My eyes fluttered open, and everything came rushing back in a dizzying wave—last night's chaos.
The memories hit me hard: my stupid giggles, Aiden's strong arms lifting me into the car, and the relentless teasing I'd unleashed on him with Danielle egging me on. What a mess.
Then came the worst part—the moment we got home.
Flashes of me, sloppily flirting with Aiden, as Danielle's words echoed in my head. Oh, dear Lord, the humiliation.
I darted a glance around the room, scanning for any signs of someone else's presence. The coast seemed clear.
Slowly, I sat up, taking in my surroundings, and my stomach sank. My eyes widened in realization—this was Aiden's room.
Panic bubbled in my chest as I tried to piece together how I'd ended up here. My gaze dropped to myself. My clothes were gone. Just my bra and underwear remained.
"I told Danielle I wasn't going to dress like that yesterday," I muttered, my voice shaky and tinged with regret.
Please, God, don't let last night have spiraled even further out of control. At least I wasn't completely naked.
I spotted my clothes in a heap on the floor beside my shoes. Heart pounding, I tiptoed toward them, trying to make as little noise as possible. I needed to get out of here before Aiden saw me. The thought of facing him now? Unbearable.
As I reached the door, my hand poised to open it, a voice froze me in place.
Rose.
Her footsteps grew louder, closer, and she was speaking—loud enough that she could be right outside the door. "There's nothing to clean in my room," Aiden's voice called distantly, firm but tired.
Rose didn't seem to care. Her pace quickened.
I panicked, retreating toward the bathroom. My legs felt like jelly, wobbling with every step, as if my body and brain were at war. I almost made it when my left shoe slipped from my hand, thudding softly to the floor.
I grabbed it in one frantic swoop, yanked the bathroom door closed behind me, and held my breath just as Rose swung Aiden's door open.
My heart thundered in my chest, a rhythmic drum thump, thump, against my ribs. I staggered to the bathtub and sank into it, resting my pounding head against the cool porcelain.
"I am never drinking this much again," I murmured under my breath.
Rose's footsteps moved around the room, searching, inspecting, while my head throbbed as though it might split open. The fear of being caught was still there, but the ache in my skull was worse. Right now, even if Rose found me, I couldn't care less.
I closed my eyes, desperate for some peace, some relief.
Rose had been out there for what felt like forever, and there was no hint she'd be leaving anytime soon. I sank lower into the bathtub, trying to make myself as small and comfortable as possible, but my nerves refused to settle.
And then, disaster struck.
My phone blared to life, the ringtone shattering the silence with a pop song I now deeply regretted choosing. Panic surged through me. My eyes flew open, and I scrambled to locate the source of the noise. There it was—next to my clothes and shoes. I lunged for it, fumbling to silence the call, but the damage was done. I'd been caught.
My heart sank as I imagined the fallout. Fired over a stupid mistake? And honestly, I'd deserve it. I let myself get too comfortable. Too careless.
Rose's heavy footsteps grew louder, heading straight for the bathroom. I sighed, resignation tightening my chest.
"My friend is in there. She won't appreciate you barging in on her like that."
Aiden's voice cut through the tension, stopping Rose in her tracks.
"I didn't know you had company," Rose replied, her tone oddly stiff—apologetic, but with a bitter edge. "There wasn't any sign…"
"Miss Rose," Aiden interrupted, his voice calm but firm. "I've told you not to come into my room uninvited. If I need assistance, I'll ask for it."
The authority in his tone left no room for argument. Rose mumbled an apology, but her voice carried something else—resentment? Jealousy?
What's her deal? I thought, irritation bubbling beneath my embarrassment. Maybe it was some menopausal mood swing or just her being her usual overbearing self. Rose was the definition of "too much"—nosy, dominant, and utterly exhausting.
Still, I had little time to dwell on it because the door to the bathroom swung open.
I froze.
Aiden stood there, his expression unreadable, and all I could do was sit there, rooted in place, wishing the floor would swallow me whole.
The splitting headache wasn't enough to stop my eyes from roaming over Aiden's body. His tight, muscled shoulders, the sharp definition of his abs, and that V-line disappearing beneath his waistband—it was almost criminal. For once, I actually wished he were wearing gray joggers.
"Are you done gawking? You don't have the time," Aiden said, his voice dripping with amusement.
My gaze snapped to his face, scowling despite myself, but then I remembered: I was the annoying one here.
"Could you, like… close the door? I need to get dressed," I stammered, feeling my cheeks heat.
He leaned against the doorframe, smirking. "You were plenty confident last night when you decided to keep stripping in front of me."
Flashes of the memory slammed into me—me tugging at my clothes, laughing like an idiot, and Aiden just standing there, probably as mortified as I should have been. I squeezed my eyes shut, wishing the ground would swallow me whole.
"I liked your drunk self, though," he added with a low chuckle. "You don't hold back. You had too much energy i almost couldn't hold you."
He turned and walked out, closing the door behind him, leaving me gaping like a fish.
"Son of a—" I started under my breath but bit my tongue before I could finish.
I shook off the fog of humiliation and hurried to get dressed. My clothes barely covered anything, but they were all I had. I grabbed my shoes, slipped them on, and tiptoed out of the bathroom.
The room was empty. Aiden was nowhere in sight. Perfect.
I rushed to the door, cracked it open, and peered into the hallway. It was quiet except for faint, unfamiliar voices in the distance. Without a second thought, I bolted toward my own room, not daring to look back.
The moment I was inside, my phone blared to life again. The name on the screen made me jump. Rose.
What does she know? My heart thudded as my eyes flicked to the clock. 10:00 a.m.
"Holy sh—hello!" I answered, cutting off my curse. "I slept in, but I am here" I added hastily, hoping to escape any interrogation.
