STARGIRL

23. Belle Valentine

She wondered why she even bothered to conceal the dark circles underneath her eyes anymore. She looked just how she felt, tired.

Shutting the compact mirror with her hand, she put it away into her black leather satchel before lifting her head to stare over at Stanford who was pouring himself a drink at the bar.

Dressed in a clean and well pressed Navy blue Giorgio Armani suit, Arabella had found herself growing impatient waiting for him to speak.

She momentarily watched him as he raised the crystal glass full of bourbon up to his lips to take a drink.

She wasn't even sure why he had a bar in his office, then again he was the owner of his company and could do whatever he wanted.

She pressed her plump lips together before rolling her eyes and leaning back in the upholstered leather chair. The back of her thighs freezing from the material she was sitting on.

"I can't pay that surgery, Nina would have my head on a plate." He stated plainly as he turned to look over at her.

She was dressed in her private schools uniform, a white long sleeved button up shirt that was supposed to be accompanied by a navy blue vest, a knee length navy blue plaid skirt that she never wore at the intended length and white knee socks paired with black Mary Jane's.

Arabella crossed her legs and sat up straight as she wearily sighed, "We've been over this Stanford." She said sounding rather irritated with him.

Stanford slowly shook his head, "Understand, I've done so much already."

Arabella lightly began to tap the arm rest with her fingers as she smiled and then let it fade away, Stanford now solely focused on the expressionless look that had taken over her face.

He clenched his jaw tightly before clearing his throat again, "I can't, I'm sorry."

Arabella frowned before letting out a snicker of ambiguity, "You're fucked then, you and your family-"

Stanford had suddenly began to laugh and it caught her off guard, "You won't do it Bellabean." He mocked in a demeaning fashion as he allowed himself to lean back onto his desk. All while Arabella sat still in her chair feeling even angrier at the fact that he used that nickname on her.

"Bellabean." She repeated after him, her voice sounding dark and distant, "Don't test me Stanford."

He took a drink from his glass and placed it down besides him before he folded his arms against his broad chest and gave her a sardonic smirk, "Want to know why I know you won't?"

She pulled her eyebrows together waiting for him to continue.

Stanford stood tall and straight ozone confidence like always. Arabella now looking up at him couldn't believe that a few months ago she was overly infatuated with this handsome man.

Now she utterly hated him.

She could feel the tension rising as he leaned down in front of her now, eye to eye. His hand slowly and gingerly moving a piece of her black hair from her face and tucking it in behind her ear.

"I know you have some feelings for my son." He hissed as viciously as he could, the look of hatred faded from her face momentarily only to have been replaced by that of weakness and then forced hatred once more.

Stanford lowered his head from feeling a bit upset about it before he fixed his tie and scoffed once he realized he had got the reaction he wanted out of her all along.

He took in a deep breath, "You're disgusting you know that?" He softly asked with an accompanied bitter chuckle as he tenderly took her chin into his fingers, Arabella sat still only somewhat shaking from the blood boiling within but she said nothing at all.