to spend a couple of weeks with her for Christmas,” I said, smiling at her.
“You bought tickets for us to fly to New York, to spend Christmas with my mum?” she repeated, trying to grasp what I had just said.
“Yes,” I replied, putting my arms around her waist.
“Does she know we’re coming?” she asked.
“I spoke to her the other day to arrange it. Everything is sorted,” I reassured her.
“Sebastian, I don’t know what to say …”
“Well, you don’t need to finish decorating that tree.” I chuckled.
She playfully hit my chest and leaned in, kissing me softly.
“You’re the best.” She smiled. “Hold on, wait … my mum knows about us?”
“Yeah, kind of had to tell her when I called her.”
“Was she ok about it?”
“Absolute fine. She said she was waiting for it. Go and get packed. We’re leaving tonight.”
“Tonight? I don’t even know where my passport is,” she replied, pulling away from me.
“It’s all under control,” I said. “All you need to do is pack a suitcase.”
Aria’s stepdad, James, had arranged for one of his private cars to collect us from the airport and bring us to the house. He was a successful lawyer who worked with high-end clients. Aria always spoke highly of him and said he made her mum happy, so he was certainly a step up from my dad.
I helped Aria out of the car as she stood there excitedly, watching the snow falling. The driver placed our suitcases by the front door before driving off.
The house must have been about four storeys high. The exterior walls were a reddish-brown stone colour, and the front door was decorated with a Christmas wreath.
She took a deep breath before ringing the bell.
It had been a good few years since she’d seen her mum, and she probably felt a little overwhelmed. Maria didn’t know what Jason had done to her, and she wanted to keep it that way.
The door opened to a man with a wide smile on his face. His light brown eyes lit up as he saw us. He ran his hand through his dark brown hair, a few grey strands showing through.
“Aria, it’s so wonderful to finally meet you in person,” he said, hugging her.
“And you, James,” she replied, pulling away.
“You must be Sebastian,” he said, holding his hand out. I took hold of it and shook it.
“Let me help you with those,” he said, taking one of the suitcases. “Come in, it’s cold outside.” He gestured for us to follow him.
Aria walked in first, and I followed, shutting the door. We walked into a grand entryway that felt warm and inviting, filled with Christmas decorations and the smell of something baking.
“Just leave the suitcases by the stairs. I’ll have Martin take them up for you,” James said.
He then led us to the kitchen out the back, where Maria was cooking. Her dark blonde hair was tied back in a bun, and her blue eyes filled with joy at seeing our faces. She stopped doing what she was doing and ran straight over to Aria.
“Aria, I missed you,” she said, hugging her tight.
“Missed you too, Mum,” she replied, pulling away, smiling.
Maria turned to face me. “Sebastian, it’s always so good to see you,” she said, pulling me into a hug.
Maria was a good mum to Aria. She was also good to me when she was married to my dad. She’d never tried to be my mum. I was twenty when she’d first met me, so she knew that wasn’t what I wanted, but she was always warm. Kind.
“What are you making?” Aria asked, walking around the counter to take a peek.
“Just some cookies,” Maria replied. “You two must be knackered after your flight. Why don’t you go and get some rest?”
Aria hugged her one last time, and James gestured for us to follow him to our room on the top floor.
He opened the door to a big room with a cosy bed and a window nook. Everything felt warm and homely, as expected from Aria’s mum. James said his goodbyes and closed the door, and I wrapped my arms around Aria’s waist, pulling her close and kissing her.