Chapter 6

Anya’s gaze hardened, her lips pressing into a thin line. “And what about him?” she asked, her tone laced with unspoken disgust.

Ariel stiffened, her nails digging into the fabric of the sofa. She didn’t need to ask who Anya meant. Luis’s shadow had been a thick stain that Ariel couldn't scrub away.

Luis Marquez. His name alone could make Ariel's mood drop from hundred to zero. A man of striking allure, with sharp cheekbones, deep-set hazel eyes that seemed to smolder in the dimmest of light, and a roguish smile that could disarm even the most guarded hearts.

He had the kind of effortless charm that made heads turn and left women hanging onto his every word.

But beneath that alluring facial features lay a man with flaws—reckless, irresponsible, and entirely too self-assured.

Luis was the kind of man who lived for the thrill of the moment, never thinking of the boomerang and the consequences that followed.

His addiction to excess—money, women, alcohol—had been the ruin of many, but none more so than Ariel.

Their story began like something way out of a dream. Ariel had been a bartender in the past years, balancing daily life and dreams in equal measure, They met at the club where Ariel worked, he’d promised her the world, and for a time, she’d believed him. He swore he’d change for her, that he’d leave behind his life of indulgence and focus on building a future with her. Ariel, ever the optimist, had clung to those promises like a lifeline— as though she thought.

But those promises had been nothing more than just words of the mouth. One desperate night, when Luis found himself short on cash to fund his partying, he’d broken into Ariel’s savings—a small fortune she had painstakingly put aside to start a business first before moving to her dream work.

He’d stolen everything and spent it all in one wild spree, leaving Ariel devastated and her dreams in ruins.

Even now, three years later, the memory of that night haunted her. And Luis, in his misguided attempts to find his way back into Ariel's heart, wouldn’t leave her alone. He claimed to be a changed man, but Ariel knew better. Luis wasn’t sorry for what he’d done; he was sorry for what he’d lost. What a man he is !

“What about him?” Ariel muttered, her voice tight, refusing to look at Anya.

“You’re really asking me that?” Anya raised an eyebrow, leaning forward. “What happens when he finds out you’re leaving? Do you think he’ll just let it go? That man doesn’t know how to stay gone, Ariel.”

Ariel exhaled sharply, her jaw tightening. “Let him do whatever he wants. I don’t care anymore.”

“Don’t give me that,” Anya snapped. “You do care. You care because every time he shows up, you let him rattle you. You care because you can’t even hear his name without looking like you’re about to murder someone.”

Ariel’s eyes burned, her vision blurring slightly as the emotions she’d buried clawed their way to the surface. “Of course I care,” she hissed, her voice trembling. “But not in the way he wants me to. I hate him, Anya. I hate him so much it hurts.”

Anya leaned back, crossing her arms. “And yet, he keeps coming around, begging for forgiveness like a stray dog. Why does he think he still has a chance after everything he’s done?”

Ariel’s lips curled into a bitter smile. “Because that’s who Luis is. He doesn’t understand consequences. He thinks a pretty face and a few sweet words can fix anything. He’s always been like that—reckless, selfish, and so damn charming it makes you sick.”

Anya’s silence was heavy, her expression unreadable as she watched Ariel ranted out.

“I should’ve seen it coming,” Ariel continued, her voice low and wavy. “The way he’d flirt with anything that moved, the way he’d blow through money like it was nothing. But I didn’t. I believed him when he said he wanted a future with me. I let myself think he was better than he really was. Maybe he was the man that would save me from the darkness that had consumed. Little did I know he was going to put salt on my wound.”

She smirked bitterly, the sound filled with self mockery “And then he broke into my safe and stole everything I’d worked for. Everything I’d saved, I neglected all the self-care I was supposed to give myself, just so I could make myself a better person, all gone in a single night so he could drink and party with his little entourage. He thinks an apology is enough to erase all that? He should keep on dreaming.”

Anya’s lips parted, but Ariel cut her off.

“I know what you’re going to say,” Ariel said, her voice steadier now. “You think I should tell Johny, that I should come clean about everything before we move to Las Vegas. But what’s the point? This isn’t about Luis anymore. He’s just a pathetic, washed-up man who can’t stand that I moved on without him.”

“And yet,” Anya said softly, her eyes narrowing, “he’s still here. Still trying to pull you back into his orbit. Ariel, if he finds out about Johny—about the contract—he could use it against you. You know that, don’t you?”

Ariel’s stomach churned at the thought. She knew Anya was right. Luis wasn’t just persistent; he was manipulative. If he found a way to exploit her situation with Johny, he wouldn’t hesitate.

“I’ll handle it,” Ariel said finally, her voice cold and resolute. “If Luis shows up again, I’ll make it clear that he’s nothing to me. Not anymore. But if he didn't show up till I leave, you can just tell him you don't know my whereabouts.”

Anya studied her for a moment, her expression softening. “You’d better,” she said quietly. “Because the last thing you need is that scoundrel dragging you down again.”

Ariel nodded, but deep down, a flame of unease remained. No matter how far she ran, Luis had a way of finding her. And she couldn’t shake the feeling that leaving for Las Vegas might only make things worse.

But even Las Vegas should never be a place she should ever set her foot on.

The more she keeps remembering where she would be next week, the firmament that would shield her, the origin of her shattered life, she could only wished for time to be reversed—what an impossible thing to happen.

Unbeknownst Ariel and Anya, Max had been at there back for past few minutes.

He stood there with his half closed eyes, his chubby cheeks highlighted his round small lips.

“Mama” he mumbled.

Upon hearing his voice, Ariel's back stiffened, her heart tightened.

Anya gulped on her saliva as she robotically turned her head towards him.

“Little Max, how long have you been there?” She asked jokingly, but deep in her mind, she hoped he didn't hear the whole conversation.