Chapter 6 The Price of Falling

Ariadna returned to the Kallistos mansion, and when she went up, she found her mother, Athena, in the master bedroom, packing.

"Mom, what are you doing?"

"Ariadna, honey, I'm putting away the things we can take with us."

Ariadna sadly looked at the suitcases her mother had on the bed, full of clothes, shoes, and some personal items. She could see the open safe.

"What's in the safe?" she asked curiously, approaching.

Athena walked towards the safe, sighing, and took out a wad of bills and some jewelry.

"This is what we have left, daughter, it's some family jewels, and a little cash, it will help us to endure for a while, while we decide what we are going to do.

Ariadna nodded sadly. At that moment, her phone began to ring insistently. It was Cassandra, one of her best friends.

"Ari, my dear, is it true what they say?" The woman's voice sounded anxious.

"What are you talking about, Cass?" she replied confused.

"Turn on the TV and put on the news!"

Ariadna hurriedly turned on the TV, as she did so she was shocked to see the news headlines.

"THE KALLISTOS EMPIRE IN RUINS: Prominent family is totally bankrupt."

"Oh my God!" she muttered as she dropped onto the bed.

"Ari, is it true?" Cassandra insisted. "Tell me it's just rumors."

Ariadna closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as tears ran down her face.

"It's true, Cass, I can't lie to you, we're broke."

A long silence was heard on the other end of the phone, before Cassandra spoke again.

"I don't know what to say, I'm so sorry, Ari, I think it would be better if we didn't see each other for a while, you know, until all the fuss dies down."

"What are you talking about? Cassandra, are you serious?"

"Well, you have to admit that we're not on the same level anymore, it's nothing personal, it's just that..."

Ariadna didn't want to listen anymore, she cut the call, tears running down her cheeks, she stared at her mother.

"Ari, honey, I'm so sorry," Athena said, then hugged her.

Ariadna sobbed on her mother's chest, she remembered the times she had done the same to other people over the years, it was as if fate was returning it to her.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Leonidas Petros stormed into Dimitrios Galanis' corporate building, the receptionist tried to stop him, but he pushed her aside, ignoring the screams.

"Sir! You can't go up, you need to make an appointment, Security! Stop him."

Leonidas managed to get into the elevator before the guards stopped him, when he arrived at Galanis' office, he didn't bother knocking, he kicked the door open, before the astonished gaze of the secretary.

Dimitrios Galanis stood up slowly, his face showing a cold expression, before Leonidas could react, Dimitrios grabbed him by the neck, to lift him up without any effort.

"Mr. Petros" Dimitrios hissed. "I know perfectly well who you are, and why you have come, but I suggest you forget it, Ariadna will be my wife, and there is nothing you can do to stop it."

Leonidas tried to speak, but Dimitrios' grip on his neck was too strong, with a sudden movement, Dimitrios threw him onto an armchair.

"Don't you dare get up." Dimitrios warned. "It would be best for you to listen to the proposal I am going to make you, otherwise what happened to Ariadne's father will happen to yours."

Leonidas preferred to remain silent, something in the tone of that man's voice warned him that he was not playing, Dimitrios took some documents that were on his desk and threw them at Leonidas, upon seeing them, the boy turned pale, they were conclusive evidence of fraud committed by his father.

"What do you want from me?"

Dimitrios smiled coldly.

"Something so simple Mr. Petros, you are going to talk to Ariadne and convince her to marry me, because if you don't, these documents will be sent to the authorities and the press, and your family will fall just like the Kallistos.

Leonidas cursed silently, as he closed his eyes, he felt that the world around him was collapsing, he had no choice, there was no possible escape, defeated he nodded.

"Okay, I will, I will talk to Ariadna."

"You have made an excellent decision, Mr. Petros, now get out of my office immediately, before I change my mind about calling the police."

Leonidas stood up and hurried out of the office, he had never felt defeated in his life, he took his phone and dialed Ariadna's number.

Ariadna was helping her mother pack, when her phone rang, seeing that it was Leonidas, she hesitated for a moment to answer the call.

