Chapter 6- Dinner with family

Ariana’s POV

The ride was quiet and boring, except for the music blasting out of the speakers. I watched each scenery pass by as the car moved.

Soon the car stopped by a large gate, and the car glided in through the gates after the driver had verified his card with security. The sight that greeted me was beautiful, with vibrant flowers and lush greenery stretching as far as my eyes could see.

Soon the car rounded a fountain, and my eyes widened at the beauty of the villa in front of me. The villa stood tall and majestic, its white walls drawing more attention. Funny, I was half expecting the building to be black since Brian had "Black" in his name, but it seemed like I had guessed wrong.

I couldn’t tell when the driver had left the car, but soon he opened the door for me with a smile while gesturing for me to step out. I stepped out of the car while keeping my gaze on the house, knowing that this was the kind of place I saw in movies.

A friendly voice brought me out of my stare.

“Oh, Miss Ariana, welcome to the Black's villa. We’re so glad to have you here.” The voice belonged to an older woman whom I would guess was in her fifties. How she knew my name is still a mystery to me, but I guess she could see how shocked I was before she said.

“Oh, we were contacted by Mr. Brian, and he told us to prepare for you,” she replied. I smiled at her.

“Forgive my manners, miss. Thank you for having me,” I replied, and she smiled at me.

“You're welcome. Right this way, miss,” she replied as we walked into the building. Everything was polished and beautiful. When I was brought to my room, I knew that this was the best room I had stayed in. It was two times bigger than our old apartment and was connected to a balcony.

The woman, whose name I had come to discover was Mrs. Belle, informed me of my newly arrived wardrobe and for me to prepare for a family dinner by six pm.

The wardrobe was everything, with clothes for all seasons and different designer bags and shoes I would have never dreamt of owning.

The next few hours were spent with Belle as she took me around the villa. I discovered it had everything one could ever dream of, including a garage filled with exotic cars a swimming pool that was right under my balcony, and so much more.

I was exhausted when I returned to my room, and I had a quick lunch before taking a nap.

I was woken up by Belle as she informed me that my parents had arrived, including Damien, and I was to prepare for dinner in an hour.

I settled with a simple pair of jeans and paired it with a crop top as I descended the stairs.

As soon as I stepped into the dining room, the sight before me caught me off guard. Brian and my mum were at the head of the table, holding hands and whispering to each other. I scanned the room and I could tell there weren’t any signs of Damien.

Taking my seat next to my mother, I greeted Brian, who replied to me freely. And before I could greet my mother.

She reached out and stroked my cheek with a warm smile, which was unfamiliar. This was the first time she had ever shown such a gesture or smiled at me. I couldn’t help but feel a pang of skepticism. I knew this was merely a facade to impress her new husband.

“How are you doing, honey? Hope everything is to your liking?” She asked.

“Yes, Mother, I am doing just fine, and the house and everything is to my liking,” I replied, trying my best not to gag at the affection in her voice.

“Oh, that's great. Your mother and I ordered a brand-new wardrobe for you. I hope everything will be to your liking, and make sure if there is anything you want, make sure to reach out to me,” Brian replied in a calm and caring voice, which brought out a genuine smile in me.

“Thank you, Mr. Brian, you have done more than enough,” I replied.

“Oh, honey, Brian, I heard earlier when Brian told you to call him dad…. Give it a try, Hun, he is now your father,” my mother cautioned me. I could feel my anger building up inside me. How dare she, after what she had done to my father, expect me to call her new husband a new fatherly figure.

“Oh dear, don’t push her. It should be up to her, after all, we are all getting to know each other,” Brian explained. I could see the guilt in his eyes. I knew the man was a good man, and in less than three days, he had changed my life dramatically, and the least I could do was to appreciate him.

“Oh, Noo.. forgive Bria… Dad, it's just that I am not used to calling someone dad for a long time,” I responded while letting out a short laugh to chill down the tension in the room. I could see my mother glaring at me from the corner of her eyes, and I knew she would be coming for me later on.

“Ok, dear, now let's settle for dinner,” he said as he clapped his hands. As soon as he did, maids strolled in with different dishes in their hands as they laid it down on the table. I watched as Brian asked a maid to fetch Damien.

Meanwhile, I dug into a traditional English dish that was placed before me, digging in eagerly, trying to shake off the unease in the air.

After a few minutes, Damien entered the dining room, and I couldn’t help but notice how effortlessly he commanded attention. He was more handsome, and his presence was imposing and alluring. Even the maids stared at him and popped out their breasts to get his attention. It was my first time seeing him in an outfit that was not a suit, instead, he was wearing a simple t-shirt matched with blue jeans.

"Sorry for being late," Damien said, his voice smooth and confident. "Had some last-minute work to attend to."

Brian waved off his apology with a grin. "No worries, son. Glad you could join us."

My mom's eyes sparkled as she looked at Damien. "Yes, it's lovely to have the whole family together," my mom added with a giggle, and I could see Damien rolling his eyes as he smiled at her.

“So, how’s work been treating you?” Brian asked, directing the question at Damien.

“Oh, you know, the usual. The Italians are stressing me again over the contract, but I have it sorted out,” he replied while digging into his chicken.

“Oh, that reminds me. You need to take Ariana along with you tomorrow and offer her a position in the company. I can’t have her stay at home bored,” my mom chipped in. And my eyes widened at her proposal. I knew she had told me about this already, but hearing her say it in front of Damien did something to me.

“Ah, yes, you were just complaining about getting your dead secretary position fixed. It seemed like the opening will have to be filled by Ariana,” Brian suggested, and I could see myself still that second. I wanted to demand I be given a job so I don’t have to see this jerk's face every day, but I knew that would draw more questions as to why I would want that.

I looked up, and I could see Damien glaring at me already while smiling. This was the wrong scenario ever, and it just happened that my stepbrother, who I fucked and he probably hates me, would be my boss.

“Oh, yes, she can have the job, but mind you, I wouldn’t treat her like family but an employee,” Damien agreed while smirking at me. Something behind his smirk told me this wasn’t good, and I was in deep shit.

“That's so great, it gives you guys enough time to get to know each other,” my mother said, and I could feel myself gag at that moment. I began coughing at her words.

"Are you feeling alright, dear?" My mom's voice snapped at me as she reached out to offer me a glass of water, which I humbly took.

"I'm fine," I muttered, forcing a smile. But inside, I couldn't shake the sense of unease that gnawed at me. This was bad, really bad.

“Can I be excused? I am done with my meal,” I replied.

“Oh, dear, you can. You need rest for tomorrow,” Brian said, and I wasted no time in getting up from the table without looking at any of them and walking away.

I ran up the stairs to my room, and after getting lost in the halls, I found myself at the door of my room. Before I could open the door and step inside, I could hear footsteps behind me. Looking behind me, I saw him,

smirking at me. I knew he enjoyed making me feel uncomfortable.

“See you in the office tomorrow, and make sure I don’t catch you masturbating again,” he replied as he let out a laugh. I hurriedly opened the door and rushed in.

I knew my face was red, and then I froze as I realized something. His room was right next to mine.