Chapter 37 She's Always Acting That evening, Alden spent a good couple of hours at Luna's apartment, soothing her frayed nerves, before finally heading home. The moment he stepped inside, he saw his father on the sofa, his face like a thundercloud, clearly waiting for him. "Zane? You're still up?" Zane snorted, "Outside. Now." "Where are we going?" Alden blinked. "I'm a little tired today. Can it wait till tomorrow?" "No! Get your ass out here!" Zane snarled. Alden's brow furrowed. He had no idea what happened to his dad. They went out to the garden. In the dead of night, Zane wasn't worried about anyone overhearing their conversation. "Tiring, isn't it, juggling two women?" Alden froze. Zane's eyes drilled into him. "Tell me. Was there an elevator malfunction at your company today? And were you, Luna, and Kaia all in it?" "Yeah." Alden was completely bewildered. "You have no idea how terrified Luna is of the dark. It took me forever to get her to stop crying." "Hah! Terrified, huh? Crying from noon till night? Alden, do you give a single damn about Kaia? Luna's important, so your fiancée means nothing? Do you even know that you two are getting married soon?" Alden frowned, "Of course, I know. But Kaia's not afraid of the dark." Zane stepped forward, his eyes blázing. "And how the hell would you know? Tell me, Alden-name one woman who isn't scared when locked in a dark, metal box for hours." Alden bristled. "Why are you always taking her side? Luna's your daughter too!" Zane's eyes hardened. "Just remember that! And Luna will always be just a sister to you! Is that clear?" Alden clenched his fists, defiant. It's her again. And I actually thought she'd changed today. It's all an act. What else is she good at, if not crying to Zane with her sob stories? ***** Back at Kaia's place, Alyssa flopped on the couch, peering at her best friend with narrowed eyes. "Kaia," she said slowly, "don't you think Uncle Lucien is… I don't know… into you?" "Definitely not." Kaia shot that down instantly. "Alyssa, Mr. Graves is just a nice guy. He sees me as, like, a niece or something. Don't let your imagination run wild." "True," Alyssa conceded, tapping her chin. "You are technically his nephew's fiancée." Then she added. "Are you sure about calling this wedding off? It's only four days away." Kaia smiled faintly, "Of course. He doesn't love me. Marrying him would be a lifetime of regret." "It's all Luna's fault. Why couldn't she just stay overseas? What's she even doing back here!" Alyssa threw her arms around Kaia. "Look, Kaia, whatever happens with you and my brother, we're always best friends. And I've got your back, no matter what. Don't worry." Kaia smiled faintly, "Oh, have they even told Sir Graves we're calling it quits yet?" Alyssa shook her head. "Nope. Just the other day, some relative was talking about rushing back for Alden's wedding party." Kaia frowned. Only four days left. Are they seriously going to drag this out until the actual wedding day? "I see." Alden had a terrible night's sleep, finally dragging himself into the office the next morning with dark circles under his eyes. He remembered telling Nathan from Admin to check on Kaia, so he made a detour to their department. "So, what happened yesterday after I asked you to look after Ms. Domont?" Nathan looked up, surprised. "Oh-Ms. Domont? She said she was fine and didn't need any help, so… I left." After the elevator incident, every single one in the building had to be inspected. The engineering team was stretched thin. So was he. He barely had time to breathe, let alone babysit a lawyer from a partner firm. Alden tapped his fingers on the desk, lost in thought. "She… She seemed okay, though?" Nathan racked his brain. "A little freaked out, yeah. But I mean-who wouldn't be, right? That kind of thing was a total nightmare." Alden's expression was grim. He didn't say anything else. He just turned and headed back to his office. He was wrestling with whether or not to call her when he received a call from Luna. "Alden, can you please talk to Dad?" Her voice was soft, laced with frustration. "I don't want to go on that blind date. The guy's a total player. Everyone knows it. I don't even want to meet him." "Alden, tell Kaia… if she doesn't want me contacting you after you're married…" Her soft voice hitched. "I won't. I promise. But please, can you talk to Zane for me? I don't want an arranged marriage." Alden's gaze turned icy. "He's forcing you on a blind date?" "Yeah. Joanne called me this morning. They gave me a number and an address and said it was all set for tonight." She exhaled sharply. "But I have a recording session tonight." Alden scoffed internally. "You're not going. I'll deal with it. - Luna, I swear I'm not letting them barter you off like that. Not happening." Any lingering spark of concern he'd felt for Kaia fizzled out. How long is she going to keep pulling this crap? ***** A good night's sleep had done wonders for Kaia. She had to be at the firm early, so she scribbled a note for Alyssa and headed out. It wasn't until she was about to get in her car that she remembered it was still parked in the Alfly Entertainment building's garage. She sent another text to Alyssa, asking her to pick up the car when she woke up. I never want to set foot in that building again. But the universe, apparently, had a different sense of humor. Because as soon as she stepped out of the building, her heart nearly stopped. Standing downstairs-hands in his pockets, looking like he owned the damn sidewalk-was the one person she'd hoped to never see again. Coin Package: Earn up to 1200 bonus for free. X get it Write your comment 1 Gifts