Chapter 192
ARIA’S POV
The afternoon sun was starting to set, casting long, warm shadows across the entire living room. It had been an inci busy but truly wonderful day.
True to his word, Brandon had taken Amelia toy shopping right after breakfast, wanting to spoil her the moment he back from his trip.
Our living room floor was currently covered with bright shopping bags, colorful boxes, and brand-new toys, but the was completely quiet now.
Amelia had played so hard with her new dolls that she completely wore herself out. She was now fast asleep, curled i in her bedroom upstairs.
With the little girl resting, Brandon and I finally had a quiet moment to sit down and handle the heavy, dark cloud ha over our heads-the Vance family custody case.
Brandon sat close to me on the sofa, his face turning serious as he pulled out his phone and dialed his top-tier corpor lawyer. He didn’t want to hide anything from me, so he put the call on speakerphone so we could both listen to every
The phone rang twice before the lawyer’s sharp, professional voice filled the quiet room. “Good afternoon, Mr. Vance. reviewing the custody paperwork right now. If we want to shut this down completely, we need a strong defense. Tell m we have solid evidence to prove that Miss Aria provides a superior, safe environment for the child?”
The lawyer then turned his attention to me, asking if I had specific school records, medical documents, or any evidenc could help our case in court.
Before I could even open my mouth to answer, Brandon cut in/His deep voice was full of absolute power, iron control, certainty. “Yes, we have all the evidence we need. We have proof of her stable home, her business success, and her comp devotion to Amelia. And if Julian’s family wants to play dirty n that courtroom, then we will show them exactly what we nade of.”
Listening to Brandon speak with so much strength and raw determination made me freeze. I turned my head and stared his sharp profile with so much adoration and gratitude.
My heart felt completely full to the brim because he was putting everything on the line for us. He was using his own mass power, his status, and his personal legal team just to help me fight for ny daughter against his own relatives.
The lawyer nodded on the other end of the line, sounding very satisfied with Brandon’s confidence. Excellent. With your packing and that evidence, we have a very strong wall. I will prepare the counter-filing papers immediately.”
After a few more professional instructions about the timeline, the call ended with a soft beep. The moment the phone was out away, a small, genuine sense of relief washed over my entire body.
The tight, painful knot that had been in my stomach all afternoon loosened just a little bit.
Brandon noticed the change in my posture and how I finally let out my breath.
He shifted closer on the cushions, reached out, and held my hand tightly in his large, warm palm. He squeezed it reassuringly anchoring me back to reality, and looked deep into my eyes.
“I told you that you don’t have to worry about them, Aria,” he told me, his voice dropping into a low and incredibly tender register. “I promise you that I will always keep you and Amelia safe. No matter what it takes.”
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The sheet weight of his devotion moved me so much that tears pricked my eyes. I couldn’t just sit there across from stood up from the couch, walked right across the small space between us, and threw my arms tightly around his nec
I held him close, burying my face in the crook of his neck, and whispered softly, “Thank you, Brandon. I am just so grateful for you. I don’t know what I would do without you here.”
Brandon wrapped his strong arms around my waist, lifting me slightly and holding me close against his chest for a k moment. When he finally pulled back a bit, he didn’t let me go.
Instead, he reached up, cupped my face gently with his large hands, and looked straight into my eyes. A sudden, seri deeply emotional look came over his rugged features.
“Aria,” he murmured softly, his thumbs brushing over my cheeks. “I have something I need to ask you. Something per
I blinked, looking up at his handsome face. “What is it, Brandon? You can ask me anything.”
He swallowed hard, his dark eyes searching mine with a vulnerability I rarely saw in a man of his stature. “Were you tr okay with us having sex yesterday? I need to know.”
I completely froze in his arms. My breath caught in my throat as the vivid, explicit memories of the night before rush straight into my mind-the burning touch of his hands, his deep growls in my ear, and the intense passion we shared 1 here on the sofa in the dark.
I could see the genuine concern and the deeper, heavy questions swimming in his eyes, but before I could even find th words to answer him, Brandon spoke up again to explain himself.
