Page 42 of The Cinderella Secret
“Well, generally, I don’t mind,” said Ella. “The only problem is that this time, I may not be able to. Aiden Deveraux is good. He’s really, really good.”
“Yes, I understand. That’s why you like him.”
“No,” said Ella, firmly. “That’s why I hate him.”
Nai Nai shook her head. “Time to go home. Your aunt says we’re going to a party.”
16
Aiden – Cousins & Kindness
Aiden ran his hand through his hair and scanned the room. Jackson had convinced him to come to the stupid party based entirely on the fact that the Zhao’s would be here and if he didn’t show up it would show weakness. Jackson was right, but it didn’t cover the hours that he was missing in prep for his next court appearance. He looked around the room again. None of his relatives were looking his direction. He thought he’d been seen enough. Everyone could go jump in a lake if they didn’t like it. He made a break for the back elevators.
Ella Zhao was kicking his ass up and down the courtroom. Which was remarkable for someone that petite. He hadn’t burned this much midnight oil since college. He also hadn’t spent this much time fantasizing about a woman since he’d discovered girls. Ella Zhao had dropped into his consciousness with the force of an atom bomb. Her dark eyes, curves, and fuck-me pump collection were torturing him on a daily basis. Nightly too, for that matter. He couldn’t decide which was worse, the days he saw her in court or the days he didn’t. At least when they weren’t together, he could pretend that she might like him. When they were in court, she made it perfectly clear that she found him underwhelming at best.
But his fantasies had all been upended by the stupid fight in Jersey. What had she been doing there? She couldn’t know about him. If she knew about Number Nine, then why hadn’t she approached him? It was the perfect blackmail material. If she knew, then she was waiting for the most painful moment. And if she didn’t know, if she really was just the kind of person who went to illegal fights… His train of thought stopped there. He had always believed that facing someone in court gave insight into a lawyer’s personality—it was like sparring—he could tell what kind of person someone was by how they fought. Ella was logical, aggressive, and above all, fair. She hadn’t pulled in any of Randall and Owen’s shit. She wasn’t trading on the grime of the Deveraux family—she was fighting with the law. That just didn’t seem like someone who liked the blood and filth of illegal fighting. So what the hell had she been doing there?
He rounded the corner to the service elevators and came face-to-face with Ella Zhao, clutching a mostly unconscious teenage girl. They stared at each other. What was he supposed to do?
“Keep walking,” said Ella.
Aiden recognized the girl from Jackson’s dossier’s as Ella’s younger cousin. The teenager chose that moment to thrash and Ella nearly dropped her. He took an urgent step forward intending to help, but she glared at him.
“I have this,” she said.
“She’s taller than you,” he pointed out.
“Who isn’t?” she snapped.
The teenager thrashed again, and Aiden decided he couldn’t watch the slow-motion crash that was coming.
“Would you just let me help?” he demanded, reaching for the girl.
“No!” Ella exclaimed.
The girl chose that moment to try to stand up and then promptly fell into Aiden. There was a ding as the elevator door opened.
“Right,” he said. “I’m taking her in here. You can come along if you want.” Ella made an angry noise but gave up as he hefted the teenager into the elevator. Ella followed, collecting a dropped shoe and a purse.
“Hey!” demanded the teenager looking up at him angrily. “Who’re you?”
“Uh…” He looked at Ella, whose expression told him that this was his problem. “I’m Aiden. I’m a friend of your cousin’s.”
“My cousin Ella? Isn’t she the bessht?”
“Yes,” he said, trying to restrain his laughter.
“Lilly,” said the girl, patting her chest.
“Hi, Lilly,” he said. “Did you enjoy the peppermint schnapps?”
“I did! How did you know?”
“Everyone in a ten-foot radius knows,” muttered Ella.
“Where’s Ella? There’s Ella. I love you, Ella.”
“I love you too, Lilly,” said Ella, looking as if she was nearing the last straw.
