Escape (N.H.)

Chapter Nineteen

Valeria POV

"Come on mom, we got help bake the cookies!"

I slowly follow Elius in the direction he came from, my thoughts running a mile a minute.

I know Aiden isn't stupid, but I had help this time, all the other times I had tried to escape had all been on my own. I hadn't tried to escape in nearly two years, the last time ending so horribly I knew if I tried again he would really kill Elius and I, no matter how much he claimed to still love me.

I thought I had just caught him off guard that night. I knew, I had put enough force into the blow when I struck him with the lamp that it would slow him down, it wasn't like he just sat there and let us leave, he was right behind us the entire time we were running to the car. I just assumed the wound on his head had slowed him down enough for Elius and I to get away.

He wasn't stupid, but he had made atleast fifteen business deals within the last few weeks leading up to my escape. Some he knew from his younger years, Aiden had never known Liam had found me roaming the property when I wasn't supposed to.

In fact very few of Aiden's business partners knew I existed, the blonde from his work usually coming over to play the perfect business wife.

The only ones that knew of me and my son were ones he allowed to see, the ones he would use me as a pawn in hopes to increase the business deal.

None of them got to get very far with me, Aiden always becoming extremely territorial, taking the rage he felt when his business partners went farther than he saw fit on me for hours after he closed a business deal.

It was always my fault, I was too tempting, too easy.

I just assumed he never allowed Liam to see me was because he was ashamed, or perhaps disgusted. Liam did know Aiden and I from before things had turned out the way they did, he knew us when we were happy, inlove, planning our future together like a bunch of lovesick teenagers.

As far as I knew Aiden never spoke of me, the woman from his work over whenever Liam was.

Liam never made it obvious he knew I was there, Aiden would have had no reason to suspect Liam being involved in my escape.

Fuck, the last thing I wanted to do today was overthink about Aiden and my escape.

Karen lifted her head to meet my eyes as I entered the kitchen Elius already standing beside Scarlett waiting to help make cookies. " We're making snickerdoodle cookies with Hershey's kisses if you'd like to join?"

I nod my head with a small smile, walking over to the sink I wash my hands before taking the apron Scarlett holds out for me to take her bright blue eyes lit up with pure joy and excitement.

" Eli, come over here and wash your hands real quick."

I motion to the sink before he can touch any of the ingredients.

He rushes over to the sink, stepping on the stool placed infront of it without a second thought not even waiting for me when he begins scrubbing his small hands.

" And done! Lets make these cookies!" He cheers, Scarlett bouncing in her spot as she waits for instructions.

" Scarlett dear, grab those eggs over there. Elius grab the butter- yep that's the one!"  She sets the large bowl on the counter, stepping stools on either side of her.

" An- Valeria, shoot I'll get it right I swear. Valeria sweetheart grab the brown sugar, it's the the cupboard directly behind you."

Grabbing the sugar I place it on the counter mostly standing back to watch, refusing to let my thoughts drift back to Aiden and what Niall had said as I watch Elius a beaming smile on his face as he listens closely to every instruction Karen gives both him and Scarlett.