Chapter 214

BRANDON'S POV

I stared down at the documents spread across the hotel bed, but the numbers blurred together. My jaw still ached a bit from where Julian's fist hit me yesterday morning.

But that was nothing compared to the pain in my chest. “I do love you,” Aria’s voice kept echoing in my mind. She had been crying on the hotel balcony when she said it.

I wanted to believe her with all my heart. I needed to. But a dark part of me, the part that never trusted anyone, kept whispering a warning.

Did she only say it because she was scared to lose me? She cared about me, yes. But did she love me the way she used to love Julian Vance?

My phone buzzed on the nightstand. I picked it up and saw it was my secretary calling from the firm back in my home city. I answered immediately.

"Go ahead," I said, leaning back against the pillows.

"Mr. Brandon, I just sent over the finalized investor contracts to your email," she said professionally. "They need your approval by the end of the day. Also, the board is asking about your return date. The merger meetings are piling up."

"I'm looking at the contracts now," I muttered, scrolling through my tablet with one hand while holding the phone to my ear.

"Everything looks standard. I'll sign them digitally within the hour. As for the board, tell them I am handling a vital acquisition here. They can manage the minor details without me."

"Understood, sir," she replied. "What about the afternoon Zoom calls? The London team is already waiting in the virtual lobby."

"Cancel my afternoon Zoom meetings. I have some personal matters to take care of here in the city. Tell the London team we will reschedule for early next week. No exceptions."

"Of course, sir. I will clear your schedule right away. Let me know if you need anything else sent over to your hotel."

"Thank you. That will be all." I hung up and threw the phone down. I couldn't change the past, but I could secure my future. I was going to protect Aria and Amelia, and I was going to make sure Julian never got near them again.

I had already given Anthony the day off. I wanted to handle everything myself today. I wanted to be the one taking care of my queen. Checking my watch, I saw it was just before noon.

I stood up, put on my suit jacket, and left the hotel. I drove straight over to Aria’s company to surprise her. When I walked into her office building, the receptionist nodded politely.

I didn't wait for anyone to announce me. I took the elevator up and pushed open Aria's office door. She was sitting behind a big stack of folders. She looked pale and tired, but still so beautiful.

The moment she looked up and saw me, the stress on her face completely vanished. A soft, real smile took its place. "Brandon," she said, standing up quickly. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm taking my girlfriend out for lunch," I said. My voice softened as I walked over to her. I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her close, and kissed her forehead. "No excuses. You need to eat, and I need to see you.”

Aria let out a low laugh, burying her face in my chest for a second. "Okay. Let me just grab my purse."

We went to a quiet cafe down the street. Over lunch, the heavy tension from yesterday finally began to fade. We talked about her work and normal things. Julian's name didn't come up at all.

But as we finished eating, I reached across the table and covered her hand with mine. "Aria, about this afternoon," I said smoothly. "I don't want you rushing out of work or stressing. I’ll go pick Amelia up from school."

Aria blinked, looking surprised. "Are you sure? Don't you have a lot of work to do for your firm? I know your secretary has been calling you all morning."

"It can wait," I insisted, squeezing her fingers. "I already cleared everything with her. I'll pick Amelia up, take her back to the house, and stay with her. I'll watch her until it’s time to come back and pick you up from work. You can finish your day with a clear mind."

The deep relief in her eyes told me everything. "Thank you, Brandon. Truly. That helps so much. She was really shaken up yesterday, so seeing you walk her out of school will mean the world to her."

"She's my priority, Aria. You both are," I told her, looking straight into her eyes. "I want her to know that nothing has changed."

Aria smiled softly, a tiny hint of sadness in her eyes. "I don't deserve you, Brandon. After all the trouble..."

"Don't say that," I interrupted gently, lifting her hand to press a kiss against her knuckles. "We are a team. Just focus on your work, and leave the rest to me."

After dropping Aria back at her office with a deep kiss, I drove over to Amelia’s school. The moment the little girl walked through the gates and spotted me, her face lit up completely.

She ran straight into my arms, her tiny sneakers clicking on the pavement. "Uncle Brandon!" she squealed as I swung her up into the air. She giggled loudly, burying her face in my neck before pulling back to look at me. "You came to get me today?"

