Chapter 074

Hailey 'Aiden?" I called out, surprise etched on my face. Aiden's eyes locked onto mine, a hint of warmth flickering in their depths. "Come on, baby, let's go inside," he said, his voice low and husky, sending a shiver down my spine. My eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Baby?" I whispered, my voice barely audible. Aiden's sudden change in behavior left me surprised. Just hours ago, he was avoiding eye contact, and now he was back to using affectionate terms? A sly smile spread across my face as a thought occurred to me. "Wait, was he jealous?" I wondered, a thrill of excitement coursing through my veins. Aiden's hoarse voice interrupted my thoughts, making me raise my gaze to meet his. "Are you coming?" he asked, his eyes burning with an intensity that made my heart skip a beat. I stuttered, "Uhm..." my mind racing with the implications of his sudden change in behavior. Aiden handed me a bouquet of flowers, his fingers brushing against mine, sending sparks flying. "Here, I got you this," he said, his eyes never leaving mine. I took the flowers, my voice barely above a whisper. "Oh... Okay... Thanks." I replied, my eyes searching his face for any sign of what was going on behind those piercing eyes. Aiden's expression remained unreadable, but his eyes seemed to bore into my soul, as if searching for something. He placed his hands on mine, leading me inside the mansion. "Take the car to the parking lot, James, and make sure you show this man here the way out," Aiden ordered, his voice firm, referring to Evans as 'this man'. I felt a pang of sympathy for Evans, but Aiden's words were laced with a possessiveness that made me shiver. But he wasn't entirely at fault, Evans couldn't keep showing up here anytime he wanted to see me. Evans spat at us as we walked away, "I know you're not legally married to her, Mr. Brooklyn." He said, his hands clutcing the flowers in his hands. Aiden's gaze slowly turned to Evans, his expression darkening. His right hand slipped into his pocket, and his shirt opened slightly, revealing his chiseled abs and the glint of a necklace. He bit his lip, his eyes flashing with anger, before letting out a low, menacing laugh. "Don't worry, it's going to be official soon, and trust me when I say that you'll be invited," Aiden replied, his voice dripping with malice. I stared at Aiden, my eyes wide with shock, my mind reeling with the implications of his words. What did he mean? With that, we broke our gaze away from Evans and stepped into the mansion. The sound of flowers hitting the floor made me turn back. Evans was smashing the bouquet he had brought, his eyes blazing with anger and hurt. I felt a pang of guilt, but it was quickly replaced by frustration. Why was he still pursuing me? As we entered the mansion, I yanked my hands out of Aiden's, making him stare at me with confusion etched on his face. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice laced with concern. "What are you doing, Aiden?" I demanded, my voice rising. "Why are you playing with my feelings?" The words spilled out of me like venom, fueled by the frustration and anger I'd been bottling up. Aiden's expression turned calm, but his eyes betrayed a hint of defensiveness. "What do you mean?" he asked, his tone measured. "Don't play dumb with me, Aiden," I snapped, my patience wearing thin. "You know exactly what I mean." Aiden heaved a deep sigh, his shoulders sagging slightly. "Hailey, could we please not do this now?" he asked, his voice laced with a hint of pleading. I crossed my arms, my eyes blazing with determination. "No, Aiden, we are going to do this right here and right now. I have so many unanswered questions, so many secrets and lies surrounding me. And I'm not even sure I can trust one single person in this house." Aiden's expression turned somber, his eyes locking onto mine. "Hailey, I'm equally as confused as you are, but trust me when I say that we are definitely going to get the answers we need." I threw my hands up in exasperation. "When?!" I retorted, my voice echoing through the hallway. Aiden's jaw clenched, his eyes flashing with anger. "We'll get the answers, Hailey. But you need to trust me." I laughed, the sound bitter. "Trust you? You're the son of the man who's behind all this. While my father rots in jail." The words cut through the air, leaving a trail of tension in their wake. Aiden's voice was barely above a whisper, his eyes wide with shock. "What?!" he exclaimed. I stood my ground, my heart pounding in my chest. "What are you talking about, Hailey?" he asked, his voice firm but controlled. I took a deep breath, my words spilling out in a rush. "It's true, Aiden. I paid my dad a visit today, and he told me everything." Aiden's expression darkened, his eyes narrowing. "What? Why didn't you tell me you were going there?" he demanded, his tone rising with each word. I stood my ground, my voice shaking with emotion. "Because I needed answers, Aiden. I wanted to know the truth. And I must say, I'm not happy with what I've just found out." Aiden's face fell, his eyes filled with a deep sadness. "Hailey, please—" I cut him off, my voice firm. "That's why I'm leaving tonight." Aiden's eyes widened in shock. "What?" he exclaimed, his voice echoing through the hallway. I tried to push past him, but he caught my arm, his grip warm and gentle. "Don't act surprised now, Aiden. It's not like you still want me anyway. So, I'll make everything easy for the both of us. There's no need to call your lawyer to call things off. I'll save you the stress. All you have to do is just send me the money as bargained, and I'll take my son and get out of this shithole." Aiden's face fell, his eyes filled with a deep pain. "Is that really what you want, Hailey?" he asked, his voice low and husky. I paused, my heart heavy with emotion. I desperately wanted to shout that this wasn't what I wanted. I wanted us, I wanted to stay, I wanted to build the little family we just started. But I wasn't sure if I was strong enough for this, not with the way things were going. Tears flowed down my face uncontrollably as I closed my eyes in frustration. Just then, I felt Aiden's warm touch around my waist as he slowly turned me to face him. His eyes locked onto mine, filled with a deep longing and sadness. Aiden's hands gently brushed against my tears, his hazel eyes locking onto mine with a deep longing. "If you're finding it hard to trust anyone, could you at least trust me?" he asked, his voice laced with desperation. "My dad is out of town, and he promised to return with the answers we needed," Aiden continued. "It seems like some things are also not clear to him. He just needs a little more time." I searched Aiden's face, my eyes narrowing. "How sure are you that he can be trusted?" I asked, my voice firm. "Everything happening seems to be revolving around him." Aiden's expression turned defensive. "I know my dad, Hailey. Despite the fact that he can be overbearing sometimes, he wouldn't want to hurt his family." I shook my head, my eyes welling up with tears. "But he has hurt his family, Aiden. And he's hurt a whole lot of other families, including mine." Aiden's face fell, his eyes filled with a deep sadness. "That's why he's trying his best to correct things, Hailey. That's why he's gone out of town. But he can't do this if we're all apart. He needs us. Everyone of us." Just then, a familiar voice interrupted us. "If she doesn't want to, don't force her, son…" Mrs. Alora said, walking down the stairs. I turned to face her, surprised. This would be the first time I'd heard her speak since the incident. Aiden's expression turned defensive. "Mom—" Mrs. Alora raised a hand, silencing him. "Don't 'mom' me, Aiden. If she truly sees us as bad people, despite everything, then let her go. I'm also tired of the constant back and forth we've all been going through." Her gaze bore into mine, her eyes cold and unforgiving. "If she wants to leave, she can. But my grandson stays with me." The tension in the air increased, the silence between us thick and heavy. I felt a surge of anger and hurt, but I knew I had to keep my cool. I couldn't let them see me break.