The Billionaire's Bought Bride and Instant Mom Chapter 39

Aveline

As I approached Ryan and Mitchell, Ryan's face absolutely lit up when he spotted me.

"Miss Aveline!" he exclaimed, bouncing on his toes with excitement. "You look like a movie star! Are you going to be in a movie?"

Mitchell smiled warmly, his eyes appreciating the elegant black dress. "I must say, Ms. Reeves, your choice is exquisite. Even more stunning than the selections we brought you earlier."

I felt heat rise in my cheeks, remembering the purple dress now hanging in tatters in my closet. "I'm so sorry about that, Mitchell. The dress you brought was beautiful, but unfortunately my... my dog got to it and tore it up beyond repair."

It was a terrible lie, but infinitely better than explaining that my psychotic stepsister had destroyed it in a fit of rage.

"Not to worry at all," Mitchell said graciously. "These things happen. Besides, you've clearly managed splendidly on your own."

He glanced around the still-sparse reception area, then leaned closer to speak confidentially. "Mr. Blackwell and his grandfather haven't arrived yet. Between you and me, I believe Mr. Victor is still wrestling with the question of which lady to escort tonight. Quite the dilemma for a man of his... active social calendar."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Well, he certainly stays young at heart."

"Indeed he does," Mitchell agreed with obvious fondness.

Ryan suddenly perked up, spotting a group of well-dressed children near the cocktail area. "Oh! There are other kids here! Can I go play with them, Miss Aveline?"

I could see Mitchell's expression grow slightly worried. He clearly remembered past incidents where Ryan's shyness had made interactions with other children difficult, sometimes leading to teasing or exclusion.

"You go enjoy yourself," I said to Mitchell with a reassuring smile. "I'll keep an eye on the children. You should take a break."

"Are you certain? Managing multiple young guests can be quite challenging—"

"Mitchell," I said gently, "I'm a child psychologist. This is literally what I do for a living."

His face relaxed with relief. "Of course. How thoughtless of me. I'll be nearby if you need anything."

For the next twenty minutes, I watched as Ryan tentatively approached the other children and was gradually drawn into their games. It was wonderful to see him laughing and playing naturally, his usual reserve melting away in the presence of peers who shared his privileged background and understood his world.

"I'll be right back," I told him during a quiet moment. "Stay with your new friends, okay?"

"Okay, Miss Aveline!" he chirped, already turning back to a elaborate game involving toy cars they'd apparently brought from home.

When I returned from the restroom three minutes later, the scene that greeted me made my blood run cold.

A cocktail glass lay shattered on the marble floor, red wine spreading in a dark stain across the pristine surface. A young server cowered nearby, clearly terrified and unsure whether to clean up the mess or flee the scene. But what made my heart stop was the sight of Vivian with her hand fisted in Ryan's tiny tuxedo jacket, her face twisted with fury as she berated him.

"You little brat!" she was snarling, her emerald dress now sporting a large red wine stain down the front. "Look what you've done! Do you have any idea how expensive this dress is? Your clumsiness just ruined my entire evening!"

Ryan's face was pale with confusion and fear, his dark eyes wide as he tried to pull away from her grip.

"I didn't mean to," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I was just walking—"

"Don't lie to me!" Vivian shook him roughly. "You ran right into me! This is designer silk, you little—"

I moved faster than I'd ever moved in my life, crossing the space between us in seconds and shoving Vivian's hands away from Ryan with enough force to make her stagger backward.

"Don't you dare touch him," I said, my voice deadly quiet as I pulled Ryan behind me protectively.

But Vivian wasn't deterred. If anything, my intervention seemed to fuel her rage further.

"Oh, so this must be one of your little kindergarten students!" she screamed, her voice dripping with venom. "It's all your fault for not teaching him properly! What kind of teacher are you?"

"Let go of him!" I wrapped my arms around Ryan, who was now trembling against my side.

"No!" Vivian's grip tightened on his jacket. "I've been looking everywhere for Orion, and no one can tell me where he is! I'm already frustrated, and then this little monster ruins my dress! I want him to apologize properly!"

The tug-of-war that followed was brief but terrifying. Ryan began to cry as we essentially pulled him between us, his small body caught in the middle of Vivian's hysteria and my desperate attempts to protect him.

"Please," Ryan sobbed, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to—"

"Miss Aveline!" he cried, reaching for me with both hands.

That's when the temperature in the room seemed to drop by twenty degrees.

"Let. Him. Go."

The voice that cut through the chaos was quiet, controlled, and absolutely lethal. I looked up to see Orion striding toward us, and the sight made my breath catch in my throat.

He was devastating in his formal evening wear—a perfectly tailored black tuxedo that emphasized his tall, lean frame and the controlled power in his movements. His dark hair was styled to perfection, his face clean-shaven and sharp with those incredible dark eyes that could cut through steel. But it wasn't his stunning appearance that made everyone in the immediate vicinity step back.

It was the absolutely murderous expression on his face.

Orion Blackwell looked like he could destroy someone with his bare hands and not lose a moment's sleep over it.

Vivian's grip on Ryan went slack immediately. She turned toward the approaching figure, and I watched the blood drain from her face as recognition hit.

"O-Orion?" she stammered, her voice barely a whisper.

"I said let him go," Orion repeated, his voice carrying enough menace to make the nearby server actually flee the scene entirely.

Vivian released Ryan so abruptly he stumbled backward into my arms. I immediately scooped him up, backing away several steps to put distance between us and whatever was about to happen.

"Daddy!" Ryan cried, burying his face against my shoulder. "She was being mean to me! She said I was clumsy and grabbed my jacket!"