Chapter 50: Cracks in the Armor
The loud blare of the alarm sliced through the quiet morning. 4:45 am. On the dot. I reached out to the side, slapping the snooze button without opening my eyes. Just five more minutes of oblivion before the day began. Not that I ever truly slept. More like... lay for a short period of time in short unconsciousness with lingering thoughts of deals, deadlines and now... Isabella.
Once again, the room fell silent, but this time it felt heavy, making the buzzing in my head even worse. Five minutes passed in a blur, the digital clock on the nightstand glowing a relentless red.
The alarm went off again and I was half way into sitting up. Skipping any extra snoozes. That was a luxury I couldn’t afford.
Cold air hit my skin as I kicked off the blanket. The room was dark, the only light coming from the faint glow of the city outside the tall windows. I could still feel the tiredness in me, like a physical weight against my skin. But years of discipline kicked in. There was no time for feeling tired.
I headed to the bathroom, the cool tiles waking me further as I stepped inside. The shower was quick—hot water beating down like a promise to wash off the remnants of yesterday’s chaos. Clean and sharp, I finished and I grabbed one of my sharp office suits, the fabric familiar and comforting. Getting dressed felt like putting on armor.
Downstairs, the house was waking up quietly. As I approached the dining room, the door swung open before I could reach it.
"Good morning, Mr. Walton," Thomas greeted, bowing his head slightly as he held the door wide.
I stepped inside and froze for a moment. Cameron was already there, casually eating a chicken leg like he owned the place.
I walked further into the room, the smell of roasted chicken oddly grounding amidst my usual morning routine. Thomas quietly moved aside, ready to serve.
Cameron grinned, wiping a bit of grease from his chin with a napkin that looked a bit crumpled. "Morning, early bird. Smells good, Thomas. You outdid yourself."
"Thank you, Mr. Cameron." Thomas replied.