Aria

As I walk out of the coffee shop, I look over to the park which is not too far from us. Maybe I should go, I don't ever really come out much anyway. I was even suprised when dad let me go after telling him I wanted to meet with Scott, guess this contract is important to him. I look at Umberto because he looks nicer than Gustavo, I mean they look very similar and I think they're related in some sort of way but Umberto looks less scarier even if he's the one covered in tattoos.

"I want to go to the park"

He looks at me before looking back at Gustavo who shakes his head. I scoffed and folded my arms. Surely they're not playing good cop bad cop, this is ridiculous! I'm 20 years old and not a baby!

I grit my teeth " Correction I am going to the park and there is nothing you both can do about it"

"Your father gave us orders to escort you to the coffee shop. Only" Gustavo answered

"And I'm ordering you to let me go to the park"

Gustavo smirked " I'm sorry miss but we follow your father's orders not yours"

I gave him a creepy smile " What are you going to do Gustavo? Force me to go home? Because I will tell my father that you put your hands on me and groped me and who do you think he's going to believe?"

Gustavo looks conflicted and glares at me, he's also like everyone else. Only thinking of me as daddy's little girl not having an opinion of her own and being shielded from the dangers of the world.

" So? Are you going to let me go or do I have to call my father and get you fired"

If looks could kill, I'm sure Gustavo's glare would have put me six feet under but I didn't care. I was tired of everyone treating me like porcelain glass, if my life is like this then I wonder how the president's daughter would have lived.

Gustavo finally nodded and we walked towards the park. I saw a swing set in a corner and walked towards it. Umberto and Gustavo sat on a bench with their eyes trained on me.

I pushed myself back and forth on the swing, enjoying the breeze and breathing in the smell of fresh grass. I slowed down and looked around the park, not a lot of people were around. My eyes were drawn to a woman and a girl probably twelve, they were both lying down on a blanket and laughing. From the looks of it they were having a picnic.

I sighed, I can't remember the last time mum spent time with me willingly. She's always trying to be the perfect trophy wife. I don't even think she's cooked breakfast before and I doubt she knows how to.

I leaned against the swing and let my eyes sweep over the park again, a little boy was giggling as his puppy licked him all over. I smiled and remembered how I asked mum if I could have a puppy but she laughed and told me no.

I could never ask dad since he was never around and mum didn't want anything that would destroy the perfection of her house.

"Hey"

I turn my head to look at a girl sitting on the other swing. I quickly look over to Umberto and Gustavo and see them already walking towards us. I didn't want a scene so I shook my head at them and narrowed my eyes at Umberto.

He nodded before grabbing Gustavo's hand and pulling him back to the bench but his eyes never left me.

"Uh hello!" the girl waved her hand in front of my face

I returned my eyes to her "Hi" I had no idea what to say, normally the girls within our circle hated me well except Lily.

"I'm Layla, nice to meet you"

I nodded "Aria"

She smiled "You looked lonely on the set, so I decided to come keep you company"

She was very friendly and straight "Um thank you"

"So Aria, are you new here? I don't think I've seen you around here before"

I shook my head "I just came to see someone"

She nodded "I don't stay here either, mostly rich people live in this vicinity"

It was this type of times I was grateful mum and dad decided to keep me hidden. "Oh so why are you here then?"

She nodded towards the small boy and the puppy "That's my brother, He wasn't feeling well so I had to pick him up early today, I work for a family not too far from here. That's their dog that I walk"

I look at the dog and the boy again " He's cute"

"Yeah, didn't know Rolan would love him as much as does. They just met and I know the stress I'm gonna go through when it's time for them to part"

I chuckled and turned back to her, she was really pretty. Her eyes fell to my bracelet.

"Woah, that's the new bracelet Pandora just released"

I look down at the bracelet, mum got it for me last week "Oh right"

"It's super expensive" she looks up at me and gasps "Are you some kind of secret rich kid?!"

My eyes widened and I quickly shook my head "No no it's fake I promise!"

She didn't look like she believed me "I dunno, even your clothes look expensive and shoes and you're way too pretty to be normal"

I chuckled "Everything is fake honestly, here" I took off the bracelet and handed it to her.

She took it hesitantly "You're giving it to me?"

I shrugged "Yeah, it has no value since it's fake" that was a lie, I knew mum didn't buy any jewelry less than 20 thousand dollars.

She twisted the bracelet around to look at it "This looks pretty real to me"

"Well that's the power of fake" I smile at her.

She smiles back "Well then I'm going to give my colleagues a heart attack wearing this on Monday"

I frown "You're done with college already?"

"No, had no money to fund it. Since my parents left me to take care of Rolan since he was 5 months old, I had to get a job to support us"

I nodded "Where do you work?"

"The mall, Gucci store."

I smile again "Alright"

"Yep"

Gustavo walks towards us "Miss your father wants you home now"

Layla's eyes move from mine to Gustavo's and her mouth falls open "You lied, you really are a secret rich kid"

I laughed "It was nice meeting you Layla and also that bracelet might be worth something in the market" I slip on my sunglasses and follow Gustavo. We walk to the car and Robert opens the door and I get in.

Robert gets behind the wheel and starts driving home but glances at me in the mirror " Pretty good coffee date I assume?"

My smile became even bigger " Yeah and I think I might have made a friend too"

Robert chuckled and continued driving. A sense of normalcy washed over me for a moment, and for the first time in a while I was genuinely happy.