Chapter 7

It was 6am.

Aria hadn’t slept a wink. She had stayed up all night trying to formulate plans and each one ended in failure because of one irritating fact. She didn’t know enough about him to plot against him.

The Griffin industries staff were going to receive a drilling in the next few weekss, at least until she got what she needed for a plan that would foil him.

6am meant getting Asher awake and ready for school while having enough playtime to not miss her baby too much for the rest of the day.

She trudged to Asher’s room and gently opened the door. He wasn’t there.

Her heart lurched and she darted down the hall, about to sprint upstairs when she saw them.

Aston, and Asher. In the living room.

She willed her heart to calm down in vain as she watched from behind one of the massive doors made of polished wood that blocked off the wings from the view of the living room.

Aston was reading something from a folder on the sofa, one leg crossed over the other, mirroring the regality of the renaissance painting of a king and his subjects behind him even though he was only in a soft looking cardigan and regular pants. He was also in reading glasses. Aria swallowed involuntarily, her heart beating fast for a completely different reason.

He was not worthy of that face. There was no reason for a betrayer to look like he was carved out the statue of a greek god. 

She had to put significant mental effort to remove her eyes from him, but when it landed on her son she found herself even more unable to look away.

In the presence of new people, Asher was a stone faced child. Her heart had shattered more than once upon hearing her baby called abrasive. But right now…

He was stealing glances at Aston, and with each glance he adjusted his posture till his legs were also crossed, even though he was just eating and didn’t need to sit right.

Her overworked heart calm down and swelled and she subconsciously placed her hand over it. He was so cute.

So completely unlike Liam. The thought of Liam snapped her out of her adoration and she felt a migraine coming on.

It had been a very taxing morning already, with her zero hours of sleep and roller coaster of emotions from fear to attraction to adoration and now irritation.

Was this how life at home was going to be from now on? 

Not for the first time, she cursed at her grandfather in her head. Why did he get her married, to Aston of all people?

Asher’s small eyes weren’t on the food in front of him. They were now trained on Aston.

The sight made something twist in her gut.

The atmosphere wasn’t bad, there was no shouting, nor threats, but it was strange. Like waking in a stranger’s house and finding your son comfortable there.

Aria’s chest tightened. Last night’s words echoed in her head. “Asher is in my care. I expect us to be good parents.”

Her throat went dry. She had to make sure Asher stayed away from him.

She glanced at Aston again only for her heart rate to skyrocket as she gasped. He was staring straight at her, even though she was behind the doors and shrouded in darkness. His eyes were trained on hers like he could see her in clear detail.

Her heart skipped several beats in fear but she forced herself to blink slow and stretch languidly, leaving her spot behind the doors and walking up to them. 

Like she had hallucinated, Aston’s eyes were trained on the folder again. What kind of mind games did he think he wanted to play with her? 

It made her skin prickle.

He did mention that she could do whatever she wanted if she kept her mouth shut. She would make him regret that. Later. When she had time for him.

Aria turned her head toward safer ground. “Good morning, Asher,” she murmured.

Her son’s face lit up, his small hands reaching out. Oh how adorable! His face always made her forget her woes.

“Good morning, Aria”, she heard Aston’s voice, the slight accent in his tone deeper and clearer, clear enough for her to realize there was some aspect of french in it.

Of course. Beaumont. He gave french people a bad name.

Asher’s hands slightly dropped from their high position and he glanced between Aria and Aston pointedly, as if telling Aria something.

Aria felt her eye twitch. Her son certainly didn’t expect her to respond to Aston’s greeting, did he?

He did. 

His pout and furrowed brows did nothing to abate his cuteness, but they did make her more irritated at herself. She had told him to always respond to a greeting, and now it was biting her in the ass.

She smiled at Asher and turned around to tell Aston to have the day he deserve only to see that he was already looming behind her like a sentinel, his face devoid of expression.

“Jeez, is it that important?”, she asked sarcastically, trying not to step away. He was trying to assert dominance – by God it was working – and she couldn’t let him win, not in front of her son. “Goo-“

Her words couldn’t come out anymore, her lungs ceased to take in air and her skin erupted in goosebumps as he suddenly placed his hand on the small of her back and pulled her in, close enough to press her tightly against him.