His Greatest Exception

CHAPTER 3

By ten in the morning, I was already questioning every decision that had led me to the Hale residence.

I had spent the entire drive there telling myself that this was nothing more than another business arrangement. It didn't matter that the contract involved marriage, or that the woman I was supposed to marry was someone I had met only once. It was still a transaction. There was a problem, there was a solution, and somehow, my family had decided that I was the solution.

Simple.

At least, that's what I kept telling myself.

The moment my car stopped in front of the house, I looked through the window and took in the place again. It was the same modest house I'd seen yesterday, except this time the rain was gone and the morning sun made everything look strangely peaceful.

I didn't belong here.

That thought came to me almost immediately.

Everything about the place felt different from what I was used to. There was a small garden beside the front door, a few potted plants lined along the steps, and a bicycle leaning against the wall. Nothing expensive. Nothing excessive.

Just... normal.

I got out of the car and adjusted the cuff of my shirt before walking toward the door.

I had barely raised my hand to knock when it opened.

A woman stood there, probably in her fifties, wearing a simple blouse and a warm smile.

"Mr. Ashford?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Her smile widened. "I'm Elena. Aurora's mother. Please, come in."

"Thank you."

I stepped inside.

The first thing I noticed was the photographs.

There were framed pictures on almost every available surface family gatherings, birthdays, graduations, old photographs that looked like they had been taken years ago. There was even one of Aurora as a little girl, standing beside a man I assumed was her father.

I didn't know why, but I stopped for a second.

She looked completely different.

Her hair was shorter, her cheeks rounder, and she had the same stubborn-looking eyes she had yesterday.

I looked away before Elena could notice me staring.

"Please sit," she said. "Aurora will be down in a minute."

I glanced toward the staircase.

"She's not ready?"

Elena laughed softly. "She is. She's just... Aurora."

I didn't know what that meant.

I was about to ask when I heard footsteps upstairs.

Then a woman's voice.

"Mom, I told you I don't need-"

She appeared at the top of the stairs and stopped.

Her eyes landed on me.

For a moment, she looked completely frozen.

I recognized the expression immediately.

It was the same one I'd seen yesterday when the motorcycle had splashed water all over her.

Confusion first.

Then irritation.

Then disbelief.

Her gaze moved from me to her mother.

"You're the one she was talking about?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"Apparently."

She slowly walked down the stairs, never taking her eyes off me.

"Why are you here?"

I glanced at her mother.

Then back at her.

"I was invited."

She frowned.

"I didn't invite you."

"No. Your mother did."

"Mom."

Elena looked at her daughter with an innocent smile.

"What?"

"You said he was coming."

"I did."

"You didn't say it was him."

Her mother blinked. "You know him?"

Aurora opened her mouth, then closed it again.

I couldn't help noticing how adorable no, irritating the expression was.

"We met yesterday," she finally said.

Elena looked between us.

"Yesterday?"

Aurora sighed.

"Long story."

I leaned slightly against the wall.

"Not really. Your daughter was arguing with an umbrella."

Her head snapped toward me.

"I was not arguing with an umbrella."

"You were."

"It was broken."

"Exactly."

She stared at me for a few seconds.

Then she muttered, "You're annoying."

I almost smiled.

"You're not the first person to say that."

Her mother laughed.

Aurora didn't.

She walked past us and sat on the sofa, crossing her arms over her chest. There was something about the way she moved that made it obvious she wasn't comfortable with any of this.

Honestly, neither was I.

Elena gestured toward the chair opposite Aurora.

"Lucien, sit down."

I did.

Aurora looked at me from across the room.

Neither of us said anything.

The silence stretched.

I glanced around the room, then back at her.

She was studying me.

Not subtly, either.

"What?" I finally asked.

She immediately looked away.

"Nothing."

"You were staring."

"So were you."

"Fair enough."

She looked back at me.

For some reason, that made her smile slightly.

It was small.

Barely there.

But I noticed it.

And I immediately wondered why I noticed it at all.

Elena returned with two glasses of water and placed them on the table.

"I'll give you both some time to talk."

Aurora's eyes widened.

"Mom—"

"You need to discuss the contract."

"I know."

"Then talk."

Elena walked away before Aurora could argue.

The moment she disappeared into the kitchen, Aurora leaned back and let out a long breath.

"I can't believe this."

I understood exactly what she meant.

"Neither can I."

She looked at me.

"Your family really expects us to do this?"

"Apparently."

She gave a humorless laugh.

"That's insane."

"Agreed."

For the first time since I'd arrived, she seemed less defensive.

She looked down at the folder sitting on the coffee table.

"I read everything."

"So did I."

"And you're still willing to sign?"

I studied her face.

"Are you?"

She hesitated.

"That's not an answer."

"Neither was your question."

She rolled her eyes.

"You're really difficult."

"I've been told."

She picked up the folder and opened it.

