CHAPTER ONE:THE ARRANGEMENT REVEAL
1265 Words
Arianna didn’t understand what her mother was saying at first.
Or maybe she did—but it all sounded like a joke.
Until no one laughed.
---
“Hey, Mom, I’m going out with Brittany later,” Arianna said, slipping on her sandals. “We planned a little picnic at Beverly Hills Park this afternoon. We haven’t done this in a while, so… yeah, just something small.”
Her mother tilted her head slightly. “And when exactly do you plan on returning? It’s already a few minutes past twelve.”
Arianna sighed dramatically. “Mom, you worry too much. You know I don’t stay out late. Let’s just say….i will be back before you know it.
Her mother exhaled, shaking her head faintly. “Who can stop little Miss Arianna?”
Arianna grinned. “Absolutely no one.”
They both laughed, but just as Arianna reached the door, her mother’s voice stopped her.
“Ari.”
There was something in it. Something… heavy.
“Make sure you get back on time. We have something urgent to discuss.”
Arianna turned, frowning slightly. “What kind of—”
Her phone rang.
Brittany.
“Ari, where in the freaking hell are you?” Brittany’s voice burst through the speaker. “I’ve been waiting at the bus stop forever!”
Arianna laughed. “Relax, drama queen. I’m on my way.”
She grabbed her bag, glanced back at her mother, and mouthed, I love you.
Then she was gone.
---
“Ari!”
Brittany waved wildly from across the park. “Look at you! That red top? The one I picked, right? Don’t answer—I already know I have good taste.”
Arianna rolled her eyes, laughing as she approached. “You’re unbelievable.”
They spread out the picnic cloth together, setting up snacks and drinks. Brittany flopped down immediately, doing absolutely nothing.
Arianna sighed. “And someone here was just complaining that I wasn’t taking this picnic seriously.”
Brittany shot up. “Excuse me—”
She nearly tripped over her dress, and Arianna burst into laughter.
Not far from them, a black SUV sat parked quietly.
Unnoticed.
Watching.
---
“Hey, Bri, I’ll be right back,” Arianna said after a while. “I need to use the restroom. And don’t finish those chips—leave some for me.”
“No promises,” Brittany muttered.
Arianna shook her head and walked toward the restroom.
Then she saw it.
The black SUV.
Her steps slowed.
Something about it felt… wrong.
Familiar.
A cold wave crept up her arms, and the smile on her lips faded instantly. Her chest tightened for no reason she could explain.
Who was inside?
She stared a moment longer, but the windows were tinted—dark, unreadable.
Arianna swallowed hard and quickly looked away, brushing off the feeling as she continued to the restroom.
---
“You look like something’s chasing you,” Brittany teased when she returned.
Arianna forced a small smile. “Nothing. I just… think we should head home soon.”
Brittany frowned. “That’s not like you. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine,” Arianna said quickly. “Really.”
---
By the time she got home, the uneasiness hadn’t left.
“Ariri!” Zikora squealed, running toward her. “Carry me!”
Arianna laughed softly, lifting him into her arms and spinning him gently. His laughter filled the room, light and carefree.
“Arianna.”
Her mother’s voice cut through the moment.
Arianna set Zikora down and walked toward the dining area, where her mother stood arranging plates.
“How was the picnic?” she asked.
“It was fine.”
That was when Arianna noticed it.
The air felt… heavy.
“Mom… are you okay?”
Her mother didn’t answer immediately.
She avoided eye contact.
That was the first sign.
“Arianna,” she said finally, her voice unusually low.
“Yes, Mom?”
Her fingers tightened against each other.
“There’s something I should have told you a long time ago.”
Arianna let out a small, uneasy laugh. “That doesn’t sound scary at all.”
“It concerns your father.”
The humor vanished.
Arianna straightened. “What about him?”
Her mother took a slow breath.
“Before your father died… he made arrangements.”
Arianna frowned. “What kind of arrangements?”
“Ones meant to secure your future. Our future.”
“That’s very vague, Mom.”
“There is an inheritance tied to those arrangements.”
Arianna’s stomach tightened. “Okay… and?”
“It comes with a condition.”
Silence fell between them.
And suddenly, that same cold feeling from earlier returned.
The black SUV.
Arianna swallowed. “What condition?”
Her mother looked directly at her.
“You have to marry him.”
The words didn’t register.
“…What?”
“You have to marry him,” her mother repeated, steady and firm. “It was agreed upon.”
Arianna stared at her—then laughed.
A short, disbelieving laugh.
“That’s not funny.”
“I’m not joking.”
“No. No, you have to be joking.” Arianna stepped back, shaking her head. “Marry who? What are you even saying?”
Her mother didn’t hesitate this time.
“Xavier Ravencrest.”
The name hit like a blow.
Arianna’s breath caught.
Dark tinted windows.
A black SUV.
That suffocating feeling.
“No,” she said immediately. “No. Absolutely not.”
“It’s already arranged.”
“I don’t care!” Arianna snapped. “You don’t just decide I’m getting married like it’s some kind of business deal!”
“It is a business deal,” her mother said, her composure cracking slightly. “One that keeps this family from losing everything your father built.”
Arianna froze.
“…What do you mean ‘losing everything’?”
Her mother faced her fully now.
“The house. The accounts. The shares. Everything is tied to this agreement.”
Arianna’s chest tightened. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“It doesn’t have to,” her mother said quietly. “It just has to be done.”
“No.” Arianna shook her head, backing away. “You can’t decide this for me. I’m not marrying a stranger because of a deal I knew nothing about.”
“He’s not a stranger.”
“Then what is he?” Arianna demanded. “Because right now, it sounds like you just handed my life over to someone I’ve never even met.”
Her mother hesitated.
And that hesitation said everything.
Arianna’s voice dropped, sharper now. “Mom… what aren’t you telling me?”
Her mother looked away.
“It’s too late to change it.”
Arianna let out a shaky breath. “So that’s it? That’s all I am? A condition? A transaction?”
“I’m trying to protect you,” her mother said softly. “You and your brother.”
“By forcing me into a marriage?” Arianna laughed bitterly. “That’s protection?”
“If you don’t do this,” her mother said firmly, “we lose everything.”
Everything.
The word hung in the air like a sentence.
Arianna swallowed hard, her throat tightening—but she refused to cry.
“You should have told me.”
“I couldn’t.”
“You should have.”
Silence fell.
Heavy. Final.
Arianna took a step back, her voice barely a whisper.
“I’m not doing it.”
Her mother didn’t move.
“It’s not a choice, Ari.”
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