Chapter 8 A Costly Ride Home

Aviah's POV

I stepped out of Phantom Night and crouched on the steps outside, planning to call a taxi. The fare would be expensive, but I'd been drinking and couldn't drive. With my apartment so far away, I had no choice but to splurge this once.

After all, if the police caught me driving under the influence, the fine would be far more than a cab fare.

I reached into my pocket for money and discovered, to my horror, that my last fifty dollars had vanished.

Mentally retracing my steps, I realized it must have fallen out during my struggle with Jeremy.

Frustration washed over me as I returned to search. After thirty minutes of looking, I found nothing.

I slumped against the wall, completely defeated. This was twelve miles from my apartment—a thirty-minute drive or a three-hour walk.

And it was still winter.

With no other options, I reluctantly called Raven. At this point, he was the only person who might help me.

Griffin's POV

I watched the spot where Aviah had been sitting, lost in thought. She clearly had no idea I was Griffin, CEO of Skyline Group.

Her mistaking me for a male escort was rather amusing.

As I pondered this, Sebastian Hawthorne returned.

"What are you thinking about? Don't tell me you've taken a liking to that woman who just left?" Sebastian asked.

I shook my head. "Sebastian, do you have any leads on that organization?"

"Despite their attempts to stay hidden, I've found some traces. Seems to be connected to the Chambers family."

I frowned. "The Chambers family?"

"Yes. They're quite well-known. Remember five years ago when August and Aviah's wedding was called off? The scandal was all over the city. Shortly afterward, August married Scarlett."

"By the way, Griffin, have you located the missing Q-Chip from your company?" Sebastian inquired.

I shook my head. "There's a mole in the company. I have several suspects, but I'm still investigating."

Sebastian shrugged. "You know, you really should be more careful. What were you thinking, disappearing on your own recently? You nearly got killed by those assassins."

I wasn't about to admit I'd been desperately searching for Aviah after discovering her whereabouts. That secret would remain buried deep within me, shared with no one.

Seeing I wouldn't engage, Sebastian continued, "Still, you were incredibly lucky. Shot twice and you're still walking around."

"Just fortunate, I guess. And Sebastian, when you're pursuing women, could you please stop giving them my number? I'm really sick of all these spam calls."

Sebastian waved dismissively and flashed a sly grin. "Women are my life—I'd die without them. Anyway, I've got another date tomorrow."

"Your phone's ringing," Sebastian pointed out before leaving.

I picked up my phone from the couch and noticed several missed calls from Aviah. I couldn't help but smile as I answered.

"Why did it take you so long to answer? Having second thoughts?" Her accusatory tone came through immediately.

I raised an eyebrow. "I was busy trying to make money," I explained.

Detecting something off in her voice, I asked, "What's wrong?"

"How quickly can you get here?" she asked.

Not understanding her intent, I replied, "Want to find out?"

"No need. I just—I can't get home. Could you lend me some cab fare?"

Hearing the hint of vulnerability in her voice, I was momentarily speechless. "Where are you? I'll come get you."

"I'm in the lobby."

I quickly dressed and went to find her.

In the lobby, Aviah sat on a sofa, her eyes searching the area helplessly.

"Looking for something?" I asked as I approached.

Aviah's expression brightened noticeably when she saw me. She pouted as she explained, "I lost my only fifty dollars somewhere around here. I've searched everywhere but can't find it."

I stared at her in disbelief. "Wait—you came to Phantom Night with just fifty dollars? How did you think that would be enough?"

"It's not like I had a choice. My horrible boss insisted on an 'welcome party' and made me pay. I had no option but to come." She sighed. "Look, can you lend me fifty dollars for a cab? Actually, make it a hundred—I'll need to come back for my car tomorrow."

I felt a pang in my chest. The once-radiant woman I remembered had fallen so far that she couldn't even afford cab fare.

"You have a car, right? I'll drive you."

"Didn't you drink?" she asked skeptically.

I looked at her pointedly. "My drink—the one you downed in one gulp."

That drink had been worth three thousand dollars, wasted in a single swallow.

In the car, I sat in the driver's seat and stared at the gearshift, momentarily confused. "Manual transmission?"

"You don't know how to drive it?" she asked.

No man would admit such a thing. I grabbed the shifter but couldn't get it into gear.

Beside me, Aviah spoke softly, "With a manual, you need to press the clutch to shift gears."

"I know that! Be quiet!" I snapped, embarrassed. I finally managed to start the car.

"You know, you sound just like my boss when you talk like that. Too bad you're just an escort," Aviah remarked.

I tensed, worried about my cover being blown, but then remembered I was still wearing my mask.

"Let me tell you something," Aviah continued, her words slightly slurred. "On my first day at work, I did something nobody else in the entire company would dare to do! Want to hear about it?"

My expression darkened. If I remembered correctly, I'd told her to keep that bathroom incident to herself.

Yet here she was, ready to share it with the first person she met—who happened to be myself.

Still, I was curious about her version of events. "Go ahead."

Aviah chuckled. "My boss at Skyline is a total weirdo. Who builds a fountain in a bathroom? Have you ever heard of anything like that?"

"And get this—he doesn't even close the door when he uses the bathroom. I'm pretty sure he was wearing yellow underwear."

"He looks so serious and proper, but he's wearing such bright-colored underwear."

Aviah glanced around conspiratorially and lowered her voice. "I'll tell you something else, but you can't tell anyone."

My knuckles whitened as I gripped the steering wheel, suppressing my anger. With forced calm, I replied, "I promise I won't tell."

"His package is kind of small, probably only about—"

The car slammed straight into a wall, deploying the airbags.

The violent impact instantly sobered Aviah up.

"Damn it, Raven! Are you trying to kill us? I just had this car serviced and maintained this morning—it cost me over a thousand dollars! I should have just driven myself."