"My mother thinks this is the only way to save the house."

Her voice had changed.

It wasn't irritated anymore.

It was quieter.

More serious.

I watched her fingers move along the edge of the paper.

"My father's debts weren't small," she continued. "When he died, everything went to us. The house, the business, the debts. I thought I could handle it, but..."

She stopped.

I didn't interrupt.

There was something in her expression that made me think she wasn't used to talking about this.

"I'm sorry," I said.

She looked up.

I wasn't sure why I said it.

Usually, I wasn't good at comforting people. I never knew what to say, and I hated pretending I understood something I didn't.

But this time, the words came naturally.

She studied me for a moment.

"Thank you."

I nodded.

She closed the folder.

"Anyway, that's why I'm considering it."

"Considering?"

She gave me a look.

"I haven't signed anything yet."

"You were supposed to."

"According to who?"

"My father."

"Well, your father isn't the one who has to live with the consequences."

I couldn't argue with that.

She was right.

I leaned forward, resting my forearms on my knees.

"Then tell me what you want."

She looked surprised.

"What?"

"If we're going to do this, I want you to tell me your conditions."

She blinked.

"You'd actually listen?"

"I don't make agreements without knowing the terms."

A small smile appeared on her face.

"Okay."

She thought for a moment.

"First, I want to keep working."

"Fine."

"I don't want your family interfering with my career."

"Fine."

"I don't want you telling people that this is just an arrangement."

"Agreed."

"I don't want you controlling who I talk to or where I go."

I raised an eyebrow.

"I wouldn't."

She looked skeptical.

"You say that now."

"I don't control people."

"You're a billionaire."

"And?"

"People like you are used to getting what they want."

I leaned back.

"I don't need to control someone to get what I want."

She studied me.

"That sounded arrogant."

"It wasn't supposed to."

"It still did."

I laughed quietly.

It surprised both of us.

She stared at me.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You laughed."

"So?"

"I didn't think you knew how."

I shook my head.

"You've known me for less than ten minutes."

"Actually, we've known each other since yesterday."

"That's not much better."

She smiled.

This time, she didn't hide it.

And for some reason, I found myself smiling too.

I quickly looked down at the contract.

"We'll need boundaries."

"Definitely."

"No entering each other's rooms without permission."

"Obviously."

"No unnecessary physical contact."

She nodded.

"Agreed."

"No interfering with personal decisions."

"Agreed."

"And after one year, the contract ends."

She hesitated.

"Completely?"

"Completely."

She looked down at the paper.

Then she nodded.

"Okay."

I reached for the pen.

She looked at me.

"You're really doing this?"

I looked back at her.

"You are too."

"I know."

She took a breath and picked up her own pen.

For a moment, neither of us moved.

Then she signed.

Aurora Hale.

I watched her hand lift from the paper.

There was no hesitation.

I signed beneath her name.

Lucien Ashford.

The moment the ink dried, something about the room felt different.

It was ridiculous.

It was just a signature.

A piece of paper.

A business agreement.

Nothing more.

At least, that's what I believed.

Aurora stared at the two signatures for a while.

"So..."

She looked at me.

"We're really doing this."

I nodded.

"Looks like it."

She let out a nervous laugh.

"I never thought I'd end up agreeing to marry a stranger."

I looked at her.

"I never thought I'd agree to marry someone who argues with umbrellas."

Her mouth fell open.

"Oh my God."

I couldn't stop myself from smiling.

"You really aren't going to let that go, are you?"

"No."

She shook her head, laughing despite herself.

"You're such an asshole."

"Probably."

She looked at me for a few seconds, and there was something different in her expression now.

Less guarded.

Less annoyed.

Maybe even a little curious.

I felt it too.

Not attraction.

Not yet.

Just curiosity.

I wanted to know more about her.

And that was something I hadn't expected.

I stood and adjusted my jacket.

"I'll have someone send you the finalized copy."

She nodded.

"Okay."

I walked toward the door, but before I could leave, I heard her voice behind me.

"Lucien."

I turned.

She was standing near the sofa, her hands resting against the edge of the folder.

"Yeah?"

She hesitated.

Then she smiled.

"See you soon, husband."

I stared at her.

She immediately started laughing.

"I couldn't resist."

I shook my head, trying not to smile.

"You're going to regret that."

"Maybe."

I stepped outside.

The moment the door closed behind me, I let out a quiet breath.

I didn't know what the hell I had just agreed to.

I only knew that one year suddenly felt much longer than it had when I first read the contract.

And for the first time since this whole ridiculous arrangement began, I wasn't thinking about the money, the company, or the family politics.

I was thinking about her.

Aurora.

The woman who had somehow managed to make me laugh twice in the span of one morning.

That shouldn't have bothered me.

But it did.

Because I had a feeling that getting used to her would be easy.

And getting rid of her after a year would be anything but.