Chapter 6

ARIANNA:

Inside the hotel room, Rose turned to face me and said, "Arianna, remember my warning. Do not reveal to Don Milos that you are related to me or that I'm your stepmother. Do as he requests. Got it?" Her eyes glared at me as she tugged at her right ear.

"Got it, Ma," I replied, bowing my head.

"Go change," Rose whispered. Her voice was low as she gestured for me to enter the bathroom. Her eyes scanned the room to be sure no one was eavesdropping. She gazed at a red light, which I assumed was a CCTV camera recording.

I drew a deep breath and moved into the suite's bathroom. First, I set the bag on the table in the room, then went to have my bath in the bathroom.

As the cool water dropped onto my skin, I trembled but bathed quickly.

When I stepped out, I expected Rose to have left, but she sat across from me on a leather chair. Her left leg was crossed on her right, and she gestured to the bag.

"Wear the black lingerie first."

My feet moved to the table, and I picked up the white bag and pulled out the black lacy panties and bra Rose had selected from the boutique.

The fact that the pieces cost at least fifty thousand made my stomach churn with disgust. But I was doing this for my mother. I had to.

I dried my wet body as fast as I could, then I wore the lacy panties and bra.

"Nice," Rose complimented me. The black lacy panty was a g-string. It parted my body, and I felt exposed.

My body was on full display, and I wondered how the other young ladies who patronized this felt.

This wasn't me. But I shut my blue eyes and opened them to regain full confidence.

"Wear this dress, and sit. Let me help you comb your hair and style it. You need to appear presentable," Rose stated, her tone firm. She quickly pulled a black brush from her handbag as she handed me the red dress to put on.

I wore the red dress, and Rose zipped it up. As I perched on the chair, she moved close to me and helped brush my long hair. She didn't act like my stepmother. She stood beside me like a hair stylist. Her hands smoothed my long blonde hair until it fell freely behind my back.

Once she was done, she offered me a red lipstick.

"Raise your chin," Rose ordered.

I did as instructed.

She applied a minimal amount of the red lipstick on my lips and stepped back.

"Perfect. You should wait here. I will take my leave now. This all depends on your performance. If you piss off the boss, that's your luck, and if you don't, good for you. I will send the money to your account," Rose stated, as she returned her lipstick and hairbrush to her bag.

I sat uneasily, listening to the clock tick away.

"Ma, you didn't ask for my account details," I reminded her as she strode to the door.

Rose paused at the door. Her gaze fell on me. "After you are done with the deed, we will move to the next phase of getting paid. So do your job perfectly." Her lips curled into a smirk, and she pulled the door open and exited the room.

I drew a deep breath and awaited my fate. My phone rang once more, and I glanced at the caller ID. It was Edith Landon. She was my best friend and a nurse too. We both worked at the local hospital together.

We were both students, but while she came from a polygamous family and thrived to achieve success, I came from an influential family before my father threw my mother and me out.

Dad had given me a choice: choose between my mother or him. When I chose my mother, as I couldn't bear to live with Rose and her daughter, Talia, he kicked us out.

"Hello, Edith," I said, my heart pounding against my ribcage as I feared the door would soon unlock and the mafia don would arrive.

I gulped down my nervousness, shifting uneasily in my seat.

"Arianna, where are you? I went to Milos Hospital to check on you now, but I didn't see you," Edith said, and I sighed heavily.

"Edith, I went to get money. I have to deposit eight million as a minimum deposit. I don't have that amount, so I went home," I explained, omitting some details.

"Arianna, which home are you talking about? Do you mean your dad's house? The last time you went there to beg him, before your mother got transferred, you said he wouldn't even see you. Why try again? I was thinking, why not find an NGO to help you raise a fundraiser for your mother's treatment? Stop wasting your time with those people," Edith stated, her tone laced with ice, as I had already briefed her about my parents.

I shut my eyes and blinked back tears. "I tried raising money, but it didn't work. Most people didn't believe me. They thought I was trying to scam them."

"Yeah. You have a pretty face that's why they didn't believe you. So where are you now? It's 7 p.m. I just closed from my afternoon shift, and I came to check on you. Head Nurse Gemma Collins was furious that you left your duty post. I had to fill in for you, so you owe me compensation," Edith stated, and I laughed.

"I will call you back. Maybe tomorrow we can talk."

"What? Arianna, where are you? I need to see you so we can talk about the fundraiser."

"Alright. When I return," I responded, as the sound of the room door unlocking made me nervous.

I raised my head and looked over at the door, and I stilled when I saw a tall man in black clothing standing there. His gaze was pinned on me. His dark blue eyes locked with mine. He wore a black mask that shielded his face.

My heart pounded as I felt a familiarity with those eyes.

*Why did he resemble Don Gabriel Milos? Or did his father have those same dark blue eyes?* They held me captive. His eyes were cold, distant, and suspicious as he leaned against the door and asked, "Are you done making calls?"

I quickly ended the call and rose to my feet.

"Good evening, sir," I greeted him as he strode into the hotel room. The door shut behind him, and I stepped back as he moved toward me.