AARON WALLACE POV

"Welcome back, Mister Wallace," the estate butler said as he opened the door on my side and I stepped out.

"Thank you, Harold."

I slipped off my sports coat before I could make it to the building, and when the main door opened, the staff standing there took it.

It was quiet inside, aside from the usual background bustle of the staff. The estate sat on 15 acres of land, with separate wings for each family branch built into the mansion-style structure. You can go for days without running into anyone.

As I headed toward my family's section, I asked Keenan, who was trailing behind, "What time does Lively get home?"

"By six, if she paddled back, sir," he answered.

I paused and looked over at him as we reached the entrance to my family's wing.

"She paddles to the country club? Wasn't it twelve miles from her place?"

"Yes, Mister Wallace. But she often stops at the Rush dispatch station and takes Mister Kelby's truck to pick up her brother from daycare."

"Where is that?"

"The mail office where Mister Kelby works."

Still trying to piece it together, I nodded and waved Keenan off.

Dad's and Mom's laughter floated in through the open balcony doors. They hadn't heard me come in, so I slipped quietly into my bedroom and headed straight for the shower. My head needed rest after the flight from the East Coast, but it had already been a week since I left Lively with the promise that we'd talk.

When I stepped out of my room to leave, it was ten minutes to seven. My parents had already left our wing.

I made my way downstairs, and as I reached the bottom, raised voices drifted from the first floor.

"How worse could you be?" That was Kyle. And he did not sound happy.

Keenan appeared at my side right away.

"Are we going somewhere, Mister Wallace?"

"Yes. To Lively," I told him. "And what is going on over there?"

"Mister Steven Wallace has arrived," he answered.

Well, now that explains everything.

Inwardly reluctant, I headed to the main living area, and there was the whole family, including Grandpa.

That was exceedingly unexpected.

"Grandpa?" I called out over the chaos, but he didn't hear me. So, I rushed to the infuriated eighty-year-old man sitting in the armchair, exhausted and silently watching his dysfunctional family.

As I passed, my eyes caught two unfamiliar faces next to Uncle Steven.

I wondered what wrong decision he had made this time.

"Grandpa,"

This time, he heard me and saw me, and the anger in his expression faded, suddenly replaced by a smile as he opened his arms to me.

"They're trying to kill me, Aaron," he said when I hugged him.

"Is that even possible, Grandpa? You're the lion. They're just harmless kittens." I told him, then lowered myself to the ground in front of him, sitting cross-legged.

He smiled, patting my cheek.

"I thought you weren't spending the holiday here. What changed?" I asked, and he sighed, gesturing behind me.

I turned to look, and there stood Uncle Steven.

"Steven married a widow," he announced.

My brows furrowed when I looked back again. Now it explained the woman and the teenage girl in the living room.

Kyle had every right to lose it.

Dane was holding him back from punching his father, whose face wore fake guilt.

"I think Kyle's reaction is fair," I told Grandpa, and he let out a deep sigh.

"How are you? Tell me something good, something that will keep me standing. God knows I need it. Any love interest?" he asked in his worn voice.

I smiled at the question, pushing the surrounding chaos to the back of my head.

Normally, I kept my cards close, but with everything going on and no one caring how all this might affect Grandpa, I figured I could lift his spirits.

"There's this girl I used to know during high school. I wasn't exactly the best memory of her. You know how I wasn't supposed to come here because of the preparation for the office takeover? That changed because I was willing to find her here, and make amends, so I could free my conscious maybe... Then we ran into each other at the country club."

"Who's this girl who has this kind of hold on you?" he curiously asked.

The words he used made me smile a little.

"She's twenty-one and the most beautiful thing ever on this earth."

Grandpa raised his brows at me. I held his gaze, but my mind was still replaying that kiss in the narrow corridor last week.

"She's passionate, hardworking, and patient. Grandpa, she's not from a rich family. She works at our country club," I admitted, hopeful and a bit scared. "She would not bring a name into this family, but I know she'd make me happier than I've ever been. And I'll do everything I can to make up for the past six years. If she takes me back, will you approve of her?"

He smiled. It was reassuring.

"Of course, my handsome grandson. I will approve of anyone who makes you this excited." He patted my cheek.

His support was all we needed. My parents' and aunties' opinions didn't matter.

"Now, that's why you needed to handle the country club, wasn't it?" He playful winked, and I laughed. "Oh, Aaron," he beamed. "This is the news I can sleep on. Bernard will get my bed ready, and I will leave these people to their problems. Nothing is ruining my mood tonight."

I stood up and helped him to his feet.

Bernard, standing behind him, quickly handed over Grandpa's walking cane, and the room fell silent.

"Dad," my father began, but Grandpa raised a hand, silencing him.

"Go ahead. Set the house on fire," Grandpa waved. "Kyle, when you are ready to talk, come to me," he added as he glanced at my cousin, who was glaring at his father with eyes full of pain.

Kyle said nothing.

I walked Grandpa to the elevator, with Bernard following close behind. I hoped he meant what he said, that he would not let family drama weigh on him. We still needed him.

As the doors slid open, he turned to me and patted my cheek again. "Tomorrow, I want to meet this stunning girl who is too good for this world," he said with a soft smile. I nodded, chewing back a smile. Then his eyes shifted to Bernard. "Bernard, you will help me with something when we get up there."

