Arianna Contos' POV
I was looking at the building that Tomas was residing in. He did not have anything else to do when there always work, work, and work for him. I sighed when I thought about my oldest cousin. I wondered who will be his wife later on.
Heck, he was 27 years old now, for goodness sake. He needs to find a wife fast.
I was greeting the receptionist before she allowed me to get through to Tomas' office. They all know that I was a relative and so I always get through security without any problem.
I was punching the elevator when I was nervous waiting for it. Today is the day. Today is the day that I will tell Tomas that we have our family heirloom.
If only he would be happy like I did.
The elevator dinged and I stepped inside. I was smiling as I was looking at myself in the reflection of the elevator. I was decent enough to meet my family right now. And I know Tomas was free right now since I have told him that I have matters to be discussed.
The elevator dinged at the top of the building aka Tomas' office before I was greeting his secretary.
"Mr. Levakis is waiting for you, ma'am," she said as I was nodding at her. I went to knock on Tomas' door before he called me in.
"Come in," he said as I was turning the knob and I was opening the door wider for me to get through. Thankfully, Tomas was not like his other brothers. He will not have any tryst in his office.
Unlike Luca and Nico.
"Hey," I said as I was closing the door before Tomas was holding his hand as he was talking to the phone.
"Yes, we will look into that immediately, sir. Yes, thank you so much. I will help in any way I can. Okay, thank you. Have a good day," Tomas spoke in Italian before he hung up and he turned to smile at me.
"Hi, how are you, Ari?" He asked me as he was hugging me before he was ushering me to sit on the chair in front of his desk. He was rearranging his papers as I was looking at the financial status of his business dealings.
They were not cheap, I tell you.
"So, what do you want to tell me about?" Tomas asked me as he put away his stuff before I cleared my throat. The first order of business, the hotel.
"Okay, so I have been at the hotel for 3 days now. I think I have found some of the improvement that we can cut and I hope that we can settle the bills and overhead without having to dip our funding even more," I said before I took out my observation and solution to the problem that we have at the hotel.
"Our funding?" My cousin asked me before I was rolling my eyes at him.
"Okay, fine. It was your money so your funding. I was only the person that has been bestowed the hotel too," I said before Tomas smirked at me.
"Anyway, here are some solutions that I might think you find it good or maybe even consider it before carry it out. It was my opinion. You don't have to agree if you don't see the outcome as we're expecting," I said as I was smiling at Tomas. He was reading my solution as he was nodding at me.
"These are very precise, how do you manage to get into these details. And the laundry room can be move from the basement to the back of the lobby? How do you even come up with that?" Tomas asked me as I was biting my lower lips.
"Umm—"
The images of me doing some illegal stuff that I have been doing for the last 3 nights were flashing through my eyes right now.
I was stalking over the electrician that was smoking when doing his job.
There were the chefs that liked to take some stuff into their bags when they should be using it for the guests.
There was the laundry that was being a hot place for teenagers to make out and maybe even go further than that.
I smiled as I was looking at Tomas who was concentrating on reading my solutions to all the stuff that has been doing by the employees of my hotel. Well, technically it was Tomas' since I was not a man and my father put Tomas as my guardian for my inheritance.
In which I am legal to claim now.
But I will let him have all the stress now until I married someone.
'Someone like Lucas Dow,' my mind said as I was clearing my throat before I was smiling at my cousin. Tomas put down the solution plan that I've come up with.
"Well, I will look over this with the manager of the hotel and see if he will agree to it," Tomas said before I was shaking my head.
"Why don't you fire that old man? I think he deserved to lay back and enjoy life, not to resurrect the bankrupt hotel. I have another person in mind for that," I said as I was remembering the receptionist at my hotel before I was smiling at Tomas. He arched his eyebrow at me before shaking his head.
"Okay, you're the boss. I was just the person that runs it," he said before I was beaming at him. I cleared my throat as Tomas was putting my solution away and turned to look at me.
"Is there anything else that you want to talk about?"
"There is," I said as I was looking at Tomas before his face hardened. I think he knows what I will be asking about.
"So—"
"No, Ari. We do not discuss that cursed gemstone anymore,"
"But—"
"No buts. You know what happened when that gemstone was in our possession, right? Do you still remember what happened?" Tomas asked me as I was gulping. The sound of the shooting and the screaming was inside my eardrum now. I was sighing before I looked at my hands on my laps.
My parents were killed because of the Citrine of Greece.
"Exactly the reason why I don't want you to remember and take it back into our house. I tell you, Ari, that gemstone was cursed with the blood of the children that have suffered because of it. Please Ari, just let it go, okay?" Tomas said as he was holding my hand. I sighed when I don't even realize that Tomas has sat beside me on the floor when he was caressing my hands.
"Okay, I will not bring it up ever again," I said as I was looking at him. Tomas smiled.
"Thank you, you're the best," he said as I was smiling at him and I was looking at the watch. I have to get back to the museum now.
"I have to go, my lunch break was almost over," I said as I stood up and Tomas was looking at me.
"How will you get there?" My cousin asked.
"I take the bus," I said before Tomas laughed.
"You take public transport?"
"Yeah, what about it?" I asked Tomas before he was shaking his head as he was putting his hands on his hips.
"Well, I never thought the Duchess of Athens will be going around in buses. I hope not everyone will know you then," he said as I was rolling my eyes.
"If they have the misfortune to know who I was, I think they might be running for the hills," I mumbled before I was looking at my cousin. Tomas was arching his eyebrow at me.
"Well, if there's nothing, I will get going now," I said as I was smiling at Tomas before I was hugging him and I went out of the office. I was waving at his secretary before I was punching the elevator button. It dinged and I was getting inside.
I was waiting for my time to arrive at the lobby before the elevator dinged again. I got out as I was walking to the front door and I was walking out to the bus stop.
"Right on time," I said before I was getting on the bus and I went to the museum for the rest of my day.