Alina’s POV 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Alina? Who is that at your door?" Lucian’s voice sharpened over the phone.

"I have no idea," I whispered, clutching the towel around my shoulders. I opened the heavy wooden door.

Aiden stood there, holding a wide-eyed Leo.

Lucian’s tone turned to ice. "Aiden."

"I’ll call you back." I ended the call before he could argue and took Leo into my arms. "Aiden, you’re supposed to be spending time with him. That was the deal."

"I want to," Aiden said softly, his eyes on my face. "But he wouldn’t stop crying. He only calms down with you."

I sighed. "I don’t want trouble with Emily tonight."

"Neither do I." His voice dropped, persuasive. "Just for a little while."

I couldn’t deny him access to our son with the Council watching. "Fine."

Aiden stepped inside, closed the door, and settled into the armchair. I handed Leo over. The baby lit up immediately, laughing and kicking as Aiden cooed to him.

I watched them for a moment, then moved to the vanity and checked my phone. Lucian had already sent a flood of messages.

He just wants to be with Leo while I’m in the room, I typed. I’m fine. Don’t overthink it.

A few hours later, Leo finally fell asleep. Aiden laid him carefully in the center of the bed and tucked a pillow around him.

"You can leave now," I said, arms crossed by the door.

Aiden walked toward the exit, then stopped. He turned back, eyes dark with regret. "I know I can’t change the past, Alina. But I really did love you when we were married. I was just too much of a coward to admit it."

Before I could respond, he slipped out and closed the door softly behind him.

I stood in the quiet room, letting out a long breath. It was far too late for confessions.

The next morning, the bright Saturday sun warmed the territory. I changed into a simple dress, preparing to head out to my bakery in the city to check on the weekend rush.

As I walked out into the driveway, Aiden was already waiting by his sleek black SUV, holding the keys. "Let me drive you, Alina. I can take you wherever you need to go."

"No," I replied flatly, bypassing him without a glance. "Leo is inside the house, and your primary job right now is to take care of him. Please, never let your eyes off him for a single second while I’m gone."

Aiden rolled his eyes slightly, offering a dismissive wave of his hand. "Alina, don’t worry so much. We have so many security staff and pack housemaids lurking around this estate. Nothing is going to happen to Leo."

"I am entirely not convinced by your staff," I snapped, turning to face him with a stern expression. "And besides, you don’t work on Saturdays, so you have no excuse to leave this property. My ride is already waiting for me at the gates."

Aiden sighed, realizing he couldn’t push me. "Okay then. Stay safe."

I climbed into the car and drove straight to the bakery. The moment I stepped through the front doors, the delicious scent of sugar and vanilla washed over me, but the peace didn’t last. One of my floor workers rushed up to me, her face pale with anxiety.

"Boss, thank goodness you’re here," she whispered frantically. "We have a highly difficult customer at the counter. He’s complaining loudly about the service and demands to see the owner immediately."

I pinched the bridge of my nose, a wave of exhaustion washing over me. "Not again," I muttered under my breath. Usually, Emily was the only one petty enough to come into my establishment and cause a scene just to humiliate me.

I smoothed down my dress and marched out to the front dining area. But the second my eyes landed on the tall, handsome man sitting casually at the corner table, my footsteps slowed in surprise.

It was Davon.

"So... you are the troublesome customer who is complaining about my staff?" I asked, stopping at the edge of his table with my hands on my hips.

Davon looked up, a slow, incredibly charming smile spreading across his face. "Yes," he admitted smoothly, his accent curling around the word.

I raised an eyebrow, a half-smile tugging at my lips despite myself. "And why exactly are you doing that?"

"I don’t know," he chuckled, leaning back in his chair, his gaze locked onto mine with a playful intensity. "I guess I just really wanted to see you today, Alina. And for the record... your cake is exceptionally nice."

"Thank you," I said, a slight blush creeping up my neck.

Davon gestured to the empty chair across from him. "Do you happen to have a second to just sit down and talk with me?"

I pulled out the chair and sat down, looking at him curiously. "And what exactly are we going to talk about, Davon?"

"Anything," he replied with a light shrug, a hint of genuine loneliness flashing across his features. "To be honest, I really have no friends in this city yet."

"You aren’t originally from this country, right?" I asked, tilting my head as I studied his features.

He let out a soft laugh, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Why? Is it because of my accent?"

"Yes," I smiled.

"Well... this is my home now," he said, his expression turning warm and steady. "So I consider myself a true part of this place."

As I sat there listening to him laugh and talk about his travels, a strange thought crossed my mind. Looking at his easy smile and polite demeanor, I really couldn’t see what Lucian had been so profoundly worried about. Davon didn’t seem like a bad guy at all. He just looked like a lonely man looking for a connection.

But before I could say another word, the bell above the bakery door rang violently.

The heavy glass door swung open, and Lucian walked straight into the establishment. His dark eyes instantly scanned the room, but the bright, eager smile on his face faltered into a lethal terrifying scowl