Aaron wasn't the type to share personal details. When exactly had he told this woman about Keeley? It must have been before they were married; otherwise, Alice wouldn't have been so surprised by his recent confession.

"How long ago are we talking?" Keeley asked curiously.

Alice smiled. "Last April. I was at that party where he got fake-engaged. I was confused because I hadn't heard he was dating anyone, and he confessed he'd done it to protect the woman he truly cared about. I guessed it was you because he said she wasn't in our circle. You're the only person I knew he'd ever had consistent rumors with. I had no idea he'd secretly marry you, though. Congratulations, by the way. Your babies are adorable. What are their names?"

"Kaleb and Violet," Aaron interjected proudly. "And yes, they are adorable."

She raised an eyebrow at his unusual behavior (at least around anyone other than his family) but remained silent as other party guests arrived. They all did a double take upon seeing their boss sitting next to an unfamiliar woman and holding a baby.

"Hey, Aaron," one of them said cautiously. "Who's your friend?"

Keeley was sorely tempted to laugh at the man's nervousness. Her husband could be intimidating; he probably feared being unintentionally offensive.

Aaron's expression was nonchalant as he explained, "Roger, this is my wife, Keeley. We're all meeting today because it's time for me to reclaim my shares and oust my father."

Roger's jaw dropped. "Wife?! When did you get married?!"

"Last fall."

"Why now?" asked the other man, whose name Keeley just remembered was Kyle.

"Ah, yes, you're unaware of the terms of the share transfer contract When I received ten percent of my father's shares last spring, it stipulated that I would receive another ten percent upon my wife giving birth to a son, which she has," Aaron said coolly.

Everyone's eyes turned to Kaleb, who was happily sucking on a pacifier in his mother's arms. Roger and Kyle were very confused, and Cameron, taking pity, explained the contract's unusual wording.

Keeley still found it ironic. Aaron had told her about the clause after they learned the babies' genders via ultrasound. Alistair had tried to use the contract to ensure Lacy Knighton could steal Aaron from 'Bethany,' but it backfired spectacularly. Alistair's scheming was about to lead to his own downfall—a deliciously poetic outcome.

Roger and Kyle exchanged glances. "So, what are we doing after this?"

"Not attending any more meetings," Cameron said blissfully, before Aaron could answer.

"He's right," Aaron said with a shrug. "You'll keep your jobs. I'll become CEO with enough shares, and I have some compromising information on my father to ensure he doesn't cause trouble during the handover."

A slight frown appeared on Alice's face. "What about me? I don't have a job at Hale Investments. Those shares were supposed to be my insurance against you know who."

He quickly reassured her, "I've already told you I'm your permanent ally. If they give you any grief, send them my way. I'll handle it."

She was easily appeased. Aaron Hale was a force to be reckoned with, and he didn't work with just anyone. She would be fine.

He produced stacks of paperwork, handing them to everyone except his wife, explaining that signing them would return his shares. All they needed to do afterward was attend one more shareholders' meeting for the announcement.

"I can't wait to see Alistair's face," Cameron said with a wicked grin. "All your hard work is about to pay off."

Keeley had almost forgotten how long Cameron had been working with her husband. Of course, he wanted his friend to succeed most among the dummy shareholders. She knew they met in college but when? Beginning, middle, or end? If it was the beginning, they'd been working together for eight years. She would have to ask Aaron later.

Once the agreements were signed, everyone (except the Singletons) wanted to know more about Keeley. Answering their questions was overwhelming.

How did you meet? How long have you been together? What do you do for a living?

Some questions were difficult to answer due to the complexities of the "rebirth" situation, especially since Jennica believed she'd met Aaron in middle school. Ultimately, she used a mix of truths from both lives.

Alice made an impressed noise. "You're a geneticist? I had no idea Aaron would marry someone smarter than him."

Cameron nearly choked on his taco trying not to laugh. Jennica thumped him on the back to dislodge the food.

Roger and Kyle seemed wary of her comment, but Aaron wasn't offended. In fact, a soft expression appeared on his face—even more frightening, as those two had never seen their boss like that.

"She's brilliant," he boasted. "I wouldn't be surprised if she won a Nobel Prize in medicine someday. Her dissertation research was groundbreaking."

"Oh, please," Keeley laughed, embarrassed.

"I'm serious!" he said earnestly, turning to her. "You're going to cure cystic fibrosis, and that's a huge deal."

Violet, in her father's arms, squealed in apparent agreement, breaking the tension as everyone laughed.

"She's so cute," Jennica observed with a smile. "I think she looks like you, Aaron."

"Just her hair color. If you've ever seen Keeley's baby pictures, Violet's face looks more like hers."

Keeley frowned. "When did you see my baby pictures?"

He smiled innocently. "Your dad showed me during one of your many early pregnancy naps."

"Of course he did," she said flatly, prompting another round of laughter.

(The final promotional sentence has been removed as it's unrelated to the text cleanup.)