Arya went over Ayden's rules, underlining the ones that seemed excessive and making notes on some of them. She knew there were things she had to abide by, like not eating raw seafood, or sushi. She loved sushi, and it was something she would miss.
Likewise, she spares no thought to leave the room, this one has its bathroom, so she showers before going to sleep. A message on her phone comes in just as she gets ready to lie down.Ayden_ 11:23 p.m.Are you awake?The young woman rolls her eyes and with a towel on her head and the same clothes she was wearing leaves the room searching for the millionaire.“Here I am,” she warns aloud as she steps out into the hallway.The whole house lies in darkness except for a faint light coming from one room. The door to this one opens and out steps Ayden in sweatpants, shirtless and barefoot.Arya has to make sure to keep her mouth shut when she notices how beautiful his body is. Well-worked biceps and belly are some of the things she notices. She feels her hands shaking and her heart racing as he gets closer.“Have you finished reading the contract?” he asks, noticing that she has just bathed, and her erect nipples are translucent beneath the thin fabric of her blouse.Arya notices the look on his face and puts her arms crossed over her breasts.“Yes, I already read it all and made some notes,” she turns to go searching for them, Ayden walks behind her looking at her slender body and imagining her naked. “Here, I hope you will sincerely consider my proposals, remember I am almost a doctor and I know what can and will not affect the baby.”“Ok, tomorrow we will go at ten o'clock for the first appointment at the clinic, my driver will pick you up” he indicates without looking at her, his sight lies on the papers she has just given him. “At least your requests are understandable. I'll let you know tomorrow.”Ayden walks to the nearby wall, touching a panel, and it opens, revealing the entrance to a spacious closet.“I told you would have everything you need,” he points inside, and Arya is amazed to see such a size of closet. “It's all yours, we'll buy what you require as time goes on. Dry your hair, it's wet and you might get sick.”Arya doesn't know what to say, so she mumbles a terse, thank you. Ayden's pulse quickens as he sees her reaction, but he keeps it at bay. He leaves the room without waiting, but before he crosses the door, he manages to hear a “Good evening, sir” from the young woman's lips.“Very kissable lips,” he thinks, and then returns to his room.The next morning, while waiting for the doctor who will attend them, Ayden checks with his father about that night's appointment, both are nervous. He notices, for, Arya won't stop biting her nails.“Leave your nails alone,” she asks, clenching her jaw. “It makes me desperate to see you do it.”Arya stops doing it immediately and tries to stay calm.“I'm anxious, last night I couldn't sleep well, and today I couldn't even taste a bite, what if your father finds us out?” she asks with doubts in her head and soul. “Am I afraid…?”“Arya Harley?” asks the doctor's assistant, interrupting the young woman's comment. “Come in.”The handsome man stands up, beside him the young expectant mother-to-be looks drained and disheveled. Even though she has put on jeans that fit her almost non-existent curves and a long sleeved coral colored blouse and low shoes, she still looks improper.Ayden Emory's presence alone was imposing, not only because of her height, but because of her athletic yet slender build, as well as her character and beauty. She was an Adonis to anyone who dared to give her a good passing glance.“Good morning, take a seat,” invites the doctor opening the clinical file received from Arya, “I see that the procedure to follow will be an artificial insemination, is that right?”“That's right, we have all the papers in order and the contract has already been handed over to the legal area.” Ayden spreads a folder in front of the doctor, and the doctor opens it. “This is the letter of acceptance and legal approval.”The doctor checks that everything is in order, then hands the folder back to him. The doctor tells them about the treatment and checks Arya's physical condition, after making her conclusions she warns them of some difficulties that may arise.“As I told you, the artificial insemination may or may not be successful, but for that, I will put you on treatment, both of you,” she warns and extends a prescription. “Arya, since your menses is about to arrive, we will inject you with this medication that will make your eggs better recipients. And in your case, Ayden, you will take these hormones to strengthen the sperm. Follow the directions I've put there and I'll see you in three days. Oh, and Arya, I've prescribed some prenatal vitamins that will do you good.”“Thank you, Dr. Packard,” Arya says, standing up to leave.Ayden is the one who finishes the thanks and catches up with the young woman in the parking lot.