Page 118 of Titan

I turned to Theia and nudged her with my shoulder.

“This is my cousin, Rina.” My eyes darted across the table. “Rina, this is my girlfriend, Theia.”

She already knew Arlo, so I didn’t have to introduce them.

I watched Arlo wrap his arm around Rina’s shoulder and whisper something in her ear. Rina nodded at him before turning to Theia.

“I-I-It’s n-n-nice to m-m-meet you. I’m v-very h-happy Gil has f-found s-s-someone.”

Rina rarely spoke. We all knew she had trouble because of her stammer, but to hear her make an effort with Theia made me reach out and take my girlfriend’s hand under the table.

“You too,” Theia said, her eyes softening as she came to the realisation too.

I’d explained my family tree to Theia, so she understood how we were all related after I’d shown her where all the weapons in the penthouse were. She wasn’t so keen on the gun thing, but I felt better knowing she could handle one herself.

Ari and Zayn joined us at the table not long after that, and dinner got underway. They both engaged Theia in conversation, which I was pleased about as she began to relax next to me. Rina came out of her shell during it, even if she didn’t say a lot.

When dinner was over, I nudged Ari, who was sitting at one end of the table closest to me. She looked at me with curiosity in her eyes.

“Can I talk to you in private?”

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked towards the head of the table at Zayn. He gave her a nod, knowing exactly what I was about to do.

“Okay.”

We got up to excuse ourselves. I pressed a kiss to Theia’s hair, stroking her shoulder to soothe her when she grew tense.

“I won’t be long,” I whispered, knowing she would be okay without me, but wanting to reassure her all the same.

She nodded, but her expression told a different story. Her nerves were back. There wasn’t much I could do about it since I had to have this conversation with Ari. It was important.

I followed Zayn’s girlfriend into his office. She turned to me, her brown eyes wide as I stopped by the fireplace.

“Is everything okay?” she asked when I didn’t speak.

I nodded slowly.

“I’ll get right to the point. Zayn and I agreed I should be the one to tell you this. I met the woman who gave birth to you last week at a gala, and we had a conversation about you.”

All of the blood drained from Ari’s face. She wrapped her arms around herself as if the news was shaking her right to her core.

“You met my mother?”

“I’d hardly call her that, but yes.”

She took a step toward me.

“Dad never really talks about her. He wouldn’t even tell me her name.”

“It’s Julia McDonald. Her father owns the hotel chain.”

Ari nodded slowly. Her feelings were written all over her face. She was conflicted by this news.

“What did she say about me?”

I almost sighed. Instead, I stepped closer to my brother’s partner.

“Do you want the whole truth?”

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