"In most circumstances, in the state of Florida, the property, bank accounts and assets would go to a heir if it wasn't stated otherwise in the will or there was no will. You and Desmond didn't have children and while he did specify that his inheritance should go to his parents who are retired in Clearwater. There was no actual specification on what do with his apartment should he pass."

I nodded at Paul who sat at the head of Aiden's dining table while we discussed the legal matters of Desmond's death. I had refused to go to the office because that's where all of his colleagues would be. As it was, I was struggling. I knew that Paul was friends with him. We'd met a few times. But he was keeping a professional air about him. I wondered if he didn't believe me, like most of Desmond's other friends. Or whether he did believe me but still wanted to keep tight lipped on that matter. It was hard to tell.

Aiden sat beside me with his arm draped over the back of the dining chair. It had been four days since we returned from our vacation and things had been a little frazzled. Aiden had thrown himself straight back into work while I had tended to the rooftop garden which hadn't changed a lot over the week. But there were a few weeds that needed to be pulled. Zoerina and Hunapo seemed closer. They wandered around holding hands and sharing sweet kisses. But both of them seemed to be . . . avoiding me? It wasn't blatant. But there was something about the way that they danced around getting too in depth in conversation or discussing matters that were deeper than a simple 'how have things been?' Or 'what ingredients do you use in your pasta bake?'

It might have seemed paranoid, but it felt like they all knew something that I didn't. After Zoerina told Aiden that she was acquainted with Tammy's older brother who was in fact a dealer, nothing else had been said about it. One afternoon, Aiden and I came home from the store and all of her belongings were gone. Zoerina told us that her mother had collected them and Aiden didn't seem the least bit concerned about it. The entire situation was odd. It felt as if they so desperately wanted to be done with the Tammy ordeal, that acting as if it hadn't happened was their only option.

"So, I don't get the apartment?" I questioned Paul. The whole legal process was sort of confusing. But what I had gathered at this point was that Desmond didn't leave much of a will apart from stating that his accounts would be deposited to his parents which he didn't have a lot to do with. I'd met them once at our wedding and it was as if they were acquaintances rather than his blood.

"You do get the apartment," Paul clarified, glancing down at his documentation again. "Apologies for being unclear. I just meant that because he didn't state what he wanted done with that, it goes to you. The Porsche also. But the rest of his assets and finances will go elsewhere."

"Do you know the value of the apartment?

He flipped through a few pages with his pen rested between his fingers until he settled on a page. He clacked his tongue a few times while he read. "One point seven million dollars."

"Is that an old appraisal?" I stared at him as if he must have been misinformed. "Surely the value went down after the event that took place in there?"

"This appraisal was done less than one week ago," he sniffed and gave me a flat stare. It was just for a moment that his countenance slipped. But in that moment, I could tell that he was close with Desmond and he in fact, did not believe me. I guess I couldn't blame him. The tale was that I had shot him and was now shacked up with a gorgeous millionaire while I inquired about how much cash I could squeeze out of our old home. I would have been suspicious too if I didn't know the whole story. "The value would have indeed been higher. But like you said, the event, knocked the price back a bit."

I nodded. The Porsche would have been worth a decent amount as well. There was no chance that I wanted to keep either for myself. Selling them meant starting again. Contributing to my life here with Aiden. In the back of my mind, the idea of being able to open my own restaurant was something that excited me but I dared not to get my hopes up. Paul began to file his papers back into his briefcase and Aiden gave me a soft smile as he stood.

"If you plan on selling the apartment," Paul added as he pushed back in his chair and stood up. "We have a woman in the office who-"

"I think i'll go elsewhere to continue with further legal proceedings now that we've had this meeting," I mustered up a polite smile but remained seated. "Thank you for coming over."

He nodded and Aiden saw him out. The kitchen became quiet. More quiet than it had been before. It was common for delicious aromas to be circling the air by this time of the afternoon. I had been cooking every night. But I hadn't even thought about a meal idea for tonight. My mind had been with the meeting ever since Paul had rung first thing this morning and asked if we could schedule it as soon as possible. It had been expected. I knew that someone, at some point would need to meet with me about his belongings and will. But it still caught me off guard and had been weighing on my mind ever since. It was a relief that it was over. All that I had to do was organize for the apartment and Porsche to be sold and I would be done with that entire chapter.

When Aiden wandered back into the kitchen with his tank top and chinos on, I stood up and exhaled a deep breath. My flip flops slapped the marble floors as I walked into his open arms. "Weight off your shoulders?" He murmured as he pressed soft kisses against the top of my head.

"Yes," I sighed with satisfaction.

"I can recommend someone who can help with selling the apartment?" He leaned back an arched a brow with question. "I know a car dealer as well."

"Do you have someone on speed dial for every single occupation known to mankind?" I teased with amusement.

He stared past me with a thoughtful expression. "Mmmm nope," he finally answered, staring down at me. "I don't know any vets."

