Chapter II

From Quinn's sobbing and look of helplessness, Ariana deemed that the absurd situation was actually possible. The hospital actually ran out of blood! Knowing Quinn, the petty actress was definitely going to complain to her parents.

After composing herself with a few shaky breaths, Quinn pulled away and wiped her eyes. "I know this is a super weird question but—"

"I already know what you're asking and you didn't really have to ask." Ariana waved her hand dismissively. "I'm more than willing to give the blood."

Quinn's eyes lit up in glee, jumping up and down in excitement. "Really?! You're the best, Ria!"

Ariana laughed at the energizer bunny she called her best friend. There was barely anything she wouldn't do for her best friend. Quinn turned towards one of her bodyguards and gave a quick order.

"Ria is here and she said she'll donate the blood. Hurry, get the doctor, and get everything ready."

"Yes, Young Miss!"

With a curt nod of his head, the man hurried down the corridor to carry out the order. When the bodyguard returned, two nurses and a doctor were following after him. The entire process was very quick. After a few questions and tests to confirm that Ariana was actually AB negative, the process of extracting the blood began. Two pints of blood later, one of the nurses pulled out the needle and placed it onto the cart before handing Ariana a cotton ball and a band-aid.

"Alright, you're all good to go." The nurse smiled and stood up from her seat.

"Thank you," Ariana dabbed the cotton ball onto the sore spot where the needle was injected a moment ago and a dark red bead of crimson had started to form. She stood up from her seat, ready to go, but the world suddenly seemed to sway from side to side and her vision was beginning to blur.

"Ria, are you alright?" Quinn stood up from her seat hurriedly and reached out to steady Ariana with a worried look on her face.

"I-I'm fine..." Ariana lied, her voice coming out tired and weak.

She didn't want to worry Quinn more as she already had her brother to worry about. However, while Quinn seemed to be half convinced by the lie, the nurse wasn't. She was a quite efficient in her work and she was quick to realize that she may have taken a little too much blood during the process.

"I think you should get something to eat, something high in iron." The nurse recommended.

"I'll take her to get something to eat now." Quinn assured.

The nurse nodded before turning to the tray, doubling checking that she had everything before speaking again. "We'll start the surgery now."

"Okay, thank you." Quinn nodded.

The nurse bid them a quick farewell before wheeling the cart to a room at the end of the hall. Five minutes later, the surgery sign came on. Quinn nervously bit at her lip, anxious and impatient for everything to be over with.

"Let's go grab a bite at Little Mix, they have some killer veggie wraps." Ariana suggested. "The hospital has your number. Once the surgery is done, they'll call."

Quinn sighed and reluctantly picked up her bag from the chair, looping her arm through Ariana's. She knew that if she stayed, she'd drive herself crazy by either pacing or tapping her feet, a habit most people had whenever they were nervous. Four of Quinn's bodyguards left their post and followed after the two girls while maintaining a respectable amount of distance. As they walked, Quinn kept shooting worried glances in Ariana's direction, searching for any sign of her best friend about to faint.

Knowing it was best to keep Quinn distracted, Ariana decided to talk and ask questions.

"Qui-Qui, you never told me which brother it was. Was it the first or second brother?" Ariana felt a little dizzy as they stepped out into the chilly night air.

"Surprisingly, it's the eldest one," Quinn sighed, like she couldn't believe it herself. "Elliot."

'Elliot...?' Ariana had known Quinn since they were mere babies, but she didn't have many encounters with the eldest Navarro. He had been mostly overseas, studying, and he was a bit older than they were, three years to be exact.

"The police report claims it was just a car accident, but my grandfather isn't the least bit convinced. Eli's really important to him. My mother was really worried and she somehow managed to convince my father to start a government investigation." Quinn's usually energetic voice was soft and quiet. She lowered her voice to a whisper and leaned closer to Ariana. "She thinks it's an assassination attempt."

Ariana felt her heart clench at Quinn's words. Unconsciously, Quinn was squeezing her arm tightly, like a scared child grabbing onto her mother for support.

"Oh Qui-Qui," Ariana unlocked their arms and pulled her best friend into a comforting hug.

She knew the Navarro's lived in a dangerous world where anything could happen at any given time. The feeling of losing a family member in the blink of an eye was terrifying and nerve-racking. Every minute was filled with uncertainty.

