Ariel was sleeping in her suit when she heard her work phone start to ring. She slowly opened her eyes and yawned, another day in the beautiful sea.
She gently sat up in bed and picked up her phone from the top of the drawer, "Hello, Gideon," She answered.
"Good morning, Boss, um, it's about the email I sent to you yesterday. Are you sure you don't want to reconsider the offer? I know it's good, but we can-"
"Who's the boss, Gideon?" She asked with a soft smile playing on her lips.
"It's you, ma'am; I'm just the manager," He replied.
Ariel nodded, "Good, so, that means I decide what happens in my company, right?" She questioned
Gideon sighed. "Yes. I hate it when you play the boss card, Ariel. Maybe I have to speak to Mr. Sloan to have your mind changed."
Ariel chuckled, "You know he can't change my mind, G. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing; I agreed to partner with them because I've seen their marketing and strategy. And you and I know that they're worthy opponents, you know what they say, keep your friends close but your enemies closer...They've been in the business longer than us, and they know how the system better than we do, we might be doing great now but they might find a way to target us later, so, just to avoid that, we have to agree to their invitation, no one's hurt," she sighed after the long explanation.
Gideon was quiet for some time before he replied, "Well, you're right, like always. But one thing is concerning, though," He mentioned.
Ariel frowned and got out of bed, she put her phone on speaker and walked into her bathroom.
She placed it down beside the sink and fetched her toothbrush.
"Well, it's the owner of the company; I think it's weird; he's not found anywhere online; I've only been communicating with his manager," Gideon pointed out.
Ariel spat the toothpaste foam into the sink before she replied to Gideon, "It's fair; it's not as if they've communicated with me either," She shrugged.
"Yes, but I think that's why it's fishy," He said.
"What's fishy?" She asked with a raised brow.
"They requested to see you on the day of the meeting," Gideon informed.
Ariel quickly rinsed her mouth and stared at the phone as Gideon could see her through the phone.
"What do you mean?" She picked up her phone and went back into her suite.
"Yeah...the mysterious boss demanded he sees you...the other mysterious boss, just in case you were a criminal or something. He said he doesn't deal with mischievous people," Gideon informed.
Ariel chuckled, "I already don't like him. He keeps his profile hidden but when he discovers someone else wants to keep their profile hidden too, he terms them as criminals, that's too shallow a thinking,"
"So do you still want to go ahead with it? It means you'll have to come here...you know right?" He asked slowly.
Ariel took her time before replying.
"Yes." Was her simple reply.
"Yes?" Gideon asked in shock.
"Yes. It's the location you sent me, right?" Ariel was taking off her clothes as she asked.
"Yes, California," He provided.
Ariel smiled. She knew it was in California, but she had agreed to go because it was far away from Aiden's command home; there was no way he would see her even if she decided to stay there for three months, and nothing was going to make her go to his location.
She just wanted to use the opportunity to meet Mr. Dee; it's been three years since she spoke to him.
Their last goodbye was in front of Aiden's hospital. She missed her grandfather, and she was going to see him no matter what.
The man must be beside himself with worry, and he'd be so glad to meet his great-grandchild.
"Okay, bye G, see you next week," She ended the call.
She was going back to the States after three years, she left there heartbroken and almost dead, but she was returning heartless, determined, and a boss.
"Mummy," Jace stood in front of Ariel's door, rubbing his sleepy eyes.
"Oh, hi, darling, come here," She lowered herself and opened her arm for a hug.
Jace went into her arms and hugged her, wrapping his little arms around her neck.
"Mummy," Jace called again in a small voice.
"Yes, darling, what's the matter?" She asked worriedly.
Jace sounded as if he had something he wanted to talk about, and Ariel couldn't think of what could be worrying his small head.
"I'm hungry," Jace whispered.
Ariel chuckled, relieved that it wasn't something serious.
"Come on, baby, we can fix that," She lifted him in her arms and walked out of the suite.
"Good morning, Ariel," A handsome young man with blonde hair greeted her as she walked through a long passage.
"Good morning, Logan, going diving early?" She asked with a smile.
"Nah, returned already, heading to the kitchen?" Logan asked.
"Yeah, little Mr is hungry," She replied.
"Ah, come here, JJ, let uncle make you something special," Logan carried Jace from Ariel.
"You don't have to; I was just about making him something," Ariel said as they walked downstairs; I was just about making him something," Ariel said as they walked down the stairs that led to the kitchen.
"How about we let him choose? Come on, buddy, who do you want to make your breakfast?" Logan asked softly.
Jace stared at his mother; then he looked at Logan who was carrying him.
"Logan," He replied, hiding his face in Logan's neck.
Ariel gasped in mock shock, "Oh, my heart, baby, why?" She asked, holding his hand.
Logan chuckled, "It's men supporting men," He winked at Ariel.
Ariel sighed, shaking her head. She knew why, it was because he always gave him ice cream after each meal, and she knew that Jace loved ice cream, so he would always choose the person who gave it to him.
They walked into the busy kitchen, and Logan went over to a small table to place Hace down, "Sit here with your beautiful mother while I make you both something to eat, okay?" He patted Jace's head.
"Okay, Logan," Jace patted the chair next to him, "Mummy, come sit; Logan called you beautiful," He smiled as if he was the one who got called beautiful.
"Alright, honey, Logan is just kind, that's why he calls everyone beautiful, right, Logan?" She asked Logan, who was smiling as he stared at her.
Logan's smile fell, but he still responded with a half smile, "Yes, Jace, I'm too kind," He nodded and walked over to the kitchen where the cooking was hitting off.
It was a cruise ship, so the kitchen was always busy because of the passengers on board.
Different types of chefs were available for different types of cuisines. But, most times, Ariel preferred to eat the normal homemade meals. She was growing tired of eating classy each day; even Jace was starting to reject food most of the time, too.
She was glad Jace loved homemade meals too. That was why she even let him prepare food for his son.
About her relationship with Logan, he had long professed his love to her, but she kindly rejected him, telling him she was never going to do that again.
He stopped ringing up the topic to her, but the way he acted with her still showed that he had hope of winning her heart one day.
Logan was a diver, the very one who had saved her that faithful night.
She was very grateful to him when she learned he was the one, who saw her unconscious and sinking body and decided to check if she was still alive; she would forever be thankful to him.
Without him, she would have died with her innocent baby, and Jace wouldn't have seen the world. Logan was her angel in human form
Unfortunately, she just liked him as a good friend, a very good friend, she could never see him more than that.
She stared at her son, who was busy flipping through the tea kitchen menu as if he could understand the different languages the writings were.
"Mummy" Jace called, bringing Ariel out of her thoughts.
"Yes, Baby," She blinked and stared at his face e, which was so much like hers.
"When are we going to Greece, I miss my school, my teacher, Ms. Plum, and Frank," He sighed cutely
Ariel's heart warmed, "Oh, sugar, don't worry, we'll go home soon; Mummy just has to attend to some business in America, then we can go back home, okay?" She leaned over and caressed his cheek.
Jace nodded, but he still didn't look satisfied.
"Something bothering you still, baby?" She asked.
Jace nodded.
"Tell me." She said.
"Anabelle said she's going to meet her Daddy when she gets back to Greece...when do I get to meet my own Daddy?"