Chapter 30

FREYA

Two hours had passed since Aiden left, and I'd been anxious ever since. He'd gone to deliver punishment, which could mean many things.

At first, I definitely didn't want this. I'm not sure I still wanted it; I've never been comfortable with revenge. But then Aiden mentioned Gia, and I couldn't possibly argue with that.

I looked down at my little girl, who stirred lightly. She'd slept in. It was almost noon, but I hadn't woken her. She probably needed the long sleep.

Gia stirred again, this time peeling open her eyes. "Mommy," she drawled, greeting me with a gummy smile. That hit me right in the chest, bringing a smile to my own face. Aiden was right. There was no limit I wouldn't cross to protect that smile.

However, that thought vanished before her smile disappeared. Her lips quivered before she wrapped her arms around my waist and buried her face in my stomach.

"Sweetie?" I rubbed her back comfortingly as she sobbed against me.

"I was so scared, Mommy! He hurt you!" The words were muffled, but I heard them clearly. My heart clenched at the pain in her voice.

"Oh, baby. Mommy's fine now." I pulled Gia into a sitting position while she wiped her tears. I gently touched her cheek. "Hey, look at me." Her bottom lip trembled.

"The doctor made it all better, didn't he?" She glanced at the wound but wasn't entirely convinced. Her tiny hand reached out to touch the bandage.

"Does it hurt?"

I took hold of her hand. "Nope. Not at all." I brought her hands to my mouth and kissed her palms.

"I'm so sorry you had to see that. I'm so, so sorry! But I promise this won't happen again."

"I don't want to see Noah again." Gia fell back against me. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"We won't. Never again." I meant it. That was enough. I couldn't afford to make any more bad decisions with Gia. She was the most precious thing that happened to me. Even though she didn't blame me, I did, and I would have to redeem myself by doing right by her.

"Where are we?" She sounded confused, as if she'd just realized we weren't in a familiar bedroom.

"Aiden brought us to his home." She turned and looked around the room.

"This room is so pretty!"

"You like it?" Gia nodded, still admiring the room.

"Will we stay here with him now?"

I breathed in. I was a little confused about my earlier conversation with Aiden. He'd clarified that he didn't find our presence in his home annoying. I knew he was telling the truth, but that didn't mean we could stay indefinitely. I just needed a little more time to find the ideal apartment to rent.

"For the time being, yes."

"Then where will we go?" That's something I still didn't have an answer to. If finding an apartment took a long time, I'd probably move back to Rey's place temporarily.

"We'll see. We'll look for a beautiful place for us, okay? Now, let's get some food." I tickled her belly, causing her to giggle.

Walking toward the kitchen, I saw a man moving around expertly, as if he knew the place like the back of his hand. He was probably in his late fifties, with streaks of gray in his hair.

His movements stopped when his eyes fell on me. I managed a nervous smile under his scrutinizing gaze.

"Well, if you'd like to call me that, miss. I also go by Carlos."

He strode out of the kitchen and bowed dramatically in front of Gia; his accent wasn't very strong. That made me wonder how long he'd been living in the US.

I cleared my throat and stepped forward. "I'm Freya. And this is—"

"Gia," Carlos stated, his gaze softening. "Aiden told me—"

He looked between us and gestured toward the dining table. "Please be seated. I'll set the plates."

I nodded before heading to the dining table. Gia's eyes lit up at the sight of the food. It was a huge spread. I wasn't sure if this grandeur was his usual style; then again, I hadn't met many wealthy men.

"Thank you." Carlos nodded curtly before his eyes moved to someone behind me.

"Mr. Knight."

I put down the glass of juice I'd raised to my lips. I hadn't even heard Aiden walk in.

"Should I set a plate for you?"

Aiden's eyes shifted from Carlos to me, and something burned in them. His jaw twitched. He gritted out a "No" to Carlos before storming toward his room. He purposefully avoided looking at Gia.

I stood up, intending to follow Aiden. He'd gone to confront Noah, and now he was back looking disturbed. I was worried about what had happened.

I smiled at Gia, who had gone back to eating her pancakes. I was glad she hadn't noticed the dark look on Aiden's face. I wouldn't have been able to answer her if she had.

I went to Aiden's room. The door was open. He stood facing the window.

(The final lines "AB Comment Bend gif Na Ade" seem unrelated and were removed.)