Do You Still Love Me When We Meet Again? (Aubrey and Damon) novel Chapter 273

Chapter 273: The Marriage Settlement

“Hubby…” Aubrey drawled, her voice soft and trailing off playfully.

Damon couldn’t resist her when she was like this. He put his book down, got up, and climbed into bed beside her, pulling her into his arms.

Having got her way, Aubrey beamed. She wiggled closer into his warm embrace and closed her eyes, finally content.

Damon stroked her hair gently, his voice a low whisper. “I’ll wait until you’re asleep. Then I’m going back to my side.”

“Okay.” Aubrey murmured. She didn’t push him further, but her hand settled on his chest.

A moment later, her hand wandered lower, sliding intentionally under his pajama top.

Damon immediately caught her arm and pulled it out. “Don’t be a brat. Go to sleep.”

“I was just touching your chest,” she pouted. “It’s not like I was touching you *down there*.*

“No touching anywhere.”

Aubrey bit her lip to hide a satisfied smile. She tilted her head up and pecked his lips. “Goodnight, hubby.”

“Goodnight.” Damon leaned down and kissed her forehead.

Wrapped in Damon’s arms, Aubrey felt like the luckiest woman in the world. She drifted off almost immediately.

She had no idea when Damon eventually left the big bed.

His self–control was seriously impressive.

Over the following days, Aubrey gradually adjusted to their new sleeping arrangement.

Damon helped her keep the pregnancy a secret from everyone. Not a soul knew, not even the live–in cook.

Then one day, his former Aunt Hannah showed up at the door with a pile of gifts.

Aubrey greeted her, politely inviting her inside.

But as soon as they were in, Hannah dropped the expensive bags and collapsed to her knees in front of her.

Startled, Aubrey’s hands instinctively flew to her stomach. She realized what she was doing a second later and forced herself to let go. “What are you doing?”

“Aubrey! I’m begging you!” Hannah cried. “Can you please sign a leniency letter for my son? Just to get his sentence reduced? I’ll do whatever it takes. I’ll beg, I’ll pay–I’ll give you whatever you want. Please, just let Evan go!”

Aubrey had no intention of signing a single thing.

Hannah’s heart ached for her son, but what about Aubrey’s baby? Her child never even got a chance to see the world.

Still, she didn’t want to provoke the woman. Trying to keep things calm, Aubrey spoke softly. “Aunt Hannah, I’m sorry. I wish I could help, but a leniency letter won’t make a difference anymore.”

Hannah looked up at her, eyes red and streaming with tears. “It will! It definitely will! It could save him years!”

“Actually… the police didn’t arrest him for hiring someone to hit me,” Aubrey said quietly. “You’ve got it wrong. This has nothing to

do with me.”

Hannah froze. She scrambled up, sat on the edge of her chair, and frantically wiped her eyes. She was visibly shaking. “Then why? Why was he arrested?”

Evan was currently locked up in a detention center while the investigation was still in its early stages. Everything was strictly confidential, so Hannah had no idea what the real charges were. She just assumed it was because of the hit–and–run he’d orchestrated against Aubrey,

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Aubrey had changed. For the sake of the baby in her womb, she’d learned to be tactful. She could wear a fake mask and play nice when she needed to. The world was a dangerous place; sometimes, being two–faced was a much better survival strategy than being openly aggressive.

Aubrey poured her a cup of tea and leaned in close, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Hannah, I only know what I heard through the grapevine from his older brother. He said Evan hired a hitman to kill someone.”

Hannah’s face went completely blank. She slapped a hand over her mouth, her entire body trembling with shock. It took her a long moment to find her voice. “Who… who did he kill?”

“I don’t know. His brother didn’t say, and I didn’t dare ask,” Aubrey replied, her expression grave. “It’s a major criminal case, Hannah.

It’s serious.”

Aubrey’s tone was so warm and helpful that Hannah didn’t doubt her for a second. Her voice shook. “Then… then what am I supposed to do?”

“You should probably find a top–tier criminal defense lawyer or ask Damon for more info. If you can, pull some strings. Murder is a life–for–a–life deal. You need to move fast and stop wasting time.”

Hannah looked totally lost. “My only real connections were your father and your uncle. But after the divorce, your uncle despises me. He won’t lift a finger for Evan. And your father is too upright; he’d never bend the rules for anyone.”

“I know a guy,” Aubrey said, her voice dropping. “He’s obsessed with money. As long as the price is right, he’ll do anything.”

“Who?”

Aubrey beckoned her over. Hannah leaned in close.

Aubrey whispered a few instructions into her ear.

Hannah was flooded with relief. She thanked Aubrey over and over before rushing out of Blackwood Crescent.

