Chasing His Rejected Wife
Chapter 43 -

Aiden's POV

I sped towards Jessica's apartment, a mix of urgency and anxiety coursing through my veins. The weight of the situation pressed heavily on me as I contemplated how to break the news to her. I knew it would be a devastating blow, and I wanted to be there to somehow soften it, to shield her from the full impact. But deep down, I knew there was no escaping the harsh reality of what I had done.

There was no best-case scenario to hope for, no silver lining to cling to. I had betrayed Jessica's trust, shattered our marriage, and now, with the news article exposing our separation, she would have to endure the unwanted attention and judgment of others. It was a punishment I knew she didn't deserve.

I cursed under my breath, frustration and anger bubbling up within me. How had things spiraled out of control so quickly? How had the press gotten wind of Jessica moving out when I had only confided in a select few, like Elisa and Vincent? It had only been a day since she left, for fuck's sake.

The invasion of our privacy infuriated me. I had hoped for at least a small window of time to navigate the aftermath of our separation privately, to give Jessica some space to process everything. But now, it seemed like the world had thrust itself into our personal lives, ready to pass judgment and offer unsolicited opinions.

As I pulled up to Jessica's apartment, I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the difficult conversation ahead. I knew I had to face the consequences of my actions, to confront the pain and anger I had caused. It wouldn't be easy, but I was determined to at least try. I might end up thrown out of her apartment, divorced by the end of the week and possibly slapped with a restraining order. I could lose everything in a heartbeat and I couldn't bear the thought of losing Jessica and our unborn child.

I swung the door open, inviting the biting cold air to infiltrate the cozy interior. I stood tall, attempting to steady myself with a deep breath, but the tension coursing through my body refused to dissipate. My shoulders and neck ached, strained from the effort of maintaining a façade of composure.

"Evening, Mr. Brown," a man in a black suit greeted me, his face vaguely familiar. I furrowed my brow, racking my brain to place where I had seen him before.

"I'm Jason, sir," he introduced himself. "I'm filling in for Martin tonight."

Recognition washed over me, and I nodded in acknowledgment. "Ah, right. Please park this properly," I said, extending my car keys towards him.

"Of course, sir," Jason replied, his tone respectful as he accepted the keys with both hands and moved towards the car. I heard the engine start and stepped out of the way as he steered the car away from the main entrance.

I didn't go in immediately. Instead, I took a moment to survey the towering high-rise before me, craning my neck in a futile attempt to identify Jessica's window. The wind picked up, assaulting my exposed skin with its icy touch and I adjusted the lapels of my suit jacket then stepped inside.

I could tell at once that Fletcher had carried out my orders when I saw the two men in the lobby. From their stance and the level of alertness in their demeanor as they constantly scanned the area, it was clear these were security personnel and I felt a bit of my tension ease, knowing that at least Jessica was safe. I nodded at them, acknowledging their greetings and took the elevator to her floor.

The walk to her door seemed like the longest distance I'd ever had to cover, each step sounding like a death toll, relentless, persistent. Finally, I reached her door, a nondescript shade of brown and rapped on it, the sound echoing in the silence. I waited and listened for a while, but there was no movement inside, so she was probably still sleeping. I felt guilty for disturbing her much needed rest.

I pulled out my phone and grimaced as I tried calling her again. I really hated what I was about to do, wished I could just walk away and leave her to get her beauty sleep. But I couldn't.

Again, there was no answer and I made a mental note to ask Jessica to always keep her phone close. That is, if she was still speaking to me by the end of the day.

I tapped the door again, louder this time.

"Excuse me, are you looking for someone?" The voice came from down the corridor towards the elevator. I turned to see a man clad in a black t-shirt and black, faded jeans headed towards me. He met my gaze head on with open curiosity as he waited for my response.

I resisted the urge to snap. What else would I be doing knocking at the door if I wasn't looking for someone?

"Yes." I chose to say instead, my words curt and clearly invited no further questioning. I looked away and dismissed the fellow from my mind tapping Jess's door once more, my entire demeanor clearly unapproachable.

For some reason, the fellow did not get the hint. Or more likely, he did and decided to go ahead and ignore it because instead of going about his damn business, he kept coming.

"You must be looking for Jess." He remarked casually and something in the way he said her name - the familiarity behind the tone, maybe - sent a stab of vexation through my skin.

Just who the fuck was this guy?

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I shot him a glance, studying him closely for the first time. He was a tall fellow, lean but well muscled, tattoo peeking out from under the arms of his t-shirt. He had the sort of easy and friendly face that women seemed to find attractive. He came closer and I caught a hint of spices and a nutty, earthy smell that reminded me of soba noodles. Then I caught sight of the bags of what looked like takeout food clutched in one hand and figured that was why he smelled like a restaurant.

"Are you making a delivery?" I asked, my tone neutral, not too curious or too uninterested as I glanced pointedly at the bags. If he said yes, I was going to offer to take them off his hands so he could take his annoying smile somewhere else. "Oh these?" He held up the bags, that fucking grin widening as he chuckled. He looked towards Jessica's still shut door and shrugged. "I guess you could say that, yeah?"

I scowled in response. Why the hell was he saying it like he was asking me a question? It was either he was a delivery guy - a very shitty one - or he wasn't.

Before I could offer a scathing retort, I heard shuffling footsteps coming from within and seconds later, the door was wrenched open.

Jess stood on the other side, looking sleep rumpled and confused, hair messed up, strands sticking to sweat damp neck and face. Yet, rather than look a mess, I couldn't help but notice how soft she looked, the way her skin seemed to glow, inviting one to touch and explore. It didn't help that she was dressed in only a t-shirt that clung to the generous curves of her hips and ended mid-thigh, leaving the rest of her legs on display. Before I could stop myself, my gaze drifted down and a myriad of wildly inappropriate thoughts flooded my mind.

Then I realized I wasn't the only one standing there and snapped out of my foolish thoughts. I moved and placed myself between them, cutting off his line of sight.

"Anna?" Jess mumbled hopefully and squinted blearily at the two of us then shook her head in confusion. "You're not Anna."

Then the sleep fog cleared and her eyes widened. "Aiden? What are you doing here?"

"Hey." I said, forcing my thoughts back to the task at hand. "I hope I didn't wake you?"

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She stifled a yawn and shook her head, stray strands of hair fluttering around her face. "Uh...not really. I was just taking a nap while waiting for Anna."

Then she frowned, gaze narrowing at me as she asked. "But why are you here?"

Again.

She let the unspoken word hang between us. Her expression wasn't unwelcoming, but it wasn't exactly pleased and I stifled a curse, knowing that I was about to piss her off even more. It couldn't be put off, because if she found out on her own, it would be worse.

Far worse.

"There's something you need to know," I said, mildly.

"Huh, What?" She blinked at me, displeased. "And it couldn't wait until morning?"

"I'm afraid not. It's urgent."

She studied me for a while. "What is it, then?"

"May I come in? It's something we should speak about in private." I asked, then jerked a thumb over my shoulder. "Did you order takeout? There's a delivery guy here."

Jess looked behind me and caught sight of the delivery guy. Then I watched, surprised as she straightened and suddenly became self conscious, pink staining her cheeks.

"Kenzo. Hey." There was a breathy quality to her voice that sent alarm bells slamming together in my head. I followed her gaze to where the guy leaned against the opposite wall, watching us with a contemplative look. When Jess greeted him, however, he straightened, that infuriating grin back in place.

I could feel my temper slipping as he leveled that annoying smile at my wife. It slipped even more when I watched Jess respond like a flower unfurling under a beam of sunlight.