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The constant ringing of his phone abruptly awoke Arias. Irritated, he ignored the calls but eventually relented and answered annoyedly. Daisy asked why Luis had threatened him and told him to leave her alone. Without looking at his phone, Arias sighed and told her to stay away from him and stop calling. After hanging up, he immediately texted his assistant to change his number by the end of the day. He stretched, got out of bed, cared for his hygiene, and walked out of the room.
As he entered his kitchen to make himself some coffee, he was interrupted by a loud bang emanating from Jenna's apartment, followed by her scream. Concerned, he hurried to her door and noticed it was slightly open. He instinctively reached for his gun, realizing he had left it behind, and cursed under his breath. Pushing the door open, he called out Jenna's name but received no response. As he ventured further into her apartment, he called out again, and Jenna replied from her bedroom. Upon entering, he found her cleaning up broken glass.
As she carefully bent down to clean up the shattered glass, she apologized for accidentally dropping her mug. Arias approached Jenna, offering to help her clean up. Suddenly, Jenna winced in pain as she dropped a piece of glass, revealing that she had cut her hand. Arias quickly took charge, assuring Jenna that he would return with a first aid kit. True to his word, Arias promptly retrieved the kit and carefully tended to Jenna's wound, placing a band-aid over it and warning her that it might leave a scar.
"Thank you," she said softly, Arias still holding her hands as they locked eyes, both getting lost in the moment. Arias felt the urge to kiss her, but he didn't want to push his luck. "I'll get out of here," he said, still gazing into her eyes. "If you need help, just knock on my door," he told her. They both rose from the floor, and he walked out, heading back to his apartment.
As soon as Arias got into his apartment, his phone started to ring. Glancing at the caller ID, he saw that it was Luis. "We've got a problem," Luis said urgently, not allowing Arias a moment to collect his thoughts. "What's the issue?" Arias asked, trying to remain calm. "Jesus doesn't want to help, and I have a feeling he's going to harm Jenna," Luis explained. Arias clenched his jaw at the thought of anyone wanting to harm Jenna. "Why not?" Arias asked, his voice betraying his rising anger. "He doesn't want Jenna around and is going to protect Daisy," Luis responded. Arias understood why Luis was concerned about Jesus harming Jenna, but he had made a vow to himself to never let anyone harm her. "I'll be in New York tomorrow," Arias assured Luis before they hung up.
Arias dialed another number and sternly instructed, "Get the warehouse ready in 3 days," before hanging up and hurling his phone at the wall in frustration. He was upset by what he had just heard. Jesus, who had been Arias's friend for years, had been acting strangely since the breakup with Jenna. Arias understood that his friend was concerned because the breakup had taken a toll on him. Arias felt that everyone was afraid of him or unwilling to work with him, but he never blamed Jenna for any of it. He believed that she had done what she needed to do for herself.
Arias dialed Rick's number and was relieved when Rick picked up the phone. "I need you and Roc to stay at my apartment and watch over Jenna for me," Arias told Rick. "Don't let her see you two either," he added with urgency in his voice. "You got it," Rick replied before they hung up. Arias knew he couldn't leave Jenna alone, especially if Jesus had already informed Daisy about their plans. He wanted to avoid any further trouble, especially from Jesus. Arias prepared himself for an upcoming visit. Before leaving, he sent a message to his bodyguard, instructing him to keep an eye on Jenna and to deal with anyone who might cause her any trouble. After stowing his phone, he left his apartment.
"Are you leaving?" a soft voice from behind asked as he turned to see a smiling Jenna. "Yeah, what about you?" Arias inquired as he took in her outfit - a stylish black skirt paired with a black long sleeve shirt and knee-high boots. She looked stunning to Arias, and he couldn't help but smirk. "To the store," she replied. Arias looked at her, confused. "Dressed like that?" he asked. She glanced down at her outfit. "What's wrong with it? Too dressy?" she questioned. Arias looked at her concerned face and couldn't help but smile. She looked cute. "No, you're fine," he reassured, locking eyes with her.
"Would you like me to come with you?" he suggested, hoping she would agree. He missed the simple joy of doing random things with her and just being in her company. As he looked at her, she appeared lost in thought. After a few minutes, she finally spoke up, "Okay, but you're driving," she said, playfully pointing her finger at him. "You've got a deal, but I need to make a quick stop first, is that okay?" he asked, making sure it was alright with her. "Yeah, that's fine," she said. He smiled, taking her hand, and they walked together, hand in hand, which brought a smile to Jenna's face.
As they exited the building, he took the lead and escorted her to his car. Upon arriving at the vehicle, he courteously opened her door and assisted her inside before closing it and settling into the driver's seat. "Feel free to play whatever you'd like," he said, disengaging from his car's entertainment system. She connected her phone and selected a random playlist. As he maneuvered out of the parking lot, he steered with one hand while the other remained intertwined with Jenna's, and neither of them showed any inclination to let go. "Where are we headed?" she inquired. "I have a meeting with some associates at the bar I recently launched," he replied, stealing a glance at her. "You own a bar?" she asked, clearly surprised. He flashed a smile and confirmed, "Yes, I opened it earlier this year."
"Congratulations on that," she said, looking over at him with a proud smile. She was truly happy for him and the person he had become. "I knew you could do it," she added, gently playing with his hand. "And what about you? I heard you sealed a deal with a major company," he remarked, smiling at her. She rolled her eyes, wishing he hadn't brought it up. "Don't remind me. Dealing with that company is driving me crazy," she replied, clearly annoyed. "I've revised the plan six times, and each time it's been rejected," she sighed. "Maybe I'm not good enough," she said, sounding defeated. "You are good enough. Have you ever considered that maybe he's not the one reviewing it, and someone else is rejecting it?" he suggested. Since Arias hadn't seen any of her blueprints, it was impossible for him to have rejected her work.
"Perhaps, but I'm not sure. I've never actually spoken to the CEO, only to his VP, and that guy is really mean to me," she said. Arias looked at her, puzzled. "What do you mean?" he asked. "He's been making things difficult for me, calling me names and talking behind my back to others," she said, rolling her eyes. "I'm considering stepping back from this project," she added. Suddenly, Arias pushed on the brakes, causing Jenna to lurch forward slightly. "What the... are you okay?" she asked, looking at him.
As his eyes darkened, he put Bryan in charge to assist Jenna in succeeding. However, upon learning that Bryan had been causing problems for her, he became mad. When he heard that she wanted to step away, his anger intensified. "You're not doing that," he told her firmly. "You're going to finish the blueprint, and it will be accepted." Arias then put the car in drive and headed to the bar. Jenna remained silent, feeling that he was right and that she shouldn't give up. Upon reaching the bar, Arias parked the car and said, "Wait here. I'll be out in 15 minutes." Jenna nodded, pulled out her phone, and started playing games. As he got out of the car and walked inside, she remained in the car, pondering her next move.
