A man who carries himself like a god

4 A man who carries himself like a god

A servant handed Aaron a cup of hot coffee and he took it, nodding at her. She left with a smile. Aaron was pleased with himself. He knew how to tickle the maids and that got them to be extra devoted to him. It was a simple game of chess and coffee.

He took a sip of the hot coffee, nodding as the bitter-sour taste filled his mouth. He didn’t really have a stomach for the beverage, but he drank it anyway. It was good for the body, they’d said.

He shut the door to the balcony and descended from the steps where he found aunt Gracie waiting, one finger tapping against the railing softly. Aaron rolled his eyes. She was at it again, wasn’t she? Ever since that lady left, she’d been pestering him for another girl who would be willing to do the job.

Personally, Aaron felt fatigued. After waiting for more than ten years, they were going to wait another three or more? What was there in swooping in and getting a child from some orphanage?

“I thought you left for the office?” he said, offering a wide smile. No matter what he thought, it would always remain in his head. There was no way he was going to get on Gracie’s bad side.

Gracie snorted. “Was that why you took your pretty, little time in the bathroom? Mind you, the company will do just fine without me for a day. Andrew will be there, as usual.”

“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?” Aaron asked, stepping off the stairs and walking past Gracie. The woman followed him to the sofa. “What’s the problem, mom?”

Gracie snorted, apparently uncomfortable. Aaron chuckled. “Seriously, what’s it this time?”

“We need another girl,” she said. “I was thinking about the places we could get one from. While the first one you brought was all pretty and good, we need someone ASAP!”

“There’s no rush,” Aaron said. “Besides, it will still take nine months for the baby to come. I still think Zara will be back.”

“How sure are you?” Gracie asked, eyebrows furrowed. “We need to have an heir! It’s been delayed for more than ten years now and I can’t wait another year or two!”

Aaron smiled, tipping his cup of coffee at her. “Touché. You don’t know how it makes me feel to have to wait year after year to take back what belongs to me…and you, of course. However, is the option of adoption completely out of the picture?”

Gracie grunted. “Don’t be silly,” she said. “You know how Andrew is. He won’t acknowledge an adopted child. We have to do this the old fashion way.”

Aaron thought about it for a while. Wasn’t there a chance he could drug Andrew? Wasn’t there a chance he could just get this mess done and over with? He itched every time this issue of an heir was brought up. What would they do with the child afterwards?

He was about to say something when his phone rand. He checked the caller ID ad smiled. “Like I said, she is calling.”

He answered. “Yeah, Zara, what do you need?”

There was a deep breath on the other end before she said, “is the job still available.”

“Why, yes!” he said, winking at Gracie. The woman pumped her fist, her eyes gleaming. She had the motherly affection and all. “I waited a few days before seeking another option. If you’re in, you can come over to the mansion.”

“I’m outside the gate,” she said.

Aaron smiled. There was no need to wait, then. “Alright. Tell security you have an appointment with me. Once they let you in, proceed to the eastern wing and meet with me and Gracie at the living room. I’ll have the contract and the lawyer present for you.”

“What about the payment?”

“Half before and half after,” he said. “I haven’t forgotten. It’s even in the contract.”

“Okay, I’m coming in.”

The line went dead. Aaron turned to Gracie and gave her a smile. “The fish has returned for the bait.”

“Are you sure we can trust her fully?”

Aaron shook his head. “We can never trust anyone fully,” he said. “That’s why we need to ensure that she follows the plan to the t.”

“Good enough for me,” she said, exhaling. “God knows I want a child in this house as soon as possible. I could kill a dog for that child!”

Aaron didn’t find that funny at all. If Gracie said she could kill a dog, then she definitely could. He’d seen it when she strangled the pigeons a few months back. Aaron shivered and glanced away from the woman.

….

It was a relief to hear that the job was still on, but it was nerve-wrecking to consider that she was going to be using her womb for money. However, a bigger part of Zara justified her decision. What use was a womb if she wasn’t able to take care of her siblings?

What use was a womb if Ethan came and ripped her head off? Who would she cry to? She regretted ever reaching out to Ethan for help, but he’d been the only option at that time. He’d been the only help available and he’d hid them from their pursuers.

For that, she owed him a ton—which, sadly, she had to pay back with interest.

“You can enter, Miss!” the security guard beckoned on her the moment her claim was verified. She put her hand on the scanner and it clicked, flashing green when her biometrics was recognised. The gate slid open and she entered, feeling the awe come upon her once more.

She glanced over to the large elephant that towered over the other mansions and nodded. Some people just had it so easy—born into wealth and affluence, bred with golden milk, fed with platinum spoons and even given glass slippers to wear. They had servants to wait on them. Yet, she didn’t have anything she could call an achievement.

Today wasn’t a day for pity, so Zara bottled her self-loathe and followed the servants to the living room in the eastern wing. When she entered, she saw Aaron and the big woman again. She recalled Aaron calling her Gracie.

With head lowered, Zara said hi. Aaron smiled. “I’m glad you changed your mind. You fit the job perfectly.”

She resisted the urge to snort at him. “When do we start?” she asked, glancing at Aaron.

“Start? With me?” Aaron asked, baffled. He laughed and waved her away. “You’re not getting pregnant for me, silly. It’s someone else.”

Zara felt her eyelids twitch. Someone else? If it had been Aaron, she’d have gone on with a grunt. He was handsome, muscular and tall. Who else could they possibly ship her to? Some old man with barely enough strength to climb a bed?

“Who…is it?”

“Andrew,” Gracie said, standing. She gave Zara a warm smile. “Andrew Sebastian, CEO of Flourish Airs.”

Zara’s jaw hit the ground, her eyes almost popping out of her sockets. The shock she felt at that moment washed down the awkward feeling she had when she entered.

She was being hired to seduce and get pregnant for…Andrew Sebastian, Aaron’s older brother? The big boss? The king who lived in the elephant tower she found so fascinating each time she passed it? Was that the man they were talking about?

Zara picked at her ears, unsure. “Can you repeat that, please?”

“We want you to get pregnant for my brother, Andrew,” Aaron said, his face solemn. “I hope that isn’t disappointing?”

Disappointing? The only thing that floated through Zara’s mind was a curse. It would’ve been better if it was Aaron, but Andrew? The man who never smiles or speaks to anyone? The man who carries himself like he was a god?

Impossible!