Always Into You

LESS - Chapter 14

Christopher Hightower Pov

Pain.

That was all I felt as I stumbled into my mansion, barely making it through the front doors before slamming them shut behind me. My ribs ached with every breath, my jaw throbbed, and I was pretty sure I had dried blood on my shirt.

Maico had wrecked me.

I groaned, dragging myself toward the grand staircase.

My body screamed in protest, but I ignored it. A shower.

I just needed a hot shower, some painkillers, and maybe a drink strong enough to knock me out for the night.

I had made it halfway up the stairs when I heard it.

A voice.

"Christopher."

I froze.

That voice.

That sharp, commanding, unmistakable voice.

Slowly, painfully, I turned my head.

My mother, Ambessa Hightower, stood in the middle of my living room like she owned the place, dressed in her usual gold and black versace suit, her sharp eyes narrowing the second they landed on me.

Great. Just great. very great, bellisimo.

"What the hell happened to you?" she asked, her tone unconcerned.

I sighed, gripping the stair railing. "Nothing mother."

Her eyes flickered over me, assessing. Calculating.

She stepped closer, her heels clicking against the marble floor.

"Nothing? You look like you just got thrown into a street fight and lost."

I clenched my jaw. "It’s not your concern."

She raised a brow, unimpressed. "Everything you do is my concern. Especially when you show up looking like" she waved a hand at me, "this."

I exhaled slowly, trying to keep my temper in check. "Why are you here, Mother?"

She studied me for a moment before adjusting her blazer, her posture as composed as ever. "Business," she said simply. "We have things to discuss."

I let out a dry, humorless laugh. "Of course we do."

Her gaze darkened. "You may not take these meetings seriously, but your reckless behavior doesn’t just reflect on you, Christopher. It reflects on me. If people see you like this, they'll start asking questions. Questions that could damage our image."

"Our image?" I scoffed. "Or your image?"

Her lips pressed into a thin line. "Don't be foolish. You know the answer to that."

I rolled my shoulders instantly regretting it as a sharp pain shot through my ribs. "Well" "Guess I’m not looking too camera ready today."

She sighed, holding the bridge of her nose like she was debating whether dealing with me was even worth her time. "Who did this to you?" she finally asked.

I hesitated.

If I told her the truth if she found out Maico had done this she wouldn’t just let it slide. My mother wasn’t the type to ignore a slight, especially when it involved someone who had humiliated a Hightower.

She’d retaliate.

And despite everything, despite the bruises and the pain, I wasn’t sure I wanted that.

So, I forced a smirk, even though it hurt. "Just some bad luck at a bar. Nothing I can't handle."

Ambessa didn't buy it. Not for a second.

But instead of pushing, she simply crossed her arms. "If you say so," she said coolly.

Silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating.

Then, finally, she sighed. "Clean yourself up, Christopher. We’ll talk later."

Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and walked toward the door.

I exhaled, watching as she left, my head pounding, my body aching.

This wasn’t over. Not with my mother. Not with Tanya.

And definitely not with Maico.

After a minute

Pain had a way of reminding you of your mistakes.

Every breath I took was a sharp reminder of the brutal beating Maico had given me. I sat in my study, a whiskey glass in one hand, ice clinking softly as I swirled the liquid. The dim lighting cast long shadows across the room, mirroring the storm brewing inside me.

I had been reckless.

Sloppy.

Soft.

And now, I was paying for it.

I thought I had dodged my mother’s suspicion. Thought I had thrown her off with a simple lie about a bar fight.

I should have known better.

Ambessa Hightower didn’t just let things go.

The sound of sharp, deliberate footsteps echoed down the hall. I straightened in my chair just as the doors to my study swung open.

There she was.

My mother.

And she was furious.

Ambessa never raised her voice. She never had to. The power in her presence alone was enough to demand attention.

She stepped inside, her heels clicking against the marble floor, and tossed a folder onto my desk. The pages inside fanned out, revealing surveillance photos, documents, and reports.

I felt my head tightened.

“You want to try that lie again?” she said coolly, her arms crossed.

I stared at the folder but didn’t touch it. I already knew what was inside.

She had followed me.

Or rather, she had someone else follow me.

I exhaled, dragging a hand down my face. “How long have you had me follow?”

She gave me a pointed look. “Since the moment you started acting like a fool over that woman.”

Tanya.

My jaw clenched, but I forced myself to stay calm. “And?”

Ambessa tapped her manicured nails against my desk. “And I know you weren’t in a bar fight.”

I let out a humorless laugh. “That's obvious, huh?”

She ignored my sarcasm. “Maico. That’s who did this to you.”

I didn’t confirm it, but I didn’t deny it either.

Ambessa stepped closer, her voice dangerously soft. “Tell me, Christopher. Did you go looking for her? Did you chase after Tanya like a desperate fool?”

I met her gaze, unflinching. “Yes.”

Her expression didn’t change, but I saw the flicker of disappointment in her eyes. “And this is what you got for it?” She gestured to my bruised face. “Beaten. Humiliated.”

I smirked, despite the ache in my jaw. “You should see the other guy.”

Ambessa didn’t react. “I already have.”

My amusement faded.

Of course, she had.

She probably had a full report on Maico

who he was, what he had done, where he had been. My mother left no stone unturned when it came to threats.

“I could destroy him, you know,” she said casually, like she was discussing the weather.

I tensed. “No.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly. “No?”

I shook my head. “This is my mess, Mother. Leave him out of it.”

She studied me for a long moment before sighing, shaking her head. “You’re a fool, Christopher.”

I let out a breath. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

Ambessa picked up the folder from my desk and straightened the papers before tucking them neatly back inside.

“I don’t have time to clean up your messes,” she said. “And I certainly don’t have time for you to chase after a woman who no longer has a place in our world.”

I clenched my fists beneath the desk.

Tanya had always belonged in our world. She had shined in it. And deep down, I knew my mother knew that, too.

But she had thrown Tanya out.

And now, she expected me to move on like nothing had happened.

Ambessa took one last look at me, as if waiting for me to say something. When I didn’t, she turned and walked toward the door.

“I won’t stop you from ruining yourself,” she said over her shoulder. “But if you let your emotions cost you everything, don’t expect me to save you.”

Then she was gone.

I sat there in silence, my pulse pounding in my ears.

She thought this was over.

She thought I would give up.

But she didn’t understand.

I wasn’t done looking for Tanya.