Chapter 10

Aria’s POV

I sat at the kitchen table, watching as Joe and Logan stood side by side in front of me, both looking like two boys caught in the act.

Joe’s small face was a mix of guilt and determination, while Logan’s expression was apologetic yet amused.

Joe was the first to speak, his voice wavering just slightly. "Mom, I’m sorry. I… I asked Logan to pretend to be my dad. It was my idea. I just wanted—"

Logan cut in, his tone warm but serious. "Aria, don’t be too hard on the kid. I went along with it willingly. It was just a bit of fun, no harm intended."

I looked at the two of them—Joe with his pleading eyes and Logan with his practiced charm. It was impossible to stay angry, even though they had both crossed a line.

Joe’s earnestness and Logan’s easygoing nature worked together, softening the edge of my frustration. I sighed, the tension in my shoulders easing as I decided to let it go.

"Alright," I said finally, a faint smile tugging at my lips. "But don’t let it happen again. We can’t keep pretending like this. It’s not fair to anyone, especially not to you, Joe."

Joe’s face lit up with relief, and he nodded eagerly. "I promise, Mom!"

Logan gave me a grateful smile, the kind that always made it hard to stay mad at him. "Thanks, Aria. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble."

I couldn’t help but think back to the first time I had run into Logan, years ago, in a foreign country where I had tried to start over. Unlike Liam, who had been distant and preoccupied with his own world, Logan had been kind to me, the only person in Liam’s circle who had shown me genuine warmth.

We had crossed paths by chance, and I had begged him not to tell Liam about our meeting. I didn’t want Liam to know where I was or what I was doing. I just wanted to live my life in peace.

Logan had agreed, and to my surprise, he had gone even further, helping me in ways I hadn’t expected. He had been there when Joe was born, offering support and kindness that I desperately needed at the time.

He had taken care of us, never asking for anything in return.

Before I returned to the country, I had informed Logan of my decision to come back. I remembered the way his eyes had clouded over with a complicated emotion I hadn’t been able to place at the time.

But now, it made sense—perhaps he had already known that Liam was the mysterious boss behind the club, the man I had tried to forget but could never fully escape.

I voiced my concern to Logan now, not wanting to hurt his friendship with Liam because of my situation. "Logan, I don’t want this to come between you and Liam. Your friendship is important, and I don’t want to be the cause of any problems."

Logan waved off my concerns with a dismissive hand. "Aren’t we friends too? If you want to keep Joe’s parentage a secret, the best way is for me to keep playing the role. I’m happy to do it."

I couldn’t help but tease him a little. "And what if it keeps you from finding your true love? You’ll be too busy pretending to be Joe’s dad to meet anyone."

Logan chuckled, but there was a hint of something unreadable in his eyes. "If anyone can help you pull off this charade, I’m the best person for the job. Besides, I’m not in a rush to find anyone."

His words were reassuring, and I was persuaded. If everyone believed that Joe was Logan’s child, Liam might stop questioning things, and we could avoid any further complications.

The next day, I found myself a bit distracted. Jackson, who was usually persistent in his attempts to flirt with me, tried his usual lines, but I barely reacted.

My mind kept drifting back to the conversation with Logan and the implications of our arrangement.

Later, I received a message from Liam, instructing me to bring the divorce papers and meet him. I had expected this meeting, but it still filled me with a sense of unease.

When I arrived, Liam wasted no time in reviewing the papers, his sharp eyes scanning the text with a critical gaze.

He started picking apart the language in the divorce papers, of all things. “No emotional connection?” he questioned, his voice laced with disbelief. “Is that what you really think?”

I held my ground, trying not to let his words get to me. “That’s what it says, Liam.”

He scoffed, flipping through the pages. “And this—'irreparable breakdown of the marriage'—really, Aria? Irreparable?”

“Yes, irreparable,” I replied firmly, refusing to let him drag me back into a debate about something that had already been decided.

My patience wore thin as the minutes ticked by. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore.

"Liam," I said, my voice edged with frustration, "if you’re going to make this difficult, just have your lawyer draft the agreement. I’ll sign it and we can avoid wasting more time."

I moved to put the papers into the shredder, determined to end this endless back and forth. But before I could, Liam grabbed my wrist forcefully, stopping me in my tracks.

His grip was firm, his eyes burning with an intensity that took me by surprise.

"Are you really with Logan?" he demanded, his voice low and dangerous. "And whose child is Joe, really?"

I looked at him, and for a moment, I saw the depth of his anger and confusion. But I couldn’t let myself be swayed by it. I sneered, letting my words drip with sarcasm.

"Why don’t you ask Logan? You saw what happened yesterday. And for the record, I’m eager to remarry Joe’s father, so why don’t you hurry up with the divorce?"

Liam’s fury was palpable, his jaw clenched tightly as he glared at me. For a brief moment, I felt a flicker of fear—Liam was not a man to be trifled with, and I had just pushed him to his limit.

But before anything more could be said, both our phones rang simultaneously.

The kindergarten teacher’s voice came through the phone, hesitant and awkward. "Ms. Aria, I'm sorry to call you again, but... Joe and William got into another fight."

Apparently, a model Joe had made for a class presentation had been deliberately damaged. Joe was convinced that William was responsible, though William vehemently denied it.

We arrived at the kindergarten in record time, the tension between us momentarily set aside as we focused on the situation at hand.

As soon as we walked through the doors, I saw Joe storming out of the classroom, holding the broken remains of his mechanical spider in his hands. His face was a mask of frustration and sadness.

Joe didn’t see me at first. He was too caught up in his emotions, his small hands gripping the shattered pieces of his project.

But as he looked up, his eyes met mine, and in an instant, he was running toward me, tears streaming down his cheeks.

He ran straight into Liam’s leg, bouncing off with a soft thud before picking himself up and continuing his dash into my arms. I wrapped him in a tight hug, trying to soothe him as he sobbed against my shoulder.

Through his tears, Joe pointed at Liam, his voice filled with hurt. "Why is my daddy always taking someone else’s side?"

I felt a pang of guilt at his words, but I quickly shushed him, not wanting the situation to escalate any further. "Joe," I said softly, "let’s talk about this later, okay?"

Liam stood there, his face unreadable as he watched the exchange. I could feel the tension building again, but for Joe’s sake, I kept my tone calm and even.

We would have to deal with this later—right now, all that mattered was making sure Joe was okay.