Chapter 253
1276words
“By the way, how was your talk with Mr. K last night? You look so exhausted this morning, and you had to go to the temple, so I wasn’t able to ask you,” Albert suddenly asked, making my heartbeat palpitate so much that it felt like it would jump out of my chest any minute now.
The guilt I felt for him because of that night’s mistake and the addicting sensation that lingered on me when I was with Mr. K were fighting inside of me, making me both breathless and in pain.
I took a sip from his coffee and took that advantage to calm myself.
Putting it down, I cleared my throat. “It’s nothing much. He just wanted to buy the Ruby mines, and we discussed its terms.”
Shrugging my shoulders to look more natural, I added, “I also asked if I wanted to learn more about Wakeland’s matters, and he was kind enough to give me some input.”
I second looked at my exposed skin of guilt to make sure there was no evidence left in there, although I’m pretty sure that all the bruises and hickeys Mr. K had left me had already been healed from the overnight stay I did in my office.
“That’s wonderful news, Della! We should be celebrating! Securing a deal like that would really strengthen your leadership in Wakeland. I’m proud of you.” His smile was massive, reaching his eyes filled with love and pride.
With a smile, I nodded my head and said, “Thank you, Albert. It’s all partly because of you.”
We shared a smile of understanding, which made me happy that even in saying those simple words, I could at least slightly reciprocate his love.
After a short pause, I continued, “It is indeed a good opportunity… but something about Mr. K that concerns me. You’ve never met him, but he’s… dangerous.”
Dangerous on so many levels, one could assume.
Seeing the seriousness and probably worry in my eyes, he let out a small laugh of comfort and stood up before sitting back down beside me.
He extended his arms, put them around me, and pulled me into a side embrace. “The real danger here in Wakeland is Kendrell and the Rogue King, Drake. Don’t overthink it. Mr. K might be quite intense, but he’s here to help you. With his support, you’ll secure your place in Wakeland in no time.”
My chest tightened as I heard the confidence in his tone. He sounded so reassured and at ease that he didn’t even seem to have any thoughts that I had betrayed him with Mr. K and that Mr. K was here for more than he probably thought.
Mr. K’s mask flashed in my mind once again, and I wondered how our encounters turned out. No matter for what reason, I still believed that he was too ambitious, which made him a dangerous man as he could affect Wakeland in so many ways.
Mr. K couldn’t be my full ally, and I needed to find a way to act and set things right as soon as possible.
Later that night, Albert finally left me alone to focus on the other work I needed to finish. I lay back in my chair with the file of Ruby mine in my hand, reading every necessary detail on it.
Aaden was playing with blocks near me. He is so sweet and he knew I was working, so he played by himself most of the time. He didn’t even make any noise.
Suddenly, the sound of his toy car moving stopped, so I looked at him again and found him looking at me with wonder. “Mom, I went near the banquet yesterday. And I met an uncle… he was wearing a half mask.”
I really didn’t hear anything he said as my mind was still focused on the materials I was reading. Besides, it's a masquerade ball, so everyone probably looked the same.
“Yeah?” I asked absentmindedly and nodded my head as I went back to reading.
“He said I look a lot like a friend of his,” Aaden added, making my mind completely go blank as my body froze.
My heart trembled in fear before I finally managed to move. Putting the files back on my desk, I shifted my full attention to Aaden and looked at him seriously.
I observed every detail of his face as if he were nearing slipping from my grasp. Looking at his eyebrows and expressive eyes, which were so similar to Kylian’s, it couldn’t be a shock if someone saw Kylian in him.
But what worried me most was Kylian’s friend would see him and tell him about it.
My heart clenched in pain. If Kylian found out that Aaden was his son, he’d surely fight for custody, and I wouldn’t be able to handle losing my son.
The only thing worse than having sex with Mr. K and betraying Albert accidentally would be letting Kylian back into my life again.
“Aaden… what did you say to this man?” I asked in caution but kept my tone soft so as not to scare him.
Aaden looked up at me and seriously replied in an adult manner, “I told him that I’m the son of one of the helpers in the kitchen.”
I blinked in shock, not expecting him to say such things above everything.
After a while, I let out a huge smile as amusement flickered in my eyes. All my worries had earlier vanished so easily. Even at his young age, he was already very clever and knew how to be cautious.
Stopping myself from laughing, I asked, “Why did you say that though?”
Not that I’m complaining.
“Daddy told me that if anyone says I look like someone, they might be a bad person who wants to take me away. So I told him I was just a servant’s son,” he replied nonchalantly before he grabbed his toy again.
Albert indeed took a precaution in everything, and once again, he was right. Aaden looked very like Kylian, and if they weren’t cautious enough, Kylian might file for custody, which would be a huge hassle I’d have to face.
“You did great, son.” I couldn’t hold it anymore. I kneeled down beside him and engulfed him in a warm and tight hug.
The mere thought of losing him, even just for a second, was already bringing me so much fear.
“I don’t want to leave you and Daddy. I want to stay here,” he whispered in a small voice, making me pull away a little to look at his eyes that flickered with fear.
Giving him a smile, I pinched his cheek a little before kissing him on the temple: “No one’s going to take you away, Aaden. I promise you, I’ll protect you. Always.”
Finally, he relaxed and hugged me back tighter.
We were like that for a few seconds more when my phone on the table suddenly rang.
“I love you, airways.” After saying that, I let go of Aaden and gave him his toys to play with again while I returned to my table and answered Ssapphire’s call.
“Princess Della, I just wanted to remind you that if you’re inspecting the ruby mines tomorrow, you must stay clear of the one near the beach. It’s too risky,” she said before I could ask anything.
My brows furrowed. “What? Why? What’s going on?”
“I just found out that it's where the Rogue King and his gang have been hiding out. It’s dangerous. Please keep your distance from that area as much as possible,” she said cautiously.
