Chapter 284 She Has a Fiancé?
When Susanna saw Aaron, she thought, "Small world, huh?"
Aaron stood tall and confident in the crowd, but when he saw Susanna with another man, he got uneasy. He slowed down and stared at her.
As the Abbott family president, when Aaron looked somewhere, others followed.
Aaron's lips tightened. He was surprised to see her, but more surprised she was with another guy.
His mood soured instantly. Seeing her with another man always did that.
The hall's atmosphere got tense.
Susanna ignored Aaron and turned to Michael. "Let's go."
Michael sensed something was off. He knew Susanna recognized that guy. He didn't ask questions and followed her upstairs.
Susanna almost tripped on the stairs, but Michael caught her. "Watch it, don't daydream!"
Blushing, Susanna stood up straight. "Thanks."
Feeling awkward, she hurried to the second floor.
Michael smiled and watched her, then glanced back at the hall. He met Aaron's sharp, unfriendly gaze.
Michael just gave Aaron a quick look before following Susanna.
Aaron stayed put, watching Michael and Susanna's moment. He wanted to storm over but kept his cool, though he was boiling inside.
The hall felt colder.
Tyler called him. "Mr. Abbott?"
Aaron adjusted his tie and headed upstairs after Susanna. Someone said, "Isn't the reserved room the other way?"
Tyler quickly called the restaurant manager to change rooms. As a good assistant, he knew to adapt to Aaron's moods.
The reserved room had to change now.
Meanwhile, Susanna and Michael entered their room with a balcony view of the river.
The waiter said, "Nice weather today. You could dine on the balcony; the view's great."
Susanna noticed the balcony setup for two, with flowers and wine. The waiter thought they were a couple.
Michael walked to the table without a word. Curious, Susanna followed, taking in the exhibition below.
Michael asked, "Is that the event you mentioned?"
"Yeah, it's unique, with lots of Lindwell food and fun stuff. You should check it out," Susanna said excitedly.
Michael looked past her to the next balcony. Aaron was there, looking at the scenery but clearly upset.
Michael turned back to Susanna. "That guy in the hall, do you know him?"
Susanna knew who he meant. "Yeah, he's my ex-husband."
"Ex-husband? You're pregnant, and he divorced you? Didn't your brother break his legs?" Michael was shocked.
Susanna almost choked on her water at Michael's comment. Only Austin knew about her pregnancy, and she worried her other brothers would spill the beans if they found out.
Just as she was about to respond, she saw Aaron's reflection in the wine bottle behind her.
How long had he been standing there?
She hesitated and then told Michael, "Because the child isn't his."
Michael looked surprised and skeptical.
She kept an eye on Aaron's shadow in the bottle. Soon, he turned and went back inside.
Susanna sighed in relief. She didn't want Aaron to know the child was his back then because she was determined to take the child away.
Halfway through the meal, Austin showed up.
"Austin, I ordered your favorite."
Austin sat down, grinning. "Susanna's the best. Having her around is the greatest. Right, Michael?"
Susanna went silent, embarrassed by Austin's bragging.
Michael gripped his fork, resisting the urge to stab it. He glanced at the adjacent balcony and said, "I remember our families joking when we were kids. If your family had a daughter, she'd be my future wife."
Susanna almost choked again. Was that true?
Austin's annoyance faded when he saw Aaron on the neighboring balcony. He grinned mischievously. "Yeah, I remember that. Susanna, he might as well be your unofficial fiancé."
Susanna was confused.
Austin squinted at Michael. "But don't think it's easy to join our family. Susanna's amazing, kind, and sensible. Ordinary men don't deserve her. Especially not her lousy ex-husband. Just thinking about him makes me mad!"
The air grew colder. Susanna glanced at the wine bottle and saw Aaron on the balcony again.
She quickly poured water for Austin. "Austin, have some water."
After drinking, Austin continued, "It's our fault for not finding Susanna sooner. If we had, her ex-husband wouldn't have had a chance with his shady character!"
"Austin, aren't you hungry? Eat more." Susanna fed him a spoonful of food, trying to change the subject.
Austin reluctantly stopped but then said, "Susanna, don't worry. When you come back to Novaria, we'll find you a good husband."
"She might as well get a dog!" Aaron's low voice came from behind Susanna. She couldn't ignore him anymore.
Austin raised an eyebrow. "Then you're worse than a dog."
Aaron stayed silent. Susanna felt the tension and quickly grabbed Austin's hand. "It's getting cold out here. Let's go inside."
The tension was thick, and a dispute seemed imminent. They were in Lindwell, Aaron's territory.
Back in the room, Michael said, "I'm going to the restroom."
He stepped outside and saw Aaron coming out too.
