372: TANGLED


    ARIEL’S POV


    “Ariel, please try to understand. We never wanted to hurt you. We just thought we were doing what was


    best for the family.” My mother continued to plead with me.


    I pulled away from her touch. “Well, you were wrong, Mom. Dead wrong. “And now I have to suffer the


    consequences of your mistake.”


    “Ariel, just understand that this is all worth it. We can’t go down and let the business fall. This is the


    only option we have, and it’s the one that’s going to make our lives better than


    ever.”


    “You keep saying that, Mom, but it doesn’t change anything. You and Dad made a decision about my


    life without even consulting me. How can you expect me to just ept that?”


    She mirrored my anguish. “Ariel, please, I know we made a mistake. But we were just trying to do what


    we thought was best for the family. Can’t you see that?”


    I shook my head, the pain cutting deep. “I don’t care about the family right now, Mom. All I care about is


    my own happiness and my own future.”


    Before she could respond, a maid entered the room carrying a tray of food. I red at her, my anger


    boiling over. “I said I’m not hungry!”


    But the maid hesitated, her eyes filled with concern. “Miss Ariel, please; you need to eat something. It’s


    not good for you to starve yourself like this.”


    I felt a surge of irrational anger, and before I could stop myself, Ished out, swatting the tray away.


    The food was scattered across the floor, with the te ttering loudly against.


    the tiles.


    “Leave me alone!” I shouted loudly in so much rage.


    The maid recoiled, her eyes wide with shock. “I’m sorry, Miss Ariel. I didn’t mean to upset


    you.”


    But I didn’t care. I desired solitude to ponder over the chaos of my life.


    The maid hurried out of the room, and I sank back onto the edge of my bed, the weight of everything


    pressing down on me like a suffocating nket.


    How had everything gone so wrong? And most importantly, how was I going to fix it?


    “You know what, Ariel.“I’m going to leave you for now.” My mother stood up from the bed.


    “Take care of yourself,” she added.


    The moment she turned to leave, something inside me snapped.


    “Wait,” I spoke, and she paused, turning back to face me, a little hope in her eyes. But I knew I had to


    be honest, no matter how much it hurt.


    “I don’t want to be a part of this family anymore,” I said, each word heavy with finality. My mother’s


    expression crumbled, a mixture of shock and sadness washing over her features.


    “Ariel, please,” she pleaded, reaching out to me. But I held up my hand, cutting her off before she could


    say anything more.


    “No, Mom. I mean it,” I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil raging inside me. “I can’t stay here


    and pretend like everything is okay when it’s not. I need to find my own path, away from all of this.”


    Tears welled up in my mother’s eyes, but I hardened my heart against the pain of seeing her


    hurt.


    “I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “But I have to do this for myself.”


    With that, I turned away from her, unable to bear the weight of her disappointment any longer.


    She left the room, and I felt a sense of liberation revolve within me, going on with sadness for what


    could have been. But deep down, I knew for a fact that I was making the right decision, no matter how


    hard it was.


    LUKE’S POV


    I entered the bustling headquarters of mypany, and at that moment, I realized that whispers were


    following me like shadows, each one carrying a different version of the truth. I ignored them because it


    would be a waste of time to give responses to these morons. They were so eager to lose their jobs.


    Jack intercepted me before I could reach my office. His expression was tense, betraying the gravity of


    the situation,


    “Luke, there’s someone waiting for you in your office,” he said, his voice low.


    I arched an eyebrow, a sense of foreboding settling in the pit of my stomach. “Who is it?”


    He hesitated before answering, “It’s your grandfather.”


    My blood ran cold at the mention of him. I knew this wasn’t going to be a pleasant visit, not after


    everything that had been happening for the past two days. Rtionships had been


    ruined somehow; things weren’t how they used to be.


    With a nod, I brushed past Jack and headed towards my office, steeling myself for whatever


    confrontationy ahead.


    I opened the door, and the sight that greeted me only fueled my growing anger. My


    grandfather sat behind my desk, his stern gaze fixed on me, while Ariel’s father stood beside


    him.


    “What is this?” I demanded, my voice sharp with frustration. “What the hell is this golddigger doing at


    my office?”


    “You better watch your mouth, Luke. Gray is not a golddigger,” my grandfather defended


    him.


    “Oh, really? If he’s not, then why are all these rumors going around? Why does he want me to marry


    his daughter?”


    “I’m the one who wants that the most, actually,” my grandfather answered calmly, giving me all of his


    attention. “You see, Luke.“This whole marriage thing was actually my idea. Drugging the both of you,


    getting you two close to each other, and the journalists–they were all my idea.”


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    My grandfather glimpsed at Ariel’s father before she continued his talk. “Ariel is a nice woman. I’ve


    heard so much about her, and I believe she will be your perfect wife.”


    “She isn’t going to be perfect for me. I’m even sure she is a golddigger too, just like her father!”


    “Enough!” My grandfather barked. “Enough, Luke. You will not continue to speak nonsense at Gray.”


    “I will speak however I please, especially when it concerns my life and mypany!” I retorted. I didn’t


    know what had gotten into me, but I was so crazy and mad as hell at the


    moment.


    Ariel’s father, Gray, stepped forward. “Luke, you need to understand the bigger picture here. Ariel is a


    nice woman; you two will be perfect, and everyone would want to have a rtionship like that between


    the both of you.”


    I scoffed at his words, my frustration reaching its boiling point. “I don’t give a damn about that stupid


    future. This is my life we’re talking about, and I refuse to be a pawn in your game.


    My grandfather’s gaze hardened. “You need to think about the greater good, the happiness you’ll find


    living with Ariel. Stop being ignorant!”


    I shook my head, refusing to back down. “I’m not being ignorant. I just don’t want to make a mistake


    that’s going to ruin my life forever.”


    A tense silence descended upon the room, broken only by the sound of my rapid breathing. I knew that


    this confrontation was far from over, but I also knew I had to stand my ground, no matter the cost.