"Oh, come on! I want you to be in your best attire. I want the people coming to see that we have the potential for this contract. I don’t want them to view us as common people—like how they probably saw me when Damian was around, with his poor, stinking attitude," Ariel said, feeling happy as she spoke to Matthias on the phone.
She knew it was enough already, but she couldn’t understand why she couldn’t stop mentioning his Damian's name! Maybe it was because she still couldn’t believe she had finally managed to get him out of her life.
While she smiled and moved around, she suddenly heard a bottle crack on the floor. Looking over, she saw baby Gabriella had already started crying and screaming loudly. Ariel felt her heart leap into her throat.
"Oh my gosh! Gabriel, didn’t I tell you to stay away from that area?!" she exclaimed as she rushed to the baby. Luckily, it was just the pieces of the bottle that had touched the baby's skin; it hadn’t hit her on the head. 
Although it's already a serious injury as the baby was already bleeding but who knows what could have happened if the bottle hand landed on her head. She gasped for breath and quickly dialed her doctor’s number.
"Hello...? Please, I need you to come to my place! It’s my baby! You have to hurry! she's bleeding from an injury!! please hurry up!!" she urged, and the doctor quickly noted her request.
Although it was only a small drops of blood from the baby, Ariel's panic felt like an ocean of worry, and the baby's cries pierced her heart. How could she have been so careless?
"And why are you still just standing there?! Don't look at me! Clean this up!" she yelled at one of her workers who was helping with the decorations but suddenly halted to be looking at her because of the incident.
"Oh my gosh... what happened!!" Oliveira shouted as she rushed over upon hearing the baby’s cries and seeing the discomforting scenario of broken bottles. She took a quick look at the baby's wound, then inhaled deeply, shrugging her shoulders.
"Come on! It’s just a minor injury, baby!" she muttered, leaving Ariel to look at her with a disgusted expression.
The baby was crying her heart out, and all Oliveira could say was that it was just a minor injury? Forgetting that it was a baby, it would be so painful. "What do you mean by that, Mom?" she asked, curiosity tinged with frustration.
Her mother gave out a little unsatisfying smile, waving her head and shrugging her shoulders. "What do I mean by what?" She retorted.
"Please, I know you hate her father. I won’t let you take out your feelings on my baby because of him!" Ariel yelled, overwhelmed. It was clear she was trying to transfer her feelings about Damian to the little girl. Ariel wanted nothing to do with poor people, and she admitted she had messed up by getting pregnant with Damian, but that didn’t mean Gabriella wasn’t her child! She had gone through labor to bring her into the world.
"Alright then... I’m glad you realize that. But don’t expect me to care so much for the daughter of a poor, wretched man! You better hurry and get pregnant for Matthias so I can have a proper granddaughter, because what you’re holding is an abomination!" She said cruelly.
"Mother...!" Ariel yelled, her heart burning with disappointment. Did her mom even realize that she was the one who gave birth to this baby, or was she too lost in her hatred for Damian? Had she forgotten that they had already made it clear to Damian that the baby wasn’t his? What exactly did she expect her to do now? Get rid of the baby?
Before long, some cooks from their MKFC restaurant arrived, along with the doctor.
Ariel led the chefs to the kitchen and settled in Gabriella's room with the doctor, where they began treating her.
"Hmm... the baby is strong! She must have inherited her strength from a strong father too! How is she managing to endure the pain?" the doctor said, shaking his head after examining the injury.
Ariel, already looking confused and bothered, gasped for breath as she felt sweat dripping down her body. "What is it, doctor?" she asked, gently soothing the baby's hair while Gabriella busily sucked on her pacifier which was given to her in other to stop her from crying.
"It's very painful," the doctor explained. "For a baby her age to stop crying means she's very strong. A small piece of glass has pierced her skin, and removing it will be painful. Additionally, the treatment will come at a cost..." The doctor started to elaborate, but Ariel interrupted him.
"Doc, please go ahead. Whatever it costs, I’ll pay! I just want my baby to be okay," she insisted. The doctor smiled a bit.
"It wasn't totally about the money... although it's part of it, but you say I should go ahead then no problem really because money is a big part of the problem" The doctor said as he shrugged his shoulders as Ariel’s heart raced while she gazed at her beautiful Gabriella.
"She’s strong like her father?" she thought. Yes, which man could endure the shame that Damian did and still manage to stay until asked to leave? She hoped her daughter would be strong, but not shameless and useless like him.
Ariel stayed behind, watching over the baby while the doctor gathered the necessary tools. Looking at those tools, she felt a wave of unease—how could they be used on a little child?
"You’re not planning to use all that on my baby! She’s just a kid!" Ariel exclaimed, seeing the blades the doctor was pulling out just to remove a bottle from a kid. Do he intend to tear her apart or what?
"Madam, I promise you that your child will be fine! Just let me do my work!" he replied, kindly gesturing toward the doorway.
She hesitated, unwilling to leave, but she knew the doctor promised everything would be alright. Any harm that came to her baby would put him in a cell. Reluctantly, she stood up and left the room, closing the door behind her but lingering just outside, her heart racing.
Suddenly, she heard a loud noise outside. It sounded like the visitors she had been expecting had finally arrived.
"Ariel! Come on! They’re here! Let’s go!" Oliveira shouted joyfully as she rushed into the room. Ariel felt a bit confused about leaving her baby for the contract, but she didn’t think twice and followed her mother outside. What she saw was absolutely amazing.
The expensive cars parked outside were incredible! "I think that Rolls Royce might be the gift they were talking about!" Oliveira whispered to Ariel as they approached the car. Everyone who had already arrived at the party was awestruck, with some guests pulling out their phones and started recording.
Honestly, they had never seen anyone pull up on any events like this before! So who are these guys? The question on everyone's mind.
The cars alone could feed a family for a lifetime without anyone having to work!
"Come on, Mom! Get their chairs arranged! Bring in more expensive wine for their table!" Ariel ordered, feeling sure it was the Villa's Empire based on the logo on the cars. She couldn’t wait any longer as she stepped closer to the Rolls Royce, her smile wider than ever.
Then the doors of the cars behind opened, and some guards rushed forward to open the Rolls Royce Spectre for their master. At first, Ariel caught a glimpse of high-cost, sparkling shoes paired with a tailored trouser suit stepping out of the vehicle.
Everyone was on edge, eagerly anticipating who would emerge from the car. When he finally stepped out, Ariel's eyes widened in disbelief. Everyone gasped in surprise! Of course, they all recognized him: the famous half-man!!
"Hello... Ariel?" Said Damian.