"What do you want?"

"Ariadna, please, I need to talk to you, we have to see each other, it's important." Leonidas' tone of voice showed that he was desperate.

"Leonidas, we already said everything we had to say, there's no point."

"Please Ariadna, we need to talk about Dimitrios, what I have to say is important."

"Okay, this will be the last time I talk to you, see you in the park near my house, in an hour."

An hour later, Ariadne was waiting impatiently on a park bench. She saw Leonidas approaching, his face pale and haggard.

"I have little time, speak up," he said as soon as Leonidas sat down next to her.

"Ariadne, I know I have no forgiveness and that I have been a complete idiot, what I proposed to you at the café." He looked down in shame. "I have no excuse, but now there is something more important at stake."

"I don't understand, what are you talking about?"

"Dimitrios Galanis, he is a dangerous man, Ariadne, he has information that can destroy my family."

Ariadne was silent for a moment, analyzing what Leonidas had said.

"And what does that have to do with me?" she asked.

"He asked me to convince you to marry him, if you don't, he will expose the evidence he has, my family will fall just like yours did."

"Well, so you've come to convince me to marry him to save your skin, typical." He said with annoyance.

"No, Ariadne, you're wrong, it's not like that, I came to warn you, Galanis is a dangerous man, you must be careful."

Ariadne stood up and turned to look at Leonidas with deep contempt.

"And do you think that marrying you would have been better? Now that I know you, I don't think so, Leonidas, at least Galanis is honest about his intentions."

"Ariadne, I know I've made mistakes, but I love you, I've always loved you."

"No, Leonidas, let's be honest, you loved the idea of ​​me, Ariadne Kallistos, the perfect heiress for your perfect future, but as you know, that Ariadne no longer exists."

Ariadne immediately turned around, and began to walk away, when she reached the mansion, exhausted, she began to climb the stairs slowly.

As she headed towards her room, she noticed that the door to her father's study was open.

"Dad?" She called softly as she pushed the door open to enter.

What she saw almost made her heart stop, her father was sitting on his chair, and in his right hand he held a firearm, the barrel of the gun pointed directly at her head.

"Dad! What are you doing?" She screamed, running towards him.

Nikolaos raised his head to see his daughter.

"I'm sorry, my child, I've ruined everything, it's over for me, this is the only way out." He answered with a broken voice.

Ariadna felt a sharp pain in her chest, she began to slowly approach her father.

"No, dad, it's not like that, please give me the gun." She begged, reaching out her hand towards him.

Nikolaos pressed the gun even tighter to his temple, shaking his head.

"You don't understand, daughter, I've failed them, I failed you, your mother, your sister's memory, I don't deserve to live for what I've done."

"You're wrong, daddy, we need you, I need you, please, for whatever you want, don't do this." She moved even closer to him, while crying.

For a moment, Nikolaos seemed not to hear her, his finger tightened on the trigger, Ariadne lunged forward, grabbing her father's hand.

No! You're not going to do this." She said while struggling with him.

She finally managed to take the gun from him, and threw it away from her father.

Nikolaos sobbed uncontrollably, Ariadne knelt in front of him, hugging him tightly.

"It's okay, daddy, I'm here, with you." She murmured.

As she hugged her father, Ariadne thought that she would not allow that to happen again, she gently separated herself from her father, and looked into his eyes.

"Dad, listen to me, we're going to be okay, I'm going to fix this, I'm going to marry Dimitrios Galanis."

Nikolaos looked at her confused and alarmed by what she was saying.

"No, I can't let you pay for my mistakes, I can't sacrifice you."

"It's not a sacrifice, it's my decision and I want it respected, I can't lose you, nor see our family destroyed, I will do what is necessary, whatever is in my hands to protect us."

She immediately stood up, took out her phone, determined she dialed Dimitrios' number, he answered immediately.

"Miss Kallistos, it's a nice surprise to hear from you."

"Mr. Galanis, I accepted your proposal, I agree to marry you."