Chapter 22
Ariel
The car rode slowly into the parking lot of the airport and I hissed for the umpteenth time, yawning in exhaustion while I trained my attention on some of the passengers who dragged their luggage into the airline’s check-in counter and another set of passengers who sat patiently at the lounge.
I didn’t bother to check what the others were doing as I was already getting irritated by Dmitri’s silence.
It was raining rather heavily and I was supposed to be in the attic, enjoying how the rain pattered on the roof and the cool breeze that carried the scent of wet ground since I wasn’t sure he’d allow me to play under the rain, but here I was, acting as his escort.
Unable to tighten the lid on my curiosity, I asked him the question. “Why are we here again?” I made sure the annoyance in my tone was audible.
“Just be patient, you’ll see,”
“I don’t want to see anything. Why did you drag me out of the house without any explanation anyway? Agreed, I don’t have much to do with my life but I also don’t want to be around,”
Thankfully the privacy glass in our limousine was up so the chauffeur could overhear our conversation although I didn’t care if he did.
“And I also don’t want to be with you, you little pest but do you want your friend to get drenched by the rain?” He asked brusquely and my eyes bulged in realization and my jaw slackened for a second.
“We are here to pick Guilia up?” My lips stretched into a wide grin. “For the first time in this marriage, you’ve done something that I really like. If you continue like this, maybe I’ll fall for you,” I teased him.
He snorted very loudly and adjusted his mask, checking his wristwatch. “This will be my last attempt at being kind to you and remember my warning. You’ll be hurting yourself if you fall for someone like me,”
I waved his words off and giggled. “I rather fall into a cow’s dung than to allow my heart to race for a man I don’t even know how he looks.” I retorted and jumped out of the car happily
The droplets of the rain on my skin fueled my excitement and I dashed towards the waiting area in search of her, ignoring Dmitri’s warning for me to slow down.
With Guilia here, I’d never be bored again. He could go to hell for all I care and I’d be good.
I caught the sight of some men scrutinizing the area with a petite lady on a face cap in their midst. Without a doubt, I knew it had to be her so I resumed my sprint toward their direction.
As if she noticed my presence, she lifted her face from her phone and the glare that was pasted on her face turned into a bright smile as she got to her feet.
“Ariel…” She screamed and I stretched my arms, running toward her.
We met halfway and engulfed each other in a tight embrace. My eyes became misty as she rested her head on the crook of my neck, her body trembling.
I felt some wetness on my blouse and it hurt me that she wasn’t just crying because of how much she missed me, but because she had lost a loved one for my sake. How we remained friends was still a mystery to me.
“It’s fine, you can let it all out,” I ran my fingers gently through her hair.
She nodded and continued crying until we heard someone clearing his throat behind us. Even without taking a backward glance, I already knew who it was.
“Are you done with the cry party?”
I disregarded his question and pulled her face tenderly away from my body. “Where are your bags? I’ll help you with them,” I offered.
She shook her head. “There’s no need for that. The men should do that, after all, that’s the little they can do to atone for their sins,” She glared at them with bitterness in her voice.
“Let’s get going then,” I said.
******
Back in the house, Guilia was seated beside me with Dmitri standing in front of us, his behind him.
“I have to be somewhere so I’ll be quick. Guilia, I don’t know the real reason you asked to come here after what you did and truly, I don’t care, but I request that you be on your best behavior during your stay here. You aren’t allowed to go out without your bodyguard and you must inform me beforehand if you want to leave the house. Do you hear me?”
“Yes, sir,”
“I spoke to Ariel’s father, that’s why your father allowed you to come over, but he has only permitted you to be here for a month so make the most of it because you might not be getting this opportunity next time,” He concluded and I stifled a fake yawn.
“Sir, yes, sir. We hear you,” I stood up. “Where are you off to by the way? Aren’t you supposed to be with your dear family by this time?” I asked, aiming to rile him up.
He fixed a cold gaze on me for a second and walked away without responding while I snickered audibly, hoping he heard it.
Guilia wore an amused look and a chuckle cracked through her lips. “Is that how you both behave? I expected worse,”
“Do you know that man locked me up in the basement because I tried to get acquainted with his daughter?” I whispered when we got into my room.
Her eyes widened in surprise. “He has a daughter?”
“It’s a secret so don’t tell anyone about it. If he finds out that I told you, I don’t know what he’ll do,”
She nodded and collapsed on the bed, letting out an exhausted sigh and then she faced me. “Thank you so much for helping me out of that house. I was almost losing my sanity in there. Father kept me under house arrest and he even hit Mother for trying to defend me. I despise him,”
My heart broke and I grabbed her hands. “Listen to me, Guilia. No matter what happens, don’t allow yourself to get into my situation. If it’s possible, run away,”
“There’s no need for that because they’ll still find me, that’s why I’m going to lose my virginity,”
“Huh? I thought you did it with him?” I referred to Raphael.
She shook her head, her eyes dimming with sadness. “We were waiting for our wedding night. He said that he didn’t want to dishonor me by taking my virginity when I wasn’t legally his. I should have persuaded him to do it, at least it wouldn’t have to be with a random guy,”
“Don’t you think it’s risky?”
She smirked confidently and her eyes sparked with anger. “Why did you think I came here?” She laughed. “My father wants me to get married to an old geezer whom I heard unalived his late wife, but how do you think he’ll feel when I tell him that I’m no longer the innocent woman he thinks I am?”