"I-I know I shouldn't worry because assassination attempts happen all the time to rich and powerful men—especially since my brother is...you know...but none of them ever came this close,"

Being a multi-billion business tycoon at the young age of twenty-three, Quinn's brother had suffered more attacks and assassination attempts than the U.S. President. Usually he was alert and prepared, always managing to get away unscathed, but it seemed like his guard was let down and someone almost succeeded in their task.

"W-what if...n-next time...the assassins succeed?" Quinn was so shaken at the thought, she could barely speak properly. She really loved her brothers, even though they often bullied and teased her, she couldn't bear the thought of losing one of them.

Ariana hugged Quinn tighter. "Qui-Qui, that's never going to happen. Your brother has strong backings, not only from the military but also from your family. You know his men would rather die than let something happen to him and his network is just one phone call away. He must have been distracted and he let whoever is responsible get a lucky shot but knowing your brother, he's not going to let them go that easily,"

"But what if—"

"There's no 'what if'. Have faith in your brother." Ariana knew Quinn was the type to over think the situation. It was best to shoot her down so that she didn't jump to new conclusions and cause herself to have a full blown panic within the span of five seconds. "He'll be alright."

Just then, Quinn's phone rang with an unknown number. She was a bit hesitant but she answered the call nevertheless. "Hello?"

"Hello. Is this Miss Quinn Navarro?" A voice asked on the other line.

"This is she," Ariana raised an eyebrow at Quinn's response.

"This is Doctor Matthew. The surgery was a success and your brother is stabilized." Quinn let out a hug breath of relief and a big smile crossed her face.

"Is he awake? When can I see him?" She was anxious to see her eldest sibling.

"He should be awake in 2-3 days and he will be in room 6 on the VVIP ward assigned by the hospital's chairman,"

The VIP ward was an expensive and impressive feat in St. Royal's Hospital, but the VVIP ward was something completely different. It was luxury at its finest. Only the president, the prime ministers, the mayors and extremely high ranking military officials could enter the room. It wasn't something that money or status could buy, but then again, the name 'Navarro' did wonders.

"Thank you so much," Quinn bid farewell and hung up the phone, turning to Ariana with a big grin.

"Well?" Ariana urged.

"He's okay. The surgery is successful and he's expected to be awake in a day or two." Ariana almost didn't understand what she was saying as Quinn blurted out the words in a rush of excitement.

Ariana let out a laugh and shook her head. "Then let's grab a drink while we get some food."

Quinn gave instructed one of her guards to bring the car around and a few moments later, a black SUV came to a stop before them. Just as Ariana seated herself and the chauffeur closed the door, her phone rang. She took a quick glance at the caller ID before hitting the 'down' volume button to silence her ringtone, ignoring the call. If Quinn noticed her action she didn't say anything, simply leaning forward to gave the driver the address of the restaurant.

Quinn and Ariana indulged in a light conversation on the way to the diner, their conversation getting cut halfway when Quinn's manager called, demanding to know where she had run off to and scolding the young actress for being irresponsible as she had left the set without anyone knowing her whereabouts. Quinn quickly explained why she was in a hurry to leave, assuring her manager that she would make up the extra hours the next day, before hanging up with a frustrated sigh.

"Nicole is such a slave driver!" Quinn childishly huffed.

"You're the one who chose her to be your manager." Ariana chuckled. "However tight she holds the leash is all on you,"

"I should get a new manager," Quinn frowned.

Ariana snorted. "Good luck with that. You're picky as hell."

"I'm not." Quinn huffed.

The SUV pulling up at the entrance of Little Mix diner paused the banter between the two. The chauffeur got out from the front and came to their door, opening it and stepping aside to allow them to exit. Instantly, eyes were drawn in their direction. Even in a tracksuit with messy hair and puffy eyes, Quinn captured the attention of several men. Her slender figure and the feline shape of her eyes made her look seductive without meaning to.

Men took second glances at her, their eyes widening in astonishment. Ariana laughed to herself and shook her head. She was used to these looks whenever she walked with Quinn and while the two girls walked to the front door of the diner, Quinn chatted animatedly, unaware that men were not only starting at her but also at the stunningly beautiful woman beside the actress.

Quinn was oblivious to the attention placed on her by the male population just like Ariana was oblivious to the fact that half the male population found her attractive. Ariana had always thought that the attention was solely on Quinn and no one else. She didn't take much notice of her surroundings whenever she stood next to the actress.

Stepping into the small diner at the end of the block, Ariana's stomach gave a light rumble as the scent unearthly scent of bacon and coffee floated through the air and attacked her senses.

"There's a seat there." Ariana steered Quinn in the direction of an empty booth.

