Into Your Heart

Chapter One

~♡Aria♡~

Click, Click, Click.

The cameras went on and on, lights everywhere. Reporters and paparazzi took photos of people on the red carpet. Models and celebrities—both upcoming and already famous ones—filled everywhere posing and smiling for the cameras.

You might ask what was going on? Well, it was the hottest event of the year.

The Bella’s meet and greet A.k. A matchmaking gala. It was a gala for mostly celebrities to meet and interact with new celebrities or important people, be it for love or connections, whatever reason it was, as long as you met new people and had a good time. It was a take the day off party for just famous people and not any party, a very rich one filled with tones of people who smelt like money. The gala got its good deed and fame when a good number of celebrities and people who attended met their soulmates or lovers through this gala and, surprisingly, those who found love never got divorced or broke up. It reeked of good and positivity like the god and goddess of love were present. No one ever wanted to miss that. Sure, yes, some people didn’t want to attend, but that didn’t stop the gala from sowing its good love seed to anyone who attended. Now to get into the ball, one had to be invited only by the gala and getting an invitation was like trying to shift the sun from where it stood to the back of planet Pluto.

But as time went by, the gala changed and normal people were invited.

Though an invitation only was the rule, the gala was for normal people with little to no fame to join in the meet and greet, but they had to have a god of wealth behind them or win the invitation like winning a lotto.

The security was so tight that people who tried to get in illegally were sent to prison for a couple of years or less. That was how hot and famous the gala was, and I happened to be there.

Why? ‘cause of a dare.

My client —a celebrity by name Rina Gonzalez—was invited, and she was so thrilled when she got the invitation card, it was like a dream come true for her; she begged me to make the most fabulous dress for her.

"Oh, dear miss, you don’t know how important this gala is to me, maybe I’ll get to meet my soulmate there" she squealed, jumping around like a little child that was high on sugar.

“So what do you aspire your gown to be?” She stopped jumping around and turned to me as I looked at her from under my glasses that rested on the bridge of my nose, then she came down from the bed she was jumping on.

“You know for a celebrity, if someone saw you jumping around like that you’ll be in the headlines, and it won’t be a good one,” she scoffed at my words and held my hands, “that’s why dear Aria”—she used my real name—“you’re the only one who sees it unless you go to tattle to the reporters and expose your identity too” she replied with a sly smile on her face, I rolled my eyes at her words and laughed,

“So what kind of dress do you wish for me to make?”

“I want something fabulous, something new that screams sexy, passionate but at the same time looks elegant and poised. You can do that, right?” she asked with a cute pleading facial expression she always used to gain something she wanted from people like me.

‘Seriously’

“Sure, I can” I said, giving her a fake smile at her ridiculous request.

“Ah! I knew it, you’re the best”. She kissed my cheeks and cat-walked into her bathroom whilst humming love in the air. Shaking my head, I closed my notes I used to take her measurements and packed my tools about to take my leave before she popped her head out of the door.

"Stop" she suddenly yelled, and I stopped, then turned to her. "What?" she rushed over with a mischievous smile on her face.

“You know you owe me one wish when you lost the dare” she wiggled her eyebrows,

‘Oh no' I facepalmed myself mentally,

“Isn’t this dress your wish?”

“What? No, the dress is client to client, celebrity to designer”

“You’re a fabulous designer and an amazing one for that matter, so I know you can do it and I trust you, however...” she drawled on and came up to me, hugging me from behind, then resting her face on my shoulders with a smirk I was very sure of was on her face.

“My wish is simple, which is that you’re coming with me”.

Another interesting fact about the gala is the one invited can come with a plus one. The gala was also a mini-fundraiser, so, of course, even with the strictness, there was still a need for business, money had to be made.

I was not famous as Aria Whiteman, but I was famous as Dora Rose, the anonymous fashion designer, but since my identity is hidden and no one knows except for Rina, I had never been invited.

Though Dora Rose was famous among celebrities who came to find me to design their clothes for galas, balls, shows and music videos, I still wasn’t that famous in the public eyes. I keep my identity hidden for my peace of mind, and it really is hard to keep one’s identity hidden, especially in the entertainment world which I mistakenly got into or maybe not mistakenly, but I truly didn’t want this life. It made good money, but there was no time for myself.

Rina has been a close friend of mine from college before she became an actress. You could call her my best friend too. I, on the other hand, ventured into fashion. My passion for style and, fortunately, my designs became popular among celebrities. I started getting offers to design dresses for famous and rich people.

Rina sought me out to design a dress for her but found out my identity by recognizing my voice during a direct phone call between the both of us instead of her manager. Since then, we met secretly and grew closer enough to call her my best friend. She agreed to keep my secret, so I can live the peaceful life I wanted, but it really hasn’t been peaceful at all.

“What?” I turned, giving her a look of disbelief.

“What’s there to lose, Ari? You could go out there and identify as my sister and have fun, get loose, break a little rule, take care of this boring life you live, have some passionate man and f**k—”

“Hold up miss, there’s nothing wrong with my lifestyle. I love it just the way it is, and it stays that way. By the way, everyone knows you’re an only child. Worse, going to that ball will put my peaceful life in jeopardy, especially going as your sister! And in case you’ve forgotten, there’s a reason I kept my identity hidden. So sorry, not sorry if it annoys you, but this is my life, my choice. Are you forgetting that?”

“And for your information, I don’t need a man or whatever, I’m very much happy and pleased with the way I live”, I defended.

“Of course you do,” she rolled her eyes.

“Anyway, I'll figure out what you will be coming as, but you’re coming with me whether you like it or not and that's my wish, or you can pay me the 10,000 dollars penalty fee” she smirked, palm stretched to take the money if I said no.

‘That darn dare'

Ugh, I wished I could wipe that silly smirk off that face, if only her fans knew you for what she truly was. It’s just one night...again. Ugh this little minx! I was having an internal conflict, contemplating if I needed to pay that hilarious amount for just a simple stupid dare. I refused to comply with or go to a party filled with a bunch of lonely, desperate people.

“Fine!” I agreed, feeling defeated, again.

“Yes!!” she yelped in victory, punching the air.

“But no introducing me to anyone or no ‘Fabulous’ dress for you to meet your ‘darling Mr. Right’” I warned, pointing my two fingers at my eyes, then hers.

“What? No fair!” she wailed in disapproval, a stern scowl visible on her face

“I’m serious” I warned, squinting my eyes at her act of defiance to my proposal.

“Ria! —” she pouted.

“No”

“But—”

“No and that’s my final answer or no dress”. I stood firmly with my head high, hands folded, daring her to keep complaining so she would be at a loss for both dress and my presence to be her chaperon.

“Alright, Alright! I won’t...sheesh. Just get my dress done,” she sighed, surrendering, face down. Oh, I know that move young lady, and it ain’t working this time. I smirked at my victory.

“You are one difficult lady, you know that?” She scowled. “Charmed”, I said proudly. Rina can be very persuasive, and she was good at getting what she wanted, but not today. I didn’t want to give it all to her.

“How are you ever going to get a man with that attitude of yours? And don’t give me that bullcrap, you don’t need a man.”

I shrugged at her comment “whatever.”

And that was how I got there with her as her chaperone to a matchmaking gala for people who wanted to be matchmaked. I really hate being in the spotlight, and I was in the spotlight. The cameras flashed blindly, cameramen yelling at the attendees to pose so they could take a good photo. I wasn’t up for that.

On our arrival, she insisted we take a picture. It took a lot of threats for her to let me be, while she ran to take pictures. I was nervous around cameras; I didn’t like the attention. I hoped the night would turn out to be a good and peaceful one without Rina pushing me around.