The Billionaire's Bought Bride and Instant Mom Chapter 131

Aveline

The shrill ring of my phone at seven-thirty AM jolted me from the first decent sleep I'd had in days. I fumbled for it blindly, squinting at the screen through bleary eyes.

Orion Blackwell.

Of course.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" I croaked into the phone, not bothering to hide my irritation.

"Good morning to you too, sunshine." His voice was annoyingly cheerful for someone calling at the crack of dawn. "I'm calling to apologize."

"For waking me up? Because that would be a start."

"For yesterday's media circus." His tone shifted, becoming more serious. "I did some digging. The leak came from Sera's father. And I heard about her little visit to Arlington Academy yesterday. I'm sorry you had to deal with that. I promise I'll handle this situation."

I sat up, suddenly more alert, a slow smile spreading across my face. "Handle it? That's interesting. I heard her father is your company's second-largest shareholder. So your ally is stabbing you in the back? Sounds like some serious internal drama." I paused, letting the words sink in."Hard to imagine it's not just a protective daddy fighting for his little princess. Are you sure breaking up with Sera was such a good idea?"

"Break up?" His voice cracked slightly with what sounded like panic. "What break up? We were never together! I made it crystal clear where the boundaries were—"

"Stop." I cut him off smoothly. "I'm really not interested in the gory details."

There was a pause before he continued, his voice more controlled. "Look, don't worry about any of this. Like I said, I'll handle everything—"

"Don't bother."

Silence on the other end.

"I'm sorry, what?"

I swung my legs out of bed, padding toward the kitchen with the phone pressed to my ear. "I said don't bother. You know, Orion, the trouble you've caused me lately could fill a book. Yesterday's flower delivery alone turned Arlington Academy into a gossip battlefield. Mrs. Henderson actually asked if I was planning to 'abandon my professional duties for romantic pursuits.'"

"Aveline—"

"So frankly, one more ridiculous news story is just a drop in the bucket at this point."

Another pause. When he spoke again, there was something almost dangerous in his voice. "You're not bothered by the entire city thinking you're my secret lover?"

I nearly choked on my coffee. "God, you're such an ass! I said I'm not bothered because I'm handling it myself. I'm doing an interview next week—going to introduce myself properly. The real me. And while I'm at it, I'll clarify exactly what our relationship is."

"Oh?" The amusement in his voice was infuriating. "And what relationship is that?"

"Your son's teacher, you insufferable man! What else would it be?"

His low chuckle made something flutter traitorously in my stomach. "I can think of a few other possibilities."

"You know what? If you were standing in front of me right now, spouting this nonsense, you'd be nursing a black eye."

"Interesting. I was actually hoping to give you that opportunity."

I froze, coffee cup halfway to my lips. "What?"

"I think Ryan already asked you yesterday, but he probably didn't give you the full details. I'd like to invite you both to spend the weekend at Willowbrook Estate—my family's property upstate. About two hours north of the city, tucked away in the Hudson Valley. Rolling hills, ancient oak trees, a lake that's perfect for fishing. The kind of place where you can actually hear yourself think."

Despite myself, I felt a little thrill at the description. I'd been feeling suffocated by the city lately, trapped between concrete walls and other people's expectations. The idea of open sky and fresh air was almost painfully appealing.

But spending a weekend alone with Orion Blackwell? That was a recipe for disaster.

"I don't think that's a good idea," I said carefully.

"Why not? Afraid you might actually enjoy yourself?"

The challenge in his voice made my spine stiffen. "I'm not afraid of anything."

"Really? Because I've noticed you tend to have certain... physiological reactions when I'm around. Elevated heart rate, flushed skin, that little breathless thing you do—"

"You arrogant, presumptuous—"

"If you're worried about losing control, I understand. Self-preservation is a reasonable response."

I wanted to throw the phone across the room. How did he manage to be simultaneously infuriating and oddly charming?

But then another thought struck me—one that had nothing to do with Orion's insufferable smirk and everything to do with the woman who'd raised me.

Grandma Eleanor had been looking pale lately, worn down by the stress of the family chaos.

A weekend in the countryside, away from the gossip and speculation, might be exactly what she needed.

"Actually," I said, my voice taking on a deliberately casual tone, "that place does sound lovely. Perfect for someone who needs some peace and quiet to recover from all the excitement."

"You're coming then?"

"If you don't mind me bringing my grandmother along. Eleanor could use a change of scenery, and she loves gardens and fresh air. Unless you have a problem with elderly chaperones?"

The warmth that crept into his voice was unmistakable. "Your grandmother is the woman who raised you, right? The only person in your family who actually gave a damn about you?"

Something tight in my chest loosened slightly. "Yes."

"Then I'd be honored to have her as a guest. I'll make sure the guest cottage is prepared—it has the best view of the lake."

I found myself almost smiling despite my better judgment. "Fine. But I have some shopping to do on Saturday morning. I'm looking at a place in Riverside Gardens for Eleanor—she needs somewhere quieter than the city. Just text me the address and I'll drive up after I'm done."

A long pause. When he finally spoke, his voice was carefully neutral. "Riverside Gardens? And you're talking about buying property the way most people discuss picking up milk at the grocery store."

I could practically hear him shaking his head through the phone.

"I'm starting to think the media got their Cinderella story completely backwards," he said, a note of amused disbelief creeping into his voice. "See you this weekend, mystery woman."