Chapter 75: good-byes
The front doors of the estate stood open to the morning cold, letting in a sharp draft that smelled of damp pine and frozen dirt.
At the bottom of the wide stone steps, the black car was idling, its exhaust rising in thick white plumes into the grey air.
Trunk lids snapped shut, heavy leather bags settled into place, and the quiet bustle of men moving in practiced sync filled the driveway.
Beside the rear passenger door, Finn was holding onto Aaron’s coat, his small fingers bunched tight into the dark wool. Boyar was pacing circles around their feet, his heavy tail thumping against Aaron’s shins every few seconds as he let out a soft, impatient huff.
"Do you really have to go back over there?" Finn asked, squinting up at Aaron against the pale morning light. "Why can’t the lawyers just do it? You’re the boss. You’re supposed to make other people do the flying."
Aaron down, unhooking Finn’s fingers from his coat with a slow, easy motion, though he kept his hand wrapped around the boy’s wrist. "Because it’s her case, Finn. And I need to be in the room."
"How long?" Finn’s mouth set into a stubborn line, the kind he got when he knew he wasn’t going to win an argument but wanted to make sure everyone felt how unfair it was. "You said a couple of weeks, but Pyotr said court stuff takes forever. He said people sit in court until their hair turns grey."
"Pyotr talks too much," Aaron said smoothly, casting a brief glance toward the front passenger seat where Pyotr was currently staring straight ahead, pretending he couldn’t hear a word.
Aaron looked back down at Finn, his expression relaxing slightly. "It won’t take months. I’m going to finish it, and then we’re coming straight back."
He shifted his gaze slightly to where Isabella stood a few feet away. She was wrapped in a thick cream-colored coat, her gloved hands tucked deep into her pockets, her head turned toward the sound of the running engine.
She looked small against the backdrop of the massive stone house, her posture stiff, her lips pressed tightly together. She was trying to look composed, but the strain showed in the tight set of her shoulders and the way her fingers twitched inside her pockets every time Boyar barked.
Aaron turned his focus back to Finn. He clapped a hand onto the boy’s shoulder, giving him a firm shake. "School starts next week. That means you are in the house when the sun goes down, and you are at the desk when your tutor arrives. I left a list with Pyotr’s team. If I hear from him that you were up until three in the morning playing on that screen, I’m taking the power cables with me next time."
Finn groaned, throwing his head back. "I’m not a kid, Aaron! I’m doing my work!"
"Then do it without complaining," Aaron said, a faint trace of amusement catching in his voice. "And behave yourself. Look out for your sister."
Finn huffed, but he leaned in and wrapped his arms around Aaron’s waist, burying his face into his chest for a quick, hard second before stepping back. He turned toward Isabella, stepping over Boyar, who was currently trying to nudge Isabella’s knee with his wet nose.
"Make sure he buys you stuff," Finn told Isabella loudly, reaching out to gently touch her sleeve. "He buys bad presents when he’s busy, so you have to make him take you to the actual store."
Isabella’s tense expression cracked into a soft, genuine smile. She reached out, her fingers brushing Finn’s arm until she found his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "I’ll make sure he doesn’t forget."
"And keep warm," Finn added, looking at her coat. "It gets really cold in New York this time of year. My teacher said the wind comes off the river and feels like ice."
"I will, Finn. Thank you."
While Finn was busy giving Isabella instructions on how to handle the cold, Aaron’s eyes tracked across the gravel driveway toward the side of the stone steps.
Tucked into the shadow of a heavy pillar, Freya was standing motionless. She had her arms crossed tight over her chest, Mr. Cheese tucked awkwardly under her left arm like a lumpy sack of flour.
Her jaw was clenched, her eyes fixed firmly on the ground near her boots, pretending with all her strength that she was just standing in the cold because she happened to like the air.
Aaron didn’t say anything to Finn. He simply stepped around the boy and began walking toward the pillar.
The moment Freya caught the heavy crunch of his boots on the gravel, her head snapped up. Her eyes went wide, and she immediately turned on her heel, trying to duck behind the stone corner to slip back into the side door.
She didn’t make it two steps.
Aaron caught her by the hood of her hoodie, tugging her back before she could slip away. Before she could protest, he reached down, gathered her up into his arms, and pulled her into a solid, heavy hug.
"Let go!" Freya squawked, her voice muffled against his shoulder as she tried to shove him off with her elbow, carefully avoiding squishing the cat. "Aaron, stop it! I’m not five! You’re making a scene!"
"You’re terrible at hiding," Aaron said quietly into her hair, not loosening his grip an inch.
"If you wanted to stay inside, you should have stayed in your room."
"I was coming out to see if Pyotr left the keys in the truck!" she lied fiercely, though her hands slowly stopped shoving against his chest. She stayed stiff for three long seconds, holding her breath, before she let out a sharp little sigh and let her forehead rest against his shoulder.
Her fingers tightened into the back of his coat, bunching the fabric tight in her small fist.
"Don’t stay over there forever," she muttered, her voice dropping so low only he could hear it. "It’s boring when it’s just Finn screaming at his computer all day."
Aaron smiled into the dark hair at the top of her head. He brought his hand up, rubbing the back of her head with a slow, warm pressure that made her sigh again despite herself.
"I won’t," he said gently. "Keep an eye on him. Don’t let him eat all the sugar."
He stepped back, letting her go. Freya immediately smoothed down her jacket, tucking Mr. Cheese securely back under her arm and glaring at the snow near her feet, her cheeks bright red from the cold air—or from something else.
"Go inside," Aaron told her. "It’s too cold out here."
She didn’t move until he turned and walked back toward the car.
Isabella was already waiting by the open door, assisted by Niko was hovering near her elbow with a stack of files tucked under his arm.
His hair slightly windswept, his suit crisp and tailored, carrying an air of energetic confidence that seemed entirely out of place for seven in the morning.
Aaron took Isabella’s hand, guiding her smoothly into the back seat. He climbed in beside her, and the door shut with a heavy, airtight thud, cutting off the sound of Boyar’s barking and the cold wind.