Chapter 7 Daddy

"Are you sure you don't want to give your mother a chance?" Amber asked again. Ariana looked at her and then shook her head. Okay, Amber wouldn't persuade her anymore. If she was just ignored by Ariana, what if Ariana fired her later? She might also get scolded by Ariana's father.

They returned to the restaurant. It was already 11 in the morning when they got back. Both Ariana and Amber entered their workspace, which also served as their private break room. Ariana, who had left her phone in her bag, was now checking it. She slid the screen, unlocked it, and saw several missed calls.

"Mom?" Ariana pressed her mother's number and made the call. "Ariana, hello, dear." The voice on the other end sounded panicked and tearful.

"Mom? Is there..."

"Your father, dear," her mother interrupted before Ariana could ask.

"What about Dad?"

"Mom, you don't know. Dad called earlier, but suddenly the call got cut off. Mom went to Dad's office, but they said Dad left for an appointment. Mom checked the place where your father had an appointment, but he wasn't there. Mom is scared, and I have a bad feeling," her mother spoke quickly between sobs.

"Mom, calm down. Maybe Dad's phone ran out of battery," Ariana tried to reassure her mother, although she herself was disturbed by her mother's panic.

"It's impossible, Ana. Mom always charges your father's phone. Mom is sure something is wrong this time. Help Mom, dear. Please find your father," the woman on the other end pleaded. Ariana massaged her temples.

"Yes, Mom, calm down first. Ariana will help you find Dad. If necessary, Ariana will ask the police for help. Just calm down, Mom. Take a deep breath... exhale. Mom, just calm down. Ariana will look for Dad." After calming her mother, Ariana tried to contact someone. But before she could reach out to her acquaintance, a pop-up message caught her eye accidentally.

Ariana opened the incoming message from an unknown number. She read the message and then downloaded the video it contained. After watching the video, Ariana cursed in frustration, gripping her phone so tightly that her knuckles turned white. "Damn it!" she exclaimed angrily.

Ariana grabbed her car keys and rushed to her car, ignoring Amber's continued calls. She sent a message to her mother, telling her that she had found her father and asking her to calm down.

Regardless of the number of cars lined up in front of the house, Ariana parked her car haphazardly. Her sneakers allowed her to run silently. Ariana reentered the house she had visited the previous night. Fueled by anger, she entered without paying attention to the people who looked at her in surprise. Her long hair swayed with her swift steps.

"You damn family!" she spat sharply when she saw the Brooks family casually about to have lunch.

"Oh, hello, stepchild. Looks like you're back," Mr. Brooks greeted her with feigned friendliness. "Where's my Dad! How dare your dirty hands touch him!" she yelled in anger.

"Come on. I didn't touch your Dad. Your Dad is just stupid and fell into my trap," the man said, without feeling disgusted, as he continued to eat his food. Ariana felt nauseated and wanted to vomit because of it.

"Tell me where my Dad is, you bastard!" she shouted harshly.

"Watch your language, or you won't see your father again," Brooks replied. "You'll see him at the wedding." He answered casually.

"W-wedding? What do you mean..." Something foul-smelling hit Ariana's nose. It turned out that, without her realizing it, all of this had been planned. Ariana's head suddenly spun, and everything went dark.

"Bring her and the key upstairs. Instruct the makeup artist to come in and do her makeup. But don't let her wake up. If she wakes up, sedate her again!" Brooks ordered coldly.

***

"The wedding is about to happen. They've already brought the bride into the house," Gerald reported to his assistant. A sly smile adorned his face. "Brought, not found," he muttered to himself. It turned out that influencing Brooks with his twisted ideas was not a mistake. If he hadn't intervened, that foolish man would have ended up in misery. Gerald wanted to laugh.

Gerald had heard the offer the girl had made to her grandmother. Ariana was indeed a brave girl. But bravery didn't mean she had no weaknesses. And those foolish people didn't realize Ariana's weakness.

Yes, Ariana's weakness was her family, especially her father. How could they not realize that? Ariana loved her father so much, and Gerald was sure that because of her deep love, that rough girl would do anything as long as her father was okay.

So, Gerald subtly influenced Brooks in that way. Let Brooks be the executor, even though Gerald was the mastermind. One thing was for sure, he wanted that woman, and he would marry her. Karenina and her family be damned. And if his fiancée returned someday? Gerald would deal with it later. Why bother with unnecessary complications?

My bride, wait for your future husband.

Suddenly, the idea of getting married became something enticing for Gerald.

***

Ariana woke up, her head pounding and her neck feeling heavy. She tried to blink, but couldn't recognize where she was. Her eyes felt difficult to open.

Dad!

The thought made her snap awake instantly. Shouts, warnings, and other sounds echoed in her head. "You shouldn't wake up suddenly." Ariana turned to a woman in her forties who looked at her with concern.

"Who are you?" Ariana asked in return. She wanted to rub her eyes, which felt heavy, but the woman stopped her. "You must not ruin her makeup. Otherwise, Mr. Brooks will be angry," the woman pleaded in panic.

Ariana frowned. Makeup? What makeup was the woman talking about? And now she realized that her shirt and jeans had been replaced with a wedding dress that fit her perfectly. Oh God. Who undressed her and changed her clothes without her consent?

Ariana attempted to get out of the bed, but the woman stopped her again. "Take it slow, Miss," she requested gently.

Soon, the door opened. Ariana and the makeup artist turned their heads simultaneously. A woman in her thirties entered, followed by a figure Ariana didn't want to see. "Mom asked you nicely. Don't blame Mom if all of this happens. Mom just wants you to replace Karenina. At least until she returns," Mrs. Caitlyn said with a pleading look in her eyes. Instead of responding, Ariana just stared at her with disgust.

"We will release your father if you accept all of this. And this." The woman handed a leather folder to Ariana. "Sign it as an agreement. You will see your father during the ceremony."

Ariana took the folder and opened it roughly. Her eyes scanned it quickly, and the more she read, the sicker she felt. "What does this mean?" she asked harshly. She even slapped away the woman's hand when it touched her hair.

"You have no choice, Ariana. Your father is in our hands. Sign it, marry Gerald, and your father will come back to you," Mrs. Caitlyn said.

Ariana felt tears welling up in her eyes, not because she was sad, but because she was furious. How could the woman in front of her trap her like this? For what? For her own pride and her new husband's sake. Ariana stared at the woman who had given birth to her with deep hatred.

The agreement stated that Ariana Leonidas would become Gerald Zeroun's wife for an indefinite period. It included other clauses that required Ariana to obey Gerald's wishes, become part of his family, and appear in public as needed. Ariana snorted in disgust. "Think about your father, Ariana," the woman said again. Ariana roughly pulled the pen from the woman's hand. She wouldn't do everything willingly.

Gerald, or whoever that despicable man was, should prepare to live in hell. Because Ariana had no intention of making his life comfortable, just as he had disrupted her peaceful life.

"Where's my phone? I need to contact my mother. I don't want to be a disobedient child who gets married without my parents' blessing," Ariana said with a flat tone as she signed the stamped document. "And I'm hungry! Bring me some food!" Ariana commanded after tossing the folder and pen rudely. If you thought Ariana would act weak, you were mistaken. Ariana would fight to the bitter end. And fighting required energy, didn't it? So she had to replenish her strength first.