The Billionaire's Bought Bride and Instant Mom Chapter 83

Aveline

The moment we arrived at Orion's penthouse, he immediately switched into command mode, which did absolutely nothing to improve my already frayed nerves.

"Mitchell," he called out the moment we stepped through the door, "please take Ryan to the kitchen for some fruit and maybe those cookies we picked up yesterday. And prepare some tea—something calming."

"Of course, sir," Mitchell replied, already moving toward us. "Come along, Master Ryan. I believe we have some of those chocolate chip cookies you like."

Ryan looked reluctant to leave my side, but the promise of cookies won out. As Mitchell led him away, Orion turned to me with that infuriating take-charge expression I was beginning to recognize.

"The room upstairs—I've had some fresh clothes prepared for you," he said matter-of-factly. "Why don't you get cleaned up and changed? You'll feel better once you've had a shower and—"

"Excuse me?" I interrupted, my voice sharp enough to cut glass. "I didn't say anything in the car because Ryan was there, but what makes you think you can just... manage me like I'm one of your employees?"

Orion raised an eyebrow. "I'm not managing you. I'm offering you—"

"You're making decisions for me," I cut him off again, my frustration from the morning finally boiling over. "First you decide I'm not teaching my classes today, then you decide where I'm going, and now you're deciding what I should wear? I came here to teach Ryan, not to be ordered around by you!"

Instead of looking apologetic, Orion simply pointed at my reflection in the hallway mirror.

I followed his gesture and winced. My hair was disheveled from being grabbed, my blouse was wrinkled and had a small tear near the shoulder, and there was a smudge of something—probably dirt from the hallway floor—across my cheek.

I looked like I'd been through a war zone.

"Fine," I muttered, stalking toward the staircase. "But this doesn't mean you get to make decisions for me!"

"Of course not," Orion agreed, though I caught the hint of amusement in his voice that made me want to throw something at him.

I was halfway up the stairs when I remembered something important. I turned back to find him still watching me with that insufferable smirk.

"And Orion?" I called down, my voice saccharine sweet. "Don't think that just because you came to my rescue today, I'm forgetting what happened yesterday. You're going to tell me exactly what you whispered in Colin's ear, and you're going to tell me right now."

His smirk widened. "Why? Worried about your boyfriend?"

"He's not my—" I started, then caught myself. Instead, I decided to turn the tables. "You know what? Colin is young, handsome, brilliant, and genuinely kind. Who wouldn't be interested in someone like that?"

The effect was immediate. Orion's expression darkened, his jaw tightening in a way that told me I'd hit my mark.

"Plus," I continued, enjoying his reaction far more than I should have, "he actually treats me like an equal instead of trying to control every aspect of my life. So yes, I suppose I am quite fond of him."

"Is that so?" Orion's voice had turned dangerously quiet.

"That's so," I confirmed. "And just so we're clear—who I like or don't like is absolutely none of your business. But if you're spreading lies about me to sabotage my personal relationships, then we're going to have a serious problem."

Orion studied me for a long moment, then let out a low chuckle that didn't sound particularly amused.

"Well," he said finally, "he certainly didn't show up to work today. I'd say my conversation with him was quite effective. It's really too bad—he seemed genuinely smitten with you. Such a shame that circumstances... complicate things."

"What circumstances?" I demanded.

"Oh, you know," Orion said with mock casualness, "Ryan's attachment to you, for instance. It would be rather cruel to introduce romantic drama into his life, don't you think? Children get so confused when the adults around them can't keep their personal lives separate from professional responsibilities."

The calculated cruelty of using Ryan as emotional leverage made my blood boil.

"I'm warning you," I said, my voice low and deadly serious, "stay out of my personal life. I don't care if you're Ryan's father or the richest man in Manhattan. If you interfere with my relationships again, I will quit this job immediately and you'll never see me again."

For the first time since I'd known him, Orion looked genuinely concerned. The smugness disappeared from his expression, replaced by something that might have been alarm.

"You wouldn't," he said, but there was uncertainty in his voice.

I smiled—the kind of smile that probably looked more like a threat. "Push me one more time, and I'll disappear from Ryan's life so completely, you'll spend the rest of your days explaining to him why his favorite teacher abandoned him. Don't test me on this."

With that, I turned and marched up the stairs, leaving him standing in the foyer looking like he'd just been slapped.

"And one more thing!" I called over my shoulder as I reached the landing. "Stop encouraging Ryan to think of me as his mother. If you're interested in me, have the backbone to pursue me yourself instead of using your son as a shield!"

The silence that followed was deafening. Then:

"What?!" Orion's voice cracked slightly. "I never—you're completely delusional if you think—"

"Really?" I interrupted sweetly. "Then why do you care so much about who I date?"

"I don't!" he protested, his voice getting higher. "I couldn't care less about your pathetic love life! You're reading way too much into—"

"Then why are you getting so worked up about it?"

"I'm not worked up!" he practically shouted. "You're the one being completely irrational and self-absorbed! Not everything is about you, Aveline!"

"Then prove it," I shot back. "Stop interfering."

The frustrated growl that echoed up the stairwell was deeply satisfying.

"I'm going to the office!" he announced, his voice tight with barely controlled anger. "Try not to burn the house down while you're busy being completely wrong about everything!"