CHAPTER 79

ARIANA’S POV

The day had been quiet until my phone started buzzing nonstop. I didn’t even need to look at the screen to know who it was. The name flashing in bold letters Elise’s mom was all the reminder I needed of the chaos I was avoiding.

I didn’t want to talk to her. Not now. Not ever. I was trying to focus on rebuilding my life, piecing together the confidence I’d lost, and preparing for the comeback that would either make or break me.

“You’ve got a call,” Kayla said from across the table, eyeing me like I was committing a crime by ignoring it. “You’ve been pretending not to hear it for the last ten minutes. Who’s calling?”

I sighed. “Someone I don’t want to talk to.”

“Sounds serious. They’ve called five times now. Might be an emergency.”

“I wish it were. That would give me a reason to ignore it without guilt.” I picked at my food, my appetite gone. “But no, it’s not that kind of call.”

Kayla leaned forward, lowering her voice. “Who is it?”

“Elise’s mom.” I tilted my phone so she could see the name on the screen.

“Oh.” She nodded slowly, her tone changing to something between pity and disapproval. “What do they want now?”

“I don’t know. Probably to lecture me about the scandal. Or pretend to care while digging for gossip.” I stabbed at my salad, annoyed. “I don’t have the patience for that.”

Kayla chuckled softly. “You’ve been ignoring them for weeks. You think they’ll give up now?”

“They can keep trying. I’ll block her number if I have to.”

Kayla looked at me over her drink. “That might make things worse. They’ll take it personally. You know how people like her are.”

“Good. Let them.” I picked up my phone again, debating. “I’m done letting them drain me. I’ve got better things to focus on.”

“Like the big interview?”

I groaned. “Don’t remind me.”

“You’ll be fine,” Kayla said, smiling. “You’ve faced worse.”

“Maybe. But facing an entire audience after everything that’s happened… feels like stepping into a storm.”

Kayla grinned. “And yet, here you are, pretending you’re calm.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re enjoying this too much.”

She giggled, turning back to her phone. Her expression softened, her lips curving up in that way that told me she was texting someone special.

“You’re smiling like a lovesick teenager,” I teased. “Who’s the lucky one?”

“Nobody,” she said too quickly.

“Oh please. I’ve seen that look before. You’ve got someone new.”

She tried to hide her grin, but I caught it. “Alright, fine. You’re right. I’m seeing someone.”

My eyes widened. “Finally! Who is it?”

Before she could answer, my phone started ringing again. This time, I thought it might be Ethan. Without thinking, I grabbed it and swiped to answer.

“Hello—” I froze as soon as I heard the voice on the other end.

“Ariana! Finally. We’ve been calling all day.”

Elise’s mother.

I clenched my jaw. “What do you want?”

“My dear, there’s no need for that tone,” she said sweetly, her voice dripping with fake concern. “We were worried. After seeing the pictures of you and Ethan everywhere, I thought I should check in.”

Her words hit a nerve. Of course, that’s why she was calling. The photos. The endless headlines. The gossip that refused to die.

“I don’t need your concern,” I said flatly. “Save it.”

“Oh, come now. You know I’ve always cared for you.”

I laughed coldly. “You cared as long as I was useful to you. Now that I’m a scandal, you’re pretending again.”

“Don’t be dramatic, Ariana. I was only trying to help. I heard Ethan’s company has been under pressure lately, and I thought maybe—”

“Stop pretending you care about Ethan. You and your daughter tried to destroy what’s left of us.” My voice sharpened. “You’re not checking in. You’re fishing.”

There was a pause. I could almost hear her breathing through the silence, calculating her next move.

“So you’re saying you and Ethan are still together?” she asked finally.

“Exactly,” I said without hesitation. “And we’re stronger than ever. Whatever plans you and Elise had, forget them. You lost.”

The silence stretched again. I could almost imagine the fury building behind her calm voice.

“Well,” she said finally, “if that’s how you want it, I suppose there’s nothing left to say.”

“Good,” I said. “Because I have nothing more to say to you either.”

But before I could hang up, she spoke again. Her voice was calm, almost too calm.

“Then you leave me no choice,” she said quietly. “You should’ve taken my call earlier, Ariana. You’ll regret this.”

The line went dead.

I stared at my phone, heart racing. Something about her tone didn’t feel like a bluff.

Kayla looked up from her plate. “You okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“It was Elise’s mom,” I muttered. “And she just threatened me.”

Kayla frowned. “What did she say?”

I hesitated, unsure how to explain it. “She said I’d regret ignoring her. That she had no choice.”

Kayla reached over and touched my hand. “She’s trying to scare you. Don’t let her.”

But the unease wouldn’t leave me. Elise’s mom wasn’t the kind of woman who threw around empty threats.

I opened my messages to text Ethan, but before I could type a word, a new notification popped up—a photo sent from an unknown number.

My stomach twisted. I opened it.

It was a screenshot of an email addressed to a major news outlet. Attached below were several private photos of Ethan and me—ones that had never been made public.

The message beneath it read:

“If you want to keep your secrets, you’ll talk.”

The phone nearly slipped from my hand.

Kayla’s face drained of color when she saw it. “Ariana… what the hell is that?”

I couldn’t answer. My throat tightened, my pulse thudding in my ears.

Someone had been watching us.

And if those photos were sent out, everything Ethan and I had worked for—all our plans, our careers, our reputations—would be gone.

I looked at the message again, my hands trembling. Whoever sent it wanted control.

And they knew exactly how to get it.

Before I could think, my phone buzzed again. A new message appeared.

“Meet me tonight. Alone. Or I’ll make sure everyone sees what you’re hiding.”

Kayla’s voice was faint. “Ariana, don’t go.”