I quickly waved my hands. “No way. I don’t care how filthy rich you are; it’s not worth wasting money like that.” Seeing me reject the offer, Aiden didn’t press further. Instead, he said coolly, “Then I’ll take you to pack.” “Adam, you head back first. I’ll take Raelyn to get her things, then I’ll return to the Eclipse Pack villa.” With that, Aiden took me out the door. Adam clearly wasn’t happy about it, but faced with Aiden’s overbearing presence, all he could do was comply. On the way back, I sat in the passenger seat, trying to keep as much distance between us as possible. “What, think I’m gonna jump you or something?” Aiden kept his eyes on the road, but his words exposed my awkwardness without hesitation. I was the one who said we needed space, and now I’m the one talking again. He must be secretly laughing at me. Annoyed by that thought, I turned my head to stare out the window, watching the scenery whiz past like a slideshow. Still, I defended myself. “I’m not sitting that far away.” “You're so far over, I’m starting to think you’re auditioning to be a window cleaner.” I had nothing to say, and inched back toward the center. “Why do you care about Adam so much?” he suddenly asked, his voice tinged with jealousy. “Because Adam saved my life and he’s helped me so, so much. If you were me, wouldn’t you be grateful?” At that moment, I felt like Aiden’s usual sharp intellect had been completely dulled by jealousy. “So it’s only gratitude? Nothing else?” His tone was flat, his grip on the steering wheel tightening. “What do you think? Just because he saved me, I’m supposed to offer myself to him? Come on.” I rolled my eyes. “This isn’t some romance drama; just because you meet someone doesn’t mean you fall in love.” Aiden caught the underlying message and smirked. “So what you’re saying is… you’re in love with me now?” Caught off guard by my own words, I felt my cheeks burn. I quickly turned toward the window again. “No. That’s not what I meant.” “Can’t even admit what you say—yep, that’s the Raelyn I know.” “Aiden, what's wrong with you?” I shot him a deadly glare. But Aiden looked amused, the corners of his mouth curling into a playful grin. “Alright, come back with me to Eclipse Corporation.” I looked at him and said firmly, “I’ll go back to the villa, but I’m not going back to Eclipse Corporation.” “Why not? You’re still mad about the design director thing, aren’t you?” It was clear Aiden still didn’t understand why I was mad; he sounded genuinely confused. “My refusal to go back has nothing to do with the design director position,” I said, letting out a cold laugh. “What, am I just supposed to be your little secretary, trailing behind you all day and following orders?” I shot him a look and added sarcastically, “Who am I to compete with Mr. Aiden’s shiny new hire?” Only then did Aiden finally understand what I meant. He took a deep breath, looked at me, and asked, “Then what if I made you vice president, would you come back?” Vice President? That’s not small talk—that’s real power. It meant taking over half of Eclipse Corporation. Why would Aiden go that far for me? I stared at him, confused. “Why do you want me to return to Eclipse Corporation so badly?” Aiden looked at me with a softness in his eyes that caught me off guard. “I like you, Raelyn. I don’t want you so far away from me. I’ve been thinking a lot these past few days. I know I can’t just take Yvonne’s title and hand it to you, but I can give you something more meaningful. What really matters to you is how I treat you, right? Then hear me out, you’re the future mistress of Eclipse Corporation. I want to give you the entire company. So please, stop pushing me away.” After saying that, he exhaled deeply; it was clear those words had been bottled up inside for a long time. “I…” I looked at Aiden’s face, momentarily speechless. Honestly, that confession hit me right in the heart.I really did care about how Aiden saw me. “Aiden… got it.” I didn’t know what else to say. Maybe I had been too sensitive after all. When we arrived at the Eclipse Pack villa, Aiden parked the car but didn’t get out right away. Instead, he pulled me into his arms. This time, I didn’t resist; I quietly nestled against his chest, listening to the steady thump of his heartbeat and breathing in his clean, calming scent. A sudden impulse welled up inside me. I looked up, eyes peeking through my lashes, took in the sharp line of his jaw… then, boldly, I reached up, turned his face toward me, and kissed him. Our lips met, and the air around us instantly thickened with tension. Aiden’s gaze darkened. He quickly took control, prying my lips open with his tongue, deepening the kiss. It was so sweet it made me breathless; by the time it ended, I was completely limp in his arms. Aiden held me close, his throat bobbing with emotion; his eyes were full of love he could no longer hide. “Go grab your things. We still have dinner to get to.” I nodded, my cheeks burning. I could barely wait to get out of the car and cool off. But as I walked up to my door, I spotted a man sitting on the rocking chair outside. “Randail?”