Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – The Secret Behind the Affair

Ariana sat in her car, parked in front of a small restaurant at the corner of the city. Her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, her phone resting on the passenger seat with Lucas’s latest message still open.

You need to come. This is about your life, Ariana.

A chill ran down her spine as she reread the words. Her life? Was this just a scare tactic, or did Lucas truly know something she had overlooked all this time?

She took a deep breath, trying to push away the doubts gnawing at her mind. This was not the time to be weak. If there was one thing she had learned over the past few months, it was that trust could be the deadliest trap of all.

With renewed determination, Ariana finally stepped out of the car and walked into the restaurant.

—

The restaurant had a warm atmosphere, with dim yellow lights and soft jazz playing in the background. As she entered, her eyes immediately found Lucas sitting in the corner, dressed in a leather jacket over a dark shirt.

She approached cautiously. Lucas looked up as soon as he saw her, a small smile playing on his lips—a smile that was anything but reassuring.

“I almost thought you wouldn’t come,” he said, leaning back in his chair casually.

Ariana pulled out the chair across from him with a sharp movement and sat down, her gaze cold. “I almost didn’t. So don’t waste my time. What’s really going on?”

Lucas raised an eyebrow. “Straight to the point. I like that.”

“Lucas,” Ariana warned, her voice low. “Don’t play games with me.”

Lucas smirked. “Believe it or not, I’m not.”

He leaned forward, clasping his fingers together on the table. “Ariana, you think Daniel cheated on you out of his own free will. That’s wrong.”

Ariana scoffed. “Evelyn already told me that. But I’m not stupid. If he really cared, he wouldn’t have thrown me away like trash.”

Lucas studied her carefully. “Because that was the only way to save you.”

Ariana froze for a moment. “What do you mean?”

Lucas tapped his fingers on the table, hesitating before finally speaking in a more serious tone. “Daniel was forced to choose—leaving you or watching you be destroyed.”

Ariana frowned. “Destroyed how?”

Lucas leaned in closer. “They were going to ruin you financially, destroy your reputation, maybe even worse.”

Her heartbeat quickened. “They? You mean Evelyn’s family?”

Lucas nodded. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with, Ariana. Evelyn’s family isn’t just some ordinary rich family. They have deep connections. They can make someone disappear without a trace or destroy a person’s life with a single phone call.”

Ariana let out a bitter laugh. “That’s ridiculous. If they’re that powerful, why am I still standing here?”

Lucas shrugged. “Maybe because they’re still watching you. Maybe they want to see if you’ll give up on your own.”

Ariana clenched her fists under the table. “And how do you know all this?”

Lucas gave her a knowing smirk. “I have eyes and ears in the right places.”

Ariana narrowed her eyes. “So, are you one of them?”

Lucas chuckled. “No, sweetheart. I’m just someone who’s tired of seeing them win.”

Ariana studied his expression, searching for any sign of deception. But all she saw was exhaustion and deep-seated resentment.

Lucas continued in a lower voice, “You think this is just about an affair? No, Ariana. It’s much bigger than that.”

He slid a brown envelope across the table toward her. Ariana hesitated before picking it up.

“Open it,” Lucas urged.

With a pounding heart, Ariana pulled out the contents—several photos and a stack of documents. Her breath hitched as her eyes landed on one particular picture.

It was Daniel.

Standing beside a middle-aged man who exuded power, shaking hands in what looked like an exclusive law office.

Ariana looked up at Lucas. “Who is this man?”

Lucas met her gaze. “Richard Coleman. Evelyn’s father.”

She swallowed hard. “So you’re saying… they had an agreement?”

Lucas nodded. “A deal that was made long before you even knew Daniel was cheating.”

Ariana felt the blood drain from her face. “So all this time… I was just a pawn in their game?”

Lucas’s expression was unreadable. “Now you understand.”

Ariana clenched her fists. Her breathing became uneven, her body burning with the fire of anger rising inside her.

“But why are you telling me all this now?” she asked, her voice unsteady.

Lucas studied her face for a moment before sighing. “Because I know you won’t back down.”

Ariana met his gaze with unwavering determination. “Of course not.”

Lucas’s lips curled into a small, almost satisfied smile. “Good.”

He reached into his jacket pocket and placed something on the table—a black business card with gold lettering.

“This is someone who can help you,” he said. “If you really want to take them down, this is your first step.”

Ariana stared at the card before looking back at Lucas.

“And you? What do you get out of this?”

Lucas smirked, but there was something different in his eyes this time. Something personal. “I just want to see people like them lose for once.”

Ariana swallowed hard. She still wasn’t sure if she could fully trust Lucas. But one thing was certain—she was done being a pawn.