Chapter 112

We walked out to the shade of a tree, and I immediately shook his fingers off my arm. “Come on, spill. How much did you hit up Jared for this time?”

“Not much, really, just a little bit,” Aiden mumbled, noticing my expression darken. “Victoria, please don’t be mad, okay? I brought my girlfriend here for a date, and I didn’t want to bother you. Aren’t you supposed to take care of Yvonne?”

I looked at him, knowing he was still pretty innocent. He was a college student with a girlfriend, and of course, he wanted to show her off. I could understand that. But even so, it stung a little that he didn’t think to contact me first when he came to Hachester.

Jared really had a knack for getting on everyone’s good side. My whole family respected him. He was polite, spent freely, and everyone adored him.

“Victoria, the hotel Jared set us up in is like a hidden paradise. Seriously, it’s gorgeous. Rich people really know how to enjoy life,” Aiden said, looking totally enchanted.

I had a lot of mixed feelings. Aiden was my brother, and he had always been a decent guy. My parents told him to go back to our hometown for work, but instead, he landed a job in Hachester. After a few years, he quit, claiming the pay was too low to live the life he wanted, then jumped into a small start-up with some friends. He rode the wave; with Jared opening doors, he pivoted to foreign trade and made real money. By forty-plus, though, success had gone to his head. Wine, women, power, and cash were given to a man, and pride followed. I had no clue how his life would turn out in this lifetime. But seeing him now, in his early twenties, so full of life and swagger, I couldn’t help but feel a little emotional.

Without thinking, I reached out and hugged him. Aiden looked totally baffled, and the next second, his face turned red as he pushed me away. “Victoria, seriously, I’m a grown man now. Don’t hug me in front of my girlfriend.”

I grabbed his ear instead, and he immediately put on a pitiful face. “I’m sorry, really. Victoria, next time I come to Hachester, you’ll be the very first person I call, I swear. I won’t break my word.”

“Yeah, right,” I said, laughing despite myself. I let go of his ear and sighed. “It’s fine. Go on inside. I’ll wait here for Jared.”

Aiden happily ran back into the private room.

Not far away, a silver Bentley rolled up, turning heads in the sunlight. Jared got out, dressed in a white T-shirt and gray pants, looking casual and at ease.

“What are you doing out here? Waiting for me?” Jared said, his good looks softened by that easy, charming smile.

Just then, a breeze drifted by, carrying the moist scent of the lake. My long hair danced lightly around my waist in the wind. I tucked my hair behind my ear and said, “Thanks for arranging a place for Aiden to stay, and for taking care of him.”

Jared paused for a second, then gave a faint smile. “I’m your husband. This is nothing. You really don’t have to thank me.”

“It’s not a small thing,” I said. “I know I once said you’d only get a 60 out of 100 as a husband, but as a family member, you’d easily score over 90.”

Jared raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

I nodded.

Jared seemed to perk up all of a sudden, reaching out to entwine his fingers with mine. “Hey, we’re husband and wife. No need to be so polite. And you’re out here grading me? Want to know what score you get in my heart?”

I paused, stopping in my tracks. “Let me guess, barely passing, right?”

Jared shook his head. “You passed, but don’t get cocky. You’re not top of the class.”

I immediately shook his hand off. “You’ve already got your star pupil. Like I’d ever stand a chance.”

Jared stared at me, baffled, and the mood he’d worked so hard to build just evaporated.

“Victoria, just eat your lunch and try not to cause a scene today, okay?” Jared teased.

I sped up, but Jared easily caught up. As we walked into the private room, he slipped his arm around my waist, acting all affectionate.