Back To Work

Rowan's POV

I couldn't stop thinking about her.

Like some obsessed fool.

It was ridiculous, really. Dr. Remi Laurent. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face.

Her lips, red and plump, those hazel eyes, her dark wave hair that was in a high ponytail.

Every time I tried to focus on work, her voice echoed in my mind. I had met thousands of people in my life, but something about her stuck. It wasn't just her beauty — though that was undeniable — it was the way she carried herself, like she had a world of secrets beneath those eyes of hers.

Her words cold, but her voice sweet like caramel.

I shouldn’t care. I had no reason to care.

I felt like a fool.

And yet, here I was, staring at my phone like an idiot, debating whether to do something about it. The screen lit up with my assistant’s contact information. Callum was always the guy I turned to for this kind of thing. Efficient, discreet, and loyal to a fault.

I hit the dial button without much of a second thought.

"Sir," Callum answered almost immediately, his voice crisp.

"I need information," I said, straight to the point.

"Of course, sir. On what, or rather, who?"

I didn’t hesitate. "Dr. Remi Laurent."

There was a pause, but Callum was too professional to question my request. "I’ll get on it immediately."

I hung up without another word, sinking back into my chair. What the hell was I doing?

---

Twenty minutes later, Callum knocked on my office door.

"Come in," I called out, already regretting this decision.

Callum entered, carrying a tablet. He approached my desk and placed it in front of me, his face as unreadable as ever. "I've gathered the information you requested, sir."

I nodded, gesturing for him to continue.

"Remi Laurent," he began, reading from his notes, "Age 28. Graduated top of her class from medical school. Ivy League. Sponsored by the government due to her intelligence. Specializes in trauma surgery and emergency care. Currently works at St. Catherine's Hospital in the city. Popular for her research laboratory in South Carolina and almost all her surgeries had been 90% successful in the medical world. On the other hand, she works as a caregiver for your grandmother.”

I leaned back in my chair, absorbing the details. “She had all that, why still become a caregiver?”

“From what I know, she is thankful to Mrs. Isolde for a help that she gave her a long time ago. Unfortunately that wasn't found on the internet or true my sources.”

I hummed, I directed him to go on.

"Her net worth is modest," Callum continued, "Given her profession, she makes a decent salary, her research laboratory is being sponsored by her school and the government. She hardly accepts money from patient even though they are extra rich. She just simply loves her job. She’s from a small town. No family to speak of, except for a cousin named Jules, who battled leukemia for years. That might be how she got into medicine—"

"And?" I interrupted, sensing there was more.

Callum hesitated, glancing at his notes again. "There are…rumors, sir."

I raised an eyebrow. "Rumors?"

"She’s been seen with Asher Carmichael, also known as Lord, the alleged mafia leader." He cleared his throat, choosing his words carefully. "There’s speculation about a relationship between them. But nothing confirmed."

"Asher?" My voice dropped, my fists clenching on the armrests. "The mafia of all people! That's who she is involved with?”

Callum nodded, but quickly added, "It's just allegations, sir. There's no hard proof. They’ve been seen together, but it could be purely coincidental. Nothing substantial. From what we know Asher grandfather is quite sick and needed a heart surgery so maybe that's why.”

I frowned, the thought of Remi being involved with someone like Asher stirring something in me I didn’t like. I couldn't quite place why it bothered me so much. Why was I upset by the fact that she may be with…Asher?

"Regardless," Callum continued, sensing my irritation, "it’s all just gossip, nothing verified."

I stared at the tablet for a moment, my mind whirling. Asher Carmichael. A dangerous man, if the rumors were true. And yet… Remi? With him? It didn’t add up. She didn’t seem like the type to get mixed up with someone like that.

"Is there anything else?" I asked, keeping my voice calm.

"Nothing of note, sir. She’s well-respected in her field. A private person, no public scandals. Just the rumors."

I nodded, dismissing him with a wave. "That’ll be all, Callum."

He bowed his head slightly, gathering his things before leaving the room. As the door clicked shut behind him, I exhaled, leaning back in my chair once more. I rubbed my temples, trying to make sense of this gnawing feeling in my chest.

What was it about her? Why couldn’t I let it go?

---

Callum tried not to think too hard over the fact that he was asking about his ex wife. The same ex wife he had told him not to ever mention again. Made everyone sign contracts not to talk about her. For reasons best known to him.

