Ariel, after calming down, pondered on why Raymond told Marco to report to his office. She couldn't get it right so she decided to ask him.
Unfortunately, Raymond had plans the next day and the days after that and after that and… they couldn't meet up for the meantime. She kept the question to herself and simply worked on perfecting her acting skills while she had time.
"You always seem to be reading." Allison pointed out and Betty shot her a glare that asked why she would bother to ask that?
"It's all I can do." Ariel answered, not looking up from her book. "Movies aren't my thing."
After that brief reply, everywhere went silent again till Edward knocked on the door.
"Come in." Ariel said and he opened the door.
"Miss, the master has returned." Edward announced and Ariel's eyes widened. She quickly sat up feeling excited but paused. Why was she feeling excited?
This was strange.
But she shook the thought aside and asked,
"Does that mean we will be having dinner together?" She looked in anticipation and he nodded.
"Yes, that is correct."
Ariel clutched on the sheet. She couldn't help but feel really excited. She hadn't seen him since they got back that night.
"Alright." She answered and Edward went back. "I'll take a bath first." She said to Allison and Betty who both nodded in response.
During dinner, Raymond kept looking at his tablet. He didn't seem to be interested in the food and he didn't spare a glance at Ariel... Not once.
'He seems really busy.' she thought as she slowly ate the meal in front of her. 'Maybe I should bring it up later.'
Raymond finally gave the tablet over to White and sighed. By this time, Ariel's plate had been reduced to half.
"You've been looking at me the whole time." He began and glanced at her. "What's the matter?"
Ariel's eyes met with his and it suddenly felt like her food clogged her throat and she started coughing. She quickly picked up her glass of water and drank it.
"Oh, I... It's nothing important." She said, cleaning her mouth and then brushing her hair aside.
"No matter the importance, it's still something, right?" He asked and she nodded. "What is it?"
"Well," she watched Allison refill her glass. "...I was just a bit curious about something."
"Which is?" He asked but she hesitated.
He watched her and picked up his cutleries.
"Ariel." He called her name and she flinched. "Just say what's on your mind."
"Why did you tell Marco to see you in your office?" She immediately spat out and Raymond paused, just before his food could find its way to his opened mouth.
His pause did not last and he dropped the food.
"He works at my company." He answered and Ariel's mouth gaped as she softly muttered,
"What?"
"He was just a little excuse of a worker but I promoted him into a significant position. He's doing his job well, earning a name and a life."
"You're helping him?" Ariel asked in disbelief.
"Don't misunderstand. I just placed him in a position high enough to keep his head on cloud nine." He said but Ariel couldn't get it.
"You're helping him." She said, still in utter disbelief. "I thought you were on my side. I thought you were going to help me get revenge yet you... You're helping him." Her hands trembled and her eyes became teary.
Was this a joke? Was she a joke?
"Why would... Why would you do that? He's supposed to suffer." She looked up with a desperate expression in her eyes. "When you said he was living a good life, you helped him achieve that, didn't you?" She asked but he did not respond causing her to be filled with more doubt. "What's all this?"
"Ariel." Raymond called in a cold voice that suddenly sent chills down her spine.
He got up from his seat and headed towards her.
"I told you not to misunderstand." He said and with each step he took towards her, Ariel felt the only space she had of escape enclosing.
'What is this? Was he just making a fool out of me in the first place? I knew this was all too real. He wasn't helping me, he was making a joke out of me.'
"I said," Raymond reached out to her and she shut her eyes, expecting to be hit but he grabbed her chin and turned her face to his. "... Do not misunderstand." He said.
Ariel stared into his icy cold eyes and a hard gulp went down her throat.
"Ariel, I asked you this question before." He began. "What height does a person need to get for his fall to sound the loudest?" He asked but she didn't respond. It wasn't that she didn't want to but her voice seemed to be stuck in her throat. "Answer me, Ariel. Give me that same answer you gave me back then in the car."
Ariel gulped once more, trying to bring out her voice.
"That... That would be the very top." She said and swallowed her saliva once more, still trying hard to bring out her words. "He needs to be at the very top for his fall to be epic."
"That's good, Ariel." He said. "Since you know that, why do you still doubt me?" He asked her but she could not respond.
Raymond would never blame Ariel if she suddenly claimed that he was one of the people out to get her life. After all, a young girl in her desperation would rather treat everyone as her enemy than blindly trust a stranger.
"Do you understand now, Ariel?" He asked and she nodded. "I am on your side." He claimed. "And as you said, a person needs to be at their highest for their fall to be epic. I was simply creating that stage for you."
Ariel's heart, which seemed to have been running a marathon, finally started easing down as Raymond let go of her chin.
"I'm hurt, Ariel." He suddenly said and she looked up at him, surprised. "How could you assume I was on the same side with those bastards? I'd rather side with a flying pig than them." He said and Ariel found herself laughing.
He had such a strange sense of humor that he himself didn't know. He looked at her, wondering why she was laughing and looked round to discover the expressions of his servants getting close to a laugh.
White looked at him with an expression that said, 'Who are you?'
Ariel thought of this as his way of lifting her mood but he was actually serious. He would rather side with a non existing creature than a bunch of hooligans who only knew how to flaunt their power at weak little children.
"I understand, sir." She said, "I won't doubt you."
"On that note, why don't you come with me to the office and see your ex grovel at me."
"What?"