Graydon hadn't expected to see the two people he was most interested in while dining with a friend. He did a double take when they entered the restaurant with a middle-aged man.

His date, concerned, asked if anything was wrong. He quickly composed himself, offering his usual debonair smile.

"Nothing at all, my dear. Shall we order?"

However, Graydon's gaze remained fixed on the group a few tables away. He'd only learned of Keeley Hall that week, and now he saw her with Aaron.

Lacy Knighton would be furious. It was best to observe silently.

Their easy conversation indicated prior acquaintance. Was Aaron cheating on his fiancée? Or had the fiancée been a sham, as Graydon suspected?

When Keeley headed to the restroom, Graydon saw his opportunity. He planned to bump into her and assess her character. He believed one could learn much from how people treated strangers.

He bumped into her; she looked up, surprised, smiling sheepishly as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going."

So, she was kind, taking responsibility even when not at fault—a trait of truly kind people.

He smiled charmingly. "Don't worry. My fault too."

Relieved, she returned to her table, happily eating. Seeing the relaxed expression on the usually reticent Aaron, Graydon wondered what spell Keeley had cast.

She was unremarkable, yet a far better match for Aaron than Lacy. He seemed to genuinely enjoy her company—as relationships should be.

He cautioned himself; they might simply be old friends. Regardless, Aaron clearly valued Keeley, making her valuable to Graydon as well. Anyone connected to Aaron could be useful.

A few minutes later, Aaron began choking. Keeley quickly helped him, further deepening the mystery. What was going on between them? And how did Bethany Carlisle fit in?

She wasn't on social media, but Graydon knew about hacking. He could likely uncover information about her relationship with Aaron. He needed to confirm his theories.

'I sincerely hope you aren't a cheater, Aaron,' he thought, dismayed. 'Because then I would have to destroy you too.'

After Aaron recovered from his wasabi-induced choking, they left Robert with his leftovers. Aaron signaled for the check. Keeley kissed her father's cheek, waving goodbye, then leaned back, sighing happily.

She smiled gratefully toward Aaron. "Thanks for suggesting we bring him. He really needed this."

"No problem. I've always liked your dad."

Always? He'd been too busy to visit after their marriage, but she supposed he'd seemed happy enough during their high school hangouts. He was a softy beneath his emotionless exterior.

Keeley sighed, raising a difficult question prompted by her father's recent behavior. "How did you do it? How did you keep going after I was gone?"

He turned as they stopped at a light. "Is this about your dad?"

She couldn't hide anything. He saw through her too easily. "Yes."

Aaron sighed, flexing his hands on the wheel.

"For the first few years, revenge fueled me. Afterward, I drifted aimlessly, barely distracting myself with work, until I met someone who needed me. His name was Jeremy; you would have found him interesting. He reminded me of myself when I was younger."

Curious about his life after she'd left, she asked, "Who was he?"

"My protégé. I left Hale Investments and all my assets to him. I had no one else."

She understood; without an heir, he would eventually have to bequeath the company. She assumed he wouldn't have easily replaced himself, leaving the board in chaos.

"Is he…alive?"

Aaron chuckled. "Yes, but he's only a year old. I was thinking about him the other day, wondering if he'll work for me eventually."

Knowing the future must be strange. Keeley was only six years from the end of her original timeline, and it was odd that certain shows, songs, and movies hadn't been released yet.

He'd lived nearly twice as long as she had in their first life. What did he remember? How much had the world changed in twenty-seven years?

He wasn't interested in pop culture, so she couldn't ask how the new Star Wars trilogy ended. She'd died six months before the final film's release. Now she had to wait another six years.

Annoying. All that foreknowledge, and she couldn't ask him anything useful!

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