A Family For The Billionaire ✅

18.

So Aubrey left, but for forty-five minutes later, she realized Aston was nowhere to be found. Oh, the party was in full swing without him, but that didn't defuse the worry that settled in her gut.

She knew he wasn't in the front parlor, because she'd just been through there. Everything was running smoothly and the vendors had given her very positive feedback. But there'd been no sign of Aston.

Next she checked the ballroom as best as she could. Between the dancers and those milking around listening to the small orchestra, it was little too crowded for an accurate reading. But she didn't see him. The kitchen and dining rooms were also a bust.

Though he could have stepped outside to cool off, that didn't feel right. Besides, Aubrey wasn't familiar enough with the grounds to trust herself to go looking around in the dark.

Instead, she climbed the backstairs. Several rooms at the front of the second flood had been opened for guest to tour, including a grand sitting room and a couple of bedrooms. There were other completed rooms on this floor that weren't open for viewing. One she knew to be an office that Aston had set up with equipment in case he needed to be reached or do something while he was out of here—which he often had been during the last month or so.

As she reached the top of the stairs, muffled voices reached her. Alert that there was someone in the office, she approached the closed door with trepidation. Why would Aston have brought his father up here? Or was it just someone else he'd wanted to talk to?

She didn't want to interrupt business. But the thought that he would be talking business in the middle of their event was upsetting.

At first she through the door was closed, but as she reached it, she realized it was cracked. The voices filtered through enough that she recognized Aston...and his father. She should have just turned away and gone back downstairs and left Aston to handle it. Instead, she reached out and pushed the door back an inch, allowing her to see a small sliver of a scene inside.

Vincent Jones flicker a silver lighter, then used it to might a thin cigar. He puffed a few times, causing the tip to glow. "I, more than anyone know how disruptive women can be," he finally said.

Aston turned to him. The lamp nearby allowed Aubrey to read the surprise on his face. Unconcerned, his father blew out a stream of cigar smoke. "Yes, your mother wasn't the first. But she was the only one I made the mistake of getting pregnant."

"I wish the consider myself a mistake."

Vincent pauses in that way he had, as if he considered every word before speaking it. "I did, at the time. But I've checked in through the years. You've turned out well. Still, I felt it was beer if I married after that."

Aston scoffed. "I wouldn't call what you have a marriage. More like a business arrangement."

"I call it t he best of both worlds. I handle the business. She handles the house and our image. And takes the edge of when I really need it. What Mike could I want?"

Aubrey waiting for Aston to say love, but he remained silent.

"You've made a terrible misstep, son. I've seen the way you look at her. You're going soft. Besides, that woman has a baby, for Christ's sake. One that's not even hers."

"How did you find that out?" Aston stalked closer to stand over Vincent's chair. "Never mind. I'm sure I can guess. A better question is, why do you care?"

"Because you should," Vincent insisted, gaining his feet to meet Aston head-on. "You should care that her middle class family is going to suck your focus away from your business. Why would you let someone like that stand in the way of achieving all that you can?"