“Are you okay,” he asks, seeing her livid.“Yeah, just overwhelmed, but I'm fine,” she lies and though he notices she says no more.“Do you want something to eat,” he asks out of politeness. “Can you…?”“I'm fine, go back to whatever you're doing, I'll come to your house.”“He thinks, "Your house," and remembers that she is alone.“Come on, let's go home,” he invites, opening the driver's door. “I have to tell you some things about my family, put you on notice.”Arya climbs in, and he takes his place next to her behind the wheel. He starts the car and pulls out into city traffic.“My father inherited my grandfather's company, and so I was supposed to inherit it,” he explains without taking his eyes off the streets. “However, my brother for a while now has been pushing hard and pushing for me to leave him part of it.”“What is your family's company from,” the young woman asks curiously.“It is of various products, makeup, creams, pharmaceuticals, perfumes… we have a wide variety of stock to offer, but my brother as a doctor wants to stay with the pharmaceutical area, he plans to divide the company.” Ayden exposes squeezing the steering wheel. “My father has told him that he has no children, no heir, he has told me the same thing, but well, the important thing you should know is don't trust him, he is my brother, but he is an unscrupulous bastard.”“Okay, so you have a brother who is an unscrupulous bastard and a blackmailing and manipulative father, don't trust. Noted.” Arya makes a sign pointing to her temple.Ayden laughs at the joviality with which she expresses herself and for a moment feels that life has been too long. She is only thirty-one, but feels as if she is sixty.“Anything else you'd like to know,” he asks, being more accessible than usual.“Your favorite food and dessert.”“I like to eat lasagna, and for dessert…peanut butter. But my favorite dessert is chocolate strawberries…”“Really?”“What's wrong with it?”“Nothing, I just thought it was curious. I really like sushi and for dessert, strawberries, and cream… you can poison me with that, and I wouldn't even notice.”Ayden lets out a laugh-out-loud smile at Arya's expression. She is amazed to see him so relaxed, as she never thought she would see him like that. At least they had strawberries in common.Before they know it, they are in the parking lot and walk up to the apartment. They spend the afternoon chatting until they get ready to go to dinner. Arya puts on a black ruffled v-neck dress, puts a few curls in her hair for volume, and discreetly puts on her makeup. As she leaves the room, Ayden waits for her in the living room and gapes at the sight of her.“She looks gorgeous” he thinks to himself.“Ready?” he asks aloud, and she nods with a blush tingeing her cheeks.They are driven by Ayden's personal chauffeur to her father's home in Cobble Hill. When they arrive, the handsome millionaire comes down to open the door for her as they proposed. Despite his reluctance to touch a woman, he does. The two intertwine their hands, feeling their palms touch each other.Ayden completely covers Arya's hand, they feel the electricity passing through their skin, and the touch of each movement causes flutters in her heart and stomach.“Remember, as we planned,” Ayden repeats and rings the doorbell.Old Gerard is the one who opens, he wasn't about to wait for his housekeeper to open to see if it was true what his son had said.“Boys, welcome,” he greets as he opens the door. “Come in, your brother, Mark has already arrived.”“Father, this is Arya, my bride.” they both let go of each other's hand, so she can greet her fake father-in-law.“Welcome Arya, I'm pleased to meet you, I never expected this moment to come,” he says, hugging her, and she is surprised by the gesture.“Thank you, the pleasure is mine. Ayden has talked a lot about you,” he comments even though he knows better, he has only told her the essentials. “I have brought a present for you. Directly from Cuba.”The young woman hands him a small wooden box with Cuban cigars inside.“You do know, girl, these are the good ones,” she warns, holding one up to her nose to smell it. “They smell… exquisite.”Ayden watches the exchange of words, but knows all too well that politeness in her father comes through above his true intentions. As she enters the room, her brother Mark steps forward to introduce himself.“Nice to meet you, Arya, I'm Mark,” he greets, extending his hand.She recognizes that handsome runs in the family and makes sure it doesn't show that she has been overawed by Ayden's brother.“Nice to meet you,” she greets, and though she reaches for the touch of Ayden's hand.However, when she turns to see him, she notices how he lies rubbing his hand on his pants with the one he had taken her hand a few minutes before. She does not understand how one moment he can be such an attentive and even gallant man, and the next he wipes his hand from her touch as if he had soiled it. That saddens her, she thought he liked her despite everything, she would be the mother of his future son or daughter.