Chapter 145 CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-FIVE: THE DOTING HUSBAND

Chapter 145 CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-FIVE: THE DOTING HUSBAND

ZARA
Alexander was seated on the couch, his legs crossed as he watched his son act crazy over me. Alex cleared his throat and slammed his cane to the ground.
“What a son!” he groaned, and Aiden finally let go of me to face his father.
“What are you doing here?” I tugged on Aiden’s hand.
I was the reason he was standing in this office, but I had only sent that text prematurely, before I knew why Alexander was sitting in my office in the middle of a workday.
“Why?” Alexander tilted his head. “Can't I pay my daughter-in-law a visit?”
“You can't.” Aiden held me and pulled me behind him. He was using his body to shield me. It was cute; all I wanted to do was pull his cheeks and gush with happiness.
“I have told you not to pester her. She won't step into the shoes you so desperately want her to.” Aiden sounded sexy defending me like that, but when he realised this was useless, how embarrassed was he going to be?
“Aiden, it's not…”
“I got this, Z,” he cut me off before I could explain.
I sighed and threw my head back, rolling my eyes at his actions.
“She is a person of her own. She is not a tool for you to use for the name of the…” He let out a loud sigh.
My fingernails were digging into his side. I smiled and shook my head at Alexander, who was obviously amused by what was going on.
“The text was an overreaction,” I said through gritted teeth, pressing my head onto his shoulder so I didn't have to blow my cover.
“What?”
“Your father was actually being… nice,” I forced myself to say.
Aiden looked between us both as if we were crazy. Alexander’s smile had not faltered for the last minute. I hated the way I felt. If the ground could open up and swallow me, I was sure that would have been a better option than standing between both men like this.
Alexander got out of his chair and stroked the floor with his cane. He cleared his throat and laughed heartily.
“I have never seen my son this way. I have to say, Zara, you do have an… influence on my son.” He leaned into the cane so he was almost in my face. “A good one, might I add.”
I felt heat rise in my cheeks as he stared at me. I was sure I was red in the face and ears. Aiden grabbed my waist and pulled me flush to his side.
“Your father is watching.” I struggled to get out of his grip, but it just tightened.
“Of course, he is,” he said boldly.
Alexander shook his head and turned to his son. “She is a smart one. Maybe even smarter than you. She knows the weight of the crown.” He walked to the door, slowed down, and turned to me.
“Let me allow you, lovebirds, to get to it.”
The room was silent. I was still standing beside Aiden, his hand on my waist. He turned to me and grabbed my shoulders. My lips parted.
“He was nice?” he asked, his brows furrowing. It was lame, like he didn't believe me. I nodded.
“Alexander Knight is not just nice for nothing, Zara. He doesn't want you to be a CEO; he wants a monument he can hang up in the Knight Hall of Fame.”
“I thought so too… but maybe it makes sense for us to give him the benefit of the doubt.” He looked like he was ready to refuse. I held his arm and shook my head. “Don't you think he deserves it?”
He hesitated, like he was thinking things over. I understood. This version of Alexander was not the same one that he grew up knowing; it only made sense that he was reluctant to give in so fast.
“Only because you asked for it,” he finally said.
I pulled him into a hug. I pressed my face into his chest, taking in his scent. “I love your scent,” I murmured into his chest.
He stroked my hair and sighed. I pulled away and touched his face. “Shall we do dinner out tonight?”
“Dinner?”
“I am treating,” I boasted.
“Zara, you don't have to…”
“I want to. I don't want you to forget that you married a rich woman.”
“Okay.” He took a deep breath and kissed the side of my face. “You are right; I did marry a rich woman.”
“Mrs Knight?” Zoey stood by the door. She looked torn between coming in to us hand in hand and turning back.
I gestured to her to speak. She shuffled on her feet and looked at Aiden with a weird expression. “Mr Campbell is here.”
“Ethan?” Aiden froze. I looked up at him; his jaw was tight, and his eyes narrowed. “Let him in,” I said.
The door squeaked closed, and Aiden pulled away. “You are still speaking to him?”
“What?” I walked over to my table and picked up the lipstick. I dragged it over my lips, pretending to be making myself look good for Ethan. “He is my business partner; I can't just ignore him now, can I?”
“I can make him pull out. I will give double of everything he…” He stopped talking when I shot him a glare.
“You wouldn't dare do something like that,” I warned.
The Campbell and Crawford families needed each other. We had been business partners for years. It was nice to mess with Aiden and see his reaction.
“I have to get back to work now, so I'll pick you up for the meeting later.”
The door opened as if on cue, and Ethan stepped in. He looked like he had just had a neat cut, and his face was freshly shaven. The scent of him—oud mixed with sandalwood—filled the entire room.
He smiled when he saw me and then nodded to Aiden. “Good afternoon, Mr Knight. I didn't expect to see you here.”
“Is it weird for me to be in my wife’s office?” he asked.
Aiden was moving, and before I could process what was going on, he was standing by my side. He held my wrists and pulled me closer. I used my hand to stop myself from crashing into his chest.
He tucked my hair behind my ear and kissed my cheek. “If we are being honest, you are the odd one here.”
I nudged his side, but instead, his grip on my waist tightened. He blinked and smiled. “Pick you up after work?”
I nodded, trying my best not to break character for him. He was going all out with his acting; I had to support him. He kissed my lips, biting off the new lipstick layer I had applied.
He wiped his lips as he walked down to the door and threw Ethan the same nod he got earlier.
“Mr Campbell…”
“Mr Campbell?” he cut me off, shock in his voice. “You are being oddly formal.”
“We are business partners, aren't we? It's only normal I address you like this.”
“We have known each other for too long for you to be like this,” he said, lowering himself onto the couch.
“Did you come in here to tell me not to be a stranger?”
He stared at me for a minute before he shook his head. He had a smile stretched on his lips. “You seem happy, Zara.”
I thought about it for a while. I might not be doing what I wanted to do before, but things could change, and I liked where I was right now.
“I am happy.”