"You want to put me in charge of what?" Aiden asked incredulously.

Aaron had called him into his office to discuss plans to overhaul Hale Investments' cybersecurity and possibly develop additional software to sell to other high-security institutions. Now the kid looked like he was about to faint.

A conversation from over a year ago resurfaced in his mind. He'd thought Aiden distrusted him. It made sense that Aiden would be surprised by this sudden offer, which clearly indicated Aaron held him in high regard. Had he really been that critical of Aiden?

He sighed. He didn't want the kid to develop an inflated ego—Aiden was always boasting about being Aaron's favorite—but if he didn't properly express his appreciation, Aiden might get headhunted or start his own business. He couldn't allow that.

"I've been meaning to strengthen our website and app defenses anyway, due to all the recent data breaches at other banks, and you're the best person for the job."

"Don't you have an entire department of software developers for that?" Aiden asked skeptically.

Actually, he didn't. Alistair had outsourced the website and app years ago. Whenever a problem arose, the IT staff scrambled frantically to fix it.

More than once, Aaron had pulled Aiden from his monitoring duties to quickly resolve issues because customers were becoming upset. Aiden was worth more than the entire IT department combined.

"No. Creating one isn't a bad idea, but I still want you in charge. Are you interested? You said taking IT calls was boring," he pointed out.

Aiden's eyes widened, and he gave his boss a bewildered look. "You're suggesting this just because I'm bored?!"

Aaron sighed heavily. He might as well be blunt, though the words were so difficult to say he felt he might choke.

"I don't want you to leave Hale Investments now that your original job is obsolete." By this point, the kid's eyes were practically bulging, but Aaron continued awkwardly. "With your skills, you could go anywhere, do anything. I don't want to lose a valuable asset."

Once the impact of his boss's words sunk in, Aiden's wide-eyed expression softened. He actually seemed touched. What had been touching about it? It was sound business sense, nothing more.

"You actually do like me!"

Aaron wanted to deny it but couldn't. The hacker had grown on him over the years. He didn't want him to leave because he still found Aiden useful, but a tiny part of him might even miss his frequent office intrusions.

"Don't let it inflate your ego," he said with a scowl.

"I won't, I won't," Aiden said, but a triumphant gleam shone in his eyes.

Aaron shouldn't have admitted it, but he couldn't lie to his friend. There had been several moments over the past couple of years when he'd felt fondness for the usually annoying hacker. Especially when Aiden had been protective of him during his encounter with that loser Ryan at Cameron's wedding.

He cleared his throat, uncomfortable under Aiden's knowing smile. "So, are you going to accept the proposal? I can always find someone else."

"No, I definitely want to!" he said quickly. "Where do I start?"

Why was it that both times Keeley had visited the office, she was so inappropriately dressed? She and Jennica were both wearing t-shirts and shorts, even more casual than last time. To make matters worse, her hair was in a ponytail.

At least the secretary maintained her professionalism, although she did seem to recognize Keeley and the stroller instantly.

"What can I do for you, Mrs. Hale?"

"We're here to see Cameron Singleton," she said simply.

To truly surprise Aaron, they couldn't call his office. Since they were on the same floor, it would be easier to see Cameron first. Jennica had been the one who'd wanted this visit.

The secretary made a call. "Mr. Singleton, Mrs. Hale and Miss Stevens are here to see you."

Keeley had almost forgotten that Jennica had used her maiden name to be one of Aaron's dummy shareholders toward the end of his plan. It was impressive that the secretary remembered her from those few visits.

Cameron's voice crackled over the intercom. "Send them up, but remember in the future that Miss Stevens is actually Mrs. Singleton."

The secretary coughed to mask her embarrassment. "Yes, sir."

"Don't feel bad," Jennica reassured her. "I used my maiden name as a shareholder to avoid suspicion of having two Singletons on the board."

The secretary seemed genuinely comforted before directing them to the elevator. The ride to the top floor was long, just like last time. A few people seemed to recognize them, but only one person greeted Keeley.

She responded warmly. How terrified were these people of Aaron? She couldn't blame them; he'd always been intimidating at work, as far as she knew.

Cameron greeted his wife with a big smile as they entered the office. He gave her a quick, affectionate kiss.

"What brings you two here?"

Jennica held out a pastry bag. "We brought food."

He groaned appreciatively. "My hero. I didn't have breakfast this morning."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course you didn't. You never eat breakfast unless I remind you."

He shrugged before devouring the chocolate muffins his wife had brought. Keeley found their antics amusing. Her friends were adorable.

(The final advertisement should be removed as it's inappropriate for a cleaned-up passage.)