4 - An Old Face

Aria's POV

The last table of the night had just left, and La Mer’s dining room was finally quiet. I stood near the service counter, tying and untying my apron as my thoughts raced. Jonathan’s offer hadn’t left my mind all day.

$10,000. A fake marriage. It sounded unreal. Like something that happens out of a movie. Too big to ignore but way too messy to agree to without thinking it through.

I reached into my bag and pulled out the navy blue business card Jonathan had given me. His name and number were printed in bold, classy lettering. I just stared at it for a moment, wondering what kind of man could casually throw this kind of deal at a stranger.

With a deep breath, I took out my phone and started typing in the number. My hands hesitated as I saved the contact.

Jonathan Greene.

Finally, I opened a blank message and began typing:

"I've been thinking about your offer. There are some complications. Can we talk about the details?"

I paused, re-read the text twice, and then hit send.

I tucked the business card back into my bag and grabbed my coat. The polished floors and sparkling chandeliers of La Mer were beautiful, but suddenly, they felt cold.

Outside, the city lights stretched out before me.

A part of me hoped Jonathan wouldn’t respond, but deep down, I knew he would.

I sat cross-legged on my bed, staring at my phone. The soft hum of the ceiling fan was the only sound in the room. After what felt like forever, I dialed my brother’s number.

He picked up on the second ring.

“Hey, sis!”

“Hey,” I said, letting out a long sigh. “I need your opinion on something. It’s... kind of big.”

“What?”

I launched into an explanation of Jonathan’s proposal, stumbling over my words as I tried to make sense of it all. When I finished, he laughed so hard. I mean no one would ever think such happens. And then he got serious.

“Wow. That’s... a lot,” he said carefully. “But you’re seriously considering it, aren’t you?”

“Not really,” I lied, though we both knew it wasn’t convincing. “It just feels... weird. Public scrutiny, what if I just want to be used as a pawn? What if I fail again? It’s just a lot…”

“Aria, you’re one of the strongest people I know,” Jared said, his tone steady. “You’ve been through hell and back, but you’re still standing. You held it down when mom and dad died as well. That’s nothing.”

I smiled faintly, even though he couldn’t see me. Jared always had a way of grounding me, reminding me of the strength I often forgot I had.

It was true, though. After our parents died, everything changed. Jared was still in school, and I had to take care of things. My event planning business was growing in San Francisco. It was the perfect place for high-end events, and I was doing well.

But when my business collapsed, everything went wrong. I couldn’t keep up with the bills. When Jared got accepted into a top university in Colorado, it felt like a small victory in all the chaos. The school had the program he wanted, something no school in San Francisco could offer.

Aunt Maggie helped a lot. She took Jared in, made sure he was okay while I tried to figure things out.

“I just don’t want to mess things up again, Jared. I can’t go through that again,” I said quietly.

“You’re not messing anything up,” he said. “You’ve been through so much already. You’ve held everything together. This is different. You’ll be fine. You’ve got this.”

When Auntie Maggie heard that he was on the phone with me, she asked to talk to me. I told her everything and she also made me feel better.

His words made me feel a little better.

We said our goodbyes, and I put my phone down.

Just then, Jonathan’s text came through. He said we should meet at 1 pm and he’s gonna set a meeting with Gabriel. So, he sent me the address.

The next day, I sat nervously in his living room. The place was so big and it screamed wealth. Jonathan had asked me to wait while he fetched him.

I froze when I saw him. Standing in front of me was the same man who had sued me after the event I had planned failed. The memory hit me like a punch to the gut. So he’s the gabriel that jonathan was taling about. Oh my God, how did I not think of this?

My mouth went dry, and before I could stop myself, I blurted out, "Mr. Deveraux?!"

I looked at him, and I saw it in his eyes. He remembered me. Just like I remembered him.

Jonathan stood beside him, looking nervous.

“Do you know who she is, Jonathan?” Gabriel asked loudly. “Did you even check her background before giving her $10,000? How lazy are you?” Gabriel’s words hit me like a slap. Jonathan didn’t say anything.

I stayed calm, but I was frustrated. “I didn’t ask for your help, Mr. Man,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

Gabriel was angry. “You think this is help? You ruined something big for me, and now you think I should be nice to you?” he yelled.

I didn’t answer. I took the check from my bag, threw it at him, and said coldly, “Keep it. I don’t want it.”

Just as I was about to walk out of the room, I heard the soft roll of a wheelchair behind me. I stopped. It was a woman that looked like shes was in her 80s.

In her weak voice, she asked, "What’s going on here? I was hearing a lot of noise."

Then she turned to me and we recognized each other immediately.

"Wait..." I whispered, my heart skipping a beat. "You?!"

She looked at me with a mix of surprise and fondness. "You? Good woman!" she said, her voice full of gratitude.

A few years ago, I had helped her in the park when she collapsed. Her heart was failing, and I’d rushed her to the hospital. I never expected to see her again.

"How... how are you doing?" I asked, my voice softer now.

"What brings you here today?" She asked.

I took a breath and hesitated for a moment before explaining the strange situation I was caught in with Jonathan and Gabriel.

“Perfect. Just perfect,” she said with a smile that sent a shiver down my spine. “I’ve been looking for you.”

I was completely confused. "What do you mean? Looking for me?"

She doesn’t give me an answer, rather she turned to Gabriel.

“Gabriel,” she said firmly, her voice sharp, “you owe her more than you can imagine. And if she walks out of this house today, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”

She then turned back to me and smiled faintly. “You’re not here by chance, my dear. You’re here because it’s meant to be.”