CHAPTER FOUR:HIDDEN REASON
894 Words
“You can’t be serious right now, Mr. Ravencrest. This could literally be called abduction.”
Ariana’s voice trembled slightly despite her effort to sound firm. She paused, her eyes fixed on his face, searching—desperately searching—for even the slightest crack in his composure.
But there was nothing.
No hesitation.
No doubt.
No remorse.
Her fingers curled tightly at her sides as frustration burned through her.
This wasn’t what she expected.
This wasn’t how this was supposed to go.
“I’m not marrying you,” she repeated.
This time, it wasn’t just resistance.
It was a quiet attempt to convince herself.
“You will.”
The response came instantly.
Calm. Certain.
Unshaken.
“You don’t have a choice.”
Xavier Ravencrest stood before her like a man untouched by chaos, like someone who had already seen the end of a story she was still trying to understand.
“You sound so sure,” she said, her voice dropping, now laced with unease.
“Because I am.”
Something about the way he said it made her chest tighten.
And in that moment…
Ariana understood.
This wasn’t confidence.
This was preparation.
Whatever this arrangement was…
…it wasn’t unfolding.
It had already been planned.
Later that night…
Sleep refused to come.
Ariana paced the length of her room, her thoughts spiraling endlessly.
Nothing made sense.
The man she was supposed to marry showed no interest in her—not even the slightest. There was no warmth in his words, no emotion in his actions.
Everything about him felt… calculated.
Like she wasn’t a person.
Like she was part of something.
A step.
A requirement.
A means to an end.
She stopped walking.
What if I run?
The thought came suddenly.
Tempting. Dangerous.
But just as quickly, reality followed.
Her mother.
Her younger brother.
The Ravencrests were powerful—too powerful.
If she tried to escape, they wouldn’t just find her…
They would make her regret it.
And worse—
They could hurt the people she loved.
Her chest tightened.
No.
Running wasn’t an option.
But staying blindly?
That was even worse.
“I need answers,” she whispered.
And this time…
She meant it.
The next morning…
Ariana woke earlier than usual.
Far earlier.
Normally, she would have stayed curled in bed, especially on a day without lectures.
But today wasn’t normal.
Today, she needed the truth.
Quietly, she slipped out of her room, careful not to make a sound. The house was still, wrapped in the silence of early morning.
She moved toward her mother’s door and pressed her ear gently against it.
At first… nothing.
Then—
A voice.
Low. Careful.
“Yes… I’ll tell her… but please, give her time. This is all too sudden, and she’s not taking it well…”
Ariana froze.
Her heartbeat quickened.
Tell me what?
She leaned closer, holding her breath.
But then—
Footsteps.
Panic shot through her.
She quickly retreated, slipping back into her room and onto her bed just as the door creaked open.
Her mother stepped in slowly.
Ariana kept her eyes closed, steadying her breathing.
She felt her presence.
Watching.
Lingering.
“Only if you knew…” her mother whispered softly.
Ariana’s heart pounded.
Knew what?
Minutes later, the door closed.
Silence returned.
And Ariana’s eyes snapped open.
“I don’t have time,” she muttered, sitting up.
She waited just long enough to hear the front door shut before moving.
Fast.
Purposeful.
She went straight to her mother’s room.
Drawers. Wardrobe. Under the bed.
Nothing.
Her frustration grew with every second.
“Where is it…” she whispered, her movements becoming more desperate.
Then—
She stopped.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
There.
A brown file.
Half-hidden beneath the mattress.
Carefully placed.
Like it wasn’t meant to be found.
Her pulse quickened as she lifted the mattress just enough to pull it out.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she opened it.
She didn’t read everything.
She couldn’t.
But she saw enough.
Signatures.
Her father’s.
The Ravencrests’.
Dates.
Agreements.
Proof.
Her breath caught in her throat.
This wasn’t recent.
This wasn’t sudden.
This had been decided…
Long ago.
Later that evening…
“Ari.”
Her mother’s voice cut through the room.
Ariana turned slowly.
Something in the air had changed.
It felt heavier.
Colder.
“The date has been fixed.”
Ariana’s stomach dropped.
“What date?”
But she already knew.
She just didn’t want to hear it.
“Your wedding date.”
Silence.
Her world tilted.
“Already?” she whispered, her voice barely steady.
Her fingers tightened around the file she had hidden earlier.
“But… I wasn’t even involved,” she said, her voice rising slightly. “You said it was my wedding.”
Her eyes locked onto her mother’s.
“Then what is this?”
Her mother’s expression softened—but not with comfort.
With something else.
Something heavier.
“You don’t have a choice, Ari…”
A pause.
Then—
“This is bigger than you think.”
Ariana’s grip tightened.
Her mind raced.
Bigger than her?
Bigger than her life?
Her voice came out quieter this time.
More dangerous.
“…Then tell me.”
Her mother hesitated.
And for the first time—
She looked afraid
“If I tell you…”
She swallowed.
“…you won’t be able to walk away anymore.”
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