Chapter 19

Aria & Sarah

Aria

“I’m not the same weak little girl who you could walk all over,” I growled as I clutched my sister’s hair. “You have no right to treat me this way.”

Sarah’s earlier bravado was gone, replaced by the same emotion I’d felt when she’d whispered in my ear earlier: fear. She whimpered and released her grip on my hair, struggling to get free.

Only then did I let her go. I shoved past her and stopped near the door, my hand on the doorknob.

“I didn’t know that Darren broke up with you,” I said over my shoulder, my voice low, “and I had nothing to do with it. I’m an intern and Lucas’s babysitter, and…”

Luna, that tiny part of myself seemed to want to tell her. Put her in her place—show her what you really are.

But I quickly dispelled that ridiculous notion and said, “And nothing more.”

Pulling my shoulders back, I returned to my work and pretended as if nothing had happened. It took some effort to keep myself from smiling, though.

Darren had broken up with her…

I shouldn’t have been so pleased. But I couldn’t help it.

“What’s got you smiling?”

The sound of Lily’s soft voice caused me to look up. She was peering over the divider between our cubicles as usual, red nails gripping the felted material.

I shook my head and quickly schooled my expression. “No reason. Just looking forward to this afternoon’s meeting, that’s all.”

Lily cocked her head to the side. “Got another trick up your sleeve this time?”

“You’ll see,” was all I said. I glanced at the email from Darren that had come in a little while ago.

It said nothing of his breakup with Sarah of course, all business as usual. Instead, it said: “I want to present your idea at the meeting today. Prepare a proposal regarding the incentive system. Let’s light a fire under their asses.”

I almost laughed out loud at his phrasing, but instead got to work on my proposal.

A little while later, I strode into the conference room with my portfolio in hand. Darren was there already, as was… Sarah.

“I just don’t understand,” I heard her saying as I entered. “After everything we’ve been through…”

“Sarah…” Darren pinched the bridge of his nose, looking somewhat exasperated. “You’re a good friend, but I just don’t…”

I paused in the doorway, unsure of whether to enter or come back later. Darren, sensing my entrance, looked up. He almost looked relieved.

“Ah. Aria. Are you ready for our presentation?”

I ignored Sarah and nodded as I held up my portfolio. Sarah bristled as I approached, her lips twisting. She stepped closer to Darren before I could step up next to him.

“Sarah, if you don’t mind,” Darren said, gesturing to one of the many chairs at the table, “Aria and I need to present…”

Sarah floundered for a few moments, her mouth opening and closing like a guppy gasping for air. By now, the others were beginning to file in—and though I knew she would have loved to make a scene, it would only ruin her chances of being with Darren even further, so instead she huffed and took a seat.

“Everyone’s here. Let’s get started,” Darren said once everyone was seated. He glanced at me. “Aria and I have been talking, and she presented an interesting idea to help boost morale.”

There was a soft murmur around the room. Darren gestured to me, allowing me to take the stage.

“I understand that the… contract system here is quite rigid,” I began, avoiding giving away too much about what I knew. “And it’s clear that motivation is low because of this. But I believe that everyone should be rewarded for hard work.”

As I spoke, I began to hand out the flyers I had designed earlier, which outlined the various points to be earned and their associated prizes.

“Therefore, I would like to propose implementing an incentive program. For every point you receive on this sheet, you may collect the associated prize—individuals may receive cash prizes or other items such as gift cards and restaurant vouchers.”

“How are the points earned?” Brandon asked, scratching his head.

“Points will be earned by completing various work tasks,” I replied. “For example, you’ll all receive one point just for attending this meeting. I’ll send out a spreadsheet detailing all of the tasks and their associated points.”

“Ooh!” Lily exclaimed as she studied the sheet. “A voucher for the nail salon! All I need to do is collect five points!”

I nodded, smiling. “Each quarter, the rewards will change. You can either spend your points as you go or save them up for larger prizes, such as cash bonuses and vacation time.”

“There are also group incentives,” Darren added. “If you pool your points together, you can get things such as holiday parties, pizza lunches, and even group field trips.”

