Camille knew her husband better than anyone, while he could always forgive family, he held a cruel grudge towards Joan for something that happened along before she'd met either of them. The women sipped the tea Rosette had brought them, before Camille finally spoke, "You do not choose who you love, it just happens. If they choose each other, then there is nothing your father or I could do about it."
"Mother... are you sure?" Juliette was not as convinced, she knew how much torture her father had but Felix through and he'd known Felix since he was a child. How would the terrifying President Clair react to Arianna.
"Joan and I have been friends for decades, yet he still doesn't know that. There are some things best left hidden from your father Juliette."
"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Juliette smiled at the lady in front of her.
"Just be careful, he is a clever man. Now..." Her serious and cautious voice was substituted by a rather cheeky replacement. "I know for a fact it is Miss Richard's this coming Friday and Joan is taking her out for a little party just above Charlotte's." She winked at her daughter, "Now if you will excuse me, I have a heartbroken son to visit, with good news."
~ ~ ~
Whiskey stained the cushions in his study, the smell of alcohol drifted through the house, however despite this, Liam was perfectly sober, awaiting a phone call. A tall old man, with combed back grey hair and dark hazel eyes, entered the study, holding his breath to avoid the smell. "Yes Jeffery, can I help you." Liam's cold voice filled the dead silence, he didn't even look at the butler.
"Madam Clair is here to see you, young Master." The old man stepped aside and Camille enter the study, she scrunched her face in disgust after the stench met to nose.
"Oh Liam, what is this smell?" She turned back to Jeffery, with a concerned look, "Get the maids to do a full clean on this office, please Jeffery."
"Of course Madam, right away." He bowed before disappearing down the cream hall.
"Let's talk somewhere where I'm not going to get drunk off the fumes." She turned and walked towards the beige and grey themed living room, her son followed obediently behind her. They sat in silence for a long while.
"What do you want Mother? Come to tell me you told me so, about Chloe?" He rolled his eyes as a he finally broke the silence. Liam had been avoiding his parents like the plague for this exact reason. While they had grown to like Chloe, they'd always warned him to be careful of her.
"Not at all, she fooled us all. You weren't the only one she hurt." His mother said nonchalantly, surprising him. "Liam, I know about you and Arianna." She continued her casual tone, not looking up from her phone. He froze, who told her, was it the driver? No, he knew many thing he wasn't supposed to, but he'd never given anything away, he valued his daughter's life too much. Juliette. His eyes narrowed in anger, why would she tell their mother?
"I don't know what you think you know, but there is nothing going on between myself and Miss Richard." He said coldly, while it wasn't a lie it still hurt him to say.
"I know, but I also know it's her birthday on Friday and Joan has organised a party just above Charlotte's." She looked up from her phone, giving him a devilish smile. "Oh Liam remember, most people don't know this, she is also Miss Howard." She got up and headed for the door without even looking at him, giving him time to adjust and analyse what she'd just said.
~ ~ ~
Arianna looked at her mother with a saddened look. "Do I have to go?" Joan held these parties for her every year and while she was grateful, she didn't have that much fun and most people were just their to get on her good side. While they were nice to her face, when her back was turned they carved names into her back like the were living in the dark ages.
"Don't give me that, you're 28, you'll be 30 before you know it and besides it's upstairs from bar you like Charlotte's." Joan headed into her bathroom to finish her hair and makeup.
As Arianna slowly walked back to her bedroom, she thought about the last time she was at Charlotte's, that was where she'd met Juliette and Liam. It had been almost 3 weeks since she'd seen them, it felt like a when a kid found a lost dog and loved it, but the owners came and took it away.
To please her mother she wore a knee length, dark blue A style dress, with blue lace running across her chest to meet off the shoulder 3/4 length sleeves, her long brunette hair half tied up with loose curls flowing down her back, she wore simple, elegant makeup and the look was completed with a black laced heels that wrapped half way up her shins.
When they arrived Arianna spend 2 hours vaguely socialising with business partners, models, actors, socialites and other wealthy beneficials her mother wanted her to know. She could feel the glares as they gossiped about how she didn't really have any friends here, and that there was still no boyfriend. She was on her fourth glass of champagne when a tall man with dark grey hair and dark eyes walked up to her, she knew this man as Martin Scott, he is a businessman for a high-end technology company, he was the VP of the company, it was expected that his son was going to be the next CEO because their current CEO's son was criminal charged with murder, rape and many other horrific crimes.
"Miss Richard," He smiled devilishly at her, she knew what he was trying to do. Ever since she'd been announced as Joan's successor all the wealth families have introduced their eligible son's. "Let me introduce you to my son..." A tall dark hair man, with cold, dark eyes and a devilish smile appeared, his dark curls highlighted his familiarly handsome face causing Arianna's heart to start beating rapidly, her body started to tremble and her breaths were getting shorter, it became hard for her to breath. "...Julien."
"I... I have to go..." She ran out the door, not giving the VP time to process what had just happened, as she disappeared into the hallway.
"I'll go after her, make sure she's okay." Julien said with the sound of imitated concern.
Arianna ran faster and faster she wasn't quite sure where she was going, but she knew she had to get out of there, she had to get away from him. It had been 9 years since she last saw him, yet his handsome face still haunted her dreams. Without even knowing it her tears started to fall.
"Ari, where are you going baby?" She heard his voice echo through the halls, she was starting to panic. Her body trembling more and more when she heard his footsteps get closer and closer. Turning her head she couldn't see him behind her, when she felt herself run into the solid warmth of man's chest, her body shaking even more, as she slowly turned in fear to see a familiarly handsome face.
"Please you have to help me get away from him." She pleaded with the man in front of her, tears representing her fear.