The Billionaire's Bought Bride and Instant Mom Chapter 174

Aveline

The moment I left my house that morning with Ryan, I knew something was different. It wasn't anything I could put my finger on at first—just a nagging sense that the usual rhythm of my neighborhood had shifted somehow.

But as I helped Ryan into his car seat and started driving toward his school, the feeling intensified. Large men in dark suits seemed to be everywhere—leaning against buildings, sitting in parked cars, walking with the kind of purposeful stride that suggested they weren't just out for morning strolls.

"Miss Aveline, why is that man following us?" Ryan asked innocently, pointing out the back window at a black SUV that had been behind us for the past six blocks.

"He's not following us, sweetheart," I said, though my hands were gripping the steering wheel tighter than necessary. "He's probably just going the same direction."

But when we turned into the school parking lot and the SUV turned as well, I started to seriously doubt my own reassurances.

I practically jogged Ryan to his classroom, my eyes constantly scanning the area for more suspicious figures. The relief I felt when I didn't immediately spot any muscle-bound men in suits was short-lived—because when I settled into my own classroom and happened to glance out the window during my first lesson, I nearly dropped my coffee mug.

There, on the roof of a building across the street, was a tall figure in a dark suit holding what was unmistakably a pair of binoculars. Pointed directly at my window.

My blood ran cold. This wasn't paranoia or imagination—someone was actively surveillance me.

*Charles. Or maybe Orion's uncle.* The thought hit me like ice water. *They're coming after me because of the alliance.*

I somehow managed to finish my class without completely losing my composure, but the moment the children were dismissed for recess, I was practically sprinting for the hallway to find somewhere private to make a phone call.

"Aveline? You look like you've seen a ghost," Sarah called out as I rushed past him.

"Oh, it's nothing," I said with what I hoped was a casual laugh. "Just remembered something I forgot to do."

I found an empty supply closet and immediately dialed Orion's number, my hands shaking slightly as I waited for him to pick up.

"Emergency! Your enemies are coming after me!" I blurted out the moment he answered.

There was a pause. "My enemies?"

"Of course it's about our alliance! I told you this was dangerous!" My voice was rising despite my attempt to keep quiet. "I've been followed all morning by what can only be described as a small army of terrifying men in suits! They're built like bodybuilders and they're everywhere! And get this—one of them is literally watching me through binoculars from a rooftop right now!"

I was just getting warmed up for a proper tirade when Orion's laughter cut me off.

"Viktor Kozlov really needs to work on his subtlety," he said with obvious amusement. "Though I have to admit, the speed of deployment is impressive."

I felt my brain short-circuit. "You know him? Why is some guy named Viktor surveilling me?"

"He's not surveilling you, Aveline. He's protecting you." Orion's tone became more serious. "I had some concerns about Vivian after what happened with her family's company yesterday. She might be looking for someone to blame for her misfortune."

*Vivian? Blame me?*

The thought sent a chill through me before my mind suddenly clicked to something else.

"Oh, I remember it now, the company acquisition," I said, my mind racing. "How did the transaction go? Please tell me Richard didn't make a scene."

"Five hundred thousand dollars, just like you wanted. He signed everything."

"Perfect. That's exactly what he deserved after running the company into the ground." Then a thought struck me. "The company is registered under your name, right?"

The uncomfortable silence that followed made my stomach drop.

"Well," Orion said carefully, "for convenience purposes, I listed you as the beneficiary."

"You did WHAT?" I nearly shouted, then caught myself and lowered my voice to a furious whisper. "Are you completely insane? We specifically agreed that you would buy it to avoid suspicion! You basically painted a target on my back!"

"I thought it would be more efficient—"

"Efficient? Orion, the whole point was for you to be the front man so they wouldn't know I was involved! Now they know exactly who orchestrated this! Of course they're going to blame me instead of you!"

"Which is exactly why I arranged protection," he said calmly. "Look, my main concern is Vivian. She has connections to Dwayne, and given her current mental state, I can't rule out the possibility that she might try something desperate."

I leaned against the supply closet wall, suddenly feeling exhausted. "Let me get this straight. You screwed up and made me the obvious target for revenge. And now you're having me followed by what I can only assume are professional criminals to 'protect' me from the mess you created."

"The Kozlov family specializes in... elimination services, not protection detail," Orion admitted. "So their methods might be a bit... obvious."

"A bit obvious?" My voice was climbing again. "Orion, I can't live like this! I have a job, a normal life! I can't have scary men in suits lurking around my classroom!"

"Aveline—"

"No! I want them gone. Today. Right now." I was pacing in the tiny closet, my frustration boiling over. "I know Vivian's capabilities, and frankly, they're not that impressive. She's more bark than bite. And even if she tries something, I'm perfectly capable of handling one spoiled brat."

"But if Dwayne is involved—"

"Then we'll deal with that when it happens! I'm not going to live my life surrounded by bodyguards because of some hypothetical threat. These people are disrupting everything—my work, my peace of mind, probably terrifying the children. It's completely unacceptable."

There was a long pause, and I could practically hear Orion's internal struggle between his protective instincts and his desire to avoid a full-scale argument with me.

"Fine," he said finally. "I'll call them off. But promise me you'll be extra careful. And if anything—anything at all—seems suspicious, you call me immediately."

"Deal," I said, relief flooding through me. "But next time you want to protect me from the consequences of your own actions, maybe run it by me first?"

"Noted," he said dryly. "Though I reserve the right to override your objections if the threat level escalates."

"We'll negotiate that when the time comes," I said, already feeling better knowing that I wouldn't have to endure another day of feeling like I was living in a gangster movie.

But even as I hung up and prepared to return to my classroom, I couldn't shake the feeling that this conversation was far from over.