The Delayed Findings

Ariel looked towards the chef when she heard the question. Her eyes went towards Leon who was sitting in the same position. She indifferently took her gaze back and said to the chef

"The food you make...it's so tasty. The rice has such a sweet taste. The soup has such a refreshing taste. The floating vegetables and chicken tastes so good that I want to just finish everything. And these pancakes....they are just so delicious. Just how did you make all these?"

The chef looked surprised and then utterly happy. His face was red with embarrassment on hearing so many praises. He has been working in Miller Mansion for so many years but no one ever praised the food made by him. 

"Miss Ariel wishes to know the whole procedure?"

"Yes!"

Ariel replied enthusiastically. She even slurped the soup making a sound and then said 

"So tasty. Hot, sour and spicy. I have never eaten anything more delicious."

The chef smiled and went redder if that was possible. After a moment of deliberate attempt of composing himself, he started explaining the procedure. 

Even on seeing a delicious dish, one starts too feel an urge to have it. Here the chef was explaining the procedure briefly and with that Ariel was making those sounds while eating as if she was eating world's most delicious dishes. 

Anyone who would witness such a scene would want to have it. 

Even Mia who was standing there couldn't help but gulp. Amidst all this, no one except Ariel noticed how the person sitting on the dining table who had not even glanced at his plate suddenly picked up the spoon and started eating. 

Ariel who saw this scene, smirked silently. 

It was an old trick used on her by her grandmother when she was young. Often she would get angry in childhood when the old lady would not allow her to go outside to play sometimes. In anger, she would deny to have her food. At such times, the old lady usually employed this method to make her have her food. 

And after she grew up, she had been using this method on the old lady whenever the latter got angry and refused to have food. There was one common thing between Ariel and the old lady. Both liked delicious food and couldn't resist delicacies. 

Perhaps it was because growing up in slums, they knew the value of food. 

When the chef finished, Leon had also cleaned his plate. Ariel was satisfied. She praised the chef again and the chef left after that. 

Done with her task, Ariel also stood up to leave but was suddenly stopped by Mia. 

"Miss Ariel. Miss Miller has asked me to tell you something."

Ariel frowned. Vista was here only a few minutes ago but she was not told anything. 

"What is it?"

Ariel asked to which Mia hesitated for a moment before she said 

"Actually Miss Miller said that you can't continue to wear these kind of clothes in Miller Mansion or outside."

Ariel's frown only got deeper as she looked at Mia and then at the clothes she was wearing. A baggy t-shirt and loose pants. 

What was wrong in her clothing? She was aware that it was quite different from those young misses of high society families but she didn't feel comfortable in those gowns. 

Seeing her not responding, Mia spoke up again

"Miss Ariel, try to understand Miss Miller as well. You are basically a part of Miller family now so you represent Millers. If someone saw you in these kind of clothes, it won't leave a good impression of Millers and some rumours might spread around in high societies claiming that you are not treated good by Millers."

Ariel's frown didn't vanish at all but somewhere Mia's words made sense as well. And she was taking money for doing all this. She needed an advance from Vista because she was not sure if Ines would still pay for her grandmother's treatment after whatever she did yesterday at the press conference. 

"Alright"

Mia sighed in relief on hearing Ariel's agreement. 

"Then I will need to call you down in an honour or two."

Ariel nodded with a bored expression on her face at Mia's words. The information that she could feel free in her baggy clothes only for an hour or two could never make her happy. 

They say the truth in the end. 

Money never comes without hard work. 

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.

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In a dimly lit room, a man was seated with his head resting on the comfy headrest of a chair. The smoke of cigarette flew around him as he smoked on it. 

The room didn't have any noise except the noise coming out from the television. 

The man's eyes narrowed suddenly when he saw a face on the television. He leaned forward a little making the light fall on his face completely. A scar ran down from his left cheek to chin. 

His eyes were completely focused on the girl who could be seen on the screen. 

It was none other than Ariel. 

A moment later, he shouted suddenly 

"John! John!"

A boy of around eighteen years old came running inside the room. He seemed to be eating before he was called as he was wiping the crumbles of bread from his lips. 

The man however didn't look at John at all. His eyes never moved away from Ariel who could still be seen sitting in the press conference. 

He signed John to look towards the screen when Ariel's face was enlarged on the screen.

"I want all the information about her."

John frowned as if he was not able to recognize the person but he didn't question his boss and said immediately

"Alright Boss, I will find it out."

John left after seeing that his boss just wanted to say this. The man's eyes however has narrowed again. 

A cold glint of light flashed across his eyes when he heard the reporter say 

"The question is why Henry Mintz who is the owner of Mintz Enterprises ...a company which holds the position in top ten....why did he have to force his daughter Ariel Mintz to marry a mentally unstable man? Was this marriage motivated by financial interests of Mintz Enterprises or something else is going behind all this...?"

The reporter continued speaking but the man had heard enough. 

Forced to marry...a mentally unstable man?

He took a deep breath as if trying to calm himself down. He was sure it was the same person he has been looking for but was he too late to find her?