Chapter 12 (Note: Chapter 42 is repeated. Please clarify which chapter you intend.)

Freya

“Daddy!” I slowed down as Gia excitedly sprinted toward the hallway where Aiden was waiting. She’d been wanting to show him the dress the second she put it on. I figured I’d give them a moment alone.

Aiden glanced up from his phone, and his face immediately broke into a big smile as he watched our daughter twirl.

“Look at you! You look like a princess! Do you know that?”

Gia smiled giddily. “Mommy did my hair.”

“Yeah! It looks beautiful.” He touched a curl of her hair with affection. The adoration in his eyes as he watched her… it did something strange to my heart.

“Hey, where’s Mommy?” Aiden’s question reminded me we had to be somewhere, and I hated being late. I deliberately walked in, even though my entrance seemed too well-timed.

“Here.” My voice made them both turn to look at me. I took a second to watch their eerily similar faces. I’d given birth to Aiden’s clone.

“Mommy looks like a princess too, doesn’t she?” Gia tugged at her father’s hand, waiting for his agreement. I, too, stared at Aiden. I wished I hadn’t, because I wasn’t ready for the look on his face. The unmistakable lust in those brown eyes knocked me off balance.

“She does,” he stated, still holding my gaze. I couldn’t break it, or maybe I wasn’t trying that hard. I didn’t know. My brain felt mushy, even though I could hear warning bells in the distance.

“We aren’t getting late, are we?” I ended with an awkward smile and a swallow.

Aiden’s eyes scanned me again before he spoke. “No. Come on, let’s go.”

I thanked the man in his mid-forties who held the door open for me and helped me out of the car. I could hardly believe how ridiculously large the property was. It felt like I was in some sort of…

“Castle! Is this a castle, Mommy?”

“Yeah. That.” It looked like a gigantic seventeenth-century castle. The lush gardens, the huge pool in front, and the security personnel everywhere… this was the kind of extravagance you see in Disney movies. I was so absorbed in taking it all in that I didn’t notice Aiden appear at my side.

He was holding Gia’s hand.

“Shall we?”

“Yeah.” He placed his other hand on the small of my back, guiding us inside. I let my eyes roam over every corner of the place as we walked in. Every inch was immaculate and exquisitely furnished. Every showpiece probably cost more than my entire future.

“Do you… have a really big family?”

“No,” Rylan replied.

“Oh, okay,” I mumbled, causing him to raise a questioning eyebrow.

“It’s just that this place is awfully big for two people. I mean, it must feel lonely or something. Although, judging by the number of guards outside and the staff in the hallway, a lot of people probably did live here.”

“It did, at times.” I tried to decipher the note in his words. The way he said it made it sound like it wasn’t a bad thing. Before I could ask, a man walked in. Dirty blonde hair, light brown eyes, tall and lean. I’d seen him somewhere before.

“Brother,” he greeted Aiden, who nodded in response. Brother! The club! I remembered him from that night. As if on cue, he looked at…

“Preya,” I offered an awkward smile. How was I supposed to respond to that? He knew my name, and I didn’t even know Aiden had a…

His gaze landed on Gia, and a warm smile broke across his face. “And you must be the little princess.”

Chapter 42 (Please confirm if this is a continuation of the previous chapter or a new chapter.)

He walked closer, crouching down. The warmth and affection in his eyes reminded me of Aiden; it was almost how he behaved with Gia. “Do you know who I am?”

Gia hid her face against her father’s legs. He wasn’t discouraged. He smiled even wider. “I’m your dad’s brother. Uncle Cillian.”

She observed him with her big, round eyes for a few seconds before stepping forward. “I’m Gia. I’m my Daddy’s daughter.”

That made both Rylan and me chuckle. That was one of the silliest, most adorable things she’d ever said.

Cillian grinned. “Yeah!”

Just then, another woman walked in. She seemed to be in her late fifties—Aiden’s mother, I guessed. She was tall and classically beautiful. God, the genetics in this family! Everyone was way too good-looking.

“There you are!” She smiled at Aiden, who pursed his lips.

“Mother,” was his clipped greeting as he kissed her cheek with cold detachment. He wasn’t even trying to hide his unwillingness to be there. She swallowed, trying to hide her hurt before looking at me.

“I’m Freya. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Knight.” Smiling, I offered my hand. She took it with both of hers and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“Likewise, sweetheart. And call me Barbara.”

I held up the box. “I—uh—brought a little something. It’s cupcakes.”

“Oh, thank you. That’s very nice of you.” She accepted them. A woman standing nearby took the box and disappeared into the kitchen.

Barbara bent to talk to Gia. “Hey, sweetheart, I’m your grandmother.”

Gia muttered a soft “Hi.” She was a little shy around new people, and this was a lot of new people all at once.

“Can I take you to the kitchen? I have some ice cream for you.” She asked, looking at me for permission. I nodded, seeing no reason not to. Aiden, however, seemed uncomfortable.

“I’ll keep an eye on my daughter.” The veiled threat in Aiden’s words was unmistakable. What confused me was why he felt the need to threaten his mother. Maybe his issues with his family ran deeper than I thought.

“Aiden,” his brother gritted. Aiden didn’t acknowledge him. He simply stared his mother down, awaiting her response.

“Of course,” Barbara said, hiding behind a fake smile. She took Gia toward the kitchen, I assumed.

We walked further into the living room, and I had to fight the urge to stare at the sheer luxury. And what was with so many people in uniform? A woman came to serve drinks; another placed a plate of finger foods on the coffee table. I felt like I was in some rich mafia boss’s house.

Speaking of whom, he rose from a lounge chair. He looked eerily like his son, an older version. His eyes scrutinized me before landing on Aiden.

“Son,” Another clipped acknowledgment. There was no warmth in his voice. Some cheerful people, huh!

“Father,” Aiden’s voice mirrored the sentiment. It was as if they were greeting business rivals. Aiden really didn't want to be here, and he was making sure everyone knew it. I was watching their chilly exchange when Cillian appeared beside me.

“How about a tour of the mansion?” he offered with a charming smile. I understood he was trying to spare me the awkwardness of watching the Knights glare at each other. It was getting uncomfortable.

I smiled. “You mean the castle!”

The passage has been significantly cleaned up for grammar, punctuation, and flow. Remember to replace "Preya" with "Freya" where it appeared to be a typo. Also, please clarify the chapter numbers for proper organization.