Not in a hurry

The exchange had been flawless—striking the perfect balance between subtlety and precision, dealing a devastating blow to Sarah while maintaining Ariana's poise and elegance.

"Do you want her thrown out?" Luiss asked casually, his voice a velvet calm as they made their way toward the VVIP dining room.

Ariana smirked, raising an eyebrow. "President Luiss speaks of it as if he can control the management here."

Luiss let out a soft chuckle. "I can. I'm their President, after all."

Ariana's eyes widened, a mix of surprise and intrigue flickering in her gaze.

"You—"

"I've bought the Great Fox Cuisines," Luiss interrupted smoothly, a slight tilt to his lips. "You can come here anytime you want."

Ariana's breath caught in her throat. The weight of his words lingered in the air, but before she could react further, they entered the lavish dining room. A waiter approached with a menu, and Ariana quickly scanned the list of extravagant dishes. Her head spun at the complexity of their names. She couldn't let on that she wasn't familiar with this kind of luxury.

"Black Pearl Truffle Pasta," she said confidently, the words slipping off her tongue with practiced ease.

Luiss, seated beside her, was watching her closely, his sharp gaze cutting through her confident façade. "You seem familiar with this place."

Ariana maintained her composure, smiling smoothly. "Of course. I've always fancied it, which is why I requested this compensation."

Luiss didn't seem convinced, his eyes narrowing in a silent challenge, but the conversation moved on. When the dishes arrived, Ariana's composure cracked for a brief moment as the look of revulsion flashed across her face. The food didn't seem to match her expectations, but Luiss, ever observant, caught the subtle change.

'Bullshit,' he thought inwardly, his gaze unwavering. You're not here for the restaurant.

The air between them thickened as Luiss leaned forward, his demeanor shifting to something more serious. "I need to ask you something," he began, his voice low but firm. "David told me you lost consciousness when you arrived."

Ariana's back stiffened slightly. "Yes, I was just tired from the journey."

Luiss studied her, the intensity of his blue eyes unwavering. "That doesn't seem to be the real cause," he remarked with a tilt of his head.

Ariana forced a casual smile, trying to mask the rising tension. "President Luiss is overthinking things."

"Did you bump into Gerald when you were heading back to your room to get your key?" he asked, his tone direct.

Ariana's breath hitched, her mind racing. She opened her mouth, but the words didn't come. The room seemed to grow colder as the silence stretched on.

"I had the CCTV checked," Luiss continued, his voice steady but carrying an unspoken weight. He rested his elbows on the table, fingers interwoven thoughtfully. His eyes never left hers, the pressure of his stare mounting with every passing second.

Ariana felt the heat of his gaze burn into her, her thoughts spinning. There was no way to avoid the truth now. She swallowed and, reluctantly, the words left her lips. "Yes, I stumbled upon President Gerald in my bedroom."

Luiss' body stiffened. His jaw clenched, and his eyes darkened. "What happened?" The question came out strained, as though he were holding back an emotion that threatened to spill over.

Ariana felt the walls of the room close in around her. She tried to maintain her composure, but the scrutiny was suffocating. She carefully chose her next words. "The same thing President Luiss had to ask," she replied, her voice faltering slightly under the weight of his stare.

Luiss' lips parted as if to press for more, but his gaze softened ever so slightly. "He didn't cross the line with you, did he?" His voice was sharp but laced with an underlying tension.

Ariana broke the eye contact, her gaze drifting to the side. "The main course is here," she murmured, the words more an attempt to escape the conversation than to comment on the food.

Luiss, sensing the shift, leaned back in his chair, the tension in his posture evident. His mind was racing, the situation unraveling in a way he hadn't expected. Gerald had crossed the line, and with someone who fell under his jurisdiction.

Ariana, feeling the intensity of the moment, bit her lip in quiet apprehension. Had she made a mistake by dodging Luiss's question? She couldn't bring herself to lie outright, especially not under his unwavering gaze.

"Let's dig in," Luiss finally said, breaking the moment and attempting to lighten the mood.

As they ate, the contrast in their manners was striking. Luiss cut a small piece of grilled lobster tail with the precision of a man used to wealth and luxury, placing it neatly into his mouth with practiced ease. Ariana, on the other hand, struggled to mirror his poise. After a few attempts to cut the delicate dish with a knife and fork, she gave up. Her mind, still preoccupied with the conversation, whispered, fuck it—she wasn't here to perform for him.

Luiss caught the shift in her behavior, a chuckle escaping him as he watched her abandon the pretensions of the evening. "What?" Ariana shot him a glare, clearly aware of his amusement.

"Never have I ever had a lady eat like that with me," Luiss commented, a teasing note in his voice.

"Well then, it's refreshing to see a change once in a while, isn't it?" Ariana shot back, her voice sharp but playful.

"It is," he agreed, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. But then, he added with a smirk, "I just have to remind you—the food is all yours. No one's going to take it from you."

Ariana's glare deepened, but she couldn't suppress a small smile of her own. "I know that, thank you," she replied, returning to her practiced mannerisms as best as she could, though the spark of rebellion still flickered in her eyes.

Luiss seemed thoroughly entertained by her struggle to maintain composure while eating. As he sipped his wine, he allowed her the space to regain her poise, watching her with a quiet amusement.

After dinner, they made their way downstairs, where Liam was already waiting. He opened the door for them, and the silence of the car settled around them as they drove to her address. Ariana, still lost in thought, opened the virtual system screen in her mind. The dinner was marked as incomplete. What did she need to do to turn it into a date rather than just a dinner with a colleague?

The answer came when they arrived at her place. As she was about to turn and leave, a hand slammed against the car door, stopping her in her tracks. Stunned, Ariana turned to find Luiss standing there, a smirk on his face.

"You're not in a hurry, are you?" His voice was low and teasing, but there was an edge to it that made her heart race.