CHAPTER 352
Harmony glanced at her phone, her expression darkening when she saw the caller ID flash him. Of course, he would find out and call immediately.
She didn’t need to answer to know what awaited her. The scolding, the sharp words cutting into her pride, the cold reminder of her failure—it was all predictable. But ignoring the call wasn’t an option. She couldn’t afford to cross him, not now.
Clenching her jaw, Harmony closed her eyes for a moment, forcing herself to calm down. After a few steadying breaths, she picked up the phone, her voice carefully neutral as she answered.
Before she could say a word, a barrage of criticism erupted from the other end, sharp and relentless. Harmony’s fingers tightened around the phone as she endured every biting remark in silence. Her face twisted with suppressed rage, but she didn’t dare interrupt or defend herself.
When the tirade finally subsided, she spoke through gritted teeth, her tone filled with forced determination.
“Please, give me another chance.”
His response was cold, almost mocking. “Do you even deserve one?”
Harmony’s grip on the phone tightened further. She had failed before, squandered every opportunity handed to her despite the meticulous plans laid out. Still, she refused to back down.
“It won’t happen again,” she said firmly, her voice steady despite the storm brewing inside her.
“If I fail this time, I won’t wait for you to dismiss me. I’ll walk away myself. You’ll never hear from me again.”
Her words hung in the air, a desperate promise and a final plea rolled into one.
She refused to let herself slip back into the shadow of the person she once was.
Harmony had clawed her way up for years, sacrificing everything for power, influence, and… Xander. She wouldn’t let anyone or anything stand in her way.
The voice on the other end of the line went silent for a moment before the call ended abruptly.
Harmony stared at the screen, a mixture of relief and determination washing over her. That silence meant he was giving her one final chance.
Failure was no longer an option. She would succeed—or destroy herself trying.
...................
The clock had already ticked past midnight.
The neighborhood was cloaked in silence, with only the soft hum of streetlights piercing the stillness.
Xander walked alongside Arianna toward his car. He pulled the passenger door open and, with a gentle motion, shielded her head as she slipped inside. Moving swiftly to the driver’s side, he climbed in and started the engine, the low purr breaking the quiet night.
As he glanced over, his dark eyes softened when they landed on her.
“Close your eyes and rest if you’re tired,” he murmured, his voice warm and soothing.
“The drive home will take a little over an hour.”
Arianna turned slightly to reply, but before she could speak, Xander’s phone buzzed sharply, breaking the peaceful moment.
Xander pulled his phone from his pocket and answered with a calm,
"Hello."
Arianna couldn’t hear what the person on the other end was saying, but she noticed the subtle shift in Xander’s expression. His jaw tightened ever so slightly, and a shadow seemed to pass over his features.
Her previously calm demeanor evaporated in an instant. She sat upright, her eyes fixed on him, and asked anxiously,
“Xander, did… Did something happen?”
Arianna’s heart began to race. They had just emerged from one crisis—was another about to strike so soon?
Xander ended the call and pressed down hard on the accelerator, the car surging forward. His voice was steady but clipped as he said,
“It’s Ronald. Something’s happened to him.”
"Ronald?" Arianna’s mind faltered for a moment before the realization struck.
Ronald had helped her and Renee escape by diverting the bodyguards. Could those men have caught up to him?
Worse, had they taken their frustration out on him after failing to capture her and Renee?
Fear gripped her as the possibilities unfolded in her mind. Clasping her hands over her mouth, Arianna whispered shakily,
“Is Ronald… Could he be… Is he…dead?”
Xander reached over and gently took Arianna’s hand in his, his voice low and steady.
“Hey hey relax... My people aren’t so easily taken down.”
Though his words were meant to reassure her, Arianna’s anxiety remained.
Ronald was a kind, honest man—gentle, intelligent, and unassuming. In contrast, the bodyguards they had escaped from were ruthless, as cold-hearted as Brian himself. Arianna couldn’t stop the dark thoughts from creeping into her mind, and her heart ached at the possibility of what Ronald might have endured for her and Renee’s sake.
If something terrible had happened to him, she would carry that guilt for the rest of her life.
Xander drove with a sense of urgency, pushing the car to its limits. The hour-and-a-half drive was shaved down to just forty minutes, and as soon as they arrived at the hospital, Arianna didn’t wait. Gripping Xander’s hand, she practically dragged him through the corridors toward Ronald’s room.
When they entered, the sight that greeted them stopped her in her tracks. Ronald lay motionless on the hospital bed, surrounded by monitors and tubes.
His head was wrapped in thick layers of gauze, bruises and cuts covered his face, and his neck was held in a rigid brace. Both his arms bore visible injuries, and one of his legs was in a cast, suspended in a sling.
The sheer extent of his injuries made Arianna’s chest tighten, and tears welled up in her eyes. She rushed to his bedside, her voice trembling as she said,
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Crawford. I’m so sorry for what you’ve been through.”
Her throat tightened with emotion as she reached out, her fingers trembling as they hovered near his hand.
Xander stepped closer, his usual composure replaced by a shadow of concern. He looked at Ronald, taking in every bruise and injury, his jaw tightening as he placed a steady hand on Arianna’s shoulder.
For the first time in a long while, his heart felt heavy.
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