Page 31 of The Cinderella Secret
“And he thinks they’re necessary in the courthouse?” asked Aiden, and Ella knew that this time her irritation showed on her face.
“He thinks they’re necessary everywhere. He’s a very caring uncle.”
“Then why did they leave?”
“Am I on the witness stand? How are my security arrangements any of your business?”
He took a half-step back and added another one of his smiles. “They’re not. He’s right. Better safe than sorry.”
Ella felt as if Aiden had very carefully put the kid gloves back on.
“Mr. Deveraux,” said Ella, startled into blurting out her real thoughts. “Are you not trying your best?”
“What?” He looked surprised.
“Have you been treating me differently because I’m a woman?” she asked, her eyes narrowing.
“What? No?” he looked uncertain and Ella felt the thrill of having him on the ropes for a change.
“Do not insult me by giving me less than your best,” she said, deciding that she actually did feel insulted and more than a little bit worried. Because if this was his B game then she was in some seriously deep shit.
“Ms. Zhao,” said Aiden leaning in, and Ella was suddenly very aware of what a very perfect mouth he had. “Trust me, you are getting the varsity team.”
Ella realized that she had worked herself into a very awkward and somehow intimate conversation with her opposing counsel and she had no idea how to get out of it. She also realized how good, and also somehow familiar, he smelled and that made her feel very confused.
Ella’s phone rang and she glanced down and saw that it was her cousin. Ella hesitated. She really didn’t want to take a call from a teenager in front of Aiden. How was she supposed to look cool while doing that?
“Are you going to answer that?” asked Aiden when she let the phone ring. He was so cocky, and she longed to wipe the smug off his face.
“With you standing right here? That would seem unwise.”
“And yet you let it ring. Not worried about being annoying?”
The phone stopped ringing and Ella breathed a sigh of relief.
“Why would I worry about annoying you?” asked Ella, trying to look as arrogant as he was.
He stopped and she couldn’t tell if he was truly pondering the question or if he was astounded by her rudeness.
“I actually can’t think of a reason,” he said.
Then a text popped through and Ella glanced down at the message.
Emergency. Calling.
“Well, keep thinking,” said Ella, moving away from the cluster of lawyers, answering her phone this time when it rang.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“I need you to come get me and I need you to not be mad.” Lilly’s voice was tense and urgent.
“Chún?”asked Ella, switching to Mandarin, hoping that no one on Aiden’s team understood the Chinese dialect. Ella glanced over her shoulder and moved further away from the crowd of Bai’s lawyers and the Deveraux team.
“Yeah, OK, fine, alcohol,” said Lilly, sticking to English and sounding both sarcastic and scared. “I will totally cop to half a bottle of hard lemonade, but I need help.”
Ella managed to separate herself from both sets of lawyers, but kept her voice low as she slung her bags over her shoulder.
“OK, where are you?”
