"Are you planning to take Violet to the meeting?" Aiden asked, changing the subject.

"Truthfully, I was hoping you or Cameron would," Aaron admitted.

Violet looked up in alarm, realizing they were talking about her. "No! I wanna go with Daddy! I'll be good. Shhh," she whispered, putting a finger to her lips. She looked up at him with puppy-dog eyes. He couldn't resist; it was his weakness. Running a hand down his face in exasperation, he looked at his daughter seriously.

"Okay, but you have to promise to stay quiet. If you don't, I'll send you to Cameron's office."

She nodded eagerly. "Okay!"

Aiden raised an eyebrow, questioning Aaron's judgment, but remained silent, as Violet was within earshot. He left, whistling and strolling leisurely with his hands in his pockets.

Aaron checked his watch. The meeting was to start in fifteen minutes. They should head to the conference room.

He helped Violet pack her toys into her backpack. She then demanded to be picked up, reaching for him with her fingers spread wide. Thus, the CEO of Hale Investments strode through the building, one hand supporting his daughter, the other holding a My Little Pony backpack.

It was obvious people would laugh if they weren't so afraid. He wasn't fond of people being terrified of him, but it was handy. People were less likely to challenge him if they were too nervous to speak.

Cameron and Aiden were the only ones comfortable enough to tease him, though he sometimes wondered if Roger and Kyle were getting there. Since Alice and Roger married a year ago, he'd seen them often.

The board had changed since his takeover. His dummy shareholders were gone, and Samuel had sold his shares six months later, apparently ashamed of working with Alistair, especially after the scandal surrounding Gray's illegitimate child.

Two people bought them: Sylvia Harris, a woman in her fifties, and Rowan Pierce, a man in his forties. They were easy to work with, understanding Aaron's vision for the company.

Things had been too easy the past few years, thanks to his knowledge from his previous life. The cybersecurity department presented a new challenge, and he considered further expansion.

He sometimes wondered about starting a new laboratory for Keeley, but she'd probably hate it. She preferred hands-on lab work and disliked administrative duties.

Lost in thought, Aaron entered the boardroom without noticing an extra person at the table. He began his opening remarks: "Good morning, everyone. My daughter is with me today. She's well-behaved, but if she's a distraction, we've agreed she'll go to the vice president's office."

He sat, Violet on his lap, her head swiveling in awed silence. A secretary handed him his laptop, which he couldn't carry while holding Violet, and he set up the projector as whispers rippled through the room.

Annoyed, Aaron looked up, freezing in shock at a horribly familiar face in his old seat: Alistair Hale. What on earth was he doing, showing his face for the first time in over three years? And why today? He was clearly here for a fight, and Aaron didn't want Violet to witness it.

The children weren't old enough to question why they only had one grandfather. Aaron knew he'd have to tell them about his estrangement from his parents eventually, but not yet.

He couldn't even remove Alistair; he was still a shareholder. It had been naive to assume Alistair would stay away. His presence boded ill. Aaron was certain he was only there to cause trouble.

"Your daughter is adorable. She looks just like you," Carol commented, breaking his stupor.

"She does, but she has her mother's smile," he replied, grateful they shared that trait. Keeley's smile had melted his heart since he was seventeen. Even if she didn't, he'd still think Violet was perfect.

Violet, recognizing "adorable," beamed. The shareholders smiled, except Alistair, who remained stone-faced at the sight of his granddaughter.

Aaron was surprised Alistair hadn't started a fight yet. It would likely happen later, behind closed doors. The old man still had his pride.

He dreaded the confrontation. Things had been too quiet, and he'd become complacent. How could he have been so stupid as to believe his parents would leave him alone forever?

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