"Of course I did, princess," I said, adjusting her small backpack and planting a kiss on her cheek. "I promised you we were okay, didn't I? Ready to go home and have some fun?"

"Yes! Can we draw pictures together?" she asked, her big, innocent eyes shining with excitement.

"We can draw whatever you want," I smiled, walking her back to the car.

By the time we got back to Aria's house, Amelia was talking nonstop about her school day. She ate her lunch quickly, but her little eyes were already heavy.

The excitement of the day had worn her out. I carried her upstairs to her room, tucked her into bed, and stayed with her until she fell fast asleep.

When I walked back downstairs, I found Sarah, the nanny, waiting quietly by the bottom of the steps. "Is she asleep, Mr. Brandon?" Sarah asked in a soft, polite whisper, her hands folded neatly in front of her.

"Yes," I replied, giving her a short nod. I was always very careful about the people allowed around Aria and my little girl. After Julian's crazy intrusion yesterday, I was on high alert.

"Sarah," I said, my voice dropping low and serious. "I'm sure you know about the... trouble that happened here yesterday morning."

Sarah's eyes went wide, and she looked very sympathetic. "Yes, Mr. Brandon. It was very scary. I tried to keep Amelia in her room, but it all happened so fast."

"I appreciate you looking out for her," I said, staring hard into her eyes to see if she was hiding anything.

"But from now on, security is going to be very strict. Julian Vance is never allowed on this property again. If he even comes near the gate, you call me immediately. Do you understand?"

"Of course, Mr. Brandon," Sarah said quickly, nodding her head.

"Good," I muttered, satisfied with her answer. "Aria and I trust you to keep things quiet."

"Yes, sir," Sarah said quickly, nodding her head with absolute submission. "I would never let anyone hurt Amelia or Miss Aria. You can trust me completely. I only want what is best for this family. I will make sure the doors are locked right now."

"Good," I muttered, satisfied with her answer. "Aria and I trust you to keep things quiet. Remember what I said about Julian."

"Of course, sir. I understand perfectly," she said with a small bow before walking quietly toward the kitchen. I watched her walk away, and a strange feeling hit me.

She was almost too obedient. Every word she said was exactly what a perfect nanny should say, but my gut told me to be careful.

My mind was still filled with doubts and anger about the whole Julian situation, and it made me suspicious of everyone. I put a mental note at the back of my mind to keep tabs on Sarah.

I would have my people run a deeper background check on her later just to be absolutely sure. I left the house and got into my car. On the way back to Aria's company, I spotted a small florist shop on the corner.

I pulled over and walked inside. I selected a beautiful arrangement of her favorite fresh flowers. I wanted her to smile the moment she got into my car.

With the flowers resting on the passenger seat, I drove straight to her company to pick her up. My head was still swirling with heavy doubts about Julian and what Aria really felt, but as I pulled up to the curb, I forced myself to stay calm.

A few minutes later, the glass doors of the office building slid open, and Aria walked out. She looked tired, but the moment her eyes found my car, her pace quickened. I stepped out, holding the bouquet of fresh flowers in my hand.

When I handed them to her, a deep blush crept up her cheeks. She looked so beautifully shy, holding the bouquet against her chest as she looked around the busy street where her coworkers were walking by.

"Brandon, they're beautiful," she murmured softly, her eyes darting away for a split second. "Thank you."

I smiled, opening the passenger door for her, but I noticed something immediately. As we got into the car and I pulled away from the curb, she didn't say a single word about the fact that we were standing right outside her corporate office, in plain view of everyone she worked with.

Usually, she was so guarded about keeping her private life separate from her career. I glanced over at her, a teasing smirk pulling at my lips. "You're awfully quiet about the crowd back there. Aren't you worried someone from your team saw us? You didn't mention a word about me standing outside your office with a giant bouquet."

Aria turned her head to look at me, the shyness in her eyes melting into a quiet, fierce determination. She reached across the console, wrapping her hand over mine.

"I'm not worried at all," she said, her voice steady and clear. "It's time the world knew we were together.”