by Lilly Wilde
“We may be able to delay the inevitable but, once parental rights are established, we’ll be facing a battle that’ll be nearly impossible to win, especially since you failed to disclose the paternity and left the country to keep him away from the child. I told you this at our first meeting, but that gives him the upper hand. This process may have originated in the States, but according to what I’m looking at now, he’s gone through the proper channels to ensure these orders are in effect here in Belize also.” She reached for her legal bag and pulled out a scanner. “I’m going to get a copy of these to an associate who specializes in international law. I want to get a second opinion—make sure I’m correct about this.” She started feeding the documents through the small device, and glanced at Kellan and then at me. “Don’t get your hopes up, because I’m almost certain that my initial verdict is accurate.”
I was pretty certain that she was correct also, but I’d cling to the slightest bit of optimism in the meantime. “Thanks, Robin.”
“My suggestion is that you talk to Aiden and work something out without pulling in attorneys and additional court orders.”
“I could wring his neck for showing up like this!” How did he find me? Why would he go to such extremes for a child he didn’t necessarily want? Was this payback for my hurting him?
Robin fed the last page through the scanner. “And another thing—you may want to grin and bear whatever he dishes out, at least for the moment.”
“You can’t be serious. I will not let that asshole bulldog me, Robin!”
She passed the documents back to me, her dark brown eyes keenly focused on mine, as she continued. “Unfortunately, that’s what you’re going to have to do, Aria. Let him ride through the anger and hurt. Eventually, you’ll both arrive to a point where you can make some decisions free of anger. Right now, I wouldn’t aggravate his position.”
“Eventually? Yeah, right. I’ve seen him in action when he’s been wronged, he doesn’t lean toward the forgiving side of things. He goes for the jugular.” How could I have ever thought this would work? “We can’t deny him anything? Maybe use his lifestyle to establish he’s not in a position to provide a stable home environment?”
“What are you implying?” Robin asked, reaching up to secure a loose strand of her golden brown hair.
“He’s never home! He’s rarely in the country. How can he possibly raise a child?”
“We could certainly take that position, but with someone of his stature…Aria, it’s safe to assume he has all of his ducks in a row. The legal system is generally favorable toward the mother regarding custody, but I’m sure Aiden pulled some very powerful strings and called in some big favors.”
That’s a no brainer.
“Didn’t you say he had a legal background?” she asked.
“Yes, but he’s not practicing—well, he wasn’t, at least. That doesn’t mean he’s without knowledge or resources.” I glanced over the papers again. “And I know you’re right. He does everything with a plan. And his plans always include the outcomes he wants.”
“We’ll allow them to perform the test, and I’ll discuss with Aiden’s attorney the benefits of you and Aiden speaking in private. If Aiden goes along with it, tell him you’re willing to go back to Chicago or wherever he’s living and secure a residence for you and Lyric. Make an offer to share custody.”
I tossed the papers on the coffee table. “He’s not going to want that. He wants Lyric away from me.”
“If that’s his stance, maybe you can reside with him and Lyric until other arrangements can be made. In the meantime, keep your eyes open for anything you can use for grounds to seek sole custody. Or, more ideally for the child, joint custody.”
“Chicago. With his fucking parents?” Oh shit. His parents. I was sure they knew everything. They were probably pushing Aiden to bring Lyric into the fold to start his training as an Aiden Raine clone. All of my planning had been futile. I was right smack in the middle of what I thought I’d put behind me. “So what about this lab? Do you know anything about it?”
“Their reputation is remarkable. I’ve used them for several paternity cases. I typically send one of my aides there to keep an eye on things, just in case. But in this situation, that’s pointless, Aria. We both know what those results will reveal.”
What about Kellan? How will this affect him? I looked up to his comforting brown eyes, they were soft with sympathy. He was standing beside me, rubbing my shoulder. “What do you think?” I asked.
