Chapter 9
Her friend’s eyes widened. “Aren’t you afraid he’ll overhear?”
“So what if he does?” Mia shrugged dismissively, “Men are all the same–give them a little sweetness and they’ll follow you anywhere,”
Standing in the shadows, Ariana wondered what Dominic’s expression would be if he heard these words.
How would the mighty North Shore heir react to discovering he was merely a backup option?
Huh. This is the woman you risked your life for, Dominic,
She smiled sardonically and walked away without alerting them to her presence,
After leaving the club, she went directly to the cemetery.
Ariana knelt before her mother’s headstone, gently wiping the dust from the photograph.
“Mom, I’m getting married. To the Sinclair heir–the one in a coma. It’s not so bad; at least he won’t cheat on me.”
The wind rustled the white chrysanthemums before the grave, like a silent response.
“Don’t worry, I won’t be like you,” she traced the cold stone with her fingertips. “Loving someone to the point of giving up your life for him–that’s foolish. I’ll live well, very well.”
As dusk fell, Ariana stood up, took one last look at her mother’s photograph, and turned to leave.
Back home, Ariana spent the entire night packing.
Clothes, jewelry, photo albums…
She organized everything methodically, preparing never to return.
As dawn broke, her phone buzzed.
[Account credited: $100,000,000]
Immediately after, her father called: “The Sinclairs are pushing hard. You need to leave today. I’ve transferred the hundred million as promised. As for Dominic…”
“I’ll have him report to the main house,” Ariana interrupted. “From today forward, he’s Mia’s bodyguard. I don’t want him anymore.”
After a moment of silence, her father suddenly softened his tone: “Ari, I’ve always loved you and your mother…”
“I used to think you were just morally bankrupt,” Ariana laughed. “Now I realize you’re truly disgusting.”
She hung up and blocked his number.
Chapter 9
Outside, the moving company’s truck had arrived.
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