6_Kitten

Knowing Mr Costello was downstairs right now with my family, arranging his marriage with Emily made my stomach flip somehow...

Not in a bad way. Not exactly in a good way either. It was this strange, twisting feeling I couldn’t quite name. I’m not in love with Alexander. I’m really not. I just admire him in a way someone would admire their role model. That was what I kept telling myself as I hid behind a thick pillar at the top of the stairs, heart hammering against my ribs.

I could see most of the dining area from here if I leaned out just enough. Emily was descending the staircase now, strutting like a cat in that tight red gown, every step confident and practiced. She looked perfect, like she belonged in his world. Meanwhile, I stayed pressed against the cool marble, barely breathing.

From this angle, I had a clear view of Mr Costello’s side profile since his back was mostly to the stairs. Those who said this man was a living devil disguised as an angel had a point. Even his side profile was mouthwatering. The sharp line of his jaw, the way his dark hair caught the light, the quiet power that seemed to roll off him in waves. It made my throat feel tight.

I thought Alexander was staring at Emily until I heard him speak, his voice low and commanding, cutting through the room like it owned every inch of it.

---

ALEXANDER POV

“The boy hiding, come downstairs,” I said softly, loud enough for him to hear me.

The entire table seemed surprised at my voice. I ignored Mr Havard’s daughter as she stopped in front of me, smiling brightly like she’d already won. Instead, I stood up slowly, the chair scraping back against the floor. I walked toward the end of the staircase, my eyes fixed on that pillar above.

“Don’t let me repeat myself, boy.”

He was surprised, scared, or maybe both. I couldn’t fully tell from down here. After a long pause, the boy finally moved from behind the pillar, revealing himself. He came down the stairs gently, fiddling with his hands nervously, head kept down the entire way. His steps were hesitant, like he was walking toward his own execution.

He stopped in front of me, still not lifting his head. I reached out and grabbed his chin softly, then tilted his face up so I could see him properly.

I was shocked. Speechless.

I did not expect this… this kind of beauty. My heart flipped, but I didn’t pay attention to it. His hair was a warm brown, slightly messy like he’d been running his fingers through it. His eyes were a deep, normal shade of green, but they held something that hit me harder than I wanted to admit. He was breathtaking in a quiet, unguarded way that most people in our world had long lost.

Too bad I’m here for his sister, not him.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

He hesitated at first, glancing behind me toward his family, then said softly, “Aiden.”

Judging by his appearance, I was sure he was still quite young.

“How old are you?” I asked.

“Eighteen.”

*I thought so,* I said in my mind.

I let go of his chin, though part of me didn’t want to. “What were you doing behind the pillar?”

He didn’t say anything. His silence only made the air between us thicker.

I moved closer to him, close enough that my voice would stay between us. I leaned in and whispered lowly, “You know eavesdropping is bad, kitten, and you could get punished for it, uh?”

He looked startled. His breathing got rapid, and he kept flicking his tongue over his lips nervously. The small movement drew my eyes there longer than it should have. Up close, he smelled faintly of something clean and warm, like soap and whatever detergent they used on his clothes. Nothing like the heavy perfumes floating around the table.

The rest of the room had gone dead silent. I could feel the eyes of his family boring into us, shock, fear, maybe anger. Emily stood frozen a few feet away, her perfect smile cracking at the edges. Her father looked like he wanted to disappear into the floor. But I didn’t care about any of them right now.

Aiden’s gaze flicked up to meet mine for just a second before dropping again. There was something fragile in the way he held himself, like he was used to being invisible and suddenly being seen terrified him. Yet underneath that fear, I caught a spark of curiosity. Maybe even the same strange pull I was feeling.

I straightened up but didn’t step back. “Look at me when I speak to you.”

He slowly lifted his eyes again. Those dark eyes were wide, nervous, but they didn’t look away this time. For a moment, the entire ridiculous dinner faded. The flowers, the food, the nervous parents, the sister in red — none of it mattered. There was just this boy standing in front of me, caught between wanting to run and something else he probably didn’t understand yet.

I could tell he was fighting the urge to fidget. His fingers twitched at his sides. His breathing was still too quick, chest rising and falling under his simple shirt. He looked nothing like the polished, ambitious woman they had tried to sell me. And somehow, that made him more dangerous to my carefully controlled world.

Behind me, someone cleared their throat, probably his mother trying to salvage the evening. I ignored it.

“Aiden,” I said, testing the name on my tongue. It felt different. Softer. “You weren’t supposed to be seen tonight, were you?”

He didn’t answer, but the slight flush creeping up his neck told me enough. I had a thousand questions suddenly. Why had they hidden him? What made this boy so different from the rest of his shining family? And why did the sight of him standing here, nervous and beautiful in the middle of this farce, feel more real than anything else tonight?

I glanced once toward the table, my expression hardening again. “Everyone sit down. The dinner isn’t over.”

But even as I spoke, my attention stayed on Aiden. I could already tell this night wasn’t going the way any of them had planned. Especially not me.

The boy had stepped out of the shadows, and something in me refused to let him slip back in.

---

Aiden stood there, frozen under the weight of Alexander’s gaze. The whisper still echoed in his ears "kitten" sending heat rushing through his body in ways he didn’t want to think about. His family was watching. Emily looked furious. His mother’s face had gone pale with barely contained rage. But Alexander didn’t seem to care about any of them.

For the first time in his life, Aiden felt truly seen. And that terrified him more than anything.