Ariana’s POV

As soon as I left the dance floor, I angrily returned home. It was already nightfall. The house where my mother had stayed before all of this was filled with packed boxes and missing furniture the moment I stepped inside. My mother had given away more than half of our belongings.

I sighed as I slipped out of the dress. I was exhausted, and I couldn’t get a certain annoying face out of my head. I made my way to my room. I had already packed all my belongings and left only my bed. As soon as I got there, I collapsed onto it.

A sudden shake pulled me from my slumber, and I woke to see that it was already morning. My mother stood before me, her eyes filled with anger.

Sitting up, I glanced at her and saw she was fully dressed, which meant she had just arrived specifically to scold me.

“Good morning, Mum,” I greeted, but her frown showed she was furious, and I knew this wasn’t going to be a pleasant conversation.

“How dare you?” she snapped.

“How dare I what?” I shot back at her.

Her response was a sharp slap across my face, leaving me stunned as pain shot through my body.

“You humiliated the family by leaving so abruptly. Not only did you leave Damien on the dance floor, but you also caused a scene,” she accused, glaring at me.

“I did nothing. I only left because I was exhausted and needed to rest,” I replied while holding my cheek and glaring up at her.

“You have no right to slap me, Mum. I did nothing,” I added angrily, but she brushed it off and pulled out her phone to show me a damning article: “Billionaire’s Stepdaughter Unhappy About Her Mother’s Union.”

I stared at the article in shock. I tried to speak but couldn’t find the words. This was my life now. I was now a billionaire’s daughter.

“You could have at least pretended to be happy for me, Ariana. I know you’re unhappy about the whole arrangement, but it is for our good,” my mother scolded, glaring at me.

“You're good, Mother, not mine. I’m content where I am,” I shot back, and she rolled her eyes.

“Oh, please, you ungrateful brat. The general public will now monitor your actions, and I won’t have you ruin this for me, not now or ever. So you will be coming with us to New York,” she said, and I looked at her in shock.

“What?” I said as I stood from the bed. I had everything figured out for myself. I had rented a cheap apartment and gotten a job as a waitress. I couldn’t let her ruin this for me.

“Oh, you heard me right. I spoke to Brian, and he is willing to overlook your actions, but you will need to be monitored to avoid damaging this family's good name. You will move to New York with us and be given a job at Black Corporation. This is a rare opportunity,” she concluded.

“Why are you doing this? Why force me into a life I don’t want?” I pleaded, desperation seeping into my voice.

Her cold, unmoved eyes met mine as she replied, “This is for your own good, girl. How would it look if you stayed here struggling for a few pounds while I’m living my dream life?”

“They’ll soon see you for who you are, and I won’t be there when you get dragged down for being a gold-digging bitch,” I snapped.

She raised her hand to slap me again, but I caught it midair as she stared at me with hatred.

“Don’t ruin this for me, or I swear I will kill you,” she replied before yanking her hand away.

“You have no choice but to come with us. You have five minutes to get ready,” she added before walking out of my room, her heels clicking against the floor.

As she stormed out, my mind raced. I knew she was right about one thing. If the Blacks had agreed to give me a job, then I would be earning my own money, and in a few months, I could become independent.

Rushing up, I pulled on my hoodie and jeans and hurried outside to join my mother in the SUV parked in front of our yard.

I settled into the car beside her. Judging by her expression, I could tell she intended to ignore me.

I leaned back in my seat, gazing out the window. The scenery passed in a blur, and when I grew bored, I leaned back against the seat and closed my eyes, trying to remember when everything in my life had felt normal and unrushed.

After what felt like only a few moments, the car came to a stop. I sat up, expecting to see the hotel's familiar façade, but the surroundings were different. No, this wasn’t a hotel. The noise around me made it obvious we were at an airport, and so did the large planes that came into view. Confusion crept over me.

My mother swiftly exited the car without a word, and I followed, struggling to keep pace with her quick footsteps.

Catching up, I asked, “Mum, why are we here?”

She scoffed dismissively. “I thought I told you we were going to New York.”

