Chapter 648

Fred noticed his silence, a flicker of disappointment crossing his face. But he quickly rallied, pressing on with renewed enthusiasm. "That room on the second floor was just a wall away from Jason and Ivy’s—hardly ideal for a young couple like you. But this place? Totally different. The old man’s room is way down the hall from your master suite. Whatever you two get up to in here, no one will ever know." He grinned conspiratorially. "Eva, Willow, treat this place like your own home. Do whatever you want." Willow: "……!!!" Uncle Fred, when you say "whatever you want," do you mean what I *think* you mean? For heaven’s sake, you’re a retired official—must you jump straight to *that* kind of talk? …… That night, after her shower, Willow found Aiden standing by the window, gazing silently into the darkness. An aura of icy solitude clung to him, so palpable it seemed to chill the air around him. Her heart clenched softly, aching for the man she loved. His birth had been unwanted. His childhoo