The CEO's Midnight Remedy novel Chapter 387

Chapter 387

Aria’s POV

The iron gates of the Kane estate loomed ahead, their ornate metalwork casting Intricate shadows across the windshield. Beyond them,

manicured hedges stood like silent sentinels, their autumn–bare branches forming walls that seemed to close in as the car rolled forward.

I pressed one hand against my abdomen, feeling the subtle curve beneath my coat–a secret that felt heavier with each passing moment.

This was my second visit to the Kane estate. The first had been brief, formal, unmemorable. But today, I could feel the weight of what

awaited me–not just in the stone mansion rising against the gray sky ahead, but in the man who commanded this domain with the same

absolute control Devan wielded over boardrooms and businesses.

“Mom, if you were here, what would you do?” I whispered the words in my mind, drawing strength from Elizabeth Harper’s memory. She had once told me, “True power isn’t about how loud your voice is, Arin. It’s about how steady you stand.””

I would need that steadiness now.

The car stopped at a side entrance, and James opened my door with practiced efficiency. “Mr. Kane is waiting for you in the garden

pavilion. Please follow me.”

The cold November air hit my face as I stepped out, and I instinctively pulled my black coat tighter, my hand automatically returning to protect the life growing inside me. The stone pathway wound toward the back gardens, flanked by skeletal rose bushes and dormant

flower beds that would bloom again in spring.

Each footstep echoed my growing anxiety. I felt watched, though I couldn’t pinpoint eyes at any window. Perhaps it was just paranoia, or perhaps it was the estate itself–this monument to the Kane family’s power–bearing down on me.

We passed through an archway covered in bare vines, and ahead, a white wooden gazebo came into view. A figure stood with his back to me, hands clasped behind him, gazing at the frozen lake beyond. Even from this distance, the stance communicated authority, control,

judgment.

Arthur Kane.

“Miss Aria Harper.” He spoke without turning, his voice carrying clearly across the garden.

I stopped at the gazebo’s entrance, forcing my shoulders hack and my chin up. “Mr. Kane

He turned slowly, deliberately. Arthur Kane was perhaps seventy, with silver hair combed to perfection and piercing gray eyes–Devon’s eyes, but aged by decades of wielding power without mercy. He wore a navy ensure cat and carried a black ebony cane, not for support but as a symbol of authority, a scepter that marked him as patriarch of this empire.

Those eyes swept

overn

me, cataloging, assessing, and finally settling on the slight curve of my abdomen that I couldn’t quite hide despite

the winter cost.

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19:45 Fri, Jan 16

Chapter 387

“Sit.” He gestured to an from bench Inside the gazebo, the world not a suggestion but a command.

I hesitated only a fraction of a second before complying, choosing the bench he’d Indicated. As I lowered myself onto the cold metal,

realized he’d positioned me deliberately–I sat in shadow while he stood backlit by the pale winter sun, a calculated display of power

dynamics.

“You know why I wanted to see you.” His voice was measured, carrying the weight of certainty.

“I imagine you’ll tell me. I kept my hands folded in my lap, hiding their slight tremor.

He released a cold laugh. “Smart. But not

ot smart enough–otherwise you wouldn’t be here in my son’s life.” He paused, letting the words

land. “And you certainly wouldn’t be carrying his child.”

The statement hit like a blade, sharp and precise. I kept my y face neutral, though my heart raced. “That’s between Devon and me.”

“It was, until you became part of the Kane family. He tapped his cane against the gazebo floor, the sound echoing in the enclosed space.

“But now, with my blood growing in your womb–this is very much my business.”

I wanted to argue, to defend myself, to stand and walk away. But I was here, alone, in his territory. And the baby–Devon’s child–made

me vulnerable in ways I’d never been before.

Arthur began to pace, the rhythmic tap of his cane punctuating his movement. Tell me, Aria–did you trap my son into this marriage?

Was this your plan all along?”

The question was designed to corner me. If I said yes, I was a gold–digger. If I said no, I was a fool who’d let things spiral out of control.

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