"Alright, I'll let you know everything I find out," Jeff said earnestly."Thanks, we need to go," Arya said as she stood up, and Robin followed suit."Who are you?" Jeff asked curiously, looking at his sister's friend. He could sense the fear in his gaze and expression."He's my friend, like another brother to me, Jeff," Arya revealed, and although Robin felt proud hearing those words, Jeff understood that he hadn't been a better brother to her. "He's my colleague, Robin Evans.""Pleasure to meet you, Jeff," Robin greeted, not forgetting courtesy."The pleasure is mine; I'm glad my little sister has someone looking out for her on the outside. She used to be very naive, but from what I've seen, that's a thing of the past," Jeff explained, recognizing the courage his sister had shown lately. She was not the same person he had known and intimidated for years, the one he had emotionally and financially abused. Now, he sought refuge in faith, but he knew that nothing he did or how many tim
Ayden knew Arya was right about seeking help from her brother. What he didn't like was how she exposed herself in a way that put her in danger. That was something she didn't measure, and he didn't understand why."I understand that you've taken care of yourself for most of your life. But you're not alone anymore, Arya. I'm here for you, and even if I have to deploy a whole army to protect you, I will," Ayden declared without worrying about her contradicting him. "You're important to me, and if you want to get angry, go ahead. I won't feel bad about taking care of you."In that moment, Arya felt guilty. It was true that she had only tried to help, but she hadn't assessed the risk properly. Slowly, she reached out and took Ayden's hand, surprising him."I'm sorry, I promise to call you next time I come," she explained, and even so, Ayden furrowed his brow upon hearing her."Because you caring about me and putting an army at my disposal won't stop me from doing what I want to do.""This
Arya began to feel anxious, unable to understand why Robin wasn't answering her calls."Call Henry again," she requested, taking her phone and redialing her friend.It went straight to voicemail."Tell me the car has a GPS tracker," I said to Ayden, who was frantically speaking with Henry."It does, but it's been deactivated since he left Rikers; the last point is when he arrived in New York," John clarified.Minutes turned into hours, and hours felt like an eternity.Detective Robin had already arrived and was compiling a general report for everyone. He interviewed them all, but mainly focused on Arya."Why did you go to Rikers?" he inquired, clearly annoyed. "I told you to stay calm and take precautions. Going to Rikers was just exposing yourself.""I'm sorry; I wanted to talk to my brother. I wanted to make sure he wasn't responsible," she confessed, feeling guilty."Don't worry, dear... let's hope Robin turns up soon," Ayden declared, and I wanted to believe him.I walked back to
As night fell, Arya returned to Ayden's bedroom. She mentally scolded herself for this situation. She didn't want to be there, didn't want to tempt fate and risk everything falling apart. But at the same time, she didn't want to pull away. She needed it, as much as fire needs heat."Do you think Robin is as okay as he says he is?" Ayden inquired as he took his pajamas."I don't know, but I want to believe he is," she replied, sitting on the edge of the bed. "This day has been a constant back-and-forth. I just want to take a shower, lie down, and sleep. My back is killing me."Ayden gave her a smile that barely reached his eyes and offered her the bathroom first."Go ahead then, so you can rest," he suggested, and she immediately got up."Thank you," she said as she entered the shower with only a bathrobe in hand.Arya undressed with the door locked, turned on the shower, and adjusted it to hot water before stepping in. The water gradually warmed her reddened skin. It felt pleasant, an
Arya was ecstatic. Feeling the magical sensation of her first orgasm (one that didn't involve a device or her hand) was something magical and evolutionary. She wanted more, without a doubt. She wanted more of him at this moment and always.Ayden stopped his movements as soon as he felt that she had finished. Arya was in limbo, unsure whether to continue down that path or stop altogether, just like him. Suddenly, everything became uncomfortable and tense."I think I still have soap on my body," the millionaire whispered, stepping back under the shower.At this moment, it didn't matter that the water was running, although Ayden maintained a water recycling system, something Arya was unaware of.She took the shampoo and applied some to her palm, starting to massage her scalp behind Ayden. Without saying a word, she studied the man who owned her passions. He was tall, muscular, strong, as hard as a rock, yet soft at the same time.She couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to be
The lovers awoke, entwined in each other's arms. Arya hugged Ayden by the chest and had one leg draped over his. Skin to skin, bare of both body and soul. A knock at the door roused them. Arya stretched, but Ayden's warmth was more comfortable for her."Who is it?" she asked when the knocking resumed."Wake up, sleepyhead, we have to work, we're running late," Robin exclaimed from the other side of the door.Arya jumped out of bed, quickly wrapping herself in a sheet."Where are you going?" Ayden inquired, trying to reach her as she passed by him."To work, it's late, we overslept," Arya clarified, adjusting the sheet to ensure nothing was exposed."Are you going dressed like that? Because if you are, I think I'll schedule a consultation," Ayden joked, sitting on the edge of the bed completely naked."No, I'm going to my room to change," she replied and approached him, giving him a kiss on the lips. "Last night was one of the best nights of my life," Arya declared, still kissing him.
