ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED TO THE BILLIONAIRE SINGLE DAD (Gabrielle and Damon) novel Chapter 20

GABRIELLE’S POV

A FEW DAYS AGO

I tailed Aiden from the parking lot almost all the way out of town.

My curiosity was piqued.

I wondered what had prompted him to drive such long distances, but I was going to find out soon enough.

Over an hour later, he finally pulled into a building.

I followed suit from a distance, then waited until he had gotten out of his car and into the building before entering the parking lot.

I paused for a second, unsure what to do next.

But I had already come all this way. I couldn’t just turn around now.

I got out of the car and cautiously entered the building.

People were walking in and out casually, the receptionists barely paying attention to anyone unless they approached the desk.

That was when I realized this place was a care facility.

Most of the people sitting around the lobby were elderly. Some looked confused, others seemed completely disconnected from their surroundings.

A few nurses moved through the building quietly, helping residents from one room to another.

I walked toward the reception desk, trying not to look suspicious.

One of the women behind the counter smiled politely. “Can I help you?”

I returned the smile easily. “Yes, actually. My brother just walked in a few minutes ago.”

She glanced past me briefly. “And he didn’t come in with you?"

“Oh, no,” I said with a soft laugh. “He’s visiting someone. He just hates being seen with me because he believes I embarrass him.”

The receptionist chuckled.

“His name is Aiden,” I continued casually. “Can you tell me where he went?”

The woman looked down at her computer without hesitation.

“Aiden Marlow?” she asked.

I nodded immediately. “Yeah.”

She clicked through something on the screen. “He signed in about five minutes ago.”

My pulse slowed slightly.

Then she smiled again. “He’s with Mrs. Marlow in the memory care wing. Second floor, room two-twelve.”

Mrs. Marlow.

So that was who he came all the way out here to see.

I thanked the receptionist and headed toward the stairs.

The second floor was quieter than the lobby downstairs.

A nurse walked past me with a tray of medication while another helped an elderly man back into his room.

I found room two-twelve at the end of the hallway, but I stopped before entering.

The door was open.

Inside was a large shared visitor room with three patients sitting in different corners while their families visited them.

Aiden was seated directly across from an older woman in a wheelchair by the window.

I stayed by the window outside the room where they couldn’t see me clearly and watched them through the glass.

The woman looked fragile.

Her gray hair was brushed neatly away from her face and she wore a pale pink cardigan over her dress.

She smiled at Aiden while speaking to him, but he looked irritated the entire time.

No.

Not irritated.

Agitated.

Like he was already angry before he even arrived.

I frowned slightly and leaned closer toward the window to eavesdrop on their conversation.

“They raised the f*e again. Do you know how close I am to losing all the money I have left?” he snapped suddenly.

Several people in the room turned to look at him.

The woman blinked at him in confusion. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I know money is hard.”

Aiden immediately lowered his voice, forcing a smile onto his face once he noticed the attention.

“It’s fine,” he muttered tightly.

The woman reached for his hand gently. “Did you bring me those cookies I like?”

“No,” he answered flatly. “I forgot.”

Silence stretched between them for a moment before she started rambling again, her thoughts clearly scattered.

Aiden rubbed his jaw impatiently.

Then, without warning, he pushed her head back lightly while she was speaking.

“Can you focus for once?” he hissed under his breath.

I froze.

The woman looked startled for a second before smiling again as if nothing had happened.

“I’m trying,” she said softly.

Disgust and anger curled in my stomach.

I wanted to hit him so hard my handprint would stay permanent on his face.

Aiden leaned towards to her, and I had to move even closer to the window, straining my ears to hear him.

“You are becoming too expensive,” he muttered harshly. “Do you understand that? Every month it’s something new with you.”

The woman looked down at her hands quietly.

“If you keep causing more problems for me, I’ll stop paying for this place altogether.”

My expression hardened.

“You wouldn’t want that, would you?” he continued coldly. “Because I can abandon you here and never come back.”

The woman’s eyes watered immediately.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’ll do better.”

My chest tightened.

She sounded genuinely afraid of him.

And he was talking to his own mother like she was trash.

Aiden sat there for another ten minutes before finally standing up.

“I have to go,” he said.

A few minutes later, I helped Mrs. Marlow into my car as she went on and on about her escapades with Lynette.

I made a mental note to revisit the clinic and make a donation or two towards better security.

If I could get a patient out this easily, anyone else could.

Maybe while they were at it, some equipment could use replacements.

In fact, the entire place was due for reconstruction.

My hands tightened around the steering wheel the moment the facility disappeared behind us.

My heart was pounding so hard it almost hurt.

But I kept driving anyway.

I took her to one of Damon’s hotels and made them give her a comfortable room.

“Where are the kids?” she asked me as I turned to leave.

I exhaled and faced her. “It’s way past their bedtime. You’ll see them in the morning, okay?”

She looked so sad that it made my heart ache.

I knew she must have felt lonely, with Aiden barely visiting her.

I made a promise to bring the girls over for a visit the next day, even if it was for a few hours.

They would love her.

Her face brightened after my promise, and I tucked her into the bed, patting her hair gently.

As I stepped out of her room later, the hotel manager approached me.

“Buonasera, signora Gravari,” he greeted. “I had no idea you were coming in today.”

I pasted on a formal smile. “I didn’t know I’d be coming in either. See that my guest gets everything she needs.”

He nodded. “Sì, signora.”

“Have a staff with her at all times,” I added, walking towards the elevator. “They’ll be heavily compensated for their time.”

“Noted.”

“Also, not a word of his to my husband,” I said.

He hesitated.

I paused and turned to him. “I said not a word of this to my husband.”

“He’s my boss, signora,” he responded. “He will fire me.”

I stepped closer to him, lowering my voice. “And you think I won’t? If you even breathe about this to my husband I’ll not only fire you, but I’ll make sure no other person hires you in this country. Do you understand me?”

The manager swallowed visibly. “Yes, signora.”

I held his gaze for another second before stepping back.

“You’ll be paid generously for your discretion,” I said calmly. “But if my husband finds out about this from anyone except me, your career ends the same day.”

His face paled slightly. “Understood.”

I adjusted the sleeve of my coat. “Good.”

I stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the lobby floor.

The doors slid shut in front of me.

Only then did I finally release the breath I’d been holding.

Something told me Aiden wouldn’t play fair for long, and this would be my leverage when that time came.