Sunny clutched her stomach, the sharp, rhythmic stabbing of her stitches forcing her to double over.
"Sunny, are you alright?" Ariana's hand was on her shoulder in an instant, her face a mask of sudden panic.
"I'm fine," Sunny gasped, forcing her posture upright. "Just... the wind. I'm okay."
"I want to ride on the pretty horsey!" Sofia shouted, oblivious to the fraying nerves of the adults.
"The horsey that goes round and round till you vomit!"
"Oh, the merry-go-round," Ariana sighed with relief.
"You want to go there?"
"Yes, please!"
They followed the call of the calliope music to the carousel.
For a few blissful minutes, the shadows of the Castello family and the hospital faded into the neon blur of the amusement park.
While the others stayed with Sofia, Sunny volunteered to go on an ice cream run—mostly so she could walk off the tightening agony in her abdomen without them seeing.
"Aunty Bear, I want a doll," Sofia pounced on Audrey the moment they stepped off the ride, pointing toward a booth lined with stuffed marine life.
"Would you like a dolphin?" Ariana asked.
"Yes please"
"Don't worry, I'm sure Aunty Audrey can win that for you. She's... skilled with targets."
Audrey shot Ariana a glare that could melt lead, but as Sofia looked up with wide, hopeful eyes, the former heiress caved.
She stepped up to the counter, took the offered ball, and threw.
It hit the target dead center, but the heavy doll didn't budge.
"Sorry, sweet pea," the game master said, a greasy smirk stretching across his face.
"Rules say the doll's gotta be knocked over. Ain't that ironic?"
"I hate this ugly uncle," Sofia huffed.
The man's smile vanished. He reached across the counter, grabbing Sofia's small arm roughly.
"Hey, kid! Who are you calling ugly? Huh?"
He didn't see Audrey move. It was a swift, clinical strike to the side of his neck.
The man's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed behind the counter like a marionette with its strings cut.
"Why did you do that?" Ariana hissed, looking around frantically for security.
"He was hurting Sofia," Audrey said casually, reaching over the counter to grab a giant stuffed dolphin.
"You can't just take that!"
"I won it fair and square," Audrey replied, tucking the dolphin under her arm.
"Now, let's move before 'Ugly Uncle' wakes up."
Meanwhile, Sunny was struggling. She had the ice cream, but the crowd had shifted, and she couldn't find the girls anywhere.
She wandered for nearly an hour, the heat of the day melting the cones into a sticky mess that dripped over her hands.
Eventually, she dropped the ruined treats into a dumpster, her head spinning.
She found herself at the edge of a talent show stage, the music thumping in her chest.
A figure pushed past her—someone completely shrouded in a hood and a heavy coat despite the heat.
As they passed, a scent caught her: a specific, sharp fragrance.
The man from the restaurant. The one who had helped her before the world went red.
"Wait!" Sunny called out. The figure didn't stop; their pace quickened.
Sunny gave chase, ignoring the fire in her side. She was so focused on the hooded figure that she didn't hear the hum of an electric engine.
A golf cart, speeding through the pedestrian lane, slammed into her.
The impact sent her flying over a nearby cookie booth, her world spinning into a blur of blue sky and wooden splinters.
Pain, immense and blinding, radiated from her midsection. People rushed toward her, including the panicked driver.
"Are you alright?" the driver shouted.
"I'm fine," Sunny choked out, her eyes searching the crowd.
She saw the hooded man pause a few yards away.
He looked back, his face hidden in shadow, then vanished into the throng of people like a ghost.
By the time Ariana and Audrey found her, Sofia was already crying at the sight of the blood soaking through Sunny's shirt.
"I searched everywhere for you guys," Sunny whispered as they lifted her.
"We're going back to the hospital. Right now," Audrey commanded.
The return to the clinic was a blur of stern doctors.
Audrey handled the paperwork, slapping down a credit card without blinking.