Yet the moment he lost his memory. He asked about her?

Callum chuckled a bit. He had not mentioned the marriage due to the cintract, but what would he do when he found out this was the wife he hated and called nothing?

Callum shook his head, steppingbinto the hallway, closing the door quietly behind him. He barely took two steps before running into Gigi. She was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, her eyes sharp and calculating.

"Callum," she greeted him with a sly smile, "You were telling Rowan about Remi?"

Callum stiffened slightly. He knew Gigi’s type too well — always poking around, trying to insert herself into matters that didn’t concern her.

"I was just providing the information he requested, Ms. Raphael," Callum replied, keeping his tone polite but guarded.

Gigi’s smile widened. "Of course. Information about Remi Laurent. Interesting." She glanced at the door to Rowan’s office, then back at Callum. "Let’s talk."

Callum hesitated, not liking where this was going. But Gigi wasn’t someone you easily brushed off.

"Fine," he muttered, following her down the hall.

Callum followed Gigi down the hall, maintaining a professional distance. They turned a corner, finding a small alcove that shielded them from any prying eyes. Gigi stopped, facing him with that same smug smile on her lips.

"Listen, Callum," she began, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "You and I both know how this works. Rowan is a man of power, but even powerful men need to be… guided. You see, I’ve been by his side for a long time, and I have every intention of staying there. Remi was just a side feeling. I don't want her to come in and ruin what I have. Understand?”

“If you are so sure about yourself why are you bothered about her?”

Gigi was taken aback by the question. “Excuse me?”

“I said…”

“I heard what you said. But you are talking back at me? You are just an assistant and from what I know. No one is suppose to mention Remi to him.”

“Unless he asked for it, which he did and I did not mention their marriage.”

Gigi growled. Her eyes cold.

Callum narrowed his eyes. He knew exactly what Gigi was getting at. She always had a way of making it seem like she was entitled to Rowan's world—like she was already part of his inner circle, when the truth was far different. She left him, now she was prowling around as his fiancee when he doesn't fully remember her and only knows of the time she left.

"Ms. Raphael," he said, keeping his tone even, "I don't think you understand. My loyalty is to Mr. Vaughn. Not you."

Gigi’s smile faltered for a split second, but she quickly recovered. "Oh, Callum, let’s not pretend. I’m going to be Mrs. Vaughn soon enough. You might as well get used to it. And once that happens, things will change around here. People like you... well, you should know where your loyalties ought to lie."

She reached into her bag, pulling out a small envelope and holding it out to him. "This should help you remember where they should be. Keep quiet about Remi. Any questions he asked. Say you don't know or whatever. But don't mention him to her."

Callum stared at the envelope, his jaw tightening. Gigi was trying to buy him off. The audacity. The sheer arrogance of her to think she could wave some cash in his face and make him forget who he worked for. His loyalty to Rowan had never been about money.

"You aren’t married to him yet, Gigi." His voice was calm, but there was a sharp edge to it. "You have no right whatsoever to order me around as you wish."

Gigi blinked, clearly taken aback. For a moment, she was speechless, something Callum had rarely seen from her. Her eyes flicked to the envelope still in her hand, then back to him.

"You..." she stammered, trying to regain control of the situation. "You don’t understand. I’m trying to help you. This isn’t about power—"

"It’s always about power with you," Callum interrupted, his eyes cold. "But I don’t take orders from you, and I never will. My loyalty lies with Rowan, and only Rowan. No amount of money will change that."

The silence that followed was thick with tension. Gigi’s expression shifted from surprise to anger, her lips pressing into a thin line. She clearly wasn’t used to being spoken to this way, especially not by someone she viewed as beneath her.

"Is that so?" she spat, venom in her voice now. "You think you’re untouchable, don’t you? That Rowan will protect you no matter what?"

Callum didn’t flinch. "I know where I stand. I suggest you remember where you stand as well."

Gigi’s eyes narrowed dangerously, and for a moment, Callum thought she might lash out, but instead, she turned sharply on her heel.

"You’ll regret this," she hissed as she stormed off, her heels clicking angrily against the marble floor.

Callum watched her go, his heart still calm despite the confrontation. He had no doubt that Gigi would try something to get back at him, but he didn’t care. His duty was to Rowan, and no one — not even Gigi — would sway him from that.