Aaron slowed on the staircase and turned his head, sweeping a measured glance across the first floor.

Mrs. Lander had already disappeared into her work, her attention occupied elsewhere.

Once he was certain no one was paying attention, he withdrew his gaze and grabbed Madeline by the arm, guiding her firmly toward the second floor.

"Hey, slow down!" she protested as she struggled to keep pace. "With those ridiculously long legs of yours, one stride for you means three steps for me!"

Hearing the complaint, Aaron reluctantly eased his pace, though he made no move to release her.

He did not let go until he had pulled her into a deserted corner of the second floor, a place where no curious eyes could find them and no wandering ears could overhear.

Only then did he release her arm.

His expression was unusually severe.

"No one can find out about Dylan’s injury, and that includes Elise. Do you understand?"

The seriousness in his tone immediately caught Madeline’s attention.

Something about this felt wrong.

Not ordinary wrong, but the kind of wrong that lurked beneath the surface of an actual situation, hidden and dangerous.

A deep crease formed between her brows as she stared at him.

"Why can’t Elise know?"

"You only need to promise me," Aaron frowned as well.

"No, I don’t." Her refusal came instantly.

"You refuse to tell me anything, yet you expect me to help you keep secrets from her." Her voice sharpened with indignation. "Elise trusts me. She treats me like a real friend. Right now she and Dylan are going through a divorce, and if I blindly take his side without even knowing what’s happening, then what kind of friend does that make me?"

"Keeping this from Elise is for her own good," the man insisted.

"Oh, spare me." Madeline rolled her eyes in an almost dramatic fashion.

"They’re still married. Whatever this is, why can’t they face it together?"

Aaron dragged a hand through his hair, frustration flashing across his face.

"This is exactly why I shouldn’t have said anything."

"Would it really kill you to explain it to me?"

The words burst from her lips as she smacked his arm, annoyed.

"You never tell me anything. At this point, I’m convinced you don’t even consider me a friend at all."

Aaron knew arguing with her was pointless. After a long sigh, he finally gave up resisting.

"You want answers that badly? Then come with me and ask Dylan yourself."

Madeline immediately fell silent. Somehow, she did not expect him to give up so fast.

Without waiting for a response, Aaron turned and started toward the master bedroom.

After a few steps, he noticed she had not moved.

Stopping in place, he glanced back over his shoulder, one eyebrow lifting in amusement.

"Why are you still standing there? Come on."

Madeline remained frozen where she was.

Even if someone handed her a hundred times more courage than she currently possessed, she still would not dare question Dylen Bennett directly.

"Aaron, you’re impossible!"

Although she lacked the nerve to follow him, she was equally unwilling to give up the opportunity to learn the truth.

"You don’t treat me like family at all!"

A short laugh escaped his lips. The sound carried a hint of mischief that immediately put her on guard.

His eyebrow rose higher.

"You can’t decide you’re one of the boys just because your chest happens to be flatter than a runway."

For several seconds, Madeline simply stared at him in disbelief.

The meaning of his barb failed to register at first. Then realization finally struck.

Her eyes widened dramatically as she instinctively lowered her gaze toward herself.

"Aaron, you piece of crap!" The shout echoed through the hallway. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

She stamped her foot so hard that it nearly shook the floor beneath her.

"You spent years in the military and somehow your mouth got even more out of control! No wonder Fleur rejected you when you confessed to her back then. You deserve to spend the rest of your life alone with that horrible personality!"

The outburst relieved none of her anger.

Still fuming, she rushed forward, and with a burst of momentum, she jumped and planted a solid slap directly across his face.

The impact landed with a crisp, unmistakable crack.

Aaron stood there in stunned silence, absorbing the blow.

"You deserve that, you foul-mouthed menace!"

After delivering her final verdict, Madeline spun around and stormed away in a blaze of indignation.

Aaron watched her retreating figure until she disappeared around the bend in the staircase.

For a long moment, he remained where he stood, completely silent.

Then he lifted a hand and rubbed the side of his face. A faint smile slowly curved at the corner of his mouth.

The years had changed many things. Madeline’s temper was not one of them.

She was still exactly the same as before, fierce and unpredictable, forever ready to bare her claws whenever someone provoked her.

...

Later, carrying the emergency medical kit in one hand, Aaron made his way to the master bedroom.

The corridor was quiet, and the silence felt heavy and oppressive.

Raising his hand, he knocked on the door. Several moments passed before the door finally opened.

Aaron cleared his throat, concern lingering beneath his casual expression as he spoke,

"Is she doing okay?"

Dylan stepped out into the hallway and quietly pulled the door shut behind him, careful not to create even the slightest sound.

"She won’t be waking up anytime soon," he said in a low voice. "She has been through a lot recently."

Fatigue lingered beneath his calm exterior, settling into every word. His gaze then shifted toward the end of the hallway.

"Come on. Let’s talk in the study."

Aaron sighed and acknowledged him with a brief nod.

Once inside the study, he shut the door behind them and turned the lock.

The soft click echoed through the room, sealing them away from the rest of the house.

Dylan crossed to the sofa and lowered himself onto it with controlled movements. He unfastened several buttons of his black shirt, revealing the bandages wrapped tightly around his waist and abdomen.