Chapter 10_ Parenting Failures

When Arya arrived at the overflowing conference room, crowded with Maranello shareholders and her colleagues, she stood frozen, her heart racing at the unexpected sight. Rather than the anticipated foam party, everyone was dressed in mundane attire. Meanwhile, Arya stood out in her bathing suit, her expression a mix of embarrassment and anger as she glared at Kane, who was smugly eyeing her. It suddenly dawned on her that she had been duped. Kane had planned this all along, seeking retribution for what she did to his car.

All eyes were fixed on Arya. Some showed genuine surprise, others looked upon her with curiosity or amusement, and some leered with lustful intent.

"Isn't that Arya?" A colleague pointed her out in the crowd, earning a nod of confirmation.

"I believe so." Someone else chimed in.

"What on earth is she thinking?"

Feeling the weight of judgmental stares, Arya felt tears prickling in her amber eyes. But she refused to give Kane the satisfaction of seeing her hurt. In her mind, she pleaded for the ground to swallow her whole. Unfortunately, the solid floor stood still beneath her feet.

Frank Maranello, shocked by Arya's attire, stepped forward with a scowl. "What do you think you're doing? This behavior is beyond ridiculous, Arya."

Arya was speechless, unable to formulate a defense. All she could do was flee. She stormed out of the conference room and quickly made her way back to her office. As soon as she arrived, she grabbed a long jacket and wrapped it tightly around her, trying to make sense of the humiliating situation. But before she could gather her thoughts, Kane strode into the room with a grin, relishing in Arya's plight.

At the sight of him, Arya's heart rate spiked. A fire ignited in her stomach, her hands trembling and her breathing labored. She could feel a surge of rage and violence building, ready to explode. Without hesitation, she swung her hands forward and slapped Kane with all her adrenaline-fueled strength, causing his lips to bleed slightly.

"You useless shit head," Arya growled, her amber eyes blazing with anger. Her chest heaved as she struggled to control her emotions. Without another word, she grabbed her bag and quickly left the office, getting into a cab and heading home.

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Arya's Residence

Alone in her room, Arya lay on her bed, tears streaming down her face as she thought about the possibility of getting fired. She cursed the day she met Kane and blamed him for all the troubles that had come her way. Just as she was lost in her thoughts, her phone rang. It was Chloe calling. Fumbling to answer, Arya's sobs could be heard through the phone.

"What happened, Baby? Are you crying? I'm coming over right away!" Chloe exclaimed, her concern evident in her tone.

"Oh Chloe, you don't have to come over, okay? I'm just feeling a bit emotional at the moment." Arya stated, her voice wavering as she explained her predicament to Chloe and how she had handled the situation by running away.

After she had finished sharing her story, Chloe advised her to take a deep breath and calm down. "Jeez, Arya. How could you believe something like that?" Chloe asked, clearly surprised by Arya's gullibility.

"I don't know, it seems absurd now. But it was in an email from Franko... Who would use the CEO's email for a prank? Except maybe his son. Sweet baby Jesus, I'm an idiot." Arya admitted, shame evident in her voice.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Arya. You're not an idiot, just a little naive. I'm sorry this happened to you. And by the way, things with Kane escalated way too quickly and way too far. You should talk to Franko about what happened. This is a serious situation and Franko needs to know about it before it affects your career." Chloe said, her anger directed towards Kane for the prank he had played on Arya.

"I know, but he's Franko's son." Arya sighed, hesitant to confront Franko about his son's actions.

"Exactly! He's the one who raised that dickhead, he needs to take responsibility for his parenting failures." Chloe retorted.

"Okay, I'll talk to him tomorrow morning." Arya agreed with a nod, even though Chloe couldn't see it. The two friends talked for a while longer before Chloe reassured Arya that everything would be fine and encouraged her to rest early so she would feel confident when approaching Franko in the morning. Arya thanked her and ended the call, allowing herself to relax and push any thoughts of being fired to the back of her mind for the rest of the night.

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Maranello's Enterprise

The next morning, as Arya entered the office building, she made a beeline for Franko's office and knocked before entering. "Good morning, sir."

Upon laying eyes upon her, Franko's expression soured. It was evident that he was displeased with Arya's presence, yet he did not immediately chase her away. Instead, he confronted her with a pointed remark, "What possessed you to think that wearing a swimsuit to the event was a wise choice? Your conduct is unacceptable and I must dismiss you for violating company regulations."

Arya's eyes widened in disbelief at his words. What? She hadn't even had a chance to explain herself and she was already being fired? No way! She had come here to clear her name and prove her innocence, not lose her job without a fight. With determination in her voice, Arya confidently lifted her gaze to meet Franko's and pleaded, "Sir, before you make a final decision, please hear me out. What happened last night was not my doing. I was a victim of a cruel prank, and I cannot sit idly by while my job is on the line."

Franko paused, considering her words for a moment before heaving a heavy sigh. "I expect a reasonable explanation for your actions. Please, take a seat and tell me everything."





Author's Note: Dearest readers,
I understand that Kane's actions and personality may be infuriating at the moment, but I promise there is more to him than meets the eye. Please continue to support TTP with your votes and comments. Your love means everything!