Chapter 129

ARIANA'S POV

I stood there, trying to steady my trembling body as I looked at the man before me. Reginald Thornton-Frost. I knew that name, but from where? My mind raced, struggling to dredge up the memory. Before I could speak, one of the men shoved me roughly. Pain shot through my entire body as his tight grip dug into my arms, forcing a scream from my lips.

“Ariana,” the man barked, “answer!”

The sharp pain in my head returned, a searing bolt that brought flashes of memory. A restaurant. My mother talking to a man. I saw myself walking over to confront them. I remembered feeling angry that my mother was cheating on my father. It was the day I learnt that we needed “saving”. The day everything started to fall apart.

“Ariana, this is Reginald Thornton-Frost of Thornton-Frost Industries.”

Snapping back to the present, I gasped. “You’re my mother’s friend,” I stammered, the recognition dawning painfully.

Reginald chuckled, a mirthless sound that echoed through the small, oppressive ro