Page 42 of Watch Me, Daddy

At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.

“Oh, absolutely. He even lets me out of my room sometimes.”

Aidan choked on his coffee, and I suppressed a giggle. My father’s stern expression cracked for a moment, and I saw the hint of a smile.

“Is that so? Well, that’s a good sign,” he answered.

We continued our playful banter, with my father throwing in more questions about Aidan’s cooking skills. The tension in the room eased as we found a comfortable rhythm, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief that my father’s visit was going better than I had anticipated.

“You know, Irina, I only want the best for you,” my father said, his face softening.

“I know. And I assure you, Aidan has been taking very good care of me,” I replied, trying not to think about howthoroughlyhe’d taken care of me last night and even this morning. I smiled, trying to cover up the heated blush I could feel creeping up in my cheeks as my father leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowing.

“Well, he better be, or I might have to have a little talk with him.”

“I promise, Mr. Morozov, I’m doing my best to keep her out of trouble,” Aidan said quickly.

“He’s even teaching me how to cook. Can you believe it?” I tried to segue, changing the subject so that I didn’t think about exactly how he planned to keep me out of trouble with his hand and his belt.

“Is that so? Well, Aidan, if you’re teaching her to cook, you must be a brave man,” my father teased, while raising an eyebrow in mock surprise. A mask of cool confidence, Aidan chuckled, and I breathed a sigh of relief that he was keeping his composure far better than I could.

“I like to live dangerously,” Aidan replied.

The conversation flowed effortlessly, and I watched as my father and Aidan exchanged stories and laughter. It was a side of Aidan that I hadn’t seen before—relaxed, genuine, and surprisingly charming. As the meal went on, my nerves continued to ease, replaced by a warmth that spread through the room. It felt like we were becoming a family, which was an unexpected but welcome development.

By the time we finished eating, the initial tension had evaporated completely, but when my father stood, he directed an unexpectedly hard gaze in Aidan’s direction.

“Aidan, why don’t you take a walk with me? I have a few things I’d like to discuss with you,” he stated, his words sounding more like a command than a question.

I gulped hard.

Maybe that didn’t go gone as well as you thought.

CHAPTER14

Aidan

This wasn’t good.

Walking outside with Maxim, I could feel the heavy weight of the conversation ahead settling on my shoulders. The air was crisp, carrying with it the faint scent of pine from the surrounding forest. The lake stretched out before us, its glassy surface reflecting the morning sunlight in a mesmerizing dance of ripples and glints. A sense of serenity hung in the air, in stark contrast to the gravity of the tension between us.

Maxim’s steps were deliberate as we walked along the shoreline away from the cabin, the soft crunch of rock beneath our feet a reminder of the natural beauty that surrounded us. The morning sun had fully risen now, casting a warm golden hue over everything it touched.

Finally, Maxim broke the silence, his voice carrying a weight that matched the tranquil yet potent atmosphere around us.

“Irina means everything to me,” he began, his gaze fixated on the water but his tone unwavering. “She’s my only daughter, and I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her.”

“I understand that Mr. Morozov,” I answered, letting him steer the conversation. I wasn’t yet certain what he knew, and I wanted him to be the one to reveal that.

“I have my ways of gathering information,” he stated coolly, a subtle yet unsettling smile playing on his lips. He wasn’t threatening me, just reminding me that he held just as much power as I did in the dangerous world we lived in.

“What do you know?” I asked, treading carefully.

“I paid off one of your guards, Aidan. I know you and my daughter slept together last night.”

The weight of his revelation hit me like a punch to the gut, a mixture of anger and resignation swirling within me. My jaw tensed as I met his gaze, realizing the depth of his determination to safeguard his daughter. I’d crossed a line, and now her father was here to demand I pay the price.

Had I insulted him? Was this the start of a war between the Morozovs and the Murphys?

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