“It’s like Robin said—we don’t have any options, other than attempting to delay it with an injunction, but I don’t see the point in doing that.” His tone gave nothing away, but the sadness was visible in his eyes. “It will only make matters worse in the long run, and you don’t need that stress. You need to be calm for Lyric.”
He was right. They were both right. My plan for an Aiden-free life had imploded, and the walls had closed in on me. Damn you, Aiden. “Okay. Call them back.”
Why even bother with a custody hearing? I was sure Aiden had already met with and cajoled the judge. Robin had said we could file motions and continuances, but if we went that route, Lyric would more than likely remain with Aiden until a decision was rendered, and I was sure the ruling would be in Aiden’s favor. He always got what he wanted. Aiden was a man of immense wealth and power. In the past, that part of him didn’t matter—it was in the background of our relationship—but now that was the only part I saw. He was a huge unstoppable force who was prepared to fully integrate Lyric into the world I’d tried to shield him from.
I didn’t know what else to do, so I went to check on Lyric. Standing beside his crib, I felt the anger slip away as soon as my eyes rested upon the innocence of his slumber. He was stuck in the middle of what I’d lied to avoid. I felt as if my heart was being shredded into a million pieces.
Kellan had followed me to the nursery. He stepped beside me, and we both watched Lyric sleeping peacefully, for what could very well be his last nap in Belize. Kellan had been great throughout all of this. When I’d told him of my pregnancy, he’d encouraged me to tell Aiden, and I almost did. Ultimately, I’d decided against it, and once I’d shared my reasons for leaving, Kellan had given me nothing but one hundred percent support. He’d even decided to move here, and now he had to change his plans yet again because of me.
I hated to wake Lyric, but I had little choice. He was resting so peacefully, blissfully slumbering despite the chaos erupting around us. I reached into the crib and lifted him from his safe haven. He squirmed and made those adorable baby moans as I placed him on my shoulder.
I looked up at Kellan. His handsome face was twisted in pain—this was killing him, too. My relationship with him was complicated. We weren’t really a couple, but we weren’t exactly not a couple either. When he visited, we lived in the same house. We shared the same bed. We’d seen each other naked. We’d kissed and touched—actually, we’d done a lot more than touch, but it didn’t really work. Not the way it should for people who loved each other. We were in a holding pattern. He was being patient with me—probably too damned patient. I hadn’t been able to give him the part of myself that had been sealed and locked away—not yet. I’d wanted it to happen, but it somehow never did, and now it might never have the chance.
I started the short walk from the nursery and down the hall, slowly making my way to the living room. I absolutely did not want this, but I had no choice—there were no more cards to play, no more places to run.
The tension grabbed ahold of me as soon as I stepped over the threshold. Aiden and his cronies were standing in the far corner of the room and Robin was reviewing the nurses’ identification and signing paperwork. I took a seat in the chair farthest from Aiden’s group and waited.
Minutes later, Robin led the nurses over to Lyric and me. I sat quietly and watched one of the nurses, Anja, pull on a pair of latex gloves. She lifted a swab and a small container from her bag. “Is it okay to take yours first?”
I glared at her and my eyes fell to her snug top. Was she at work or a fucking night club? Her top was so tight, I could see her nipples. And why was I being swabbed? It wasn’t as if we didn’t all know I was Lyric’s mother.
I glanced at Robin and she nodded. Sighing, I opened my mouth and Anja rubbed the swab end of the scraper on the inside of my cheek. She then swabbed Lyric while the other nurse swabbed Aiden. Two other staff from Menudos Labs entered soon thereafter to collect the specimens, and Robin and the others left directly afterwards.
Kellan, Lyric, and I were finally alone. Kellan reached for the baby, and I passed him to the only man who’d been in his short life. That was all about to change. I didn’t want this. I hated it, but there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it. I left them alone, allowing Kellan some of the final uncomplicated moments he’d have with Lyric. I traipsed back to my room and started packing a bag—I knew how this would end.