As soon as she was gone, Aubrey called the housekeeper over. “Get rid of all this. Throw it out.

The housekeeper hesitated, looking at the high–end gifts. It seemed like a waste to just toss such expensive things.

“Deal with it yourself,” Aubrey said. She didn’t want to touch the food, fearing it might be tainted, but she gave her silent permission for the housekeeper to take it home.

She went back to her room and locked the door.

Aubrey pulled out her phone and texted Tracy.

[Tracy, can you do me a favor?]

[Of course, Aubrey. What do you need?]

[I want to use your media influence to leak some dirt on a corrupt official.]

[Who is it?]

Aubrey didn’t text back. She just hit “send” on the files she had stored on her phone.

She had stumbled onto his bribery evidence while working a case for a former client. She’d just been sitting on it, waiting for the right moment.

Exposing him was a public service, but more importantly, it would drag Hannah down with him. Two birds, one stone.

Hannah was trash. She had sent Aubrey radioactive jewelry while she was pregnant and helped her son cover up a hit–and–run attempt on her.

Aubrey didn’t care what other crimes the woman had committed.

People like that deserved to pay.

Manu

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When the scandal broke and the investigation led the feds straight to Hannah for bribery and obstruction of justice, she’d never even guess Aubrey had set the whole thing up.

She would spend her days in a cell, bitter and full of regret, convinced she’d just been dragged down by the official’s bad luck.

By the time she was four months along, Aubrey’s bump was finally showing. It was subtle, but since she was so thin, you could definitely see it if you looked closely.

Damon had already put in his request for wedding leave a month ago.

The time off was finally approved.

The wedding was officially on the books.

Damon booked the flights for his father–in–law and Brendan’s family.

They weren’t close, but there were certain protocols that had to be followed.

The private dining room at the hotel was massive, the table loaded with an expensive, lavish spread.

Both families showed up in formal wear, clearly taking this meeting very seriously.

Theotlore was a nervous wreck in front of the Blackwoods. They were from two different worlds–different social classes, different education levels, and completely different life experiences.

His insecurity and hesitation were written all over his face.

Brendan, however, was blindly arrogant. He acted cold toward the Blackwoods, as if he were the one in charge.

Luckily, the Blackwoods were incredibly gracious. They were high–class, polite, and went out of their way to make Theodore feel

at ease.

Damon’s grandfather was especially warm. He kept holding Theodore’s hand, praising him for being a hard worker and raising such a wonderful daughter. He even tossed a few compliments Brendan’s way, making the young man’s ego swell instantly.

When the topic of the wedding came up, Theodore said he would defer to his daughter’s wishes.

But when the Marriage Settlement was mentioned, Brendan perked up. On the flight over, he’d already hammered it into Theodore’s head that the Blackwoods were a powerhouse in New Haven City. They were rich and influential. He told his father they should ask for a massive sum–at least $5 million.

Instead, Theodore spoke up. “For the settlement… let’s just do $39,000.”

Silence fell over the room. Everyone traded stunned looks, sure they had misheard him.

Even Aubrey was floored. She never expected her father to ask for only $39,000.

Tracy swallowed hard, her voice laced with nerves. “Wait, Mr. Hayes… did I catch that right? You’re not asking for $390,000 or $3.9 million? Just… $39,000?”

Theodore nodded with a gentle smile. “Exactly, $39,000. It’s a lucky number–a symbol of eternity. Our family will also provide a pair of Gold Bracelets, a gold necklace, two quilts, and an $11,000 return gift. It’s a tradition that represents one life, one love, one couple.”

Brendan yanked his arm, hissing under his breath. “Dad, are you out of your mind? Who asks for only thirty–odd thousand for a marriage settlement these days? It sounds so cheap. I can’t believe you’d even say that. Once you factor in the gold bracelets, we’re literally losing money!”

Theodore shoved his hand away and snapped, “Who are you calling cheap? I’m marrying off my daughter, not selling her. This is the standard in Crestview City. Some families only ask for ten or twenty thousand. It’s about the sentiment, and that’s enough. If we squeeze your brother–in–law, aren’t we just hurting your sister? Her having a good life is more important than any amount of money.”

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Theodore’s words left Brendan fuming. His face went dark, and he shut his mouth, too pissed to even respond.

The Blackwoods, on the other hand, were deeply moved.

Aubrey’s father wasn’t a man of many words, but he was honest to a fault. He had a truly good soul.

It made sense now why Aubrey had been so determined to clear his name. Even when the evidence against him had seemed rock–solid, she’d trusted her father’s word over everything else. She knew the kind of man he was.

Chapter 274