I snatched it up, thumb fumbling against the screen.
"You alone?" Sophia asked.
"Yeah, he left" i gave a fast reply.
Seconds later, the call came through. I answered on the first ring.
"Sophia," i whispered, voice barely there.
"Hey, sis." Her voice was quiet, steady, like she could already hear the shake in mine. "Are you okay?"
I closed my eyes, pressing my forehead against my knee where I'd curled into the corner of the bed. "I don't know. It's getting harder."
A pause. I could hear her breathing, slow and controlled.
"He's watching everything. Every move I make, every word I say. It's like I'm… caged. But not even locked in. Just–kept.
"You're doing better than you think," she said, calm but not soft. "You made it through tonight. Did he say anything? Did he mention the contacts?"
I shook my head, then realized she couldn't see me. "No. He was quiet. Too quiet."
"That's not good."
"I know." My voice cracked. "I tried to step ahead of him earlier, and he didn't yell. He didn't touch me. But he looked at me like I was… like I'd forgotten something important. Like I forgot who I am."
"No," Sophia said firmly. "Not who you are. Who he made you."
That hit harder than expected.
She didn't say anything for a long moment. Just the sound of her breath on the line, grounding me.
"I hate how afraid I am," I admitted. "I hate that I think about what he wants before I even move. Like I'm… programmed."
"You're not. You're surviving."
The words stirred something deep in my chest. I didn't know if it was comfort or pain.
"What's next?" I whispered. "What do you need me to do?"
Sophia hesitated. "There's a man. Jameson Vale. Aiden's old associate. He's back in town, and if Aiden plans to expand into offshore accounts again, he'll need Jameson."
"So I need to get close to him?"
"No," she said quickly. "You need to listen. Watch. Find out when they meet, and tell me. No action. Not yet."
I nodded again, even though she couldn't see me. "Okay."
"Cait…" Her voice softened. "I know this isn't fair. I know it's too much. But we're close. I can feel it. Just a little longer."
The line went quiet after that. She didn't say goodbye, and neither did I.
I stared at the dark ceiling long after the call ended, the phone still warm in my hand.
Just a little longer.
I didn't know how much of me would be left by then.
*
The apartment was too quiet, too dark, too filled with the echo of Aiden's cologne and the memory of his hand on the small of my back.
I didn't sleep.
I sat on the edge of the bed until dawn began to bleed through the windows, painting everything gold and fake.
Aiden still hadn't returned.
Every sound outside the door made me flinch. Every hour that passed without him walking through it felt borrowed. By the time the lock clicked, I was sitting on the couch, spine straight, hands folded in my lap. Waiting.
He stepped inside my room like he always did, without hesitation. Like it was his world and I was just part of the furniture. His coat slid off with practiced ease. He didn't look at me.
What was he even doing in my room, by the way?
I swallowed hard, kept my voice soft. "You were gone a long time."
He didn't answer right away. Just walked past me, slow and deliberate, pouring himself a glass of water like he didn't feel the weight of the silence pressing down on us both.
Then finally, his voice, calm and unreadable. "Did you miss me, Caitlin?"
The question lodged in my throat.
He turned, and his eyes met mine. There was no kindness in them. No anger, either. Just curiosity. Like he was observing a creature in a cage.
I forced a nod. Small. Measured.
He smiled, barely. "Good."
I hated how much relief that brought. Like I'd dodged something sharp.
He walked closer, steps e going on the marble floor. I kept my eyes low. Not because I was shy or I wanted to, but because I didn't trust what he would see and how he would react if I met his gaze.
A finger brushed under my chin, slow and cold. He tilted my face up, just enough to make me feel seen.
"You looked beautiful last night," he said. "Everyone thought so."
I nodded again because I didn't know what else to do.
Then, just like that, he turned his hand and turned away.
"You'll be coming with me again tonight," he said over his shoulder. "Dinner meeting. Private. Jameson Vale will be there."
I froze.
Jameson.
Sophia's voice echoed in my mind. No action. Just watch. Just listen.
"Yes," I said quickly. "Of course."
Aiden paused mid-step, just for a breath. Then kept walking, till the door closed behind him and he was out of sight.
I didn't know if I'd said the right thing. I never really did.
I spent most of the rest of the day moving through the apartment like a ghost. I showered dressed, painted on the version of myself he liked best. -Quiet, pretty, invisible until summoned.
*
By six, I was ready again.
Same heels, same war paint, same cage.
This time, when he held out his hand for me to follow, I didn't hesitate. And when he looked at me in the elevator mirror, eyes lingering just long enough to make my breath catch, I forced myself not to look away.
Because Sophia was right.
I wasn't free. I was still in. And as long as I was in, I still had a chance to take him down.
Even if it broke me.