Arianna fell to the floor of her mother's office, pushing her head against the wall, warm, salty tears streamed down her face. The walls she'd spend years fortifying around her bruised and scarred heart, in a simple 18 hours he tore them down, now she was never going to see him again. She started to sob uncontrollably. No matter how much Julien hurt her 9 years ago, Liam leaving was more painful.
She managed to stumble over to the grey Parisian couch in the office and curled up, crying until she fell asleep. Unknown to her Joan had tried calling more than 15 times and was starting to get worried.
Meanwhile at Liam's manor. Liam trying to get work done, but could concentrate on anything was the photo of him and Arianna, his sister had taken earlier that day. His heart ached, but it was for the best, that's what he told himself. Suddenly his phone rung.
"Hello" He asked suspiciously, no-one apart from family had his personal number.
"Where is my daughter?" A cold, harsh voice yelled through the phone.
"Who is this?" While his voice was cold and harsh it still didn't hold a candle to the distraught mother.
"Liam Clair I let you go because when I spoke to her this morning she seemed fine, but I swear if you've hurt my Arianna that won't find your b..."
"ARIANNA'S MISSING?" He stood up in a rush spilling his drink over his paperwork and knocking the chair over, his cold voice now replaced with serious concern, as his body was shaking, his heart racing.
"Wait, she's not with you?" Joan's cold and threatening voice had become frantic.
"No I dropped her off at the office, over an hour ago." He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "Damn it, I knew I should have just dropped her off at home." He threw his empty scotch glass across the office. Joan was shocked to hear his response, he reminded her of his mother, thank god for that.
"I'm heading to the office now, I'll let you know what I find." Joan grabbed her bag and keys and ran for the car hanging up on him.
It seemed like a long drive to the office, when she got there, she saw Lucas, a tall muscular man, in his security uniform, he was not surprised to see her.
"Madam Richard," He let her into the building. Seeing her frantic expression he knew she was looking for Arianna. "You're daughter is in your office."
When she heard his words, she breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you so much Lucas." For years, the closed office had been Arianna's sanctuary, Lucas and James were the guards that worked during closed hours and had known her for many years. Joan trusted the men with her daughter's safety, but also had a enough information on them to destroy their entire family, if anything happens to her. She picked up her phone, looking at the number, should she really call him? He sounded generally concerned about her. She walked into her office to see the girl asleep curled up on the couch and then hit the call button.
"Have you found her?" He asked in a panic.
"Yes, she's asleep on the couch in my office." She whispered, Joan couldn't help but be a little suspicious, "What exactly happened between you two?" She had observed the dried tear stains on her daughter's face.
"Nothing happen between myself and Miss Richard." He finally ended the long silence, his voice had become more expressionless again and he spoke more formally of her. It seemed Joan understood what had happened, or rather what couldn't happen.
"Nonetheless, she is safe and you can stop worrying." She smirked into the phone.
"I wasn't worried, merely curious." He cleared his throat having forgot she heard him curse himself earlier. His statement made her giggle.
"Liam I heard what happened with your fiancee and you can lie to yourself, but you can't lie to someone who has been through it so much worse." She her serious voice laced with a hint of kindness. He couldn't help but wonder what she meant, 'was that who broke her heart so badly?' "I'll see you a next month Fashion Week." She smiled before hanging up on him.
Joan looked down at her sleeping daughter lovingly, she pushed a tress of her hair, behind her ear causing her to stir and wake.
"Mother..." Arianna mumbled as she rubbed her eyes, slowly sitting up. "What time is it?"
"2:58 PM" She smiled.
"Shit!" Arianna stood up and went to leave, but was stopped by her mother's hug. "Mum?" Her voice filled with concern and surprise.
"I'm sorry, this pain you're feeling... it's my fault." Arianna was shocked, how'd she know? But that didn't matter right now, her arms wrapped around her mother as she cried into shoulder.