"Wait, why is the bill so high?" Ariana asked, squinting at the ledger.
"It doesn't matter," Audrey snapped. "As long as she gets better."
Ariana sat by Sunny's bed, her anger finally giving way to tears.
"Why didn't you tell us you were in pain? You stupid girl, we're more worried now than we were before."
"I didn't want to ruin the day," Sunny smiled weakly.
"Ariana, you have work tomorrow, right?"
"Yes, but I wish I could stay."
"But you'll see us when you get back, Aunty Bear!" Sofia chirped from the foot of the bed.
The next morning at the office was a nightmare of paperwork. Ariana tried to focus, but her mind was at the hospital.
"Ariana, I was worried about you," Carl said, leaning over her desk.
"I had an emergency," she replied shortly.
"Mr. Roberto sent for you," Kate added, passing by with a stack of files. "He sounded... impatient."
Ariana sighed and made her way to the executive suite.
She knocked gently and stepped inside, her greeting dying in her throat.
Jessica was there, perched on the edge of Roberto's desk.
"Ariana! I've been worried sick!" Jessica cried, rushing over to pull her into an unwanted embrace.
"That's nice of you, Miss Jessica," Ariana said, her body stiffening.
"That's Mrs. Jessica to you," the woman corrected with a sharp smile.
"I'm sorry. Mrs. Gonzalez. Thank you for your concern."
The mention of the name 'Gonzalez' made Roberto flinch as if he'd been struck.
"Jessica," he barked, "leave my office."
"But—"
"Now."
Jessica scurried out, leaving a thick, suffocating silence behind.
Roberto stood and walked toward Ariana; she instinctively took three steps back.
"We're not married," Roberto said abruptly.
Ariana gave a nervous, high-pitched laugh.
Ever since she'd seen him threatening Jessica, she felt like she was standing in a cage with a lion.
"Your personal life has nothing to do with me, sir. I'm just here for the assignment."
"Are you afraid of me?" He stopped, his eyes searching hers.
"No, sir. I'm not." Her voice betrayed her.
He reached for her hand, and she flinched violently.
"If that's all, sir, I should get back to—"
He moved faster than she could react, grabbing her arm and pinning her against the wall.
"Sir, you're hurting me!" she struggled, but he pinned her wrists above her head.
"Ever since that night, you've been avoiding me," he growled, his face inches from hers.
"Mr.... Roberto..... I... Don't know what you're talking about.... Let go of me" Ariana said struggling to break free.
"You act like nothing happened. You were the one all over me, and now you treat me like a stranger. Why do you keep flooding my mind like this?"
He pulled her closer, his grip tightening, until a sharp knock at the door broke the spell.
"Mr. Roberto, your brother is here," Carl's voice came through the wood.
"Tell him to leave!" Roberto shouted.
Ariana tried to scream, but Roberto's hand clamped over her mouth.
"Big bro, I ain't leaving until we talk!" Ferdinand's voice boomed from the hallway.
Roberto cursed under his breath, looking at Ariana's terrified eyes. He let go of her.
"I... I apologize. There's a bathroom in the corner. Go. Fix yourself."
Ariana stumbled into the executive washroom in a daze, sinking onto the seat and shaking uncontrollably. Outside, she heard the door open.
"Come in," Roberto said, his voice instantly reverting to its cold, professional mask.
"Bro! I just saw Jessica outside. Is the wedding back on? When do I get to be an uncle?" Ferdinand teased as he strolled in.
"Shut up, Ferdinand."
"What? Are you calling it off? About time."
"What do you want?"
"Can't a brother visit? Though I hear you've been busy," Ferdinand said, his voice dropping.
Jessica waltz back into the room. A wave of fake surprise washed over her features, melting into a forced smile as her eyes landed on a familiar face.
"Ferdinand?" she began, her voice a pitch higher than usual, cutting into the casual hum of conversation. "You didn't tell me you were coming."
