CHAPTER 103
Early the next morning, rays of sunlight began to fill the room, bringing warmth with them.
Arianna slowly opened her heavy eyelids and sat up, still wrapped in her blanket.
The previous night’s alcohol had taken its toll, leaving her light-headed and unable to sleep well. It felt as though she had been crying endlessly in her dreams.
It was the same feeling she had two years ago when she honored her promise. After flying abroad, she spent half the first month alone in her small rented room, unfamiliar with the new place.
With the marriage broken off, Arianna was cast aside as if she were nothing more than a pawn in a business deal. Instantly deprived of love and affection, her life turned into a nightmare overnight.
She cried daily back then, utterly heartbroken and almost unable to bear living any longer.
It had been a long time since she cried like that. She despised that helpless feeling because crying was the most useless state one could be in.
She would not have reverted to that once-fragile person she had been if Xander had not deliberately provoked her the previous night.
That scumbag Xander! He had better pray that he wouldn't be vanquished by her in the future!
Arianna cursed him viciously before getting out of bed and walking to the bathroom to freshen up.
…
After coming downstairs, Arianna went straight to the kitchen to make herself some breakfast.
She had been so disgusted the night before that she ended up getting nauseous and vomiting. By morning, her stomach was empty, and she was so famished that she could eat a horse.
As she opened the refrigerator, pondering what to cook, she heard footsteps behind her.
Arianna was slightly surprised. Had Grandma King and Aunt Julia returned already? So soon?
She turned around subconsciously and was taken aback to see a man's slender figure. Her gaze landed on Xander's handsome face.
At that moment, she had no desire to appreciate his looks. Instead, she felt an overwhelming urge to punch him.
He was the reason she cried in her dreams. She woke up with tears because of him, and he was the cause of her dizziness and wobbliness.
Why was he still there?! What else did he want? A defensive and vigilant look immediately appeared in her eyes.
Xander noticed all her emotions and could not help but feel a stabbing pain in his heart. Even his footsteps halted as he walked toward her.
The distance between them was a mere three feet.
Xander kept quiet and merely stared solemnly at Arianna. She felt a chill up her spine from the way he looked at her and would have preferred him to make a move instead of just staring silently. His gaze made her hair stand on end.
It wasn't as though she couldn't avoid him if he was being difficult.
If push came to shove, she could just order takeout or head out to eat.
Once that thought occurred to Arianna, she closed the refrigerator door and started walking outside.
When she brushed past Xander, however, he grabbed her wrist suddenly and pulled her back, pressing her against the refrigerator door.
Arianna’s eyes widened instantly. She knew that Xander had no good intentions and only wanted to continue bullying her!
She pressed her hand firmly against Xander’s chest, glaring at him angrily, and said sternly,
“What more do you want, Xander?”
‘What do I want?’
Xander’s eyes traveled downward. He felt a strange sense of satisfaction as he stared at the woman trapped between the refrigerator and his body.
After leaving the master bedroom the previous night, he went to the balcony and smoked nearly the entire night, unable to figure out exactly what he wanted to do.
Just as she was about to leave his sight, he instinctively grabbed her, not wanting her to disappear from his vision.
That was it.
Indeed, that was all there was to it.
Arianna watched as the glimmer in Xander’s eyes began to flicker. She was clueless as to what nasty ideas he had in mind and felt a little nervous as a result.
If she gave Xander an inch and he went overboard by taking a mile, she was not going to continue taking it lying down.
Ten or so seconds later, Xander’s lips started to move. His voice became low and slightly hoarse as he said,
“Arianna, you...chased away my caregiver yesterday.”
Was he going to bring up what happened the previous night and use it against her?
There was no use crying over spilled milk, and Arianna would be the first to admit that she would do it again if given the chance!
Arianna smiled, looked at him fearlessly, and even opened her mouth provocatively,
“You bet I did. What of it? Huh? Are you going to do the same with me, Mr. King? Do you want to chase me out too?”
She would be more than happy to leave!
Arianna had no idea which part of her sentence was amusing, but Xander smiled and chuckled softly before echoing her words from yesterday,
“In your dreams, maybe!”
After a brief pause, Xander narrowed his gaze and lowered his voice, articulating each word deliberately,
“I want you….”
