Chapter 17

Chapter 17 – Ariana’s Anxiety

Ariana sat in the passenger seat, her hands clenched tightly on her lap. Her eyes remained fixed on her phone screen, rereading the message that had just come in:

"Vincent is not as good as you think. Trust only yourself."

Her heart pounded erratically. Who sent this? Why should she doubt Vincent?

From the corner of her eye, she noticed Vincent glancing at her briefly before refocusing on the road. His aura was always calm and mysterious, making it difficult to read him.

"You seem restless," Vincent finally said. "What's wrong?"

Ariana quickly locked her phone and hid it in her lap. "Nothing," she replied shortly.

Vincent sighed, then pulled the car over to the side of the road. Ariana was startled as he turned to face her, his eyes locking onto her face.

"Ariana, you can lie to others, but not to me." His voice was firm, deep, and slightly demanding.

Ariana swallowed. Should she tell him about the message? But what if… it was true?

"I just..." Ariana bit her lip. "I’ve been thinking about what Daniel said. What he mentioned at the restaurant earlier really bothered me."

Vincent studied her for a few moments, his expression unreadable. Then, he leaned back against his seat and exhaled slowly.

"Daniel is just playing with your mind. He knows you have doubts, and he's using that to break you."

Ariana turned her gaze to the window. "Maybe," she murmured.

Vincent started the engine again, driving toward Ariana’s apartment. The atmosphere inside the car remained tense, but neither of them spoke further.

—

Upon arriving at the apartment, Vincent stepped out first and opened the door for her. Ariana hesitated before getting out. There was something strange about the way Vincent moved—like he was being extra cautious.

As they entered the apartment, Vincent immediately scanned the surroundings. He walked over to the window, peering outside before shutting the curtains tightly.

Ariana crossed her arms. "You really think I'm in danger?"

Vincent turned to her, his expression unreadable. "You're always in danger, Ariana. As long as Daniel and his people are still out there, you can’t take this lightly."

Ariana bit her lip. "Then what’s your plan?"

Vincent stepped closer, his voice lowering. "I’m going to dig deeper into Richard Coleman. If he's truly behind this, we need to act fast."

Ariana studied him cautiously. "We?"

Vincent smirked slightly. "Of course. I’m not going to let you face this alone."

Her heart pounded a little faster. But before she could respond, her phone vibrated again.

Ariana quickly grabbed it, opening the new message that appeared. This time, it was even shorter than before:

"Don’t trust Vincent."

Her eyes widened, fingers tightening around the screen.

Vincent was watching her intently. "Who is it?"

Ariana lifted her gaze, hesitating. Should she tell him? Or would it be better to investigate on her own?

Vincent stepped closer, his expression growing serious. "Ariana. Tell me what's going on."

Ariana took a deep breath before deciding to hide the message. "It's nothing. Just a text from an unknown number."

Vincent studied her for a moment, then nodded. But his expression sharpened.

"Don't keep things from me, Ariana."

"I'm not—"

Suddenly, a soft clinking sound came from the window. Ariana gasped, her heart nearly leaping out of her chest. Vincent swiftly pulled her behind him, shielding her with his body.

In one quick motion, he reached for something at his waist—a small folding knife that gleamed under the dim light.

"Stay here," he whispered.

Ariana nodded, holding her breath as Vincent moved toward the window with silent, precise steps. He peeked through the curtain, then exhaled slowly.

"A stray cat," he finally said, tucking his knife away. "But we can’t take any risks. From now on, you need to be more careful."

Ariana tried to steady her racing heartbeat. "Do you really think someone is watching us?"

Vincent looked at her, his gaze intense. "I don’t think, Ariana. I know."

A shiver ran down her spine. If Vincent was saying this, then it meant they were truly being watched.

But by who?

And more importantly…

Was Vincent really on her side?