As she spoke, a sarcastic chuckle slipped out.

"What's so funny?" Bennett snapped, his grip getting tighter. "You think you're too good for me? Do you know how many women are begging to be with me, doing whatever it takes to sleep with me? Being with me comes with power and money. What's your problem with that?"

Ariana rolled her eyes, her smirk not fading. "I don't care, not even a little," she shot back. "I'm not into your creepy little world. And if it's so amazing, why won't you tell me what you actually do? Men always brag about how cool they are but never say what they really do."

As she talked, Ariana kept her focus on Bennett, studying his expression. "And another thing, I've been around long enough, and I still don't know anything real about you. All I know is you're into some shady underworld business. What kind of future is that? How much money can you actually make from extortion? Always watching your back, dodging cops, and hiding in the shadows-it doesn't seem like a lLong-term plan to me."

Bennett smirked, almost entertained by her rant. "Oh yeah? So what do you think is a long-term plan?"

"I don't know yet," Ariana replied, noticing he was interested and rolling with it. “But if I'm going to be the mob boss' woman, I need to know what I'm signing up for, right? You haven't shown me any of your so-called power. Why should I ditch Holden and stick with you? What makes you better than him?"

Bennett's expression shifted, frowning. "You act like I'm just some punk shaking down corner stores."

"Isn't that what you are?" Ariana shot back, her tone feigning naivety as she tested him. "But seriously, who's your boss? Does he just let you run around doing whatever you want? Aren't you worried he might think you're getting too reckless?"

“Alright. Bennett chuckled, his grip loosening as he got more relaxed. “You've got no idea, but I won't hold it against you."

“\ihat's there to hold against me? Am I wrong?" Ariana asked, acting genuinely clueless.

"Let's leave this for now. There's a banquet at the main house tomorrow..." Bennett said, gesturing out the window toward the biggest mansion on the horizon. "See that? That's where it'll be. I'm taking you along tomorrow night. It's a great opportunity to show you what I'm about."

When Bennett mentioned “what I'm about", there was a hint of arrogance in his tone, but his eyes weren't as icy as before.

Ariana could tell she had piqued his interest again.

A sense of triumph washed over Ariana; she was pleasantly surprised by Bennett's swift agreement to take her to the banquet. She had anticipated some resistance.

Concealing her excitement, Ariana pretended to be puzzled and inquired, “Will your boss also be present?"

"Absolutely," Bennett replied with a smirk, teasing her. He continued, "You'll be amazed by my boss' presence. He not only manages affairs despite his youth but also possesses remarkable charm. People flock to him, captivated by his charisma. Yet his intelligence and bravery overshadow his appearance."

Internally, Ariana couldn't help but roll her eyes at Bennett's self -praise.

She pondered how someone as self-centered and detached from reality as Bennett could attain his current position.

Did his associates not realize that following him might lead nowhere?

Nonetheless, Ariana remained silent about her thoughts, simply smiling and saying, "Alright then, I'll accompany you to attend the event tomorrow night. It'll be interesting to experience a banquet in this underworld setting."