"Well that's because you don't have a pet," I shrugged a shoulder and wandered over to the fridge so that I could go in search of something to cook for dinner. It had been a while that we'd gone shopping though. So I suspected that we would need to do that sooner rather than later. "I used to want a dog. But back in high school, I had a friend whose parents used to fight. Not violently. They would shout though and occasionally throw things around. And their dog had the worst jitters. She was so anxious all the time. Whenever I thought about getting a furry companion, I remembered that little pup. I didn't want to do that to a dog."

I swung the fridge door shut after finding some left over fish pie, a ton of ingredients for shakes and bottles upon bottles of water. Aiden leaned on the island a few feet away and watched me with a soft smile and a sad gaze. "I love you," he said.

I bit down on a grin and tugged at the hem of my sundress. "I love you too."

"Never," Aiden tilted his head as he sauntered towards me. "Ever stop being this open with me. Talk about it all. Whenever it comes to you. It's a relief to hear you confide in me."

He pressed a soft kiss on my lips and took my hand before leading me out of the kitchen. "We better go and get some groceries."

What I had told him wasn't a huge secret. It wasn't even a big deal. It was the simple fact that I had never brought a pet into my home because I didn't want to traumatize it. But it occurred to me, that not all that long ago, it was something that I would have lied about. Or withheld. Things had changed so much. Being able to confess the truth with no barrier of lies between us was huge. I wasn't left to feel pent up with guilt. The words didn't have to linger in my throat and suffocate me. I didn't have to drown in the sorrow of wishing that I could have been more honest with him, of having a shoulder to lean on but not being able to. It was just him and I now. And as hard as the bigger issues were to talk about, it was uplifting to know that I could. And I could do it knowing that I was one hundred percent safe with the man that I loved.

"Is Hunapo eating with us tonight?" I asked Aiden as I held a packet of bacon in one hand and a carton of diced ham in the other.

He leaned an elbow on the cart and clicked his tongue. "What's today. . . . Thursday," he mumbled. "Uh he should be home but I have no idea if he and Zoerina will be eating with us. Just make whatever you want Ari."

I glanced back down at the meat and paused for a moment before throwing it back into the fridge shelf. "I might do something with salmon."

He chuckled but nodded as he pushed the cart down the aisle. It was still within business hours, so the rush of people coming in after work hadn't begun. We still had an hour before the store was packed with shoppers who needed to grab something for dinner on the way home. I walked beside Aiden and slipped my hand into his back pocket. He glanced down at me and grinned. "That's cute." He winked.

"My parents used to shop like this," I laughed. "I thought it was so weird when I was little. But it is kind of cute."

"I think we should swap," he said as we turned the corner and headed in the direction of the seafood. "You push the cart so that I can touch your bum."

"Na uh," I shook my head and turned my nose up in refusal. "I get booty privilege this time."

"Fine," he sighed. "You push the cart next time."

I laughed at his exasperation but turned in surprise at the sound of a familiar voice.

Jules was standing at the glass window, talking to the staff on the other side while she pointed at the fish in the fridge. I considered turning around and running in the other direction so that I didn't have to face her, knowing that she would claim to be right about all of her accusations. But before I could decide whether I did want to run or not, she turned her head and caught site of Aiden and I.

Her eyes widened in surprise, moving from me to the man who I was tucked in beside. She masked the disbelief with a small smile and waved. It would have been too rude to do a runner at this point. So I slipped my hand out of Aiden's pocket and waited with anticipation as she retrieved her fish and then walked towards us. Her pixie cut was a fraction longer. Her skin was a shade darker and to be honest, a little more orange than usual. But she seemed well as she stopped in front of us.

"Hey," she swallowed. "I've been meaning to call."

That seemed unlikely.

"Jordan and I got married," she shifted her bagged fish to the other hand and waved her ring at us. "It was super small and basic I suppose. I was going to remind you about it. But I heard you were going through some stuff."

"Yeah you could say that," I nodded and ran a hand through my hair. "I haven't-"

I was going to say that I hadn't been off work to lay around in the sand and soak up the sun. But I did spend a week in the Bahamas.

"Never mind," I shrugged. "Congratulations to you and Jordan."

"Thanks," she gave me a tight smile. "I don't know if congratulations is the right word. But you both look happy. Or I'm sorry about Desmond. I don't really know what to say. It's kind of weird."

"What's weird?"

"Apparently you shot your husband to death and now you're in a relationship with him," she gestured at Aiden who was watching her with a narrow glare. He kept quiet though. "I just don't understand how that's not suspicious. I mean if it's even true."

"It's so odd how certain news travels. Details don't seem all that important to people."

"Huh?" She shook her head.

"Nothing," I snapped. "I don't really feel like discussing the truth with someone who didn't even bother asking for it in the first place. Congratulations, again. I hope you're both happy."

I didn't wait for her to answer this time. Instead Aiden and I walked straight past her while she watched us with red cheeks and total confusion. There was no way that I was going to turn around now, but I had forgotten the salmon. Damn it. I was too wound up to decide on a course of action, so I let Aiden guide us towards the breads and he glanced down as I inhaled the aroma of fresh rolls and loaves. It was one of the best smells in the world.

