Chapter 9 I Did Hear Something Worth Mentioning

The words got stuck in Cathy's throat. She stood frozen, unable to make a sound.

"What the hell? Wasn't Aidan supposed to be some hideous, half-dead creep?" Cathy thought in disbelief.

With a slow glance, Aidan looked over Cathy and Marissa, his cold, arrogant stare saying it all-he saw them as little more than pests.

A chill crept up Cathy's neck. She shifted uncomfortably, stealing quick glances at him while trying to figure him out.

She had expected some sickly man barely clinging to life. Instead, what stood before her looked like trouble dressed in designer. There was nothing about him that suggested illness or weakness.

Marissa's face went pale. She bit her lip, her mind refusing to accept that this was really Aidan.

Without wasting a second, Brody stepped into his role as the head of the family. He raised his voice at both his wife and daughter. "Have you two lost your minds? Show some respect and apologize right now!"

Trying to recover from the blunder, Cathy hurried to piece herself together and pulled a strained smile. "We weren't expecting you this early, Aidan. Come on in. Take a seat."

Aidan glanced at his watch with disinterest. His words came out cold and sharp. "This early? It's already ten in the morning. Or you just don't want me here?"

There was no doubt about it. He was going out of his way to make things hard for Cathy.

"I didn't mean anything like that. I just..."

His response came with the sharpness of a cold slap. "Then I see no reason to treat you people like you matter."

Flustered and scrambling, Cathy tried to fix things. "No, Aidan. Please. I messed up. I didn't realize who you really were."

"My mom didn't mean any disrespect, Mr. Moore. She's just nervous. She's scared my sister might let you down, and that's why she-"

"Noisy." With that, Aidan flicked his eyes toward Leonel, who was already folding back his sleeves. When cleanup was needed, he never paused to ask why.

Leonel raised his hand and delivered a hard slap to Marissa's face.

The blow snapped her head sideways, and a glaring red mark started to bloom on her cheek. For a moment, she couldn't move. Her body stiffened, her breath caught. Tears welled up without warning. No man had ever dared strike her before. She burned with shame and rage but kept her mouth shut.

Nicole hadn't counted on Aidan sending Leonel to act without hesitation. The sound of that slap still echoed in her ears.

Without a word, Aidan fixed his gaze on Marissa. She was frozen in place, too shaken to speak. "And you believe you're in any position to school my wife?"

There was something in his presence that made the air feel suffocating. One raised brow from him was enough to send a chill crawling through the room.

Nicole faltered. Hearing him refer to her as his wife like it had always been true caught her off guard.

Across the room, Cathy and Brody looked like they wanted to defend Marissa, but fear clamped their jaws shut.

Eyes cold and cutting, Aidan scanned the room. "Funny. I have never heard you express your joy at your daughter getting married. What, you really don't want this marriage to happen?"

Brody jumped to speak, his jaw tight. "No, no, nothing like that. It's just..." He struggled to finish. The weight in the air made each word harder to pull out.

Still red-eyed from crying, Marissa tried to fix things. Her voice was soft and sweet. "Please don't get the wrong idea, Mr. Moore. Mom and Dad were just emotional about my sister leaving home. They didn't want to make too big a fuss."

Trying not to laugh, Nicole gave Marissa a quick glance. She had to hand it to Marissa-no one played the innocent act better. That teary gaze and gentle tone could have most men wrapped around her finger.

But Aidan didn't fall for sob stories. "Want another slap?" he snapped.

Marissa's face went pale. She clamped her mouth shut, too afraid to say anything else.

Desperate to change the subject, Brody called for the servant. "Bring coffee!" Then he turned to address Aidan, "Mr. Moore, please have lunch with us before heading out."

"I'm not here to eat. But I did hear something worth mentioning. Word has it that the woman you handed me had been locked in a mental hospital for five years. Said she was thrown in for having a filthy life."

The shift in conversation made Nicole's brows twitch. Things had just taken a sudden turn.

Brody looked like he'd swallowed nails. Every word Aidan threw at him hit like a hammer. He finally understood. Aidan had come not to celebrate, but to expose them-for switching out Marissa and sneaking Nicole in her place.