CHAPTER 4

 Aria’s POV (FLASHBACK)

"Pumpkin, allow me to be your escort tonight," Dominic said with a smug smile as he approached me. 

We were at a grand business banquet, with influential people all around us, but his words made me feel small, like I was some little girl needing guidance. So, I frowned at him. 

“Thank you, Dom, but I know my way to the dining hall,” I replied politely. 

Dominic Westbrook was a close friend to my brother and ever since he was acquainted with me, he expressed how much he adored me. It’s annoying sometimes and his arrogance was testing my patience! But I didn’t want to cause a scene at an important event especially since our families were both in the business world. 

“I insist,” he said as he stepped closer toward me and made it clear that he wouldn’t take no for an answer.  

At that moment, something snapped inside me. I had been polite long enough and I was tired of his constant hovering like I couldn’t handle myself pretty well. 

“With all due respect, Dominic Westbrook, I don’t want to be rude, but your behavior right now is making me uncomfortable,” I told him then I took a deep breath before I continued. “Do you like me that much?”

Dominic blinked in surprise and clearly, he was not expecting my bluntness.  He cleared  his throat awkwardly and his smug expression faltered for just a second. He had probably expected me to be soft-spoken and very demure. Well, he was wrong! 

“Care to explain what you mean?” he asked.

Since I wasn’t in the mood to sugarcoat anything, I smiled and replied, “It means, I don’t  enjoy your company, Dominic. Why are you acting so desperate? It’s not appropriate for someone with your status!” I advised and he slightly raised his eyebrows. Then, a smirk formed on his lips. 

“I am not desperate, Victoria. I just want to let you know that I am always here for you,” he said. 

“Oh, please, save me the pleasantries, Dominic Westbrook! I know why you are acting like this!”

Then, without waiting for his response, I turned and headed toward the large staircase that would lead us to the grand hall. I heard him calling for me, but ignored him as usual, and kept walking while keeping my distance from him. 

And because I was in a hurry to get away from Dominic Westbrook, I tripped on the last step. My heart jumped as I felt myself starting to fall, but before I could hit the ground, a strong arm reached out and caught me. I gasped when I looked at him, but before I could express my gratitude for helping me, I heard Dominic’s voice again.

“Who was that?” he asked while referring to the mysterious man who immediately left after helping me. 

I shook my head and responded, “I don’t know him.” It was true. I hadn’t even gotten a good look at the man who had caught me. But then, Dominic scoffed at me. 

“I bet your Dad hasn't told you yet,” he muttered while trying to close the gap between us. 

“Told me what?” I asked because something in his tone made me uneasy. 

“About us,” he answered and I furrowed my brows. 

“About us? How? Wait, are you implying that we are arranged to be married?” 

“Yes,” he replied with a smirk and his words hang in the air like a bomb waiting to explode. 

I stood frozen near the stairway and everything around me seemed to fade away as his words sank in. “W-what?” I stammered when I asked him for confirmation. 

Then, he laughed.  “I’m just kidding, Victoria,” he told me before walking away as if he didn’t cause me to panic. 

How despicable!

When Dominic was gone, I walked toward the ballroom alone. As expected, it was full of businessmen who were trying to make a connection or two during the banquet. 

When a waiter passed by, I took a glass of champagne, and walked toward the nearest window to look out into the garden. I hadn’t taken a sip yet, instead, I kept staring at the golden liquid, and twirled it a little bit. 

My father, Daniel Montgomery, was in the middle of the crowd, and he was talking and laughing with some businessmen, as he always did. 

I, on the other hand, felt completely out of place. I hate parties but Mom coerced me into attending this one, and I didn’t know why. Before I could overthink, I heard Mom’s voice behind me. 

“Aria,” she called my nickname. 

I turned to see her walking toward me, looking as elegant as always in her flowing gown. My mother, Evelyn Montgomery, always knew how to command attention.

“Yes, Mom?” I asked, trying not to sound too tired, though this party was wearing me down.

“You’ve been standing here for a while,” she said, looking around the room. “Why don’t you go mingle a bit? There are some important people here tonight,” she suggested and I forced a  smile. 

As part of the Montgomery family, I was expected to talk to people and make connections. But since I just returned to the country after studying abroad, my parents didn’t force me to start working right away. 

