“Are you feeling bad for me?” Raven questioned, noticing her gaze fixed on his wound. The earlier punch from her felt like an ant bite, barely noticeable, but seeing her regretful expression, he wanted to tease her.

He hissed when she applied a bit of pressure to a spot near the cut. Siren’s eyes widened, and she quickly withdrew her hand like a child who touched fire. Raven suppressed his chuckle, lowering his head to hide his smile.

“I’m sorry for hitting you before. I didn’t know you were hurt,” Siren apologized, her gaze lingering on the gauze.

“It does hurt a little,” he said, placing his hand over the wounded area with exaggerated pain.

“I’ll go get painkillers from Alfred,” Siren said, standing up from the bed. Before she could move, Raven tugged her hand, causing her upper body to fall onto him. Their faces were so close she could feel his hot breath.

“I know a better medicine than painkillers,” Raven said, his voice deep and husky. His gaze fell on her soft, pink lips.

Siren blinked and stayed still as his lips drew closer. Her pupils dilated, and she clutched his hand, closing her eyes. Just as Raven’s lips were about to touch hers, their bedroom door slammed open. There stood Aiden, dragging his blanket and rubbing his sleepy eyes.

Siren pushed Raven back and stood up from the bed. Raven clicked his tongue and murmured, “Talking about timing.”

She walked towards Aiden and asked, “Can’t sleep?”

Aiden nodded and raised his hands for a hug. Siren lifted him, strolled towards the bed, and placed him near Raven. She then looked at Raven, “I’ll go get the painkillers.”

He nodded, and Siren exited the bedroom. Turning to his son, he asked, “What happened?”

Aiden didn’t answer his father’s question. Instead, his eyes fell on the gauze. “You’re injured.”

“Nothing big,” Raven replied nonchalantly.

Aiden poked the wound with his little finger and asked,“Then why did Mom go to get painkillers?”

Raven smirked. Sharing the same genes, Aiden immediately understood his father.

“You tricked Mom,” he accused.

“Well, she did fall for it,” Raven replied with a sly grin.

“I’m going to tell Mother,” Aiden informed him, narrowing his eyes.

“Go ahead. I’ll tell her how your sweet little hands held a gun instead of candy. Had fun at the club?” Raven raised his eyebrows at his son.

Aiden huffed and settled himself between Raven and Siren’s sides of the bed.

Siren entered the room with a glass of water and painkillers in hand. Raven didn’t object and took the tablets with a sip of water. After tucking Aiden in with a blanket, she lay down on the bed. The room went dark, and Aiden turned to bury himself in Siren’s arms.

She hugged him in return, and soon both of them fell into a deep slumber. Raven, on the other hand, looked at the sleeping figures for a moment before slowly lifting his hand to caress his son’s hair.

He recalled today's events.

Shortly after entering his office, his assistant Ian informed him about the series of meetings he had to attend due to his recent absence. By afternoon, Raven and Ian headed to a meeting at a nearby hotel.

The meeting was an official business to discuss a property exchange he had been eyeing from a client. This client was a renowned real estate businessman from France, and the discussion was originally scheduled before the wedding. However, his dealings with the underground caused the meeting to be postponed. 

Fairly speaking, his presence wasn't necessary for today's meeting, but the other party insisted on him being there. Raven sensed something fishy in the request, so he decided to attend personally, despite Ian and Hardin's objections.

"Ce fut un plaisir de faire des affaires avec vous, Mr. Grey."

The man shook his hands with Raven.

"Tout le plaisir est pour moi", Raven replied with a smooth, thick French accent rolling off his tongue.

The deal was successfully finalized, and they signed the documents for the property exchange. As Raven retrieved the document from the man, a knife suddenly pierced the file and came dangerously close to his face.

 Raven effortlessly caught the man's hand and twisted it, causing the man to scream in pain.

Ian's eyes widened, and he immediately called the bodyguards outside. By the time Raven's men rushed inside, a fight had already broken out between the other party and their boss. Raven delivered a strong kick to the man wielding the knife, sending him flying and crashing into nearby tables. 

The commotion alerted the people in the hotel, but entry to the room was restricted as it was a VIP lounge. They could only hear the sounds of punches and the frequent crashing and shattering of glass and plates.

Ian squatted under the table, marveling at his boss's fighting skills. Suddenly, a loud thud hit the top of the table he was hiding under, followed by a man's painful groan. He felt something wet on his back and turned to see that a cup of coffee had broken during the fight and was now dripping onto his suit. 

He scrunched his nose in disgust and irritably adjusted his glasses.

The hotel management had already informed the police, and when they arrived, Raven's bodyguards had captured the other party's men, including the one who had sealed the deal with their boss. The head of the police noticed Raven's bleeding chest and immediately offered assistance to get him to a hospital. 

Raven refused and nonchalantly glanced at the man who had been handcuffed by the police. Without any other words he left the place with Ian and his bodyguards.

Hardin had conducted a thorough background check on the man and sent over the details of the mastermind behind him. Raven had already had his guess but now it is confirmed.

He smirked, a dark glint passed across his eyes, relishing the thought of dealing with his prey, but not yet. 

There was no thrill in taking down a defenseless target. The real pleasure lay in the chase, in making the prey feel the heat of fear and the rush of adrenaline. He wanted to hunt them down in a game of cat and mouse, to see their blood run hot with terror, their desperation palpable. 

Only then would they become truly alluring, their vulnerability making them all the more delectable and enticing.

He glanced to the side where two more tablets lay beside a glass of water. A small smile graced his lips. The day he brought this woman into his life as his wife, he promised his son and himself that he would protect her from any danger. Seeing his son genuinely happy for the first time in a long while, he was determined to never let that smile falter.

Despite Aiden voicing his thoughts, Raven knew his past had always been a thorn in his son's heart. But everything changed when Siren entered their lives. He remembered the day his son came home, bursting into his office with excitement about a woman biker he had seen on the road. 

Raven sensed the admiration in Aiden’s eyes, which eventually grew into respect and love.

From that day, he kept a watchful eye on her. When he finally gathered detailed background information on Siren, he hesitated at first, firmly against the idea of making her Aiden’s mother. But when she stormed into the Grey mansion in a desperate search for Aiden when he went missing, he realized she was the best choice he could ever make.

The world he treaded was one of guns and deception. If he ever disappeared from that world one day, he wanted his son in the safest hands, surrounded by a family that would love and care for him. The woman who is now sleeping with his son in her arms was capable of providing that.

Even though she had her own demons lurking in darkness, he knew she would never let those shadows come near his son. 

And in that, he trusted her blindly.