Chapter 43

FREYA

This house was like a maze; getting a tour was a full-blown workout. Someone could probably lie dead in a corner for days and nobody would know, except for the staff, of course. I lost count of how many maids I saw running around. Who needs this many housekeepers?

“God! This place is huge. How do you not get lost? I can’t believe you guys grew up here,” I said once we stopped at the second-floor balcony overlooking the living room. Cillian leaned against a pillar, smiling absently.

“Yeah, well…”

I sighed before turning to him. “You know you don’t have to do this, right?”

He looked at me. “I don’t?” He raised an eyebrow.

“No. I’m not your brother’s girlfriend or anything.” It was true. He had no obligation to entertain me or be friendly.

“You’re not?” He asked another question; this time, I thought I heard amusement in his voice. His half-smile, half-smirk said the same thing.

“This habit of yours, turning everything into a question—it’s annoying.”

He probably didn’t understand that wasn’t a compliment, since his lips stretched into a wide grin.

“Women call me a lot of things. Annoying isn’t one of them,” he said with a cocky grin. I chuckled.

“Was that you trying to flirt?” I asked, amused. He was undeniably handsome, as were all the Knight men. Gillian was conventionally good-looking—expressive eyes, charming smile, dimples. That was a stark contrast to Aiden, who was lethally gorgeous in an icy, brooding way. My attraction to Aiden explained my immunity to Cillian’s charm. My previous attraction to Aiden Knight. It wasn't clear already. This was as far as I could go deluding myself.

Yeah, okay. I was obviously deluding myself to believe otherwise.

Cillian chuckled, shaking his head slightly. “I’d rather not die. As surprising as it may sound, I would very much like to live.”

“What?” I frowned, not understanding. He seemed distracted by something downstairs.

He tapped his thumb against the railing before turning to me. “We should go back down there. Come on.”

Confused by the sudden shift in his mood, I followed him downstairs. A few steps from the bottom, I heard a familiar woman’s voice: Erica. Aiden’s friend and colleague. She was here.

Aiden and Erica must be pretty close for her to be invited to family dinners. That dampened my mood slightly. It was stupid; I wasn’t his girlfriend. We were just co-parenting.

Yet, somehow, the thought burned more intensely now than when I’d said it to Cillian.

Aiden’s eyes found mine as I reached the bottom of the stairs. He stood at a distance, nursing a drink while Erica spoke to Mr. Knight.

“Glad you’re here.”

“Well, you called, Uncle Preston.” Mr. Knight smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. In a few seconds, I saw more warmth in his expression than when he greeted his own son.

Erica smiled broadly when she saw me. “Freya! Hey!” She flashed her perfect white teeth. She was gorgeous, way too pretty, and annoyingly kind.

“Hi,” I managed, along with a tight-lipped smile. Wow! I really sounded as warm as the Knights, huh? If my unenthusiastic greeting bothered her, she didn’t show it.

“Dinner is served,” a maid announced.

Chapter 43 (Continued)

As everyone moved towards what I assumed was the dining hall, Aiden approached me. His eyes scanned me.

“You okay?” I didn’t know how to feel about the concern in his eyes. I offered a small smile, eager to get through dinner.

This was solidly in the top two most awkward dinners I’d ever attended, the first being when my parents announced they were getting a divorce while pregnant. Right now, the clinking of silverware was the only sound. Nobody seemed to know what to say.

I glanced sideways to see Aiden perfectly content with the heavy silence. He was the most unbothered person at the table, aside from Gia, who sat beside me, playing with her greens.

“So, how’s work?” Preston finally broke the silence, addressing Erica.

She put down her wine glass. “It’s good. Exhausting, especially with the upcoming acquisition. A little sleep-deprived, but good.”

“Well, you’re a hard worker.” Mr. Knight sounded genuinely appreciative.

“Hear that, Aiden?” She playfully raised an eyebrow at him.

His lips twitched with amusement. “I never said you weren’t good.”

“You never acknowledged it, either.”

I sighed in irritation. I wasn’t the only one annoyed by their banter. Cillian stabbed his beans with excessive force, glaring at his brother. Which meant—

So when do you two plan to get married?