The Billionaire's Bought Bride and Instant Mom Chapter 75

Aveline

The familiar hallways of the kindergarten felt like a sanctuary after the emotional chaos of the morning. I still had an hour before my first class, which gave me time to review my lesson plans and hopefully shake off the lingering effects of both my hangover and my confusing encounter with Orion.

I slipped into the teachers' office quietly, my soft-soled flats making barely a whisper against the polished floor. The room was buzzing with quiet conversation, but no one seemed to notice my entrance as I made my way to my desk in the corner.

That's when I caught fragments of the discussion happening near the coffee station, where several of my colleagues had formed a tight circle around someone I couldn't quite see.

"...I always knew there was something off about her," came Sarah's voice, pitched just low enough to sound conspiratorial but loud enough for me to hear every word.

"I mean, look at these photos," added another voice I recognized as Linda from the three-year-old class. "That dress she was wearing... it's so revealing. Way too expensive for a teacher too."

My hands stilled on my lesson plan folder. Were they talking about me?

"Oh, you haven't seen anything yet," came a third voice, one I didn't recognize but that carried the kind of confidence that suggested money and privilege. "You should see how she was behaving. The way she was dressed, the way she was acting... like she was hunting."

"That mixed-race guy she was with is gorgeous though," Sarah whispered with obvious envy. "I heard those types are really experienced, if you know what I mean..."

My stomach dropped to my shoes. Photos? What photos?

I stood up abruptly, my chair scraping against the floor as I marched over to the group. "Well, well," I said loudly, causing several teachers to jump. "What's so fascinating that it's got everyone huddled like gossiping schoolgirls?"

The circle immediately scattered like startled birds, leaving me face-to-face with the source of the unknown voice—a tall, impeccably dressed woman I'd seen around but never been introduced to. She had platinum blonde hair styled in perfect waves, makeup that probably cost more than my monthly grocery budget, and the kind of designer outfit that screamed old money.

This had to be Olivia Barlowe, the new art teacher whose father apparently owned half the real estate in Manhattan. I'd heard she drove a Porsche to work and had been making not-so-subtle moves on Colin since her first day.

Unlike the others, Olivia didn't look even slightly embarrassed to be caught gossiping. Instead, she held up a stack of photographs with a satisfied smirk.

"Well, well," she said, echoing my own words mockingly. "Look what the cat dragged in. I have to say, Aveline, I never would have guessed you were the type to go fishing for men. I thought Colin and Ryan's father were enough for you, but apparently you like to cast a wide net."

The casual cruelty in her voice, combined with the sight of what were clearly photographs of me with Laurent at the club, made rage explode in my chest.

I lunged forward, my hand raised to slap that smug expression off her face, but Sarah and Linda immediately grabbed my arms.

"Aveline, don't!" Sarah hissed. "You'll get in trouble!"

Olivia laughed, clearly enjoying my reaction. "What's wrong? I have evidence right here. You can't exactly deny it."

I shook off the restraining hands and planted my feet, glaring at her with every ounce of fury I possessed.

"What I do after work hours is absolutely none of your business," I said, my voice deadly calm. "And you better be careful, Olivia. Just because your daddy's rich doesn't mean you can spread lies about people. Taking photos of someone without their consent and using them to damage their reputation? That's called harassment. Maybe I should call the police."

But instead of backing down, the other teachers—who I'd considered friends until this moment—actually started defending her.

"Now, Aveline," Linda said in that patronizing tone people use when they're about to say something awful, "you do need to be mindful of your image. We have professional standards here."

"I'm sure Olivia didn't mean any harm," Sarah added quickly. "Maybe she just happened to be at the same place and took some photos without realizing..."

Olivia's smile grew wider and more venomous. "I just think everyone should know what kind of person they're working with. Especially Colin—he deserves to know what you're really like."

The mention of Colin made everything click into place. This wasn't about professional standards or moral outrage. This was about a spoiled rich girl who couldn't handle rejection.

"Ah," I said, crossing my arms and giving her my most withering stare. "So this is about Colin not being interested in you. Poor little rich girl can't stand that the nice teacher doesn't want to be your plaything, so you decided to destroy my reputation instead."

Olivia's perfectly composed mask slipped, her face flushing with anger. "You little—"

She charged toward me, clearly intending to use her manicured nails as weapons, but a firm voice cut through the chaos.

"Olivia!"

Colin stood in the doorway, his usually gentle expression thunderous. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Olivia immediately switched tactics, her voice turning sweet and wounded. "Colin! Thank goodness you're here. You need to see these photos of Aveline. I was just trying to show everyone what kind of person—"

Colin strode forward and snatched the photographs from her hands, tearing them into pieces without even looking at them. The sound of ripping paper was surprisingly satisfying.

"I don't care what these photos show," he said, his voice carrying a steel I'd never heard before. "If I catch you harassing my colleagues again, I'll make sure you don't have a job here anymore. Are we clear?"

The entire room had gone dead silent. I watched in amazement as the other teachers—who moments before had been emboldened by Olivia's wealth and status—suddenly looked genuinely frightened. Sarah actually took a step back, and Linda's face had gone pale.

It hit me then that I'd never really questioned who Colin was beyond his role as a kindergarten teacher. The way Olivia's confident demeanor cracked at his threat, the immediate respect—no, fear—in the other teachers' faces... I remembered hearing whispers about his family having "connections," but I'd never paid attention to the details.

Olivia's face crumpled like she was about to cry, but there was pure fury in her eyes. "You don't understand what she—"

"I understand perfectly," Colin cut her off. "You're behaving like a spoiled child who can't get her way. Grow up, Olivia. This is a workplace, not your personal dating pool."

The other teachers suddenly found their shoes very interesting, and the room began to empty as people awkwardly excused themselves to prepare for classes. Olivia shot me one last venomous look before storming out, her heels clicking angrily against the floor.

When the room was finally empty except for Colin and me, I let out a shaky breath.

"Thank you," I said quietly. "I'm sorry you had to see that. I should probably go prepare for my class..."

I turned to leave, but Colin's voice stopped me.

"Aveline, wait."

I turned back to find him running a hand through his sandy hair, looking uncharacteristically nervous.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry you had to deal with that, and I'm sorry it was partly because of me."

There was something in his eyes—a mix of concern and something deeper that I'd been trying not to acknowledge for weeks. Standing there in the aftermath of Olivia's attack, looking at this kind, decent man who'd just defended me without hesitation, I realized I couldn't keep pretending I didn't see it.

I stopped walking and turned to face him fully, my heart beating faster than it should.

"Colin," I said, keeping my voice gentle but direct. "Do you have feelings for me?"