Chapter 721
The Stroud family wasn’t exactly a powerhouse, but Cassian was kind of a big deal in elite circles. He worked as an unofficial agent for the State Security Bureau, and it looked like he was about to be officially brought on board.
“Mr. Stroud, I’m Amare, a young guy said eagerly as he walked up. “I heard you were involved in that spy arrest last month. Any chance you can tell us what went down?”
Cassian had been part of the operation, but just as a backup. He didn’t do much. “Classified. Can’t share the details,” he said flatly.
Amare nodded fast. “Get it. I shouldn’t have asked.”
Right then, a rich girl in a pink dress stepped in. “Mr. Stroud, my dad always says you’re the most impressive young agent in the Bureau. It’s honestly an honor to meet you.”
The truth was that the real stars were Cathy and Gerald. But in places like this, people left those names out on purpose. It just made things easier.
“You’re too kind,” Cassian said with a slight nod. His eyes scanned the room until they landed on Aria. She seemed to sense it and turned to meet his gaze until someone suddenly stepped between them.
“Aria!” Derek came stumbling over, clearly in a rush.
Fryderyk grabbed his arm quickly. “Chill out. She’s not going anywhere.”
“Thanks, Fryderyk,” Derek said with a crooked smile. Then to Aria, he added, “There’s some great food over there. I’ll take Julia with me.”
“Okay,” Aria agreed.
As soon as she heard that, Cloe let go of Kim’s arm. “Go do what you need to.”
Kim had something to deal with. When he saw Owen still hanging around next to Aria, he called out, “Owen, I need a word.”
Owen turned and leaned close to Aria. “Go ahead and chat with Cloe. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay,” Aria said with a soft nod.
Amanda chimed in smoothly, “You two go ahead. I’m gonna catch up with some old friends. I’ll find you later.”
Aria smiled. “Of course, Ms. Ward.”
They made their way to the lounge area and settled on the couch. Derek started playing with Julia while Cloe leaned tiredly on Aria’s shoulder.
“It’s about Aiden, isn’t it?” Aria asked gently.
Cloe let out a sigh. “Yeah. He moved into our neighborhood, and now he drops by every single day to see Julia. He’s over eighty. I couldn’t bring myself to shut him out.
“He almost offered me the entire Shaw Group just to get me to marry Kim.” Aiden’s reaction had thrown her off. She hadn’t expected him to care so much about her and Julia.
“What do you want to do?” Aria asked.
1/2
“I’m just letting things play out,” Cloe said quietly. “If the Shaw family wants to recognize Julia, I’m not gonna stand in the
way.
She could feel how much Aiden genuinely loved Julia. What made the difference, though, was his promise. If she and Kim got married and Julia officially became part of the Shaw family, she could still keep her last name, Woods.
That promise erased her last bit of hesitation. They weren’t trying to take Julia away from her. Cloe had already accepted
Kim into her heart.
The problem was, he was as emotionally clueless as they came. Ever since she turned down his proposal, he’d never brought it up again.
“Now that I think about it,” Cloe added, “how come Aiden’s only pushing me and Julia, not you and Owen?”
Aria laughed softly. “Oh, he tried. But after one talk with Owen, he never brought it up again.”
“Owen’s sharp. He knows how to shut things down,” Cloe said, then glanced toward Kim and rolled her eyes. “Not exactly like that human statue over there.”
Fryderyk’s eyes flicked over to Cassian before settling back on Aria. Amanda noticed and smiled to herself. After their blind date, she’d figured it out pretty quickly. Fryderyk only said he liked Aria so he could turn her down.
That might’ve been true back then, but it wasn’t anymore. Fryderyk had feelings for Aria now. Too bad his chance had already passed. That’s what happens when one uses someone else as a shield.
The ballroom was getting crowded now. When the Saxon family arrived, it stirred things up. Caleb, Wilson, and Silvia headed straight for Aria.
Nathan paused for a second and then quietly followed them. Zoe looked like she wanted to go too, but Logan gently stoppe her. “Zoe, let it go. The fact that the kids are even bonding with Aria is already a win.”
