Falling For My Accidental CEO Husband
Chapter 174: The Walk Of Shame

Chapter 174: The Walk Of Shame

"You really are planning to do the walk of shame in the morning, aren’t you?" she teased, her tone laced with playful challenge as she leaned back, crossing her arms.

Aiden grinned, a faint smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth, and gave her cheek a light, affectionate pat before growling," It’s been difficult to stay away as it is. Don’t remind me I have to go, okay?" And then he placed a thick stack of files in front of her. "This," he said, tapping the files meaningfully, "is what you’ve uncovered so far. And this," he added, sliding an additional folder toward her, "is what I’ve found."

She raised an eyebrow, but without even glancing down, she replied smoothly, "We both know Corrick’s the prime suspect. He’s clearly pulling the strings, especially with Matthew and Daniel—your notes confirmed he’s got both uncles dancing to his tune. Then there’s the Vancity connection—only someone as high-ranking as the governor could make an entire case file just disappear. And, of course, there’s his personal vendetta against my grandmother. He blames her for what happened to her sister."

Aiden leaned back thoughtfully, shaking his head. "You’re not wrong," he began, his voice low and measured. "Corrick’s influence is undeniable, and the Vancity link fits too neatly to be a coincidence. But here’s the thing: Edwina Dawn wouldn’t have allowed Corrick to hover around Matthew and Daniel if she’d felt truly threatened. From what I’ve pieced together, she was more of a mother figure to them than anyone else ever was—someone they genuinely looked up to. And that earned her Corrick’s begrudging tolerance, at least on the surface."

He watched her expression shift, processing the information, and added, "Corrick might have been lurking in the background, but Edwina was confident enough to believe she could handle him. If there was real danger, she’d have acted to keep herself safe. Instead, Corrick kept his distance, not out of respect but maybe because he knew she could dismantle his plans in an instant if she sensed a threat."

"But if it’s not Corrick, then we’re back to square one," she said with frustration. "What was the point then of us separating and pretending to be ’haters’.

Aiden shook his head. "There’s more to this. Another person who’s connected." He paused, watching her closely. "Price."

Serena frowned. "Sidney?"

Aiden shook his head. "No... not Sidney. His father. Old man Price. He worked with Nvida Corrick before Edwina took over, and from what I found, he had a close relationship with her—there were even rumors about how close. But when Edwina took over, everything stayed the same for him, like nothing had ever gone beyond business. He just kept operating, business as usual."

Serena processed this, her eyes narrowing. "So, he goes from deep ties with Nvida to playing nice with Edwina without a hitch? That doesn’t add up."

"Exactly. It was too smooth. For a guy as entrenched as he was, Price should have raised hell, at least on some level. But he didn’t. Instead, he slid into line, all smiles. It’s almost as if he was never really on Nvida’s side."

"You’re saying he’s been playing both sides this whole time?" she asked, her voice sharp and then she shook her head as she thought of Sidney," Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it?"

Aiden smiled at the comment. "I think he never cut ties with Nvidia’s old guard. And if he felt Edwina’s leadership didn’t align with his interests... he’d do whatever it took to keep control of the company from the shadows."

She leaned forward, a new thought clicking into place. "So, he’s been propping up Corrick, letting him take the fall while he runs things quietly in the background."

"That’s the idea," Aiden said. "Old man Price is connected to everyone important, and he’s stayed under the radar all these years. But his loyalty was never with Edwina—it was with Nvida. He’s had the time and power to play the long game. If we’re going to stop him, we need to dig up every connection he’s buried."

Serena set her jaw. "Then we’ll need more than just files to get to him. If he’s been orchestrating this from the start, we’re going to have to go deeper, find what he’s kept hidden. No wonder, Sidney was quite confident that the killer might attack you. He knows it is his father."

Aiden shook his head," He was probably bluffing. Also, Old man Price is also just a suspect for now."

With a sigh, Serena fell back onto the bed, her arms stretched out as she gazed at the ceiling, a hint of frustration mingling with amusement. She gave the empty side of the bed a pat, gesturing for Aiden to join her.

"You know," she began, rolling her head to look at him, "after our first time together, we should be snuggling, tangled up in each other, just... enjoying the moment. But instead, here we are, playing ’Guess the Killer’ like a couple of detectives at a crime scene."

Aiden chuckled, sliding closer until he could wrap an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in until her head rested comfortably on his chest. He brushed his nose against hers in a playful nuzzle. "I’m fine with us not being cuddly our first time if it means we can do this forever. And for that, we have to play this game and win."

Serena let out a soft snort. "What ’forever’?" She tilted her head back, meeting his gaze with a teasing smile. "Aiden Hawk, we’ll probably be divorced in six months, and you know it."

Aiden raised an eyebrow, clearly unfazed. "Then we’ll just get married again. No big deal."

"Oh, really? You’re that sure of yourself?" Serena raised an eyebrow, her tone playful but challenging. "What if I decide I’m done with you? No more marriage, no more mysteries. After all," she added with a mischievous smile, "I’ve already tried out the goods..."

Aiden chuckled, his eyes lighting up as he rolled over, pinning her beneath him with effortless ease. "You think you can escape me that easily?" he murmured, his voice low and teasing. "I’d kidnap you first. Make sure you couldn’t get away until we were married all over again. Then I’d keep you under lock and key."

She rolled her eyes, smirking as her fingers traced idle patterns on his shoulder. "If you were so determined to keep me," she said, her voice soft but pointed, "then why did you insist I submit the divorce papers in the first place? I thought you were using Sidney’s threat as a convenient excuse to get rid of me."

Aiden’s gaze softened, though his grip on her waist tightened, keeping her close. "The only reason I pushed you to go through with it was because of him. Sidney’s clever; he’d have been suspicious if I hadn’t played along. He needed to see us falling apart."

Serena sighed, fingers drifting down to the buttons on his shirt as she absently traced over them, her brows knitting together. "I get it. I know why you did it, logically... but it still amazes me how you anticipated every move he’d make."

Aiden glanced down, exhaling as he placed a gentle hand over hers, his expression turning serious. "I knew his moves," he said quietly, "because I would’ve done the same if it meant keeping you. If I’d seen someone else close to you, someone who had your attention when I wanted it for myself, I’d have made sure they were out of the way. Sidney knew the only way he could separate us was through misunderstandings or threats. Threatening me, then creating those misunderstandings... that was his best play."

Serena looked up at him, her fingers drifting lower, one by one popping open his shirt buttons as she fixed him with a knowing smile. "Well, aren’t you the expert on betrayal and manipulation," she teased, a glint of amusement in her eyes.

Aiden’s gaze sharpened, but he couldn’t hide his smile. "Serena..." he warned, catching her hand just as she reached the next button.

She batted her lashes at him, feigning innocence. "Aiden..."

He laughed, shaking his head, his fingers lingering on hers as if debating whether he should stay. But he glanced toward the window, noticing the evening light dimming and the faint noise of guests murmuring as they prepared to leave. "I need to go, Serena. The party is about to end..."

Her face softened, her grip on his shirt tightening as she whispered, "I don’t want you to go."

For a brief, tender moment, he hesitated, studying her with an intensity that was hard to ignore. Then, with a sigh, he leaned down, capturing her lips in a kiss that was both gentle and urgent, a silent promise lingering in the touch.

He pulled back all too soon, his forehead resting against hers as he whispered, "Soon, Serena. Once this is all over... I’ll be yours, for as long as you’ll have me."