Stardust and Kisses

Unfinished Business

Heather

My phone buzzed on the desk, the screen flashing with a name I hadn’t expected to see this early in the day: Mr. D’Costa.

I stared at it for a second, debating whether I had the energy for this conversation. The last forty-eight hours had been a whirlwind of fires to put out, strings to pull, and a shitload of phone calls to every shady contact I had in the media world. But it worked. Aaron’s name was scrubbed, the apologies were public, and the scandal was officially dead.

At least for now.

Sighing, I picked up the phone and pressed it to my ear. “Mr. D’Costa. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Heather! Sunshine!” His voice boomed through the line, warm and full of relief. “I knew you’d pull my son out of this mess. Thank you, child. I don’t know what kind of magic you worked, but I knew you were the right one for the job.”

A small smile tugged at my lips despite my exhaustion. Mr. D’Costa was a force of nature, always managing to sound both condescending and genuinely grateful at the same time. It was a talent, honestly. “No magic, sir. Just a lot of hard work and a few well-placed calls.”

“You’re being modest.” He chuckled. “I’ve been watching the news all morning. It’s all over—the apology, the retractions. You’ve saved his career, Heather. And I owe you for that.”

“Just doing my job, Mr. D’Costa.”

“I’d like you to come to the party tonight. We’re celebrating—everyone’s coming, and you need to be there. You’re the reason we can even have a celebration. I want to thank you properly, in person.”

I leaned back in my chair, tapping my pen against the desk. A party was the last thing I felt like doing, but I knew there was no getting out of this one. And honestly, I needed to talk to Aaron anyway. There was something gnawing at me, something I couldn’t shake. “Alright, uncle Adam. I’ll be there.”

“Wonderful! It wouldn’t be a party without the woman who saved the day. See you tonight, sunshine.”

Before I could respond, he hung up, leaving me staring at the phone in my hand.

Sunshine. That's what my dad called me. I stood up and paced around the office, running my fingers through my hair.

As much as I hated to admit it, uncle Adam was right. I had done what needed to be done. I’d pulled Aaron out of this mess, and on the surface, everything looked like it was back to normal. But underneath, I knew better. This wasn’t over. Whoever was behind the smear campaign was patient. Calculated. They’d planted the seed, and even though I’d managed to bury it, it wasn’t dead.

And Aaron… well, he didn’t even know about half of what was coming.

I grabbed my coat and bag, heading for the door. I needed to get to Aaron before this party, before he drowned himself in the idea that everything was fine. He needed to know the truth: the mess had died down for now, but it was only a matter of time before it flared up again. And this time, it could get uglier.

By the time I arrived at Aaron’s place, my nerves were buzzing. I knocked once, waiting for the door to open to reveal him looking like he hadn’t slept a wink. He tried to smile, but I could tell something was weighing on him.

The door opened, and the housekeeper greeted me. I asked for Aaron, but she informed me that he wasn’t home and would most likely meet me at the party. With no other option, I resigned myself to heading there.