Aaron was exhausted. He'd woken twice to feed the twins, and now had to drag himself to work. All three—Keeley, the twins, and himself—were dead to the world, so he kissed each on the forehead before heading downstairs for a much-needed cup of coffee.

"You look terrible," Cameron remarked upon delivering the reports. "Rough night?"

"One of many," Aaron replied wearily. He hadn't slept properly since the twins came home from the hospital two weeks ago.

"So this is my future? Fun."

"Anything else, or are you just here to mock me?"

"Now that you mention it I was wondering when you'll conduct your hostile takeover. You can acquire the remaining shares anytime. I'm surprised you haven't already."

Aaron sighed. He'd been wondering the same thing. Despite being on his building's no-entry list, Lacy Knighton had shown up at least a dozen times in the past month, demanding entry. It was stressing Keeley out.

He wanted to knock Lacy's teeth out for making things harder on his already exhausted wife. If Keeley knew about his hidden family, she'd likely storm the concierge desk to get the elevator key.

Alistair (Aaron's father) was still close to Brann Knighton. He'd tell his partner, who would tell his deranged daughter, Lacy.

"I still don't know what to do about Lacy. I need a contingency plan before I strike."

"Makes sense. Jen says she's a real psycho."

"Psycho" was an understatement. It galled Aaron that he couldn't legally neutralize her. Overthrowing his father was within reach, yet he was constantly thwarted by Lacy.

The phone rang. Aaron answered. "Hello?"

"Mr. Hale, the CEO wants to see you," a secretary said primly.

"Tell him I'll be right there."

He hung up and rubbed his temples. He had a pretty good idea what this was about.

"Good luck," Cameron said sympathetically, leaving. He'd guessed the reason for the call from Aaron's expression.

Aaron walked to his father's office as if to his execution. His best bet was to claim he and Bethany had broken up.

Lacy would pounce, but that might work to his advantage. He could use it to trap her.

"Sit down," Alistair commanded, his presence nearly freezing Aaron. He obeyed, wanting to avoid making things worse.

"Where's your fiancée? I know she's back from Africa."

"Actually, she stayed there. She prefers one of her fellow volunteers. I got dumped," Aaron lied, affecting misery.

His father scrutinized him, then snorted. "No wonder you look terrible. I told you love is a waste of time. You're twenty-five; I was married years before your age. No more messing around. Lacy Knighton—"

Aaron knew this was coming, but it didn't lessen his fury. He'd delayed it as long as possible, and the outcome was the same.

"I've told you a million times, I'd rather gouge out my eye than marry that woman. You can't force me."

"You failed choosing a wife! Look what your fiancée did!" Alistair thundered. "You don't know how to choose!"

If only his father knew. Aaron chose happiness over business—the best decision he ever made. He'd chosen well for himself.

"At least give me time to grieve before throwing another candidate at me," Aaron said coldly.

If he'd truly been heartbroken, his father's reaction would have been cruel. Aaron suspected Mary Gray's death wasn't suicide, given Alistair's obsession with bloodline purity.

He felt sorry for his half-brother, who'd suffered due to his Hale blood—just like Aaron.

That didn't change Gray's involvement in Keeley's and probably Robert's deaths, but Aaron understood his revenge motive. As a vengeful person himself, he related.

"It's past time you accepted your responsibility as a Hale," Alistair said menacingly. "Your failed relationship is irrelevant."

The "Father of the Year" award certainly didn't belong to this man. Gray was lucky he didn't grow up with him. Aaron's fury at two lifetimes of Alistair's oppression simmered beneath the surface.

Telling the truth was tempting, but he had to ensnare Lacy first. Aaron would get the last laugh; his father would lose everything.

The image of Kaleb and Violet in matching outfits, sent earlier by Keeley, calmed him. He had to control his temper for their sake. His family depended on him.

(Note: The final two lines about the website were removed as they are irrelevant to the story and appear to be promotional.)