"You've already taken more days than you were assigned," Rose's voice came through, sharp and unyielding.
"I—told—"
"Doesn't matter. You're here now. Come downstairs. I need to see you in person. No uniform today," she snapped, cutting me off entirely.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Okay."
She hung up before I could say anything else.
I sighed, tossing my phone onto the bed. It was going to be a long day with Rose. Very long.
Grumbling under my breath, I grabbed a towel and headed for a quick shower.
***
Rose's commitment was nothing if not admirable—though right now, I'd call it excessive. She came all the way down here to ensure I'd shown up for work, despite there being no actual work today. In her exact words: "You're becoming too lenient, and this might just be your last warning."
What had I even done to deserve that? Sure, I'd taken longer to report back than I should have, but sometimes it felt like Rose had a harsher lens when it came to judging my capabilities compared to others.
Yawning, I trudged toward the garden, my head still pounding and my thoughts tangled in frustration. Confusion lingered too—Aiden's assistant had explicitly said we weren't needed today, yet here was Rose, insisting otherwise. It was the same from a few days ago, another instance of being caught in the middle of their conflicting instructions.
I hated feeling like a pawn, stuck between their power plays.
And How was I supposed to function properly with a splitting headache? I stifled another yawn as the garden came into view.
The space was immaculate—simple, elegant, and clearly designed for a business-themed brunch. The decor was so pristine it bordered on ostentatious. Every detail screamed hired professionals.
If only I didn't keep clashing with Aiden and Rose, this place would've been the perfect workplace for me, little work, alot of confusion.
As I scanned the area, I spotted Rose heading toward her car. Relief flooded through me. Quickly, I bent down and began wiping an already spotless table, pretending to be busy. I just needed her to leave.
Trying to be useful today would only get me blamed for something later, i am not doing that today, not especially after what i had done.
The moment her car disappeared, I straightened up, pressing my fingers against my temples to soothe the dull ache in my head. When I turned back around, and my hear skipped.
Aiden stood there, suited up, exuding authority in a way I hadn't seen before.
Not once had I ever seen him fully in "work mode," but now, dressed sharply in a tailored suit, he looked… perfect. Polished. Thoughtful. looked every bit the head of an organization, which i had started to thought these days.
"Miss Rose said to make myself useful," I muttered, still flustered by his sudden appearance. "I was just about to leave. Don't worry about me—I'll keep off."
He chuckled, the sound low and casual. "You look terrible. There's hangover medicine in the fridge. You should get some."
Before I could respond, the sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted us.
My eyes snapped toward the source. A man and a woman, clearly dressed for the brunch event, stood nearby. The man wore a broad, charming smile, while the woman clung to his arm, radiating sweetness.
These had to be the guests.
Feeling suddenly out of place, I mumbled an excuse and quickly stepped back, eager to avoid further embarrassment.
"This must be Nelly, your fiancée, She looked every bit of your description " the man said, and I froze mid-step.
My brain scrambled to process the words as I instinctively surveyed the scene. Before I could form a coherent thought, the woman beside him stepped forward with an apologetic smile.
"Zayn told us to come a little early. He was so excited. I'm sorry we didn't give you more time to prepare," she said sweetly.
My eyes widened, my eyebrows shooting up in disbelief. My gaze darted to Aiden, who was casually shaking hands with Zayn as though I hadn't just heard the most absurd statement of my life.
I managed a weak smile, nodding in vague acknowledgment, though internally, I was freaking out. What the hell was going on?
Before I could say anything, Aiden's hands landed on my shoulders, and he began guiding me toward the house.
"We'll be right back," he said over his shoulder, all composure and charm.
I followed him numbly, his hand moving to my waist as he steered me inside. My thoughts were spinning in every direction. Have they seen me before? Does my boss have a fiancée named Nelly? The last idea annoyed me irrationally but seemed like the only explanation. Or maybe—just maybe—I'd completely misheard everything, which wouldn't be surprising considering how unhinged I felt right now.
The door clicked shut behind us. I shoved his arm off my waist the moment we were alone, but he didn't react. Instead, he grabbed my hand, leading me to the kitchen like nothing had happened. He opened the fridge, pulled out a bottle, and handed it to me.
"Here. Drink."
"What is that supposed to mean?" I demanded, pointing toward the door.
"You've got clothes here, right? Get ready and join us," he replied flatly, ignoring my question.
"Join you? As who? As Nelly, your fiancée?"
"Yes."
"The hell are you talking about?"
"Drink the fucking hangover thing first, Nelly," he said, his voice low and firm.
My anger flared, heat rising to my face as I balled my fists. My legs tingled with restless energy, but I snatched the bottle from him and chugged it down in one go. The bitter syrup burned my throat, but the relief was almost instant—my pounding head and queasy stomach began to settle.
"I don't understand!" I blurted, my voice louder than I intended.
"Don't yell at me," he replied, his tone maddeningly calm, which only fueled my frustration.
I clenched my jaw, biting back the sarcastic retort on the tip of my tongue. "Fine. Thanks for the drink," I said stiffly, turning to leave. "I'll head up."
"You have to help me out," he said, his voice stopping me in my tracks.
"What?" I asked, spinning back around. "Help you out how?" My thoughts were racing now. "Wait—why am I even here? Is this identity theft?" My hands flew to my mouth, the realization hitting me.
"That's ridiculous," Aiden shot back, exasperated.
"Then how do they know my name? Why am I being called your fiancée?"
"I don't know! They're my biggest clients right now. I'll explain later. Just get dressed for the brunch and join us."
"For what? As what?"
"As my fiancée, Nelly!" he snapped, running a hand through his hair. "I'm already worked up as it is—don't make this harder than it needs to be."
I stared at him, utterly dumbfounded.
Wow. What the actual hell?