The Heiress' Revenge

Chapter 196: Ariana?

Ariana’s POV

I let go of her wrist, causing her to stumble back with her dress tangled around her feet. She almost fell. The other maids gasped.

"Search my room," I said. "Search my belongings... You won’t find your jewelry because I didn’t take it, but you will find the truth, and the truth is, I have nothing. I am nothing, I am exactly what you said I am. A pathetic, worthless, nobody maid who doesn’t matter. So why would I risk everything to steal from you? What would I gain? What would I do with diamonds that would only expose me?"

Natasha stared at me with her mouth open. She didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t used to being talked back to.

She wasn’t used to being challenged.

The room was silent.

No one moved.

No one spoke.

No one breathed.

Then Natasha smiled. It was a cruel smile. A dangerous smile. "You’re right and are nothing. You are nobody, you don’t matter, and that’s exactly why no one will believe you over me. When I tell the police you stole from me, they will arrest you. When I tell them you assaulted me, they will lock you up and make sure you never see the light."

"To hell with you!" I snapped

Natasha’s face turned red. Her hands clenched into fists. "You will regret this. I will make sure you do."

She raised her hand again.

But I was done being her victim.

I caught her hand again I held it in the air. She struggled and tried to pull away.

I didn’t let go.

"Don’t," I said, my voice was low. "Don’t ever try to hit me again. I’ve let you do it once. I won’t let you do it twice."

Natasha’s eyes were wild. "You’re insane. You’re crazy, you’re a lunatic. Let go of me right now."

I held her gaze. "No."

I’ve had it with her; I will not tolerate it.

The door behind us opened.

"What is going on here?"

The room went completely silent when Dante walked in, his presence filled every corner as his eyes moved across the scene.

Natasha, with her wrist still in my hand.

The other maids pressed against the wall.

I’m standing in the middle with my mask on and my heart pounding out of my chest.

Natasha ripped her hand out of my grip, her face transformed in an instant as the rage melted away and was replaced by tears.

Big fat crocodile tears that streamed down her perfect cheeks as she ran to Dante and threw herself against his chest. Her body shook with fake sobs.

Her voice came out high and pitiful.

"Baby, thank God you’re here... that pathetic maid stole from me. My diamond ring and necklace from you. The ones you gave me as our wedding gift, she took them, and she’s refusing to give them back, and she raised her hand at me as she tried to hit me."

Dante’s eyes found me over Natasha’s head. His face was hard.

Unreadable.

His voice was calm, but there was something underneath it.

"Is this true?"

I couldn’t speak; it was like my voice was gone, the words were gone. Everything was gone except his face.

Fuck!

I hate that he still has that much effect on me.

Natasha pulled back and looked at me. Her eyes were triumphant. "She’s not even denying it. Look at her. She’s guilty and knows she’s caught. She’s probably already sold them. They’re probably already gone."

Dante gently moved Natasha aside.

He walked toward me with each of his steps heavier than the last. Each step brought him closer to the truth I had been running from.

"The jewelry," he said with a quiet voice. "Return it now, and we won’t involve the police."

I shook my head. My voice came out broken. "I didn’t take anything. I don’t have your jewelry. I’ve never stolen anything in my life."

Natasha laughed from behind him. "Of course, she says that. Of course, she denies it. What else would a thief say?"

Dante held up his hand.

Natasha fell silent.

His eyes never left mine. "Then where is it? If you didn’t take it, who did?"

I looked at him, the man I had loved, the man who thought I was dead. "I don’t know, but it wasn’t me. You can search my room or my things. You won’t find anything."

Dante studied my face or what he could see of it behind the mask. His eyes narrowed. "Take off the mask."

My heart stopped. "What?"

"The mask, I said take it off. I want to see your face."

Natasha stepped forward. "Yes, take it off. Let us see the ugliness you’ve been hiding. Let everyone see what a thief looks like."

I stepped back. My hand went to my mask. "No. Please. I can’t."

"You can and you will." Dante’s voice was firm. "If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear. Take off the mask."

The other maids were whispering.

Amaya was watching with wide eyes.

The head maid was frozen.

Everyone was waiting.

Everyone was watching.

I couldn’t breathe or think. I couldn’t do anything but stand there with his eyes burning into mine.

"If you don’t take it off yourself, I’ll do it for you." Natasha lunged forward, and her hand grabbed the edge of my mask. She yanked it off before I could stop her.

The fabric tore away from my face.

The air hit my skin.

Cold.

Exposed.

Naked.

Natasha stared at me.

Her mouth fell open.

I couldn’t do anything but lift my head and let Dante see me.

His eyes widened as his face went pale. His hands started shaking. His mouth opened, but no words came out.

He stared at me like he had seen a ghost.

Because he had.

He had seen his dead wife standing in front of him, wearing a maid’s uniform and two years of pain in her eyes.

The room was silent.

Dante took a step toward me.

Then another.

Then another.

"Ariana," he whispered.

The word hung in the air between us.

Heavy.

Impossible.

And everything fell apart.