Aiden didn't tell anyone about the call.
Not immediately.
He stood in the middle of his room long after the line went dead, staring at his reflection in the dark window. His heart wasn't racing. His hands weren't shaking.
But something inside him had shifted.
Not panic.
Recognition.
This wasn't random.
This wasn't intimidation.
This was targeted.
And it wasn't meant for Matthew.
It was meant for him.
He found Noah in the library.
Noah was seated at the long wooden table, a ledger open in front of him, posture relaxed, expression unreadable. The soft glow of the chandelier cast shadows across his face.
"You got a call," Noah said before Aiden could speak.
It wasn't a question.
Aiden stopped.
"Yes."
Noah closed the ledger slowly.
"What did he say?"
"That he's invested in your future."
Silence.
Noah's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.
"When?"
"Ten minutes ago."
"And you didn't tell Matthew."
"No."
A pause.
"Why?"
"Because this is between you and him."
