Chapter 2 REMEMBERING SOPHIA

Aiden arrived at José's penthouse, the familiar opulence of the building greeting him. He pressed the button for the top floor, the elevator whirring smoothly upwards. As the doors opened, he was met with the scent of expensive cologne and the faint aroma of something cooking. José, clad in a silk robe, was in the kitchen, stirring a pot with a bored expression.

"Hey, man," Aiden said, placing the pizza box on the counter. "You're actually cooking? I thought you'd be ordering takeout."

José chuckled, "I tried to, but the delivery guy was late, and I was famished. So, I decided to whip up something simple."

"You're making... scrambled eggs?" Aiden asked, peering at the pan.

"With truffle oil and caviar," José replied, a hint of pride in his voice. "I call it 'the millionaire's breakfast.'"

Aiden shook his head, "You're a riot. But hey, you're the one with the penthouse and the fancy ingredients."

He grabbed a slice of pizza and took a bite, the cheesy goodness melting in his mouth. José joined him, taking a large bite of his scrambled eggs, the caviar glistening on top.

"So, how was the contract signing?" José asked, between bites.

Aiden shrugged, "It was alright. It CEO was good, but the view was impressive ."Aiden said smiling to himself

"I know that smile,Did you bang the CEO?"José asked

"Not yet but soon,i know that sooner or later that i will have Sophia Chen under me begging non stop for me to bang her faster and harder"

"Sophia Chen?"José asked with raised brows

"Yes,you need to see her man she has the biggest butt i've ever seen even while she was wearing joggers" He replied licking his lips

"She has the same name with Fatty cheeks,it might just be the name and not same people"

"who's fatty cheeks" Aiden asked feeling confused

"Are you kidding me"

"No"

"Fatty cheeks from highschool,you gave her that name and made people bully her but you were her biggest bully,we both enjoyed it till she moved with her family,i heard she moved because her father's business clashed or something but i'm not so sure"

Aiden's face fell, his smile vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. "Fatty cheeks?" he repeated, a chill running down his spine. The memories of his high school days, the taunting, the laughter, the girl with the flushed cheeks and the tear-filled eyes, all came rushing back. He had been a cruel boy, fueled by a need to feel powerful, and he had used his words like weapons.

"I... I didn't know," he stammered, his voice barely a whisper. "I didn't realize it was her."

"Well, now you know," José said, his voice heavy with a mix of disappointment and understanding. "She probably still remembers you, you know. It's not easy to forget someone who made your life miserable."

Aiden slumped back in his chair, the pizza suddenly tasting like ash in his mouth. He had always been the charming one, the confident one, the one who could get what he wanted. But in that moment, he felt small, his arrogance crumbling under the weight of his past.

"What do I do?" he asked, his voice barely audible.

"You think about it," José replied, his voice softer now. "Think about what you've done, and what you want to do now."

Aiden stared at his reflection in the greasy pizza box, the image of his younger self staring back at him, a cruel smirk plastered on his face. He felt a wave of nausea rise in his throat, the realization of his past actions hitting him like a physical blow. He had been a monster, a bully, a coward who hid behind a mask of bravado.

"I... I don't know," he mumbled, his voice thick with shame. "I don't know if I can even face her."

"You don't have to," José said gently, "But you should at least try to understand why you did what you did. Maybe you can even try to make things right."

Aiden nodded slowly, his gaze fixed on the pizza box. He knew he couldn't erase his past, but he could learn from it. He could choose to be better, to be the man he wanted to be. He could start by acknowledging his mistakes, by facing the consequences of his actions.

"I need to find her," he said, his voice firming up. "I need to apologize."

"Why"José asked looking intently at his friend

"It's only a contract,it's not like you are already building a personal relationship with her and how do you approach her now that you have known who she is ,do you just walk up to her and be like hey i didn't realise that it's you Fatty cheeks will you forgive me now and let me fuck your huge ass"José voiced all at once looking at his friend in a weird but familiar way

Aiden rolled his eyes at José's bluntness, trying to shake off the discomfort. "Dude, chill! That's not how I'd do it. I just want to be honest and say I'm sorry for being a jerk back then. It's not about anything else."

José raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "Yeah, but still, it's kinda awkward, right? You just show up out of nowhere after all this time?"

"Maybe," Aiden admitted, running a hand through his hair. "But I can't just ignore it. I have to at least try. Besides, I can't keep living with this guilt. It's eating me alive."

"Fair enough," José said, leaning back in his chair. "Just think it through. You don't want to make it worse."

Aiden nodded, feeling the weight of his decision settle in. "Yeah, I'll figure it out. Thanks for keeping it real, man but fuck the glow up she's even hotter than all the models i've fucked,she looks both innocent and hot at the same time,i don't think you understand what i'm saying,you need to see her"

José's eyes widened as he realized the mix of admiration and regret in his voice. "Dude, I get it! Sounds like she's really turned into someone special. But remember, it's not just about looks, right? You gotta show her you've changed, not just that you think she's hot."

Aiden smirked, "Yeah, yeah, I know. But still, it's gotta be hard to focus on that when you're thinking about how amazing she looks now."

"True," Aiden said, a hint of a grin creeping onto his face. "But I just want to make things right first. That's the priority."

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