“Come, would you like a glass of wine, red, white or rosé, ?” Mark asks her, ignoring his brother.“You can't drink,” Ayden points out, returning to the young woman's side and escorting her to sit down.“Now you've taken to being domineering and controlling your partner,” her brother asks in a scathing tone.Ayden is about to answer when she interrupts him.“Not at all, he's a sweetheart to me,” she smiles complacently. “Only… Arya brings her left hand to her belly for extra drama. We're expecting a child.”The faces of the three of them are a poem, Ayden's because they hadn't planned it, and it took him surprised, Mark's because he felt his efforts to keep the company vanish before him and old Gerard's because he didn't expect it, he would finally be a grandfather.“Congratulations,” the old man says happily and walks over to them to hug them.Arya stands up and hugs him, Ayden reluctantly does the same.“I knew you wouldn't disappoint me,” he says to his firstborn. “Come, let us dine, this is to be celebrated.”Mark offers his congratulations feigning perfectly, Arya believes his words, but Ayden does not. After he walks after his father into the dining room, he stops Arya and approaches her threateningly.“You shouldn't have done that,” he mutters through gritted teeth, and then grabs her arm. “When we get home, we'll talk about this very seriously.”“Let go of me!” she demands in a low voice. “You don't have to touch me if I disgust you so much.”Arya breaks free from Ayden's grip and walks to her fake in-laws. Meanwhile, Ayden feels the tingle in his hand, although he was confused, he now understands why she thinks he is disgusted by her.If only she knew the truth about him, she wouldn't get such ideas.“This is the worst dinner I've ever been to” were the words Ayden said as soon as he left his father's house. Arya feels that this has been because of her, and even as she gets into the car, she feels her heart getting smaller and smaller. “Everything all right,” Ayden asks as he enters her apartment. The young woman looks at him distressed, but says no more. She just stares at his perfect face, carved by the gods of Olympus. He's so fucking handsome; it makes her scorn hurt all the more. “Yes, goodnight,” she finally says goodnight and advances to her room. “Wait, I know there's something wrong with you, you've been dodgy and looking like a dying animal.” the Adonis throws in her face. Arya takes a breath as her mind and mood are not connected to her strength. “Nothing, I'm just tired,” she replies and tries to leave again. “I told you to wait,” Ayden growls with a distinctly annoyed tone in his voice. “For what!!! I don't understand what you have against me. I will be the mo
Arya wonders how Ayden will see to it that her brother does not find her. Two days had passed since that first call, and she doesn't know how to talk to her benefactor without upsetting him. He has been “resting”, eating and walking around the house like a stray cat. In the afternoons, she goes for a short walk to Central Park and returns just before he gets back. The doctor asked that they return on the third day when his period started and they did. During the visit, the doctor asked Ayden for a sample of his semen. The latter almost choked when she told him that there were graphic magazines or a television with access to adult videos in the room. Arya blushed just thinking that on the other side of that room, Ayden would be masturbating. “You have nothing to worry about, that cubicle is soundproof and will have everything you need if necessary,” the doctor explained, opening the door for him to pass through. Ayden looks quickly from there to Arya, who, awakening her curiosity,
Since that day, they had not heard from Mark or Gerard's order. On the one hand, Arya wanted peace and quiet, she had tried to keep the party peaceful with Ayden. He had decided to have breakfast with her, after each hormone injection.He had to make sure she was healthy, the day of the insemination had come and they were both nervous. Likewise, he had had to re-sample to make sure the most feasible sperm were selected.“Everything will be fine, you have nothing to worry about,” assures the doctor, who has Arya already on the gurney with her legs spread wide open. “You will feel only slight discomfort, but it will pass.”Arya nods, she is nervous, her hands are shaking, and she mentally prays to heaven that everything will be all right. She hadn't talked to Ayden about what would happen in case she couldn't get pregnant, would she have to pay back all the money or just a part of it? After all, her mother was out of danger.She had managed to get through to her and although Mirella woul
