"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
Love has no cure, but it is the only cure for all ills. Leonard Cohen.It seemed stupid to her to be forced to have a child. Having to prove to his father that he could have a genetic inheritance was not something Ayden Emory cared about. It was enough that he was one of the best businessmen in the United States, awarded many times for his business skills, and to top it off, he was running the family company with excellence.Wasn't that enough?Ayden laughed as he left his father's office, he may be an excellent businessman and have many awards, but he knows what good is nothing when it comes to negotiating with the man who taught him everything he knows.“Katty, call my lawyer,” he ordered over the loudspeaker to his assistant. Tell him to meet me at my house in an hour.He hangs up.She doesn't wait for them to say okay, much less say thank you. After all, they are just employees and do as they are told. He gets into his car and drives from his father's mansion on the outskirts of th
He mentally reviews if he made any overpayments, but it's impossible. He hasn't used that card, and his cell phone is password-protected. Furthermore, he checks the details of the bank transactions and realizes that the money has been transferred to an account belonging to his brother.It had been stolen by him. Somehow he hacked his phone, which wouldn't be too difficult, since it is old technology. He leaves the bank cursing his brother and then thinks of a way to get money back. Eleanor's voice echoes in his head, so he calls her.The day passes slowly, Arya keeps thinking about it as she walks back to the clinic. Would she have what it takes to be a mother at such a young age?The need was definitely greater than her fears, she would have to face them if necessary. When she arrives at the clinic, she goes straight to the assistant. She informs her that her mother had a heart attack and had been taken to intensive care.“The doctor will see you once you come out of surgery and expla
Neither says anything until they reach the parking lot of a tall building down the same street.“This is my house,” he informs as they get off. “Well, one of these floors is mine.”Ayden walks away from her without invading her personal space, and she out of fear of him doesn't approach either.They enter the private elevator and arrive at Ayden's pent house.“Come in, sit down, and I'll get you some water,” he says without looking at her. “You've had enough to drink.”The fact that she threw those two drinks in his face is not lost on him. She makes a mental note that he doesn't like her drinking.“I thought you wanted me to bugger off,” she mutters in a thread of a voice, Arya, as he sets the glass of water in front of her and sits down on the far armchair.“I wanted to, but Daniel has told me that these proceedings can take months” she clarifies as if that bothers him. “I'll be honest with you, I need a child, but without my father knowing it's by surrogate. He needs to know it's mi
Ayden had spoken to her lawyer about going through the whole surrogacy process. Never in her life had she imagined that she would have to do something like this to get the family business. The only thing she was missing and not proud of was having to explain to her father.“Good morning, father,” he greeted as he entered his office.Gerard Emory, was already waiting, sitting in front of his desk with a cigar in his mouth and a cup of coffee in his hand.“What's good? Can't you see the fucking weather?” He points to the gray sky from his office. I didn't expect it to be sunny, but at least it wasn't cloudy.“Have you been watching the weather again?” asks Ayden, sitting down across from him.“What I see or don't see is of no importance to you, you know what does matter?”Ayden would like to roll his eyes at his father's comment and question, but he holds back. Doing something like that would mean a reprimand. Gerard was very strict with his children and whoever else.“May the Yankees wi
Arya went over Ayden's rules, underlining the ones that seemed excessive and making notes on some of them. She knew there were things she had to abide by, like not eating raw seafood, or sushi. She loved sushi, and it was something she would miss.Likewise, she spares no thought to leave the room, this one has its bathroom, so she showers before going to sleep. A message on her phone comes in just as she gets ready to lie down.Ayden_ 11:23 p.m.Are you awake?The young woman rolls her eyes and with a towel on her head and the same clothes she was wearing leaves the room searching for the millionaire.“Here I am,” she warns aloud as she steps out into the hallway.The whole house lies in darkness except for a faint light coming from one room. The door to this one opens and out steps Ayden in sweatpants, shirtless and barefoot.Arya has to make sure to keep her mouth shut when she notices how beautiful his body is. Well-worked biceps and belly are some of the things she notices. She fee
“This is the worst dinner I've ever been to” were the words Ayden said as soon as he left his father's house. Arya feels that this has been because of her, and even as she gets into the car, she feels her heart getting smaller and smaller. “Everything all right,” Ayden asks as he enters her apartment. The young woman looks at him distressed, but says no more. She just stares at his perfect face, carved by the gods of Olympus. He's so fucking handsome; it makes her scorn hurt all the more. “Yes, goodnight,” she finally says goodnight and advances to her room. “Wait, I know there's something wrong with you, you've been dodgy and looking like a dying animal.” the Adonis throws in her face. Arya takes a breath as her mind and mood are not connected to her strength. “Nothing, I'm just tired,” she replies and tries to leave again. “I told you to wait,” Ayden growls with a distinctly annoyed tone in his voice. “For what!!! I don't understand what you have against me. I will be the mo
Arya wonders how Ayden will see to it that her brother does not find her. Two days had passed since that first call, and she doesn't know how to talk to her benefactor without upsetting him. He has been “resting”, eating and walking around the house like a stray cat. In the afternoons, she goes for a short walk to Central Park and returns just before he gets back. The doctor asked that they return on the third day when his period started and they did. During the visit, the doctor asked Ayden for a sample of his semen. The latter almost choked when she told him that there were graphic magazines or a television with access to adult videos in the room. Arya blushed just thinking that on the other side of that room, Ayden would be masturbating. “You have nothing to worry about, that cubicle is soundproof and will have everything you need if necessary,” the doctor explained, opening the door for him to pass through. Ayden looks quickly from there to Arya, who, awakening her curiosity,
"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