Arianna stepped down the stairs, her expression stoic and frozen.

Some people tried to engage her in a conversation here and there, but she immediately declined as she wobbled until she took a seat right next to Lilian.

"Girl, I’ve been searching for you. Where did those bastards take you, and what did they say?" Lilian questioned. However, when she saw Arianna’s empty eyes, she quickly held back the rest of the questions that almost slipped past her lips. "Is something the matter?" She asked, concern evident in her voice.

Arianna shook her head. "It’s nothing," she responded, but it barely came out as a whisper.

Lilian’s worries deepened. She feared that Logan and Vivian might have done something to her.

She quickly scanned her body, but she didn’t spot any injuries.

She reached out her hand and held Arianna’s, bringing the latter’s attention back to her.

"Are you sure you’re good? Do you want to talk about it?" She asked softly.

Arianna stared at Lilian with a tight lip.

How was she supposed to tell Lilian that she’d been a fool for the past seven years? She’d loved the man who only saw her as a puppet, the very same man she would have laid down her life so if there was ever a need for that.

Arianna shook her head. She was too embarrassed to say anything. Her lips quivered, telling her if she opened them, she was going to sob—she was going to sob over a man that wasn’t even worth a drop of her tears.

She shook her head harder this time.

"It’s nothing," she repeated.

Lilian didn’t believe her. Arianna looked so disoriented. She wanted to probe, get Arianna to tell her what was wrong but she felt this wasn’t the perfect time.

She simply caressed Arianna’s hand softly, a gentle reminder that she was always around whenever she wanted to talk about it later.

"Mummy?" The voice of a young girl suddenly called out.

Arianna stiffened as she turned to the direction of the voice and found Clara holding her stuffed teddy bear.

She remembered the teddy bear—it was the same one she’d gotten for her birthday a few months ago.

Clara had a smile on her lips as she ran up to Arianna, wrapping her arms around her legs.

"Mummy, I missed you," her high pitched face gained a few attention. "I thought I would never see you again, but here you are. Let’s play with Mr. Boogle."

Mr. Boogle was the name of the teddy bear.

Arianna simply stared at Clara as if she’d just lost her mind.

This was the same girl who accused her of ruining her parent’s relationship even though she was just finding out who her real mother was.

She’d completely discarded her, accused her of things she never thought her own daughter would say to her one day.

Lilian glanced awkwardly at Arianna and then Clara before she pulled the girl towards her.

"Arianna can’t play with you right now. Go to your mummy and daddy," she said, an edge to her tone.

"Don’t touch me! I want to play with my mummy!" Clara yelled. Then she yanked her hands free from Lilian and hopped towards Arianna. "Play with me mummy."

Arianna stared at the girl. This was the same girl who’d accused her of trying to ruin her parent’s relationship. She was standing before her now, demanding she played with her as if she didn’t remember the things she’d said to her.

"I’m not your mummy," Arianna said coldly.

Clara’s face flashed with hurt.

Although it hurt Arianna to see her like that, there was nothing she could do. She needed to toughen her heart against these people especially after what Logan had told her a few minutes ago.

"B-but—"

"Your mother is Vivian, not me. Is that clear?" She questioned with a sharp tone that caused the little girl to flinch, quickly taking a step back.

Clara’s lips quivered as her eyes moistened.

"How can she be so heartless talking to her child like that?" A guest murmured.

"I understand that she’s not the real mother, I mean, she never was, she only adopted the girl but found out about the truth later, but still, that doesn’t warrant her coldness towards the girl."

"I agree. She should channel that energy on the husband who lied to her, not the poor girl."

Arianna’s fist tightened when she heard their words. They only had the mouth to talk because they didn’t know the full story.

To everyone present, she was being wicked by pushing the child she raised away, the same child that her ex husband made her believe was an orphan, when in fact, she was his biological daughter he’d brought in for her to raise as her own, only for him to throw the truth to her face like dirt later.

