Chapter 33
THIRTY-THREE
Ariana
Iwatched Sandra Hale stroll into Ana?s, her steps confident, her stance poised and commanding—the formidable woman I had long respected and admired. She slid her sunglasses down the bridge of her nose when she spotted me and broke into a wide smile as I walked to meet her halfway.
My mind suddenly drifted back to how it all began.
Winning her support had been a long journey. Nothing about it came easily.
I asked my brother, Adam, to arrange a meeting with Sandra through Stephen, who only agreed because Adam had once saved his life in the army, a sacrifice that left Adam in a coma for three days after taking a bullet for him in the Middle East.
It took more than a month before I finally sat across from Sandra in a quiet meeting room.
The laptop in front of me displayed the proposal I had spent two months researching and perfecting—the very one I had sent her in advance.
My fingers curled and uncurled at my sides as she studied me for a long moment before speaking.
“There are two reasons I’m sitting here now, Ariana. One, it’s because your brother saved my son’s life. There’s nothing in this world that could ever repay him for that.”
She paused long enough that the silence pressed down on me, forcing me to hold my breath.
“And second, because this involves the Mercers. If there’s anyone in this world I despise more than anyone else, it’s them.”
I froze, caught off guard. I hadn’t expected this. My plan had been straightforward: to leverage my brother’s sacrifice to get an hour of her time, then win her over with my proposal.
But this was different. This was personal. Just like my mission was personal.
“When Stephen mentioned it was tied to the Mercers,” she continued, her voice edged with disdain, “even the smallest hint of that was enough to get my attention.”
“What have they done to you?” I asked.
“Do you ever wonder why we don’t have a single subsidiary, hotel, or restaurant in that town?”
I shook my head.
Sandra’s smile hardened, her voice low and clipped.
“Because the Mercers tricked us, Ariana. We had a deal, and I did my due diligence. They had the reputation, the experience, and the resources—or at least that’s what it looked like.
The contract was solid. They were supposed to handle everything on the ground while we provided the capital.
Based on their track record, that was a reasonable expectation.
But in reality, they didn’t have the money to be proper partners.
By the time we were ready, they invoked a withdrawal clause, citing unforeseen regulatory and financial hurdles—a clause they had insisted on including.
Legally, they were covered. By then, we had already sunk significant funds into studies, land preparation, and non-refundable supplier deposits. ”
Her expression hardened.
“And then they disappeared from the deal, and later, they sold the information—the studies, plans, and groundwork we had paid for—to another operator. Legally, they were fine. Morally?” She exhaled sharply, eyes narrowing.
“It was theft in broad daylight. They got all the benefit of our work without spending a dime.”
She leaned closer, her voice dropping.
“That’s why I despise them. Not for the money—we recovered from that. But because they mocked the law, the contracts, the very idea of good faith. They turned it into a dirty game, and in their game, they cheated to win. That, I don’t forgive.”
I truly had no idea about this, and the revelation shocked me. My proposal had been strictly to ask her to invest in me, and I used my knowledge of the Mercers’ operations as added value, but I had a feeling Sandra had something else in mind.
“So,” she continued, “I’ve read your proposal.
There’s nothing in it I haven’t seen before, to be honest. In my position, I’ve seen a lot, Ariana, and it takes a great deal to impress me.
Now tell me, why are you proposing this plan?
It may not be written outright, but it’s clear you want to challenge the Mercers. Give me your reason.”
And so, I told her the truth, though not in so many words.
It was the only way to show her how determined I was.
She leaned back and crossed her arms, listening as I shared my story—brief as it was.
I didn’t tell her what Christian had really done, only that Grayson had humiliated me and thrown me out of the house.
Sandra didn’t ask why. She read it in my expression, in my voice, in the certainty that I would do whatever it took to make this happen.
Then she said, “Here’s what I’m going to do, Ariana. I’ll give you the chance to prove yourself. You’ll work in my restaurants. The jobs may not be the ones you prefer, but you’ll start at the bottom. If you succeed, when the time comes, I’ll invest in you.”
