The doorbell echoed somewhere deep in the house. A few moments passed, then came the sound of footsteps on the other side — and the door swung open.
"Oh, it's you. Come in, I guess."
Aiden's hopes for a warm welcome died on the spot. Ava barely looked at him and had already turned away before he stepped inside.
Don't give up, he told himself. Stay positive. They'll warm up to you eventually.
He followed her to the living room, where her parents — Sandra and Robert — sat side by side on the sofa, wearing matching expressions of barely contained displeasure. Aiden waited for Ava to introduce him. He looked around and realized she had already vanished.
He forced a smile. "Hi, I'm Aiden."
Sandra looked him up and down and huffed in disgust.
"I'm guessing you must be mom and dad," Aiden continued, trying his best to project warmth. "You don't mind if I call you that, do you? Here — I brought you a gift." He held out the bottle of champagne before they could answer. Sandra barely glanced at it, but the moment Robert's eyes landed on the label, they lit up.
"Wow. That's top-shelf stuff." He took the bottle from Aiden's hands and turned it over, studying it closely. "This is a rare vintage — very hard to find. Where did you get it?"
Sandra scoffed. "He must have stolen it from somewhere. Do you think someone like him could actually afford something like this?"
She rose to her feet and fixed Aiden with a cold stare. "So… after forcing yourself on our daughter, you think you can just walk in here and bribe us with your stolen liquor? Not a chance."
Aiden shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Stone, but you're wrong. I'm not a thief. I haven't forced myself on anyone or stolen anything."
"You stole our daughter's virginity. So you're a thief and a liar, too." Sandra jabbed a finger into his chest, her face white with fury. Aiden took a step back.
"No… I…" he stammered. "This is all a big misunderstanding."
"So who was it that slept with my daughter, then? Was it your ghost? We all know why you did this — you want your grubby hands on our money. Otherwise, there's no way on earth Ava would ever be with someone like you."
The accusation hit him like a slap. He wasn't after the Stones' money — the very idea was insulting. But underneath his indignation was something quieter and harder to shake: shame. He never meant to end up in Ava's bed. He couldn't remember how he got there or what had happened in those blacked-out hours. The last thing he remembered was sitting on the steps of the hotel, drunk and alone. The next was Ava's hand across his face. Everything in between was a blank.
"Are you deaf? Say something, you bastard." Sandra grabbed his shirt with both hands and shook him. Robert stepped in and pulled her back.
"Sandra, calm down. Aiden, please — sit."
Once they were seated and Sandra had drawn a few ragged breaths, Robert turned to Aiden, his voice measured.
"I know it might not seem like it, but I'm just as upset as my wife. This is a terrible situation. But Ava's grandfather has decided that you must marry her, or she'll lose her stake in the family business. So for now, the relationship between you two must continue."
Aiden nodded. "The truth is, Mr. Stone, the reason I agreed to marry Ava is because I don't want anything bad to happen to her — especially because of something I was involved with. If there's anything I can do to protect her reputation—"
"You have a lot of nerve to bring up her reputation!" Sandra snapped. "What is it you do for a living?"
"I'm… a delivery boy," Aiden admitted. "Well, at least I was — until today, when I got fired."
Sandra recoiled as if he'd said something obscene. "A delivery boy. If you genuinely care about my daughter's reputation, you will find a new job immediately. Otherwise I will do whatever it takes to stop this marriage — even if it means I have to kill you myself."
"Please, calm down, dear." Robert patted her shoulder. He glanced at Aiden. "She doesn't mean that. Not the murder part, at least. But she's right — a new job would go a long way."
"I actually have some good news on that front, Mr. Stone," Aiden said. "I'm starting a new job tomorrow."
Sandra rolled her eyes. "Oh, wonderful. What is it — valet? Dishwasher?"
Aiden straightened. "I don't know exactly what the role is yet, but I'm sure it'll be something good." If only they knew who I really am, he thought. But I can't tell them. Not yet.
"Such confidence," Sandra snarked. "Why would anyone hire a loser like you? I bet you don't even have ten dollars in your pocket."
