All Chapters of Hidden Behind Glass and Lies: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Aria The past few days had been… peaceful. After I completed the task on Tuesday, I found myself looking forward to Noah’s arrival more than I cared to admit. Each morning, I walked into the office with a small, quiet expectation sitting in my chest, hoping he would be there.But he never came.By the fourth day, that feeling had slowly disappeared. I slipped back to my old routine, the one I had before Noah Sterling came into view. I felt light, my laughter came easier, and for a moment, I forgot he existed.Almost.—A day before the partyDuring lunch break, I decided to get coffee and take a short walk. It wasn’t much, but it felt like a small escape from the walls of my office.The coffee dispenser stood in the corner. Sleek.I stared at it longer than I should have, pressing a few buttons that did absolutely nothing. It wasn’t working… or maybe I didn’t know how to use it.I sighed softly, glancing around, hoping someone would come by.This was my first time using it, and clea

NoahMy hands tightened around the steering wheel tightly like my life depended on it, the leather pressing into my palms as though holding on harder would somehow make the car move faster. My thoughts were no longer steady; they came all at once, tangled and loud, every single one of them leading back to Aria.By the time I got to the highway, a long line of cars stretched ahead, unmoving, their brake lights glowing red in the dark. Traffic had been brought to a standstill. A truck had fallen across the road, blocking it. I leaned towards the wheel, my jaw tightening as I looked around quickly, searching for an opening. Waiting was not an option. Not tonight.Not when she could be in trouble.I swerved slightly, taking a risky turn toward the narrow path by the footbridge. I knew it was illegal. I knew exactly what it could cost me.But none of that mattered… not when it was Aria.As I struggled with the wheels through the tight space, memories of that night rushed in against my wi

Aria As I looked out the window, I could see Father staggering his way home. The faint glow from the street lamp captured the bottle of unfinished beer in his right hand. His whistle carried through the quiet night, loud enough to wake up neighbours who were asleep. I tried to figure out the tune, whether he was in a good mood or not, but I couldn’t tell. Our room was on the top floor, and as a child I used to struggle to see clearly from that height. The lampstands below looked small, but I had memorized his silhouette over the years. The way he walked, the way he tilted his head.It was him. “Mr. Cole, hurry along now. Some of us had a long day!” a neighbour shouted from his window, his voice sharp in the stillness. It had always been a small neighborhood, with houses so close that the walkway couldn't fit a fat man.“Oh, shut your trap,” father replied, although his words were slurred.That was my cue. I rushed to the room where Sylv and Anna slept, their small bodies curled u

AriaI stayed longer in Erica's embrace than I had intended, or maybe none of us wanted to let go of one another. The tears I thought had stopped before entering the hotel began to fall again. This time, without restraint, they made a soft outline on her pink shirt. Neither of us seemed to care that we were standing in the middle of the hotel lobby, and that a few pairs of eyes had glanced towards us from guests that passed by. To us, it felt like nothing existed except us. Erica simply rubbed my back gently. “I'm here, Ari.” “I'm here now,” as though she understood that those were the only words I needed to hear. And truly, there was enough reassurance that someone in this world still cared about me deeply.I pulled out slowly from the hug and wiped my face with the back of my palm, muttering “I'm sorry” before breaking into a little smile. She shook her head, but when I looked at her properly, I noticed a tear slipping down her face. Erica would always be my friend in this lifetim

NoahI was still sitting in the same spot, not knowing what to do. I had never been good with figures. Even in high school, I had spent most of my life playing hockey, and I was expected to run an entire division of a company. A headache began throbbing on the left side of my head. I rubbed my temple before finally pulling the file closer and opening it, hoping to find something useful, anything that could give me a clue about where to begin.The first few pages contained reports on the division's performance, while the remaining documents outlined its current products and sales figures. I flipped through the pages, trying to make sense of the numbers and the words, but nothing seemed to make sense.I sighed and turned another page.Then I reached the last document, and my hands froze as my eyes moved over the content.It was a notice for the shareholders' strategy meeting.The presentation was scheduled for Friday morning.I stared at the date, and before I could stop myself, the fi