My Forever Love

Ariana Ross was putting the final touches on her nearly finished painting in her small, modest art studio when her phone rang. Her art studio, no bigger than a small bedroom, smelled faintly of paint thinner and dry clay. Sunlight streamed through the dusty window, catching flecks of color on her apron. She wiped her hands on her paint-stained apron and picked up the call.

"Hello?" she said, her voice calm but curious.

The voice on the other end was tense. "Miss Ross, your father has been arrested."

Her breath hitched. "What? Why?"

"I don't know all the details, but you need to get to the police station."

Without another word, she dropped her brush onto the palette, grabbed her bag, and rushed out the door. She hailed a cab to the police station which the caller had mentioned.

---

Cross Enterprise, the modest family business that produced handmade furniture, had always been steady. It wasn't glamorous, but it brought in enough-over a million in revenue each year. Still, Ariana knew things hadn't been good lately. Bills were piling up, orders were slowing, and her father, Cameron Ross, had been visibly stressed. But arrested? That didn't make sense.

Her grandfather, Lachlan Ross, was in the hospital, recovering from a heart condition. He had no idea the company was struggling, and now this? She couldn't even tell him-the shock might make things worse.

---

The police station was crowded when she arrived. Officers moved briskly and people murmured in hushed tones. Ariana approached the front desk, her fingers gripping the strap of her bag tightly.

"I'm here for Cameron Ross," she said, forcing her voice steady.

The officer behind the counter glanced at his computer. "Name?"

"Ariana Ross. His daughter."

He nodded and picked up a phone. After a short conversation, he motioned for her to wait.

A few minutes later, a detective stepped out. "Miss Ross? Follow me."

She walked beside him, her mind racing. "What's going on? Why was my father arrested?"

The detective sighed. "Fraud allegations. Someone reported financial misconduct at Cross Enterprise."

Ariana's stomach dropped. "That's impossible. My father would never-"

"We're still investigating," the detective interrupted. "You can see him, but he won't be released yet."

She clenched her hands into fists. This had to be a mistake. Or worse-someone had set him up.

---

Her heart pounded as he opened the door to a small interview room.

Inside, her father sat alone at the table, shoulders slumped, his usually calm eyes filled with something she rarely saw in him-defeat.

Cameron Ross looked exhausted when she saw him. His usual confident posture was slumped, and his eyes were tired.

"Dad," Ariana whispered, sitting across from him. "What happened?"

He looked up. "Ariana." His voice was hoarse. "I didn't do anything. I swear to you."

She took the seat across from him. "They said you were suspected of fraud and tax evasion...Why would they say that?"

He rubbed his face. "I don't know, Ari. The materials were fine-at least, I thought they were. Then suddenly, the police showed up at the office."

"Who would do this?"

He shook his head. "I've been trying to figure that out. Maybe a competitor. Maybe someone inside the company."

Ariana swallowed hard. With her grandfather in the hospital and the business in trouble, they were on their own.

"We'll fix this," she said firmly.

Cameron gave her a weak smile. "I hope so. I really hope so."

But as she left the station, the weight of their problems pressed down on her. Fixing this wouldn't be easy.

Ariana stepped out of the police station, the afternoon sun glaring down on her. She pulled out her phone, hesitated, then dialed her younger sister, Kiara. The call rang twice before Kiara's cheerful voice answered.

"Hey, Ari! Miss me already?" They had said their goodbyes earlier that morning before Kiara returned to school _she lived in the school's dormitory and occasionally visited Ariana's apartment.