The Billionaire's Hidden Heir

#11 - The Perfect Plan

Lily

Of course he'd find a way around that too. He wouldn't be Adrian Frost if he couldn't.

"I'm perfectly fine spending time with him without you."

Without me? I'd been stewing over that and my not so thought through decision to invite Adrian for breakfast instead of arguing the damned thing out. Of course I could change my mind and throw him out, but I knew very well that he'd not step out of the door without my son. How the hell had he even seen through that loop hole?

Feeling extra frustrated, I grabbed the egg I'd kept aside for Asher's omelette, and before I knew it, I was hitting it as though with an axe. The sound of it shattering brought me back to reality, and I cursed under my breath at the mess in my hands.

"Are you okay?" I felt Adrian behind me. What the hell was he doing?

"I'm fine!" I squeaked before he could put those hands on me. God, I'd never realized just how small my kitchen was until I foolishly invited him in it. I couldn't take one single step without thinking of his unwelcome presence and his heavy gaze on me. Apparently, my decision to have him on chopping duty was a failed distraction tactic that left me feeling uneasy the more I felt his eyes on me. So not how I wanted this to go. "Maybe you should go and wait back there." I pointed at the door even if I was scared out of my mind that Asher would pop out of his room and eventually put the dots together before I got to tell him who exactly his new best friend was.

Adrian only shrugged. "If you are going to feed me, I might as well pull my weight. Is this enough?" He pointed to the chopped onions, but it was how relaxed he looked in my space, his suit jacket discarded that drew my attention, catching me off guard. Since when did he do that? In our three years of marriage, he had avoided the kitchen like the plague, especially if I was in it. Courtney... I ground my teeth, feeling a mixture of irritation and bitterness at the thought of her. Had he finally come around for her? The picture of Adrian and her in each other's space while they happily fixed dinner or whatever in the Frost mansion had me looking away from him and placing as much distance as I could between us. "You know, you really don't have to do that."

"Maybe, I want to." I froze when Adrian sounded way closer than he he should have been. Turning around, I gaped at him, startled my his sudden proximity.

"What are you doing?" I demanded, my voice tinged with both surprise and annoyance.

"What am I doing?" He drew closer and looked at me, really looked at me, his whole attention trained on me. I could even dare to think he was ready to take in every single word about to come out of my mouth. He never did that before. It was always me fighting, begging for his attention while he left me broken and aching for him each time. And now he was what? Giving it to me without asking?

Of course, he'll play nice for Asher's sake, just so you can give in to him too.

"Adrian, we are not doing this."

"Do what, exactly?" Surprise flickered on his face when I moved out of his reach. Did he really think I was so stupid that I would go falling back into his arms just because he was giving me attention?

"You can't stay." I stated firmly, folding my arms and leaning back on the counter. I'd never felt more confident. "No one knows me here. I'm just Lily. I have nothing to do with you or Glanbury or Forest Industries. I would like to keep it that way."

"But you have everything to do with me!" Adrian hissed and when I merely arched a brow at his outburst, he continued, his voice cold. "You have my son, damn it! You think I can simply forget him like that?"

Forget him? That sounded like the perfect plan. I would love Asher for the both of us then, and my son would never have to know the man who could never love his mother. The reason I had avoided the daddy topic with my son. I was about to tell Adrian just that when a knock on my back door interrupted me.

"Lily dear?" The familiar voice called from outside, causing my eyes to dart to Adrian's figure as panic surged through me. She chose now of all the times to come over? Not that there was ever an appropriate time for a visit from any of the Malone sisters. Before I knew it, I was pushing Adrian out of the kitchen, barely ignoring the buzz that shot through me when I touched him. When he gave me a questioning look, I said he wouldn't like to meet this particular person and that I would explain later. Needing to get rid of Margaret before she stepped into my house and potentially caused trouble with Adrian, I grabbed the bowl filled with her favourite muffins and dashed to the door.

"Good morning, Margaret!" I exclaimed breathlessly. "I was just about to bring these over for you." I lied, hoping she wouldn't catch on to my real intent to keep her from coming in.

"Awww, you sweet child." Margaret cupped my cheeks before gladly taking the bowl. On any other day she would expect a hug and for me to walk her back to her house. I was left staring at her retreating back as she practically danced her way across my backyard towards the tiny gate in the fence we shared. I couldn't help thinking I had been played.

I shook my head and stepped back into my house, right into a pair of eyes that were filled with adoration. "Lily dear, now why in the heavens didn't you just tell us that our sweet Asher had a father?" Marjorie, the eldest of the two Malone sisters, questioned with a gentle smile. I had definitely been played. God, why did they have to be twins?

"Marjorie, hi," I said, my eyes on Adrian who seemed to have been headed back into the kitchen by the older Malone. "What can I do for you?" I asked, hoping I could keep her from saying anymore, but she merely waved me away with that gentle smile.

"Should have known it was the reason you refused to date anyone here. Such a fine gentleman," Marjorie beamed. "Like father, like son."

Great. She just had to go there. I barely avoided Adrian's questioning gaze.