A Frozen Account (1)

August slipped out of the engagement party like a shadow, departing as quiet as the night itself.

The distant sounds of laughter and music faded behind him as he made his way home. The night air was cool, almost biting against his skin, but he welcomed it.

It was a relief after the stifling atmosphere of the party, with its relentless noise and forced smiles.

Also, he didn't want to get himself all overwhelmed with an overflow of emotions due to the Glory brothers. It's enough for one day.

As he approached the front door, August didn't knock. Instead, he tapped lightly—a rhythmic pattern that only two other people in the world would recognize.

It was their code.. like a silent signal between him, Celine, and Reed.

Moments later, the door creaked open, and Celine stood there, her face a mix of surprise and concern.

"August?" Her voice was soft, almost a whisper. "What are you doing here so early? Did it end too soon?"

Her eyes darted past him, searching the empty night behind him. "Why are you here all alone? Don't tell me you took a cab. What about the bouncer I hired? Did he—" She paused, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Didn't your employer have the courtesy to send you back with a car? To save your pride and your reputation?"

August sighed heavily, pushing past her and into the warmth of the house. He looked exhausted. His movements were slow and deliberate, like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"Celine, I'm really tired," he muttered, his voice flat. "I don't have time for this."

Celine frowned, closing the door behind him with a soft click. She tightened the belt of her cotton-lined robe, a simple gesture that August noticed in his peripheral vision.

He glanced over at her, taking in the robe and the slight tension in her posture, and it suddenly struck him that he had made a mistake. He wasn't supposed to come here.

He was supposed to go to his own place, to the part of the house, his white room, that was meant for him alone. But somehow, he had ended up here, with her in the main building.

Maybe it was the exhaustion. Or maybe it was something else. It's definitely to check on his son, what else? And maybe say Hello to Celine.

He quickly pushed the thought aside and asked, "How's Little Reed?"

Celine's expression softened, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "He's not asleep, as you can guess," she replied. "You should know by now, he can't fall asleep without his dad."

August chuckled, a sound that was more out of habit than amusement.

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a piece of candy, and popped it into his mouth. "Candy. Just stuff some in his pocket and one in his mouth and he'd fall asleep. How many times do I have to tell?"

Celine shook her head, but the smile on her face didn't reach her eyes.

She walked over to the kitchen and returned with a glass of lukewarm water, which she handed to him without a word. August took it, feeling the warmth of the glass against his fingers, and drank slowly.

The silence between them became obvious and heavy. It felt like it was filled with unspoken words and lingering tension.

He lowered the glass, noticing the way Celine was looking at him—her expression was serious, almost worried. Something was definitely wrong. She hadn't been her usual self since he walked in. Her tone, her body language—it was all off.

"What's up?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern. "You've been quiet. Don't hide anything from me, okay? It's not the time right now. Tell me everything."

Celine hesitated, her gaze dropping to the floor. She bit her lip, a sign that she was struggling with something.

"I was projecting… sorting everything out, actually," she began, her voice shaky. "August, I didn't know… I didn't know it was going to be this way. The account… the bank… they've frozen it."

August stared at her, his brows furrowing."What? Frozen? Why? How?"

"They said the account had been credited with an amount that was too large," Celine explained, her voice barely above a whisper. "Too big to hold. It triggered some kind of alert."

August's eyes widened, the shock hitting him like a physical blow. He didn't even know whether to be scared or happy at the news. "What?" he repeated, his voice louder this time.

The glass in his hand trembled slightly as he tried to process what she was saying. "How… how much are we talking about here? And how did it even happen?"

Celine shook her head, her eyes full of uncertainty. "I don't know, August. But it's enough for them to freeze everything. I promise you, I'll go over to the bank tomorrow and verify everything."

August felt a cold knot of fear settle in his stomach. This was the last thing he needed right now—another complication, another problem to solve.

He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts. The night had started out overwhelming, and now it was spiraling out of control.

A frozen account meant he couldn't access it till further notice. What would then happen to his plans of registering Reed in a special elementary school?

"Okay," he finally said, his voice steadier now but inside, he wasn't better. "We'll figure this out. First thing tomorrow, you go to the bank. And… and just be careful, okay? We can't afford to make any mistakes right now."

Celine nodded, her face a mixture of determination and worry. "I will. I promise."

They stood there in silence for a moment, the weight of the situation hanging heavily between them.

August's mind raced with a thousand thoughts, but he knew he couldn't let Celine see his fear. He had to stay strong, for her, for Reed, for all of them.

Finally, he handed her the empty glass and turned towards the door. "I'll go check on Reed," he said quietly, more to himself than to her.

Celine watched him go, her heart aching with a mixture of admiration and fear. She tightened the belt of her robe once more. She could sense that a storm was ahead.

As August pushed open the door to his son's room and watched Reed's peaceful sleeping face, he couldn't shake the cold feeling that had settled in the pit of his stomach.

The uncertainty of the night loomed over him, and for the first time in a long while, he wasn't sure if everything was going to be okay. He needed a hug, a big tight hug!