Aaron was in a very good mood after lunch. His plan was working. If Lacy's concern was solely Keeley, that wouldn't be a problem forever. He was already monitoring Lacy for suspicious activity.

Pushing Keeley's boundaries during lunch benefited him twofold. First, he enjoyed their closeness. Second, he tested Lacy's spy network by observing how quickly news reached her.

He knew about Max's involvement from his past life, but he suspected other informants. He also wanted to test her reaction time. Previously, she hadn't resorted to truly underhanded tactics until after his marriage, as everything remained discreet until the engagement announcement. She lacked the time to act then.

Things were different now. Aaron realized shielding Keeley from his world's darker side had ultimately harmed her. He wanted to love her openly, like a normal couple, and nothing would impede that, least of all Lacy Knighton.

He wouldn't hide Keeley this time. After mistakenly kissing her at the dance, their secret was essentially out; there was no point in concealing it. He could use this to his advantage if he played his cards right.

He shouldn't have gotten angry with her yesterday, but hearing the woman he loved declare she wanted nothing to do with him, immediately after he'd done something kind, was deeply insulting. However, it worked in his favor. By ignoring his feelings about her reluctance, he could manipulate the situation to spend time with her.

Aaron believed that increased time with him would restore their relationship to its former state. He refused to accept any other outcome.

The rumor mill worked faster than anticipated. By his last class, people were already whispering about Aaron's "mystery girl"—the hood actually worked. No one dared mention it to his face, but he had keen hearing. Lacy must know by now. He wondered how quickly she would act.

She couldn't do much at present. She was catty and cruel, but merely a student; she lacked the resources for truly treacherous schemes. Aaron wanted her to make a misstep during high school, exposing her and preventing future machinations.

Lacy acted faster than expected. Within a week, the whole school buzzed that Keeley Hall was a gold digger. The rumors were fueled by Aaron's insistence on openly eating lunch with her, like normal students.

He sensed Keeley's extreme discomfort with their arrangement, so he eased off slightly, as the first part of his goal was achieved. Plenty of time for intimacy existed later; right now, he just wanted her near him.

Once the rumors included her name, Keeley stopped bothering with her hood. Everyone knew it was her anyway. She radiated defeat, which stung his ego. She genuinely didn't want him. He craved a truthful explanation, but she always dismissed him with obvious lies.

Their conversations were also unsatisfactory. Extracting more than a few sentences at a time felt like pulling teeth. She had always been so talkative. These days, her answers were dull and perfunctory. She didn't want to talk. The spark in her eyes had faded.

It reminded him of a painful memory—Keeley's reaction after losing their baby. She was giving up.

"Are you going to eat your apple?" she asked tiredly.

"No, go ahead," he said, handing it to her eagerly, glad she wanted something. "Would you like my cake as well?"

"Sure." Keeley accepted the apple and shortcake wearily.

The dark circles under her eyes were now permanent. She needed a pick-me-up.

"Keeley, meet me after school."

"Why?"

"I have a surprise for you."

"Fine."

Her lack of protest was concerning, despite being his desired outcome. She had been far too compliant during their arrangement. It didn't matter that they weren't seated together anymore, since he saw her daily at lunch, but their agreed-upon month ended in a week and a half, and he had nothing else to ensure her continued presence.

After school, Keeley waited by her locker, eyes closed. Aaron tapped her shoulder to wake her.

"Keeley, I'm here. We should go."

Her eyes snapped open. "Where are we going?"

"Somewhere relaxing."

Carlton drove them to a luxury hotel, and she looked at him with obvious questions. Aaron explained the spa was the city's best, and everything was on him; he wanted her to relax.

Some of her old fire returned as she protested the expense, but he insisted, and she relented.

"You go enjoy yourself. I'll be out here," he encouraged, pulling out an English-to-Italian dictionary to help him read a classic Italian novel.

Aaron sighed as Keeley reluctantly entered the spa. A couple of hours there should rejuvenate her. He hated seeing her so lifeless. By the time she died, his Keeley was a shell of the vibrant woman he loved. It took many years of lonely reflection before he realized it was mostly his fault. The promotional text at the end has been removed as it was not part of the original passage.