The fluorescent lights of Gonzalez Motors hummed with a clinical, soul-sucking rhythm.
It had been exactly seven days since Ariana started, and the "New Job Smell" had already been replaced by the scent of expensive leather and impending dread.
At the center of her misery sat Roberto Gonzalez. He was a man sculpted by God and polished by a multi-million dollar car empire.
He had the physique of an athlete and the eyes of a shark, yet he lived entirely within the margins of spreadsheets.
Rumors swirled through the breakroom that he was gay, but Ariana suspected the truth was simpler: he was just married to his own ambition.
"Ariana. My office. Now."
Roberto's voice crackled over the intercom like a whip.
Ariana gulped, smoothing her skirt before knocking. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of cedar and a predatory energy. Roberto wasn't alone.
A man named Andrew sat across from him, looking at Ariana with a hunger that made her skin crawl.
"This is the girl I told you about, Andrew," Roberto said, his voice a cool velvet.
Andrew leaned back, his eyes roaming. "I see. She looks… capable of handling the task."
"She's not ready," Roberto countered, a frown tightening his jaw.
"She needs training. It's only been a week."
"If she's survived a week with you, Roberto, she can accomplish anything," Andrew countered with a sharp grin.
"She is my employee," Roberto snapped, his tone turning icy.
"I decide when she's ready. And right now? She isn't." He turned to Ariana, his gaze dismissive.
"Ariana, get us a bottle of wine."
"It would be a pleasure, sir," Ariana lied, flashing a smile as plastic as a dashboard.
She escaped into the hall, her heart racing. Before she could reach the cellar, her phone vibrated. It was Sunny.
"Hey, Sunny, what's—"
"There's a big problem," Sunny hissed, her voice trembling.
"We aren't prepared. It's Baby Bear. This weekend... Ariana, what are we going to do? We haven't settled down yet. It's too dangerous."
Ariana froze. "Is Melissa aware?"
"Yes. But Audrey is going on her honeymoon with Derrick. We're on our own."
Ariana exhaled, trying to find her professional mask.
"It's okay. It's just a few days. I'll get supplies on the way home. I don't even know how much that kid eats, but we'll figure it out."
She hung up, grabbed the wine, and returned to the lions' den.
She poured the vintage red with steady hands and retreated to her desk, her mind spinning between the mystery of "the task" and the chaos waiting at home.
Hours later, Andrew left, looking like a man who hadn't gotten his way.
Roberto emerged from his office shortly after, grabbing his coat.
"Ariana. Follow me."
He didn't wait. He walked to the executive garage and slid into a sleek, charcoal-grey sports car.
Ariana stood on the pavement, blinking in confusion. The window slid down with a mechanical hum.
"Do you need a special invitation?" Roberto barked.
"Get in the goddamn car, woman."
The drive was a vacuum of awkward silence. When they pulled up to a sprawling, minimalist estate, Roberto didn't offer an explanation.
He walked inside, Ariana trailing behind like a confused shadow.
He went straight to his master suite, emerging minutes later with a laptop, settling into the living room as if Ariana were nothing more than a new piece of furniture.
The silence stretched until Ariana couldn't take it. "Um… Sir? Is there anything I can do for you?"
Roberto didn't look up from the screen. "Now that I think about it, I'm starving. Whip up something nice for me to eat."
Ariana blinked. "Um, I'm sorry, but that won't be possible, sir."
The typing stopped. Roberto's head snapped up. "Excuse me?"
"I can't cook for you," she said, her voice gaining a sudden, defiant edge.
"I was hired as a salesperson, Mr. Gonzalez, not your personal chef."
Roberto stood, his height intimidating. "I asked you to make me lunch and you disobey me?"
"With all due respect," Ariana shot back, "'Chef' wasn't on my CV. But if you're hungry, I know a great restaurant where a friend works. The food is amazing."
Roberto stared at her. In his world, 'no' was a foreign language.
He looked at her as if seeing her for the first time—not as a tool, but as a person. He sighed, the tension breaking.
"Very well. Order something I would like."
"What would you like?"
"That," Roberto said, a ghost of a smirk playing on his lips, "is for you to find out."
The evening air in the apartment was thick, not with heat, but with the kind of unspoken tension that usually preceded a storm.
Sunny dropped her bag by the door, her shoulders slumped under the weight of a long shift.
"Where's Ariana?" Sunny asked, her eyes scanning the dimly lit living room.
Melissa was slumped in an armchair, scrolling through her phone. "She isn't back yet."
Sunny didn't respond. She just sank onto the couch, burying her face in her hands.
