Always next to you

Chapter Fifty-Three

NICOLE

I was feeling the rush of what happened yesterday because Aiden said we had to go to work. Everything we planned had gone well so far, but somewhere inside me was an anxious pit of worry.

All night I could barely fall asleep, because today was the day I would return to Zen Industries after weeks of not going. Aiden didn't have to tell me, but I knew my mother went there to harass them for hiring me when I was supposedly ill.

However, he had no problem keeping me on the payroll. While I worked from his coding den, I learned a few things about the company and my colleagues, but the way they spoke to me felt different.

This weird feeling fueled my anxiety about what would happen at work today. Although I had reached the point of not caring what people thought about me, what Jonas revealed to us on our way to work was far from what I expected.

"Aiden, use the back entrance," Jonas said on the call.

He called me because Aiden was driving and asked me to put the phone on speaker. Only Aiden and a few others had been to the Zen building since my engagement to him, it made me wonder what was wrong.

"Jonas, what's going on?" I asked.

"Just do it, the press is all over the entrance," He replied.

The press? Why would they be at Zen when it wasn't time for them to be there?

"Did something happen?" Aiden asked.

"How would I know? I'm driving too. My men just sent a message through Oliver to warn you," Jonas replied and hung up.

"I think it has something to do with this," Mia said, handing me her phone.

Mia was done with her part of the work, but she came to assist us because there was nothing else to do at home. I glanced at her phone and caught sight of the headline.

'Nicole Banks wins the battle for Aiden Stark'

"What is with this headline?" I nearly laughed.

"The whole article is funny. They made it look like you and Diana were fighting over Aiden and you won,"

"That's absurd," Aiden laughed. "Diana never stood a chance. I'd always seen her as a poison ivy. Beautiful but deadly,"

I wanted to agree with him, but I was stuck on the article. All night I was afraid of people finding out and now everyone knows I'm engaged to Aiden. However, that wasn't the only surprise I found.

The article also expressly talks about my family lineage and why Aiden chose me over Diana.

"They say you chose me for my money," I said.

"I'm Aiden Stark," He replied, smirking.

"You're so proud," I jabbed his shoulder.

I was doing my best to make a joke about the situation, but I was beyond terrified. For the past four years, I hid who I was from everyone else because I didn't want them to see me as a nepo baby, but it was too late now.

Even as Aiden made his way to the backpacking in the company, I feared using the elevator with the other employees. I knew they would talk because they always have.

Last time they called me ugly and poor, complaining about the clothes I wore to fit in. Now that they knew who I was, they would probably say I got everything through my family connections.

It broke a piece of my soul because this is not the life I wanted for myself. This was probably Aiden's father's way of cleaning up the mess he made with Diana.