Marian's POV.
Aiden chuckled softly at my reaction, his expression shifting to something both playful and serious. He reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear, his touch lingering as his fingers grazed my cheek.
"What's with the 'huh'?" he teased, his voice low and smooth. "Didn't you hear me? My money is yours, Mari. You don't need a loan. You've got me."
I blinked, still trying to process his words. "But… I want to do this on my own. I don't want to depend on you for everything."
He raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips. "You're not depending on me. You're letting me do my job as your husband—to support you. If this is your dream, I'm not going to stand by and watch you struggle when I can help. Think of it as an investment. I believe in you."
I bit my lip, torn between gratitude and frustration. "Aiden, I appreciate it, I really do, but—"
"No buts," he interrupted, his tone gentle but firm. "I know how important this is to you, and I want to be part of it. Let me help, Mari. We're a team, remember?"
His words hit me harder than I expected. For a moment, I didn't know what to say. The sincerity in his eyes made my chest tighten, and I found myself nodding before I could overthink it.
"Okay," I whispered. "But I'm paying you back every cent."
Aiden laughed, the sound warm and rich. "Good luck with that," he said, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me close. "Now, there's something I want to tell you."
I tilted my head, curious. "What is it?"
"It's about Summer," he began, his tone more serious now. "She brought that friend of hers— what was her name again?—Amira. Yes— downstairs. She said she was looking for a job. Apparently, she says she's really skilled in marketing and event management. Summer thinks she'd be a great fit to work with me on some upcoming projects."
I frowned slightly. "And what do you think?"
"I think she might be a good addition to the team, but I wanted to ask you first. You know how I value your opinion, and I don't want to decide without talking to you about it. But judging from the tension earlier, I'm rethinking it."
"Don't bother; if she's indeed that good and you need one, why not interview her? If she's fit for the job, then let her work for you. There are just a few things you should know if she's gonna work for you. " I said, sitting up on the bed, leaned in, moved my mouth closer to his ear, and whispered them to him.
—-
Bang!!!
I jumped up from my bed, startled; my eyes widened, searching the bright room for nothing in particular. Upon seeing nothing wrong, I sighed out in relief, relaxing a little.
I scratched my eyes, the sleep completely gone. "Oh my God, what was that?" I asked no one in particular. Stretching and was about to stand up when I heard chuckles.
Bang!!!
I jumped up again, this time the sound was louder and clearer than the first one. What is going on? Is someone trying to break in or is it an earthquake? But earthquakes don't happen in this part of the world.
I quickly put on my slippers and picked up my phone to check the time: past noon. Aiden would be at the office by now. I rushed towards the door, opened it, and cautiously peered down the hallway. The sound of muffled voices and laughter drifted up from downstairs, making my heart race. I clenched my phone tightly, unsure of whether to call someone or investigate on my own.
Bang!!!
The noise echoed again, this time accompanied by loud, playful shouts. I tiptoed down the stairs, careful not to make a sound, my mind racing with all the possible scenarios. Was it a prank? Has someone broken in?
As I reached the bottom of the staircase, I turned the corner to the living room—and froze.
There, in the middle of the room, were Summer and a small group of kids. They were laughing hysterically, surrounded by scattered pillows, balloons, and what looked like the remnants of a… fort.
Summer noticed me and grinned. "Oh, hey, Mari! You're finally awake!" she said, waving dramatically.
I blinked, still processing the chaos before me. "What… what is going on here?" I asked, my voice a mix of confusion and disbelief.
Summer gestured around the room. "Well, you were asleep, and the house was too quiet, so I thought I'd bring some life to it! Meet my cousins."
The kids all waved at me, their faces smeared with chocolate, as they giggled and whispered among themselves.
I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache coming on. "And the banging? What was that?"
Summer smirked. "Oh, that? We were testing the structural integrity of our fort. Turns out, it's not very sturdy." She gestured to a pile of collapsed chairs and blankets in the corner.
I stared at her, trying to decide whether to laugh or scold her. "You do realize you nearly gave me a heart attack, right?"
Summer pouted, putting her hands on her hips. "That's the point of it all." She replied, a smug smile on her face.
God, how much do I want to slap that stupid smug smile off her face? My hands turned into fists.
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to unclench my fists. She's just being Summer, I reminded myself. Losing my temper wouldn't help.
"Summer," I said slowly, trying to keep my voice calm, "you can't just do things like this without letting me know. What if I thought something serious was happening and called the police?"
She raised an eyebrow, clearly unfazed. "Would've made it more exciting, don't you think?"
The kids giggled at her comment, and I felt my patience wearing thin. I shot her a glare, and for a brief moment, her smug smile faltered. She grabbed a pillow and tossed it at me. Her eyes burned with anger.
I turned to the fort, and an evil thought came to mind, followed by an evil smile. Maybe a little chaos wasn't so bad after all.