MR BILLIONAIRE'S REGRET: CHASING HIS IRRESISTIBLE WIFE
Father and son moment.

(ARIELLE'S POV)

As I watched Jared and Maverick walk ahead, Jared's suitcases rolling behind him, I decided that now was not the time to be overwhelmed. This was temporary. I had to brace up and tough if I wanted to scale through this. Maverick's chatter filled the hallway as he beamed up at Jared, clearly delighted by his father's presence.

"Traitor," I muttered under my breath. The moment his dad shows up, I might as well be invisible.

But just then, my mother appeared in the hallway, stopping dead in her tracks as she stared at Jared, sizing up the loads in his hands. Then her surprised face trailed past him to dwell on me, screaming "what's going on?" I tried to make a calming gesture, but she frowned. She was obviously not having it.

"Kitchen. Now," she ordered, before spinning around and stomping off.

I sighed and brushed past Jared and Maverick, trailing behind her. As I entered the kitchen, she was already pacing.

"Arielle, what is he doing here?" She demanded, pausing to face me squarely.

"I can explain, Mom," I said.

"Explain? Oh, please. Go ahead. This should be good."

I took a breath, silently praying she doesn't freak out from all I'm about to say.

"Jared says someone is sabotaging his company. To catch them, he needs to lie low and act vulnerable for a while. He asked if he could stay here."

My mom's expression contorted in disbelief. "And you believed him?"

"Not really, but let's say I don't have much choice. Your grandson begged me," I explained.

Her expression softened slightly, as I knew it would. "Ah, that boy," she murmured.

"Mom, I just need your support. This is temporary, and I'll set clear boundaries."

She sighed. "I can't say I'm happy about this, but fine. Someone has to protect you from yourself and from him."

A smile crossed my features. "Thank you -"

"Oh, save it. Go get ready for work and that little man of yours has to leave for school."

"Thank you, Mom. I love you! You're taking him, right?"

"I sure am," she said with an eye roll.

I laughed and patted her hair, before walking out of the kitchen.

On returning to the sitting room, I assumed a poker face, carefully masking my emotions. I had to appear serious, as I didn't want Jared to misinterpret my feelings about his presence in my home. I met him chatting with Maverick, their laughter filling the room.

"Maverick, go to Nana and finish up your preparation for school. You're running late," I ordered, my tone firm but gentle.

Maverick nodded, his eyes sparkling with excitement but they were not directed at me.

"Bye, Dad. We'll continue our men's discussion when I get back," he said, his small voice filled with forced importance.

Jared gave off a boyish knowing grin. "Looking forward to it, buddy," he replied, ruffling Maverick's hair.

Afterward, Maverick ran past me, almost knocking me off balance. I watched him disappear into the hallway to meet his Nana.

What's that? There's a Men's discussion between these two?

For a moment, I was tempted to ask Jared, but thought against it. I didn't want to appear jealous or overly interested.

No matter what, Jared was not going to replace me in Maverick's life. That, I was sure of. With that, I pushed the thought aside and turned my attention to Jared.

"We need to talk," I said, my voice stern.

His expression shifted immediately, his gaze steady. "Of course. What's on your mind?"

"I'm letting you stay, alright, but not without conditions," I began, my eyes still levelled with his.

Jared nodded. "I expected as much."

"Good. First, you won't interfere with my personal decisions."

There was a pause, like he was contemplating, but he nodded. "Alright."

"No questioning my choices, no offering unsolicited advice," I dissected.

This time, his eyes narrowed, his Jaws clenched. And for a moment, I thought he was going to protest, but he nodded again.

"Your life, your choice," he mumbled.

"Second, you won't question how I run the household," I continued, my tone permitting no argument.

"Your home, your rules," Jared said coolly.

"Third, and most only, Maverick's well-being comes first," I emphasized, ensuring I added enough emotion to my tone.

"Always. You can count on me for that," he said with a salute.

I paused and studied his face. "I mean it, Jared Smith. No using my child as a leverage or putting him in harm's way," I warned.

"I swear on my life, Arielle. Maverick's safety and happiness are my top priorities, too," he said.

The sincerity in his voice was evident, and for a moment, I softened. But I pushed aside the feeling, reminding myself of why he was here in the first place.

"I'll hold you to that," I said, finally.

"Since we've reached a common

ground, I think that'll be all for now. I

have to go prepare for work. The room on your right down the hallway, you can keep your stuff there while I figure out the room you'll be staying in when I'm back. For food? They'll be available in the microwave, or you can fix yourself something if you can."

Jared nodded. "Thank you so much, Arielle."