"I tried so hard, I put up so many walls. How did they get through? How did he?" She sobbed, she didn't want these feelings, she didn't understand what they were. They weren't the same as the love she had for Julien, it seemed stronger and different. Was it even him or was that she didn't want to be so lonely anymore.
"Oh sweetheart," Joan laughed a little, pulling away slightly and wiped her tears away. "Let mother give you some advice; don't make the same mistake I did, don't make love come second."
"Mum, it's more complicated than you think."
"More complicated than you not understand this strange warm feeling you have for the son of my biggest rival, William Clair?" Joan smiled that not-it-all smile she was famous for.
"H...how?" Arianna swallowed hard, wiping her tears away, "how'd you... know?"
"Mother's intuition," she winked, "sweetheart if you want something, take it, because it's not going to wait forever."
"Thanks mum, but I don't really want to think about it right now..."
~ ~ ~
It had been more than 2 weeks since they last saw Arianna, Liam had kept up his drinking their parents thought he was still upset about Chloe but Juliette knew otherwise. She'd driven crazy, seeing him in pain, he claimed he was fine, but when she found him asleep in his office, his phone was open to that photo she'd taken of them. That's when she confessed, she needed help.
A small slender woman in her mid 50's stood at the door, her blue fitted dress matched her blue eyes, her blonde hair was highlighted with strands of grey and was tied into a neat sophisticated bun, a string pearls around her neck and a pair of simple white pumps emphasised her slender legs.
"Mother, just the woman I was looking for." Juliette smiled at her mother. Camille wrapped her arms around her daughter.
"Oh my gorgeous girl, how is your brother?" She asked with concern.
"He's why I'm here." She couldn't her mother's gaze, sadness and guilt filled her eyes. She walked into the old Parisian styled mansion, the ladies headed for the baby blue styled living room.
"Rosette, will you bring us some tea please." Camille asked the young British maid.
"Of course Milady, just a moment." Rosette hurried toward the kitchen.
"Now tell mother what it is?" She sat cross-legged on the cream couch, looking concerned at the distraught look on her daughter's face. Juliette remained silent not knowing where to start, when she saw a photo on coffee table, it had recently taken off the mantle Rosette was cleaning.
"Mother is this you and Joan Richard?" Juliette's blue-green eyes widen in shock, "Joan Richard is father's largest rival?"
"And once upon a time, she was my best friend." Camille smiled reminiscently.
"What happened?" Juliette asked inquisitively, perhaps there was still a way.
"Well we tried to remain friends after I married your father, but they just couldn't keep business and personal life separate, so we drifted apart." Camille had a strange feeling something was going on after she received a phone call out of the blue from Joan just last week, asking about her children and here was her child now asking about her. "So are you going to tell me what this is really about and what it has to do with Joan?" Camille's smirk was identical to her daughters.
"W...what are y...you talking about?" Juliette tried to laugh, scratching her neck nervously.
"Cut to the chase, Joan called me last week to see how you two were going. Claimed she saw the news about one engagement ending and another happening." Camille raised her eyebrows at her daughter inquisitively, "at first I thought she was trying to fishing for information about the company, but not once did she mention either one. Now here you are asking about her. I'm not stupid Juliette, what is going on?"
"If I tell you, will you be able to keep it from dad?" Juliette looked at her mother's shocked expression with her own serious mein. "If not, I can't tell you." Camille breathed, she knew something like this would eventually happen.
"I promise." Camille listened intensely as Juliette told her the story of how they met Arianna, and how she and Liam had this instant connection, but they'd agreed for the benefit of the companies they decided to go their separate ways. Camille's heart ached for her heartbroken son. "Idiots." She shook her head in disappointment. "Did you kids really think, we'd ever keep you apart from someone you love?"
"Can you promise me that father would feel the same way, even towards Joan Richard's daughter?" Juliette looked at her mother with full seriousness. Camille was about to reassure her daughter, until she thought about it, perhaps she was right, William's hatred for Joan ran deep and that hatred had descended onto her daughter, the moment he found out about her. She had not faith in her husband and knew exactly how ruthless he could be. "So mother, what's your advice?"