The Ruthless Billionaire's Revenge

The Blackwood Family

Aria's POV

Adrian and I entered The Aurelia, one of Beverly Hills' most exclusive restaurants. Everything about the place screamed wealth.

The polished marble floors gleamed beneath the soft golden lights, while elegantly dressed servers moved quietly between tables. Even the surrounding conversations were low, as though everyone understood that privacy was another luxury money could buy.

We were escorted to one of the private suites tucked away from the main dining area. Adrian pulled out a chair for me, and I murmured my thanks before sitting. A waitress entered a few moments later with two iPads for our orders.

She smiled politely, but her eyes lingered on Adrian a little longer than necessary blushing slightly . I narrowed my eyes. Seriously?

She eventually looked away and handed us the iPads. I opened the menu and began scrolling. My stomach growled. I'd barely eaten anything since morning, and the sight of all the food was making my hunger worse. Then I saw it.

Pierogi ruskie.

My eyes lit up. Without thinking twice, I selected it and added caramelized onions and sour cream. I didn't even notice Adrian staring at me until I took a sip of water.

"I didn't know you knew how to eat Polish food," he muttered, leaning back in his chair as he drummed his fingers against the table.

My heart dropped as I bit my lip. s**t. I'd been so hungry that the moment I'd seen something from my home country, I'd forgotten myself. I deliberately picked up my glass and gulped down the entire thing, buying myself a few seconds to think. "I-I actually learned it online." The lie came out so quickly that I winced internally.

Adrian didn't look convinced. Not even a little. "Am I supposed to believe that?" He smiled. I opened my mouth to answer, but before I could, he tilted his head. "Are you Polish?"

My heart slammed against my rib cage. Has he found out already? No. That was impossible. If Adrian had somehow discovered who I really was, I would probably be in prison by now.

Before I could answer, the waitress returned with our food. I had never been so grateful for an interruption in my entire life. She placed the plates in front of us and walked away. The moment I saw my pierogi, my stomach practically screamed.

I picked up my fork and started eating. The first bite nearly made me close my eyes. The familiar taste hit my tongue, bringing back memories I hadn't allowed myself to think about in years. My grandfather's kitchen. The smell of onions frying. The warmth of home.

For a moment, I forgot where I was. I forgot who I was pretending to be. I simply ate. And ate. And ate.

"Slow down, Ariana." Adrian's voice pulled me back to reality. I looked up to find him watching me."I know you're hungry, but take your time. You're going to choke on it."

I nodded, but the moment another bite reached my mouth, I couldn't help myself. The pierogi tasted exactly like home. My eyes actually watered.

Adrian sighed. He looked genuinely concerned as he watched me devour the food, occasionally shaking his head while eating his own meal. "Honestly," he muttered, cutting into his steak. "I've never seen anyone attack food like this."

I ignored him.

For the first time in a lon whle , I wasn't thinking about the agency. I wasn't thinking about some stolen information. I wasn't thinking about the fact that I was leaving the country in a few days. I was simply eating.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Adrian's voice made me pause. My mouth was far too full to ask what he meant, so I simply stared at him.

He chuckled. "I've spoken quite a lot about you to my family." I swallowed. His expression suddenly became far too pleased. "My grandmother has been pestering me to bring you to meet her." My stomach dropped.

"So we'll be visiting her tomorrow."

The shock hit me so suddenly that the food went down the wrong pipe. I began coughing violently. Adrian immediately stood. "Ariana!". He moved behind me, patting my back until I could finally breathe again. He grabbed my glass and handed it to me. "Drink."

I took it, gulping down the water while trying to calm my racing heart. Adrian crouched beside me, his brows drawn together. "Are you okay?"

I nodded quickly. "I'm fine."

But I wasn't. Not even close. Because Adrian had no idea what he'd just done. He'd just invited me into the one place I was never supposed to go. His family. The powerful Blackwood family.The very people the agency had specifically ordered me never to be seen by.

And now Adrian expected me to sit across from his grandmother tomorrow and pretend to be the woman he believed I was. I lowered my gaze to my plate. My appetite was gone.

If only he knew. Meeting Adrian's family was the least of my problems. The real question was—

How was I supposed to walk into the Blackwood family's home when I'd been ordered never to let them see me at all?