Asher got a call and left to go to the office, kissing Ariella right on the lips like he used to and smiling at her before making an excuse to leave. Ariella was left in confusion. It was hard moving around the house with someone walking two steps behind her everywhere. It was very awkward and disturbing for her since she had never had a bodyguard following her, shadowing her every move before.
By the time lunch rolled around, she was already tired of the whole day. The constant presence of Seraphine was grating on her nerves. Ariella turned to her and said,
"Um…. Seraphine, I am sorry, I can't do this anymore. Why don't you to go and rest for a bit. I'm going to lunch with Asher's family. It's in the dining room. You don't need to follow me everywhere. Seriously, it's kind of irritating. You follow me everywhere. I can't deal with this."
Seraphine remained patient. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but Mr. Blackwell specifically told me to make sure you're always in my line of eyesight."
Ariella sighed in frustration.
"I know he was clear, and I'm clear too. You are guarding me," Ariella said, pointing to herself.
"Yes, but I work for Mr. Blackwell. He was the one who hired me, and he specifically told me that I would be getting all instructions from him. If there is any change, I would get the notification from him," Seraphine replied calmly.
"Well, he's not here now, is he? So you're taking orders from me," Ariella insisted.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but he was specific on three rules that do not need negotiation, and one of them was to make sure you were in my line of sight 24 hours a day," Seraphine explained.
"Twenty-four hours a day? Are you going to sleep in my bedroom too?" Ariella asked scandalised.
"No, ma'am, of course not, but I will know where you are and I will put devices in the room to be sure where you are at all times," Seraphine replied.
" Am I under house arrest? So you're not going to sleep, you're not going to eat, you're not taking a bath today, are you?" Ariella snapped, her frustration boiling over.
"I'm sorry, ma'am, if this is a bother for you, but I'm just doing my job. You can discuss my boundaries with Mr. Blackwell." Seraphine said, her voice steady.
"aaaah….!"
Ariella shouted in frustration as she walked towards the dining room, trying to hide her annoyance. She didn't know how much more of this she could take. Seraphine shook her head.
As they entered the dining room, Ariella noticed Mr. and Mrs. Blackwell already seated. They greeted her warmly, and she smiled back stiffly. She took her seat.
Mr. Blackwell looked at her with a hint of concern. "Is everything alright, Ariella? You seem a bit tense."
Ariella forced a smile. "I'm fine, just getting used to having a bodyguard around. It's a bit... overwhelming."
Mrs. Blackwell reached out and patted her hand. "We understand, dear. It's for your safety, but we'll make sure it doesn't interfere too much with your daily life."
Ariella nodded, appreciating the gesture.
"Thank you."
****
At dinner, Asher was a no-show as usual, so Ariella didn't mind. In fact, she thought it was a good thing that he was giving her a minute to breathe.
"So, Ariella," Mrs. Blackwell began, "Asher told me this morning that you have your checkup next week."
"Yes, grandmother," Ariella answered with a smile.
"Well, if you don't mind, could I tag along? I would love to see the baby on the screen. If you don't mind, of course. I'm sorry, I'm so excited about this."
"Oh no, it's not a problem. I don't think Asher will be there anyway."
"No, of course he will. He is so excited about this. So, when he told me, I got excited too and I wanted to come with. But I had to ask you first. Make sure that you were comfortable with it."
"Of course, it's okay."
"That's great then," Mrs. Blackwell said, clapping her hands excitedly. "Next week, we'll go for the checkup."
Mr. Blackwell looked at them and smiled. At least Ashers grandparent's seemed excited about this because she did not know what Ashers standing was anymore.
After dinner, seraphine was therewith her again. When they reached Ariellas bedroom door, Seraphine walked in front of her and asked her to wait outside while she checked the room. Ariella was surprised by this precaution. It wasn't like there was a serial killer in there waiting to kill her when she walked in. This was extremely unnecessary
Two minutes later, Seraphine was back.
"Okay, the room is secure. We can go in."
"Did you put me outside to go check if there was danger, or did you do it so you could put spying devices on me to make sure I don't, I don't know, do what at night?" Ariella asked, her frustration bubbling over.
"Ma'am, this is all for your safety. I'm really hoping we could work comfortably together. If that doesn't work for you, maybe try to ignore me and pretend I am invisible."
"How can I do that when you're always there? Give me a wide berth so I can at least forget that you're on my ass."
Seraphine smiled. "Of course, ma'am. Good night."
But she still stood there, as if expecting something more. Ariella thought she was going to leave.
The night dragged on with an uncomfortable weight. Ariella's mind raced with the events of the day, the suffocating presence of Seraphine, and the uncertainty of her future. She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking of her options.
In the morning, the routine continued. Seraphine was there, always two steps behind, a constant reminder of Asher's control. To her relief, the next morning, Asher wasn't there for breakfast. But before lunchtime, Henry came to the house to get her. Apparently, Asher was taking her out for lunch today.
She was filled with suspicioun.
"Are you sure he asked me out for lunch?"
"Yes. He wanted to come and take you himself, but there were meetings he couldn't miss. So, I thought I could just get you, and we could go together."
"And is Seraphine going to come?" she asked throwing a look at her bodyguard.
"Of course, she's your bodyguard. We will all go together. If you don't mind."
They headed towards the car, and Seraphine took the front seat with the driver. Henry and Ariella sat in the back with a seat between them.
"So, how's the pregnancy? How's everything?" Henry asked, his tone unusually casual.
This felt off to Ariella. Henry was not a chatty person. He never started a conversation unless it was to relay Asher's instructions. His sudden interest made her suspicious that Asher might have sent him for something.
"Why do you ask, Henry? Did Asher tell you to ask me that? What does he want to know?"
"Oh no, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I was just wondering how you and the pregnancy were doing. I know these few days have been a little tough on you."
Ariella scoffed and turned to look out the window, ignoring him. A few minutes of silence passed before Henry broke it again.
"Asher has changed."
Ariella looked towards him and rolled her eyes. "Of course he has."
"I am serious. Something is not right," he insisted.
"what do you mean? Why do you say that?" Ariella asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
Henry hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "I've known Asher for a long time, longer than you've been married to him. He's always been smart, ambitious, driven, and sometimes ruthless in business. But recently, things have been a little weird."
"weird how?"
Henry hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "He's just been really forgetful these days. He would forget things we did in the past, and especially things that happened a few years ago. He forgets working on your mother's company, and I have to remind him when the company calls for a check on his response. When I mention you, he asks me who Ariella is. He doesn't know you, and he forgets that he's married."
"Really?" Ariella asked with a frown.
"Yes, and my boss is the smartest man I know. He is the most intelligent man on earth. He didn't build his career and get where he is by being foolish or stupid enough to forget such details. And the smartest man I know is forgetting he's married, forgetting who you are. It's just, I suspect there's more going on here. I mean, this morning... forget it, it's probably nothing."
"No, tell me, what happened?" Ariella urged.