After settling down, Quinn signaled over a waitress and gave their orders. The waitress collected their menus before leaving with a polite smile after telling them that their orders would be ready within ten to fifteen minutes.

Quinn opened her mouth to start up a conversation on the new Versace handbag line when Ariana's phone rang again. The device was placed in the middle of the table so Quinn had the perfect view of the caller ID. Ariana glanced down with a frown and picked up the device with the intention of declining the call.

"No, don't cancel it. Pick it up. Let's see what the Wicked Witch of the West wants." Quinn reached out to grab the phone before Ariana could hit the red button.

Ariana shot Quinn a suspicious glance, but nevertheless she tapped the green icon to answer the call. Once it connected, she quickly put it on speaker and pressed the volume key to lower the sound so that Quinn was the only one who could hear it.

"Why did you take so long to pick up?!" The woman screeched over the phone, her voice rising louder and louder.

An ugly expression crossed Ariana's face. The woman only called when she wanted something from her. The last time they interacted a few months ago, Ariana had returned back to London to collect the remainder of her stuff. Her mother had tried to splash her with acid and hot water. Thankfully, even in heels she was quick in her feet and she was able to side-step the attack, or else her face would've been permanently scarred. Her mother never liked her and after what happened with Stephan, the hatred was evident.

Rachel Montmorency started on a tirade of pointless ramblings and yelling, confirming Ariana's initial hesitation to answer the phone. Every time her mother called, she would yell and throw insults before getting to the point.

After a few minutes of nonstop insults, Ariana lost her patience. "Mother dearest, please spare me the long introduction and reach your conclusion soon."

"You —"

"Yes, yes, I'm a disgrace and you wish you didn't give birth to me twenty years ago. We've already established that." Ariana mocked sarcastically.

Quinn stifling a giggle by turning away to stare out the window at the bustling streets, her ears still trained on the conversation. Ariana heard her mother take a deep breath, like she was trying to calm herself.

"Your younger sister's birthday is coming up and some important people are going to be there so it would be in your best interest to show up to the banquet." Her mother informed her.

Although her words were spoken casually in perfect English with a thick British accent, Ariana could hear the underlying bitterness, like the words were poison on her mother's tongue. Her mother hated to admit it, but despite her strong dislike for Ariana, she still found her to be useful. Her mother felt like her twenty years of hard work came with beneficial results as she was able to maintain contact with her wealthy and influential ex-husband through her eldest daughter.

Landon Montmorency was the reigning monarch of the Montmorency Inc., the second biggest trading company on the globe; falling behind the Oriels who ranked second in the Big Five. This powerful backing was enough for Rachel to extend a few gracious olive branches in Ariana's direction in hopes of keeping her ex-husband close, the perfect definition of the saying 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer'.

At first, the close relationship between father and daughter infuriated Rachel. Her marriage was falling apart and Landon had almost won full custody over Ariana. The only reason he didn't get it was due to his newfound responsibilities which were very time consuming. Landon's father was suddenly diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and the empire was handed to Landon overnight.

The sudden transition in power was a bit overwhelming and at that point, Landon wasn't entirely fit to be the best stable parent to a six year old so Ariana was left in her mother's care. But that didn't stop the two from bonding. Whether it was a ten minute video call or a two day round trip to London from Australia during one of his off days, Landon didn't hesitate to show his daughter all the love and affection her mother neglected to give her and it earned her a secure place in the ice cold heart of the Montmorency monarch.

"Are you sure you want me there? I can transfer this call to father, since I'm sure that's your ultimate plan," Ariana stated nonchalantly.

Rachel almost lost her calm composure but she quickly reminded herself that if she angered her daughter all her plans would go to waste. Of course, her true purpose in inviting Ariana was to lure out Landon. Having such an influential and powerful man, in the form of her ex-husband, show up at her youngest daughter's birthday would bring endless benefits that no amount of money in the world could afford.

"Seraphina's sixteenth birthday is in two weeks from now. She wanted to have the party at Esposo — you know? The new luxury hotel near to Buckingham Palace? — so you should grab an early flight to London as I expect you to be present without an excuse." Rachel thought that Ariana's silence meant that she was giving in.

In actuality, Quinn and Ariana's orders had just arrived and Ariana had muted her side of the line as she teased Quinn about not being able to snag a bite at her food because of the number of onions placed into the wrap she had ordered, knowing full well that the actress hated onions with a passion.

After a few seconds of awkward silence, Rachel realized that she was being ignored. "Did you hear—"

"—Yes, I heard you." Ariana licked the sweet onion sauce from her fingers to unmute the phone.