“I want you to know something, Aria,” he said, his voice dropping into a low, emotional whisper that vibrated against my
skin.
“I have waited for you for five long years. I didn’t know if I would ever get to hold you like this. I don’t know exactly what future holds for us with this court battle, but I want you to know that I don’t regret fucking you last night. Not even for a single second. It was everything to me.”
My face instantly flushed a bright, hot pink as he kept holding me so close to his chest. The raw honesty and passion in h tone made my heart race wildly.
He leaned in closer, his thumb gently tracing my hot cheekbone. “I want to be a significant part of your life, Aria. I want to be a real, permanent part of Amelia’s life too. I want to be there every morning when she wakes up.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat and reminded him softly, trying to keep my emotions steady, “Brandon, you are alread my boyfriend. You are already right here with us, protecting our little family.”
T
Brandon nodded slowly, a small, serious smile touching his lips. “I know that, beautiful. I know I am your boyfriend. But m life… it simply wouldn’t be complete with just that title. I don’t want to just be the boyfriend who visits. I want you both for real. Forever.”
The moment the words left his mouth, I understood the true, heavy meaning behind his question. He wasn’t just asking about a relationship status or checking in last night.
He was asking if what we had right now was meant for the rest of our lives. He was looking for a lifetime commitment, a real marriage. A cold, familiar ache settled deep into iny chest because I didn’t have a clear, perfect answer to give him.
Deep down, a part of my soul was still so completely unsure of my own heart, and I was plagued by those hidden, dark
doubts,
I took a slow, deep breath, trying to be as honest as I could without breaking his heart or pushing him away.
Chapter 192
pag they weighs w lus devotion moved me so much that tears pricked my eyes I couldn’t just sit there across from stood up from the couch, walked right across the small space between us, and threw my arms tightly around his nec
I held him close, burying mytage the crook of his neck, and whispered softly, “Thank you, Brandon. I am just so grateful for you I don’t know what I would do without you here”
Brandon wrapped his strong arms around my waist, hfung me slightly and holding me close against his chest for a k moment. When he finally pulled back a bit, he didn’t let me go.
Instead, he reached up, cupped my face gently with his large hands, and looked straight into my eyes. A sudden, seri deeply emotional look came over his rugged features.
“Aria, he murmured softly, his thumbs brushing over my cheeks. “I have something I need to ask you. Something per I blinked, looking up at his handsome face, “What is it, Brandon? You can ask me anything”
He swallowed hard, his dark eyes searching mine with a vulnerability I rarely saw in a man of his stature. “Were you tr okay with us having sex yesterday? I need to know”
1 completely froze in his arms. My breath caught in my throat as the vivid, explicit memories of the night before rush straight into my mind-the burning touch of his hands, his deep growls in my ear, and the intense passion we shared here on the sofa in the dark.
1 could see the genuine concern and the deeper, heavy questions swimming in his eyes, but before I could even find th words to answer him, Brandon spoke up again to explain himself.
“I want you to know something, Aria,” he said, his voice dropping into a low, emotional whisper that vibrated against my
skin.
“I have waited for you for five long years. I didn’t know if I would ever get to hold you like this. I don’t know exactly what future holds for us with this court battle, but I want you to know that I don’t regret fucking you last night. Not even for a single second. It was everything to me.”
My face instantly flushed a bright, hot pink as he kept holding me so close to his chest. The raw honesty and passion in h tone made my heart race wildly,
He leaned in closer, his thumb gently tracing my hot cheekbone. “I want to be a significant part of your life, Aria. I want to be a real, permanent part of Amelia’s life too. I want to be there every morning when she wakes up.”
1 swallowed the lump in my throat and reminded him softly, trying to keep my emotions steady, “Brandon, you are alread my boyfriend. You are already right here with us, protecting our little family.”
”
Brandon nodded slowly, a small, serious smile touching his lips. “I know that, beautiful. I know I am your boyfriend. But m life, it simply wouldn’t be complete with just that title. I don’t want to just be the boyfriend who visits. I want you both for
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