When the elevator doors closed, I turned to the wreckage that was now our living room.

"There will be a small gathering tomorrow. You will all welcome the newest addition to the Wallace family," Uncle Steven announced right in front of his son, without a tinge of shame.

My father and Uncle Joseph curse under their breath.

Nobody cared if he married every woman alive, but as a father, he should have talked to his son first, given this is a sensitive issue for Kyle.

"Kyle, come on." I grabbed my cousin's arm. I was too tired to stand in that room for another minute. It was a shame Uncle Steven dragged that poor woman and her daughter into this mess.

What a way to welcome them.

Kyle was breathing hard, fists clenched.

Screw Uncle Steven.

"You should be ashamed of yourself, Uncle," I muttered just loud enough for him to hear, then pulled Kyle with me toward the foyer.

"How are you?" I asked him, but he avoided the question.

"Where are we going?" he asked, rubbing his nose as we stepped outside and I let go of his arm.

Keenan had already opened the door to the car, waiting for us to reach it.

"To see Lively," I said truthfully.

He laughed deeply, his head falling back. "Mallory was right."

"Shut up," I nudged him before he circled to the other side to get into the car.

Keenan drove us to Lively's, a little past seven.

I've never been around this side of town.

The car stopped in front of a small house with an old trunk parked outside. Only one of the two front windows had lights on. I wondered if Lively was even home.

"She lives here?" Kyle asked. His tone was more curious than judgemental.

"I guess," I let out, and Keenan confirmed it, so we stepped out.

Keenan wasn't alone. Lloyd, Kyle's guy, sat in the passenger seat. I told them to hang back while Kyle and I walked up the steps to the single white door.

Kyle shoved his hands into his black jeans, rocking on his toes. His eyes scanned the nosy neighbors watching us from their porches.

The door finally opened just as the weirdness got worse.

An average-aged man stood before us, wearing a plain white shirt and light-washed jeans.

"Can I help you?" he asked with confusion, eyes shifting between us and the guys by the car.

I figured he was Lively's dad.

"Mister Kelby?" I asked, and he nodded.

"I'm a friend of your daughter," I said. His eyes widened a little, but he nodded again. "Aaron Wallace." I held out my hand, and he shook it. "And my cousin." I gave Kyle's shoulder a light squeeze. Kyle reached out for a handshake, too.

"Kyle Wallace."

"The Wallace we all know?" Mister Kelby asked, glancing at our guys. Kyle nodded.

"Mini–goes," a tiny person voice's pointed.

I looked down to see a tiny figure peeking out from behind the man's legs.

Bubble.

"Hey." I smiled, holding out my knuckles. He bumped them with his little ones like the other day.

"Please, come in," Mister Kelby suggested, stepping aside to make way for us.

"Thank you."

The house was cozy, with a long couch and a medium-sized center rug. Some blue, red, and green cartoons played on the small-screen television before a woman appeared from the back door. She froze at the sight of us.

"Mary, we have visitors. They're Lively's friends," Mister Kelby introduced, and the woman's eyes lit up.

"Welcome to our home. We were just about to have dinner. Please join us. Livy didn't mention we were having guests. I would have made dessert."

"Thank you, but Lively didn't actually know we were coming," I admitted.

The woman smiled with relief just as the sound of footsteps came up and a disembodied voice asked for a hairdryer.

I followed the sound until my eyes landed on Lively's bare face.

She only had a knee-length towel around her. Her hair was damp, and her skin was glistening with beads of water. Even with both hands protectively covering her chest, the faint view of her cleavage was distracting.

A lot of ideas rushed into my head and none were decent.

She was a stunning thing, capable of making a man a sinner from ten feet away.

"Aaron?" she mumbled, clearly surprised.

Maybe she was annoyed that I had disappeared for a week, but something had come up in Massachusetts and I had needed to leave.

"Hey," I said with a smile.

"I'll go change in a minute," she muttered and disappeared down the short hallway toward the two doors.

"Please sit," Lively's mother offered, and we obeyed.

The father had to bring in two extra stools from the back.

"I'm Mary, by the way," she introduced herself again as she prepared our plates.

"Aaron. And my cousin, Kyle," I replied.

"Anthony told me," she said politely. "How long have you known Lively?"

"Hm..." I stuttered.

Kyle jumped in, "Last week. She works for our family suite."

I couldn't exactly tell her I was the jerk who gave her daughter her first heartbreak.

"Anthony said you know Bubble too," she added, ruffling her son's hair.

"Yeah, he came to the country club with Lively once. We hung out for a bit. He's a cool kid," I replied, smiling at the boy across the table, who stared shyly at us.

"Isn't that right, Bubble? We're buddies now, huh?" I winked at him.

"Kiss, Livy kiss," the boy blurted out with a devilish toddler grin. And the room froze.

All eyes shifted between me and the little criminal, beaming innocently.

For the first time in my life, I felt my cheeks heat up from pure embarrassment.

How did he even remember that?

Kyle coughed, barely hiding his laughter. I kicked him under the table and he covered it with a fake eye rub.

Asshole.

Mary and Mister Kelby awkwardly drove the conversation elsewhere, choosing the weather of all things.

"Yes, it's pretty hot," I said, chewing on a thick green thing I couldn't name. But whatever it was, it was delicious. "The food is amazing," I told Mary, and she blushed.

"Thank you."