89 LATE NIGHT VISITARIEL’S POV I turned around, only to see Luke and Mariam making their way through the gate. I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight, as Luke was practically dragging Mariam along behind him. They had chosen the worst possible time to interrupt my conversation with Elizabeth. I was just about to spill all the juicy details about my time with Luke, per Elizabeth’s request. Looks like she’ll have to wait a bit longer for the full story. “Let go of me!” Mariam broke Luke’s grip. “I’m no little kid.” “I never said you were,” Luke retorted, and threw some clothes at her. Which I knew for a fact, belonged to the grumpy lady. “You idiot!” Mariam barked. “You didn’t bring your car along with you?” Luke asked her, raising an eyebrow. “No, I didn’t,” she answered angrily, her usual tone. “What’s going on here?” Elizabeth entered their conversation: “It’s none of your business,” Mariam replied coldly. “Trust me, you do not want to stick your nose in that,” I whispered into Elizabeth’s ears. “And who the hell are you anyway?” Mariam asked Elizabeth, but she decided to keep silent. At least she was a good listener. “Aunt Mariam. I’m sending someone to drop you home,” Luke spoke. “I don’t need your help.” Mariam gave him a hard glare, before walking away. I was just staring at her, quite amazed, surprised, I don’t know. Like, she wasn’t putting on anything. Her body was only covered in sheets. Although the day was dark, was she really going to walk like that? I never knew this woman was really crazy. She was probably going to find herself a corner to get dressed. Elizabeth turned to Luke. “So, Luke Reynold. It’s actually nice meeting you. I’m sorry for not recognizing you earlier.” “You don’t have to mention it again. it’s okay though,” Luke said, barely inaudible. ル 274 “Do you know me, or should I introduce myself?” Elizabeth asked. “I think you should introduce yourself.” Luke gave her a fragile smile.“Okay then. Well, I’m Elizabeth, the mother of Andre Jones.”“Andre Jones. You mean the owner of The Vitality Group?” Luke raised an eyebrow. “Yes. I see you have a knowledge about him.”“Of course he does,” I whispered to Elizabeth. “As you can see, our family just arrived in New Haven. And I’ve come here to take Ariel with me. I don’t know if that’s accepted by you.” Elizabeth kept on with her smile. Luke glanced at me, before giving her back his attention. “I see no problem with that. Is she going to spend the night there?” Elizabeth looked at me. She knew what was going on in my mind. Obviously, I wanted to spend the night at their house. At least I’d have to sleep close to my adorable babies. “Uhmm, I asked a question,” Luke broke the silence. “Yes,” Elizabeth spoke in a hurry. “She’s going to spend the night there. Are you okay with that?” Luke’s eyes met mine once again, not giving me the chummy expression. “Yes, I think I’m cool with that.” “Thank you.” Elizabeth smiled gleefully at him. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure she comes really early tomorrow.” “You don’t have to worry about that. I won’t be home tomorrow.” “Ohh,” Elizabeth uttered lowly. “Why exactly?” “I have business stuff to take care of.” “Yeah, business stuff,” She inaudibly said to herself, nodding slowly. “I guess I can leave the two of you now.” “Yeah, sure.” She grinned at him. He walked away after that. My arms were just crossed together as I watched him enter his yard. I could the expression on his face. He was brimming with anger, enough to destroy some people. Crush the bones, and let the soul fade. Elizabeth turned to me. “We should start going now, don’t you think?” 80 LATE NIGHT VISIT 3/4 “Yeah, sure,” I answered, looking around. “But where’s your car. You didn’t bring it along. So I’m the one driving?” “I brought my car along. I just didn’t take it to this main location. It’s parked not too far from here.” “We better start going then,” I told her, getting ready to tread. “I can see how you’re so eager to be together with your children once again. Don’t worry, they’re at home, waiting patiently for you.” “Wait, you told them I was coming?” I hoisted an eyebrow. “Nope. I was just talking. You know, to keep the conversation kind of…..” She smiled, and I laughed. “Yeah, I get you,” I said, nodding. “We better start going now.” “Okay,” Elizabeth said, and glanced at Luke’s mansion. “I hope everything goes well between you and your husband. “Please don’t mention it,” I muttered, moving away. And she followed from behind. I was walking like I knew where she had parked her car. *** As I walked through the grand entrance of the magnificent mansion, I gazed around the opulent foyer, taking in the elegant chandeliers that cast a warm glow on the marble floors. The sound of my footsteps echoed through the vast space Elizabeth stood behind me, and with a deep breath, I pushed the doors open, and there they were–the family I used to call my own. Their faces lit up with joy as they saw me, and I could feel my heart swell with happiness. My eyes met Andre’s, and a wide smile spread across his face. He rushed towards me, arms open wide, and we embraced in a heartfelt reunion. “Andre!” I exclaimed, my voice filled with genuine delight. “It’s been quite a long time, right?” He pulled away slightly, his eyes shining with affection. “Ariel, my dear friend, you have no idea how much I’ve missed you. It’s actually a nice thing to see you again.” “So, how did things going around in Canada? You guys were able to fix the issue, right?” I asked Andre. “Are you seriously asking me that?” He laughed. “We took care of that the moment we arrived in Canada.” I raised an eyebrow. “For real?”Andre laughed softly. “Nah, I’m just kidding. But we did took care of it in a flash.” “Are you going to keep talking about business, or you’re going to come give me a hug?” Manuel vocalized loudly, in a gleeful tone. He’s the father of Andre. I laughed, and quickly budged to him. He stood up, and we got engaged in a tight embrace. “Ariel, the boss. It’s so nice to see your beautiful face again,” Manuel stated, patting my back softly. “Don’t start now,” I playfully said, and we both burst into laughter, letting go of each other. “But was I lying when I said she was the boss?” “No, father.” Andre shook his head, and I gave him a silly smile. I turned to look at Lisa; Andre’s sister, who was busy with her phone. It was kind of her usual demeanor. Well, we don’t usually talk to each other. I didn’t know if she had a problem with me, or something. But it wasn’t nice, and I didn’t relish that relationship at all. Andre glanced at Lisa, and our eyes met. He knew what was going on in my mind, fully aware of his sister’s behavior towards me.
