Scarlet Vows

5.

"University?" My father frowned at both of us, suspicion evident in his gaze.

"Yes," I replied without a moment's hesitation.

I knew exactly what was running through his mind. He was probably assuming Aren was yet another boyfriend, and he certainly didn't seem thrilled about the prospect.

"What do you do?" he asked Aren, his tone sharp.

Fortunately, I had prepped Aren with all the right answers, so I had no reason to worry.

"I'm a model," Aren answered smoothly, not even a flicker of unease crossing his face. "I'm currently modeling for Sera's skincare brand."

"Are you rich?" my father asked bluntly, making me throw my hands up in mock exasperation.

No, he wasn't concerned that his daughter might be dating someone penniless. He was just dreading the possibility of more expenses and, knowing my luck, a few unavoidable legal battles.

"No" Aren admitted, "I am an orphan. I grew up in California in a foster home. MBA on scholarship and now...I am exploring life."

My father wasn't buying any of it. If I were in his shoes, I wouldn't have believed that story either. But given the circumstances, it was the best I could come up with on short notice.

"MBA and modeling. Quite the career jump," he muttered, shooting me a look that screamed, 'You mess this up, you're dead' I nodded and crossed my heart, silently praying Aren wouldn't become another problem.

Despite his reservations, my father allowed Aren to stay with us and even instructed the staff to prepare the guest room to his liking. I retreated to my own room and collapsed onto the bed, exhausted. Derek Hilton had left me several messages, but I couldn't be bothered to respond. As I drifted toward sleep, Aren's cheerful face flashed through my mind, bringing a smile to my lips. And with that, I slipped into a blissfully dreamless sleep.

-x-x-x-

I woke up with a jolt, instinctively pushing away the hand that had been resting on my hair. I blinked, trying to adjust my eyes to the brightness flooding the room. The sleeve of my oversized T-shirt slipped from my shoulder, revealing the strap of my bra, while a few unruly strands of hair fell across my face.

Aren was sitting on the edge of my bed, holding a plate of breakfast. The mere smell of it made my stomach churn—I hated breakfast.

"No bread," I groaned, burying my head back into the pillow.

"Your house help asked me to give it to you. Don't want it?" Aren's voice was calm, almost too calm for this early in the morning.

"No," I mumbled, my voice muffled by the pillow.

"Fine. I'm putting it down. But you need to wake up."

I shuffled violently on the satin sheets, accidentally shoving into Aren before I reluctantly sat up, my hair now flying in every direction, some strands obscuring my vision. I willed my lashes not to betray me by closing again, but Aren took matters into his own hands. He yanked me off the bed and unceremoniously plopped me onto the sofa chair. In the process, Diffy the Dolphin tumbled off the bed, landing face-first on the floor.

"We need to step out and search for the pages today," Aren announced, pulling open my wardrobe without waiting for my response.

"Where do we even start?" I asked, still squinting as I pushed the stray strands of hair away from my face.

He selected a pastel green top and a pair of faded wide-leg jeans, casually dropping them on my bed.

"Let's start from where your siblings found the book."