The next morning, the air in the house was quiet and heavy. Like something sacred had been broken.
Then the knock came earlier than I expected.
I sat up slowly but didn't rush to open the door. I stayed on the bed, still and silent, just listening to Thaddeus's voice from the other side. My chest felt tight, my thoughts louder than his knock outside.
Kayden, Thaddeus said from the hallway, his voice calm but distant. Get ready. The driver will drop you off at the campus.
I didn't respond immediately. Instead, I stared at the door, numb.
Finally, I replied, I'm not going, loud enough for him to hear.
"You've missed three days. You have to go." His tone hardened with walls built from logic and control.
"I said I'm not going," I repeated, sharper.
A pause.
You know your father won't be pleased if he hears you've been skipping class.
Silence.
I made a mistake, Kayden. But you're still very young. You should understand that this can't...
That word young hit me like a slap.
I stood, crossed the room, and yanked the door open so fast it startled him.
I'm not young, I snapped. I'll be twenty in a few weeks. I'm not a kid, and I'm sure as hell, not your son.
His expression didn't change, but I saw something flicker in his eyes guilt or maybe. Regret.
Put on your clothes and go to class, he said coldly. Any other conversation can wait.
"And what if I don't want to talk later?"
He didn't answer that. He just looked away, adjusting the cuff of his sleeve like it was more important than me.
"I have a meeting at nine. I'm late already."
Then he turned and walked off.
I watched him walk away, every step quiet but heavy. He didn't look back. The sound of the door clicking shut echoed louder than any argument could. I stand there, my body warm but my heart cold.
Just like that, he was gone.
Like nothing happened.
But if he wanted to pretend it didn't matter, that was fine.
I wasn't done.
I whispered to myself, "You'll love me. You'll see me as a man, not a boy. I'm not a kid anymore."
I got dressed, and stepped out of the room
The house was too quiet, like it was holding its breath. His driver was waiting outside, already standing beside the sleek black car, dressed neatly in a suit and gloves.
"Morning, sir," he said, opening the door.
I nodded, silent as I slid into the back seat.
The ride to school was smooth but slow. My mind wasn't with the passing streets or the city noise. It was back in that room. Back with him.
The campus felt distant. Familiar but wrong. Students moved in groups, laughter spilling around me like static. I had walked this path for weeks without trying to belong. I didn't make close friends. I didn't care to.
But today, I couldn't hide how off I felt. My face was blank and my shoulders were tight. My eyes tired.
That was when someoneare sat beside me.
"Rough morning?" he asked, his voice light but sincere.
I blinked, surprised. Yeah. Something like that.
"I'm Darren," he said, offering a quick smile.
"Kayden."
We talked a little more between classes. Nothing deep, just light conversation. He made me laugh once, and I hated how good that felt.
We exchanged numbers. Social media too. It was the first time since I started school that I let anyone in.
And somehow, just for a few hours, school didn't feel so heavy.
Darren didn't know the truth. He didn't know what I had done. What I was doing.
But he made thewas Ia litt?e better.
And maybe, for now, that was enough.
Before I left school for the day, my phone buzzed with a message from Thaddeus. It was short, but clear and to the point, exactly how he always was.
I'll be home late tonight. Don't wait up. I have an informal evening engagement with a few partners and executives.
No unnecessary words. No explanation beyond what mattered. Just a quiet reminder that his world was filled with high-end meetings, late-night drinks, and connections I didn't belong to yet.
He didn't ask how my day went. Just a line about not staying up. Like I was just a background noise.
I read t message twice before slipping my phone back into my pocket. Even when he wasn't there, he found a way to live in my head.
I walked toward the campus gate where Thaddeus's driver usually waited. The afternoon sun cast a soft golden glow over the pavement. I adjusted the strap of my backpack and checked my phone then I heard Darren's voice behind me.
"Hey, you heading home now?" he asked, stepping closer.
I gave a small nod. "Yeah, the driver should be here any moment."
