Page 42 of Lust & Lies

AIDEN

I RUBBED A HAND THROUGH my hair for the tenth damn time in five minutes, then dug my fingers into my scalp, hoping the pain might somehow squeeze the frustration out of me. It didn’t. The tension was still there, would be there until I figured this shit out.

Seated at my desk, I glared at my computer screen, jaw tight, eyes locked on the face of my older brother. I hated how calm he looked. Hated that he got to relax in his fucking office, drinking imported whiskey while watching my world burn from a distance.

As for me, I was about to lose my damn mind while doing everything I could to keep my world from collapsing. Because that’s precisely what was happening right now. The walls were starting to close in on me.

Everything outside this little slice of heaven at my country estate was going to hell. But inside? Inside, I finally had her heart again. Noe was mine again. She smiled when she saw me now. Reached for me. Kissed me first sometimes.

She fell asleep on my chest, and I was finally able to hold her through the night, listening to her breathing, thanking God for this second chance. She’d fallen in love with me again. And now this shit! I slammed my fist down on the desk, rattling the keyboard.

Tristan raised an eyebrow and muttered, “Getting angry and beating your desk isn’t going to solve anything. I told you this would...”

“Shut the fuck up, Tristan,” I growled.

Shaking his head, he took a sip of his whiskey while I tried to wrap my head around what was going on. I’d had the perfect day with Noe. But that call during dinner ruined my entire night. However, the call was necessary.

One of my guys reported that a few of Seo-Jin’s men had been spotted at a store just twenty minutes from here. A small country market with only four parking spaces and one cashier who ran the whole place.

That cashier was on my payroll. That store belonged to me. I’d purchased it so Noe could sell her produce there. I’d purchased one even closer, also. Neither store was bought in either of our names, so how the hell had they found out about them?

“They’re getting closer,” Tristan drawled. “Them showing up at that store wasn’t a coincidence or an accident. It was on purpose.”

Yeah, and that was a fucking problem.

“They were showing people pictures,” I muttered.

Tristan raised an eyebrow. “Pictures?”

“They were showing pictures of Noe. Asking if anyone had seen her.”

“Shit.” Tristan lowered his glass to his desk.

“Yeah. Shit.”

The fact that they were even in this area meant my grandfather had found out about this place, or at least knew I had a home in this area. Thankfully, no one around here would give information to men who’d hopped out of black SUVs. Still, they shouldn’t even know about this place.

“You know this means you and Noe can’t stay there much longer,” Tristan stated what I was already thinking.

“Yeah, I know.”

“I’ve got a question. Answer it honestly. Was your plan working? Did you truly manage to win over Noe?”

I sat back, gripping the arms of the chair. “Yeah. It was working. We were doing great. She’s happy and relaxed. No longer having to look over her shoulder all the time. She was finally opening up to me again. Today, we even did a little gardening.”

Tristan smiled. “Did you actually help or did you just stare at her like some lovestruck fool?”

“Both,” I admitted, not the least bit ashamed.

“You still don’t regret what you’ve done, do you?”

Shaking my head, I said, “No regrets. It’s been so damn good not to have her stare at me with disgust. It feels good not to have her leave the room as soon as I enter or avoid it entirely if she knows I’m there.”

“Or threaten to cut your balls off and feed them to you if you talked to her,” Tristan added.

“Yeah. She hasn’t once threatened to cut my balls off. That alone is progress.”

“There’s only progress because she doesn’t remember that she hates you, Aiden.”

“Why do you always have to say shit like that? I can’t deal with you and with the fucking dogs grandfather has sent sniffing around my doorstep.”

“You knew this experiment you were doing with Noe wouldn’t last forever,” Tristan told me.

“It could if everyone would stay out of our business. And it’s not an experiment. It’s our lives. This is what we’d planned for together.”

“You’re losing your mind over Noe and can’t see things rationally. This won’t end well. You need to consider...”

“She is my only consideration. So don’t fucking tell me what I need to consider, Tristan. I’m not letting her go. And if that’s what you plan to say, we may as well end this fucking call,” I snapped, anger rising.

I would not let go. And I wouldn’t let anyone take her from me. I had no problem killing the men grandfather sent my way. If the old man wanted his watchdogs to live, he needed to keep their bitch asses on a leash.

“Calm down,” Tristan told me. “Mistakes are made when you try to handle shit while pissed off. Calm down. For Noe.”