Everyone hurried straight to the hospital. No one stopped to ask what they were doing; they just went.Aryehn's temperature had already been stabilized. Arya carried him wrapped in a towel, with just enough heating to maintain a warm flow for him. Robin had called the clinic and informed them of their arrival.When they reached the emergency room, the medical team was already waiting for them. Arya had changed quickly and, as expected, entered with Robin to have her son examined."He has a throat infection, Arya," Robin informs her. "Please take these samples, and make sure the results are expedited," he requests from the nurse on duty.Arya did not let go of her son."Arya, you need to put him on the bed; you know your warmth might raise his temperature again," Robin reminded her."I know, but I don't want to leave him," she said in a trembling voice. "Just look at him, he's weak, he's... unwell. It's my fault; I shouldn't have overlooked his room. Neither last night nor today. I'm a
"You knew it wasn't anything serious," Robin tells his friend after two days of hospitalization. "You have nothing to worry about. Aryehn is out of danger, and the fever is under control."Arya gets up and hugs him."I know, it's just that I worried. Now I feel stupid for overreacting," she says, returning to her seat next to her son.Ayden had returned to his office; he had many matters to attend to, especially since his father had passed away. He now had complete control of the entire company, and even though he had trusted people working under him, they didn't get involved in his personal life.If everyone knew one thing, it was that Ayden Emory was a good boss, one of the best, but he was terrible at emotional relationships with anyone around him. "An emotional paralytic," his psychiatrist diagnosed him, along with many others who knew him.But he didn't care. It was true that he couldn't process emotions the same way others did, but as long as Arya knew it, he was fine. She knew
"Mom, I'm ready!" Aryehn shouts from somewhere in the house."Get in the car, Henry is already waiting for us," Arya replies.Aryehn grabs his phone and heads out of the mansion to the front entrance. Before leaving, he checks his notifications and reads a message from his father saying that he's already waiting for them at the main venue."Mom, Dad is already waiting for us!" Aryehn exclaims, making sure his suit is properly adjusted.Arya comes down in her burgundy dress, fitted at the bust and loose at the waist down to the knees."Mom, you look gorgeous!" Aryehn says, approaching her to kiss her on the cheek. "Are we ready to go?""Yes, everyone is waiting for us there," she affirms, taking the arm her son offers.Aryehn has grown into a handsome seventeen-year-old, chivalrous and formal, just like his father. Arya watches him with pride, happy to see him so content.Henry opens the limousine's door, and they get in. The escorts follow them in another car behind, but they ignore t
"He escaped last night, but we didn't realize it until this morning," the detective says. "We were following him, and he left clues, as if he knew this was going to happen."Arya remembers her brother telling her that he would take care of it, and seeing him lifeless is something she never wanted to happen."Jeff, no!" Arya screams, throwing herself onto his lifeless body. The officers try to pull her away, but it's impossible; she holds onto her brother tightly.Jeff groans, and she hears him clearly."He's alive!" she shouts to no one in particular. Paramedics arrive and approach him to provide assistance.Mark takes advantage of the distraction and elbows the police officer who is about to handcuff him. He grabs the gun lying at his feet and aims it at Arya. Ayden watches in a blur as Mark raises the gun.The police officer, wiping his nose, Mark with the gun aimed at Arya, and Ayden firing at him in the chest, right in the heart, his half-brother.Mark falls to the ground like a d
Five days earlier"What's on your mind?" Daniel asks when he sees his friend lost in thought."Mark's mother had a necklace with a ruby. I have no idea what happened to it," Ayden says, frowning, and as soon as the words leave the millionaire's mouth, Daniel feels a chill run down his spine. "Now, more than ever, I suppose Mark has something to do with this.""You're giving him too much credit; he's an idiot," the lawyer says disdainfully, not trying to imagine what he thinks he's imagining. "You know, he can hardly run that hospital. If it weren't for his assistant, it would collapse."Daniel can't pay attention to what's happening; he urgently needs to leave and check if the necklace his wife has is the same one his friend is talking about."Gabriel, it's Daniel, something urgent has come up, can you go for Arya and let her know what's going on? Ayden doesn't want her to find out through the media or let their son know what's happening," he informs while using the hands”free functio
Ayden and John take refuge in George's apartment, unable to maintain communication with the outside world."Sir, it's on all the news channels," John comments while continuously flipping through channels."I know, now it will be almost impossible for me to go out. No one can see us," Ayden affirms with an idea forming in his mind. "Besides, the fact that Daniel is missing. We should go look for him.""Not right now, sir, we need to hide," John explains, standing up. "It's best if we don't go back to your house, at least not until it gets dark.""You can stay here as long as you like," George says, taking out a couple of waters and snacks from the fridge. "I live alone, so no one will know you're here."Both John and Ayden exchange glances and accept. After all, they need some rest before venturing out again."Alright, after all, we've hardly slept. A little sleep will do us good," Ayden says, sinking into the sofa."At the end of the hallway, the door on the right is the guest bedroom