He hesitated for a second, then smiled. "Mind if I wait with you?"
"Sure," I said quietly.
We stood near the sidewalk together, watching students spill out of lecture halls and crowd the walkways. Darren talked about classes and asked why my mind seemed absent. I answered with short replies, not really in the mood to talk. My thoughts weren't there.
Minutes later, the sleek black car pulled up to the curb. The driver stepped out and opened the back door for me.
I turned to Darren and gave him a small wave. "See you tomorrow."
The door shut softly behind me, sealing me in. I leaned back against the leather seat and looked out the window, but my mind wasn't on the road.
I had been in his bed once. And even though he promised he'd take responsibility, nothing happened after that, no words, no messages. Just silence.
I clenched my hands in my lap, my jaw tight.
That night meant something to me.
But he was pretending it didn't happen.
You said you'd handle it. You said you'd fix it. But all you've done is walk away.
My head filled with questions and thoughts I didn't want to face. I wasn't ready to let go. I didn't want just one night. I wanted him to want me, to choose me, and stop acting like I was a mistake.
I'll get him back.
Somehow, I'll be back in his bed.
And next time, he won't pretend it never happened.
Thaddeus's POV
The night air was thick with the scent of cigars and aged whiskey. The low hum of conversation floated through the rooftop lounge where I sat with two of my oldest business partners. Laughter rose every few minutes, glasses clinked, and the city below sparkled like it was part of another world a world I didn't feel like I belonged to tonight.
Not after what happened.
I swirled the amber liquid in my glass, barely hearing the story being told across the table. My thoughts weren't in that circle. They were trapped in my house, in that room, in that single moment that had rewritten everything.
Kayden.
I kept seeing the way he looked at me. The way he touched me, like he had waited for that night all his life. I hated how easily I gave in. I hated how good it felt.
He wasn't a boy anymore. That much was clear.
And yet, every part of me screamed that it should have never happened.
I took never havep and let the whiskey burn down my throat, hoping it would numb the guilt clawing at my chest. But it didn't.
When the meeting finally ended and the goodbyes were said, I drove home in silence. The city lights blurred as I sped through the streets, each one a blur against my windshield.
By the time I pulled into my driveway, the weight of what I had done settled hard in my chest.
The mansion stood tall and quiet, its white walls glowing faintly under the porch light. But tonight, it didn't feel like home. It felt like a battlefield, and I was returning to face the consequences.
I sat in the car for a long time.
Just staring at the front door.
I didn't know what to expect. Silence? A confrontation? Kayden.
None of those options brought comfort.
I finally stepped out of the car and made my way inside. The house was quiet. No footsteps, no music, not even the sound of the television.
He was probably in his room.
I loosened my tie and dropped my keys on the side table. My hands were shaking.
I walked into the kitchen, poured myself a glass of water, and leaned against the counter, letting the cool silence wrap around me.
What the hell have I done?
I knew what it meant the moment I let him kiss me. The moment I didn't pull away. The moment I allowed things to go further.
He trusted me. His father trusted me. And I crossed a line that should've never even been considered.
But it wasn't just guilt. That was the worst part.
A part of me wanted more.
I closed my eyes, running a hand through my hair.
Kayden wasn't some random mistake I could forget. He was living under my roof. He saw me every day. He looked at me like I was all he ever wanted.
And somehow, against every rule I had set for myself, I started looking back.
I told him that night it was a mistake. That it shouldn't have happened.
But I didn't say I regretted it.
And maybe that was the real problem.
I left the kitchen and walked down the hall. I paused in front of his door. It was closed. No light underneath.
I almost knocked.
Almost.
Instead, I turned away.
This wasn't the time. I needed to clear my head.
Tomorrow, I told myself.
Tomorrow, I'd talk to him. Tomorrow, I'd fix this.
But deep down, I knew nothing about this was going to be simple.
Because Kayden wasn't just a mistake.
He was a temptation I had already given in to.
And I wasn't sure I had the strength to walk away again.