For Noe. Those were the words that got through to me. I had to handle this calmly for Noe. She was the only thing that mattered. Grandfather and Seo-Jin could not find out she was alive and with me.

Swallowing, I swiped my hand over my face and took a few deep breaths. I’d much rather be with her, bathing and relaxing, instead of talking to my brother. But this call was necessary.

“I’m calm,” I stated after a few seconds.

“Good. What about Min-Gi? How are things on his end?”

“He’s already upped surveillance. The woods around the estate are being patrolled around the clock. The main road leading in is being watched from his side.”

Tristan shook his head with a laugh. “I still can’t believe you’ve got your entire security team living in the damn country, just so you can play house for a few months.”

I glared at him, trying my best to remain calm.

“Okay. Okay,” he drawled. “What about the Hatfields?”

“Gertrude and Samuel have eyes on the side road. With them and Min-Gi monitoring the only roads leading to the estate, no one should be able to get through.”

“And the property itself?” Tristan asked.

“It’s protected. Plus, I’m here. No one is getting to her.”

“What do you mean you’re there?” Tristan chuckled. “With Noe’s skills, she’d end up protecting you. Oh, right. She doesn’t remember she’s a cold-blooded murderer like the rest of us, does she?”

I started to tell him about her encounter with Dolores and thought better of it.

Instead, I said, “Tristan, you’re pushing it, brother.”

My older brother only smiled.

A few seconds later, he said, “You should prepare to move her somewhere else. Have you considered leaving for a little vacation? Noelle used to love going to the Caribbean. If you must relocate, maybe consider taking her to one of the islands for a bit. Grandfather wouldn’t be surprised if you ended up there. ”

I shook my head. “Noe loves Seoul. I’ll take her there if I have to.”

“What about passports?”

“I’ve got everything we need.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “And you’re sure there won’t be any problems leaving the country with her?”

“I’ve planned for everything. I just hadn’t expected shit to unravel this fast. And it's happening just when she’s starting to be happy again.”

Tristan’s eyes softened a bit. “How is she doing? I mean, really doing?”

“She’s good,” I answered. “Really good. But...” I hesitated, wondering if I should tell him.

“What?” Tristan asked. “What is it? Did something happen to her?”

“No. Nothing like that. It’s just... today, she asked about the shed.”

Tristan grinned. “Her Murder Shed? Isn’t that what she called it?”

“It’s now the groundskeeper’s shed. I just need Tomas to go in and make it actually look like a groundskeeper’s shed.”

“If she goes in that shed, it’s over for your little ruse,” Tristan told me. “You'd better keep an eye on her. She’s gonna try to get in there.”

“I know.” I ran a hand down my face, exhaling slowly. “Luckily, she doesn’t remember the code.”

“That memory could return at any time. If she somehow gets in, she’ll see the surveillance setup. The weapons. The laptop and...”

“I know. You don’t have to tell me. I already know.”

Tristan didn’t press further. But he was right.

I was pushing my luck. This entire plan had been a gamble.

I was walking a tightrope above a pit of fire and glass.

One wrong move and it would all fall apart.

But she was worth it. She was worth every lie, every sleepless night, every death. She was worth all of it.

I prayed her memories didn’t return. If they did, I didn’t want her to remember the worst of me before I had a chance to show her the best. Before I had a chance to show her how much I loved her. I just needed a little more time.

“What are you thinking about?” Tristan asked.

My gaze returned to the computer screen.

“If nothing ever happened back then. If grandfather hadn’t interfered.

If Ellie hadn’t fucked shit up. Noe and I would be in Seoul right now.

You’d probably have a little niece or nephew by now.

I’d be a father...” I swallowed, getting choked up.

“But grandfather found out about our plan. And... and you know the rest.”

“I do. Brother, I...” Tristan went silent.

Finally, he sighed. “I don’t agree with the way you’re handling things.

But I understand. I understand what it’s like to lose the person you love due to our grandfather’s bullshit.

You have every right to hate him. You have every right to hate Seo-Jin and Ellie.

Hell, you have a right to hate me because I should’ve done more to help you out back then.

I knew Ellie was lying. But grandfather was using my past against me, forcing me to stay silent.

I shouldn’t have let anything keep me silent. That wasn’t fair to you or Noe.”

“You had your own issues going on,” I told him, no longer angry with him about that.