Chapter 5
The Graduation Party
The night was alive with music and laughter, the ballroom decked out in shimmering gold and silver, chandeliers casting warm glows over the crowd. It was the kind of party people would talk about for weeks, maybe months a celebration of success, of futures bright and full of promise. Yet, despite the glittering exterior, Ariana Collins stood at the edge of the room, her drink untouched, her smile forced, her mind far from the festivities.
This was her graduation party, thrown by her family's company, Collins Corp, as a grand spectacle. As the newly announced heir to the empire, she was the center of attention, but none of it felt right. The weight of recent events hung over her like a cloud. The appearance of her half-brother, Andrew, had shaken her to her core, and the revelation of her father's secrets still gnawed at her insides. Tonight was supposed to be a night of celebration, but all Ariana felt was a gnawing unease.
"Hey, there you are," came a voice from behind her. Ariana turned to see her best friend, Jessie, approaching with a smile, her blonde curls bouncing with each step. "I've been looking for you everywhere! What are you doing hiding out over here?"
Ariana tried to muster a genuine smile, but it faltered. "Just taking a breather. It's… a lot."
Jessie frowned, her bubbly demeanor shifting to concern as she stepped closer. "Ari, you don't look like someone who just graduated from one of the best business schools in the country. What's going on? Is this about… everything?"
Ariana sighed, glancing over Jessie's shoulder at the crowd mingling, laughing, toasting to success. She felt a pang of resentment. How could they be so carefree when her world was crumbling? She turned her gaze back to Jessie, her eyes heavy with the weight of the last few weeks.
"Everything is an understatement," Ariana muttered, running a hand through her sleek, dark hair. "It's just… between the company, my father's death, and now Andrew"
"Andrew?" Jessie interrupted, her eyebrows shooting up. "Who's Andrew?"
Ariana stiffened. She hadn't meant to say his name, but it had slipped out, like a wound she couldn't keep hidden anymore. Jessie tilted her head, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
"Remember I told you about that stranger who came into my office?" Ariana asked quietly, lowering her voice as the music swelled around them. "He's not just some random guy. He's my brother. My father's illegitimate son."
Jessie's eyes widened, and she grabbed Ariana's arm, pulling her away from the crowd and closer to a quieter corner of the room. "Wait, what? Your brother? Why didn't you tell me this sooner? I thought we shared everything!"
Ariana gave her a helpless look. "I didn't know how to process it myself, let alone talk about it. He just showed up out of nowhere, with proof. My father had another child Andrew and no one in the family knew. Not even my mother."
"Holy" Jessie clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes darting around the room as if Andrew might appear at any moment. "Does Elena know?"
Ariana's stomach twisted at the mention of her older sister. Elena had always been the rebellious one, the one who distanced herself from the family business and the responsibilities that came with it. Ariana had inherited the weight of the Collins empire, but she had never wanted to drag Elena into this mess.
"No, she doesn't," Ariana replied, her voice tight. "And I don't know if I should tell her. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it myself."
Jessie shook her head in disbelief, her eyes wide with shock. "Ari, this is insane. What are you going to do? Does Andrew want something from the company?"
"He says he doesn't," Ariana muttered, her jaw clenching. "But how can I believe him? He just showed up out of nowhere after my father's death. I don't know if I can trust him."
Before Jessie could respond, a loud clinking of a glass cut through the music, drawing the attention of the crowd. Ariana looked up to see Damien, one of the senior executives at Collins Corp, standing at the head of the room, a grin on his face as he prepared to make a toast.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Damien began, his deep voice booming through the ballroom, "tonight we are here to celebrate not only the graduation of our esteemed heir, but the future of Collins Corp itself. Let's raise our glasses to Ariana Collins, the future leader of our great empire!"
The room erupted into applause, champagne glasses clinking as everyone toasted to Ariana's future. She forced a smile, raising her own glass half-heartedly as her stomach churned. The pressure was suffocating. All eyes were on her, expecting her to lead, to live up to the legacy her father had left behind. But how could she, when everything she thought she knew about her family was a lie?
As the applause died down and people returned to their conversations, Ariana felt Jessie tug at her sleeve. "You're not okay, are you?" Jessie asked, her voice soft but laced with concern. "I can see it in your eyes, Ari. You're carrying too much."
Ariana opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, the room shifted. The doors to the ballroom swung open, and a tall figure stepped inside, casting a shadow over the glowing entrance. The music seemed to falter for a moment, as if sensing the tension that suddenly filled the air.
It was Andrew.
Ariana's heart stopped. She hadn't invited him. She hadn't even told him about the party. How did he know?
He strode confidently into the room, his presence commanding attention. His dark suit was impeccably tailored, his sharp features a mirror of their father's, and the room seemed to hold its breath as he made his way through the crowd, his eyes locked on Ariana.
"What the hell is he doing here?" Jessie hissed, her grip tightening on Ariana's arm.
"I don't know," Ariana whispered, panic rising in her chest. She hadn't been ready to face him again, especially not here, in front of all these people. This was supposed to be her night, her celebration. Not a confrontation.
Andrew stopped a few feet away from her, his gaze intense as he looked down at her. For a moment, neither of them spoke, the tension between them palpable.
"Congratulations on your graduation," Andrew said, his voice low but clear, cutting through the noise around them. "I didn't get a chance to say that before."
Ariana swallowed hard, her mouth dry. She didn't know what to say. The room felt smaller, the walls closing in around her as Andrew's presence loomed over her like a storm cloud.
"Why are you here?" Ariana finally managed to ask, her voice barely above a whisper.
Andrew's eyes flickered with something unreadable before he spoke again. "We need to talk, Ariana. There are things you still don't know. Things about our father. And you need to hear them."
Ariana's blood ran cold. What else could there be? What more could her father have hidden from her?
"I don't think this is the time or place," Ariana said, her voice shaking as she tried to keep her composure.
Andrew's gaze didn't waver. "There's never going to be a right time. But you need to hear this. Now."
The crowd around them seemed to fade into the background, the laughter and music becoming a distant hum. Ariana stared up at her half-brother, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn't know what he was going to say, but she could feel it in her bones whatever it was, it would change everything.