Chapter 7
The asistent Jed a proceision of people into the hall each carrying impossibly extravagant gifs-
A rare pină distood peckbare, Antique masterplère paintings, even the deed to a private lidand
erupted in astonished whiqers
“Theard rumors about him hitting on everything for Miss Mila at that auction, and rer ke u permally sending birthday giữa? Di srems Miss Mais truly desired bar greater heights
The murmurs spread like wife. Several guests glanced furtively at Ariana with pity in their eyes ||
Despite her superior beauty and more legiitmete satis, everyone now believed she had lost ||
Ariana set down het champagne glas and wibed toward the terrace ||
The night her was enol want her skin, She bad barely taken a deep breath, when Mia’s voice came from behind: “Why are you out here all akne, Arr
Without the wadence of guests their father, Mis finally dropped her pretense||
You know what Daddy told me? You’re going to marry that vegetable,” she mad with a sweet yet venomous smile. “How tragie. Your mother couldn’t compete with and now history repeats itself with you unable to compete with me.“||
Ariana whaled around. “Say that again““]
“sad” Mia leaned closer, her red lips spitting viper like words, your mother deserved to die in chiarth. She-“]
SLAP
The sharp sound of a slap rang out.
But wash Ariana who had done the slappang–Mia had slapped herself||
In the next instant, tears sprang to her eyes as she stumbled backward, conveniently falling in the arms of Dominic who had rushed over||
“not As fault…” Ma sobbed, covering her cheek. “I provoked her. |
A moment later, their father and the other guests arrived, locks of condemnation directed at Ariana
“Ariana Reeves her father thundered. “Have you no decency lett?”
The guests whispers cut the knes!
“How vico, on Miss Mia’s birthday of all days.“]
“Well she grew up without a mothers guidance- wonder she’s so better and small minded…]
Ariana observed this carefully orchestrated performance and suddenly laughed.]
She strode forward and, in full view of everyone, delivered a stinging slap to Mars face
“There,” she said, smashing her champagne glass on the four, glass shards reflecting dizem of shocked faces. That’s what it looks like when i actually hin someone.”
As she turned to leave, she caught sight of Dominic holding Mia’s sharudders, his eyes call enough to freeze hell inel ||
In the garden pathway. Ariana had barely rounded the corner when her wrist was seized in a crushing grip ||
Dominic’s hold was punishing, and she fell her
sad she felt her bones might ana
map under the pressure.
“Mas Reeves,” he said, his voice how with barely coated Biry
“What?” She looked up mockingly. “Are you going to give me ninety nine slaps in return for the one I gave her?
Dominica pups contracted
What did the mean by that could she show know about the other night
Impossible–he’d been extremely discreet.||
“Mis Reeves,” be loosened his grip slightly, his brow furrowed, “you have everything you could want why do you intermenting MMT
“Claire everything Ariana suddenly laughed, the sound paw and broken “What exactly dal ba? Ever since she came to my family, she caused my mother ta thin la
This was the
oth my mother and my unborn rbling! She stole my room, my toys, my allowance, my father: Even my study abroad opportunity–everything:“||
rehod to shed
nich. In the
time Demmur Bad heard her sprak so much. In the moonlight, those eyes that usually held only scent, were now brimming with tears the stubbornly.
“Tve heard,” Demunie said, his voice hardening again. ““that Miss Mia is actually the one who suffered.”
Ariana yanked her hand free, turning to leave. “Believe what you want
As she was about to get her car, Dominic spoke again “Miss Reeves, Id like to request a few days 1
“Whatever,” she responded without looking back closing the car door
After the black sedan had driven some detance, she suddenly told i
the driver: “Turn around.
Back near the Reeves estate, she saw Dominic climbing into a Rolls-Royer
Ariana instructed her driver to flow discreetly, eventually stopping outside an exclusive tattoo parlor
Through the glas window, the watched as Domunioned his that, revealing his sculpted chest.
The tattoo artalked sething, and he puited to the area over his heart, mouthing then words–from his lip movement, clearly “Mia
