HIDDEN FREQUENCIES

OLD NAMES

ARIANA POV

I had survived exactly one morning as Ethan Blake’s executive assistant.

Barely.

By 8:10 a.m., I already wanted to resign.

Not because the work was difficult.

The work was manageable.

Schedules, files, reports, meetings, coordination — all of that made sense.

Ethan Blake did not.

And the XI:N project made everything worse.

I stared at the files on my desk, my fingers resting lightly on the edge of one report.

Neural load distribution. Synchronization interface. Energy conversion failure.

Words I had buried years ago now sat openly in front of me under the logo of Novaris.co.

For years, I had stayed away from that world.

Away from research. Away from questions. Away from anything that could drag the past back into my life.

And now I was sitting outside the office of the man who was trying to rebuild the one thing I had spent years trying to forget.

I had to be careful.

More careful than I had ever been.

One wrong reaction. One wrong answer. One wrong look at a file.

And Ethan Blake would start asking questions I could not afford to answer.

My phone buzzed on the desk.

ELENA.

I picked it up immediately.

“Tell me you’re alive,” she said.

“I’m alive.”

“Emotionally?”

“No.”

“I knew it.”

I sighed and leaned back in my chair.

“Is there a reason you called?”

“Yes. Damian wants to know if rich CEOs actually glow in sunlight.”

From somewhere in the background, Damian shouted, “It was a scientific question!”

I closed my eyes.

“I’m hanging up.”

“No, wait,” Elena said quickly. “How is it going?”

I looked through the glass wall.

Ethan was standing near his desk, reading a file. His dark suit fit perfectly, his expression unreadable, his entire presence too controlled for someone who once used to laugh at the stupidest things.

“Professional,” I said.

“That means terrible.”

“It means professional.”

“It means terrible.”

Damian shouted again, “Ask her if he has a secret villain chair!”

My fingers tightened around the phone.

Chair.

Of course.

The universe had a terrible sense of humor.

Elena immediately noticed my silence.

“Ariana?”

I forced my voice to stay normal.

“What?”

“You went quiet.”

“Damian said something stupid. I was processing it.”

“That happens often.”

“Unfortunately.”

Before Elena could say anything else, the intercom on my desk lit up.

Ms. Parker.

I stared at it like it had personally offended me.

“I have to go.”

“CEO?”

“Yes.”

Elena lowered her voice dramatically.

“Good luck, soldier.”

“Goodbye.”

I ended the call and pressed the intercom.

“Yes, Mr. Blake?”

“Grimwald.co will arrive in ten minutes. Bring the robotics integration file and join the meeting.”

“Of course.”

I stood, gathered the required files, and took one steady breath.

Work.

Focus on work.

Not XI:N.

Not the chair.

Not the past.

Just work.

By the time I entered Ethan’s office, he was already putting on his suit jacket.

For a second, I forgot to move.

Not because he looked good.

Obviously not.

That would be inconvenient.

I noticed only because he looked different from the boy in my memories.

Older. Sharper. Untouchable.

The playful Ethan Blake I knew had turned into someone people probably feared before breakfast.

He looked up.

“You’re staring.”

I immediately looked down at the file.

“I’m observing whether your tie is straight before an important meeting.”

His brow lifted.

“And?”

“It’s fine.”

“Only fine?”

“Would you prefer crooked?”

For a moment, something almost like amusement touched his eyes.

Then it disappeared.

“Let’s go.”

The meeting room was already prepared when we arrived.

Large glass table. Digital screens. Water bottles placed perfectly.

Three Novaris managers were seated on one side.

I sat beside Ethan, slightly behind him, placing the files within reach.

Professional distance.

Safe distance.

The doors opened at 8:30 exactly.

Ares Grimwald entered first.

And just like that, another piece of my buried past walked into the room.

He looked almost the same.

Older, of course.

More polished.

More controlled.

But still Ares.

Sharp eyes. Calm expression. The kind of man who noticed too much and said too little.

Beside him were two senior managers and one legal advisor.

Ethan stood.

“Grimwald.”

Ares’s mouth curved slightly.

“Blake.”

“Still allergic to morning meetings?”

“Still pretending your company doesn’t need mine?”

Ethan almost smiled.

Almost.

There was familiarity between them.

Not warmth exactly. Not softness.

But history.

The kind only old friends could carry into a boardroom without explaining it.

Then Ares turned his head.

And saw me.

He stopped.

Only for a second.

But I noticed.

His expression changed.

Recognition first.

Then something else.

Something quieter.

Something I couldn’t read.

“Ariana?”

The sound of my name in his voice made the room feel smaller.

Ethan’s eyes moved from Ares to me.

Slowly.

Not because he was surprised that Ares knew me.

He already knew that.

