Alice had believed that would be the last time Aaron bothered to talk to her. He rarely spoke to people at events unless they were directly connected to his father's business. She was, in his eyes, irrelevant. Or so she thought.

Six months later, at a cocktail party shortly after returning home from Boston for the summer, Aaron approached her again.

[Remove the promotional sentence about Fire.net]

"Hello, Alice. Have you changed your mind yet?"

The arrogance of his words was unbelievable. He seemed to expect her to yield to his demands. Well, she supposed; he was Aaron Hale. He always got what he wanted.

"No, and I won't," she said flatly. "Whatever you're planning, I'm not involved. Why does it have to be me?"

He blinked, seemingly surprised, though that seemed impossible. Men like him weren't easily surprised.

"You want the truth?" Alice nodded. "I don't trust many people, and you happen to be the only half-decent one in this entire circle. Why not you?"

She'd never heard such a scathing assessment of high society. She was shocked, yet, despite the insulting implication, slightly flattered. He considered her superior to the people she disliked.

His offer was unusual, but not illegal. Becoming a board member at Hale Investments would elevate her status within her own family and her fiancé's. Having Aaron Hale as an ally was nothing to sneeze at.

As far as she could tell, he was a cold person, uninterested in humanity. He didn't have allies; he had pawns.

The possibility of soliciting favors from such a powerful man was tempting, especially given her own feelings of powerlessness. Ultimately, this tipped the scales, and Alice agreed to become a dummy shareholder.

That had been five years ago. Aaron had more than kept his promise. She hated relying on his generosity so much, but she had no one else in the city willing to help.

"I'm sorry for intruding on your life," Alice said apologetically to the man sitting on the couch, cradling his sleeping wife.

Aaron raised an eyebrow. "Why apologize? I offered."

That didn't align with his usual demeanor. She was confused. "…I thought Keeley pressured you into it."

He shook his head, a wry smile appearing.

"I love my wife, but I wouldn't take in just anyone, even if she asked. I helped you because I care what happens to you, Alice. I told you before. I've been waiting for you to ask me to help you leave your scumbag husband. I'd do anything to help, even if it means having another person in my house for a while."

"Really?" she asked doubtfully.

"You're one of the four people on this earth I actually consider a friend. There's no need to feel burdensome."

Alice had suspected they were friends, but he'd never explicitly said it. It was nice to hear. She didn't really have many friends either. In fact, Aaron and Keeley were probably the only people she considered friends.

She was about to thank him when he spoke. "That said…I know you and Keeley were planning on furniture shopping tomorrow, but she really needs a break. I was planning on taking care of the twins so she could relax."

Alice tried to hide her disappointment. She could go alone, but was afraid of overspending. She needed a budget-conscious person to help her find good deals.

"If you need help, I can recommend someone," Aaron said, as if reading her mind.

"Who?" she asked eagerly.

"Roger. His sister is a budget interior designer."

She furrowed her brow. "What on earth is a budget interior designer?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. An interior designer who decorates with cheaper items. I don't know much more than you do; I saw him mention his sister's business on Facebook. Message him. He'll likely connect you with her."

Roger. Did she even have his number? They barely spoke at shareholder meetings.

"Do you happen to have his phone number?" she asked.

Aaron recited it flawlessly, which was astonishing. No one memorized phone numbers anymore. The only number Alice had memorized was her own.

"How do you know that off the top of your head?"

"Memorizing things has always come easily to me," he said casually.

The sound of crying came from the baby monitor, and Aaron sighed. One or both twins were awake, and he needed to attend to them, but he was momentarily trapped.

He whispered to his wife, "Keeley, wake up. The babies need us."

She mumbled sleepily and didn't move. A lovesick smile touched his face, and he shook his head indulgently before lifting her to check on the babies. Her eyes didn't open. She was truly exhausted.

Alice felt a mix of laughter and tears. Once again, she was the third wheel. Why were those two so ridiculously in love while she was going through a divorce?

Well, that's what she got for moving in with newlyweds. They hadn't even been married a year yet. This was supposedly the most lovey-dovey period for couples.

Maybe someday she'd find someone who would carry her while she slept. It was awfully sweet. If she hadn't witnessed it, she wouldn't have believed Aaron capable of such tenderness.

Considering she had one of the most powerful men in the city wrapped around her finger, Keeley Hale was the true powerhouse. She had tamed the ice devil!