Aaron noticed Keeley looked pale when he picked her up from the bus station. Her Instagram pictures suggested she'd had fun, but he wondered if she'd had too much fun.

"How was your trip?" he asked.

"It was good spending time with those guys," she said, yawning. "I'm not ready for school to start tomorrow."

"Did you get any sleep at all this weekend?" he asked, worriedly.

Upon closer inspection, she really didn't look well. The bags under her eyes were especially noticeable.

She let out a single "ha" instead of her usual laugh. "Not really," she admitted.

"Let's get you home, then."

She went quiet. He thought she might have fallen asleep, but she was simply staring out the window. He frowned. Was she really okay?

Aaron carried her suitcase up to their apartment. He placed it in her room and came downstairs to find her burying her face in their cat's fur. Maybe she just missed Molly.

He had to admit it stung a little that she seemed to miss the cat more than him. She hadn't texted him once all weekend. He was partly to blame; he hadn't texted her either, wanting her to enjoy her time with friends before school started and she became stressed.

But that only reinforced his suspicion. She probably hadn't thought of him at all while she was gone. If he had texted, she probably would have replied out of habit.

"Are you hungry? I have some leftover Chinese food in the fridge."

"That would be great, thanks," Keeley said faintly.

Aaron heated it up and brought it to her on the couch. She picked at it listlessly.

"You might want to go straight to bed after this," he suggested.

"I feel gross; I was on a bus for four hours," she retorted. "I'll shower first, then go to bed."

She eventually finished her food, though it took a while. Aaron whisked away her plate before she could put it in the dishwasher; he knew cleaning up would be a meaningless distraction preventing her from sleeping.

"Good night!" he called up the stairs as she slowly trudged upward. He heard a soft "Good night" in response.

About an hour later, Aaron debated checking on her. He finally decided to open her door a crack. She was sound asleep, both cats curled up near her, seemingly comforting her.

He quietly closed the door and went downstairs. It was still early. What had worn her out so much?

Alistair barged into Aaron's office without knocking, as usual. He puffed himself up and demanded Aaron's presence at the birthday party he and Roslyn were throwing for him on Saturday.

"My birthday is on Monday," Aaron said flatly. "You can't even remember your only child's birthday?"

Aaron didn't care; he enjoyed giving his father a hard time. He had no intention of going.

"Don't be impertinent! People are busy on Monday nights. Saturday is easier for everyone."

He glanced at his father over his paperwork. "When you say 'everyone,' you mean people I dislike, such as Lacy Knighton, correct?"

His father blustered. "She's the daughter of a very old and important business partner; of course, she has to be there."

Whose party was it, his or Alistair's? It was always like this: he never got a choice. Everything was another opportunity for his parents to manipulate him.

"Then I'm not going. Have fun throwing a birthday party without the guest of honor."

The temperature in the room plummeted. Neither man would back down. Anyone else present would have frozen solid.

"Why do you have to be like this? You're engaged to someone else. You don't have to worry about Lacy anymore."

Aaron's voice was sharp. "That's precisely why she shouldn't be there. I'm engaged. It's inappropriate to have another woman interested in me present when my fiancée isn't."

Alistair couldn't deny the logic but wouldn't concede. "She won't be there as a former fiancée candidate; she'll be there as my business partner's daughter."

"And I won't be there at all. You choose, Father. Who's more important to you, Lacy Knighton or me?"

He was tired of the game. He knew Lacy and Graydon Meyer were plotting against him, likely using the party as an opportunity, since he avoided their events. Why would he willingly walk into a trap?

"May I remind you, I am your father," Alistair said icily.

"May I remind you, I am a grown adult. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: wherever that woman is, I will never be."

His father looked ready to strike. Let him try. Nothing he could do now compared to what he'd already endured.

How much better would his life have been with a father like Robert Hall—kind, warm, and supportive? Robert wouldn't treat his children like chess pieces.

"You be there on Saturday or—or—!"

"Or what?" Aaron said boredly. "You have nothing to threaten me with."

The temperature dropped further. Alistair was on the verge of exploding, knowing his son was right. Aaron was the second-largest shareholder, and their contract was legally binding; Alistair couldn't retract it. He couldn't demote his son either; the board would revolt given Aaron's successful proposals.

Alistair was powerless. And it was glorious.

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