She leaned into him, reaching up to press her lips to his. He met her halfway, scooping her into his arms and holding her close. Then their lips met, and the world seemed to fade away for a while. There was no crowd, no disapproving parents, not even an orchestra playing nearby. It was just him and her. He wished he could bottle how it felt in the moment so he could remember it when life seemed too complicated.
Or once she was gone from his life forever.
A loud “ahem” interrupted the moment.
Pulling apart, they turned to find an older, well-dressed couple standing beside them. It only took half a heartbeat for Aidan to realize that it was Violet’s parents. The woman looked like a more mature version of Violet with more gray than brown in her hair and soft wrinkles creasing her eyes and mouth. She was wearing a sparkling gray gown and easily half a million dollars in diamonds and gray pearls. The man was shorter, rounder and mostly bald, but he had shrewd dark eyes just like his daughter. Neither of them looked happy to find their daughter on the dance floor kissing some stranger.
Violet moved even farther away from Aidan once she realized who had interrupted them. Aidan noticed the move, but now wasn’t the time to mention it.
“Mother. Father. You’re home early from your trip,” she said with a forced smile as she untied her mask.
Aidan noticed there was no warmth between them. No kisses or hugs of greeting after all that time apart. Not even a handshake. Just a polite, verbal exchange. He couldn’t imagine having that sterile of a relationship with his parents, even when his father was at the height of his drinking.
Mr. Niarchos didn’t comment on his daughter’s words, instead turning to Aidan and ignoring her entirely. He studied every inch of him, then sighed heavily as though he recognized the similarities between Aidan and Knox and was less than impressed with the man who must be his grandson’s biological father.
“Our invitation got lost in the mail,” Mr. Niarchos said with a dry tone that indicated he didn’t believe that for a second. “I’m glad we were able to make it anyway, however. Wouldn’t have wanted to miss this.” He looked from Aidan to Violet with a displeased scowl distorting his face.
“Mother, Father, this is Aidan Murphy.” Violet started the introductions with a hint of nerves in her voice. “He’s the one starting the Molly’s House transitional home in memory of his late parents.”
Her mother smiled politely, but her father just continued to stare Aidan down.
“Can I have a moment alone with Mr. Murphy?” her father asked after an awkward silence.
“I’d rather you didn’t,” Violet said, but her father gave her a stern look that made her confidence shrivel right before Aidan’s eyes.
“It’s okay,” Aidan interjected. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, stroking her skin to soothe her and keep him from punching the other man for talking to her that way. “I’ll be right back.”
He followed her father away from the dance floor to a corner of the room that was more private. Private enough to talk, but not so much that there wouldn’t be witnesses if things went sideways.
“I’ve been watching you two together, son.”
Aidan straightened his spine, ensuring he towered several inches over her father, who wasn’t much taller than Violet. He might be a billionaire wearing more in gold and designer clothing than Aidan would make in a year, but Aidan wasn’t about to be intimidated by him the way Violet was. He didn’t have any power over him. “I’m not your son. My name is Aidan.”
“You’re right. And you never will be my son, you understand? You think I don’t know who you are with that bright red hair? The moment I saw you two dancing I knew the truth. But it doesn’t matter. You haven’t landed your meal ticket.”
“Anyone who sees Violet as nothing more than a meal ticket doesn’t deserve her,” Aidan worked up the courage to say, interrupting him. Violet was smart and strong and a wonderful mother. To reduce her to the balance of her bank accounts was offensive.
Mr. Niarchos scowled at him for a moment and then pointed a stubby finger in his direction. “Her future is with Beau. Someone who understands her and her life, someone who’s of the same class and background as her. I don’t know you, Mr. Murphy. I don’t know if you’re a plumber or a taxi driver or what, but I know this—you’re temporary in her life. You might be Knox’s father, but that won’t matter for long. Violet will come to her senses and you will be a footnote in the story of her life, I guarantee it.”
Aidan tried to hold as stoic a face as he could while the older man spewed his hateful diatribe at him. He wanted to fight back, to argue the point with her father, but since a part of him agreed with every word he said, that made it hard. Since the moment he realized that his disappearing lover was billionaire socialite Violet Niarchos, he’d had those doubts running through his mind.
He wasn’t after a sugar mama. Honestly, the money was more of a detriment to their relationship than a perk. He already knew he wasn’t good enough for her, and he didn’t want to deal with the kind of rich snobbery that followed people like Violet around. He would always be judged, always have noses turned up at him, always be accused of using Violet. He didn’t need that. He’d had enough of that at the advertising firm where he was one of the few self-made successes among a bunch of spoiled elitist kids.
“You may be right, sir, but that’s Violet’s decision to make, not yours.”
With every ounce of self-control he had, Aidan turned and walked away. There was nothing more to be said between them. Both had made it pretty clear where they stood. Now he had to go or he would say or do something he would regret. Like it or not, that was Knox’s grandfather.
It might be his party, but Aidan had had enough for tonight. The rich would
continue drinking and mingling without him, he was sure. He had just cleared the ballroom when he heard a woman’s voice shouting his name in the hall. He stopped and turned to see Violet rushing after him.
“Aidan, wait!”
He held his ground until she caught up with him. “I’m going home, Violet.”
“What did he say to you?” she asked with concern lining her face.
“Nothing I didn’t already know.”