“What? I can’t leave yet. I thought you were going to give me time to pack my things and say goodbye to my friends,” I protested. I couldn’t just leave without saying goodbye to Freya, and I still had valuables back at home.

“Stop all this nonsense. Whatever you had, you’ll get double once we land,” she dismissed.

Before I could respond, I spotted the private jet that I assumed would take us to New York.

As we approached, I caught sight of Damien conversing with a man in a sleek suit. He looked unbelievably handsome, his presence commanding attention, and seeing him brought back memories of that forbidden night. When our eyes met, he smirked, and I quickly looked away. I knew I had to stop whatever I was feeling before things became even more complicated.

As I shifted my focus, I noticed my mother wrapped in the arms of her newlywedded husband. Their embrace looked genuine as they kissed, but I looked away, feeling like an outsider.

Once they pulled apart, my mother whispered something into Brian’s ear, and I noticed him glance at me.

Brian approached and extended a friendly hand. “I’m Brian. It’s good to meet you officially,” he said warmly.

I had never officially met Brian before. My mother had announced only a week ago that she was getting married, so this was my first time meeting him. I could tell he was genuinely a nice man, but how he had fallen for someone like my mother remained a mystery to me.

I could feel my mother glaring at me as though daring me to mess this up, so I forced a smile and shook Brian’s hand.

“It’s nice to meet you, too, Mr. Brian,” I responded.

“Ah, don’t do that. Feel free to call me Dad,” he said gently.

I froze at his words. Memories of calling someone “Dad” echoed in my mind. I remembered staying up late at night waiting for my father to come home. Whenever he did, he would bring candy. On nights when my mother was out, my father would stay up with me, and we’d have tea parties together.

Trying to maintain my composure, I smiled at Brian. I could tell he knew nothing about my mother’s past relationships. If he did, maybe he would change his mind.

“Now that’s settled, join me inside. I’d like to get to know you,” he said as he held my hand and led me up the stairs of the jet.

I could feel my mother’s silent warning gaze telling me to behave as I followed Brian into the luxurious plane.

Soon, I was seated on a plush couch, watching Damien and my mother enter the jet. Damien took a seat opposite me and greeted, “Hi, sister,” with a mischievous smirk. His handsome face brought memories rushing back into my mind, and his smirk widened as if he knew exactly what he was doing.

I forced a polite response. “Hi.”

“Oh, don’t mind her. Once she gets to know you better, she’ll open up more. She’s just shy,” my mother chimed in with a laugh, and Brian joined her.

“Oh, I can’t wait to get to know her, too. I can already tell she can be wild when she wants to,” Damien replied, his smirk growing wider. I knew he was teasing me about what happened between us.

“Let the poor girl breathe, Damien,” Brian cut in as he grabbed a drink from the flight attendant.

I could feel myself growing wet again. His face before me, his veiny arms, which looked incredible in his suit, and his long legs stretched out before me made it hard to breathe.

Without thinking, I turned to the flight attendant and asked, “Can you show me where the bathroom is, please?”

“This way,” she replied with a smile.

Without sparing Damien another glance, I stood and followed the flight attendant. She led me to a bathroom connected to one of the rooms.

I rushed inside and shut the door behind me. My hands immediately went to my jeans, pushing them down to my knees. My panties were soaked, and I breathed heavily. I couldn’t understand why I craved someone I hated.

Spreading my legs, I slipped my middle finger into my pussy and began fingering myself. Memories of what he had done to me that night consumed my thoughts.

The way he had eaten me out and thrust into me over and over again had been unforgettable.

When I finally finished, I leaned against the bathroom wall, trying to calm my breathing. I knew what I was doing was wrong, but why did my desires awaken every time I was around him? No one had ever touched me the way he had, but I also knew what we shared could never happen again.

As soon as I opened the door, my eyes landed on a familiar figure sitting on the bed. The moment he turned to face me, his signature smirk appeared.

“So much for using the bathroom, huh?” he said.

I felt the color drain from my face. Judging by the smirk on his face, I knew he had heard everything.