What is she talking about? Ferdinand thought inwardly, a tight knot forming in his stomach.
Didn't you just make a nasty comment about me some minutes ago?
He paused for a beat, letting a practiced, smug smile slide across his face.
"I must have misplaced your number," he said smoothly, the lie rolling off his tongue with ease.
The atmosphere tightened. "Where is Ariana?" Jessica pressed, her gaze shifting to Roberto, who had been a silent observer until now.
A brief look of discomfort crossed Roberto's face before settling into neutrality.
"She left my office a while ago," was all he could manage, his voice flat.
A heavy silence descended, thick with unspoken accusations and historical grievances.
Ferdinand, keen to diffuse the palpable tension, clapped a hand onto Roberto's shoulder with an artificial heartiness.
"So bro, where would you like to go?" he asked, the words an obvious deflection.
"You know I've been meaning to take you to the Atlantic ocean or maybe Indianapolis someday."
Roberto remained silent, his eyes drifting toward the bathroom door.
"Actually," Ferdinand said, standing up. "Where's your restroom? I need to take a piss."
Roberto felt a cold, jagged spike of anxiety pierce his chest.
The thought of Ferdinand opening that bathroom door and finding Ariana huddled inside—trembling because of him—made his blood run cold.
"Leave my office. Now," Roberto commanded, his voice vibrating with a dangerous low frequency.
"But I gotta take a piss, man!" Ferdinand protested, oblivious to the storm.
"Leave. Now."
Ferdinand looked at the bathroom door, then back at his brother's murderous expression.
He sneered at the air. "He's talking to you, bitch," he muttered to the invisible tension in the room.
"The both of you," Roberto roared, standing up, "get out!"
Ferdinand flinched, his bravado evaporating. If disgrace and shame had a face, it would be mine right now, he thought, scurrying out behind Jessica.
The moment the heavy doors clicked shut, Roberto lunged for the bathroom.
He raised a hand to knock, his knuckles hovering an inch from the wood. "Ariana? Are you there?"
Silence.
"I'm coming in."
He pushed the door open. The sterile light of the bathroom reflected off the tiles, but his eyes went straight to the floor.
Ariana was curled in a tight ball on the ground, her face buried between her knees. She looked small, shattered.
He approached her like one would a wounded animal. "Ariana?"
The silence was a physical weight.
"I'm sorry," Roberto whispered, the words feeling foreign and clumsy in his throat.
"I shouldn't have done that. I don't know why I couldn't control myself."
He reached out, his fingers grazing the air near her hair, but she flinched violently away from his touch.
SHIT. What have I done?
Ariana forced herself to stand, her movements jerky and stiff.
She ignored him completely, though her eyes were raw, red, and swollen with unshed tears.
"Ariana, please, hear me out," he pleaded as she moved toward the exit.
She paused, not out of forgiveness, but perhaps out of the ingrained reflex of an employee to a boss.
"Don't distance yourself from me. Don't avoid me. I don't want you to be scared of me. Please... I beg you."
She didn't look at him. She didn't say a word. She simply walked out of the suite, leaving Roberto standing in the middle of the bathroom, his reflection mocking him from a dozen mirrors.
"Goddamnit!" he yelled at the empty room. "You couldn't control your fucking urge for one second. You've scared her to death. How is she supposed to function? Why did I lose control? I must have been out of my goddamn mind."
Ariana didn't stop at her desk. She didn't stop to say goodbye.
She left the building with the singular, burning realization that she could never go back.
She went straight to the hospital, her feet moving on autopilot until she reached Sunny's room.
Audrey and Sofia were there, a small island of domesticity in the sea of hospital white.
"Is everything alright?" Sunny asked the moment she saw Ariana's face.
"Why wouldn't it be?" Ariana tried to deflect, her voice cracking.
"Well, for starters," Audrey said, standing up with a sharp, discerning look,
"your eyes are puffy, you're shaking, and you're not at work. So you tell us if that's your definition of 'alright.'"
Ariana looked at the nurse checking Sunny's IV. "Can you... can you please take Sofia outside for a minute?"
The nurse nodded kindly. "Sofia, honey, I need to show you a koala downstairs."
"What is that?" Sofia asked, her interest piqued.
"A giant teddy bear. Come on."
As soon as the door closed, Ariana's legs gave out. She collapsed to the floor.
Audrey rushed to her side while Sunny struggled to sit up.
"Sit back!" Audrey barked at Sunny, then gathered Ariana into a tight embrace.
"He... I..." Ariana choked out.
"Use your words," Sunny urged from the bed.
"Roberto... he tried to... he tried to force himself on me."
The room went deathly still. "What?" they asked in unison.
"He said something about me being all over him that night... but I swear, I don't remember any of it!" Ariana broke down into jagged, ugly sobs.
"Did he... did he hurt you? Did he finish?" Audrey asked, her voice dropping into a terrifyingly calm register.
"No," Ariana gasped. "But when I looked into his eyes, he looked like a mindless demon. If Carl hadn't knocked... he would have. For the first time in a long time, I was actually scared for my life."
"You are never going back there," Audrey said firmly. "I see no reason for you to step foot in that office tomorrow."
"I agree with Audrey," Sunny added.
Ariana wiped her eyes, a flash of her old fire returning.
"You're one to talk, Sunny! Weren't you the one who got stabbed because of your job?"
"At least my boss didn't try to take advantage of me," Sunny retorted.
"Will you two cut it out?" Audrey snapped. "This is a sensitive issue. Be reasonable. Ariana, what are you afraid of?"
"I don't know what to do," Ariana whispered.
"I saw him threatening his fiancée the other day. He said he would kill her and make it look like an accident. What if he does that to me for leaving?"
"Relax," Sunny said, taking Ariana's hand. "We'll get you another job. We'll keep you hidden."
Audrey pulled them both into a hug. If Melissa were here, she would know what to do, she thought bitterly.
She always knew how to handle the monsters.
Back at the office, the air was thick with the smell of expensive cigars and cold ambition.
Roberto had just finished a meeting with a high-ranking overseas associate, but his mind was still in the bathroom, watching Ariana flinch.
Carl knocked and entered, looking nervous.
"Mr. Roberto, the vehicle shipment from Germany has been delayed until next month," Carl reported.
Roberto stared at him. "Why are you telling me this? Where is my secretary?" He felt a flicker of hope. Is she just avoiding me at her desk?
"Oh, Rita went on break," Carl said.
"Not Rita. Where is Ariana?"
"I don't know what happened, sir," Carl said, shrinking slightly under Roberto's gaze. "But a couple of hours ago, she left the building without her belongings."
"WHAT?!" Roberto roared, slamming his fists onto the mahogany desk.
"WHY DIDN'T YOU INFORM ME?!"
"I'm sorry, sir! I didn't think I was supposed to report a resignation to you personally—"
"You dumb motherfucker!" Roberto spat. Carl stood dumbfounded, frozen in place. "Get out of my office! Get out!"
As the door slammed, Roberto ran his fingers through his hair, pacing like a caged wolf.
What have I done? I screwed up. She's gone. She's never coming back.
The panic was a living thing now. He couldn't let her vanish. He grabbed his phone and speed-dialed Arturo, his most ruthless enforcer.
"Yes, boss," Arturo answered.
"I want you to track someone down," Roberto growled.
"Who?"
"A girl named Ariana. She works in my company—or did."
"Boss, that's not much to go on. I need a last name, an address—"
"Find her!" Roberto shouted, his voice echoing off the glass walls. "Find her immediately!"
"Yes, boss."
Roberto ended the call and stared out at the city skyline. He didn't know if he wanted to apologize or chain her to the desk, but one thing was certain: he wasn't letting her go.