CHAPTER 354
After the exhausting night they’d endured, Arianna and Xander finally returned to the villa. Both headed straight for a shower, their tired bodies craving relief. By the time they collapsed onto the bed, the clock read 4 a.m.
Arianna lay nestled in Xander’s arms. She was utterly drained, her eyes heavy with exhaustion, yet sleep eluded her. Her mind buzzed with the day’s events, refusing to settle down.
She shifted for the third time, trying to find a comfortable position when Xander’s deep voice broke the silence.
“What’s wrong? Can’t sleep?”
Startled, she tilted her head slightly and gazed at his sharp jawline.
“Did I wake you?”
“No,” he replied smoothly. A brief pause followed before he added,
“Are you still worried about Ronald?”
“It’s not that,” she murmured, her voice soft.
“I think…it’s just been such a tense few days. My mind hasn’t caught up with the quiet yet.”
The weight of the past few days, filled with high stakes and constant stress, lingered in her thoughts, making her heart race every time she replayed the moments.
Suddenly, Xander shifted his powerful form leaning over her. He braced one arm beside her head, his hand resting on the mattress near her cheek. His other hand cupped her chin, lifting her gaze to meet his.
His dark eyes were intense, the edges of his lips curving into a faint, teasing smirk. In a low, husky tone, he murmured,
“If you’re still restless, maybe we should try something to help you relax.”
Arianna’s long lashes fluttered as her gaze met Xander’s. His dark eyes pulled her in like a magnetic force, intense and all-consuming, as though they could see straight into her soul.
For a moment, she hesitated, caught in the whirlwind of emotions swirling between them. Then, as if drawn by an unseen force, she tilted her face upward and pressed her lips softly against his.
Xander stilled, momentarily caught off guard. He had only intended to tease her, to draw her out of the tension that had lingered from the past few days. But her sudden boldness was unexpected, sending a surge of heat through him that he hadn’t anticipated.
He pulled back just enough to take in her flushed cheeks and slightly swollen lips, his intense gaze softening into something both playful and heated. His voice dropped, rich with amusement and unmistakable desire.
“Is this really what you want?”
Arianna didn’t answer with words. Instead, her arms wrapped around his neck, her fingers threading through his hair as she pulled him closer. This time, her kiss was deeper, more fervent—soft yet unyielding, carrying all the emotions she couldn’t put into words.
Xander's restraint shattered. A spark of hunger ignited in his dark eyes, his hand sliding to cup her cheek while his thumb caressed her skin with a tenderness that contrasted the intensity building between them. His voice, low and hoarse with passion, brushed against her lips as he whispered,
“You’ve sealed your fate now… I’m not stopping.”
Without waiting for a response, he claimed her mouth again, his kisses fierce and consuming, as though he wanted to imprint himself on her very soul. His other hand slid to her waist, pulling her flush against him as heat and longing pulsed between them. Every touch, every breath, every movement spoke of a desire that couldn’t be denied.
His lips moved against hers with a fiery urgency, each kiss deeper and more passionate than the last.
The kiss was no longer hesitant—it was full of fire, overwhelming in its passion. He kissed her forehead, the soft curve of her eyelids, the tip of her nose, and then her lips once more, this time with an insatiable craving.
Every touch deepened the connection, sparking a magnetic energy that neither could fight. The outside world disappeared, leaving only the two of them, locked in the magnetic pull of their shared desire.
Xander’s kisses began to slow, each one more tender and deliberate. He pressed gentle kisses to Arianna’s forehead, her closed eyes, the tip of her nose, and finally back to her lips.
Each kiss was infused with a delicate reverence, as though he was cherishing something infinitely precious—something he thought he had lost forever but had miraculously found again.
At that moment, Xander felt a shift. Arianna was no longer holding him at arm’s length; she was finally letting him in, opening her heart fully to him.
His kisses became softer, filled with an almost unspoken love rather than desire. Arianna felt her senses blur, her pulse racing, and her cheeks warming as his tenderness enveloped her.
She found herself responding without hesitation, her actions mirroring the emotions she could no longer suppress.
Noticing her reciprocation, a soft, amused chuckle escaped Xander’s lips. But even as he laughed, the hunger in his eyes hadn’t faded. Holding her tighter, he replaced his delicate kisses with deeper, more passionate ones, pouring every ounce of emotion into each touch.
It was the beginning of a night that neither of them would forget—a night where walls crumbled, and two hearts became one.
...........
The next morning, Arianna woke up with a familiar ache in her back—again.
As usual, the impulsive comments from late last night lingered, and she regretted teasing Xander when she should have just rested.
Nevertheless, she couldn’t afford to stay in bed after promising to bring chicken soup to Ronald.
After taking a long, hot shower to ease the tension in her muscles, she quickly clipped her hair up and slipped into comfortable, loose clothing. With a sigh, she made her way downstairs.
Grandma King and Aunt Julia were out, enjoying tea with friends, but they’d left a lunch prepared for Arianna.
She set about cleaning the ingredients for the soup and began boiling them in a pot while warming up her lunch.
As she ate, she scrolled through GossipNet on her phone.
The public opinion shift was nothing short of dramatic.
In just 24 hours, Arianna had gone from being vilified and treated like a social pariah to being hailed as a hero—the person everyone now saw as the symbol of justice.
She wasn’t particularly moved by the sudden change. After all, netizens were notorious for their swift shifts in opinion.
They were quick to tear someone down and just as quick to build them back up again, all based on fleeting trends and the smallest of actions.
Arianna remained focused on living by her principles, knowing that staying true to herself and fulfilling her responsibilities was what mattered most.
Still, she couldn't help but feel a small sense of satisfaction when she saw one of the trending topics on GossipNet: the Cornwells’ arrest. The police had taken them in for questioning earlier that morning.
Though justice had been delayed, it was inevitable. No one could escape the consequences of their wrongdoings forever.
A notification then appeared on her phone.
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