Chapter 35: Please, leave

Jace felt relieved. He glared at Eduardo with a poker face. Without saying a word, Eduardo knows he has to continue with the news he’s began explaining “But when we went to investigate, it was a deserted crumbled building whose major part had collapsed…”

A week passed and Arianna was back to herself again. Chase called her to ask her when she would be resuming and was shocked when Arianna told him that she is not interested in working with the Hudson’s holding anymore.

She would find a job elsewhere. The truth was that she doesn’t want to cross paths with that arrogant ‘powerful Personality’ surnamed Hudson.

The threat was getting too much. Jace’s bodyguards were fully armed and the latter was seriously involved in investigating who the scoundrel might be.

But that afternoon, he told Chase he was going for lunch. He had a deal to seal and the contract was a multi million dollars deal. He cannot stay confined to a place. Not all deals can be done through a zoom.

Chase Hudson asked if he could go and have the deal sealed instead. But Jace refused. He said he wouldn’t let anyone close to him get hurt. He would be fine.

Reluctantly, Chase gave up. But told him to be extremely careful. Jace nodded. He got his pistol and went out. He got into his car and headed towards the hotel Dabras where he was going to sign the deal.

Arianna was meeting with her friends for lunch, the first since she was discharged from the hospital. She was dressed and was stepping out of her day when Ned Jason called. She frowned, what the hell does her father want from her this time?

He shouldn’t bring up the issue of Keyamo family eldest son and marriage nonsense to her again. She answered her phone and this voice she heard was that of Emily “Arianna are you trying to test my patient? Your engagement to the Keyamo eldest son is taking place this weekend. You must come to the house to meet him or…”she was saying when Ned took the phone away from her.

“You must come to the house, Arianna if you don’t want me to expose your mom’s best kept secret. I will ruin you and desecrate your mom’s graveyard and expose her so much that everyone would hiss at the mention of her name…”Ned Jason threatened.

Arianna’s complexion went ashen. Her hand shivered and she felt that her legs wobbled. “Mom’s best kept secret, dad. You know my mom’s best kept secret?” She whispered.

“I raised you, Arianna. I kept your identity and raised you and now, you dare to defy me? I promised your mom to make you my daughter. But if you refuse to do what I want, to get married to the eldest master of the Keyamo family, I will go back on my promise to your mom…” Ned Jason bellowed and hung up.

Arianna shivered. She suddenly felt beads of sweat rise on her temple. She felt her heart beating fast. She got back into her apartment and started sobbing.

What did her father say? He was keeping her mom’s secret? What secret could it be, does it have to do with her identity?

Isn’t she a true member of Jason’s family? Oh heavens, had she been living in a fool’s paradise? But what annoyed her the most was Ned Jason, threatening to desecrate her mother’s grave.

He dare not do that. He can go back on his promise to her mom, he could reveal her true identity like he claimed, it wouldn’t matter to her as much as daring to disturb her mom’s peaceful sleep in her grave.

If he dares, she would forget to remain a filial daughter, she would do something they all would live to regret. Arianna had completely forgotten that her friends would be waiting for her for lunch when her phone chirped.

When she saw the caller’s ID to be Genesis, she sprang up on her feet and took a deep breath before answering her phone “I’m almost there” she said as calmly as possible.

“Okay. It’s almost past lunch time. But we’ll wait for you” Genesis chimed. Arianna said okay and went to the restroom, washed her face and looked at herself in the mirror, her makeup still intact.

She would visit Ned Jason that evening. They needed to trash out that best kept secret and the nonsense he sprouted out. Arianna walked out of her apartment as elegantly as she could and hailed a taxi.

“Isn’t this what you wanted, that I should yell at Arianna and threaten her?” Ned Jason stuttered. He was pushed to this point by Emily’s taunts.

“Yes. That’s how to scold a stubborn child. You have tolerated that girl beyond her limits and now, she seemed to think she’s a superwoman” Emily snapped at her husband and hissed.

All she wants is for dear daughter Elisa to be safe. No one can predict what that crazy family of rascals were capable of doing. Such a terrible set of people.

She regretted going gambling with them. Ned only tells a lie to Arianna that he took a loan. But it wasn’t a loan, it was worse than a loan, it’s gambling.

If by weekend, Arianna doesn’t get engaged and married the same day to the eldest master of the Keyamo family, they don’t know, nor can they predict the misfortune that would await them.

Arianna arrived at the hotel Dabras and saw several tinted cars. She saw Eduardo and some bodyguards and guessed that Jace Hudson was there.

Anyways, She strolled towards the entrance. She had already kept her friends waiting too long and needed to be with them immediately, when a man walked up to her. “Excuse me Ma’am, it’s important I talk to you,” the man pleaded, looking worried.

Arianna seemed to have met the young man before. He looked like the man she saved from ruthless beating at the hand of one of Jace’s men sometime ago. But this man looked younger than the man.

She squinted and went aside. “The rich brat is going to be assassinated. And I know there would be bloodshed here. Please leave. I don’t want you to get hurt” the man advised.

Arianna squinted. Leave, when her friends were inside, waiting for her? No way. She isn’t going to leave and let them get hurt. She would stay and get the answers that she sought.

“Thank you. But I cannot leave. My friends are there. How did you know about the information you gave me?” She asked.

Suddenly she saw the man’s eyes go bloodshot. “I am showing you a favour for your kindness. You can choose to save your life or not” he furiously declared and walked away.

Arianna was surprised at the fury of the man. Why is he feeling furious because she asked him a simple question. She turned to glance at him, but saw him take a turn and his retreating back view doesn’t seem like an old man.

She needed to inform Richard and Genesis. She wouldn’t let anything happen to them. But this man doesn’t seem innocent to her. She turned to go into the hotel when she sighted Jace Hudson walking out from the other entrance.

She was confused. He didn’t see her but she saw him. He seemed to be walking straight and heading towards his car. She wanted to walk in but didn’t know if it’s her instinct or caution. She glanced towards the direction that the man who warned her went and saw two men hidden behind a car, with their guns raised and aimed at Jace’s direction: