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“Oops!Aria lost her cellphone!” she said, getting in my face. “We better get her a new one, Noah.” Vanessa mocked me with a stupid smile. She would have been the best candidate onThe Bachelor—psycho bitches series.
“What did you do to my phone? Give it back!”
“Can’t.” She grinned. “It’s burning in the fireplace.”
Fuming with rage, I screamed profanities at her when my temper snapped. All I needed was a pair of horns and I would have head-butted her right in the chest like the hot-headed AriesI was. Botching her expensive boob-job would have made my day.
“I hate you! He’ll never believe you!” I yelled, struggling for freedom.
When the bastard released me, I was so enraged I could have caused an earthquake (if only I was telekinetic). It was too late to recover my broken cellphone. I thought about running to my room to grab my iPod since it had a camera. But then I remembered I had left it in my locker at school. And then it hit me: Ryan’s phone.
Dashing out of the house, I flung open my passenger door and faced my friend in a panic. “I need your cell! Please, hurry!”
He turned down the volume on his stereo and looked at me. “What’s going on?”
“I’ll explain later. Just give me your phone!”
“My battery’s dead.”
Why is this happening now? Right when I caught her red-handed!
Before I could answer Ryan’s questions, Vanessa’s voice blasted behind me.
“Come back inside and we can talk about this, Aria!”
I had no intention of sitting anywhere near her after what had happened. She probably wanted to negotiate a deal to cover up her lies.
Without wasting another minute, I got inside Ryan’s car and put on my seat belt.
“Will you please just tell me what happened already?”
“I’ll tell you about it once we leave. Drive!”
Stepping on the gas, we disappeared in seconds. I had to stop by Noah’s firm as soon as possible. He would believe me—evidence or no evidence. Vanessa was done.
CHAPTER TWELVE
ARIA
Noah’s law firm was a big corporate building—not as big as the skyscrapers in New York, but still a concrete tower. Taking the elevator up to his floor, I stepped out and got lost, standing out like a sore thumb. A blur of gray suits and dark pencil skirts brushed past me. The scent of perfume, cologne, and coffee had thickened the air. Noah’s work environment was a place to which I could never adapt. I mean, imagine spending hours reading law books and constructing convincing arguments to win a case in court. I could never manage the stress that came with that profession, and I certainly didn’t have the dedication and passion for it.
Explaining the whole cheating scandal to Ryan had been frustrating. After he had dropped me off, I insisted he head back to school, since I planned to stay with Noah for the rest of the day. Thankfully, my friend had been nice enough to hand in my project for me. I really didn’t want to attend the rest of my classes. This was a family emergency.
Navigating the busy space, I was about to walk into Noah’s office when I heard a woman’s voice.
“Miss—um, hello? Excuse me…”
I whipped my head around and noticed a lady with jet black hair and shiny dark eyes, sitting in a small cubicle. She was ofAsian descent and had attractive features. I liked her smoky gray eye shadow; and the way she had tied her hair up in a high bun accentuated her elegant cheekbones.
“You can’t go in there without an appointment,” she politely said.
“I’m Noah’s daughter.”
“Oh! Hi, Aria!” She smiled and got up from her seat to greet me. “Honey, your father’s not in at the moment. He’s at a meeting with a client. I’m Dianne. I’ve been curious to meet you! He always talks about you.”
He does?I wondered what those discussions were like.
Noah’s secretary had amazing fashion sense, I noticed, taking notes in my mind. She wore a long navy-blue pencil skirt, fastened high at the waist with a gold belt. Her silk, ivory shirt was stylish, and I loved her heels and accessories. Dianne was pure sophistication.