The silence lasted only a second before Melissa spoke up again, her voice tinged with a mix of exhaustion and defense.
"And before you start, yes, I got the food. It's in the kitchen."
"Everything must be perfect, Mel," Sunny murmured into her palms.
"Everything."
Melissa groaned, throwing her head back.
"Would you chill? I'm getting a migraine just watching you freak out. You're vibrating, Sunny."
"I can't believe this is happening right now," Sunny snapped, sitting upright, her eyes wide with a sudden, sharp panic.
"We can't bring Baby Bear into this. Not into our world of chaos. How is she supposed to cope with the moving? We never stay in one place long enough to unpack, let alone raise a child."
Melissa stood up, crossing the small space to sit beside her. She placed her hands firmly on Sunny's face, forcing her to make eye contact.
"Hey. Look at me. Everything will be fine. We'll figure something out. We always do."
Sunny shook her head, tears blurring her vision. "Not this time. I can feel it. Mel, they found me. When I went to the supermarket today... some men chased me. It hasn't even been a month since we arrived here, and they still found us."
"Maybe it's just your imagination," a voice drifted from the doorway.
Both women jumped. Ariana was leaning against the frame, her silhouette dark against the hall light.
"How long have you been standing there?" Melissa asked, her heart hammering against her ribs.
"Long enough," Ariana replied, stepping into the room.
The weight of the secret finally broke Sunny. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I should have told you both sooner, but I was scared. I was actually starting to like this place."
Ariana's lips quirked into a knowing, teasing smirk.
"Let me guess—could it be because of that beautiful boss of yours? The one that makes your mouth water every time she walks past?"
Sunny let out a startled, wet chuckle, the tension breaking just enough for her to breathe.
"Look," Melissa said, pulling them both into the conversation.
"There's nothing to be worried about. As long as we're together, we're safe."
Ariana chewed her lip, looking between them.
"I just have one question, though. If Baby comes over... does that mean we have to be responsible adults? Like, for real?"
"Yes," Sunny said firmly.
"No!" Ariana wailed dramatically. "There goes my freedom!"
The absurdity of the moment hit them all at once.
They collapsed into a collective hug, laughter bubbling up to drown out the fear of the men at the supermarket.
"Oh, before I forget," Melissa said as they pulled apart, "I got an email today saying I got the job. Whatever that means."
Sunny frowned. "That's great, but... did you even apply for a job?"
Ariana chose that exact moment to start tip-toeing toward the stairs, her movements exaggerated and guilty.
"ARIANA!" Melissa yelled, her eyes narrowing. "It was you, wasn't it?"
"Hey, calm down," Sunny intervened, though she was suppressed a smile.
"Let's use our 'calm voices' while we speak."
"I am fucking calm!" Melissa shot back, pointing a finger at the fleeing Ariana.
"Fine! I'm sorry!" Ariana shouted from the third step.
"I just wanted you to have something to do! I couldn't stand watching you sit here all day doing nothing!"
Sunny's expression turned stern.
"Ariana, we've talked about this. You can't take decisions concerning other people's lives into your own hands. It's invasive."
"But I—"
Sunny cut her off with a sharp look. "I know you had her best interests at heart, but this wasn't the way to handle it. So, what do you have to say to Melissa?"
Ariana hung her head like a scolded child. "I'm sorry, Melissa, but—"
"Nope," Sunny interrupted again. "Don't 'but' her. The apology is enough."
Ariana sighed, leaning over the banister.
"Look, a colleague told me about a company that needed a secretary. I was so excited to help you apply that I didn't hear the rest of what she said. I think she was trying to warn me about something, but the best news is that you got the job!"
"Warn you about what?" Sunny asked, her protective instincts flaring up again.
"I don't know," Ariana shrugged dismissively.
"I can't work as a secretary," Melissa argued, throwing her hands up.
"I don't have the requirements! I don't even know how to file a folder!"
"Oh, please take it," Ariana pleaded. "The pay is great. Don't forget we have an extra mouth to feed soon and a mountain of bills next month."
Melissa glared at her for a long beat. "Sometimes I feel like strangling you."
"That's why you love me," Ariana chirped with a winning smile.
Sunny looked at Melissa. "So, when do you start?"
"First thing tomorrow morning," Melissa grumbled.
"Isn't that a bit early?" Sunny asked.
"The earlier the better!" Ariana called out, already halfway up the stairs.
"Fine," Melissa sighed, looking defeated. "I'll go because Sunny wants me to."
"But I didn't—" Sunny started to protest.
"Hush now, Sunny," Ariana interrupted from the landing, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Can't you see she's already agreed to it? Let's not ruin the moment."