Background on Ariana's addiction

Roth gives her the evidence he's collected on Ariana, Colette, & Rami for her to read through.

“Here.”

She rose, rubbing her hands nervously down her legs as Roth rounded the couch with three thick files in his arms.

“Where do you want it?”

“Uh…” She was taken aback by the size of the files, but she should have known better. He’d been watching them for years, right? She pointed to the high table with the vase of ruby amaryllis and berry sprigs.

He set the files on the table and turned to her. She tensed, but all he did was grab her face still, so he could steal a kiss.

“I have some calls to make. I’ll be in my office if you need me.”

Again, she stared as he walked away. His easy compliance was suspicious and a little alarming, but… She eyed the pile of folders, each as large as corporate tax returns, and eagerly grabbed the top folder without taking a seat. Her sister’s name full name, Ariana Elise Hennessy-Khan, was on the tab.

She had no idea what to expect, but the succinct report on an appendectomy Ariana had two years prior wasn’t it. A doctor prescribed OxyContin and fulfilled the prescription for a whole year with increased doses before he cut Ariana off. She flipped through detailed “Observation Reports,” which listed dates, times, and even the weather when Ariana met her dealer. Each report was accompanied by photographs. Ariana’s fashionable dealer looked like a socialite, which was beneficial since they usually met in Midtown or the Upper East Side. Ariana scheduled appointments with a therapist and counselor twice this year, always when Rami was out of town, but hadn’t scheduled anything since Dad’s death. However, her sister made time to meet her dealer last week at Tiffany’s, which was a stone’s throw from Hennessy Tower.

Ten weeks.

She shuffled through the most recent photos of her sister, who had no idea that a PI… or a team of them were following her around. Ariana’s secret had been cold-bloodedly documented. It was a gross invasion of privacy, but anyone could have done what Roth did—competitors, the press, even their father. 

**This is a raw draft of Bitter Confessions. Please do not share or distribute.