“I will,” I said even though the thought of it made my stomach twist as I despised fake conversations. 

She glanced around again, and her eyes sharpened like she spotted someone important. I squinted my eyes while waiting for her to speak again. 

“The Thompsons are here,”she said in a low voice, “and Richard is with them.” 

My heart skipped a beat at the mention of his name - Richard Thompson. I followed my Mom’s gaze because I was curious to know what he looked like. I heard Dad mentioned his name several times but I couldn’t find any article online with his photo. 

“That man?” I pointed while referring to the man who was busy talking to a young woman. 

From my vantage point, I saw that he looked every bit like the perfect Thompson heir - tall, handsome, and confident. His dark hair was neat, and his suit looked like it was made just for him. 

My eyes lingered on him, longer than they should have, but I couldn’t help it. I waited for him to turn around because I was curious to know more about him, and then I narrowed my eyes at the familiar back view. 

Was he that man? I asked myself while referring to the man who helped me earlier. I really hoped it was him, but when I looked around, I noticed more businessmen who wore the same color as his coat. 

“You’ve been staring at him for a long time, Aria. Why?” 

I was startled when I heard Mom’s voice again.  “I think he is my type,” I mumbled, and she groaned. 

“He is a Thompson!” she reminded me. 

“So what? I don’t care about his family name, Mom.”

“Wait until your Dad hears you,” she warned me. 

“Do you think he will stop me, Mom?”

“Yes. Definitely, he will stop you from liking the heir of the Thompson Family!”

“We’ll see,” I declared as an idea popped up inside my head. 

“Where are you going?”

“I need to confirm if he’s that guy,” I said because I was dying to know if he was the one who helped me earlier. Because if he’s that guy, then, I am all in for Richard Thompson, no matter what! 

“Victoria, don’t do it!” Mom warned me not to do something stupid.

“I will be back right away,” I promised as I sauntered toward the direction of Richard Thompson. 

However, before I could reach him, a beautiful woman came smiling toward him. She was elegant and sexy, and his body language told me he was happy to see her, too. 

From a distance, I waited to see his face, and then, I couldn’t stop staring! I couldn’t be mistaken. He was really the person who helped me at the staircase!

Slowly, I walked closer toward them but I did it stealthily. No one noticed I was close to him already. We were just one table apart, so hearing some of their conversation wasn’t an issue. 

“Natalia, baby,” he greeted her before planting a kiss on her cheek. 

When he addressed that woman gently, I knew he was head over heels for her. Should I just give up? Perhaps I should… because it’s a losing battle. 

“Give up now.”

I turned around to see who was speaking casually to me and it was Mom. I was too focused on Richard that I wasn’t aware she was following me. 

“I know,” I said softly and my fingers tightened around the stem of my glass. “Besides, someone like me doesn’t stand a chance with him.” 

She sighed and looked at me with pity. “I’m sorry sweetie, but it’s better not to get caught up in it, Aria. You know how things are between our families, right?” she asked and I nodded my head.

She was right. The Montgomerys and the Thompsons had been business rivals for as long as I could remember and any kind of relationship between us would be impossible. 

Unless a miracle happens…

Once again, I glanced over at Richard, and watched him speak with a gray-haired man this time. It was probably his relative because they had something in common, and I was right because I heard he called that man his grandfather. 

So, that was William Thompson! He was the real power behind the Thompson Family and I noticed that Richard was somehow nervous in the presence of the old man. 

Later on, Richard excused from his grandfather and walked toward the terrace. Natalia probably went there when the old man was approaching them. As I kept watching them, someone came to take Mom for a small talk. 

“Alone?”

I was startled when the man I assumed to be William Thompson approached me. He seemed friendly when he smiled at me, but I knew better. Dad called him a devil incarnate! 

I smiled back and replied, “Not really. Mmmm, is there something I can help you with? I don’t believe we’ve met before.”

He nodded and extended his hand, “The name is William Thompson of Thompson Enterprises. Who do you work with? You must be new here, I don’t think I’ve seen you at one of these events before.”

He assumed I was a staff member of one of the businessmen inside the ballroom. At the moment, I wanted to correct him but I told myself it was probably not necessary since I didn’t have to see him again. I just let him assume he was right about me. 

“So what’s your name?” he asked. 

