~Katherine's POV
I dropped the twins at school that morning, and after watching them walk through the gate with their backpacks bouncing behind them, I drove straight to work. My mind was already busy with many things, but one thought stayed louder than the rest.
Aaron.
The moment I arrived at the office, I went directly to Mathew's office because he had told me the investigator would have an update.
When I walked in, Mathew was already sitting behind his desk, and the moment he saw me, he smiled.
That smile immediately made my heart beat faster.
"Well?" I asked quickly while closing the door behind me.
Mathew leaned back in his chair with a satisfied expression.
"The work has been done," he said.
I blinked in surprise.
"Done?" I repeated.
He nodded calmly.
"Your kids' information has been wiped from the records we talked about. Anyone trying to trace them through the usual systems will hit a dead end."
For a moment, I simply stared at him while the relief slowly settled inside my chest.
Then I stood up and walked around the desk before pulling him into a grateful hug.
"Thank you so much, Mathew," I said sincerely. "You have no idea what this means to me."
He laughed softly and patted my shoulder while looking at me in that calm and reassuring way he always had whenever I was worried about something important.
"It is fine," he replied gently, and his voice carried the kind of confidence that made people feel safe. "You know I have your back always, so you do not have to worry too much about this."
Hearing that made the tight feeling in my chest loosen a little, because the truth was that I had been thinking about this problem for days, and it had been making me restless. I knew how careful I had to be when it came to the twins, and even though I always tried to act strong, there were moments when fear would quietly creep into my mind.
I stepped away from him and smiled again while trying to gather myself.
"Still, thank you," I said sincerely, because I truly meant every word.
Mathew simply waved it off like it was nothing serious, but I knew that what he had done for me was not something small.
After that conversation, I left his office and returned to my own workspace so I could begin the day properly. The morning passed quickly because I had several tasks to handle, and before long, I found myself inside the conference room with a few staff members while we discussed one of the projects that the company had been working on.
The discussion was quite lively, and everyone was sharing ideas while I listened carefully and occasionally added my own thoughts to guide the conversation.
In the middle of the discussion, my phone suddenly buzzed on the table beside me.
The vibration caught my attention immediately, so I paused for a moment and glanced down at the screen.
It was a message from Mathew.
Aaron and his wife are here.
For a brief second, my heart skipped a beat inside my chest as I stared at the words on the screen.
I did not know exactly what I had expected, but seeing that message suddenly made me very aware of the complicated situation surrounding him.
Still, I could not allow my personal thoughts to interrupt the meeting.
So I quickly cleared my throat and brought the discussion to a smooth end while thanking the staff members for their time and reminding them about the tasks we had agreed on.
Once the meeting was over, I gathered my notes and calmly walked out of the conference room before making my way down the hallway toward Mathew's office.
My steps were steady, although my mind was already preparing itself for whatever conversation was about to happen.
When I reached the office door, I knocked lightly before opening it and stepping inside.
The first thing I saw was Mathew sitting behind his desk, and across from him sat Aaron and the woman beside him.
His wife.
I straightened my posture slightly while walking further into the room because I wanted to maintain a professional appearance, no matter how complicated things felt inside my mind.
"Good morning," I said politely while greeting both of them with a calm expression.
Mathew then cleared his throat lightly, as if he wanted to guide the conversation in the right direction.
"Katherine," he said while glancing at me, "please lead Mr. Aaron and his wife to your office so you can answer some of their questions."
I nodded calmly while accepting the instruction.
"Of course."
I turned calmly and began walking toward the hallway, and both of them followed behind me while the quiet sound of our footsteps echoed lightly on the polished floor. I tried to keep my expression neutral because I did not want to show the tension building slowly inside me, although my mind was already wondering what exactly Aaron planned to ask.
After a short walk, we finally reached my office, and I opened the door before stepping aside so they could walk in first.
Once inside, I moved toward my desk while gesturing politely toward the seats placed across from it.
"Please have a seat," I said calmly.
They both sat down, and after they settled in their chairs, I walked around the desk and took my own seat as well. Then I folded my hands lightly on the table while offering them a small professional smile, because I wanted the conversation to remain strictly business.
"Please go ahead and direct any questions you have to me," I said politely.
For a few seconds, the room remained strangely quiet.
Neither of them spoke, and the silence stretched longer than I expected. I could feel the tension slowly building in the room, and although I tried to remain calm, the quiet began to make me slightly uncomfortable.
So I decided to speak again.
"Is there something specific you would like clarification on?" I asked gently.
Just as Aaron seemed ready to open his mouth, Amanda suddenly leaned forward slightly and began speaking.
"I just want to say something first," she said while smiling softly.
Her voice sounded sweet and pleasant, yet there was something underneath it that felt deliberate.
"I love my husband very much," she continued while briefly glancing toward Aaron. "And I always support everything he wants to do."
The way she spoke made the meaning behind her words quite clear, because it sounded less like a casual statement and more like she was quietly declaring her position.
Almost as if she wanted to remind everyone in the room who Aaron belonged to.
I kept my expression polite and composed, although I clearly understood the message she was trying to deliver.
"That is very nice," I replied calmly while maintaining my small smile. "And I am also ready to support both of you so that you can get exactly what you want from this partnership."
Amanda nodded slowly as if she was satisfied with my response.
At that moment, her phone suddenly rang on the table.