The moment Malia saw Aiden, her expression flipped; the arrogance vanished, replaced by a pitiful look. “Aiden, I… I’ve been framed by this woman. You have to stand up for me!” Aiden froze, clearly thrown off by her overly familiar tone. He blinked, looking at me with wide, innocent eyes. I knew exactly what that cold block of ice was thinking; I couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “What are you laughing at?” Malia demanded, confusion clouding her face. Then, with forced confidence, she snapped, “Don’t think that just because you’ve been around Aiden for a while, he’ll do whatever you say. Let me tell you, Aiden is the most principled man there is; he won’t be fooled by you!” Aiden’s voice was calm but firm. “Raelyn is my priority.” Malia’s face drained of all color. “Aiden, how can you take her side and bully me like this? We’ve known each other so much longer; how can you be this good to a woman you barely just met?” I couldn’t hold back a smirk. “Aiden, are you two close?” He crossed the room and slipped an arm around my waist. “No.” Malia’s eyes widened. “Not close? Aiden, have you forgotten? You held me once—” Before she could finish, the air turned frigid. The sharp, icy aura radiating off Aiden was enough to shut her up instantly. “Care to explain,” Aiden said coldly, “when I supposedly held you?” Malia stammered, her voice shaky. “That tim, I had heatstroke, and you… didn’t you pick me up?” Aiden frowned, cutting her off. “You were lying on the ground after Andrix set you down. I gave him a hand, nothing more. You really let your imagination run wild.” Humiliation flushed Malia’s face, staining her cheeks a deep red. I yawned lazily. “If there’s nothing else, we’re leaving. If you have a problem, Malia, take it up with the director.” Just then, two or three werewolves in worker uniforms stepped inside. I gestured toward the wall-mounted unit. “Take the air conditioner down for me. After all, I paid for it; no sense leaving it here for free.” Malia just stood there, stunned. “Oh, and Ms. Malia,” I added with a sweet smile, “since you were the one who ‘broke’ this air conditioner, the director said if I want to take it with me, you’ll need to replace it with one of the same price.” Her jaw dropped. “Raelyn, do you really have no shame?” “Not at all,” I said breezily. “You, on the other hand, should start worrying about how you’ll pay for it once you lose your income.” Leaving that parting shot behind, I looped my arm through Aiden’s and walked out without looking back. Malia stayed rooted to the spot, stunned into silence. By the time we got back to the hotel, a wave of satisfaction had settled over me. Aiden glanced at me, lips curling in the faintest of smiles. “What’s got you this happy?” “Malia is rotten to the core,” I said lightly. “So, giving her a taste of her own medicine feels just right.” “She’s had all the punishment she deserves,” Aiden said evenly. “Now… why don’t we talk about our travel plans?” I studied his face for a moment, then teased, “Not until you explain why you were ever holding her in the first place.” Aiden froze for a beat, then explained earnestly, “She and Andrix were out doing fieldwork. She passed out from heatstroke. I happened to be there. Andrix asked me to take her to the hospital, so I helped her into the car. That’s all.” I narrowed my eyes. “And that’s it? Nothing else?” “Nothing else,” he said firmly. “Afterward, I washed my hands at least a dozen times… and sent the car to be detailed.” I stared at him, speechless; that level of disgust was almost impressive. After a moment, I said, “Before we head out on this trip, I want to visit Tammy and the others. They’re still filming nearby, right?” Aiden looked less than thrilled. “Do we have to?” “I haven’t seen them in ages,” I said. “And they’re my company’s artists. Randall and I are the only investors; Randall’s always at home with Anna. If I don’t check in, no one will.” That was a fair point, and Aiden knew it. With a reluctant sigh, he nodded. He drove us to the filming site, and as soon as we stepped inside, we saw Adrian holding a cup and gently helping Tammy drink. My jaw dropped at how fast they’d progressed. Aiden’s eyes widened too. “Youth really is something,” I said with a wistful sigh. Aiden turned his head, brow furrowed. “Do you… want me to feed you water too?” “No,” I replied dryly. “I don’t want water; I want gold. You could buy me a few bars instead.” His brows knitted tighter. “All my money is with you. I can’t afford gold right now.” I believed him—he had, after all, handed over every single card to me. Even the air conditioner we bought yesterday had been charged only after he’d asked me for the funds. Leaning over, I kissed his cheek. “That just means you’re not hiding a secret stash. Good. Keep it that way.” Our voices carried, and the next thing I knew, we’d startled the little couple mid-moment. Tammy’s face flushed bright red the second she saw us. I hopped out of the car and walked over, ruffling her hair. “What’s wrong? You look like you’d rather not see me.” Tammy shook her head furiously. “No! Of course not! I couldn’t possibly be unhappy—you have no idea how much I’ve missed you.” I glanced around. “Where’s Adam? And Simon? They’re doing okay, right?” Tammy hesitated, her expression suddenly conflicted. “Adam’s fine… but Simon… he…” A heavy sense of dread twisted in my chest. “Tammy, what happened to Simon?” She bit her lip, voice trembling. “Something happened to him…”