"Who did this to my son?" Martin Scott shouted furiously as he saw his son with a black eye laying unconsciously on the ground, blood trickling from his nose. He looked at the waitress, anger fuming off him, "I want surveillance footage now!" He demanded.
"That won't be necessary vice-president Scott." Joan stepped out from the shadows, her aura was cold and dangerous, the temperature dropped almost ten degrees just from her presence alone. She protectively stepped in front of the young waitress, glaring at Martin "I know who did this to your son and you should be grateful your boy is still breathing." While she didn't yell, but everyone around could feel the anger in the room, even Martin knew this could only mean one thing, this meant Arianna was involved.
"What... What are you trying to say President Richard?" Martin acting totally oblivious, but in actual fact he had a fair idea on what happened, he was well aware of Arianna and Julien's history and knew that Joan was unaware of it.
"My friend's son is a quite... close... with my daughter and had been running late tonight, when he ran into her trying to escape from your son." Joan was unaware there was history between the two, it didn't take her long to figure out. "I don't know what he was doing chasing her, but I just received a phone call from this young man, saying your son threw my daughter into a window. Now I know you don't know this vice-president, but my daughter has a thin blood issue, meaning if he hadn't gotten her to the hospital soon she would have bleed out and then your son would be on trial for murder." Joan's cold voice became angrier and angrier as she strutted up the man, who's arrogance was slowly dissapaiting. This woman was once the most cruel women in business in Europe, when she adopted Arianna, she became a bit more easy going and warm, however it was clear at this moment that no matter how maternal she behaviour, she could still be Europe's ice queen.
"I am terribly sorry President Richard, I was unaware our children had a past or that my son could be so violent. He will be getting a severe punishment." Martin gestured for his bodyguards to pick up Julien, and they left immediately.
~ ~ ~
Back at the hospital in a private suite, Arianna began to stir and wake. She moaned in pain, bringing her gentle hand to her forehead as she sat up. She felt her left hand entwined with another warm, soft hand, she looked over to see Liam's head resting beside her holding her hand, his sleeping face still covered with concern making her smile.
"How are you feeling?" A voice startled her, as she turned to a short, ginger man wearing a white medical coat.
"Okay, are you my doctor?"
"Yes Miss Howard I'm Dr. Connor Bernard, Liam brought you in see me, because you wouldn't stop bleeding." Arianna was shocked, firstly he called her Miss Howard, she hadn't been know as Arianna Howard for over a decade, but looking at how the doctor addressed him she understood why Liam would give them that name. "Now Miss, do you want to tell me why you didn't take your medication today?" He raised his eyebrow at her in concern.
"Sorry, I'm not suppose to drink once I've taken it, otherwise the alcohol affects me too easily." She thought about the night she went to meet Michael Claud and how drunk she got with Juliette that night. "I knew I couldn't handle that party without alcohol so didn't take my meds, next time I just won't drink."
"Good, now I've given you a dosage of you meds so you should be alright until morning." That was when Connor noticed Liam asleep and smiled. "He's been with you all night." He nodded at the man asleep beside her and then to the clock, which read 01:38.
"It's one in the morning?" Arianna was shocked that it startled Liam, his eyes fluttered open to see the beautiful girl sitting up talking to Connor.
"You're awake?" Liam sounded relieved as he awkwardly pulled his hand from hers, she looked at him blushing awkwardly.
"I'll give you kids some space." Connor smirked after sensing the tension in the door, shutting the white room door behind him.
"How are you feeling?" Liam's voice was much more gentle than she'd heard before, he stood up, reaching out and pushed her hair out of her face, gently stroking her stitches. "I'm sorry I couldn't keep you safe."
"I'm okay," She rubbed her face affectionately against his palm, closing her eyes and enjoying the warmth of his skin against hers. "Thank you, for all your help with Julien."
"Can I ask?" He paused was it alright to ask this question? "What happened with Julien? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but it seemed more than something that could progress in one night, but I also feel that if your mother knew there was history she wouldn't have invited him."
"Oh no Mother must be so worried." Her face ridden with shock, pain and guilt.
"It's okay," he smiled sweetly. "I rang her earlier and told her where you were. I also told her I've let her know when you woke up, but it's like 20 to 2 so maybe I should just take you home instead." For a moment she was confused, but then she remembered her mother knew how her friendship with the Clair siblings.
"So that's how come you were at my party, my mother invited you?" She asked.
"No actually, my mother did. I don't know exactly how she knew, but my guess is Juliette." Suddenly his face saddened, "I wasn't even going to come, but somehow I found myself there, I'm so glad I did though. I don't want to imagine what would have happened if I wasn't there and Julien had gotten to you."
"Me neither, thank you for saving me." Her body was starting to shake, her teeth chatting in fear at the thought of him.
"So you obviously don't want to talk about it, so I won't make you. But if you want to I'll listen." Liam's kind voice sent cracks up her walls, shattering them section by section. She started to cry uncontrollable, Liam pulled her into his embrace and just held her there, he didn't say anything just let her cry in his arms.
After a while she pulled away, wiping her tears and looked at him apologetically, "I'm sorry." She sniffled.
"It's alright." He brushed her hair behind her ear. "I didn't mean to make you cried, I just wanted to help."
"That's just it, no-one has ever wanted to help before. But it's been almost 10 years I think it time I tell someone." She took a deep breath, trying to settle herself down. Liam was surprised by what she said, 10 year, how did someone have an effect like that one her after 10 years?