Chapter 20

Chapter 20 – Come With Me

Ariana stood frozen in the middle of the room, her gaze shifting between Vincent, Daniel, and the man in the black suit who had just arrived.

"Ariana, we need to leave. Now," Vincent urged, his hand reaching out to her.

Daniel tightened his grip on her wrist, his voice sharp. "Don't listen to him. You have no idea where he's taking you."

Ariana took a shaky breath. "Tell me the truth, Vincent. Why is Richard looking for me?"

Vincent's expression hardened, but hesitation flickered in his eyes. "I promise I'll explain everything later, but now isn't the time. We have to leave before it's too late."

Daniel scoffed. "That's the problem. You keep asking her to trust you without giving her any answers."

The man in the suit checked his watch, looking restless. "We don't have time for this, Vincent."

Ariana's entire body trembled. She knew she had to make a choice. If she left with Vincent, she might never learn the truth. But if she stayed with Daniel, she could be walking into something even more dangerous.

Finally, with a trembling voice, she said, "I… I'll go with Vincent."

Daniel stiffened. "Ariana, don't do this!"

But she was already stepping toward Vincent, her hand slowly touching his. Vincent wasted no time pulling her close, his face filled with both relief and tension.

Daniel clenched his fists. "You're going to regret this."

Ariana turned away, suppressing the guilt clawing at her chest.

"We need to move," the man in the suit said, striding toward the door. "They're getting close."

Vincent gripped Ariana's hand and pulled her quickly out of the room. They hurried down the empty hotel hallway, their footsteps echoing in the silence. Ariana's heart pounded so hard she could hear it in her ears.

"Where are we going?" she asked breathlessly.

"Somewhere safe."

As they reached the lobby, Vincent steered Ariana toward the back exit. But before they could take another step—

"Vincent."

A deep voice rang out.

They both froze.

Ariana turned and saw a man standing near the hotel's main entrance. He was tall, exuding an intimidating aura. His expression was cold, his sharp eyes locked onto them.

Richard Coleman.

A chill ran down Ariana’s spine.

"So this is the girl you've been hiding from me?" Richard’s voice was smooth, but there was an underlying menace in his tone.

Vincent’s grip on Ariana’s shoulder tightened, shielding her. "This doesn’t concern you, Richard."

Richard took a slow step forward, his gaze flicking over Ariana as if studying her. "Oh, but it does. Ariana is part of all this, whether she realizes it or not."

Ariana swallowed hard. "What do you mean?"

Richard gave her a thin smile. "He hasn’t told you, has he?"

Vincent's jaw tensed. "Enough, Richard. She doesn’t need to hear anything from you."

"Or maybe," Richard continued, "she needs to know exactly who she’s running from."

Ariana turned to Vincent, confusion clouding her eyes. "What is he talking about?"

Vincent didn’t answer.

Richard sighed, as if enjoying the moment. "Let me tell her, Vincent. She has the right to know."

Ariana’s pulse raced. She knew whatever Richard was about to say would change everything.

But before he could continue, the sound of approaching footsteps filled the air.

"Don't move."

Several men in black suits emerged from different directions, surrounding Ariana and Vincent with cold, unreadable expressions.

"You brought your men?" Vincent muttered.

Richard smirked. "I just wanted to make sure no one ran away."

Ariana stiffened. "What do you want from me?"

Richard met her gaze before speaking in a softer tone. "I want you to know the truth, Ariana. And I want you to decide for yourself."

Vincent immediately pulled Ariana behind him, shielding her. "I’m not letting you take her."

Richard clicked his tongue. "Vincent, you’re in no position to fight this. You already know how this ends."

Vincent looked ready to fight, but Ariana stopped him by grabbing his arm. "I want to know the truth."

Vincent’s eyes widened. "Ariana, no—"

"I'm tired of this," she interrupted. "I can't keep running without knowing why."

Richard’s smile widened. "A wise choice."

A sleek black car pulled up in front of the entrance. One of Richard’s men opened the door.

"Get in, Ariana."

Vincent tightened his grip on her wrist, his voice almost desperate. "Don’t do this."

Ariana met his gaze, her eyes filled with uncertainty. "If I don’t hear the truth now, I’ll never have peace."

With a heavy heart, she pulled away from Vincent’s grasp and stepped into the car.

Richard followed, shutting the door behind them.

As the vehicle pulled away, Ariana’s heart pounded harder.

She had no idea if this was the right choice.

But one thing was certain—

There was no turning back now.