But it is too late, Ayden has admired what to him is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen.“Sorry, sorry” he turns around realizing his imprudence. “I, I was just trying to tell you that I'll go to the pharmacy, I'll wait for you there.”Arya picks up the robe that only covered her front and hides behind the bulkhead.“Okay” she replies flushed with embarrassment.Ayden comes out equally, if not more, embarrassed by such a reckless interruption on her part.“If you'll be an idiot, Ayden” he mutters to himself as he walks to the pharmacy to change the medications.Arya staying feels a pang of emotion, he has seen her naked and blushed.“Perhaps, he finds me attractive after all” he thinks as he dresses.“Don't be silly, he's a millionaire from Central Park, he would never notice you” she whispers to nothing.Once they leave they head straight home, Ayden has had a special caterer prepared to celebrate.“Wow! This is wonderful” she says as she sees the dining room table with differe
“What's wrong?” asks Ayden worriedly.“Nothing, nothing, everything is fine.” He looks at his new pulse watch and notices the time. “We can go now, I'm a little tired.”“It's okay Arya, but if there was something that made you angry, just say so,” he warns. “I'm not a fortune-teller, and if you don't tell me what upset you, I won't be able to help you at all.”Arya, reluctant to speak, decides to keep quiet, for her own and the family's sake.Ayden drives carefully until they reach his house, once there each one retires to their rooms without saying a word to each other. He suspects that something happened, but does not demand more because today has been a very heavy day, and they are both tired. The young woman, for her part, decides to prepare everything to go to work the next day, she is excited to be able to do her internship in one of the best hospitals in New York.“Who knew that after all the bad, at least something good happened,” Arya reasons in the darkness of her room.The n
Arya walks to where the parking lot is supposed to be, annoyed.“I came with one of my drivers,” she explains, pointing to an SUV. “And I don't have to walk around controlling anything, you're the one who should be on the phone, not me.”Ayden walks to his sling and opens the door, waiting for Arya to retrace her steps to leave. However, a car parks right in front of the slingshot and the driver opens the door for him.“Can I give you a ride?” asks Mark.Arya walks quickly to him and climbs in, closing the door quickly.Mark locks the door and starts the car immediately.“I saw you argued,” warns Ayden's brother. “That's why I came over, I thought you needed help.”“Thanks, it's really not an argument.” The ringing of her phone starts to ring. “He's just upset because I didn't answer all day, he should get used to it, since I have to do the internship.”Mark lets out a loud laugh at his only brother's expense, Arya doesn't like that, a shiver runs down her spine as she hears him enjoy
Arya finally falls asleep, Ayden decides not to leave her side, as he is worried about her. Instead, he lies down on the couch that lies by the window.When he wakes up, she lies watching him with eyes swollen from crying.“Have you been able to get any rest?” she asks.Ayden sits up, trying to wake up a little.“No more than you, I think. I was left worried about you” he clarifies, standing up to stretch. “I'd like you to tell me what's been going on, you've been absent for a couple of days. I know something is up, but like I told you…”“I'm not a fortune-teller” completes his sentence, making her smile. “I'll tell you, but promise you won't get mad.”Ayden is already frowning, and Arya knows that's not a good sign.“I haven't told you yet, and you're already getting angry” she warns, pointing to the lines between his eyebrows.“Sorry, it's a habit of mine.&r
When he boards in the back, he looks at her judiciously.“If you keep up that behavior, I'm sure by the end of this contract I'll be full of gray hair and will have aged twenty years, at least,” he remarks sarcastically.Arya, in no mood to argue, ignores him and fixes her eyes on the front, she tries not to cry and succeeds.When she arrives at the clinic she just gets out, the car stops, she doesn't say goodbye or anything, she walks angrily inside.Ayden watches her, but does not go after her.“Let's go, at least I'll rest three days from your dramas,” she says to the driver and he laughs.After blurting that out he regrets it, for he actually feels sorry for the young woman, being so talented and not having the support of her family, living in the situation she was living in must have been very painful for her.“It's business, Ayden, it's business. Don't get attached, she'll go away like they all go away” he reminds himself.☆゚・*:.˛˚ღღ゚~εïз~ ღღ゚・*:。.。.・*.☆Mark watched Arya from a