THE PRICE OF A LIFE
662 Words
THE PRICE OF A LIFE
ARIA'S POV
."Your... what?" Noah asks.
The shock on his face is unmistakable. For a man who prides himself on control, I have pierced his composure twice in a row.
"My son, Noah," I say. My voice is cracking. I force myself to stand straight, refusing to break. "He is very ill."
Noah stares at me, his dark eyes intense.
"Jane, cancel any schedule I have for the rest of the day. Call Falcon and Matteo back immediately. They have a lot of explaining to do."
He looks back at me, his gaze unyielding. "Come with me."
He turns on his heel, and I follow him down the corridor into his private executive office.
As I walk behind him, I notice how incredibly tense he is. His broad shoulders are rigid, and his jaw is locked tight as he walks with brisk strides.
"So, you have a... son," he says, his voice low.
He walks over to a mini bar in the corner, picking up a porcelain cup. "You still like tea, right?"
"Yes… to both of your questions," I reply.
Noah pours the tea and walks over, handing it to me. His fingers brush against mine, sending an unwanted jolt up my arm.
I hate how he still affects me. His presence overpowering all of my senses.
He settles into the leather chair opposite me, leaning forward.
"So... about your son," he prompts.
"Remy is diagnosed with AML," I say, the letters sticking like glass in my throat.
"Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Chemotherapy has been done, but it came back again. The doctor advised that a bone marrow transplant is his only option."
My fingers tighten around the cup. “He has a rare blood type. We couldn’t find a match— in any bank.”
My eyes sting. "And I can’t donate. My blood… rejects his. The doctors said I built antibodies against him.” I feel like I failed my child.
Taking a shaky breath, I hold his gaze. “When they ran a wider search, across the global donor banks…they found you to be a match.”
Noah watches me in silence for a long moment. As those piercing eyes lock onto mine, it feels like he can see right through me.
"So, you wouldn't have come otherwise?" he said finally.
"You disappeared without a trace for four years, Aria." He leans forward, his tone sharp.
"Why should I help you? And why can't your hus...band, or whoever the child's father is, do this?"
"I am not married." I snap.
Noah blinks, he seems almost relieved. "What—"
"The child's father isn't present in our life," I continued. "And I don't want to talk about it."
"Of course," Noah sneers, his jaw tightening as he stands up. "Whatever. It's none of my business."
He paces around the desk. "Your ‘secret’ baby-father can't do it. So it is my turn to?"
He stops, glaring down at me. "So, why did you disappear four years ago? I came back, and you were off."
I blink struggling to remember what he is on to then I finally remembered the evening, weeks before Jamie's party. I met him at one of the organizations where I usually do voluntary service.
I hadn't expected to meet him there or enjoy his company as much as I did.
Our work together was seamless. I laughed more than I expected. We talked about a lot and he invited me to join his board, handling the fashion aspect of it.
He'd offered to take me more, then one of his model-like-companions came to pull him, he'd asked me to wait.
Well, I hadn't.
"Is this about revenge? Because I didn't wait for you to go off with your fling?"
He murmurs something didn't catch.
"Noah, just say what you want," I say, cracking. I couldn't take his intense gaze anymore.
You want my help, princess?" he asks calmly. "Fine. Marry me."
- Writer
