Chapter 11
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Caleb blinked , thrown off . “ Wait , who’s your lawyer ? ”
“ Owen Shaw , ” Aria said , cool as ever .
The room went quiet , four jaws practically hitting the floor .
Logan let out a low , “ Well , ” grinning with relief . “ Owen ? You’re in good hands , girl . Guy’s a beast .”
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Zoe’s face clouded , her emotions a tangled mess . She hesitated , then blurted , “ Aria , how’d you even score Owen ? Word is he’s tight with the lawyer Liam hired . Could be playing for their team . ”
Aria gave a half – shrug . “ Mr. Hayes put me in touch . ”
Zoe muttered under her breath , “ Why not just tell us ? We’re your family , not some outsider . ”
Caleb’s jaw tightened , ready to jump in , but Aria cut him off fast . “ What , you want me to ditch Owen and let you pick someone else ? ”
The air turned thick . Zoe bit her lip , her eyes shimmering with hurt . She’d only wanted to help , but with Aria , it always seemed to go sideways .
‘ At least I’ve got Silvia – sweet , ride – or – die Silvia – who’s always got my back , ‘ she thought .
The thought hit Zoe like a slap . She clenched her fists , nails biting into her palms , grounding her .
If Aria had been raised by her , she’d be as sweet and open as Silvia . But those small – town folks had made her so closed – off , so cold . If only Zoe hadn’t lost her back then .
Logan , who knew his wife’s heart after years together , sighed softly . He stepped close , slipping an arm around her shoulders , his voice a quiet comfort .
Aria watched them for a long moment , her face unreadable , then turned and walked out , not sparing a backward glance .
Caleb’s gaze shifted to Silvía , his voice steady but firm . “ Silvia , you didn’t ask for this mess , and neither did Aria . We missed twenty years of her life , and we owe her big . That might mean you’re not the center of attention for a while . ”
Silvia’s eyes glistened , but she nodded , her voice soft . “ I get it , Caleb . I’ve been in her place all this time . Whatever it takes to make things right , I’m all in . ”
Zoe reached out , gently tousling Silvia’s hair . “ Caleb , take it easy . You’re scaring her . ”
Caleb’s expression softened , a flicker of frustration in his eyes . He opened his mouth to say more , but a quick look from his dad made him hold back , lips pressing shut .
Aria was zipping down the highway when Grace’s name flashed on her phone . With a groan , she yanked the wheel , pulling a sharp U – turn toward Cole Group’s headquarters .
At the front desk , the receptionist’s eyes went wide as saucers when she spotted Aria . She clutched her coworker’s arm , whispering , “ No way , Ms. Saxon’s back ! ”
The rumor mill at Cole Group had been churning for weeks , everyone gossiping about their boss strutting back into town alongside the Gibson family
heiress .
The coworker’s face twisted with indignation . “ Ms. Saxon’s been grinding nonstop for this company , and Mr. Cole still has the guts to- ”
“ Zip it ! ” the receptionist hissed , slapping a hand over her friend’s mouth . “ You wanna get fired ? Someone dissed Mr. Cole yesterday and got canned by Mr. Marshall
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15:08 Mon , 26 May MT
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Aria hadn’t even made it to her office door when Grace Webb , her secretary , and the executive assistant ambushed her , lugging a mountain of files . “ Ms. Saxon , these have been stacking up ”
Aria threw up a hand , cutting them off . “ Not my problem anymore , guys . I’m here to quit . ”
She breezed into her office , fired up her laptop , and banged out a resignation letter in record time . Then she started tossing her stuff into a cardboard box .
Outside , the assistant’s jaw practically hit the carpet , his files tumbling into a chaotic heap .
Grace , though , didn’t even flinch . She knew Aria’s vibe : when she decided something , it was game over .
Box in hand , Aria stepped out and nearly crashed into a posse heading her way .
Leading the pack was a smug , middle – aged guy with a smirk that screamed trouble . “ Well , well , if it ain’t Ms. Saxon . Where you headed with all that baggage , darling ? ”
Andrew Marshall . Liam’s sleazy uncle . He’d waltzed into Cole Group as Technical Director after blowing back into the country .
Aria had fought tooth and nail against his hire – sure , he could tinker with tech , but he was way out of his depth for a gig that big . Only Daniel’s blind loyalty had handed him the keys .
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