Just The Right Black

Chapter 48

"...and the CEO of BLACK's Industry, Mr. Jace Black." The lady speaker smiled as she looked at Jace who gave her bare thigh a squeeze before he got up and made his way to the stage as everyone applauded.

"Thank you, Clarice." Jace smiled as she stepped back, "...and thank you all for coming tonight. It's been one heck of a night and I'm not going to give a long speech so you can take that smug look off your face Charlotte."

Everyone laughed and Ariana turned to see Charlotte snap out of whatever haze she was in and smiled.

"I know most of you have been wondering since the news got out that Black's Industry acquire the biggest deal ever. Well, to cut the long story as well as the speech, it's not only the biggest deal ever but the most important one of my life."

Ariana looked away from Charlotte and focused on Jace who was now smiling. He had his gaze moving around the room before they settled on her.

"Ariana, can you please join me up here?"

Not only did Ariana's heart jump in her chest, but her eyes went wide. Charlotte and Mark's gaze turned to her as everyone else looked around to see who this 'Ariana' was. Ariana was confused and wondering why Jace needed her on the stage. She was very tempted to remain seated or better yet, run out of the hall like a mad woman but when she let herself focus on Jace standing there on stage looking at her the way that made her come undone, she let out a sigh.

She slowly got up and all eyes turned to her as she was the only one standing asides from the waiters. She walked towards the stage and Jace met her halfway and reached out for her hand. She smiled at him before she placed her hand in his and he helped her up the stairs and back to the centre where he previously stood.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you Ariana Feilman," He paused and looked at her "Black."

Ariana's eyes snapped away from the crowd and to him as the chatter grew in the audience and Jace did was smile at her.

"The most important person in my life," he continued, "My Wife."

Ariana held her breath as she stared into his eyes but something else caught her attention. The red dot light moving on his chest. She was quick to react, pushing him out of the way as a bullet whizzed right between them, hitting one of the members of the band. Shots rang out in the hall as Ariana scanned the hall trying to find the shooter who happened to be shooting at someone at the upper deck of the hall, the sniper who'd taken the first shot at Jace. The screams they followed echoed through the hall as the sniper ran down the upper deck of the hall and disappeared to what she figured was a stairwell. Ariana wanted to go after him but she spotted one of the other shooters already going after him, so she turned around and went to check on the band member who'd been shot.

"Ariana, we need to go." Jace walked up behind her as she knelt beside the bleeding man on the floor.

"Go."
She said as she checked for a pulse but knew before she found none that he was gone. She clenched her jaw and closed his eyes before she got up.

There was chaos as everyone scrambled out of the hall through the only exit at the back of the hall.

"C'mon." Ariana grabbed Jace's upper arm and pulled him off the stage keeping him behind her.

They walked down the hall towards the exit when Jace yelled her name and another gunshot rang out. He was quick to tug her against him but winced when he did. Ariana grabbed him and ducked behind a table as she tried to find the shooter. She saw a man at the corner of the hall in a waiter's uniform with a gun pointed in their direction. She quickly pulled back when he fired another shot, hitting the table.