We had all belonged to the same world once.

But Ares’s reaction was not normal.

It was too sharp.

Too careful.

Too full of something Ethan couldn’t understand.

I stood with a polite smile.

“Mr. Grimwald.”

Ares’s gaze stayed on me for one second longer than necessary.

“It’s been a long time.”

“Yes.”

Too long.

Not long enough.

Ethan watched us quietly.

I could feel the question forming in his silence.

Not how do you know each other?

But why does it feel like he knows something I don’t?

Ares finally looked away and took his seat.

The meeting began.

Robotics supply integration. Component delays. Production timelines. Legal permissions. Technical compatibility.

I took notes, updated figures, passed documents when Ethan reached for them, and kept my expression completely calm.

Ares presented Grimwald.co’s proposal with perfect confidence.

Ethan countered with equal precision.

The room became a battlefield of polite words and expensive suits.

For most people, it would have been intimidating.

For me, it was easier than silence.

Work had rules.

People didn’t.

“We can reduce the integration period by three weeks if Novaris shares interface access earlier,” Ares said.

Ethan leaned back.

“That gives Grimwald.co access before legal clearance.”

“Our legal team can sign additional restrictions.”

“Restrictions don’t prevent misuse. They only create consequences after damage is done.”

Ares smiled faintly.

“Still suspicious, Blake?”

“Still careful, Grimwald.”

I continued typing.

Men with too much power had a special way of turning every sentence into a challenge.

Ares’s legal advisor opened a document.

“We’ve revised the confidentiality terms.”

I reached for the printed copy and placed it in front of Ethan before he asked.

His fingers brushed the edge of the file at the same time mine did.

Barely a touch.

Nothing.

Still, I pulled my hand back.

Too fast.

Ethan noticed.

Ares noticed Ethan noticing.

Wonderful.

Exactly what I needed.

The meeting continued for another forty minutes.

By the time it ended, both companies had agreed to revise the access timeline, pending legal confirmation.

Professional. Clean. Successful.

I closed my tablet.

“Mr. Blake, your next call with the finance division is at 9:45.”

Ethan nodded.

“Move it to 12:30.”

“I’ll inform them.”

“And send the revised integration notes to legal.”

“Already drafted.”

He paused and looked at me.

“Already?”

“Yes.”

His eyes stayed on mine for a second.

Then he nodded.

“Good.”

The word should have meant nothing.

It was work.

A basic acknowledgement.

Still, something about hearing approval in his voice irritated me.

Because a part of me remembered being sixteen and waiting for him to say I did well on a debate, an exam, a presentation, anything.

I hated memories.

They were useless.

As the Novaris team began leaving, Ares remained seated.

His gaze shifted to Ethan.

“Blake, a word?”

Ethan glanced at me.

I immediately gathered my files.

“I’ll wait outside.”

Before either of them could answer, I walked out.

The hallway was empty.

Quiet.

Too quiet.

I stopped near the glass wall, gripping the files tighter than necessary.

Ares Grimwald.

Of all people.

He had been there.

Not at the center of everything.

Not the loudest.

But he had been there.

I remembered him from that group.

Quiet. Observant. Less cruel than the others, maybe.

But silence had its own kind of cruelty.

The meeting room door opened behind me.

Ares stepped out first.

He stopped when he saw me.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then his expression softened.

“Ariana.”

I held the files against my chest.

“Mr. Grimwald.”

He sighed quietly.

“We’re doing that?”

“We’re in a professional environment.”

“That never stopped you before.”

My jaw tightened.

He noticed.

Of course he did.

Ares had always noticed more than he said.

“I heard you left,” he said.

“I did.”

“I tried to ask about you.”

“Why?”

The question came out colder than I intended.

He looked at me carefully.

“Because I was worried.”

I almost laughed.

Worried.

People always became worried after the damage was done.

“That’s kind of you.”

“It wasn’t kindness.”

“Then what was it?”

“Regret.”

That word made something inside me still.

I looked at him.

Regret?

For what?

Before I could ask, the meeting room door opened again.

Ethan stepped out.

His eyes moved from Ares to me.

Then back to Ares.

The air shifted.

Subtle. Sharp. Uncomfortable.

“Everything alright?” Ethan asked.

“Perfect,” I said.

Too quickly.

Ares looked at Ethan.

Then at me.

Something passed through his expression.

Something I didn’t understand.

Something careful.

Something almost protective.

“I’ll send the revised documents by evening,” Ares said.

Ethan nodded slowly.

“Do that.”

Ares turned to leave, but paused beside me.

“I’m glad you’re okay.”

The words were quiet.

Almost private.

I didn’t answer.

Because I wasn’t sure I was.

He walked away.

