Falling For My Accidental CEO Husband
Chapter 85: Missed

Chapter 85: Missed

Aiden sat in the car, his hands loosely gripping the steering wheel, his eyes closed as he leaned back against the headrest. His mind was in turmoil, running over everything that had happened in the past few minutes. What the hell was wrong with him? Why had he taken Serena out of the office like that, so abruptly? Hadn’t this been part of the plan—to let Sidney see them together, to show him just how close he was to the woman Sidney cared for?

And yet, when the moment had come, when it had been time to bring Serena and Sidney face to face, he’d pulled back. He’d wanted to avoid it, and he couldn’t even figure out why. It was as if something inside him rebelled against the idea of using Serena in that way, even if it had been his plan from the start.

He frowned, trying to shake off the unsettling feeling gnawing at him. This wasn’t like him.

"This is your idea of a date, Aiden Hawk? No wonder you had to get a contract to marry," Serena’s voice broke through his thoughts, sharp with teasing sarcasm.

Aiden blinked, startled out of his reverie. He hadn’t even realized how quiet the car had gotten, how he had nearly forgotten her presence beside him. He turned his head to find her staring at him, one brow raised in that way she always did when she was trying to needle him. She wasn’t angry, but something else. Something he couldn’t guess.

"You do realize," he said slowly, glancing at her with a smile, "that sitting in a car is practically a rite of passage for dates?"

Serena rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "Sitting in a car? Maybe. But I’m pretty sure the idea is more along the lines of ’necking in the car,’ or something a little more exciting than... this." She gestured around the vehicle with a sweeping motion, her lips curving into a smirk.

"Well, would you like to neck?" Aiden teased, his voice dropping playfully as he leaned closer, his lips curling into a smirk. His face hovered just inches from hers, daring her to engage. In fact, as he looked at her, he realized he wanted her to accept this challenge. He wanted to...Before his mind could supply him with images, Serena spoke up.

Without missing a beat, she placed her hand squarely on his face and gently pushed him away, adding a little extra distance between them. Just then, her stomach growled loudly, punctuating her point. She groaned, throwing her head back dramatically. "See? I’m so ravenous, I could eat a horse! Come on, Aiden, I need food. I haven’t eaten all day."

Aiden chuckled, leaning back into his seat, hands raised in surrender. "Okay, okay! I can hear your stomach doing all the talking for you now. Let me guess—you skipped lunch?"

Serena shot him a pointed look, folding her arms across her chest with indignation. "How’d you figure that one out?"

"Because I did too, on my first day here. I remember getting so wrapped up in everything—sorting out paperwork, trying to make sense of it all. I was so overwhelmed, I completely forgot to eat."

Serena grinned, nodding in agreement. "You got it, dude! That’s exactly what happened! I got swept up in everything—the office, the paperwork, the sheer amount of stuff to handle—and before I knew it, lunchtime had come and gone."

Aiden shook his head, laughing softly. "Rookie mistake."

"Totally," she admitted. Then, her grin faded slightly as she looked out the window, as if something deeper tugged at her thoughts. "You know," she continued, her tone becoming more introspective, "I like to think I have a really good memory—at least when it comes to the little details. But considering the fact that I have no memory of my past... well, I guess I can’t exactly claim that, can I?"

"I thought you planned to let go of the past." For the first time, Aiden doubted his own decision. Maybe if he did tell her about Sidney, it wouldn’t make a difference.

"Serena..."

She quickly waved her hand dismissively, brushing off the shift in mood with a wry smile. "Don’t worry, I’m not trying to make it a thing. Or backing off on my decision to let go of the past. I’m just saying—it’s funny, isn’t it? Remembering all these little details about the present, while everything else is just... blank."

"Well, actually, you don’t remember everything of the present as well. You didn’t remember to eat lunch. Even now, your stomach is growling angrily at you to remind you."

Serena laughed at that, "Yeah, yeah, you’re right. Let’s start with food before my stomach starts protesting even louder." She pressed a hand against her belly and rolled her eyes.

***

"This is where you are taking me for a date? Aiden Hawk, are you being stingy or have you gone babkrupt?. The place looked... well, "shabby" would have been a generous description. Faded paint peeled from the wooden panels, and the sign above the door hung crooked, missing a few letters. A dim light flickered just above the entrance, casting the area in a dull, uneven glow.

Aiden chuckled, clearly having anticipated her reaction. "Don’t let the outside fool you," he said, pushing open the heavy wooden door. "It’s what’s on the inside that matters, right?"

Serena rolled her eyes at the cliché, but as they stepped through the door, she had to admit she was surprised. The inside was simple but clean—almost cozy.

As they took a seat onthe wooden table, Aiden continued," Let me tell you, you will be coming here in the future a lot. This is the best place."

Serena raised her eyebrows," If it has been recommended by the great Aiden Hawk, it must be something. So, tell me what should I eat?"

Aiden smiled," Well, there is no need to order. Our food will be here any minute."

"Okay, now I’m intrigued. What do you mean, the food is just going to show up? Did you order ahead, or do they just know you that well?"

Before Serena could say more, the door to the small kitchen swung open, and a middle-aged woman with graying hair and a broad smile made her way over to their table, balancing two steaming plates. She set them down with a flourish, her eyes twinkling as she glanced between Aiden and Serena.

"Here we go—one special for Mr. Hawk and a little something extra for his lovely companion," she said.

Serena glanced down at her plate, eyes widening at the generous portions of food. "Wow, this smells amazing! What is it?" She looked at Aiden for an explanation, even as her stomach growled in approval of the delicious smelling food.

Without waiting for a reply, she quickly dived into the food. The first bite felt like heaven and Serena could only moan in appreciation as her eyes closed after the first bite.

Aiden, who had been about to dig into his own food, looked up then and paused, staring at her...as a thought entered his mind. "Why don’t you get a room with that lamb stew..."

Serena opened her eyes and licked her lips," Oh yes. I should. I bet I would be able to show it a good time... Heck, I’d even neck it in the car."

"Is it that good?" Aiden asked as he took pulled the plate towards him.

In the next minute, Serena swatted her hand at him, making him frown," Eat your own food! Don’t look at mine! Also, you’re dismissed from cooking for me in the future. I’m just going to pack my bags and come live here. This is so heavenly...mmm..."

Aiden covered his face then as he looked at her. Damn it! Did she really have to make those sounds while eating? The more she did that, the more tempted he was to find out what noises she would make when she derived pleasure from... other more enjoyable things.

***

It had been empty. Sidney paced the length of his office as he thought back to the time when he’d rushed into the place like a fool! Dam* it! She’d already left for the day. If only she had been there, then he would have been able to confirm things...

Speculating wouldn’t get him anywhere. No. The only way to get real answers would be to see her—to speak to her directly. But how? Approaching her outright wasn’t an option. And as for Mabel Hawk...

Sidney paused, frustration tightening his chest. Mabel Hawk was already eyeing him suspiciously when he had rushed toward the Drafts Room earlier. She wasn’t stupid. She knew when something was off, and any further digging on his part would only raise her alarms. No, he couldn’t use the chairwoman to fish for information anymore. He’d have to find another way—one that wouldn’t set off any more warning bells.

Charles Hawk. All he needed to do was get Charles to see a picture of Serena and get confirmation. But that man was a sly fox. If he sensed even a bit of weakness in him, he would pounce on it. So, he would have to be extremely careful.

"Get me Charles Hawk."