Felix barely noticed the drive home. His mind was still at the rink.
Or, more accurately, it was still with her.
Aurora.
He stared through the smooth glass window of the car as the city streets passed by, his thoughts helplessly replaying fragments of the previous evening despite his best efforts to push them away.
Her smile, the way she had stared at him with her gorgeous eyes and the ease with which she had spoken to him.
It was ridiculous. He had only spent one evening with her. Yet, somehow, she had managed to occupy far too much space in his thoughts.
"Sir?" His personal assistant, Liam called out.
Felix looked up, breaking his trance
"Yes?" Felix asked.
"We're almost home."
Felix gave a quiet nod.
"Thanks."
Liam glanced at him through the rear-view mirror.
"Your father asked that you go directly to his private study when you arrive."
Felix sighed. "Of course he did."
He leaned back against the seat.
He already knew exactly what this was about.
Business. It was always business.
...
The car pulled smoothly into the grand driveway a few minutes later.
Felix stepped out and looked at the imposing house.
He had grown up here. He knew every hallway, every staircase and every room at the back of his hand
Yet every time he returned, it felt less like coming home and more like stepping into a life that had been prepared for him before he had ever been old enough to question it.
He walked in through the heavy front doors.
The familiar scent of polished wood filled the air.
"Welcome home, Felix."
He turned around.
His mother stood near the staircase. She offered a warm, radiant smile
"Hi, Mum."
She walked over and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace.
Felix smiled and returned the hug.
"How was training today?" She asked, pulling away slightly.
"Good."
"Just good?" She raised an eyebrow.
He gave a slight shrug. "I'm preparing."
"For the qualifiers?"
"Yeah."
His mother studied his face.
"You look tired, my boy."
"I'm fine."
She gave him the look only a mother could give. The one that said she knew he was lying but wasn't going to push.
"Your father is waiting."
"I know."
She squeezed his arm gently, offering a reassuring nod. "Don't let him get under your skin."
Felix let out a small laugh.
"I'll try."
He picked up his bag and headed upstairs.
...
After changing out of his training gear, Felix made his way down the quiet hallway to his father's study.
He knocked once.
"Come in."
Felix opened the door and stepped in.
Dark wooden shelves lined the walls, packed with books Felix had never actually seen his father read. A large desk sat near the window, covered with neatly arranged folders and financial documents.
His father sat behind the desk, completely focused on the reports in front of him.
"You wanted to see me."
His father didn't immediately look up.
"Sit."
Felix took the heavy leather chair directly opposite him.
For several seconds, the only sound heard in the room was the turning of pages.
Finally, his father placed the documents down on the desk.
"How is your training going?"
Felix raised an eyebrow, surprised his father asked about that.
"Fine."
"The competition is approaching."
"I know."
"You've been putting a lot of time into skating."
Felix frowned slightly. "That's because I'm competing, Father."
His father leaned back in his chair.
"Exactly."
Felix waited. He knew there was more coming.
"There comes a point," his father said calmly, "when you have to start thinking about what happens after."
Felix's expression hardened instantly.
"I am thinking about it."
"Are you?"
"Yes."
His father studied him from across the desk.
"Because from where I'm sitting, it seems as though you're putting all your attention into skating while ignoring everything else."
Felix exhaled slowly. "I've never ignored the famiy business."
"You've avoided it." His father corrected.
There was a distinct difference between the two Felix knew that but he wasn't going to admit it out loud.
"I've attended the meetings you've asked me to attend."
"Attending isn't the same as taking an interest, Felix."
Felix leaned back, crossing his arms. "I have a major competition coming up. I'd like to focus on that right now."
His father was silent for a moment. "How long do you intend to skate?"
Felix's eyes narrowed. "As long as I can."
"And after that?"
"I'll figure it out when the time comes."
His father's expression hardened, his tone thickening. "You don't have the luxury of simply figuring it out."
Felix stared right back at him.
"Why?"
"Because you're an Ashford and you're my son!"
Felix almost laughed. "That again?"
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means every conversation we have somehow comes back to the company."
His father folded his hands on the desk.
"Because the company is undeniably part of your future."
"Maybe it's not the future I want." Felix countered
Silence. The heavy words hung between them.
His father looked at him carefully, his anger perfectly bottled up. "You know what your grandfather built."
"I know."
"You know that thousands of people depend on this company for their livelihoods."
"I know, Father."
"Then you should understand that one day, the entire responsibility will fall squarely on your shoulders."
Felix looked away, staring out the window.
That was the problem.
He understood...
Perfectly.
That didn't mean he wanted it.
"I'll help when I'm needed," Felix said quietly.
"Helping isn't the same as leading."
Felix snapped his gaze back at him. I didn't ask to lead.
"I didn't ask to lead."
His father's jaw tightened. "No. But you were born into the position."
Felix stood up abruptly. "So because I was born into this family, I'm supposed to give up everything I actually want?"
"I never said that."
"You don't have to."
His father's expression softened slightly.
"Felix."
Felix stopped, his hand hovering near his pockets.
"You've always been determined to prove that you're more than an heir." His father continued softly.
Felix said nothing, his jaw still clenched.
"Perhaps," his father continued, "you don't have to choose between being a competitive skater and being my son."
Felix's eyes flickered with a sudden surge of surprise. His father rarely spoke, if ever with such...vulnerability.
"You can have both." His father stated.
Felix shook his head, looking down. "You make it sound easy."
"It isn't."
"Then you understand how hard it is for me."
"I understand more than you think."
For the first time since entering the study, Felix saw something different in his father's expression.
Not anger...
But concern.
His father picked up a thick folder from the desk and slid it forward.
"There are some primary things I want you to start learning."
Felix looked at it. "Now?"
"Not tomorrow. Not after your competition. "Now."
Felix let out a long sigh, running his hand through his hair.
"How much time?"
"A few hours a week."
He hesitated, weighing the compromise.
Then nodded. "Fine."
His father nodded back.
"Good."
Felix reached for the door.
"Felix." His father's voice rang.
He turned back around
"All the best with your competition." His father said quietly
Felix blinked in sheer shock. It was such a simple, ordinary thing. Yet, hearing it from his father felt strangely unfamiliar.
"Thanks." Felix mumbled.
With that, he opened the doors and stepped out the study.
...
Felix walked down the hallway slowly. The heavy folder in his hand. He wasn't sure how he felt. His father hadn't exactly given him what he wanted. But perhaps he hadn't taken everything away either.
He reached the staircase and stopped as his phone buzzed from his pocket.
He pulled it out, seeing an incoming message.
Coach Vance: Get some rest tonight. Training will be intense tomorrow.
Felix smiled. Tomorrow, the rink, the ice, the competition.
For a few hours, he could forget about everything else.
Then, unexpectedly, his thoughts drifted right back to Aurora.
His brow furrowed.
"Again?"
He slipped his phone back into his pocket.
This was becoming a problem.
He had a competition to prepare for, a family business to deal with, and apparently, a woman he couldn't stop thinking about.
Felix shook his head and continued upstairs.
He had no idea that Aurora was sitting in her own office thinking about him too.
And he certainly had no idea how much one evening could change the direction of both their lives.