Dating

Chapter 68

were

Liam and I hardly said anything on our drive towards the Winslow house. I knew that we were both stuck in our heads, hardly sure of what we w going to thret when we finally got there. But what I knew for sure, was that I was glad that Liam was here with me.

He held my hand in the car the entire time, squeezing it lightly every once in a while, reassuring me, letting me know that he was there in all the ways that mattered. And then, I would always squeeze back.

As we approached the Winslow mansion, I couldn’t help but gawk at the grandeur of it all. The place looked like something out of a fairy tale, complete with perfectly manicured gardens and a driveway that seemed to stretch on forever,

Even though the sun was starting to set outside, the garden lights and lamps were so beautiful and perfectly lit up the mansion in a way that made it somehow both inviting but also utterly impenetrable,

I glanced at Liam, who was gripping the steering wheel a little too tightly. In the entire time that we had driven here, he was mostly calm but I could see now the worry that flashed across his face. I tried not to let this new discovery about Liam shake me, but it was hard.

“Are you sure about this? Are we sure about this?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Liam turned to me then and gave me a reassuring nod, though his eyes betrayed his tension. “Of course. We have to do this, Ella. We can’t let them think they can intimidate us. They think we’re just some dumb kids that they can control, but we’re here to show them that that’s bullshit. We are In charge of our lives and not them

I nodded, taking a deep breath as we walked up to the entrance. Before we even got to the alcove of the entrance, the door slowly swung ⠀ a maid in a crisp uniform stood there to greet us at the door, her face impassive.

or slowly swung open. Ar

And

“Good evening, Mr. Winslow, Miss, she said, bowing slightly. “Please, follow me.

Liam and I exchanged a glance before following her inside. I had been expecting to knock on the door, somehow announce our presence but clearly, we were being watched much longer before that. This shouldn’t have surprised me. We were always being watched.

The interior of the mansion’s entrance waiting alcove was even more opulent than I had imagined. Crystal chandeliers, marble floors, and walls adorned with priceless art greeted Liam and me at every turn. My nerves were frayed, but I tried to keep my composure.

I couldn’t help but compare this to the house that I had grown up in with mom. It was way smaller than this and a lot more worn in but it was full of love and character. As beautiful as the Window house was, really, the Winslow mansion was, there was a coldness to it that was apparent, right from the entrance.

The maid led us deeper into the lavishly decorated waiting area and gestured for us to sit. “Mr. Winslow will be with you shortly,” she said before leaving us alone.

She walked down a hallway, turned a corner and disappeared from our sight,

I turned to Liam, my hands trembling slightly. “Shit, Liam, this is so intense. Maybe we should just leave. Is it me or does this kinda feel like a trap?

He shook his head firmly. “No, Fla. If we leave now, we’ll look weak. This is all a test to see how strong we are together. If we go running now, we’ll look week and Aaron will know that he holds the power. We can’t let that happen. We need to show Aaron that we won’t be easily broken.”

His words gave me a bit of strength, and I nodded, gripping his hand tightly. We sat in silence for what felt like an eternity. What the hell was taking Aaron so long to show up? Maybe this was all a part of the power play. Yes, that definitely had to be it. Finally, the door into the rest of the house opened, and Aaron Winslow walked in. He was just as imposing as the first time I saw him, his presence filling the room. This time, he had on a sleek burgundy suite and his salt and pepper hair was slicked back

Aaron looked directly at Liam, his eyes never leaving him as he searched Liam’s face. It was the most intense stair that I had ever seen anyone give someone else. And then I knew why. This was probably the first time that Aaron was getting to see Liam this close in person.

Sure, Aaron had been keeping tabs on Liam, for years it seemed, but they had never actually met. They had never even been this close to each other in person. So this was a first that Aaron had every experienced.

“Hello, son,” he said, his voice smooth and authoritative

Liam’s grip on my hand tightened, “I’m no son of yours, and you’re no father to me,” he snapped.

For a moment, a flicker of hurt crossed Aaron’s face, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. “I see. Well, I appreciate you coming regardless. Please, follow me to the main hall. That’s where I’ve set up our little banquet for us.

We stood and followed him through the mansion. Every step I took, I felt like I was being watched, scrutinized. Finally, we reached a set of double doors that Aaron reached out to push open but Idam stopped him.

“Wait,” Liam said.

1/2

Aaron turned around and looked back at Liam, surprise on his face, “What is it son. I’m sorry, I mean Liam, You’ll cause me for the familiarity just that. I’ve been waiting a long time to call you that son.”

ap is it” Liam said, a deep frown on his face

“This isn’t some trap is

Aaron frowned too. “Liam, I brought you here so that I could show you this life that Dean offer you” he said, gesturing around. “You can have everything you’ve ever dreamed of Power, wealth, influence”

is to p

is to play hockey, and I don’t

I your money or your influence to

ne to do that. I’m

Liam’s expression hardened, “I don’t want any of this. My dream here because you threatened Ella, and that’s unacceptable.”

Aaron looked genuinely surprised. “Threatened That was never my

my intention. I simply wanted to meet the girl who has captured my son’s heart.”

I squeezed Liam’s hand, feeling a little more at ease but still wary. “Liam, maybe we should hear him o

our,” I whispered.

Liam’s jaw clenched, but he nodded. “Fine. But I’m not making any promises

Aaron’s smile returned, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “That’s all I ask. Now, please, enjoy the banquet. Get to know me and hear more about the family you come from. We can talk more later

Once again, Aaron put his hands on the door but this time he pushed it open with a massive swing. And when the doors opened, I couldn’t believe what my eyes were seeing.

COMMENT