A Virgin for the CEO

21

But in the next few moments, Arianna remained petrified. She could hear Ruel's worried voice calling her name, but she couldn't react.

"Arianna? Arianna? What happened to you?"

Her eyes finally focused on his worried face. She tried to smile but failed.

"I seem to be right about Mt. Olympus, huh?"

She tried to smile again as she moved her numbed limbs, but she cringed when he placed the bills in her hand.

"Go home," he told her gently. "That's where he'll get your goods."

Goods.

She cringed more, her insides trembling because, to her, goods meant something more than her vegetables. But she managed to reply. "Y-Yeah."

"Arianna? Are you okay? You're very pale."

She looked at him. "I'm going to be fine. I'm going home, anyway, so I can take a rest."

"What's wrong? You don't look good. I'd like to take you home," he said, looking in the direction of the guards at the gates.

"I'm okay. I'm feeling better. I guess I stayed up too late to sleep last night," she lied. "'Bye, Ruel. Thanks for wanting to help. I'm going home now."

His voice stopped her from turning the bike back. "Arianna?"

"What?"

"Can we meet tomorrow? Let's just have a snack and talk a little. After all, I cannot visit you—"

"Ruel?"

He blinked. "Huh?"

"If you want us to be friends, you have to finish school first, find a job and do what you have to do before you come back here." If we'll still be here. "If you keep pushing now, I might really get mad at you."

The hope on his face was instantly replaced by sadness and disap-pointment. "O-Okay."

"I'm really sorry," she said, trying not to show him the guilt and pity she felt. But she really didn't have time or the energy for this. She had no plans to be in a relationship for a very long time.

Who would want her after news got around that she sold herself to the Señorito?

"Alright, I'm going home."

He called again. "Arianna?"

"What?!"

He jumped a little but relaxed when she sighed and shook her head. "When you're ready to accept suitors, I'm going to be the first in line, huh? Don't forget me."

Her eyes rolled. "Alright. My goodness, the drama!"

He smiled. "Thank you."

She left him there and he watched her leave. She furiously pedaled the tri-bike back to the hacienda while she remained shaking inside...

k

Tommy hurried down the stairs when he saw her slide the tri-bike into the yard.

"Ate Yna! Why are you back so early? Did something happen?" He was looking at the veggies in the bike and the obvious evidence she hadn't sold any.

"Why are you here? I thought you'd left?"

"I brought food back. The Chairman distributed eggs and bacon meat to the workers and I brought mine home. I'm going back to work now. But... what happened?"

"Everything's sold," she said as she tried to hide her face from him by looking away.

She still felt cold, so she must look pale. She was still suffering from internal shakes, and she was trying hard for it to now show. "It's going to get picked up here."