âYouâve got no idea, but I wonât hold it against you.
â
âWhatâs there to hold against me? Am I wrong?â Ariana asked, acting genuinely clueless.
âLetâs leave this for now.
Thereâs a banquet at the main house tomorrowâ¦â
Bennett said, gesturing out the window toward the biggest mansion on the horizon.
âSee that? Thatâs where itâll be.
Iâm taking you along tomorrow night.
Itâs a great opportunity to show you what Iâm about.
â
When Bennett mentioned âwhat Iâm aboutâ, there was a hint of arrogance in his tone, but his eyes werenât as icy as before.
Ariana could tell she had piqued his interest again.
A sense of triumph washed over Ariana; she was pleasantly surprised by Bennettâs swift agreement to take her to the banquet.
She had anticipated some resistance.
Concealing her excitement, Ariana pretended to be puzzled and inquired, âWill your boss also be present?â
âAbsolutely,â Bennett replied with a smirk, teasing her.
He continued, âYouâll be amazed by my bossâ presence.
He not only manages affairs despite his youth but also possesses remarkable charm.
People flock to him, captivated by his charisma.
Yet his intelligence and bravery overshadow his appearance.
â
Internally, Ariana couldnât help but roll her eyes at Bennettâs self-praise.
She pondered how someone as self-centered and detached from reality as Bennett could attain his current position.
Did his associates not realize that following him might lead nowhere?
Nonetheless, Ariana remained silent about her thoughts, simply smiling and saying, âAlright then, Iâll accompany you to attend the event tomorrow night.
Itâll be interesting to experience a banquet in this underworld setting.
â
âYouâll enjoy it,â Bennett reassured her, exuding confidence.
âYouâll see.
â
In the evening, Ariana tossed and turned, finding sleep elusive.
She felt uncertain about the events of the following day, wondering if Bennett was genuinely less vigilant around her or if the situation might spiral beyond Holdenâs control.
She dreaded the idea of Holden facing harm due to her actions.
Restless, Ariana eventually rose and sat by the window, observing the security personnel below as they patrolled.
This only made her more worried.
Considering the stringent security measures, she wondered if escape was even feasible.
She fretted over the possibility of her rescue attempt inadvertently endangering Holden and Adrian.
As she dwelled on these thoughts, her fear intensified, and her mind was filled with myriad possibilities.
When she snapped back to reality, she was covered in a cold sweat, and dawn was approaching.
Despite spending the entire night awake, she still lacked a concrete plan.
When Bennettâs people arrived to escort her at noon, Ariana had prominent dark circles beneath her eyes.
Ariana was led to a lavishly adorned room, evidently arranged by Bennettâs crew.
Inside, she found a gathering of individuals, a variety of equipment, and stacks of gowns.