"Well? Are you coming or not?" Rachel was growing impatient at her daughter's lack of response.

She needed to know if Landon was going to show up or not. If Landon was coming, it meant everything had to be perfect. His presence meant there was a high chance that other top socialites would want attend once his name was on the guest list.

Quinn wrinkled her brow with lettuce hanging and sauce falling from her lips from her mouth full of chicken wrap. As much as the mother-daughter banter was entertaining, she couldn't recall a single time when the Wicked Witch of the West spoke nicely to her Ria and it was beginning to piss her off. The woman acted like Ariana owed her for her existence on the earth.

Suddenly, a thought popped into Quinn's head.

Ariana pursed her lips, ready to decline the invite. "Mother, I'm not—"

Quinn swallowed her mouthful before blurting out. "She's going!"

And without waiting for Rachel's reply, Quinn hung up the phone with a proud smile. Ariana's jaw dropped as she looked at her best friend. She could not believe Qui-Qui just did that to her!

"Quinn, are you crazy?! Why are you throwing me into the tiger's den?" Ariana angrily glared daggers at the woman who would soon be her ex-best friend if she didn't start talking.

"Ria, I wouldn't act without a bigger plan in mind." Quinn chuckled, a dark and mischievous smirk forming on her face.

Ariana's glared sharpened and her red flags started going up. She hated when Quinn smiled like that. It meant some shit was about to go down and Quinn was never up to any good.

"Qui-Qui..." She spoke in a warning tone.

"Hear me out!" Quinn held up her hands. "I know you think the Wicked Witch wants you present to lure out father dearest but there's something else."

Ariana raised a brow in confusion.

Quinn went on. "If it's Seraphina's birthday, a lot of socialites are going to be there, and we both know that the Grinch's reject — Stephan — and the desperate wanna-be-Barbie — Sophia — would definitely be present since Seraphina is their biggest supporter. Obviously you're being invited to probably embarrass yourself and as your best friend, I won't let that happen."

Ariana wasn't sure how Quinn had deduced all of that from a simple phone call, but now that she really thought about it, her mother won't pressure her to attend the birthday party if there weren't ulterior motives. Her father was one of them but it seemed Stephan and Sophia were mixed up in the equation also. When she broke the engagement with Stephan, her mother had never forgiven her for it. Ariana realized that she was walking into something much bigger than she could have imagined.

"As much as I hate to say it, Stephan's reputation is supreme and there are only a handful of men in this country who can top it." Quinn continued before Ariana had much time to really process where she was going with her scheme. "Lucky for you, it just so happens that I come from a family who can rival the Harpers any day."

Quinn paused dramatically for effect. Ariana knew what she was going to say and she reached her hand across the table to seal Quinn's mouth before it came out.

"No—"

"One of my brothers will be your date!" Quinn gleefully clapped her hands. "Since Eli is hospitalized, Talon can go with you. And he just so happens to be conveniently free that night."

Ariana groaned. She really didn't like where this was going. Quinn's eyes lit up like a child seeing a ton of presents under the tree on Christmas morning. The thought of her best friend showing off on her ex had her stifle an evil laugh. If Ariana showed up with Talon, there was no way Stephan and Sophia would think of bullying her beloved Ria. It was the perfect scheme!

"Qui-Qui, there's no way your player of a brother would agree." Ariana sighed.

Everyone knew Talon Navarro was a playboy. He changed women like he changed clothes, and he was always in the tabloids with celebrity or another. Although Talon was always surrounded by women, he had never taken any of them as partners to banquets, celebrations, anniversaries or any other public gatherings. He was notorious for having many female friends, but not that many lovers.

Quinn had once told Ariana that Talon didn't like the idea of being tied down. He did have two lovers in his entire lifetime but both of their identities were unknown, even Quinn didn't know who they were. Unlike his frigid and indifferent older brother, Talon had a very nice and easy going personality. But despite his happy-go-lucky attitude, he carried the ruthless Navarro trait and he was not a man people should trifle with.

When he was upset, the air around him was like an Antarctic blizzard; cold, unforgiving and brutal. He was rarely angry, but when he was, people tend to run faster than they could think. Like his older brother, he had a hand in La Famiglia. He wasn't as ruthless and bloodthirsty as his older sibling but he was quite similar; a murderous expression, a merciless mindset, and the type of man to kill someone with a smile.

