Chapter 2

"Oh my goodness, El. I can't believe this. I really can't believe this. I can't believe that we're going to be working together. I mean, that I'll be working for you."

Ari has been very chirpy since earlier today. We haven't even had the time to discuss the project because she kept on gushing and bringing back the topic of how she missed me. I can't help but feel ecstatic as well. After ten long years of waiting, after ten fucking years of hoping to see her again, it appears that fate had suddenly shone on me.

"Ms. Gregory, can we discuss the project first? We actually lost a lot of time considering that you came in late for the meeting. Mr. Allister's time is precious and he really hates waiting, you know."

Upon hearing what Kyle had to say, Ari's cheeks immediately tinged pink. And she pouted. She's so fucking cute doing that. What the hell, Elliot? Cute? Really, for a mafia lord, you know the word "cute"!

"I am really sorry, El! I got held up in my earlier meeting. Please forgive me, El." She looked straight into my eyes, that cute little pout still plastered on her face.

"It's okay, Kyle."

"What?! A while ago, you literally burst-"

"Hey, Kyle, stop it. I said, it's fucking okay." I interrupted Kyle with whatever he was planning to say. I don't want Ari to feel any pressure just because she came in late.

"And I also apologize, Mr. Conner, for coming in late." Ari said afterward, which earned her a huff from Kyle.

"Can we go down to business now?" Kyle, who was clearly annoyed, said as I shook my head at Kyle's reactions.

Throughout the meeting, I let Kyle and Ari discuss what we would like the designs to be. I always let Kyle do these things. I just attend these meetings to get to know who we will be working with and also to ensure that the correct instructions are given and that the architect or the designers clearly understood what we wanted.

I kept staring at Ari the whole time. A small smile is plastered on my lips. I am trying the best I can not to show that smile and reflect the cold, arrogant mafia boss instead. But I just can't. Not with Ari's presence in front of me. 

From then until now, I am still smitten by her. I tried to forget about these feelings, but now I realize that even after all those years, it's still her that I want. It is still her that I imagine myself being with. And fuck all the crap in my life!

One thing I know is that I have found her. She has found me. We have found each other and I will never, ever let go of her again. She's mine, and if fate had let us meet again, I would have to do everything to make her mine. I am Elliot Allister, the ruthless mafia king, and I always get what I want.

"Hey, Elliot, are you listening?" I was brought back to my senses when I heard Kyle mention my name.

I saw both Kyle and Ari looking intently at me. I just nodded my head. I was unaware of all the things that they had discussed so far. My mind kept wandering about Ari, even though she was just right here in front of me.

"Is everything all right, El?" Ari placed her hand on my arm with a questioning look in her eyes. I immediately felt a wave of current flow through my body with just one slight touch from her.

"Yes, Ari. I'm just thinking about the other business."

"Oh, so you're handling other business aside from the hotels?" She excitedly asked me

Kyle threw me a questioning glance as well. His distaste is clearly seen by his furrowed brows, which were directed at Ari. Ari failed to notice his reaction because she kept staring at me, waiting for my answer.

"Ah, yes. I'm handling Allister Industries now. Do you still remember the tech company?" Upon saying that, Ari's eyes immediately beamed with happiness.

She simultaneously nods her head, "Yes, I remember. How could I forget? We both wanted to work there together, right? By the way, how are your parents?"

"Good. But all the business has been handed down to me."

"You mean, you're the CEO now, of everything?"

"Yes, everything." Even the mafia dealings, I wanted to add but knowing that I couldn't. She does not know about this part of my life.

"Since you're both being cosy now and the business discussion is over, I'll take the initiative to excuse myself first. I'll see you in a while, Elliot. I'll just head over to the finance office and do the checking." I nodded in agreement, and Kyle immediately stood up and left the room without so much as glancing at Ari.

"He doesn't seem to like me, right?" I looked up to see the worried look on Ari's face. I know Kyle is being his usual asshole self.

"Don't mind him. He is usually like that when I have been too hard on him."

"So who is he?" she questioned me back.

"Kyle? Well, Kyle is my best friend."

