The tension in the room mounted as Alice eyed Aaron skeptically; he radiated coldness. He disliked convincing stubborn people. Keeley had learned that the hard way in their previous life.

"I know my brother," he said flatly. "This isn't our first encounter. His morality is questionable, but I believe he'd do anything for me. Like killing someone he perceives as a threat to my family. You don't have to believe me, but I wouldn't recommend getting close to Graydon Meyer."

Alice bit her lip, then awkwardly excused herself. Aaron sighed and buried his face in his wife's neck, despite her shorter stature.

"I really wish he'd disappear, but it's not like I have a second murderous guardian angel watching over me," he muttered.

Keeley snorted. "Murderous guardian angel—that's an interesting way to put it. As her friend, you did your duty by warning her. If she still pursues him, that's her problem."

She said that, but her unease lingered. Unlike Keeley in their past life, Alice seemed eager to replace her lost relationship. Loneliness drove her to try again.

Keeley couldn't begrudge her the desire for companionship, but Gray was absolutely the wrong person. Even if he wasn't (likely) a murderer, he was a notorious flirt. How many women had he been involved with?

Rumors usually have some basis, but even if he didn't cheat, Keeley didn't think he was capable of commitment. Simply put, he wasn't genuine. Everything he presented to others was a facade. She doubted anyone knew his true personality.

"You say that, but I know you're still worried," Aaron mumbled into her shoulder. He knew her well.

"Yeah, but I can't do anything about it. Don't you have work to do? Why are you hugging me?" she demanded.

His hold tightened. "Because I feel like it."

Keeley rolled her eyes. If he didn't return to work, he'd have to wake at 4 a.m. to finish before the office.

"Here's an idea: I'll sit beside you while you work. Then we can go to bed and wake up at a normal hour."

"Okay," Aaron readily agreed, finally releasing her.

She spent the next hour scrolling through Instagram and Pinterest, leaning against Aaron's arm as he worked. She should have recognized his habit of working near her in their previous life, even without comment.

He simply wanted to be near her. What a sap! But her sap, and that's what mattered. Keeley snuggled closer, feeling content.

Aaron was glad Keeley had made him work before bed; waking at his usual time was hard enough. He drank two cups of coffee before stumbling out the door.

Thankfully, the babies now only woke once a night for a feeding, but it always took him ages to fall back asleep. He couldn't complain too much, though. He loved his children almost as much as he loved their mother.

One small comfort was that Cameron, the new vice president, was equally exhausted from Alistair's mess. At least Aaron wasn't alone in this.

"Your father deleted crucial files before leaving, but Aiden finally recovered them," Cameron said wearily, bursting into Aaron's new office and collapsing onto the couch.

He'd moved to the CEO's office partly for its size, partly because of his longer tenure there across both lifetimes. He was somewhat attached to it. Cameron had taken his old office.

Aaron wanted Jeremy to take over his business, freeing his children from pressure. The best way was to give Simon Peters—the man who would eventually see potential in Jeremy—Cameron's old job ahead of schedule.

Simon had proven a capable department head in Aaron's previous life, so it wasn't a major decision. In his late twenties, Simon was both shocked and honored by the promotion. He stammered a promise not to disappoint Aaron, and Aaron was tempted to laugh.

Keeley's influence was clear. He never would have laughed at work before marrying her a second time. Somehow, the world seemed brighter and more entertaining with her around.

"That's the best news all week," Aaron admitted. "It'll cut our workload in half."

"What remains to be done now that the files are back?" Cameron asked hesitantly.

"We need to fix the insider trading mess and reconnect with my father's business contacts. We need to identify who's worth keeping and who needs replacing. I bet many are as shady as Brann Knighton."

"What's he been up to? I'd have thought he'd fight back to help your father."

He hadn't in Aaron's first life; why would he now? Especially since he was still grieving the loss of his only child.

Brann Knighton had always been selfish and pragmatic. He discarded anyone useless. That's how high society operates. Alistair Hale's reputation was irredeemable, so why would Brann risk anything for him?