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Chapter 0010
Arla’s POV
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I sat at the kitchen table, watching as Joe and Logan stood side by side in front of me, both looking like two boys caught in the act.
Joe’s small face was a mix of guilt and determination, while Logan’s expression was apologetic yet amused.
Joe was the first to speak, his voice wavering just slightly. “Mom, I’m sorry. I… I asked Logan to pretend to be my dad. It was my idea. I just wanted-”
Logan cut in, his tone warm but serious. “Aria, don’t be too hard on the kid. I went along with it willingly. It was just a bit of fun, no harm intended.”
I looked at the two of them–Joe with his pleading eyes and Logan with his practiced charm. It was impossible to stay angry, even though they had both crossed a line.
joe’s earnestness and Logan’s easygoing nature worked together, softening the edge of my frustration. I sighed, the tension in my shoulders easing as I decided to let it go.
“Alright,” I said finally, a faint smile tugging at my lips. “But don’t let it happen again. We can’t keep pretending like this. It’s not fair to anyone, especially not to you, Joe.”
Joe’s face lit up with relief, and he nodded eagerly. “I promise, Mom!”
Logan gave me a grateful smile, the kind that always made it hard to stay mad at him. “Thanks, Aria. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”
I couldn’t help but think back to the first time I had run into Logan, years ago, in a foreign country where I had tried to start over. Unlike Liam, who had been distant and preoccupied with his own world, Logan had been kind to me, the only person in Liam’s circle who had shown me genuine warmth.
We had crossed paths by chance, and I had begged him not to tell Liam about our meeting. I didn’t want Liam to know where I was or what I was doing. I just wanted to live my life in peace.
Logan had agreed, and to my surprise, he had gone even further, helping me in ways I hadn’t expected. He had been there when Joe was born, offering support and kindness that I desperately needed at the time.
He had taken care of us, never asking for anything in return.
Before I returned to the country, I had informed Logan of my decision to come back. I remembered the way his eyes had clouded over with a complicated emotion I hadn’t been able to place at the time.
But now, it made sense–perhaps he had already known that Liam was the mysterious boss behind the club, the man I had tried to forget but could never fully escape.
I voiced my concern to Logan now, not wanting to hurt his friendship with Liam because of my situation. “Logan, I don’t want
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this to come between you and Liam. Your friendship is important, and I don’t want to be the cause of any problems
Logan waved off my concerns with a dismissive hand. “Aren’t we friends too? If you want to keep Joe’s parentage a secret, the best way is for me to keep playing the role. I’m happy to do it.”
I couldn’t help but tease him a little. “And what if it keeps you from finding your true love? You’ll be too busy pretending to be
Joe’s dad to meet anyone.”
Logan chucked, but there was a hint of something unreadable in his eyes. “If anyone can help you pull off this charade, I’m the
best person for the job. Besides, I’m not in a rush to find anyone.”
His words were reassuring, and 1 was persuaded. If everyone believed that Joe was Logan’s child, Liam might stop questioning
things, and we could avoid any further complications.
The next day, I found myself a bit distracted. Jackson, who was usually persistent in his attempts to flirt with me, tried his usual
lines, but I barely reacted.
