Fade Into You

Chapter 14

Faye's POV

The next morning, I was surprised when my father asked to see me in his study. He rarely ever summoned any of us—unless it was dinner or something urgent—so I knew this had to be important.

I finished my strong cup of coffee, hoping it would kill off the dull headache lingering from last night's drinks, then made my way upstairs. I knocked lightly on his office door.

"Come in," came his voice from inside.

I opened the door and stepped in, spotting him behind his massive desk, typing away on his laptop without so much as glancing at me. I sank into one of the chairs in front of him and leaned back lazily, eyes flicking down to inspect my nails like I couldn't care less.

Eventually, he looked up—and there it was, a flicker of surprise at the way I was sitting. In the past, I would've perched up straight, graceful, all smiles with a sweet, "You wanted to see me, Daddy?" 

But those days were done. Now, they were meeting the version of Faye they always wanted—polished, poised, capable. But not fragile. Not someone who needed a shadow of bodyguards to protect her every step of the way.

Not anymore.

"How are you doing, Faye?" he asked gently.

I shrugged. "Fine, I guess."

He raised an eyebrow, clearly expecting more, but I gave him nothing.

"Your mother mentioned you completed your first mission last night. How did it go?"

I suppressed a yawn and looked around the room. 

"It went fine. The guy was a creep—handsy, arrogant. But I took care of him, so don't worry, Daddy."

He nodded slowly, then met my gaze again.

"How did you dispose of the body?"

"I didn't." I said it plainly. "I finished the job and left. I figured the bartender would report it to Uncle Noah, and he'd handle the rest."

He exhaled sharply. Not good.

There were three reasons why my father sighed like that: frustration, disappointment, or boredom. None of them ever ended well.

"That's where you failed the mission," he said flatly. "You didn't finish the job. You assumed someone else would clean up your mess. And unfortunately, your Uncle Noah didn't cover for you."

My body tensed. I froze, heart thudding.

"The cops did."

I stopped breathing.

A long, heavy silence filled the space. After a minute, I finally exhaled and looked down at my trembling hands.

"I'm sorry, Dad. It won't happen again. I'll be more careful next time."

"Good." His voice softened. "It's understandable for things to go wrong the first time. Don't worry, I've taken care of it."

"Thanks, Dad," I said, managing a small smile.

"So, when's your next one?"

"Tonight."

His eyebrows lifted. "Tonight?"

"Yeah. It's Sunday. I've got nothing else going on—seems like the perfect time."

He frowned. 

"But your grandparents are coming over for dinner tonight."

"I know," I replied. "I won't miss it. I'll be quick."

His expression shifted. 

"Is something wrong, Faye?"