"What?!" She sounded almost shocked and had a hurt expression on her face. I immediately corrected myself, realizing what I had said that made her feel that way. "What I mean is, my other best friend. His father used to work for my family, for my father to be precise."

"But I haven't met him before?"

"Well, he used to stay at his relatives' house. When your family left, my dad bought the house that you vacated and they eventually moved in there. We became best friends right there and then."

"You always have to be enticed by befriending your next-door neighbor, huh?" She jokingly said, with an amused smile on her face.

"Well, I can't help it. I am always drawn to weaklings." I countered. This earned me a slap on my arm.

"Weakling? How dare you?" A smile slowly creeps into her face.

"Well, I wanted you to be the weakling so that I could protect you." I said straightforwardly to her, which caused her to blush again. "You seem to have a habit of blushing. What are you? In high school?" I joked.

"Uh, you're still the same Elliot that I know."

"Of course, nothing would change, except maybe I've grown mature and hotter. Sexier, in fact." I even winked at her, which caused another tinge of pink cheeks for her. 

Her answer was cut short by the sudden ping of her mobile phone. She immediately looked for it in her bag, and a smile graced her face the moment she read the message.

I so badly want to snatch her phone away, like the way I used to. I wanted to know who and what made her smile so charmingly and so happy like this. And if it's a man that's making her this happy, I so wanted to erase his face and him out of our lives.

Hold up, Elliot! What the hell are you? Thinking of clearly killing someone already? I shook my head to disregard the thought that was starting to brew in my head.

"Why are you smiling?" I asked.

She must have been taken aback by the tone of my voice in that question, that she looked at me in an instant and raised her brows at me. "Not your business, mister."

"Seriously? Last time I checked, your business is my business."

"And when was that last time? You've forgotten about me, El. You've been too busy to visit me, much less talk to me, and you did eventually stop talking to me. I'm really hurt, you know."

I can feel the sudden loneliness in her voice. A very different from the cheerful and chirpy tone that she's been using since earlier. All I can sense now is the hurt and pain from what I've done.

"I'm sorry, Ari. Things just got more complicated. Everything was handed down to me in an instant, and I had to step up and adjust to all of it."

"But why, El? You promised that we'll always be the best of friends. When you decided to stop talking nor communicating with me, I kept thinking if I did something wrong."

I know that I owe her an explanation for all the things that I did. But I just can't. She doesn't need to know everything. The lesser she knows, the better. I reached for her hand and tightly held it. "I'm sorry, Ariella. I really am. I know I owe a lot of explanations to you, but let's not do this now. In time, maybe, but not just right now. And I promised that I'd make it up to you."

"Promise? Please, El, don't make another promise that you cannot keep. I trust you so much that it will break me again if it's you who doesn't keep the promise. I am expecting too much of you, you know?"

I rubbed my thumb over her cheeks and looked straight into her eyes. She's still the same Ari from before. Ari always needs validation and assurance. She is still the same Ari, my Ariella.

"Hey, love, this time, I promise I won't stay away anymore. I'll always be here for you."

"Best Friends?" she asked.

I don't know if I'll be happy or not with what she said. Is she friend-zoning me now? I'm getting confused, but I know what Ari meant. She meant to have the friendship that we had before. And I will give it to her, and much, much more. I will not just bring back our friendship as best friends, but I will be more than just a friend to her. I intend to be her boyfriend this time.

"Yes, best friends." I nodded.

She smiled and stood up to hug me. Another ping from her mobile phone made us part from that hug. She checked it once again and another smile lit up her face. "I have to go, El. I'll see you soon, okay."

"You're leaving already? Why are you even in a hurry? Let's have dinner together."

She looked up at me and smiled. "Hey, CEO, your time is precious. I'll set up an appointment for that dinner. But right now, you go back to work. I still have to meet someone."

"Meet someone? Who?" I know I'm sounding possessive right now, but I just can't help it. I've got her back, and I'm not going to let her go.

"I'm meeting Matt."

"Matt?"

"Yes, Matt, my boyfriend."

"What?!"