~Aaron's POV
I did not respond to her greeting, and instead, I simply continued walking slowly across the living room while trying to ignore her presence. My mind was still full of the thoughts from earlier, and I did not have the energy or the patience to deal with Amanda at that moment.
She placed the shopping bags on the table one after another, and the sound of the paper rustling filled the quiet room for a few seconds. After that, she slowly walked toward me until she was standing behind me, and I could feel her eyes on my back as if she was carefully studying my mood.
For a short moment she remained silent, and it seemed like she was deciding whether to speak or not.
Then she finally broke the silence.
"Aaron, what is the problem?" she asked calmly, and her voice sounded curious rather than concerned. "I noticed your mood when you saw that Katherine lady yesterday. Do you know who she is?"
The moment I heard that name from her mouth, my steps stopped immediately.
I slowly turned around and looked at her.
There was something in her expression that made my patience disappear almost instantly, because the small smile on her face looked like she already knew more than she was pretending to know.
I stared at her with clear annoyance while folding my arms across my chest.
"It was clearly written in our contract," I said coldly, "that we do not interfere with each other's personal lives."
Amanda did not look offended by my tone, and instead she leaned slightly against the table as if she was completely comfortable with the tension in the room.
"Our arrangement was very clear from the beginning," I continued firmly. "We live our lives separately, and we respect each other's privacy without asking unnecessary questions."
I paused for a moment while watching her reaction carefully.
"So if you already know her name," I added slowly, "then you should also know that whatever connection she has to me is none of your business."
Amanda scoffed immediately after hearing my words, and the sound carried a clear hint of mockery.
"That is interesting," she said while crossing her arms slowly. "Because whether you like it or not, I am still your wife on paper."
Her voice remained calm, but there was a sharp edge hiding inside it.
"So at the very least," she continued, "you should show me some respect just like I am doing for you. Try and communicate with me like I'm your wife."
I looked at her for a moment, and then a small smirk appeared on my face.
"Respect?" I repeated slowly.
My eyes moved toward the shopping bags she had just dropped on the table, and I let out a short dry laugh.
"You are doing a wonderful job showing respect," I said sarcastically. "Especially by gallivanting around the city and going on another shopping spree."
Amanda's expression hardened slightly, but I did not stop.
"You were supposed to be with me at the company today," I continued coldly. "That was part of the arrangement we both agreed to."
She opened her mouth as if she wanted to argue, but I raised my hand slightly to stop her.
"If you truly want to get what you asked for in the end," I said firmly, "then you should keep to your part of the bargain."
My patience had already run out by that point.
"So stop acting like a fool and do what you are supposed to do."
Amanda's face immediately turned red with anger after hearing that word.
Before she could say anything else, I turned around and walked away from the living room.
"Aaron!" she shouted behind me.
I could hear her heels hitting the floor quickly as if she wanted to follow me, but I did not stop walking.
"Aaron, come back here!" she yelled again.
I ignored her completely. I walked straight down the hallway, entered my room, and then shut the door firmly before locking it. The moment the door clicked shut, the house finally became quiet again, and the silence felt heavy around me.
I walked toward the window and stood there for a moment while running a hand through my hair. Outside the city lights were glowing in the distance, and cars moved slowly along the road below, but none of that helped calm my thoughts.
Even in the silence of my room, my mind refused to rest.
Because my thoughts kept returning to the same thing.
The twins.
I leaned back against the wall while staring at the ceiling, and I tried to organize the many questions running through my head, but nothing felt clear.
The truth was that I did not even know their names.
That realization made the strange feeling in my chest grow even stronger, and it also made me feel strangely restless.
Two children who might possibly be mine, and yet I knew absolutely nothing about them.
I did not know their names, or even the kind of life they were living.
I slowly walked toward my desk and sat down while thinking carefully about everything that had happened earlier that day.
Something about the entire situation did not make sense.
If those children truly had nothing to do with me, then why did they look so much like me?
That question refused to leave my mind.
The more I thought about it, the more details began to appear in my memory.
Finally I reached for my phone.
If I wanted answers, then the only way to get them was to start searching for the truth.
I dialed a number that I rarely used unless something important required investigation.
The phone rang twice before someone answered.
"Good evening, Chairman Aaron," the man's voice said respectfully from the other side of the line. "What can I do for you?"
I leaned back in my chair and spoke in a calm but serious tone while staring at the empty desk in front of me.
"I need information on someone," I said.
"Yes, Chairman Aaron," the man replied immediately, and I could hear the sound of him typing something on his computer.
"Katherine Prescott," I continued slowly. "I want everything you can find about her life for the past five years."
There was a brief pause on the line, and it sounded like he was writing the name down carefully before responding again.
"Understood, Chairman," he said respectfully.
I looked down at the desk while thinking about the twins again, and their faces appeared clearly in my mind.
"And there is something else," I added after a moment.
"Yes, Chairman?" the man replied quickly.
"I want information about the two children that live with her, her kids," I said firmly. "Find out their names, their school, and anything else you can get."
The man paused again for a moment before answering.
"Understood, Chairman. I will begin the search immediately."
My voice became slightly colder as I finished the instruction.
"And I want those details as soon as possible," I said, making it clear that this request was important.
"Yes, Chairman," he replied. "You will have the report soon."