{Chapter: 199 - Behind the Illusion and A Breakfast Interruption}
"Is there any arrangement today?" Aiden asked as he stepped out of the bathroom, rubbing a towel through his damp hair.
Sarah, who was leaning on the wall with her arms crossed, looked momentarily stunned. She recovered quickly, flicking her eyes away as if he hadn't just stepped out shirtless, muscles glistening with water.
Technically, she was supposed to be his secretary—but up until now, she hadn't done anything remotely secretarial. No calendar, no meetings, not even a clear understanding of what he actually did.
"I don't even know what your schedule is, boss. You haven't told me anything," she replied, raising an eyebrow with dry sarcasm.
Aiden grinned at her casual defiance. "Well, I was hoping you'd just sense what I needed. Psychic secretary. Mind-reading assistant. That sort of thing."
"You're not the only one with a weird ability," she muttered under her breath. But he heard it—his super hearing catching every word—and he chuckled, as if she were a particularly interesting puzzle piece he hadn't fully solved yet.
"Let's go eat first, then see what happens," he said with a shrug. "We'll pretend it's a vacation. I've earned a bit of peace and quiet after all the chaos."
Sarah hesitated. That phrase again—"after all the chaos." What kind of life had this guy lived? There were always hints: the calm with which he reacted to danger, the strange people they met, the abilities he displayed so casually. A man with history, that much was clear.
Still, she shrugged and picked up her phone. "Fine. I'll call Rene and tell her to meet us."
They walked to a nearby upscale café and were seated quickly. Rene sat at a separate table, close enough to keep an eye on things but far enough to give the illusion of privacy. She was silent as usual—mysterious and deadly, like a blade tucked into silk.
Sarah, meanwhile, sat across from Aiden with a determined look in her eyes. She had planned to use breakfast to peel back a few layers of his story—if not all of them, then at least enough to understand who exactly she was now working for.
"So," she began as she stirred her coffee, "Mind telling me who you really are? Or do I need to Google 'hot mysterious guy with god complex' and hope I get lucky?"
Aiden laughed, clearly enjoying the flirtation. "You can try. But Google might crash trying to summarize me."
"You're not exactly modest, are you?"
"I've tried being modest. It's exhausting."
Sarah was about to press further when the door to the café swung open, drawing her attention. A small group entered, their presence immediately commanding the room. In the middle was a striking blonde woman dressed in designer clothes, flanked by two men who looked more like personal security than friends.
Sarah narrowed her eyes. "Who's that?"
The woman scanned the café with calculated confidence and locked eyes with Rene. A small flash of disdain crossed her features. She paused, then spotted Aiden and Sarah. Her expression flickered again—contempt? hesitation?—before she took a few cautious steps toward them.
Aiden saw her too and smirked like a man who'd just seen an old flame trying to hide a burn mark.
"Why don't you come over?" he called casually, waving two fingers.
"You really do know a lot of pretty women," Sarah said, her voice thick with something between jealousy and suspicion.
Aiden leaned in with a teasing smile. "If it were someone else, I'd take the compliment. But her?" He gave a mock shudder. "You've never seen her without the illusion. Trust me—she's not what she seems."
Sarah blinked. "Illusion?"
Aiden chuckled but didn't elaborate. Instead, he focused on the blonde woman as she walked closer, every movement precise, practiced—like she was acting out a role.
Candice Wilmer.
Her expression didn't change much as she approached the table, but Aiden saw the flicker of hesitation in her steps. Sarah, though not a trained observer, picked up on something odd—Candice was walking confidently, but there was tension in the way her shoulders stiffened when her eyes darted toward Rene.
Peter Petrelli, sitting at another table nearby, glanced up briefly but returned to his coffee, unaware of the quiet tension unraveling.
"Don't worry," Aiden said softly, watching Candice like a cat watches a shadow. "He's not blocking your ability."
Candice's gaze snapped toward him. For a moment, her mask slipped. But only for a moment.
"It looks like I won't need to introduce myself," she said, cool and composed once more. "My boss wants to see you."
Aiden leaned back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head. "That's convenient. I was just thinking I wanted to see him too."
Candice arched an eyebrow, suspicion flickering across her perfectly composed face. This wasn't the reaction she expected. Most people grew nervous—or at least cautious—when they heard her boss wanted to see them. But Aiden? He agreed so easily it was almost insulting.
Was it confidence? Or was it ignorance? she wondered, studying the relaxed expression on his face. He looked like someone who'd just been invited to a garden party, not summoned by one of the most dangerous men alive.
"Let's go," she finally said, her voice clipped, as if daring him to protest.
Aiden didn't even flinch. Instead, he gave her a leisurely smile and gestured at the table. "Now? Can't you see we're eating? You seriously expect me to skip lunch for a dramatic summons?" He casually waved his fork. "We'll go after."
