Sweet Love 2x: Miss Ruthless CEO for our Superstar Uncle

Chapter 422: Special Guests

Franz had been on edge ever since Aunt Estella mentioned the dinner guest.

The CEO of Mythos Group. Arianne’s good friend. The words had lodged themselves in Franz’s mind like splinters, and he couldn’t seem to work them free.

He wasn’t the jealous type. He never had been. He had watched Arianne walk through boardrooms full of men who wanted her attention, had stood beside her at galas and press conferences where powerful people angled for her favor, and he had never once felt threatened. She had chosen him. She had married him. She had given him a son. Those were facts, solid and unshakeable.

But this CEO was someone she had never mentioned. Not to him. Not to the brotherhood. Not to anyone, as far as he could tell. Five years she had lived in this city, and she had built a connection with one of the most powerful investment groups in the world, and she had kept it entirely to herself.

He wondered if Alex had known. He shook his head. Alex would have told him. Even if it was just a complaint about too much work, or a passing mention at a family dinner, Alex would have said something. Alex had been incapable of keeping secrets from the people he loved: except, apparently, when it came to Arianne’s whereabouts during those five years.

The twins had been informed about the guest and were taking the news with their usual enthusiasm. Lily had changed into her second-favorite dress: the first was reserved for special occasions, and she had decided this qualified. Leo had combed his hair and was sitting on the couch with the whale in his lap, his dark eyes fixed on the door.

"Who is he?" Lily asked, adjusting her collar for the third time. "The guest. Is he famous like Uncle Franz?"

"He’s not famous," Aunt Estella said from the kitchen, where she was putting the finishing touches on dinner. "He’s Arianne’s good friend. From when she lived here."

"Is he a nice man?"

Aunt Estella paused, considering the question. "He might look intimidating. And he speaks very directly: some people find it crude. But he’s a good man. He protected Arianne when others tried to hurt her."

Franz’s attention sharpened. "Protected her from what?"

But Aunt Estella was already turning back to the stove. "You should ask her. It’s not my story to tell."

Franz said nothing. He ran his fingers through his hair: a nervous habit he’d never been able to break, and tried to calm the irrational churning in his chest. Arianne had married him. She had given him a son. She wouldn’t cheat on him. She wouldn’t entertain another man behind his back. He was being ridiculous. He was eating vinegar over a man he hadn’t even met.

He shook his head and went to check on Lexx.

Lexx was asleep in the bassinet, one tiny fist pressed to his cheek. Franz stood over him for a long moment, watching his chest rise and fall. Something about the steadiness of it helped.

Arianne returned earlier than usual.

She came through the door just as the sun was setting, her bag slung over her shoulder, her expression carrying the particular tiredness of someone who had spent the day in negotiations. Lily and Leo met her at the door with their usual barrage of questions.

"Who’s the guest? Is he nice? How do you know him? Aunt Estella said he protected you. Protected you from what? Why didn’t you tell us about him before?"

"Slow down," Arianne said, fielding the questions with practiced patience. "His name is Harvey. I’ve known him since business school. He’s a good man. You’ll meet him soon."

She didn’t elaborate. She crossed to Franz and kissed him: a brief press of lips, then kissed Lexx on the forehead. "I need a shower. I’ll be out before they arrive."

"They?" Franz asked.

"Harvey and Angelika. She’s his assistant now, apparently."

"Angelika Sinclair?"

"Yes. It’s a long story. I’ll explain later."

She disappeared into the bedroom before he could ask anything else.

The clock on the wall moved toward seven. Leo had not taken his eyes off the door in the last twenty minutes. Lily had adjusted her collar six times.

The knock came at seven o’clock precisely.

Aunt Estella opened the door. Franz heard voices in the entryway: Aunt Estella’s warm greeting, a man’s low response, a woman’s softer tone. He straightened in his seat, his hands resting on his knees.

Arianne had changed into a comfortable house dress, her hair damp from the shower. She was holding Lexx against her shoulder, the baby awake and blinking at the ceiling. She didn’t look nervous. She looked mildly inconvenienced, as if the dinner was something she was tolerating rather than anticipating.

The guests rounded the corner.

The man was tall. Broad-shouldered, with the kind of muscular build that came from discipline rather than vanity. Tattoos covered his hands and wrists, disappearing into the sleeves of his dark shirt and reemerging at his collar. His eyes were sharp and dark, his jaw strong, his features handsome in a way that was almost dangerous. He looked like someone who had walked out of a film: not the romantic lead, but the antihero. The one women swooned over despite knowing better.

Franz had been in the entertainment industry too long not to recognize the type.

Beside him stood Angelika Sinclair. She looked different than she had in Montclair: more assured, more settled. Her hair was shorter, her posture straighter. She was wearing a simple dress and carrying a small gift bag. When she saw Arianne, she inclined her head in a gesture that was almost deferential.

Franz glanced at Arianne. She was frowning at Harvey as if his presence was a minor inconvenience she hadn’t agreed to. Then she gave Angelika a curt nod.

The frown, more than anything else, loosened the knot in Franz’s chest. That was not the face of a woman greeting a secret lover. That was the face of a woman greeting an annoying brother.

He released a breath he hadn’t known he was holding. He stood, moving to Arianne’s side, and waited.