Engaged to my childhood enemy - A sonamy story

Chapter 7: Crossed Paths

The sun had barely risen when Sonic's eyes fluttered open. Glancing at the clock on his nightstand, he noted the time—8:00 a.m. He stretched, yawning, and enjoyed the luxury of space around him. Still, the emptiness on the other side of the bed felt... odd. Shaking off the strange sensation, he stood, took a quick shower, and slipped into his usual business attire, preparing for a full day of meetings.

The quietness of the house was almost unsettling. When he entered the kitchen, breakfast awaited, but he ate mechanically, barely tasting it. A subtle itch of irritation lingered as he realized that the reason for the silence—Amy—wasn't there.

"Oh, Mr. Hedgehog?" Bernadette, one of the house staff, approached him. "Mrs. Hedgehog left early this morning. Work matters, I believe."

Sonic paused mid-sip of his coffee. "Ah, right... thanks," he muttered, the thought of her absence leaving an odd emptiness that he tried to brush off as he grabbed his keys and left for the office.

Across town, Amy was already at her desk, deeply engrossed in her work. She'd left the house early to avoid any awkward run-ins with Sonic after last night's dinner party. The charade they'd put on still lingered in her mind—she hated how effortless it had been to play her role, and more than that, she hated the hint of longing it left in her. But as her mind wandered, Rouge burst into her office with a smirk, her eyes alight with curiosity.

"Hey, Pinky!" Rouge waltzed in. "So, got my message about the dinner party. Dish. How was it?"

Amy sighed, dropping her pen. "Let's just say we survived," she muttered, just as one of her colleagues walked in, dropping a file onto her desk.

"New brief for you, straight from your brother," he said, walking out just as quickly.

Amy grabbed the file, flipping it open. As she scanned the contents, her eyes widened, and she let out a groan. "No. Rouge, this can't be right."

Rouge leaned in, peeking at the file before letting out a chuckle. "Looks like you'll be seeing your husband again sooner than expected."

Amy cringed. The brief was for a marketing pitch to none other than Hedgehog Holdings. Rose Enterprises was known for its innovative campaigns, and it seemed Sonic's company needed help. "He doesn't even know I'm the head of marketing," she said, a mixture of dread and annoyance in her voice.

"Well, it's going to be one interesting surprise," Rouge mused. "When's the meeting?"

Amy checked her watch, a faint feeling of dread in her stomach. "4 p.m. today."

Meanwhile, at Hedgehog Holdings, Sonic strode into his office as Tails trailed behind, reviewing his schedule for the day. "You've got a meeting in half an hour, lunch with the startup owner, and then a 4 p.m. meeting with Rose Enterprises," Tails noted, flipping through his tablet.

Sonic stifled a groan. "Albert Rose, I'm guessing?"

"Most likely," Tails replied.

Knuckles, who had been eavesdropping, grinned, nudging Sonic. "Speaking of Roses... how's yours, Sonic?"

Sonic shot him a glare. "Knock it off."

Knuckles shrugged, undeterred. "Come on, just do yourself a favor and sleep together. Might solve half your issues."

Sonic's cheeks tinged pink, and he glanced at Tails, who stifled a smirk. "Oh, I don't think that'll happen anytime soon," Sonic muttered, his voice a bit too loud. "Besides, common ground won't change anything when she drives me insane."

Knuckles burst out laughing, clapping a hand on Sonic's shoulder. "Yeah, sounds like love to me."

Before Sonic could retort, Knuckles and Tails both left, still chuckling. Sonic groaned, rubbing his temples. The last thing he needed was more insinuations about Amy, especially since he couldn't stop himself from thinking about her. Shoving the thoughts aside, he focused on the task at hand—he had a busy day ahead.