The Billionaire's Bought Bride and Instant Mom Chapter 63

Aveline

Relief flooded through me so powerfully I nearly collapsed. Ryan was safe. He was here, in my arms, warm and solid and wonderfully alive.

I led him to a nearby bench, settling down beside him while Luna hovered nearby with obvious concern. His small hand remained firmly clasped in mine, as if he was afraid I might disappear if he let go.

"It's okay now, sweetheart," I said softly, smoothing down his tousled hair. "You found me. You don't need to worry anymore."

Ryan looked up at me with those enormous dark eyes, his expression both proud and slightly sheepish. "Miss Aveline, your house is really hard to find! I asked Marcus where you live, and he only said somewhere near this park. So I bought a map!" He pulled out a crumpled city map from his backpack with obvious pride. "And I took a taxi to get to the park!"

Luna's eyes widened in astonishment. "My goodness, how old are you? You can't be more than four or five! And you took a taxi by yourself? You're absolutely amazing!"

I shot her a warning look. The last thing I needed was Luna encouraging Ryan to think his solo adventures were impressive rather than terrifying.

"That was very resourceful of you, Ryan," I said carefully, "but next time you want to go somewhere, you need to tell your daddy or Mitchell first, okay? When people care about you and you disappear without telling them, it scares them very badly."

Ryan's face scrunched up with displeasure. "I don't want Daddy anymore. Daddy is bad!"

Despite everything, I had to suppress a smile. You're absolutely right about that, kiddo. Your daddy is definitely bad.

But I kept my voice gentle and reassuring. "Your daddy is a good person who loves you very much, sweetheart. How about this—we will spend the whole day playing with you, and then I'll take you home tonight. Does that sound good?"

"No!" Ryan said immediately, his small jaw setting with stubborn determination. "I know Daddy wants to transfer my school. If I can't see you anymore, I'm never going back home!"

Both Luna and I rubbed our foreheads at the same time. This child was going to give everyone gray hair.

"Well then," I said with forced brightness, "let's go have some fun first. We can figure out the rest later."

An hour later, we were at Central Park's playground, where Ryan was having the time of his life on the swings while Luna and I sat on a nearby bench. I pulled out my phone and dialed Mitchell's number.

"Mitchell, we found him. He's safe and happy, and we're at the playground in Central Park. I'll bring him home this evening."

"Oh, Ms. Reeves, thank God!" Mitchell's relief was palpable through the phone. "I knew asking you was the right choice. You have such a gift for understanding that boy. Mr. Blackwell and I have been beside ourselves with worry."

He paused, then added with obvious satisfaction, "I've already spoken with Mr. Blackwell about the school transfer. He's agreed not to move Ryan to a different school, as long as Master Ryan promises never to run away again."

"That's wonderful news," I said, though internally I was grinning. Of course Orion had caved the moment his son went missing. The man who could intimidate business rivals and government officials was completely helpless when faced with one determined five-year-old.

Some people only responded to strength, not diplomacy. And apparently, Ryan was the one person who could make his formidable father back down every single time.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at various kid-friendly activities—the playground, a children's museum, and finally an early dinner at a family restaurant where Ryan insisted on ordering "grown-up food" to impress Luna. By the time the sun was setting, even his boundless energy was starting to flag.

"Okay, sweetheart," I said as we walked back toward my car, "time to go home. Your daddy is probably worried sick."

Ryan stopped dead in his tracks, crossing his arms over his small chest. "I'm not going home. I want to sleep at Miss Aveline's house!"

"Oh honey, that's not possible," I said gently. "my house is very small, and there's no room for you to sleep."

"That's okay!" Ryan said brightly. "I can sleep on the floor! I brought my backpack!"

I scrambled for another excuse. "But... but there are cockroaches on the floor! And my bed is too small for both of us!"

Ryan's face immediately filled with concern and dismay. "Miss Aveline, you live too poorly! That's terrible!" His eyes brightened with sudden inspiration. "You should come live at my house instead! I promise I won't let Daddy, that bad man, come into your room!"

The combination of his innocent protectiveness and his casual dismissal of his father as "that bad man" was so endearing I had to fight back laughter. But I managed to coax him into the car with promises that we'd see each other very soon.

As we pulled up to the Blackwell estate, I could see Orion's tall figure pacing in front of the main entrance, his obvious anxiety visible even from a distance. But the moment our car came into view, he immediately stopped pacing and assumed a casual, controlled posture, as if he hadn't been worried at all.

Men and their ridiculous pride.

When Ryan climbed out of the car, Orion crouched down and opened his arms for a hug. But Ryan stubbornly kept his distance, his little arms crossed over his chest in a perfect imitation of defiance.

"I'll see you tomorrow at the academy, right?" I said loudly, making sure my voice carried across the driveway. "Isn't that right, Mr. Blackwell?"

Orion's expression grew guarded, clearly wanting to avoid making any commitments in front of me. But with Ryan's expectant eyes fixed on him, he had no choice but to respond.

"Yes," he said reluctantly. "That's... that's right. You'll see Miss Aveline tomorrow."

Just then, a gust of evening wind caught my blouse, pulling it to one side and exposing the bite mark on my neck. The silk scarf I'd been wearing had shifted during our active day.

"Miss Aveline!" Ryan gasped, his small face filling with worry. "What happened to your neck? Did the cockroaches bite you?"

I glanced at Orion, who had gone completely rigid, his face flushing with what looked like mortification. But instead of embarrassment, his expression quickly shifted to something more dismissive.

"Oh, that little thing?" he said with casual indifference, his voice carrying just enough volume for Ryan to hear. "She will be fine. It's just a tiny scratch, nothing serious at all."

The condescending tone was the last straw. Heat flooded through me, and I stepped closer to him, making sure Ryan could hear every word.

"What do you think bit me, Mr. Blackwell?" I asked innocently, tilting my head so the marks were clearly visible. "I think it was probably a dog. A very large, very aggressive dog that doesn't know how to behave properly."

Orion's jaw clenched, but he remained silent, clearly trapped by his son's presence.

"Was it really a dog, Daddy?" Ryan asked, looking between us with growing concern.

Orion opened his mouth, then closed it again, apparently unable to form words. Finally, he shot me a look that was pure promise of retribution—a look that clearly said *you and I will settle this later.*

"Thank you for bringing him home safely, Dr. Reeves," he managed to say through gritted teeth. "We'll... see you tomorrow."