The Man Who Knew My Name

[Astoria’s POV]

For a few moments, I just stared at him.

Looking for me? What did he mean?

I looked at his outstretched hand holding the coffee cup. While the beverage would help, I wasn’t going to take it from a random starnger no matter how handsome he was.

“Uh? Why?” I asked reluctantly.

The man retracted his hand and looked calm as ever as if he had all the time in the world for this. Probably he did.

“Because your mother asked me to find you.”

I blinked. Of all the other things, I wasn’t expecting this answer. “My… mother?”

He nodded. “Yes. She has been trying to reach out to you for a few days now. Your number seems to have changed and you don’t frequent social media apps, so she hasn’t been able to speak with you.”

I frowned, my chest tightening. I had changed my number a few months ago…mostly to distance myself from a few people, including her. I also rarely had time to go to my social media accounts. Work pressure and life in general hadn’t been great, honestly.

Moreover, it wasn’t like her to suddenly initiate contact. She had always made it clear to me that I was nothing more than a burden to her.

At first, it stung; later, I just ignored it. So it was very surprising to hear that she, of all people, was trying to reach out to me.

“Your mother’s name is Evelyn Hill, right? And just in case you didn’t believe me, she asked me to show you this,” he said, as if sensing my hesitation. Then he fished out a brooch from her suit pocket and handed it to me.

If it was some kind of new tactic to kidnap a vulnerable person, then it was a damn good one.

He extended his hand to let me have a better look. I nimbly took it and checked. This did look like my mother’s old brooch, a piece of her past she still carried.

“This…” I trailed off, looking up at him.

He then placed the coffee cup beside the empty space on the bench. “You look like you could use this.”

I felt my cheeks heat. I belatedly realised that we were the object of curiosity for a lot of passersby.

I hesitated, but picked it up after giving the brooch back.

“Who are you?” I asked as I lifted the cup to my mouth.

“By the way, you can sit. It’s a bit…awkward,” I added, my gaze darting about.

He smiled faintly, the kind of smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “It’s alright. I’m Vladimir Romero.”

That name…I’d heard it before... somewhere. Then it clicked.

Vladimir Romero. CEO of Blackstone Enterprises. A name that often popped up in business magazines and newspaper headlines.

Right…no wonder my first thought after seeing him was that I had seen him somewhere.

My confusion deepened. “And…my mother contacted you?”

The confusion gave way to sudden fear. Was she indebted to him or something, right? I mean, what else could possibly make her ask him to contact me?

As if reading my mind or maybe the apprehension was apparent on my face, he said, “Your mother’s fiancé happens to be my father.”

For a moment, my brain just... stopped working.

“Your... what?”

Amusement flickered in his eyes. “My father and your mother are getting married this month. She asked me to find you so you could be there. I found some free time today so I came looking for you.”

That was…I didn’t know what to say. He was a CEO, and he was here doing errands for my mother?! I didn’t doubt his sincerity anymore, given that he could have sent anyone to fetch me instead of coming personally, but here he was.

Trust my mom to make other people do her work. I suppressed the sudden anger and embarrasement.

“Ah…well…I’m sorry on her behalf,” I said, before smacking myself for saying something so dumb.

I clutched the cup, trying to wrap my head around the new twist in my mundane life. “So... let me get this straight. You are a CEO. Your father is marrying my mother. And you had to look for me until you found me here, crying like a disaster?”

“Something like that,” he said breezily. “Your mother’s been worried sick. She said you didn’t even know about the wedding.”

“She is right,” I mumbled, lowering my gaze. “We... don’t talk much.”

He replied gently, “She told me that too. But she wants you there as her bridesmaid.”

My head snapped up, as I stared at him in shock. What the heck?!

A few hours ago, my entire life had fallen apart. And now, I was being told my estranged mother was marrying a billionaire... and that her stepson had come to fetch me.

But why? For so long she had rarely got in touch with me and whenever we met or talked, it either eneded in clipped goodbyes or me ending the call in frustration.

“This doesn’t make sense,” I muttered. “Why would she even—”

Vladimir interrupted gently. “Would you like to talk to her? I can call her right now.”

I hesitated before nodding. It was better to confirm rather than assume.

He was already pulling his phone out, then dialed, waited for a moment, before handing the phone to me.

I pressed it to my ear, my heart hammering.

“Astoria?” My mother’s voice came through, breathless and warm.

“Mom...?” My voice came out choked.

“Oh thank God!” she exclaimed. “I’ve been trying to reach out to you! I almost went to your appartment”

I felt my throat tighten. The word ‘almost’ stung. She wanted but didn’t. She was busy enough to send a stranger to get me. But I kept the words to myself.

“Thanks for sending your stepson to check on me, though,” I couldn’t help but say. I didn’t look up to see the other man’s reaction.

I wasn’t feeling very benevolent, what with my life turning upside down.

She let out a long-suffering sigh like I was a child arguing for the wrong thing. “Listen, sweetheart, I don’t want to argue. I just want you here. I’m getting married this month.”

“I... heard.” My voice had lost its vulnerability.

Her laughter was nervous. “It’s a bit fast, I didn’t expect it, but… I’m happy, Astoria. Really happy. He’s a good man. I want you to meet him, and I want you standing beside me.”

I swallowed hard, unsure what to say. After everything that had happened tonight, my emotions were tangled beyond words.

“That’s…good.” I settled for the neutral reply. I couldn't interrogate her in front of the man whose father was the subject of the conversation.

“I know,” she said softly. “But will you come? Please? For me?”

I wanted to say I couldn’t. It would feel too…flimsy. But I also caught her undertone that sounded slightly desperate. She was alone, maybe. Her side of the family had never been in our lives. 

“Alright,” I said quietly. “I’ll come.”

“Oh, sweetheart, thank you,” she breathed. “Vladimir will take care of everything. I’ll see you soon, okay? And... I love you.”

“Yeah... I love you too.”

The call ended, and I handed the expensive-looking phone back to him.

Vladimir’s eyes met mine, steady and unreadable. “So... I suppose that settles it.”

“I suppose it does.”