"You alright baby?"

"I'm good," I nodded and plucked a cheese and bacon ciabatta from the shelf. I tossed it in the cart and met his concerned gaze. "I think I'm going to hand in my official resignation to Stella Pines. I can't be a chef if I'm a waitress."

Not to mention that I couldn't work with Jules ever again. I didn't like to hate people, but her attitude bothered me more than I wanted to admit.

"We can do it after this if you want," he smiled. "I have to admit though, if you chef for someone else, I'm going to miss cooking together in the evenings."

I laughed as we continued. "Well, if I opened my own restaurant, you could hang around with me in the kitchen and we could eat together. It would be okay because it would be my restaurant."

"You've been thinking more about doing that?"

"I have," I nodded. "It's definitely something that I want to think about more. If I had the cash, why not right?" I winced. "Perhaps that's not the right attitude. There might be lots of reasons not to."

"There would be more reasons to do it," he countered. "I think that it will be amazing."

By Friday afternoon, I had spoken to a real estate agent, settled on a price for the Porsche and arranged for it to be collected on Monday and I had browsed at several different business starter websites. There was a lot to know when it came to opening a food establishment. The legal jargon was hard to read and there were a ton of health and safety factors. It could take a long time before it was up and running after securing a location. Which was difficult in itself.

Finding the right site wasn't going to be a walk in the park. I had to be sure that the area would bring customers. I would have to redecorate so that it suited my own theme. I had to hire staff and create a menu. Permits would have to be issued. None of these things were quick. So I figured that as soon as the funds were in the bank, I would start searching for the perfect building. In the mean time, I planned on handing in applications for a job. I would have around two million to work with. But I suspected that a large portion of that would diminish once I purchased the restaurant. Whatever else I could earn would help in going towards the project and also contributing to the household in the mean time.

Aiden joined Zoerina, Hunapo and I in the kitchen that afternoon while I was whisking eggs. Zoerina had requested breakfast for dinner. She wanted the works. So I appeased her wants and was in the middle of whipping up some scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, sausages and fried tomatoes. She sat on Hunapo's lap at the breakfast bar while the two of them flipped through a sports illustrated magazine.

"Zee," Aiden said as he fastened the buttons on his black shirt. The cuffs were undone and he was wearing a pair of fitted grey slacks. "Did you offer to help Arian with the dinner that you asked for."

"No," she shook her head but remained reading the magazine.

"It's fine," I waved him off. It was nice that they were hanging around in the first place. Both of them had been scarcely seen over the last week. I didn't want them to find a reason to rush off. "I don't have a lot left to do. You look like you're going out?"

His head fell as he nodded and rolled the sleeves of his shirt up. "I uh- I have some work to do tonight."

The room became still. The air seemed to become thick with tension as Zoerina raised her head and glanced between the two of us. Even Hunapo seemed somewhat uncomfortable as he attempted to hide behind his girlfriend's shoulder. I set the bowl of whisked eggs down and smiled as he slipped his hands into his pockets.

"Be safe," I said with a small voice.

It was weird when I thought about it for a moment too long. I knew what he was going to be doing tonight. I was fine with it. But still, the reality of knowing that someone might be shot to death down stairs was just. . . strange. It sent a cold chill up my spine. But I received his kiss and felt that familiar flutter in the pit of my stomach as I watched him turn to leave.

"Wait," I said and he turned around with a raised brow.

"Who- who is the victim? Not the predator," I clarified, stumbling over my own words. "The victim. The victim of the predator. Do you know?"

His features smoothed as he understood what I was asking. He nodded. "Yeah. An eight year old boy, Jimmy. His swim coach has sexually assaulted him multiple times. He told one of his friends who then told his mother, who then told Jimmy's mother. He was found not guilty based on lack of evidence. But the judge on that case recently received a large transaction from the swim coaches lawyer. Who also received an ever larger sum from the swim coach before the trial even went to court."

I swallowed the lump in my throat at how horrific that must have been for a child so young. I bit the inside of my cheek and tried to keep the tears from falling. It definitely made it easier to know that there was an innocent child who would never get his innocence back again. Aiden gave me a sad smile and nodded. He knew that I needed to hear that. And I knew that he would be protecting more children from going through the same thing. It was just as he'd said before. He saved more lives than he took.

Zoerina pushed her magazine closed as Aiden left and Hunapo rubbed his hand up and down her arm. "Well," she said. "I kind of want to shoot the filthy prick myself."

I laughed but carried on with dinner. It was painful to think about that poor child. He would have been so scared. He wouldn't have understood what that man was doing to him. He would have felt violated and uncomfortable. And that would never leave him. He would struggle with those memories for the rest of his life. The scars would be an enormous obstacle. It wasn't right that people could do that to children, unable to defend themselves. Unable to receive help because the judge is a crook. Aiden should have offed him as well. He was letting criminals out onto the streets. It made me feel ill.

"So," Zoerina smiled as she stood up and stretched, her cropped t shirt exposing her stomach. "Just the three of us tonight. What should we do?"