Chapter 81

ARIANA'S POV

My mother's words brought me back to reality. What was I thinking? My father had just died and our company was at the brink of crumbling. How could I be making love? I should be thinking of ideas to save us.

As we left the room, I couldn't help but question my actions. Should I have been kissing Rob with all that's happening? It felt like a betrayal to my father's memory.

On the day of my father's funeral, I went to Nate's room. He had barely been eating and wouldn't come downstairs for anything. He had shut everyone out. decided to check on Nate. When I entered the room, he looked up at me with tears in his eyes. I sat down beside him and gently coaxed him to eat a plate of hamburgers and fries. When he was done eating, he broke down in tears, and I held him close, feeling overwhelmed with pity. He was only six years old, and he had lost his grandfather.

After he calmed down, I dressed him in a black tux, and we all headed to the funeral together - Margaret, Rob, Nate,