The Billionaire's Bought Bride and Instant Mom Chapter 102

Aveline

I walked into the classroom that morning feeling lighter than I had in weeks. The weekend was approaching, which meant my long-awaited meeting with my mysterious husband was only days away. Soon I'd be free of that ridiculous marriage contract, and I could finally move forward with my life.

And if Orion's recent request for gift advice meant what I thought it meant... well, maybe I'd been too hasty in writing him off completely. If he wanted to take me on a proper date, I might be willing to give him a chance.

*Might being the operative word,* I reminded myself. *He'll have to do a lot better than his usual hot-and-cold routine.*

I was organizing my lesson materials when the familiar sound of small feet running down the hallway announced Ryan's arrival. He burst through the classroom door carrying what appeared to be an entire toy store's worth of dinosaur figurines.

"Miss Aveline!" he called out excitedly, dumping his treasures onto my desk. "Look what I brought you!"

I examined the collection with genuine amazement. There were at least a dozen different dinosaurs, each one exquisitely detailed and clearly expensive. These weren't the mass-produced plastic toys you'd find at a regular store—they looked like museum-quality replicas, complete with scientifically accurate coloring and posture.

"Ryan, these are beautiful," I said, picking up what appeared to be a miniature Triceratops. "But where did you get so many? Did your daddy take you on a special shopping trip?"

"No, no!" Ryan said, bouncing on his toes with excitement. "These are from Sera! She's my new friend, and she loves dinosaurs just like me!"

"Oh," I said, smiling at his enthusiasm. "That's wonderful, sweetheart. I'm so happy you made a new friend."

"She's the best!" Ryan continued, his words tumbling over each other in his eagerness to share. "Yesterday, she sat with me and looked through all my dinosaur books! Every single one! And then after we finished looking at them all, she went out and bought me dinosaur toys! She didn't even eat dinner first!"

My smile faltered slightly.

"That was very generous of her," I said carefully. "This friend of yours—is she about your age? From school?"

Ryan giggled as if I'd said something silly. "No, Miss Aveline! She's grown-up like you, but not as grown-up. She's really pretty and short, and she just finished college! She spent the whole day with me and Daddy yesterday—we went shopping and looking at street shows and everything!"

The words hit me like ice water.

Orion had spent yesterday with a young woman. A young, pretty woman who'd just graduated from college. And they'd gone shopping together, like... like a couple.

"Oh," I managed, trying to keep my voice level. "That sounds... nice."

"Miss Aveline?" Ryan's voice was suddenly concerned. "Are you okay? You look sad."

*Pull yourself together,* I scolded myself. *You have no claim on Orion Blackwell. You work for him. That's all.*

But the thought of him with some fresh-faced college graduate, someone young and uncomplicated who probably looked at him with starry-eyed admiration, made something twist painfully in my chest.

"I'm fine, sweetheart," I said, forcing brightness back into my voice. "I'm just impressed by how thoughtful your new friend is."

"Don't worry, Miss Aveline," Ryan said seriously, moving closer to pat my arm in a gesture that was heartbreakingly mature for a five-year-old. "Sera is nice, but she's way too young to be my new mommy or anything like that."

*Men always like younger women,* I thought bitterly. *Especially when they're barely out of their teens.*

Ryan carefully arranged his new dinosaurs on my desk, then leaned close to whisper in my ear with the conspiratorial air of someone sharing a state secret.

"Besides," he said quietly, "Daddy looks at her completely different than he looks at you."

Despite my dark mood, Ryan's earnest expression made me curious. "Different how?"

Ryan stood back and held up his small hands, apparently preparing to deliver a detailed analysis.

"Well," he said seriously, counting on his fingers, "when Daddy looks at Sera, his eyes are like... like when Mitchell is being polite to people he doesn't know very well. Kind of distant and careful and like he's trying to be nice but really wants to be somewhere else."

He switched to his other hand, his expression growing more animated.

"But when he looks at you, it's like there's a fire in his eyes! Not a scary fire," he added quickly, "but like... like when we light the fireplace in winter and it makes everything warm and bright. His whole face changes, and he gets this look like you're the most interesting thing in the whole world."

The innocent sincerity in his voice made me laugh despite my complicated emotions. "You're very observant for such a little guy."

"I notice everything," Ryan said proudly. "Daddy thinks I don't pay attention, but I see lots of stuff."

"Well, you keep those observations between us, okay?" I said, ruffling his hair. "Some things are better left as secrets between friends."

Ryan immediately snapped to attention and gave me a mock salute. "Message received, commanding officer!"

"Now go play with your friends before class starts," I said, still smiling at his antics.

Ryan gathered up most of his dinosaurs, leaving a few on my desk, and scampered off toward the play area where other children were starting to gather.

I was still processing his surprisingly mature observations when Colin appeared in the doorway, having just returned from his morning break. His eyes immediately went to the elaborate dinosaur display on my desk, then to my face, which apparently still showed traces of my earlier emotional turmoil.

"You and Ryan have such a special relationship," he said warmly, settling into the chair across from my desk. "It's lovely to see how much he trusts you."

"He's a wonderful child," I replied, falling back into my professional tone. "Very bright and sensitive."

"He certainly seems to think the world of you," Colin continued, then paused as if weighing his words carefully. "Actually, Aveline, there's something I've been meaning to ask you. Something that's been... puzzling me."

The serious tone in his voice immediately put me on alert. I remembered the last time Colin had seemed confused about something—right after Orion had whispered whatever he'd whispered in his ear.

*Here it comes,* I thought. *Whatever poison Orion planted is about to surface.*

"What is it?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. "I don't want there to be any misunderstandings between us."

Colin leaned forward slightly, his expression earnest and slightly uncomfortable.

"Are you married?"

The direct question hit me like a physical blow. Of all the things I'd expected him to ask, that hadn't been on the list.

So that's what Orion had told him. Not some lie about my character or my professional competence, but the simple, complicated truth about my marital status.

Suddenly, a lot of things began to make sense. Orion's careful distance. His reluctance to pursue anything beyond professional interaction despite the obvious chemistry between us. The way he kept bringing Ryan into every conversation, as if using his son as a shield against his own feelings.

He knew I was married.

*Oh God. He's been trying to be honorable this whole time, and I've been thinking he was just playing games.*

"Yes," I said quietly, meeting Colin's eyes directly. "I am married. But not for much longer—the divorce will be finalized very soon."

The relief on Colin's face was immediate and obvious. "I thought so," he said. "It explained a lot about... well, about various things I'd observed."

"I'm sorry I didn't mention it earlier," I said. "It's complicated, and I didn't think it was relevant to my work here."

"Of course not," Colin agreed quickly. "Your personal life is your own business. I just... I needed to understand the situation better."