Chapter 114

Aidan

I took Ivy aside so I could talk to her in private, away from her parents' earshot. "I don't think you should tell them what about what I really do," I whispered.

Ivy looked at me wide-eyed. "Lie to them?"

"Yes, Ivy. Lie," I said, my eyebrow raised in disbelief. "Like you've never spun a tale for your parents before?"

Ivy shifted uncomfortably, her expression pained. "Well, there was that one time I told them I was having a sleepover at a friend's house when I actually went to a RAVE. But lying about the father of my baby being involved in the Mafia? That's a whole other level." She winced.

"Well, Ivy, sometimes the truth can cause more harm than good. Trust me on this one," I insisted, my voice low and urgent.

She bit her lip nervously and glanced back at her parents, who were chatting happily with Lila. "But what if they find out eventually? Won't that be worse?"