Falling For My Accidental CEO Husband
Chapter 176: Congratulations

Chapter 176: Congratulations

Chairwoman Hawk is here."

Sidney’s pen stilled mid-signature as he glanced up from the stacks of documents on his desk. He nodded curtly to his assistant, signaling permission to let the older woman in. He had been anticipating this confrontation for some time, though not so soon. He had assumed that Chairwoman Hawk was still overseas. Clearly, he had underestimated her timing.

The office door opened, and in swept the matriarch herself, exuding her usual authority. Chairwoman Hawk did not walk in like some leisurely guest; she advanced with the unmistakable precision of someone accustomed to command. Her cane struck the floor once, a sharp, deliberate sound, before she used it to tap his leg lightly, a silent admonishment. Sidney hid his wince, already knowing what came next. She bypassed the chair opposite his desk and made her way to the couch by the window—neutral territory as far as she was concerned.

He exhaled quietly. The move was a calculated one, a subtle reminder of who set the terms in this room. By taking her seat there, she was compelling him to leave the safety of his own chair and meet her in a shared space. It was an old game, one she had taught him well, and one he knew he could never win when she was involved. He’d just never hoped to have to get into it with her. But clearly, he’d been wrong.

With a resigned awareness, Sidney pushed himself up from his chair, crossing the room with a measured pace. He bent down and pressed a formal kiss to her cheek, as etiquette dictated. Her skin was cool, her expression imperious as ever. Only then did he sink into the space beside her, careful to keep his posture poised. "How are you doing, Chairwoman Hawk?"

The older woman’s eyes, locked on him. Today, she made no move to correct him, to insist he call her ’grandmother.’ Instead, she inclined her head slightly, her voice clipped as she said, "I hear congratulations are in order, with you engaged and all."

He gave a restrained polite nod. "Thank you."

"I did not congratulate you, Sidney. I merely stated a fact," she clarified, each syllable polished and edged like a blade.

He winced, shifting uncomfortably. "I would have invited you, but I knew you were just outside."

"That wouldn’t have stopped you if you hadn’t been intent on concealing your misdeeds, Sidney Price," she retorted, her eyes sharp as knives.

Sidney’s jaw tightened, the hint of guilt shadowing his expression. He had no ready response, no defense that wouldn’t sound hollow under her scrutiny.

Chairwoman Hawk’s voice softened just enough to underscore the weight of her words. "Sidney, for years, I turned a blind eye to the petty skirmishes between you and Aiden. I could have easily thrown my support behind my grandson and made your life far more difficult or refused to guide you when you needed a mentor. But I didn’t. Do you know why?" She paused, leaning forward slightly. "Because despite everything, I believed you were a man of integrity, someone dealt an unfair hand but playing it with fairness."

Sidney swallowed, the air thickening between them as her disappointment settled like a stone in his chest.

"But this," she continued, eyes narrowing as she shook her head and spoke with cold finality, "this time, you’ve crossed a line. Stirring up trouble within my grandson’s marriage? That, Sidney, is not something I can overlook. You’ve betrayed the very trust that has kept you in my favor. I expected better from you."

"I did not interfere in their marriage. She... she chose to leave him after getting the—"

Another sharp crack of the cane against the floor silenced him instantly, the sound ringing out like a judge’s gavel. Mabel Hawk’s sharp and unyielding eyes bored into him as if they could read through his everyt thought. "Sidney Price! Do you truly expect me to believe that Serena—the woman I know—would abandon my grandson for mere money? The Hawks may not have the global dominance of a company like Nvidia, but we are no less formidable. And Serena is no fool who chases fleeting gains. While she and Aiden might be blind to what they have together, I am not so easily deceived."

"There are only two reasons Serena would ever leave Aiden," she continued, voice dropping to a low, dangerous tone. "One, there was a third party involved, whether in her life or in his. Or two, she was threatened."

Sidney’s chest tightened, the heat of panic and frustration bubbling within him. Her stare was relentless, daring him to speak, to justify himself. His mind raced, searching for a way to explain everything justifiably. In a desperate move, he seized the opening she hadn’t even realized she’d given.

She loved me first!" Sidney’s voice cracked as the confession burst out, raw and edged with years of frustration and regret. "Serena loved me before she ever even met Aiden. I was the one she turned to, the one she trusted first. She was supposed to be with me. But then Aiden came in—he stepped in and took everything. He stole her from me. I’ve loved her for years, through everything, and she’s loved me back. It was Aiden who interfered in our relationship, not me! What do you have to say to that?"

Mabel Hawk let the silence stretch, tightening like a coil around them. When she spoke, her words were precise. "You say you loved her? That she loved you? Then tell me, Sidney, where is the marriage certificate? Where are the vows, the commitment that proves your claim? And more importantly, why is it that, now that Serena is no longer with Aiden, you are engaged not to her, but to her own cousin? You speak of love, but love is not just passion, not just possession. You claim Aiden stole her from you? Perhaps Serena made a choice that you refuse to accept. Listen well, Sidney. You still have time, the day I decide to stand behind my grandson? You will not like it."