CHAPTER 137
Xander stepped on the accelerator with a ferocious intensity, and the car sped off into the night, leaving Arianna trapped and at his mercy.
She could only watch helplessly as the car sped down the road, weaving recklessly through the traffic. Every sharp turn and sudden swerve made her feel as though they were on the brink of a catastrophic crash. Her face turned pale, and she could feel her heart pounding in her chest as panic set in.
Arianna gripped the car’s grab handles so tightly her knuckles turned white. She took a deep, unsteady breath, struggling to find her voice. When she finally spoke, her words came out shaky and filled with a mix of fear and anger. “Xander, have you lost your mind?” she managed to say.
Xander did not say a word, nor did he even glance at her from the corner of his eye. Her question was completely ignored, leaving her feeling even more unnerved.
Arianna's frustration mounted, and she felt an overwhelming urge to unleash a torrent of curses at him. However, she forced herself to hold back when she caught a glimpse of his expression.
Xander appeared exceedingly calm at that moment, but anyone who knew him understood that his calmness was far more terrifying than a direct outburst or sarcasm. The quiet fury in his eyes was enough to make her blood run cold.
Arianna struggled to steady her breathing and tried to piece together what could have triggered him. She had been respectful during the earlier call, and it was he who had abruptly hung up, not her. Yet, something had clearly set him off, and she needed to figure out what it was if she hoped to diffuse the situation.
Her mind raced as she replayed their last conversation, searching for any clues. Why had he been so furious? Was it something she said or did? Or perhaps it was something entirely unrelated that she had unwittingly become a target for? Desperation gnawed at her as she tried to make sense of the chaos surrounding them.
On second thought, Arianna realized that Xander had used Ronald’s cell phone to call her, which meant he probably already knew she had blocked his number.
Getting his number blacklisted shouldn’t have made him this furious—certainly not enough to drive at her like a madman. Unless...
Could Xander have seen her with Alan and assumed she was involved with another man?
The more Arianna pondered this, the more it seemed like the most plausible explanation. Her heart sank further with each passing second.
The car finally screeched to a halt. Arianna's face was as pale as a ghost, and her limbs felt limp and unresponsive after enduring the harrowing high-speed drive. Her breath came in shallow, ragged gasps as she tried to steady herself, feeling utterly drained both physically and emotionally.
Xander’s expression was still unreadable, a mask of cold, controlled fury. He yanked the car door open and stepped out, his movements sharp and precise. Arianna struggled to gather her strength, fumbling with the seatbelt before finally managing to unfasten it. She took a deep, shaky breath and slowly climbed out of the car, her legs trembling beneath her.
Her mind raced with a mix of fear and sadness. If Xander truly believed she was seducing another man, how could she ever convince him otherwise? The thought weighed heavily on her as she stood there, waiting for whatever was to come next.
Xander got out of the car first and then walked to Arianna's side. He yanked the door open, undid her seat belt with a swift motion, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her out of the car, dragging her toward the hotel entrance.
Arianna struggled to keep up with his long strides, her smaller steps making her stumble several times. She nearly fell but managed to catch herself each time, her heart pounding in her chest.
Xander's grip was unrelenting as he hauled her through the lobby and into the elevator, ignoring the curious glances from the staff and other guests. Once they reached the suite, he shoved her inside with enough force to send her sprawling onto the bed.
Arianna landed on the plush mattress with a bounce, her breath knocked out of her for a moment. She gritted her teeth and quickly sat up, her eyes darting around the room in a mixture of anger and confusion.
She recognized the suite immediately. It was the same hotel room Xander had stayed in when he was injured some time ago, the place she had visited to care for him. The familiarity of the surroundings brought a strange sense of déjà vu, but the atmosphere was now charged with tension and unresolved conflict.
Xander stood by the door, his eyes cold and intense as he watched her. Arianna felt a wave of defiance rise within her. She couldn't let him intimidate her like this, but she also needed to understand what had driven him to such an extreme reaction.
"What the hell are you doing, Xander?" she demanded, her voice steady despite the fear and confusion roiling inside her. "Why did you bring me here?"
Xander’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, she thought he might actually answer her. But instead, he took a deep breath, his gaze unwavering and filled with a mixture of anger and something else she couldn’t quite identify.