The moment Ares disappeared into the elevator, silence settled between Ethan and me.

Not normal silence.

Dangerous silence.

I turned toward my desk.

“Your finance call has been moved to 12:30. I’ll send the updated—”

“What was that?”

I stopped.

Of course.

Of course Ethan wouldn’t let it go.

I faced him calmly.

“What was what?”

“Grimwald.”

“He attended a meeting.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Then be specific.”

His jaw tightened.

“The way he looked at you.”

I kept my expression still.

“He recognized me.”

“No,” Ethan said quietly. “He reacted to you.”

The words hung between us.

I forced my voice to stay calm.

“Is there a work-related concern, Mr. Blake?”

His eyes darkened.

“Stop doing that.”

“Doing what?”

“Using my name like a wall.”

I looked at him.

“It is a wall.”

For a moment, neither of us moved.

Then I turned away.

“I’ll be at my desk if you need anything.”

I had barely taken one step before his hand closed around my wrist.

Not hard.

Not painful.

But firm enough to stop me.

My breath caught.

Before I could react, Ethan pulled me back.

I stumbled half a step, and suddenly I was standing too close to him.

Far too close.

His hand was still around my wrist.

His eyes were on mine.

Dark.

Focused.

Unrelenting.

“What was that?” he asked again.

This time, his voice was lower.

Sharper.

Not like a CEO asking his assistant a question.

Like Ethan Blake asking Ariana Parker for the truth.

I could feel the warmth of him.

The clean scent of his cologne.

The steady rise and fall of his breathing.

Half an inch.

That was all the distance between us.

Half an inch and eight years of silence.

My pulse betrayed me first.

Then my voice almost did.

Almost.

I looked down at his hand around my wrist.

Then back at him.

“Let go.”

Something flickered in his eyes.

He released me immediately.

But he didn’t step back.

Neither did I.

For one dangerous second, we stayed there.

Too close.

Too silent.

Too aware.

His gaze dropped to my lips.

Only for a second.

But I saw it.

And I hated that I noticed.

I hated even more that I didn’t move first.

“Ariana,” he said quietly.

My name sounded different in his voice now.

Not professional.

Not careful.

Almost broken.

I lifted my chin.

“Mr. Blake.”

His jaw tightened.

There it was again.

The wall.

This time, I built it brick by brick and made sure he watched.

“Do not grab my wrist again,” I said softly.

His expression shifted.

Guilt.

Regret.

Control returning too late.

“I’m sorry.”

The apology was immediate.

Quiet.

Real.

That made it worse.

Because anger was easier when he was cruel.

But Ethan Blake had never been simple.

I stepped back.

The space between us returned.

So did my breathing.

“You want answers,” I said. “That doesn’t mean you’re entitled to them.”

His eyes stayed on mine.

“I need to understand.”

I looked away for a moment.

“Some things aren’t easy to explain.”

The words hit him.

I saw it.

For a second, the powerful CEO disappeared.

And there he was.

The boy I used to know.

The boy who had once been my safest place.

The boy who had destroyed it.

I turned away before memory could weaken me.

“I’ll be at my desk if you need anything work-related.”

This time, he didn’t stop me.

But I felt his eyes on me as I walked away.

Every step felt heavier than the last.

My hands were steady when I reached my cabin.

My breathing was not.

Through the glass wall, I saw Ethan still standing in the hallway.

Watching me.

Thinking.

Questioning.

For eight years, I had kept the past behind me.

Locked. Buried. Untouched.

But in less than two days, Ethan Blake had found the edges of it.

And Ares Grimwald had walked dangerously close to them.

I sat down and opened my laptop.

Work.

Focus on work.

That was the plan.

That had always been the plan.

But my hands hovered over the keyboard, and for the first time in years, the past felt close enough to touch.

Across the hall, Ethan finally turned and walked back into his office.

But before he disappeared inside, our eyes met through the glass.

This time, he didn’t look confused.

He looked determined.

And that was far more dangerous.

Because Ethan Blake had always been reckless when he wanted something.

And now…

He wanted the truth.

Ares Grimwald reached the elevator and stepped inside.

But he didn’t immediately press the button.

Instead, he looked through the glass wall one final time.

At Ethan’s office.

At Ariana’s desk.

At the distance between them.

A bitter memory surfaced before he could stop it.

Graduation night.

Laughter.

A dare that should never have existed.

A girl standing too still outside a half-open door.

A girl who had heard everything.

A girl who left before anyone noticed.

Ares closed his eyes briefly.

Ethan still didn’t know.

After all these years, Ethan Blake still didn’t know why Ariana Parker disappeared.

The elevator doors began to close.

Ares finally pressed the button.

As the doors shut, one thought stayed with him.

This time, silence might do more damage than the truth.