Dominance and Defiance

Chapter 34

Amelia's POV

The next morning, I woke up with the weight of yesterday still pressing on my mind. I tried to shake it off as I went about my morning routine. Packing my bag, I made sure to include my favorite stationery and the book I was currently reading. These small rituals always brought me a sense of comfort.

As I was finishing up, I heard an unusual amount of noise coming from downstairs. It sounded like more people than usual, and everyone seemed to be talking at once. Intrigued by the lively atmosphere, I hurried up, not wanting to miss out on whatever fun was happening.

I quickly got dressed, grabbed my bag, and headed downstairs. The noise grew louder with each step, a mix of laughter and cheerful voices. When I turned the corner into the dining room, I stopped in my tracks.

Sitting at the table, right next to my mother, was Aiden. He was smiling and chatting comfortably with my parents and my sister. They were all acting like it was the most normal thing in the world, like he belonged there. I felt like an outsider in my own home.

Aiden looked up and met my eyes. For a moment, there was a flicker of something in his expression, but it quickly vanished as he turned back to my mother. My family didn't even seem to notice my presence at first, too caught up in their conversation with Aiden.

"Good morning, Amelia," my mother finally greeted me with a warm smile. "Look who's here! Aiden came over for breakfast."

I forced a smile, my mind racing. "Good morning," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. "I didn't expect to see you here, Aiden."

He gave me a charming smile. "I thought I'd surprise you. We could go to school together."

My heart sank. The tension and the bouquet incident were still fresh, and now he was here, acting like everything was perfectly fine. I couldn't understand how he had managed to ingratiate himself with my family so quickly.

"Amelia sweetheart you never told us about your close friend Aiden." I choked on my water, listening to my mother's words.

"Close friends?" I looked at Aiden, anger visible in my eyes. I hope this look in my eye scares him. But his immediate grin told me otherwise.

Now this manipulater is using such tricks.

I took a seat at the table, feeling like an outsider. My sister was chatting animatedly with Aiden about some movie they both liked, and my father was laughing at a joke Aiden had just told. It was as if they had all forgotten about the tension between us.

As I picked at my breakfast, I couldn't help but feel a mix of anger and helplessness. How had Aiden managed to worm his way into my family's good graces? And why did it feel like they were more of his family than mine?

I tried to join in the conversation, but my thoughts kept drifting back to yesterday. Aiden's confession, the bouquet, and now this-everything felt like it was spiraling out of control. And as much as I hated to admit it, Aiden's presence was starting to affect me in ways I hadn't expected.

I glanced at my sister, remembering how she had encouraged me to stand my ground with Aiden just a few days ago. And now, here they were, sitting together like old friends, chatting and laughing. He never talked to me like that. No, I wasn't jealous-I just hated having him around my family. But whatever.

As soon as breakfast finished, Aiden picked up his bag and said, "Let's go."

"Where?" I asked, already dreading his answer.

"To school, obviously. It's not like I'm going to take you to the moon," he replied with a smirk.

"I'm not going," I shot back immediately.