“Aria Delafontaine,” I introduced myself using my mom’s family name. 

“So, which businessman do you work for, Aria? You seem like you would make a good assistant,” he paused for a moment, then added, “Or maybe you’re in PR?”

He thought I was someone’s secretary! I wasn’t sure if I should feel offended or amused, but I decided to play along. I was curious to see where this would go. 

“I’m between jobs right now, actually,” I lied and his expression shifted slightly as if an idea had just struck him. 

“You know I’m always looking for bright and capable individuals at Thompson. Mmm, we have an opening in our headquarters, right in Richard’s office. Would you be interested to work with us?”

When he asked me to work with them, I blinked in surprise.  Had I heard him correctly? Was he offering me a job at Thompson Enterprises? In Richard’s office, no less? Mmmm, my heart skipped a beat at the thought of seeing that man every day.  Working that close to Richard seemed thrilling! 

“You mean…Richard Thompson’s office?” I asked while trying to sound casual, and he nodded with a slight smile tugging at his lips. 

“Yes. His secretary had resigned after marrying Michael King,” he answered. 

I knew Michael King. He was the CEO of Collins Enterprises, and he just got married to Kiara Collins. There was a rumor about them, that Kiara was not the real Collins and it was Michael. 

“I see,” I replied. 

“So, what do you say? Interested?”

“If it’s worth my time, sir,” I told him and he slightly raised the top of his left eyebrow. 

“Worth your time, Missy? We are the Thompsons!” 

“But I currently work with Daniel Montgomery,” I told him and he immediately narrowed his eyes at me. 

“How much do you get from him? I will triple it,” he offered. 

“How generous! But am I worth all this trouble of scouting me, Mr. Thompson?”

“Why not? I can’t wait to see Daniel’s face once he learns the truth,” he said. 

I knew that secretaries don’t make much in the industry, and I knew Dad would be livid with anger, but I could probably convince him if I were  to be a corporate spy in Thompsons.

“So?”  He was eager for a response. 

“Mmmm, the offer is tempting, so I’ll take it,” I told him and he smiled smugly for winning against my Dad. 

“Good choice. Here’s my card, call me on Monday, and you start right away,” he decided, and then he excused himself from me to talk to someone else. 

Did I make  the right choice? When he offered me the job, I didn’t hesitate because the thought of being in Richard’s world was exciting. It was a crazy move but I convinced myself that what I’m feeling right now was just infatuation and sooner or later, it would fade. 

Dad would be furious, so I have to carefully think about my next move. I could already picture it while working in the same office as him, seeing him every day, and maybe even talking to him casually over coffee. It was a far-fetched dream…but I am used to getting everything I want. 

“Was that William Thompson I saw earlier?” 

“Dad!” I exclaimed when Dad suddenly appeared in front of me. 

I was too busy to think about how to discuss it with him so I failed to notice his presence. 

“Yes, and guess what? He thought I am your secretary,” I informed him but Daniel Montgomery didn’t like it. 

“He dared to insult my daughter?”   

“Except for Dominic, nobody knows I am related to you, Dad. They don’t know me,” I corrected him. 

“Then, it’s time they should know you! Come on, I will introduce you to my peers!”

“No. I don’t want to,” I resisted when he tried to take me to his peers.

“Why not?” he asked in disbelief. 

“Because I am going to work with William Thompson…as your spy…and I already accepted his offer,” I told him with the partial truth because I couldn’t let him know it was all because of my infatuation with Richard Thompson. 

“Have you lost your mind?” he snapped.

“Of course not! Besides, I already accepted the offer, so whether you like it or not, I’ll work with him,” I insisted and he glared at me. 

“Damn it, Victoria!” he cursed.

“What was that again, Daniel Montgomery?” 

“Mom!” I exclaimed my joy upon seeing Mom to my rescue, and when I glanced at Dad, he paled. He’s cute sometimes, though. 

“Sweetheart,” Daniel mumbled. 

“It’s Evelyn,” Mom corrected him and at that moment, I knew Mom was already furious. “So, care to explain about what I just heard, Daniel?”

“Victoria wants to work with William Thompson…as a spy!” Dad blurted and Mom glared at me this time. 

“Is it true Victoria Antoinette?” she asked and when she used my middle name, I knew I was in big trouble.