Mark's voice echoed loudly in Arya's ear, and she felt disgusted just hearing it."Is something wrong? You don't seem to want to answer," he inquired, feigning concern."Hello, Mark, it's not that. You caught me at a busy time," she lied, hoping he would hang up."I'm sorry; I just wanted to talk and see how you're doing. I heard about the attack and the blame on Ayden; it's all over the news now," he explained in a tone that almost convinced her. "Turn on the TV; it's on every news channel."Arya felt her heart start pounding in her chest. She felt anxious for Ayden, rushed to the living room, and turned on the television, desperately searching for a news channel. The anchor had a photo of her husband on the screen."I told you; it's all over the news," Mark repeated. "Please, tell my brother to be careful. I'll try to keep track of you, but you know I'm short-staffed and can't be in two places at once. Nevertheless... we have a pending conversation, remember?"Arya was taken by surp
Arya woke up with her son on her mind, an unhealthy concern gripping her as she rushed to Aryehn's room to check on her little one. She opened the door to find him curled up in the middle of his bed. Cautiously, she approached and settled beside him to give him a hug.Aryehn, sensing her presence, turned and nestled against her side."Mommy, I love you," the half-asleep boy murmured, hugging his mother."I love you too, my beautiful boy," Arya replied, holding him close. Over the years, the fear of not seeing him again had been overwhelming. But now that they were together, the fear of losing him paled in comparison to what she had felt before.While Arya contemplated what her husband might be doing at that moment, she allowed herself to enjoy this precious moment with her son. It wasn't until an hour later that Aryehn woke up fully, and they headed downstairs for breakfast."Good morning, Miss Harley," Tim greeted, emerging from his hiding spot and catching Arya off guard."You start
After such a shocking confession, Arya, with her heart equally heavy for her husband, hugged and comforted him until he fell asleep in her arms. Feeling him so vulnerable only fueled her irritation towards Mark.She thought about all the times she had been alone with Mark and regretted every moment of it. Deep within her soul, she lamented her stubbornness. Lost in thought, she fell into a deep sleep, unaware when Ayden woke up in the early morning to leave.He watched her in amazement, observing how she clung to the pillow, burying her nose to catch his scent on the fabric. Ayden couldn't quantify the love he felt for her, but he knew he would do anything for their son and Arya.Silently, he left the room, making his way downstairs to his office before exiting through the secret door into the hallway that led to the bunker."Hello, John," he greeted his bodyguard when he saw him leaning against the wall, finishing a cigarette. "Do you know anything about our escape?"John took out on
Ayden Emory was concerned about Arya's safety. He had provided a lot of security for her, yet the feeling of unease wouldn't leave his body. He feared for her and their son."Sir, everything is ready for us to leave whenever you order," John reported over the phone."We'll leave before four in the morning; we need to be in her building before she wakes up and have everything set up," Ayden declared, following the plan."Understood. I'll make some final arrangements for our fake flight tonight," John said before saying goodbye and hanging up.Ayden Emory was worried about the safety of his now wife and son. He knew Arya didn't adhere to the recommended security measures because she didn't care much about her own safety."Sir, everything is ready for tonight," John informed over the phone. "The van is loaded with everything we need to install the cameras in Mark's building.""Great, we'll leave in the early morning. We need to enter the building before my brother leaves so we can verify
The morning was very cold. Aryehn was still asleep, so they brought the baby monitor to the living room to hear in case he woke up.Gabriel was at the front door early in the morning, waiting for someone to open it. Henry, in charge of house security, now had to report the arrival of visitors to Arya first, to see if she authorized them or not."Miss Arya, Mr. Specter is already at the entrance. Should I let him in?" he asked with great formality as she descended the stairs."Yes, please, have him come to the kitchen, Henry," she replied, walking directly to the coffee maker to prepare coffee. Ayden joined her a few minutes later, just as Gabriel arrived."Good morning, sir, Mrs. Emory," the lawyer greeted with formality, shaking hands with the millionaire."Good morning, Gabriel, come in," Ayden indicated the chair in front of him in the dining room."Would you like coffee?" Arya asked, pouring a cup for herself and another for Ayden."Yes, please," he said, taking a few folders from