The Billionaire's Bought Bride and Instant Mom Chapter 177

Orion

The city lights blurred into streaks of gold and silver beyond my office windows as I leaned back in my chair, reviewing the final technical specifications for the Artery of the Future bid. With the deadline rapidly approaching, my ambition was burning brighter than ever. Once I eliminated Charles and my uncle—those parasitic relics who'd been bleeding the company dry for years—I would unleash this corporation's true potential.

I envisioned expanding our AI development division into quantum computing applications, establishing strategic partnerships with European tech giants, maybe even acquiring some of those promising startups in Silicon Valley that had been catching my attention. The government contract would be just the beginning—a springboard to transform Blackwell Industries into the dominant force in next-generation technology.

But as the night deepened and the building emptied around me, my thoughts inevitably drifted to more personal matters. Specifically, to Aveline's last visit to this very office. The memory of her seated on the sofa, the confident spread of her long legs, the way her silk blouse strained to contain the high, full curve of her breasts... and how badly I'd wanted to reach out and touch her.

Focus, Blackwell, I told myself, but the late hour and the intimate setting were making concentration increasingly difficult. There was something about being alone in this office, surrounded by the evidence of my power and success, that made me want to share it all with her. To call her and hear her voice, to tell her exactly what she did to me, what I wanted to do to her...

Before I could second-guess myself, I was dialing her number.

"Hello?" Her voice was warm, slightly sleepy, and immediately sent heat through my system.

"Did I wake you?" I asked, settling deeper into my chair.

"Not quite. I was just getting ready for bed." There was a pause, then her tone shifted to something more knowing. "Actually, I have to admit—your paranoia about protection today turned out to be justified."

Instantly, my entire body went on alert. "What? You encountered Vivian? What did she try to do to you?"

"Relax," Aveline said with obvious amusement. "She didn't try anything. And I was right that those bodyguards weren't necessary anymore."

"What happened? Please don't tell me you tried to handle her yourself."

"I didn't have to. My grandmother handled everything." Her voice carried a note of something I couldn't quite identify—surprise, maybe, or grudging respect. "Vivian is now under twenty-four-hour surveillance courtesy of Grandma Eleanor."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Let me guess—your dear stepsister showed up tonight for a tearful confession about how she's just a poor, misunderstood girl who never had a grandmother's love?"

"Something like that," Aveline replied dryly. "Though honestly, I prefer it when she's scheming. At least then she has some backbone."

"Never underestimate the female heart," I said, swirling the remainder of my coffee. "Women's emotions are the most unpredictable force in the universe. Speaking of which..."

"Are you saying my heart is unpredictable too?" she interrupted, and I could hear the challenge in her voice.

I smiled, enjoying the familiar spark of our verbal sparring. "I think I need to redirect my investigation from Vivian to Dwayne. He's the real threat anyway."

"Your big government bid is coming up soon," Aveline said, smoothly changing the subject. "I hope you're focusing all your energy on that battlefield, my dear ally."

The word 'ally' still made me want to laugh—or maybe throw something. But I played along, even giving her a mock salute she couldn't see. "Roger that, Commander. No personal feelings on the battlefield."

"Is everything prepared for the final push?"

"Mostly. We have one final hurdle next week, then we enter the official bidding phase." I pulled up the federal requirements document on my screen. "All qualifying companies have to deposit exactly one billion dollars into a Federal Reserve-monitored escrow account within a specified timeframe. It's designed to prove we can mobilize massive capital instantly for any project emergencies."

"A billion dollars," she repeated thoughtfully. "I assume that's the least of your worries."

"Financial liquidity has never been our weakness," I agreed. "What keeps me up at night isn't anything related to the project itself."

"Oh?"

"I keep thinking about your reaction when I finally tell you that secret. The look on your face, what you'll say..." My voice dropped lower, more intimate. "Whether you'll be ready to hear it."

There was a moment of silence before she responded, and I could practically feel her frustration through the phone.

"You're killing me with this suspense! Do you have any idea how torturous it is to know there's something important you're not telling me?"

I rubbed my jaw, grinning despite myself. "Believe me, the anticipation is mutual. I've been carrying this particular burden much longer than you have."

"Then just tell me already! We could both stop suffering."

"Nice try," I said, enjoying her growing irritation. "But I want to make sure you're in the perfect frame of mind to process everything properly when the time comes."

"Ugh!" Her exasperation was palpable. "Fine. I'm not taking your calls anymore. You're going to give me insomnia with this mystery of yours!"

The line went dead, leaving me staring at my phone with a mixture of amusement and frustration.

I poured myself two fingers of whiskey from the bottle I kept in my desk drawer, savoring the burn as it went down. The amber liquid caught the light from my desk lamp, creating patterns that reminded me of the gold flecks in Aveline's eyes when she was angry.

Wife. The word echoed in my mind like it had been doing for weeks now. Such a simple concept, such an ordinary word that millions of people used every day without thinking twice about it. So why was it so impossibly difficult for me to say out loud?