Ryan gets back in his car, sitting there for a moment before pulling out his phone. I adjust my earpiece, listening.
A dial tone. Then a female voice: “That was fast. How did it go?”
Aria.
“She’s not interested,” Ryan says, his voice flat. “Made it very clear there’s no future there.”
“I told you she was already taken.” Aria sounds amused. “Those three have been circling her like sharks since she got back. You never stood a chance.”
“Charles seemed to think?—”
“Charles was using you to make a point to his sister about optics and alliances. You were a pawn, Ryan. A very well-dressed, well-connected pawn.”
Silence. Then: “Where are you?”
“My place. Are you coming over or not?”
“Yeah. I’ll be there soon.
The call ends. Ryan starts driving again, heading in the opposite direction from his own apartment.
Heading toward the guest house where Aria lives.
Interesting.
I tail him through the city, keeping my distance, listening to the occasional phone call or muttered curse. He makes one morecall—this one to someone named Marcus, confirming a meeting for tomorrow afternoon at some restaurant I don’t recognize. It’s not Marcus that works for us, though. He lives next door to Aria but I know he’s with Jace right now. I’ll just make sure to confirm Marcus hadn’t made or taken a call during this time of night.
Then he’s pulling up to the estate, passing through the gate with the security code that shouldn’t have been given to him but probably was by Charles as a courtesy.
He parks near Aria’s guest house. Gets out. Knocks on her door.
Aria answers, wearing something considerably less formal than her gala gown—a silk robe that’s clearly meant to entice, her blonde hair loose around her shoulders, her makeup still perfect despite the late hour. She pulls him inside, the door closing behind them.
I park a safe distance away, settling in to wait and listen.
The bug picks up muffled conversation—pleasantries, the sound of drinks being poured, Aria’s practiced laugh. Then Ryan’s voice, clearer now:
“I need to know if you’re serious about this alliance, or if you’re just playing games.”
“I’m very serious,” Aria says. “Dominic left me with nothing but a pregnancy scare that turned out to be false and a guest house I know I’ll be evicted from the moment Charles finds an acceptable reason. I want security. I want power. And I’m willing to work for it.”
“And you think I can give you that?”
“I think you have connections I need. And I think I have information you want.”
“What kind of information?”
“The kind that explains why Parker really ran all those years ago. The kind that reveals who the father of those twins actually is. The kind that could destabilize Charles’s control if used correctly.”
My blood goes cold.
“You know who the father is?” Ryan’s voice is sharp with interest.
“I have suspicions. Strong ones. And I know how to confirm them.” Aria’s voice is smug. “But that information has value. What are you offering in exchange?”
“What do you want?”
“Partnership. Real partnership. You help me secure my position—either here with the Carters or somewhere else that values what I bring to the table. I help you build your own organization, independent of the Matthews family expectations.”