In the midst of tears, I’d managed to pack most of what I’d need for Lyric. The rest could be shipped or purchased in the States.
“I think our little guy’s hungry,” Kellan said. He was standing in the door of my bedroom and Lyric was squirming about in his arms.
“Give me a minute.” I grabbed Mom’s quilt and my sacred box of memories and set them on the bed. Then I hurriedly pulled some clothes from my closet and tossed everything in a bag. Despite Kellan’s attempts to soothe Lyric, he showed no signs of calming down so we headed to his room.
“I was hoping to get him back on his schedule, but it looks like I’ll have to forgo schedules for the time being,” I said. Kellan followed me to the nursery and passed Lyric to me. Sitting in the rocking chair, I lowered my top. Lyric quickly latched on, and I smiled at his eagerness. I wiped the tears from his beautiful eyes as he looked up at me. I was supposed to protect him, but there was no amount of distance from the Raines that could do that now. I’d failed him.
Once Lyric finished, I talked to him for a while, cradling his head as I bounced him in my lap. I watched his eyes widen in response to my one-sided conversation. I loved how he seemed to display the correct facial expressions when I said particular things. I knew he couldn’t possibly understand me, but I often pretended he could.
“Looks like Aiden and his people are back—they’re sitting outside in the limo.” Kellan walked in with a sandwich and an apple. “You need to eat something.”
Did they have the results already? I was about to call Robin when my phone rang. It was my sister, Lia. I passed Lyric to Kellan and took her call. She was with Bianca so I asked her to place the phone on speaker. I told them what was happening, and I asked if either of them had spoken to Aiden or anyone else about my whereabouts. They both answered no.
They were very upset that it had all come to this. Bianca mentioned that moves like this were what caused her to initially dislike Aiden. After Mom passed, Aiden demanded I leave Dayton, and that had upset Bianca more than I realized…until today. Thinking back, I could certainly understand her reservations. Aiden did often give off an air of arrogance and control that could be very disconcerting.
I told them not to worry, and that I would keep them posted. They had planned to visit me in Belize for Thanksgiving, but that was definitely not going to happen now. Aiden’s appearance was disrupting many lives, and I hated him for it.
Walking into the nursery, I saw that Kellan had placed Lyric in his crib. As I so often did, I stood over it and watched him sleep. I turned on the mobile and studied him as he looked above his head, his fingers in his mouth and his eyes exploring. His lids started to slowly close, flickering a few times before he fell into a quiet sleep.
Lyric’s life was about to change. He was going to be swallowed up by the world from which I’d run. I loved him so much—more than I could have ever imagined. I thought back to the day I’d learned of my pregnancy. Hearing those words had stopped my breathing. I thought the test was defective, or they made some type of mistake and had given me the results of another patient. I never wanted children, and the mere thought of motherhood had made me terribly afraid.
As I’d sat in the cold, lonely exam room, my hand dropped to my belly and I was suddenly filled with an unexpected surge of love. Then I’d thought of Aiden and panicked. He would have rejected this child, and I couldn’t accept that.
I knew I had to make sure that a resentful, dysfunctional child didn’t result from my love for Aiden. I wanted my baby to have the best possible chance of a happy life, far happier than mine or Aiden’s had been. The longing and desperation of growing up without the love and attention of my parents had resulted in my having serious relationship issues—issues that negatively affected every aspect of my life.
A child deserved to feel loved, wanted, and secure. This child would have that. I would make certain of it. That’s when I knew I had to leave Aiden. He didn’t want children. When Nadia had been pregnant with his child, he’d urged her to have an abortion—something for which he had zero regret.
And he had made it clear that his priority was work. His bitch of a mother confirmed that he might never settle down with a wife or family. Perhaps I should have spoken to Aiden about it, maybe subtly confirmed Sienna’s claims, but I’d actually witnessed enough to feel the truth in her words. Since I first met Aiden, he’d always placed Raine Industries first. My lonely days, nights, and even holidays without him had proven that.
