The Governor's Daughter

Aria's POV. The first thing I hear is the beeping. Sharp, repetitive, insistent. Each pulse cuts through my skull like light piercing darkness. The ceiling above me looks white in a way nothing in my life has ever been—too bright, too honest. Hospitals always smell the same: disinfectant, quiet grief, and the faint trace of someone else's panic. It takes me a moment to realize the panic is mine. My mouth is dry, and my limbs feel disconnected. My memories come in pieces-Rin's laughter, neon lights, the bitter burn of pills on my tongue, a male stripper's muscular arms carrying me into the back room— and then nothing. Empty. A nurse notices my eyes open and freezes. For a moment, she simply stares at me. "Oh God," she breathes. "You're awake." She steps out quickly, her soft shoes whispering down the hall. A minute later, two policemen walk in. Their expressions are tight, rehearsed-performing professionalism. "Miss Donovan," one says, nodding stiffly. "We received a report last night. Drug overdose at a strip club. Your ah... identification was found in your bag." My stomach sinks. I knew my father's name must be echoing through every Police Radio in Austin by now. I try to sit up, but the room tilts violently. One of the officers grabs my shoulder, then quickly pulls his hand back as if touching me is forbidden. "The press caught wind of a call from this hospital," the older officer said. "They're already circling," the younger officer stated sharply. "Of course they are. The vultures never miss a meal," the older officer added. "We would like to ask you a few questions about last night." Before I can say a word about what happened, a man in a dark suit bursts into the room. He's breathing hard, face flushed with dread. It’s my father's Chief of Staff, Marlon Hayes. I’ve always found him attractive—in a feminine way, though. He's about 5'7’’, with a soft, slim chest that gives him a slightly gentle silhouette, a smooth face, and red lips I’ve always considered sexy. He’s very loyal to my father, always looking perpetually exhausted. "Out!" he snaps his fingers sharply at the officers. "Now!" "This is contained," he adds. They exchange a glance, but Marlon whispers something sharp and poisonous, and suddenly both officers remember better things to do. The door closes. Marlon pinches the bridge of his nose, as if trying to hold his soul inside his skull. "Aria," he says menacingly. "Do you have any idea what you almost did to your father?" "My father?" I scoffed. "I almost died, Marlon." "Yes," he says, exasperated. "And if you had, the press would be less trouble than this." He makes a flurry of phone calls—bribes, threats, reminders of favors owed. The hospital administrators look terrified. The journalists are escorted out by security. The police officers know better what to and what not to include in their statements. Power. Corruption. Desperation. If there was anything my father hated for his political career, it was scandals. I knew he would do whatever it takes to cover this up. Having served as Mayor for eight years and now nearing the end of his eight-year tenure as Governor of Texas, securing the Republican Presidential ticket was easy. He was now in a heated race for the presidency against Democratic Senator Alejandro Rivera. The last thing he wanted was his eighteen-year-old daughter's drug scandal making the news. It could ruin his campaign and ultimately destroy his political career. Within an hour, the overdose becomes an "allergic reaction." The strip club a misunderstanding. The entire night is erased carefully and tactfully. A black car waits outside. Tainted glasses. Sorry, Agent Griffin sits in the driver's seat. Silent. He’s my personal security detail. I can tell he still can’t wrap his head around how I sneaked out of the mansion that night. I was tired of my domineering parents, in a house where I was never shown love or affection. The truth is, I wanted to get laid that night—lose my virginity to a hot male stripper. An experienced, sexy man who was deserving of it. Maybe even get gang-banged if I got the chance. But here I am, my little fantasies shattered. Now I'm headed to face my cruel parents at home.