Taken By The Mafia Lord

Everyone responded to the introduction all except Arianna who didn't know what to say to her. But that was until recognition set in and Winters pointed at her, "Oh, it's you."

Marcel looked between the both of them, "You know each other already?"

Arianna answered, "She bumped into me -"

"More like, we ran into each other," Winters corrected her.

Arianna looked at the young girl, she was quite cheeky.

"It's good that you know each other then. Winter, this is Arianna, and Arianna, this is Winter -"

"Your very good friend," Arianna took the words right out of his mouth. She said curtly, "Yeah, I heard you the first time." She hoped her expression was welcoming enough.

While Marcel had introduced Winters to her as a "good" friend, he introduced her as just "Arianna", nothing else. Arianna guessed she didn't mean much to him - Winters probably had much value. And why was she bothered by all of this? She was supposed to be happy that Marcel moved his attention to another person - much quicker than she thought.

"You are very beautiful," Winters said and that made Arianna's brows arch, then narrow suspiciously. What was the girl's intention? Was she trying to pretend like a good person in front of Marcel? Arianna knew her female gender and they were good at pretense. She has seen women do many things just to get a man's attention.

Look at Winters, she had her arms around Marcel when the man had a fiancée? Or Marcel didn't tell her about that? Friends her butt. And weren't girls her age supposed to be in school instead of hanging on to older men?

Fine, since the girl wanted to play this game, she was in. She would tear off her mask and reveal to Marcel her true intention. She was not backing out of this one.

So Arianna replied, "Thank you," with a big smile. She was not jealous of the young woman and was merely looking out for this stupid fool, Marcel.

Noticing the teacher, Marcel stepped closer to whisper into her ears and

Arianna felt a shiver run down her spine. She was almost tempted to wrap her arm around his waist and pull him closer.

It would seem like an innocent gesture, as if she wanted to hear him better, but Winters was a woman like her and it was enough to send the message. Winters has no control over Marcel and the both of them have been together, before she came along.

But before that could happen, Arianna heard Marcel say, "She's the hacker," and she froze.

Dumbfounded could not even explain how Arianna felt at that moment. She slowly turned her head to look at the girl that Marcel just called a hacker. No, that's impossible.

"She's too young," And a girl too. Weren't hackers mostly male? What happened this time?

Arianna didn't want to believe it because that only proved that the girl was more capable than her. While Winters was a hacker, what was she again? A thief?

"I felt the same way when I first came to know about her. But don't worry, you'll get over it soon and I have a feeling that both of you would work just fine." Marcel stepped back, returning to the girl's side.

Yeah, that feeling of his was wrong. They would never be friends, Arianna didn't need to see their future to know that.

Marcel announced, "We'd speak more over lunch, but at the moment, I need to give Winters a good tour of the base,"

"You never gave me a tour of the base," Arianna was tempted to say, but even when her mouth opened, no words could come out. She only watched helplessly as Winters happily clamped onto Marcel's side like a damn octopus and they both walked out of there.

Marcel and Winters didn't walk a long distance before the girl suddenly stopped and faced him, asking, "That woman, Arianna, is something going on between the both of you?"

He looked at her in surprise, "Why do you ask? Did something happen?"

"She just seems quite intense and I felt daggers were aimed at me the entire time," Winters would have said to him, but she told him instead, "She's pretty and I've not seen other younger female around,"

"You don't need to worry about her," Marcel clarified, "We're just friends, nothing else." He intentionally said that seeing there was no need to narrate his history to the young girl.

Marcel didn't want to make things harder for Arianna who was still struggling with the confession he made today - Marcel could see it in her eyes. He'd give her the space she wanted and wouldn't pressure her into accepting his feelings. No matter what he did, It seems he lost to Elijah in the end.

"Sure," Winters continued with her journey, but not without teasing him, "So that means, I can still flirt with you."

"Grow up first," Marcel brushed her off as he continued with the tour.

Meanwhile….

"I like her," Mimi said, staring at the spot Marcel and Winters stood minutes ago.

"I don't like her," Arianna retorted, heading over to her seat. She suddenly wished this stupid lesson was over. What was so hard about cleaning?! Then she could go to her room and lock herself in. No, what was she thinking? She had to know what Winters was up to.

"Why don't you like her? Isn't it a good thing if Marcel finally takes his eyes off you, so you would be able to concentrate on waiting for your darling Elijah?" Mimi reasoned and didn't expect Arianna to say.

"She's too young for him!" She shouted at her best friend, getting saliva on her face.

"Geez, calm down," Mimi said, wiping her face with her palm, "Jealous much?"

Arianna was so red in the face that all that remained was sizzling smoke to ooze from her head, "I think you're mistaken here, I am not jealous! I'm only helping Marcel make the right choice and that little girl isn't it," She defended herself

"Sure, just as you directed him when he decided to have feelings for you," Mimi answered back.

"What are you trying to say?"

"All I'm saying is that Marcel liked you of his own free will and who he decides to like afterward is his choice as well. So I don't see what help you're being here? Also, if I were you, I think I should be calm at the moment. You just lost Marcel's favor, what do you think will happen to you from now on?"