Sarah watched quietly from across the table, her eyes darting between the two. She didn't know all the details, but she could feel the tension. Yet Aiden was so calm, so composed, it was almost eerie. She wasn't worried—just intrigued.
Candice remained standing, trying to maintain her poise even as her irritation simmered beneath the surface.
Aiden sighed, his expression turning mildly annoyed. "You're still here? You're not a dinner guest. Go wait outside. Standing there while others are eating is just bad manners."
Her jaw tightened. "I wasn't finished—"
Aiden leaned slightly forward, and his voice dropped to a quieter, colder tone. "Don't make me trouble the Haitian."
That one sentence, calmly spoken, cut through her like a blade. Her expression faltered. She stared at him with a mixture of hatred and dread, then spun on her heel and left without another word.
Sarah blinked. "What... was that about?" she asked, voice low.
Aiden grinned, picking up his drink. "She's afraid of Rene."
Sarah turned toward the quiet, stoic man sitting a few feet away—Rene, the Haitian. He hadn't said a word since they arrived, but his presence was undeniable.
"He can erase memories, right?" she asked.
Aiden nodded. "That's one of his talents. The other is blocking people's abilities. Total nullification, as long as he's close enough."
Sarah looked again at Rene, her gaze more reverent this time. "That's powerful. But why did she look so... afraid? Even if he can block her powers, she's still protected by Linderman, right?"
Aiden leaned closer, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Want to know?"
She gave him a suspicious glance. "You're going to ask for something, aren't you?"
He smirked. "I'll tell you… if you give me a kiss."
Sarah frowned, crossing her arms. "Seriously?"
"Dead serious," he said with a playful shrug. "I risk my life daily, Sarah. I deserve a little compensation."
She rolled her eyes and leaned forward, planting a quick kiss on his lips. "There. Now talk."
Aiden laughed softly, clearly satisfied. "Her ability is illusion. She creates perfect visual disguises. What you're seeing now isn't her true face."
Sarah's eyes widened. "So… she's not actually that gorgeous blonde?"
"Not even close," Aiden said, lowering his voice like he was sharing a delicious secret. "Under the illusion… she's larger, rougher. Older. Not someone who likes being seen without her mask."
Sarah shivered, partly from intrigue and partly from the thrill of being let in on a secret. "So if Rene blocks her ability…"
"Poof. Illusion gone," Aiden said with a snap of his fingers. "Everyone would see the truth. She knows it. That's why she ran."
Sarah was quiet for a beat, then chuckled. "Okay, that's kind of sad."
"Sad or not, she hides behind a lie. Everyone has something they don't want others to see."
"And what about you?" Sarah asked, leaning in, her voice soft. "What don't you want people to see?"
Aiden glanced at her, this time without teasing. "I've already shown too much," he said, then smiled again. "But I suppose that's what makes me interesting."
Sarah smirked. "Modest, too."
"I try," he said, winking.
A moment passed before she asked, "And this boss of hers… Linderman?"
"Ah, the old puppet master," Aiden said, his tone darkening. "Daniel Linderman. Wealthy, dangerous, and a high-ranking member of a very old and very secretive organization. He's one of those men who pulls strings from the shadows while pretending to be a philanthropist in the light."
Sarah's brow furrowed. "You think he's dangerous?"
Aiden laughed. "He is dangerous, but not for me. And now he wants to meet me. Probably because of Rene."
"You mean because you… did something to him?"
Aiden nodded. "I wiped his connection to them. Rewrote it. Let's just say they're not happy about that."
Sarah gave him a look. "You can hypnotize people too?"
Aiden sipped his drink. "Among other things."
"Are you going to hypnotize me?" she asked teasingly.
"Do I need to?" he replied smoothly.
Her smirk faded just a little as she looked at him, curious now not just about his powers, but about the man behind them.
---
About an hour later, they exited the restaurant. Candice had been waiting the entire time, pacing in agitation. As soon as she spotted Aiden, she stormed forward, her heels clacking against the pavement like gunshots.
"You're so slow!" she snapped, exasperated.
Aiden barely looked at her as he walked past, then stopped and turned. His smile was almost gentle—almost. He reached out and placed a hand on her head, brushing her hair lightly aside like a father with an unruly child.
"Candice," he said, voice calm and warm, "from now on, if you say a single word out of line, I'll block your ability. My secretary has been dying to see what you actually look like."
Her mouth opened, then quickly shut. The fear was real now. Her hands clenched, her lips tightened, but she didn't say a word. She couldn't risk it.
Sarah, standing a few steps behind, watched with growing amazement. For all the flirtation and humor, Aiden was not someone to underestimate. The man wielded too much power—and fear—with such ease.
And the strange thing was…
She kind of liked it.