<h4>Chapter 436: Dinner With In-Laws</h4>


    Aaron entered the drawing room of the Hartz mansion, where the Hartz couple was present to wee him.


    "Wee to the Hartz residence, Aiden," Grace’s mother said, smiling at him pleasantly.


    Aaron simply hummed in response, and then Colin Hartz stepped forward to shake hands with him. The two men greeted each other, Aaron’s demeanor remaining cold andposed.


    "Have a seat, Aiden," Colin said, as the two men settled on the sofa.


    As her parents sat next to each other, Grace quickly sat beside Aaron, seizing the chance to finally be close to him. She couldn’t even remember being this near to him before—not enough to know what kind of perfume he used.


    But then, she heard him.


    "Would you shift a little away?"


    <i>Huh?</i> Grace looked at him in confusion, only to hear him again.


    "I like to have space around me to befortable. Otherwise, I feel suffocated."


    Grace gritted her teeth but kept her calm at her mother’s signal and moved a little away from him.


    "More," Aaron said.


    "I’m your wife, in case you’re forgetting," she finally snapped. "We got married just yesterday."


    "Not even twenty-four hours yet. So, we’re strangers," he said resolutely. "I take time to getfortable with strangers."


    Grace frowned and moved to the far corner of the sofa, ring at him.


    Colin Hartz was not pleased to see this, but his wife gestured for him to stay quiet.


    "Aiden, we’ve prepared a nice dinner for you," Grace’s mother said. "I hope you like it. It’s your first time here, but treat it as your own home."


    Aaron simply hummed in response.


    "I’ll go check on the arrangements. In the meantime, you can talk with Colin," she added, then turned to Grace. "You cane with me as well."


    Grace went with her mother, leaving the two men alone to talk about business.


    As they walked away, Grace said angrily, "Mom, did you see how he treats me? This is our home—can you imagine how he treats me in his home, in front of his family?"


    "I saw," her mother said. "But don’t worry. I have a solution. Starting tomorrow morning, he won’t be the same."


    "What do you mean, Mom?"


    The corners of her lips curved as she told her daughter, "It’s time you consummate your marriage with him."


    Grace understood, and a light blush covered her face as she asked, "But how? He won’t agree. Yesterday, on our wedding night, he spent time with that bitch."


    "That bitch isn’t here to distract him."


    "Here? Will he even agree to stay here?" Grace asked.


    "He will," her mother replied. "Just trust your mother and prepare yourself well for tonight. I’ve ced a nice dress in your room. You can use it."


    Grace hugged her mother. "Thank you, Mom. Tomorrow, I’ll make that bitch cry the same way she made me cry this morning."


    Her mother patted her back. "Now go and call them for dinner."


    They all had dinner together. Grace finally got to sit next to her husband. At the Riverdales’, she never had the chance to sit beside him during meals.


    <i>Not having that bitch Natalie around feels really good. I can have him all to myself,</i> Grace thought.


    She picked up some meat and started to ce it on his te, but Aaron stopped her.


    "I can take what I want. I don’t like my food served this way."


    Grace silently withdrew her hand. Her mother signaled her once again to stay calm.


    After the quiet dinner—where Aaron didn’t eat much—he and Colin went to the study. There, the two men discussed the future project both sides were going to coborate on.


    A servant brought wine for them, cing one ss in front of Aaron and another in front of Colin.


    "It’s one of the oldest wines from my precious collection," Colin said. "I hope you enjoy it."


    Aaron looked at the ss ced before him, then at Colin, who picked up his own ss and looked at Aaron. Aaron picked up his ss and stirred it slowly as both men began to drink.


    "Aiden, let’s talk about something other than just business," Colin said.


    "Go ahead," Aaron replied, waiting for him to speak.


    "I know you have a wife, but you do realize she’s not your legal wife here," Colin began—only to see Aaron’s gaze turn more serious than it already was.


    "Don’t take me the wrong way," Colin added in a lighter tone. "I don’t have anything against Ms. Natalie, and it’s absolutely fine to have more than one wife. What I’m trying to say is—Grace is my only child, and everything I have will belong to her. Especially her children. If you have kids with her soon, you’ll eventually have everything that belongs to the Hartz family."


    Aaron calmly took a sip and said, "I see."


    Colin couldn’t decipher what exactly Aaron meant by that—or what was in his mind.


    "Tonight, you can stay here at Hartz. We’ve made good arrangements for your stay," Colin said. "I also hope you spend some time with Grace and give a new direction to your rtionship—as husband and wife."


    Aaron once more slowly sipped his wine and hummed, his response once again offering no clear message.


    Colin looked at Aaron for a while longer, as if waiting for something, and said, "If you liked the wine, let me pour you another ss."


    It was his way of making Aaron finish the wine already in his ss. Aaron finished it all in one gulp and said, "Thank you, but no more. I’m not a fan of wine."


    Colin didn’t mind—he was simply d Aaron had finished it. He then watched as Aaron loosened the cor of his shirt, as though he felt ufortable.


    "You seem tired, and it’s alreadyte," Colin said. "As I mentioned, you can rest here tonight and enjoy our hospitality."


    Looking a little restless, Aaron loosened another button of his shirt and stood up. "I need to use the washroom."


    "Of course," Colin replied, standing as well. "I’ll lead you to our guest house. You can freshen up and rest there."


    Aaron followed him quietly. They were led outside the mansion to a small electric utility vehicle used to move around the vast estate. Colin personally escorted him to thevish guest house.


    At the entrance, Colin said, "The servant will lead you to your room," and left.


    "Master, this way please," the servant said, ready to guide Aaron inside the beautifully lit guest house.


    Upon entering, Aaron noticed the entire drawing room was lit with dim lights and multiple candles, arranged to create a romantic atmosphere. It seemed no one else was there but him. Ignoring it, he went straight to the room. A servant opened the door for him.


    Aaron looked at the servant. "You can leave."


    The servant bowed and left, while Aaron stepped into the room.