The Wrong Brother's Temptation novel Chapter 117

Chapter 117

Sienna

An hour later the room had been transformed completely.

The round table sat in the center with enough space around it to move comfortably.

Elder Rowan’s chair was positioned by the window with a soft yet firm cushion.

FO

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I had spent a lot of time going through the store room and picking out antique pieces and arranging them all to the best of my knowledge.

I also came across an old tapestry that Luna Lydia said had been in the Ashford family for four generations and had been in storage since the last renovation because it clashed with the new palette.

It didn’t clash anymore but simply anchored everything.

“I think this would look good on the front wall” I murmured but Luna Lydia had been pulled away twice by phone calls.

I waited for her to get free but she simply kissed my cheek instead.

“I trust you with it. If you want help, just call for Aaron.”

And then she did it herself. “Aaron! Where are you? Come over here.”

He appeared in the doorway with his phone still in his hand with messy hair that told me he had been raking it far more than necessary.

We looked at each other and he awkwardly muttered. “Hey”

“Hi” I said stiffly.

We hadn’t really talked about what happened at the masked ball and neither had he come climbing in my room through the window like usual.

Part of me had waited for him to give me some explanation but the other knew he was too occupied with Sandra and trying to please Alpha Asher.

As such, I decided to focus on the task in front of me as well.

One of the servants asked me something about the placement of the candle arrangement and I answered without looking away from the question she was showing me on her phone, and by the time I looked up Aaron had come further into the room and was looking at what I’d done with it.

“It’s good,” he seemed impressed, which surprised me by being completely genuine.

“Your mother said the elders are traditional, I replied. “The room was too modern”

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Chapter 117

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“It always was,” he offered. “Dad redid the whole house five years ago and Elder Maren has never fully forgiven him for it.”

He slid his hands into his pockets and looked at the tapestry. “I forgot that was in storage.”

“It’s beautiful,” I said, looking up at it again.

“My grandmother chose it,” he informed me. “She had better taste than anyone gives her credit for.”

I wasn’t sure what to reply so I only nodded and went back to work while he stood there awkwardly in the

room.

We rarely had such awkwardness between us. Usually, he would just make some silly jokes or poke me with his fingers, annoy the shit out of me, until we went back to the normal chatter.

Today it somehow felt a bit too formal. And the way he was staring at me cluelessly made me feel like a villain. My heart always went soft and mushy for him whenever I tried to be stern or cold to Aaron.

“I need the dietary information for the elders,” I rekindled the conversation, asking about the elders because it was easier than talking about the other things.

“Your mother mentioned Elder Kosta and Elder Maren specifically but I want the full list before I talk to the kitchen staff.”

He pulled out his phone and scrolled. “Mom sent me something, yeah. Elder Kosta doesn’t like red meat and prefers fish. Elder Maren, traditional preparation only, nothing processed. Elder Rowan eats anything but his medication means he can’t have grapefruit, which apparently is more of an issue than you’d think because Mom used to put grapefruit in the water…”

“I’ll tell the kitchen staff,” I quipped.

“Elder Birta is lactose intolerant and loves shellfish,” he continued, “and Elder Jo aka Johansson is severely allergic to shellfish. Once he took a bite accidentally and spent 10 days in ICU.”

“That’s tricky,” I said. “I’ll just instruct the kitchen staff to be extra careful and avoid cross contamination.”

“Most people would have just stripped the shellfish off the menu,” he took a step closer. “Not thought about how to still keep it on the menu.”

I shrugged. “Is there more on the list?”

He finished reading it out and I finished typing it and we stood in a silence that had become slightly less uncomfortable.

“Sienna, I just want to talk about the masked…” He began.

“I’m not doing this again.” I sighed. “I’m not going to fight about it or assign blame or have the conversation again. But I need you to hear me say clearly that whatever you did. I hope you would never go that route again Okay? If you actually care about me the way you keep saying you do, then just dont do things that will make me want to distance myself from you.”

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Chapter 117

He was quiet for a moment and his eyes fell to the floor.

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“I know,” he mumbled “I know, Sia. I have this horrible feeling that someone is snatching you from me. I know its irrational and stupid but I was just used to you always being around and suddenly…you were not so I panicked. And that is why I tried to mend our friendship a little by taking down those photos even when you didn’t ask me to.”

When I continued to look at him without a word, he took another step closer.

“I didn’t judge you for your choices, I just tried to erase that conflict. I never even brought it up. That should tell you what I think of you, right?”

Damn, when he looked at me like a kicked puppy, my already mushy heart wanted to melt completely.

“That doesn’t make the masked gala right though” I said, not to be cruel, but to just let it out.

He raked a hand through his hair yet again, making some of it fall on his eyes.

“I am just nervous over all, Sia. Alpha Asher has high hopes for me, Sandra expects the world and mom knows the pack rules yet I see her looking at me like she wants her son to be the chosen heir. It’s a lot and then seeing the best person in my life drift away from me…”

He looked back at me again with those puppy eyes. “I made a stupid and awful decision and I’m sorry.”

I looked at him for a long moment and exhaled slowly.

“Okay,” I nodded. “We’re not starting over. But I like the honesty.”

His face immediately looked less tense.

“Can I ask you something?” he asked.

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