To my surprise, Melissa’s eyebrows shot up at that. “So we could go hunti—I mean, camping? If we pool together a lot of points?”

“That is an option, yes,” Darren replied.

Slowly, the murmurs around the table began to rise as everyone looked through their flyers, their excitement growing. Darren and I exchanged victorious glances.

But not everyone was happy. Arthur, for one, seemed to be clenching his jaw to keep himself from saying something cruel—no doubt furious that a human like me was challenging the system.

Meanwhile, I could practically smell Sarah’s fury radiating off of her in waves.

But I ignored her piercing glare. For now, at least.

…

Sarah

Aria should not have been standing beside Darren. She should have been beneath one of Sarah’s stilettos, right where she belonged.

But somehow, the little bitch had wormed her way into Darren’s good graces. Sarah wasn’t sure how or why, but it had happened.

And now Sarah was at risk of everything being ruined. The exceptional man who she had painstakingly lured to her side…

What would happen if Aria revealed the truth?

“Excuse me… Are you Mrs. White?”

The young man on the doorstep was the most handsome specimen Sarah had ever laid eyes on. With dark black hair, a chiseled jaw, and striking eyes—one brown, one blue—Sarah couldn’t help but stare at him from around the corner.

Her mother furrowed her brow, glancing at the gift basket in the man’s hand. “Erm… Yes. Who are you?”

“My name is Darren,” the man had said, holding the basket out. Upon closer inspection, Sarah could see that it contained flowers, treats, gift cards, expensive lotions and goodies… Even a sizable bundle of cash and gift cards.

“Oh, we’re not interested in—”

“I’m not soliciting,” Darren clarified quickly. “I’m here because I believe it was your daughter who rescued my dog many years ago. I’m here to give her my thanks.”

Sarah’s mother looked confused. But Sarah… Sarah knew what Darren was talking about.

Years ago, that little shit Aria had taken in a mangy stray off the side of the road. They weren’t allowed to have pets around the house since their mother was allergic, but Aria—selfish as always—had taken care of the dog anyway.

Sarah still recalled how Aria would slip out like no one would notice, using her allowance to buy food and supplies. Sarah used to follow her, and found Aria keeping the little stowaway in the abandoned barn down the road.

It seemed so pathetic, caring for an animal that was obviously going to die.

But it hadn’t died. It had lived, and gotten stronger than a normal dog should have been.

Sarah still remembered the day when she and her friends had cornered Aria in the barn, mocking her for building a ramshackle little doghouse for the mangy thing. They had cornered her, kicking her and ripping at her hair.

“Maybe you should sleep in the doghouse since you worked so hard on it!” Sarah had giggled, reeling her fist back to punch Aria square in the jaw.

But the dog had come to her rescue.

It was… big. So much bigger than it had been the last time Sarah had seen it.

And those fangs were the purest white.

Of course, that was years ago. Sarah chalked it up to a child’s memory making the dog seem bigger in her head, and the scar it left from biting her leg was nothing more than a raised lump of flesh now.

“That dog was very special to me, and I’m incredibly grateful,” Darren said. “If your daughter is here, I’d love to speak to her…”

“That was me.”

Sarah stepped out from around the corner, revealing herself. The man really was incredibly handsome after all, and clearly rich.

How could she let that little mutt Aria take all the glory?

For years, Sarah carefully manipulated Darren into giving her everything she ever wanted; a full bank account, a cushy job, piles upon piles of luxury goods, even a private jet. He was so grateful over that dumb dog that he hardly ever questioned her whenever she asked for more.

And she was so close to getting one more thing on her list.

Him.

But somehow, Aria had shown her ugly face again after disappearing for years. Sarah had honestly figured she was on the streets by now, a prostitute or a druggie. But no; she was his employee now.

And Sarah had a hunch that she was more than just that.

Sarah had to do something about her, and fast; otherwise, her true identity was at risk of being exposed, and thus she would lose the lavish lifestyle she had grown so accustomed to.

No, she’d have to get rid of Aria.

By any means necessary.