But this was the best way.

Indeed, it may hurt but what has happened has happened. She only needed the pain to hurt one last time and then she’d be free to deal with them as she pleased.

"Shut up!" Lilian suddenly snapped, not caring if some of the guests were powerful enough to make her face a consequence later. "You don’t know anything and yet, you’re talking as if you know everything. Also, I’m very sure neither of you can accept the betrayal Arianna went through. Imagine raising a child for years only for you to find out it’s your husband’s child with another woman. Tell me, would you have reacted any differently?"

The murmuring guests immediately shut their lips tight and turned their heads away.

"That’s what I thought," she mumbled to herself, glaring at their backs.

Arianna glanced at Clara who was still staring at her with tear filled eyes.

Exhaustion suddenly dropped on her shoulders like a boulder.

She didn’t even do anything tonight, and yet, her brain needed rest.

"Mummy—"

Arianna didn’t wait for her to finish her sentence before she stood up and left the table.

Daemon saw her and tried to talk to her, but she ignored everyone, every sound as she marched out of the mansion with a silent promise.

Then her phone suddenly rang with a text. She wanted to ignore it but she still forced herself to check, only to find the message was from her family, her father.

**

Arianna marched stood in front of the restaurant, her body trembling from fear as she forced herself to walk.

Daemon was walking right beside her, humming a song without a single care in the world.

Sometimes, she wondered how someone as casual as him lasted long in the mafia world, talking more of being a leader at that matter.

Last night, she’d received a text from her father who quickly demanded an explanation to what he was seeing on the internet.

Apparently, he’d seen the photos taken, the videos and the hand placement with Daemon.

They’d seen everything.

Arianna was aware she didn’t have much time because her relationship with daemon would be released one day or the other.

However, she wasn’t expecting it to be this soon.

She could only imagine the look of fear in his gaze the moment she walked into that restaurant.

The door opener, and the cool wave of AC immediately showered on her but it did nothing to calm her nerves.

Spotting her family from the diners wasn’t difficult.

Occupying the largest section of the restaurant, they stood out like a sore thumb. The other customers cautiously glanced at them while others held their phones with the dial button open on the screen, in case 911 needed to be contacted immediately.

As soon as she made eye contact with her father, her heart skipped a beat.

Beside him was Cassian, Christian with Josephine sitting right opposite them with a tired look.

Mr. Wesley’s eyes shifted from his daughter to the large man standing right beside her, the son of his enemy.

"Father," Daemon called with so much familiarity in his voice. He reached forward and wrapped an arm around the man in a brief, completely stunning the old man. "It’s nice to finally meet you."

Mr. Wesley gazed shifted from Daemon to his daughter, silently demanding an explanation.

However, Arianna couldn’t say a word.

"Arianna, explain yourself," said Cassian, his tone heavy while his eyes narrowed at Daemon. "Did he put you to this? Did you threaten you?" He questioned, sitting up and marched toward Daemon, standing in front of the man with narrowed suspicious eyes. "What did he say to you that made you agree to marry this man?"

Arianna still couldn’t speak.

"What exactly did he say?" Christian added. Then he paused for a moment. "Did he say you owed him because he saved your life two months ago?"

Cassian’s gaze hardened on Daemon while he resisted the urge to shoot the man right then and there.

"No! He never threatened me," she responded. Everyone stared at her, waiting for her to continue. Arianna turned to her father. "I married Daemon so you can have the weapons you need to fight Sanchez."

Mr. Wesley was stunned for a moment. The war was getting closer. He was still trying to find a supplier to get him the weapons he needed but that didn’t mean he needed his youngest daughter marrying the daughter of an enemy just to help him.

"You told me about the offer he made you, and what did I say?" Mr. Wesley questioned, his fist clenching by his side. "I told you that Daemon Langford couldn’t be trusted. Do you really think he’s going to give us weapons without having an ulterior motive?"