Chapter 4 About Her

Gerald studied the information in front of him. Four hours after the mother and daughter drama unfolded, his assistant had gathered all the necessary data.

It was astonishing how easily money and connections could wield power.

The twins, Ariana Leonidas and Karenina Brooks, were born in January twenty-five years ago. Their father was Bradley Leonidas, while their mother was Caitlyn Brooks. The divorce had occurred fifteen years ago due to financial issues.

The second sheet contained even more specific information. It revealed that Caitlyn had left Toni after her husband was declared bankrupt due to fraud. A month later, Caitlyn had become Brooks' mistress, even while the divorce proceedings were ongoing. Meanwhile, since being abandoned by his wife, Toni's health had deteriorated. He suffered a heart attack and ultimately succumbed to a stroke.

Karenina was taken by her mother, while Ariana was left with their father. Ariana, as a child, was cared for by her father's coworker named Hestia. It was Hestia who looked after Toni until he recovered. Two years after their divorce, Toni married Hestia, a divorced woman who couldn't have children.

Afterward, they restarted the business that had previously gone bankrupt. Now, after thirteen years had passed, Bradley Leonidas's business had grown multiple times larger than it was originally. The woman who had been Toni's second wife, despite being previously declared infertile, had given birth to two children. The first was a daughter named Zelda Leonidas, who was 11 years old, and the second was Alexander Leonidas, who was 7 years old. It might seem peculiar to some, but not to Gerald.

While Karenina, the gentle and pampered one, chose to stay at home after graduating with a business management degree, Ariana took a different path. She had developed her wings in the culinary field, owning a fairly renowned restaurant. In fact, Gerald considered Leonida's as one of his favorite dining places, all before he knew that the owner was the twin sister of his fiancée.

Ariana also ventured into the catering business, and her reputation grew significantly. Many officials and conglomerates used her services. At the age of twenty-five, her success in her field was nothing short of impressive. There was no information about a man in the data he received. Was Ariana single, or was she simply adept at hiding her relationships? That remained a mystery.

Gerald was concerned about the lack of information regarding any man in Ariana's life. He turned to his assistant, who shook his head. "What about the Brooks family news?"

"No signs of their return yet, Sir," his assistant replied in his usual flat tone. Gerald nodded.

"All right." Gerald patted his thighs and rose to his feet. "We better get some rest. It wouldn't be good for the groom to look terrible on his wedding day." Gerald smirked. "And keep them under surveillance. That includes keeping an eye on her whereabouts." He gave the order. His assistant nodded. Gerald went into his room, and his assistant headed to the other side of the mansion, where he lived.

Ariana... Gerald muttered the name again in his head. Seeing the girl lying exhausted beneath his body would be fun. Ahh damn, just imagining how he would touch that girl made Gerald horny.

***

The pickup truck had smoothly arrived at the back of the restaurant. Wendi, who served as both the driver and kitchen assistant, was already preparing to ask for assistance from other employees to unload the raw materials and take them into the kitchen.

Ariana's restaurant was not a luxurious one, but the system she used was similar to the Lunch and Dinner system found in most other Western restaurants. The menu was diverse, changing every day. Before the restaurant opened, they always announced the menu items they would be serving that day. Reservation system was in place, and they also accepted menu requests, as long as there was prior notice.

Her eight staff members were already waiting, and they immediately got busy with the raw materials and their respective job descriptions. Ariana entered her office, where Lani was already present. Lani was her friend and also the administrator at her restaurant.

"Full bookings for dinner. And four more table sets for lunch," Lani informed her, even before Ariana had a chance to sit down on the sofa.

"Catering?" Ariana asked, running her fingers through her hair and trying to straighten it with her fingers. She would need to wash it again. Earlier, a fish vendor had accidentally thrown waste in front of her, dirtying her clothes and hair. Well, that's what you could expect at a traditional market. It was certainly not as clean as a supermarket. However, Ariana enjoyed going to the traditional market every time. She liked seeing the colorful vegetables and fruits, not to mention the view of fresh meat and fish. And the indistinct conversations among the vendors, whether they were personal discussions, political talks, or even celebrity gossip. Ariana enjoyed the bustling atmosphere.

"There are two appointments for this Friday. If we achieve them, they'll be ours," Lani replied. Ariana just nodded, opened the wardrobe, and took out a change of clothes.

"I want to take another shower. My hair smells fishy. If someone's looking for me, handle it," she said. Lani nodded.

Ten minutes later, Ariana emerged from the bathroom, wearing faded blue jeans that fit her perfectly. She had on a long-sleeved black shirt with the sleeves folded up to her elbows and the top button fastened. Underneath, she wore a camisole made of stretchy fabric that covered the upper part of her chest. Seductive? She had no intention of seducing anyone. After all, she wasn't showing any cleavage. But if someone got tempted, it wasn't her fault.

The sound of a knock on the door made Ariana hurry to answer it. "Ariana..." Amber looked at her with a worried expression. She still had a small towel wrapped around her hair. Ariana didn't like using a hairdryer and preferred to let her hair air dry. So she let her hair stay wrapped until it was halfway dry before she would comb it.

"What is it?" Ariana asked while applying moisturizer to her face.

"We have a guest. Seems like someone important," Amber whispered. Ariana could still see the anxious look on Amber's face.

"Who?" she asked again.

"You'll see for yourself," Amber replied. Ariana walked ahead of Amber, heading to her workspace. Inside the workspace, Ariana had her own room along with a bathroom. It wasn't too big or too small, but it made Ariana feel comfortable, like she was in her own home.

Ariana opened her room's door without bothering to put on her towel. An elderly woman was sitting gracefully on Ariana's plush single sofa. She appeared dignified and radiated a strong aristocratic aura. A middle-aged man stood behind her, looking sturdy. He seemed like a bodyguard. Or maybe he was indeed a bodyguard? But could a bodyguard of that age still be physically fit? Ariana wondered silently.

Then there were two other figures, both women who sat with rigid postures. Ariana could only see one with a simple bun while the other had shoulder-length hair with curls.

Ariana removed her towel and tossed it onto the bed before gently closing her bedroom door. She didn't bother to comb her hair and chose to approach her guests. One thing was certain, they weren't her customers because if they were, they would know the business etiquette of making appointments.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Ariana asked politely but flatly.