"Yeah," I mumbled and walked away.

*********

Later that night, after I returned from work and everyone had settled in, I found myself agonizing over where Jared should sleep. The room I assigned to him earlier was not a bedroom, more like a cloakroom, with barely enough space for his suitcases. "Mom, I need your help," I said, seeking her opinion as we sat on the couch in the living room, flipping through a magazine.

My mom raised an eyebrow, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Decided you can't handle him after all?" She teased, her voice filled with sarcasm.

I rolled my eyes, feeling heat rush to my cheeks. "That's not it. I just... what room should I assign him to?" I asked, exasperation crawling into my tone.

My mom's knowing glance made me squirm, as if she could see right through me. "I told you so," it seemed to scream.

"I can't just leave him in the cloakroom," I argued, trying to justify my concern.

"Why not? It's better than giving him your bed," she said, her voice dripping a subtle hint.

Heat flooded my face. "That's not what I meant!"

Just then, Jared walked into the room with Maverick. They took a seat, on the couch a few meters away from us, engrossed in whatever conversation they were having.

"Do you think he's going to take Mavericks' attention away from me completely?" I asked Mom, eyeing the two males.

She snorted. "Not a chance."

I nodded, stealing glances at them.

"That reminds me, I'll be leaving on a trip again," Mom announced, her voice raised now.

I frowned, surprised. "Already?"

"Yes, at least you two will have some space," she added with a sly smile.

I flushed with embarrassment, wondering what had come over her. And then I tried to steal a glance at Jared to see if he heard us, because mum was a little too loud.

But to my chagrin, he did seem to have heard us because he appeared equally flustered, a faint blush crawling to his neck.

"Mum -" I hissed, returning my gaze to her. "There's nothing between us," I whispered.

"Of course, I know," she said, grinning. She seemed to be enjoying herself by teasing me.

"It's purely strategic," I added.

Just as the tension thickened, and I was going to wish for the earth to swallow me, Maverick came to my rescue, making a request as usual.

"Mom, can I sleep with Daddy tonight?" He asked, his expression expectant.

I hesitated, clearly not expecting the request. But the sight of his hopeful face made me have second thought.

"Alright, but you'll have to sleep in the guest room close to yours because your bed can't contain you two."

Maverick leaped up in excitement, his smile lighting up the room and my mood. "Thank you, Mommy!"

He bounded toward Jared, his excitement infectious, and I couldn't help but smile. At least I didn't have to wrestle with where Jared would sleep anymore-it seemed Maverick had made the decision for me. "Dad, I get to sleep with you!" he announced, racing back to Jared.

"That's great, buddy," Jared said, effortlessly scooping him up.

I watched them for a moment, feeling a warmth in my heart. The scene before me was one of pure happiness.

And so the next few minutes were spent with me conversing with Mom, while Maverick chattered excitedly with Jared. It was like we'd done a gender separation.

Mom and I discussed everything from work to her upcoming trip.

"I'll be back in a few days," she said.

"Take care of yourself," I replied, though my mind kept drifting back to the father-son duo in the guest room.

Soon it was bedtime, and everyone retired to their rooms. With Maverick set to sleep with Jared, there was no need for my usual nighttime routine of tucking him in. Still, as I slipped into my nightgown, my maternal instincts flared. I wanted to check on him-just to be sure he was okay.

Throwing on a robe, I padded down the hallway. As I neared the guest room, soft laughter filtered through the door, their voices low and intimate.

I paused, leaning against the frame to listen.

"No, Dad, I will be a superhero." Maverick declared, his tone stubborn yet playful.

"Well," Jared replied, his voice warm with amusement, "you'll need superpowers for that. Start with eating more carrots."

Maverick's giggle followed. It was a light, unrestrained sound.

A tiny smile tugged at my lips.

Maybe this arrangement wouldn't be so bad after all. At least not for Maverick.

Then, a pause, and his next words came softer, almost hesitant. "I can't believe I finally have a dad! You're a good dad. I want you to be true..." His voice trailed off into an unintelligible murmur as sleep began to claim him.

I felt my throat tighten, a wave of emotion surging through me. Tears pricked the corners of my eyes, but I held them back.

Peeking through the cracked door, I

caught sight of them. Jared was sitting on the edge of the bed, one arm draped protectively over

Maverick. His hair fell slightly ormet

his brow, his gaze fixed on our son with a tenderness I hadn't seen before. His mouth curled into the gentlest smile-a look that seemed to soften all the sharp edges I associated with him.

At that moment, Jared looked so... human. So utterly at peace.