CHAPTER 295
In the tea room, Xander glanced down at his phone before slipping it into his pocket. He looked over at Zach.
"Enjoy yourself. I’m heading out.”
Zach leaned back, frowning.
“Leaving already? You barely even tasted the tea Harmony brewed so carefully! Besides, John hasn’t even shown up yet. What’s got you in such a hurry?”
Xander didn’t respond and reached for his jacket, preparing to leave.
Across the table, Harmony’s fingers curled tightly into her palm, her nails pressing into her skin as she fought to control the flare of anger rising within her.
That meddling Arianna, again.
Zach finally connected the dots. He scoffed, shaking his head.
“It’s Arianna, isn’t it? She’s got you running home just for her peace of mind? Come on, mate, don’t tell me you’re letting her control you like that. It’s just…so irritating.”
“Zach—don’t.” Xander’s voice held a warning edge, but before either could say more, Harmony gasped.
“Agh—” she winced, clutching her hand, her face a mask of pain.
Zach turned instantly, concern flashing in his eyes. “Harmony, what happened?”
Harmony managed a small, almost self-satisfied smile hidden behind her frown.
“It’s nothing, just a burn. Must have been a splash of hot water,” she murmured, a slight quiver in her voice.
Zach was sceptical and leaned closer, his eyes narrowing as he caught sight of her hand.
“Let me see.”
Before she could pull back, he reached over, grasping her hand and bringing it closer to the light. His expression shifted as he took in the raw, red marks crisscrossing her skin.
“Harmony—these aren’t burns. They’re scratches! Did someone do this to you?”
Harmony’s jaw clenched, and her eyes darkened with a simmering fury as she glanced sideways. Her voice dropped to a near-whisper, but the words dripped with malice.
“Just…an unfortunate encounter. A certain someone thought they could humiliate me. But they’ll pay for it soon enough.”
Zach raised a brow, but Harmony’s gaze had turned sharp and cold, her fingers tightening even as fresh blood trickled from the marks she had inflicted. She didn’t even flinch; the pain only seemed to fuel the darkness in her eyes.
Harmony bit her lip, staying silent.
Zach turned toward Xander, his expression serious.
"Xander, look at this."
Xander’s gaze shifted over to Harmony’s hand, where her pale skin highlighted the raw, bloody scratches under the light. His eyes darkened, his jaw tightening at the sight.
Zach frowned, his expression growing even more concerned.
"Harmony, today was your first day at NewWave TV, right? Did something happen there? Were you mistreated?”
He paused, thinking it over. “But it doesn’t make sense... You’re new. No one there would have a reason to target you. Unless…” His eyes narrowed as a thought crossed his mind.
"Wasn’t it Arianna’s first day there too? Could it have been her?"
Zach studied Harmony’s face, and her tense expression only seemed to confirm his suspicion. She tugged her hand away, hiding it behind her back as if to keep it out of sight.
She glanced away, her shoulders tense, and shook her head as if she were frightened.
“Just… leave it,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, as though even talking about it made her uneasy.
Zach’s expression darkened. “So it *was* her!” His voice rose with anger. “After everything you’ve done to make peace, she still has it out for you? Some things never change…”
Before he could say more, something hard hit him square on the forehead. His words stopped as he looked up, startled, to see Xander’s cold, warning stare.
Zach’s heart skipped a beat, but he stood his ground. “Xander, you know it’s not right for her to act like that just because she’s got a grudge.”
Xander cast a cold look in Zach's direction, saying nothing, though his slender fingers reached subtly toward the heavy vase on the table beside him.
A chill ran down Zach’s spine. He did not doubt that Xander would hurl the vase his way if he dared to make another negative remark about Arianna.
“All right, all right! I’ll keep my mouth shut!” Zach said, raising his hands in surrender.
Seeing this, Harmony quickly interjected, “Xander, don’t be hard on Zac. He’s only looking out for me. Besides, this has nothing to do with Arianna. I hurt myself—it was just an accident.”
Xander gave her a brief, unreadable glance, then stretched his long legs and walked out without a word.
Harmony watched him leave, her shoulders slumping slightly as his figure disappeared beyond the door. Her expression turned quietly disappointed, her gaze dropping to the floor as she bit her lip.
The tea room fell into a heavy silence.
Zachary scratched the back of his head as he looked at Harmony, noticing her disappointed expression. He quickly tried to comfort her.
“Bunny, hey, don’t take it personally. You know how Xander is. He’s always been like that with everyone—cold and distant. Look at how he treats me! He nearly smashed my head in just because of a small argument!”
He sighed, shaking his head.
“But, honestly, it’s all Arianna’s fault. Xander used to be more open, more… well, more approachable before everything with her happened. It’s because she betrayed him and made him go through all that heartache for those two years that he shut himself off like this. I just don’t understand what he sees in her. Really.”
He thought for a moment, tapping his chin.
“Maybe Xander’s the kind of guy who likes things rough… maybe he gets a kick out of being hurt or something?”
Just as he finished speaking, they both heard footsteps approaching the door of the tea room.
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