"Will you at least give me a chance to prove I'm worthy of Ava?" Aiden asked quietly.
"I don't care what you do. You will never be worthy of my daughter!" Sandra shrieked.
"Well, I'm still going to try my best," Aiden said simply.
Robert gave a small, silent nod — the closest thing to approval Aiden had seen from either of them. He rubbed Sandra's shoulder. "You can go now," he told Aiden.
* * *
Aiden didn't want to leave without talking to Ava. He slipped away from the living room and climbed the stairs, moving slowly down the vast, darkened hallway of the mansion. Every door was shut and silent except one — a thin line of warm light glowed along the bottom edge of the frame, and from inside came the faint sounds of someone moving around.
This has to be her room. I guess there's only one way to find out.
He knocked gently. Footsteps crossed toward him, and the door opened.
"You're still here?" was all Ava said.
"Thanks for leaving me alone down there," Aiden said, keeping his tone light. "That was pretty awkward."
"I bet it's not nearly as awkward as waking up next to a strange man in your bed," Ava snarked.
"Fair," Aiden conceded, his face colouring slightly.
"Okay. Goodnight." She began closing the door.
"Wait — there's something I wanted to ask you."
Ava rolled her eyes. "What is it?"
"Do you think I can stay here tonight? It's late, and I start a new job early tomorrow—"
"I hope you don't expect me to let you sleep in here," she cut in.
"Well, we are engaged now, so…" Aiden said with a half-smile.
"You have a bed downstairs in the staff quarters. An empty one. You should try it for a change." She closed the door in his face.
Aiden stood in the darkened hallway, staring at the closed door. He shook his head slowly.
Turns out marriage is going to be a lot tougher than I thought.
* * *
By the time Aiden reached his bed in the staff quarters, he was completely exhausted. He closed his eyes the moment his head hit the pillow — but sleep wouldn't come. The events of the day kept cycling through his mind, each one more extraordinary than the last, none of them making any more sense in the dark than they had in the light.
How did I end up in Ava's bed? That doesn't seem like something I would do, even blackout drunk. Of course I feel terrible about it — but if I hadn't met Ava, I never would have met Cyrus. So maybe, in some strange way, I'm lucky it happened.
If only her parents knew who I really am. I'd love to see the look on their faces. But I promised Cyrus I'd keep my identity secret. Tomorrow I'll start the new job. I'll prove I'm worthy of Ava — even without telling them that I'm The Tiger.
That thought, at last, was enough. Aiden drifted off to sleep.
* * *
When Aiden woke the next morning, he dressed quickly and slipped out of the Stone Mansion without crossing paths with anyone. He ordered a cab, and half an hour later it dropped him off on the pavement outside Shaw Industries.
"Well, well, well. Look who's here."
He heard the voice before he saw the face. Ava's brother Shane was sauntering toward him, flanked by a cluster of his usual cronies.
"I almost didn't recognise you with clothes on," Shane said, smirking. "What are you doing here — delivering bagels?" His men snickered on cue.
Aiden kept his voice flat. "I'm starting a new job here today. Get out of my way."
"Where do you think you're going?" Shane planted himself directly in Aiden's path. "Don't let this loser through," he told his men. They spread out behind him in a loose wall.
Shane lowered his voice, leaning in slightly. "Let me give you some friendly advice. You were born a poor loser, and there's nothing you can do to change that. The sooner you accept it, the easier your life is going to be."
Aiden's jaw tightened. He wanted badly to put Shane on the ground, but not here, not on his first morning. He reached for his phone — he'd call Cyrus and let him sort it out.
But before he could dial, a woman appeared from the direction of the building's entrance. She wore a white blouse, a fitted black skirt, and heels that struck the pavement with quiet authority.
"Are you Aiden Callahan?"
"Yes. That's me."
"Come with me, please."
Shane and his men went still as she walked directly toward them. They stepped aside without a word, as if by reflex.
Who is this woman? Aiden wondered. And what does she want with me?
Before he could ask, she raised a finger briefly to her lips — not unkindly, just firm. He understood. He took one last look at Shane, let a slow grin spread across his face, and followed her through the doors into Shaw Industries.