CHAPTER 228
Would there be happiness in Arianna and Xander's future from that moment onward?
Aunt Julia returned to the ward after seeing Grandma King off. She paused at the door, peeking through the small glass window.
What she saw inside warmed her heart—Arianna and Xander sharing a quiet, tender moment. Smiling to herself, Aunt Julia decided to give the young couple some privacy. She backed away and gently closed the door without making a sound, not wanting to interrupt the serene scene unfolding before her eyes.
...
Meanwhile, the woman who had been observing from outside Xander's room earlier exited the hospital and hailed a taxi to the police station.
Once there, she gave her name at the reception desk. A police officer soon came to escort her to the visiting room. She took a seat and waited patiently, tapping her fingers on the table, until, about 15 minutes later, a figure was escorted in.
Piper had seen better days. Her face was pale, and she looked like she had lost a considerable amount of weight in just a few days.
The prison uniform hung loosely on her frail frame, making her appear even more worn down and lifeless. Her eyes seemed hollow at first, but then they caught sight of the visitor sitting across from her.
For a brief moment, disbelief flickered across Piper's face. As recognition settled in, her eyes widened, and a glimmer of hope lit up her gaze. Like someone who had been lost in a desert finding an oasis, Piper’s hands shot forward to grasp the woman’s. Her voice trembled with urgency and desperation.
"Harmony... Is it you? When... When did you come back?"
The woman, Harmony, smiled faintly, almost indifferently, as she regarded Piper.
"Not too long ago," she replied coolly.
She let her eyes linger on Piper's gaunt face for a moment, taking in the sight of her old acquaintance in such a state. Harmony's gaze was calculating, almost clinical, as she finally asked,
"Why did you let yourself get to this point?"
Piper couldn't suppress the bitterness that boiled up inside her as soon as the topic came up. The only thing she regretted wasn't being in jail; it was her failure to kill Arianna.
"It's that damn woman, Arianna, who put me in this hellish situation," Piper spat, her voice trembling with anger and frustration.
Since being locked up, Piper had been cut off from the outside world. She had no idea what had happened with Xander and Arianna since that day. Curiosity and resentment gnawed at her, compelling her to ask,
"Harmony, do you know what's become of Xander and Arianna? How are they doing now?"
She hoped that even if Arianna hadn't died, she would at least be severely injured, suffering the way Piper believed she deserved.
Harmony seemed to read the thoughts swirling in Piper's mind and took her time before answering, her voice calm and measured.
"I visited them at the hospital," she said.
"Arianna sustained only minor injuries, just a small cut. Xander, on the other hand, was in critical condition. He was lucky to survive and has just come out of his coma."
Piper's hands balled into tight fists, her knuckles turning white as the veins bulged on the back of her hands. The injustice of it all was unbearable.
Xander and Arianna were going to be just fine, while she was going to spend the rest of her life in prison.
"Why?" she seethed internally. "Why am I the one who has to suffer?"
Harmony's gaze remained fixed on Piper, her voice adopting a stern, almost scolding tone.
"Piper, whatever grudge you have against Arianna, it doesn't justify dragging Xander into it and causing him harm."
Piper's head snapped up, her eyes blazing with defiance.
"That wasn't my intention! I never meant for Xander to get hurt!" she shot back, her voice rising with each word.
"But he chose to protect that woman, Arianna, at my expense! He turned his back on me, completely disregarding the promise he made to you!"
Harmony's eyes darkened, her expression unreadable as she processed Piper's words.
"Is that so?" she murmured, her voice cold and distant as if contemplating something far beyond the room they were in.
Piper’s grip on Harmony’s hand tightened desperately.
"Harmony, I don't deserve to be locked up like this. Please, help me. Talk to Xander and tell him to let me go. He won’t listen to me, but he’ll listen to you. For the past two years, he did everything you asked, even when it came to taking care of me. He always made sure I had whatever I wanted."
She had avoided acknowledging Harmony’s influence over Xander until then, but desperation had forced her to admit the truth. If Harmony could sway Xander, she might have a chance to get out of this mess and avoid the bleak future that loomed ahead of her.
Harmony didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she slowly disentangled her hand from Piper's grip, the movement deliberate and unwavering.
Piper's unease grew with each passing second.
"Harmony..." she began, her voice trembling slightly.
When Harmony finally spoke, her voice was calm, yet carried an edge of finality. "I can't help you this time, Piper. You nearly killed Xander. Over the past two years, he repaid the favour he owed to the Schmidts. Our debts are settled, and I don’t owe your family anything anymore."
She paused, then added with a hint of coldness in her tone, "I gave you a chance when you first told me about your feelings for Xander. I hope you will make the most of it. Instead, you drove him away and pushed him toward someone else. You have only yourself to blame for that."
Piper’s eyes widened in panic. "No! No, it’s not like that! It’s all Arianna’s fault! She used every trick in the book to steal Xander from me! She’s the reason I ended up like this!" Each word was laced with venom as her hatred for Arianna flared up once more.
Harmony didn’t respond to Piper’s outburst. Her face remained impassive as she said,
"I'll take care of your mother. That's the only help I can offer you now. As for your grudges with Arianna, you need to think carefully about what you're going to do next."
With that, Harmony rose from her chair, giving Piper one last glance before turning to leave. Her expression was unreadable, but her words hung in the air, leaving Piper to grapple with the weight of her actions and the reality of her situation.
