Chapter 3: Noah

Noah's POV

My blood was still boiling as I drove.

She slapped me.

The sound of it replayed in my head like it was stuck on repeat. Stella’s hand across my face. The look in her eyes. Like I was dirt. Like I was nothing.

I gripped the steering wheel harder.

Ashley collapsing on the sidewalk replayed in my mind too. Her body laid against the concrete, her pale face. For one second, I thought she was dead, and at that moment, it felt like the problem had been completely eliminated.

I should’ve left her on the floor.

I shook my head.

I just wanted to take a normal night out, not this chaos I walked into.

What was I even thinking…taking someone I just divorced to the hospital? 

A pulse throbbed on my forehead.

Hold yourself together, Noah.

There’s nothing wrong with me. She caused all of this herself. Ever since that goddamn tape, followed by the scandal and the mess it caused. I told myself the fact again and again.

She wanted to ruin me so bad, she risked her image too. Thank goodness she’s out of my life now, and the right person took her place; the woman who gave me my heir.

I drove faster, hoping the breeze would blow away these awful memories. Still, I felt the tightness in my chest.

***

When I got home, the house was quiet. A little too quiet. I opened the door and the smell hit me first.

I really hoped it wasn’t what I thought it was. Though, everywhere reeked of cigarette smoke.

Anne was in the living room. Sitting on the couch. One leg crossed over the other. A cigarette between her fingers.

I stopped.

I have never seen her smoke ever. And why was she when she was pregnant? With my heir?

She looked up at me. “You’re back early.”

I stared at the cigarette. “Since when do you smoke?”

She shrugged. “Since today.”

“You’re pregnant.”

“I know.”

I walked closer. “Then why are you smoking?”

She rolled her eyes. “It’s one cigarette, Noah. Relax.”

My jaw tightened. The fury from the hospital awakened.

That did it.

“Dammit!” I cussed and she flinched.

I moved closer to her and grabbed her face with one hand. “You’re pregnant with my heir. You don’t get to do whatever you want.” I yanked the cigarette stick out of her mouth and crushed it in the ashtray sitting on the table.

“Why are you being so aggressive?” Anne cried and massaged her jaw.

I shouldn’t have done that.

“I can’t deal with this right now.”

Anne frowned. “Deal with what?”

“With you acting like nothing matters.”

She stood up. “What is your problem?”

“My problem is I just left the hospital where my ex-wife passed out on the street.” I fought the urge to tell her what angered me most - the slap.

She blinked. “And that’s my fault?”

This woman was crazy.

“No. But this is.” I pointed at the burned out cigarette. “Never smoke in my house, again.”

She scoffed. “You’re suddenly worried about women now?”

I was worried about my child.

I said nothing to her. She wasn’t worth it.

She walked past me and wabbled upstairs. “I’m going to bed.”

“Good.”

She paused. “You’re not coming?”

I grabbed my keys from the table. “I need air.”

“Don’t be dramatic.”

I didn’t answer. I walked out and slammed the door behind me.

Outside felt colder than earlier, or maybe I was  just overthinking it.

.I sat in my car for a moment before starting it. My head hurt. Everything hurt. My chest felt tight, like something was pressing down on it.

I drove with no direction. Just streets and traffic lights and noise. I did not care where I was going. I just needed to be away from the house, away from Anne. 

I turned onto another street and kept driving. My phone buzzed.

It was an unknown number.

I almost ignored it.

It buzzed again.

I picked it up. “What?”

There was silence.

Then a slow, low laugh, that was oddly familiar.

It was him.

My stomach dropped.

I hadn’t heard this voice in a decade…since…

Why was he calling me now?

Questions and sudden guilt washed me. 

“I was wondering how long it would take before you answered.” He continued 

My hand tightened on the steering wheel. “Travis.”

“Still sharp,” he said. “Guess prison didn’t make me forget your voice either.”

“Why are you calling me?” I snapped.

He laughed, but wasn’t a humorous one. One that sounded like danger was coming. “Don’t tell me you care now, do you? After 10 years? You’re still as funny as ever.” He laughed again.

My heart started beating faster. “Where are you?”

“Manhattan.”

I said nothing. He was in my city.

“I’m back,” he continued. “Back in the city. Back where we started.”

“You shouldn’t be calling me.”

He laughed. “That’s funny. After everything, you think you get to tell me what to do?”

I hung up. I panicked.

Travis was back in town. Shit.

My hands were shaking. I pulled into the parking lot of a bar and turned off the engine. The name on the sign meant nothing to me. I just needed a drink.

Inside, the place smelled like alcohol and sweat. Music played too loud. I sat at the counter and ordered whiskey.

One shot turned into two.

Travis, of all people.

The sound of his voice dragged me back years.

Before the company, before my legacy, before Reece Real Estates, before the suits and the interviews.

It used to be just me and him. My younger brother and I. The Reece Brothers.

We weren’t born with silver spoons. We had to hustle from scratch. We had nothing. We did not start with buildings, we started from hard labour.

Till Travis came up with an idea. Dangerous but it could get us to where we wanted.

Drugs dealership.

I thought it was just an exchange of pills and you get your money.

Small at first. Pills. Weed. Easy money.

Then harder stuff.

Travis had the connections. I had the plans. He talked to buyers. I kept track of money. We thought we were smart. We thought we were invisible.

We were wrong.

The night it ended, police lights filled the street. I ran. Travis did not make it out in time.

They caught him.

They did not catch me.

I watched from across the road as they pushed him into the car. He looked at me, his eyes begging for me to save him. But I didn’t.

I betrayed him.

And he knew. 

I promised I would fix it.

But I never did.

I cleaned my money.

I hustled to get to where I was, that’s why it took me nothing to wipe anything stopping me.

I built Reece Real Estate off the rest of the cash. I got away with it while Travis went to prison.

I became powerful, and was never afraid of karma.

Until now.

The bartender poured another drink.

My phone buzzed again.

The same unknown number.

I did not answer.

It rang again.

I picked up. “What do you want?”

“You always sound angry,” Travis said. “Even when you were a kid.”

“You should not be back.”

“I had time to think,” he said. “About what you did.”

“I did what I had to.”

“You ran. You left me to rot in jail.”

“I tried to survive.”

“But you betrayed me in the process.”

The silence that followed was deafening.

“I took the fall, the disgrace, the bad reputation ,” he continued. “You took the money, the good parts.”

“I built something out of it.”

“With blood on it.”

I closed my eyes.

“I’m not the same man,” I said.

“Money changed you, Kai-”

“Don’t.” I gritted my teeth.

“Sorry, you go by Noah now,” He laughed, and it reeked with disappointment. I could feel it, but I couldn’t care less. “You really changed everything about yourself. You became a coward, not just now, but from that night. And you know what, you’re not the only one who’s changed. I changed too.”

I felt a lump in my throat.

I did what I had to do. Power was dangerous, but I had it. And I made it stay that way, even if it means betraying family.

“Look, Travis, what do you want from me?”

“One thing, brother. Everything you took from me.”