So I did. I worked in every position she assigned me, from waiting tables to cleaning kitchens, and even in administration and finance.
I knew she was watching, gauging just how determined I was to see this through.
I signed up for classes to sharpen my skills, and I traveled across the country to study food and service from the ground up.
I learned how a kitchen breathes during the rush, how a manager keeps a business afloat, and how every detail matters.
When she was finally satisfied, we sat down and made a plan.
“Ari.” She spread her arms wide, pulling me into a hug before I could even react.
She was shorter than I, so I had to lean down to meet her embrace, but for such a petite woman, her hold was surprisingly strong.
When she finally pulled back, her smile lit up her face, bright and unguarded. “It’s really nice to see you.”
“Nice to see you too, Sandra,” I said warmly. She might have been ruthless in business, but to me, she was always kind, treating me like family.
She glanced around Ana?s, her expression pleased. “I’m sorry I haven’t had the time to come sooner, but everything looks wonderful, Ari.” Then she turned back to me, her smile softening. “And the results speak for themselves. I couldn’t be prouder of you.”
“Thank you,” I said, glad I’d managed to please her.
But even as the words left my mouth, a heaviness settled in me. Because soon, I was going to disappoint her with what I had to say.
“Let’s sit down,” I said, gesturing toward the corner. “I reserved a table for us.”
“Yes,” she replied with a nod, her smile lingering as we made our way across the room. The restaurant buzzed with conversation, the clinking of glasses, and the warm glow of overhead lights. When we reached the table, she seated herself with effortless grace.
Dany, one of our waiters, approached, and we placed our order. Sandra decided to try one of Kenji’s dishes, while I chose from Thiago’s menu.
We passed the time with light conversation, nothing important, just small talk. I knew she preferred to save business matters for later, when there would be no interruptions.
The dishes arrived quickly, as expected. Both Kenji and Thiago ran their kitchens efficiently and precisely. Sandra tasted Kenji’s cooking and immediately began to praise him, remarking more than once how clever I’d been to bring him on board.
When the plates were cleared and the table reset, her demeanor shifted. She leaned back slightly, her gaze sharpening as she fixed it on me.
“So, I’m here, Ari,” she said. “You told me you want out of the deal, and now you’re going to tell me why.”
I swallowed hard, nervousness tightening my chest, my stomach in knots.
I had thought this through, considering what I truly wanted to do.
I had discussed it with my brother, Adam, knowing he would be the one to think clearly and offer perspective, even before I found out what Helser had done to Grayson.
Revenge had been a big part of my life, consuming me for three years to get to this point.
But I realized now that I also had to consider what was right and not let it cloud my judgment.
What I wanted to propose to Sandra was a bold move, but I hoped she would agree.
“Yes,” I said, forcing my voice to steady. “I know this plan is what fueled me. For three years, it was everything I worked toward. But things are different now, Sandra, especially when it comes to Grayson.”
Her eyes narrowed as she studied me. “Don’t tell me you’ve softened toward him, Ari. Not after everything he did to you.”
“He’s done so much to make things right,” I said. “I didn’t take that into account.”
“We planned to take over the Mercers. And by buying them out, you’ve already accomplished that.
With Ana?s’s success, you’ve beaten them.
You’ve achieved everything we aimed for.
” She paused, her gaze curious. “I don’t understand what you want here, Ari, because you’ve actually completed all our plans. ”
“Except for one,” I said quietly.
She leaned back, her eyes fixed on me. “When I agreed to invest in you, it was because I knew how determined you are. I have never seen that from anyone. I admired you for it.” She paused, her gaze unwavering.
“We planned to crush them, push them out of the business, and then take over. That’s what we agreed on. ”
“And at that time, I truly believed I could do it.”
Her gaze softened. “I believed you could do it, too. Look at what you have achieved. You pulled through. So this is not a matter of your abilities, but of your heart. That is why you cannot do the last part, can you?”
Before I could respond, she added, “We agreed that the Mercers needed to be taken down within a year, Ari, until they had nothing left. I invested in you without question.”
“We still took the company from them.”