"Now, that is where you're wrong, Ria. My brother might be a hard-head, but he'll listen to me if his beloved brother's life was saved...by you." Quinn chuckled deviously. Knowing her brother's weakness was her secret trump card to getting whatever she wanted. Clearly one for dramatics, Quinn couldn't resist the urge to blow up the situation even more. "I'll even add in the part where you donated so much blood, you nearly fainted!"

Talon rarely did favors for anyone, even when it came to his own friends and family members, however, whenever his baby sister threw a tantrum, he was the first to bend to her will and wishes. Talon and Quinn had the least sibling arguments out of the three. The only time they would disagree would be over the last slice of chocolate cake or last pudding cup. If Quinn played her cards right, there was a high chance he would agree to her ridiculous idea.

"Uhmm...I'm not sure about this..." Ariana trailed uncertainly, already thinking about all the ways Quinn's idea could backfire.

There was nothing such as a 'perfect scheme'. There was either a loophole or it was destined to backfire. By showing up with Talon, Ariana knew that Stephan and Sophia would have every reason to stay away. But she didn't want to force a man to accompany her to an event which was sure to be a shit storm.

"What's wrong with my perfect plan?" Quinn naively asked.

As far as she saw, nothing could possibly go wrong, yet her precious Ria doubted her impeccable plan.

"A number of things." Ariana wiped the sauce off her fingers and picked up her drink to wash everything down. "First of all, Stephan is not the type of man to care who I walk into the banquet with. The man has everything he could possibly want and he made it perfectly clear that he values his pride and dreams over reality's harsh truth. Nothing — and I do mean nothing — is going to faze him."

Ariana knew that if she went to the banquet with the King of France as her date, Stephan wouldn't care. The delusion of being the male lead in the Cinderella story was enough to blind him. His pride would never allow him to consider or think that any man was higher than him. In his books, he was number one on Forbes list of 'The Richest Men to Date'.

"Number two," Ariana held up a two finger. "If Sophia is present, he will see no one else except for her. In his eyes, she is the rose in a field of daisies and everything else is just a blur to him. The chance of him noticing me is a negative zero on the scale of one to ten."

Quinn frowned. Damm, it was true. It was a commendable trait for a man to only have eyes for his woman. Sophia was the apple of Stepan's eye and when she stepped into the room, everything around her was insignificant. Their love story was truly dreamy and something that walked out of a cliché fairytale.

How annoying! Quinn fretted. Ughhh!

"Thirdly," Ariana's voice cracked at the end from the weight she suddenly felt on her chest. "I'm over him."

As much as she wanted to deny the truth, she couldn't. She wanted to convince herself that she was already over him, but she was human, and a tiny part of her heart still painfully ached for him. It's hard to forget your first love, but it's even harder to forget the man you've grown up and gotten accustomed to. All her life, everyone told her she was the perfect partner for him, and she believed it.

She was delusional, thinking that nothing could come in between their love when in reality it was completely one-sided. It was human instinct to treasure one's first love and usually it was the hardest love to get over. Ariana learned the hard way and like most people did after a real heartbreak, she placed high and unbreakable walls around her heart to prevent herself from ever experiencing such a painful experience again.

"Fine, we'll ignore that despicable Harper and his tramp. Let's focus on something else, like face slapping Seraphina and your maternal incubator! Make them regret abandoning you!" Quinn was quick to grab the other express to boost Ariana's confidence.

Her best friend deserved more credit than she gave herself and like a loyal friend, she was going to do everything she could to ensure it was given. Ariana didn't reply as she focused her attention on her food. Quinn used her moment of distraction to pull out her phone and type a message to someone. Ariana thought she was scrolling through her designer catalogue in search of a dress of some sort. But then she noticed Quinn's furious finger movement and her mischievous smirk and she knew exactly what Quinn was doing!

"Quinn! You didn't—"

"Oh yes, I did!" Quinn happily sang her sentence, holding her phone out of reach when Ariana made a frantic grab at it.

"You brat! You really texted your brother!"

Quinn giggled, barely hiding her bright smile. "One day you'll thank me for this amazing opportunity!"

"Or one day you'll wake up in a body bag underwater in Cuba." Ariana glared venomously.

Suddenly, a ding went off and Quinn pulled out her phone. She read something on the screen before a mega-watt smile lit up her face.

"He said sure!"

"There's no way he actually accepted—" Quinn shoved her phone in her best friend's face for her to read the text. "But he did!"

In the grey text bubble on the left side, a single line text came in under the contact name 'Pudding Stealing Bastard'; 'Sure. I don't mind. When and where?'