CHAPTER 200
Arianna couldn’t conceal her surprise.
She had never encountered the woman standing before her, and with such striking beauty, she was certain she would have remembered. But how did this stranger know her last name?
"How do you know my name?" Arianna asked, her curiosity tinged with a slight edge of wariness.
For a split second, a flicker of unease flashed in the woman’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a calm, composed expression.
“It’s no mystery. Mr. King’s announcement of your marriage was rather public, and it was hard to miss.”
“Oh, I see,” Arianna replied, the explanation making sense. The headlines had been plastered with news of her marriage to Xander for days, so it wasn’t surprising that someone might recognize her.
The woman offered a polite smile. “Well then, goodbye.”
"Ah, yes, goodbye," Arianna echoed, watching as the woman turned gracefully and walked away, her movements as elegant as the rest of her.
As Arianna observed the woman’s retreating figure, she couldn’t help but admire the effortless poise and grace she embodied. It was a stark contrast to herself, who had always been more free-spirited and lively. Growing up, her mother had tried to instill a more refined demeanor in her, hoping it would help her secure a place in a wealthy family. But despite her many talents, adopting that ladylike temperament had never been one of them. The countless lessons and scoldings she had endured seemed wasted—until she met Xander, and her mother finally let go of that impossible expectation.
A sudden voice interrupted her thoughts, making her jump slightly. “What are you staring at?” Xander’s deep tone cut through the air, snapping her back to reality.
Arianna snapped out of her thoughts and found herself gazing up into Xander’s dark, penetrating eyes.
Without thinking, she blurted out, “I just bumped into the most stunning woman!”
“Is that so?” Xander responded with a tone so indifferent that it was clear he had no interest in the matter. He didn’t even bother glancing in the direction Arianna had indicated. Instead, he simply said,
“Let’s go.”
“Go?” Arianna echoed, confusion lacing her voice as she remained rooted to the spot. She watched him closely, searching his expression for any clue as to what he had planned.
“Where exactly are we going? And why—”
Before she could finish, Xander’s patience seemed to snap. He grabbed her wrist again, this time with a firmer grip, and pulled her along without further explanation. His stride was purposeful, and Arianna found herself half-running to keep up as he led her toward a private VIP boarding gate.
Xander’s status as a top-tier VIP granted them access to a special lane, bypassing the usual airport crowds. Arianna barely had time to process the fact that they were boarding a plane until she was seated in the plush first-class cabin. The whole experience was so sudden and bewildering that she didn’t know whether to protest or just go along with it.
A flight attendant soon approached with a professional smile, addressing them with the utmost politeness. “Mr. and Mrs. King, is there anything you’d like to drink?”
Xander didn’t hesitate, his tone casual as he answered, “Coffee for me.”
Arianna looked at him, still trying to wrap her head around everything that had just happened. She was on a plane with Xander, with no idea where they were going or why.
Xander glanced at Arianna, who was still visibly stunned, and addressed the flight attendant on her behalf, “Lemonade for her.”
The flight attendant nodded with a polite smile. “Certainly, one moment please.” She turned and walked away, leaving Arianna to finally gather her thoughts.
She turned to Xander, her mind racing with questions. “Can you explain what’s going on now?”
Xander’s response was almost maddeningly brief, “A vacation.”
Arianna blinked in surprise. “A vacation? Just like that? And I didn’t even bring anything with me!”
She gestured helplessly, realizing she had nothing with her except her phone—no clothes, no essentials, nothing.
Ignoring the incredulous tone in her voice, Xander calmly replied, “You can buy whatever you need when we get there.”
Arianna frowned, not entirely satisfied. “But what about Corey?”
Xander’s expression didn’t change as he reassured her, “The caregiver will take care of him.”
Without warning, Xander leaned toward her, and Arianna instinctively drew back slightly, uncertain of his intentions. But all he did was reach across her to fasten her seat belt, his movements efficient and unhurried, as if everything was proceeding exactly as he planned.
It dawned on Arianna that Xander hadn’t even bothered to ask for her input. He had stormed off that morning in a fit of anger, only to return in the afternoon and whisk her away on an impromptu trip. The sheer unpredictability of his actions left her reeling.
Still puzzled, she couldn’t help but press him further. “Why the sudden vacation?”
Xander’s response was to mutter a curt, “Keep it down,” before reclining in his seat and closing his eyes, clearly intent on napping.
“You…” Arianna’s frustration simmered. It was always like this with Xander—he did whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, without any regard for what she might think or feel. His whims were exhausting, and she couldn’t help but wonder what exactly was going on in that enigmatic mind of his.
Arianna clamped her mouth shut, swallowing the sharp retort that had been on the tip of her tongue. Her gaze softened as she noticed the faint greenish circles beneath Xander’s eyes, a telltale sign of his exhaustion.
There was no point in trying to coax anything out of him. Xander was notoriously tight-lipped, especially when he didn’t want to talk about something, and Arianna knew all too well that any attempt to pry would likely end with her feeling even more frustrated. It was easier to just let it go, especially since they were already airborne with no way to change the situation.
Resigned, she leaned back in her seat. She had slept well the previous night, and Xander had made sure she got even more rest that morning by insisting she stay in bed with him. As a result, she was wide awake now, with too much energy to simply drift off to sleep like he had.
She tried to occupy herself by flipping through the in-flight magazines, skimming over the articles and glancing at the glossy photos. She even perused the newspapers, but nothing could hold her interest for long. Boredom quickly set in.
Her eyes drifted back to Xander, who was sleeping soundly beside her, his breathing deep and steady. As she studied his peaceful expression, her thoughts wandered back to the striking woman she had bumped into earlier at the airport.
There was something oddly familiar about the woman’s voice. Arianna couldn’t quite place it, but it nagged at her, tugging at the edges of her memory. And then it hit her—it sounded like the voice she’d heard in the background of Xander’s video that morning.
The realization made her heart skip a beat, but she quickly shook her head, dismissing the idea. She was probably just overthinking things, letting her boredom get the better of her. After all, it wasn’t that unusual for voices to sound similar, especially when you were already on edge.
Pushing the thought aside, Arianna decided to distract herself by turning on the in-flight entertainment system. She plugged in her earphones and selected a random movie, hoping it would help pass the time until they reached their mysterious destination.