My phone pinged. It was Robin. They expected the results tomorrow morning. The things that money could buy would never cease to amaze me. Robin had said they typically received results within two to three days. And here we were expecting them within twenty-four hours. But if the results weren’t ready, why were Aiden’s people sitting outside? I quickly answered my own question. Evidently, they were doing exactly what he’d threatened—they were watching me.
I went to the nursery and packed one last bag for Lyric and then made a call to my realtor to get someone to pack up the house and have everything either donated to charity or shipped to my place in Boston. I had no idea where I’d end up, actually.
* * * * *
I awoke early the next morning and headed to the kitchen for a cup of tea. As I reached into the cabinet, there was a knock at the door. I knew it was Aiden. I opened the door and there he was. I was surprised to see him alone. I looked past him but there was no one. What was going on now?
“It was suggested we talk. Do you have a moment?” His voice was devoid of all emotion.
“Yes.” I stepped aside and allowed him in. It was hard to imagine this man had once held my heart in the palm of his hands, and I’d held his. We were strangers now, attempting to coexist for the sake of our son.
We sat at the table in the kitchen. “Would you like something to drink?”
“No, I’m fine,” he replied. His eyes fell to my neck—to the orchid necklace he’d given me. I’d forgotten I was wearing it, and I wished like hell that I hadn’t been. He glowered at it and then back at me. He was angry, he was hurt, and he was beautiful.
“So.”
“Let’s start with the facts,” he said, staring blankly at me. “The paternity test is a formality. I know he’s mine, and I want him with me. He’ll be raised by me—as a Raine. There’s nothing you can say that will change my mind, so I don’t think a talk at this late date will change very much of anything.” He sat back and crossed his arms, his eyes throwing daggers at me. There was so much rage pouring from him. It was as though he was crossing his arms in attempt to hold in what he desperately wanted to release.
“There’s no judge in the world who will take Lyric from me, Aiden. This is temporary at best and you know it.”
“If you think so,” he replied. His tone was resolute, as if there wasn’t a chance in hell he could be wrong.
“I know so, and if you think you’re going to breeze in here and take my son, you‘d better think again.”
“Isn’t that what you did? I would never have known had it not been for—”
> “For what?” I asked.
“Never mind.” His lips thinned into a frustrated line. “Point is I know, and my son is leaving with me.”
“All indicators do point to that, but surely you know I’ll be wherever my child is.”
“He’ll be at my home in Chicago, and I know how much you love being there.”
The dark sarcasm of his words iced my stomach. I’d labeled him a stranger, but that was an inaccurate assessment. He was several degrees colder than any stranger could ever be. But no matter how cold he was, he would not force me out of Lyric’s life. “You’re right, I do.” Sarcasm works both ways, asshole. “When do we leave?”
His phone pinged. He checked his text and started typing a message. “Aria, that’s not happening,” he said, not looking up from his phone.
“Either I go, or you’re going to have to deal with one hell of a PR nightmare. Is that what you want? I know how important your precious Raine Industries is to you.” I was totally throwing out Robin’s advice, but I couldn’t help it. He was not holding all of the cards here.
His jaws flexed as he slid his phone back into his pocket. “What do you want, Aria?”
“I know it’s gone far beyond my getting what I want, so it’s basically come down to what I can accept. What was your plan?”
“Arrangements have been made for him to live with me and my family in Chicago.”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “You mean your parents’ place?”
“Yes.”
“What if I get a place in Chicago? He’ll live with me and you can visit as often as you’d like.”
“You can’t be serious.” He shook his head as a wry smile traced his lips. “Do you think I would trust you?”
“There’s nothing to conceal at this point, Aiden so—”
He lifted his hand, signaling me to stop. “That’s not going to happen.”
