DINNER
1496 Words
Ariel’s pov.
Audrey stares at me worriedly as I pace around in unrest.
“Are you sure it was blood? It could be something else.”
Right? It could totally be something else, but every gut in me said it was blood and I believe it. What was he going to make me do if I hadn’t escaped? I was curious, but I also knew I didn’t want to find out.
I sat next to Audrey and try to be calm. She patted my back as if it could somehow make me relax. “Well, at least I confirmed they are the same person.”
“What’s next then?” Audrey asks. “Ari, I would never wish for you to marry Ryan, but it’s looking more and more like we are out of options. If we don’t come up with a solution--”
“Who said we're out of options?” I gave her a glance, feeling the maniac light shining in my eyes.
Audrey’s gaze narrowed as she waited for me to speak.
“I’m going to stick to our initial plan.”
She was quiet at first, as if my words hadn’t registered. And when she realized it, her eyes widened.
“HELL f*****g NO! I knew something crazy would come out of that mouth.” She scoffed, facing me. “You’re trying to avoid marrying a psycho only to fall into the arms of another psycho? Have you forgotten what he allegedly means to your family? You think your Dad would let you marry him?”
“I didn’t say I was going to marry him.” I say calmly. “But I can make him think so. Wouldn’t he think of it as the perfect way to hurt my father?”
“Exactly! What you’re not understanding, Ari, is that he’s not a fool. He’s not one of those guys you could easily have under your thumb.”
“Is that so?” my lips curled and I crossed my legs. My earlier fear of him disappeared into thin air. “Who doesn’t like a challenge then?”
Audrey held her head like she was having a headache.
“C’mon, think about it.”
“Think about what exactly?”
“Think about it from his shoes.” I said, “I don’t know why he would hate Dad but earlier, he definitely looked at me like I was something to be played with. Or perhaps something he would enjoy playing with. What if it’s turned around?”
And he finds out how it feels to be played?
“It still wouldn’t get you eight hundred billion.”
“It will.” I told her. “I don’t care if I have to steal it.”
The next night, Dad invited me over to dinner, and I’m surprised to meet Ryan.
Well, I kind of suspected he would be here. It’s not often he invites us to dinner.
I am dressed in a purple gown reaching high above my knees but not so much and hugging my curves in all the right places.
Avery is sitting next to mum, and she avoids my gaze when I look. There was only one other seat left. The one next to Ryan.
And, of course, I knew this sitting was intentional.
“Do you mind changing seats Avery?”
She finally looks at me. Shocked for a few seconds.
“No. I’m fine here.”
“But I’m not.”
It became quiet. I hear Dad sigh, and he looks towards Ryan, who quickly stood to pull out my chair.
“You should sit here, Princess. Trust me, you wouldn’t want to be so far away.” He whispered the last part and I can’t help but feel how his lewd gaze took me in.
I folded my arms, remaining stubborn until I met Dad’s eyes.
“Ari, don’t cause a scene.” There was something in his tone and his eyes that told me I wouldn’t want to disobey that.
It’s just a seat anyway. I took it. Though, not without catching Ryan’s smile as he proceeded to sit.
The maids opened the mouth-watering dishes one after the other and I should be famished considering I had barely eaten much today, but I had no appetite. Not when Ryan is sitting so close to me, not when I can’t stop thinking about the difference of how he looked at me that day with so much hate and how he is currently looking at me like a boy who’s just fallen in love.
He had always worn a f*****g thick mask. And I had foolishly fallen for that.
Dad first picked out the dishes Mom loved before he helped himself. It was like a normal routine to put her first. I always envy their love after all. Mom was one lucky woman to find someone who would worship her like Dad does.
Avery starts to eat too, and I picked out my own dishes. It was a bit awkward between everyone, considering it was the first time we were all meeting after the failed wedding.
Dad spoke first. “Have you made any plans, Ari?”
“What plans?” I acted like I didn’t know what he was talking about.
“Plans like your wedding dress and the venue you’d like. You destroyed the other one, remember?”
“Oh.” I looked up. “I didn’t know I was having a wedding. I clearly said that I wouldn’t.” I said the last part under my breath, but I’m pretty sure they heard it.
It was quiet once again. No one was eating except for me, who was practically forcing the food in.
“Well, Ari doesn’t have to do anything. It will be a closed wedding this time and I will prepare everything.” Ryan said, as if everything I had just said didn’t go through his ears.
“Did you just ignore my daughter’s words like air?” Mom was glaring at Ryan now. “Is this how you would behave in the future too?”
Ryan swallowed. Of course he was speechless since he wasn’t expecting anyone to be on my side.
“I—I didn’t mean to.”
“Of course that’s what you all say. If you’ve done something wrong, you should get on your knees and apologize properly. I bet you haven’t done any of that. The least you can do is look pitiful enough and even doing that seems hard for you.”
Oh Mom. I love her so much.
Especially when she threw Dad a glare when he tried to stop her.
Look pitiful enough? Ptfff.
I tried hard to hold back a smile.
Ryan lowered his head like what was expected of him, but I knew he was cursing inside since he had to put up with this. We weren’t the only desperate one after all.
Except that I have no idea what Ryan and his family hopes to gain from this alliance. It must be something equally important if they were willing to give out eight hundred billion.
“I know that I have scarred Ari for life and trusting me would certainly be hard for her, but I’m not going to stop apologizing for the rest of my life. Until she accepts me again.” His voice sounded so emotional, and it worked since Mom was retracting her claws.
And yes, I didn’t tell them how he planned to kill me.
I glanced at Avery and the look I saw in there was one I couldn’t understand.
Something cold landed on my thigh and I almost jumped until I realized it was Ryan’s hand.
Is he for real right now?
Oh, now I’m getting uncontrollably annoyed.
How dare he think he could touch me?
He squeezed my thigh in his palm and, instead of how I would usually feel excited, all that's left is disgust.
I have a dragon shaped ring on my pinkie. If I opened it a bit, the tail could serve as a sharp weapon.
I did just that. I stabbed his fingers with the tail of the dragon until he released his hand from my thigh, but he didn’t bother to hide it.
He placed his hand on the table and the amount of blood flowing out made me gasp.
It was quickly noticed by Mom.
“You’re bleeding!” she panicked and Ryan looked at his fingers as if he hadn’t realized it.
What a scheming bastard!
“Oh no.” he whispered, standing up as Mom called for the maids to bring out the first aid box.
“You don’t have to worry. I can treat this myself.” He bowed his head a little and excused himself.
“Ari,” Dad called, and I knew I wouldn’t want to hear anything he says. “Go with him.”
And yeah, I was right.
- Writer
