CHAPTER 13
Despite Xander's evident disdain towards her, Arianna found herself grappling with the question:
Why did he marry her? After a moment of hesitation, she moistened her lips nervously before finally summoning the courage to
voice the question that echoed in her mind, her voice barely above a whisper,
"Why did you marry me?"
Arianna's heart skipped a beat as she watched Xander's gaze soften, a flicker of tenderness dancing in his eyes. It was a look she hadn't seen from him in years, one that stirred memories of their past affection.
As his gaze softened, Arianna felt a flutter in her chest. She was momentarily lost in his eyes, reminiscent of the affection they once shared.
Then, she watched in disbelief as he leaned in closer, his touch gentle yet commanding as he held her chin. His words, spoken with a depth of emotion, washed over her like a wave.
“I love you,” he declared, his voice carrying a weight of sincerity.
“I want you by my side, to hold your hand, to share my life with you.”
Arianna's mind raced, her heart pounding with a mixture of confusion and longing. These were the words she had longed to hear from him, yet she couldn't shake off the doubt lingering in her mind.
Arianna's smile faded as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by a grimace of pain. She winced as Xander's fingers dug into her skin, his sneer cutting through her like a knife.
"Ouch!" she exclaimed, the sharp pain causing her to flinch. But even as discomfort radiated from her chin, Arianna refused to show weakness.
Gritting her teeth, she lifted her gaze to meet Xander's mocking eyes. In that moment, she felt a surge of humiliation wash over her.
She had allowed herself to be deceived once again, falling for his facade of affection only to be met with cruelty.
With a cold glare, Xander's lips curled into a cruel smirk as he delivered his cutting words.
"Arianna, did you truly believe that someone like you could ever be worthy of bearing the title of Mrs. King?"
His tone dripped with disdain, each word laced with venom as he sought to inflict maximum damage.
Xander knew the kind of person her parents were, and he harboured a long-standing misunderstanding about Arianna.
In order to keep her parents from upsetting the King family or harming the King Group's image, he created this persona and paid her parents a certain amount of money to silence them. He wanted to totally foil her parent's wish for her to wed into the Kings dynasty!
Xander thought it was absurd for Arianna to harbor any hopes or illusions about Xander willingly marrying her. Her parents had gone to great lengths to tarnish his reputation following the drugging incident. This marriage was Xander's ultimate retaliation, his means to obliterate Arianna completely.
As tears threatened to spill from Arianna's eyes, she gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, digging her nails into her palms to stifle her disappointment.
Despite the pain, she managed to summon a smile as she looked at Xander once more, masking her inner turmoil with a facade of resilience.
Xander was taken aback by Arianna's smile in such a tense moment. Was she shameless enough to grin after all they'd been through, or was this her true nature finally revealing itself?
A dark thought crossed Xander's mind, intensifying the murderous glint in his eyes.
"What's amusing you?" he demanded, his voice laced with a dangerous edge.
"Mr. King, this isn't necessary," Arianna's voice remained steady, her eyes devoid of any flicker of emotion. She spoke with a polite tone, as if addressing a stranger.
"I've already explained that the incident involving the drugging and ending up in bed was not my doing. I have no interest in anything from you. Your elaborate plan is entirely unnecessary."
She paused, her gaze unwavering.
"If you had approached me politely, I would have willingly cleared the air with the media myself, sparing your precious King name any tarnish. So why go to such lengths to marry me?"
