The Billionaire's Bought Bride and Instant Mom Chapter 40

Aveline

Orion's eyes, if possible, grew even colder as they fixed on Vivian. "You put your hands on my son."

It wasn't a question. It was a statement of fact that carried the weight of a death sentence.

"I... I didn't know he was your son!" Vivian babbled, her earlier bravado completely evaporated. "If I had known—"

"You didn't know because you had no business being here in the first place," Orion cut her off, each word precise and cutting. "And the fact that you would put your hands on any child, regardless of their parentage, tells me everything I need to know about what kind of person you are."

Vivian seemed to realize she was in serious trouble. She immediately dropped into what looked like a practiced curtsy, bowing toward both Ryan and me.

"I'm so sorry!" she gushed, her voice high and panicked. "Please forgive me! I didn't mean any harm! I was just upset about my dress—"

"I don't want to hear excuses," Orion said, his voice growing quieter and somehow more threatening. "I want you to apologize to my son and Ms. Reeves, and then I want you to leave."

"Of course! Yes!" Vivian turned to us with desperate eyes. "I'm so sorry, Ryan! I'm sorry, Ms. Reeves! Please, I really didn't mean—"

She looked back at Orion hopefully, clearly expecting forgiveness or at least some recognition.

"Actually," she said, trying to inject some confidence back into her voice, "I should introduce myself properly. I'm—"

"I don't care who you are," Orion interrupted, his tone flat and final. "I don't want to know your name, your connections, or how you managed to get past security."

Vivian's face crumpled. "But I was invited! I received a personal invitation to—"

"Today is my grandfather's seventy-fifth birthday," Orion continued as if she hadn't spoken. "It's supposed to be a celebration. I don't want to ruin it by dealing with whatever this situation is."

In desperation, Vivian turned to me, her eyes pleading. "Aveline, please! You know me! Tell him we know each other! Help me explain—"

I met her gaze with cold indifference. "I'm sorry, but I don't know you."

After the security team disappeared with Vivian, Orion immediately turned his attention to us, his expression softening from lethal to concerned.

"I'm so sorry I was late," he said, his voice carrying genuine regret. "If I'd arrived sooner, none of this would have happened."

"It's fine," I said, though my heart was still racing from the confrontation. "Really, no harm done."

Ryan, who had been quiet against my shoulder, suddenly perked up and looked at his father with obvious admiration.

"Daddy, you were so cool!" he exclaimed, his earlier fear completely forgotten. "The way you made that mean lady go away!"

Orion looked genuinely puzzled as he crouched down to Ryan's eye level. "Cool? I was just... were you scared, buddy? I didn't mean to be frightening."

"Scared? No way!" Ryan's eyes were bright with excitement. "You taught me that when dealing with bad people, you can't go easy on them! You have to be strong!"

I couldn't help but laugh at his interpretation. "Ryan, don't learn bad habits from your father."

"But it's true!" Ryan insisted, then turned back to Orion with obvious pride. "Daddy, don't you think Miss Aveline looks beautiful tonight? I think she's the most beautiful lady here!"

Orion straightened and turned to look at me properly for the first time since arriving. His gaze lingered on my face, taking in the elegant updo, the subtle makeup, the way the black dress seemed to transform me into someone entirely different.

For several seconds, he just stared, and I felt heat creep up my neck under his intense scrutiny.

"Ms. Reeves," he said finally, his voice carrying a strange note of wonder, "you look... stunning tonight. There's something almost familiar about you like this. As if I've seen you somewhere before..."

My face went scarlet. The way he was looking at me, the thoughtful confusion in his dark eyes—what if he was remembering that night? My hair was styled similarly to how it had been at the hotel, swept up and elegant. What if something about my appearance was triggering those buried memories?

"I..." I started, then stopped, not knowing how to respond without making things worse.

Orion seemed to realize he was making me uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, that was presumptuous of me," he said quickly. "Come on, let me introduce you to some of the other guests."

Without really thinking about it, I fell into step beside him, and as we moved through the reception area, my hand unconsciously reached out to rest on his arm. The moment I realized what I was doing, I jerked it back as if I'd been burned.

If Orion noticed my awkward gesture, he was too much of a gentleman to comment.

For the next hour, he guided me through a carefully orchestrated series of introductions. Politicians, business leaders, socialites—the kind of people who appeared on magazine covers and influenced global markets. To my surprise, I found myself genuinely enjoying the conversations. My years in Europe had given me enough sophistication to hold my own, and my psychology background made me an unexpectedly good listener.

What struck me most was how many people assumed I was Ryan's mother. The way we interacted, the obvious affection between us, the fact that Orion had brought me as his guest—it painted a picture of domestic harmony that wasn't entirely accurate but felt surprisingly natural.

"Your son is delightful," one elderly woman told me. "You have done such a wonderful job raising him."

I smiled warmly and gently corrected her, "Actually, I'm Ryan's teacher, but thank you so much. He really is a wonderful boy." There was no irritation in my voice—the mistake was understandable.

The pleasant atmosphere was suddenly interrupted by an unwelcome arrival. A man who appeared to be several years younger than Orion—maybe twenty-five or twenty-six—came strutting across the reception area like he owned the place. His bleached blonde hair was styled in an aggressively trendy cut, and he wore oversized designer suspenders over a fitted shirt, complete with dark sunglasses despite being indoors. A small crowd of giggling women trailed behind him like some kind of entourage.

The moment he spotted Orion and me, his face lit up with predatory interest, and he began making his way over with the swagger of someone who'd never been told 'no' in his life.

Orion immediately tensed beside me. "We need to go," he said quietly, placing a protective hand on Ryan's shoulder and starting to guide us in the opposite direction.

But it was too late. The blonde man had already closed the distance between us, stepping directly into our path with the kind of entitled boldness that made my skin crawl.

"Well, well, well," he said, removing his sunglasses with theatrical flair and flashing what he probably thought was a charming smile. The expression was all teeth and no warmth, like a shark sizing up potential prey. "And who might this gorgeous creature be?"