CHAPTER 379
"She told me she had reached out to a renowned specialist from abroad, someone with a fifty percent chance of helping me recover, possibly even allowing me to conceive in the future," Harmony said, her voice softening as she paused to sip her tea.
"I was overjoyed then, thinking fate was finally being kind to Xander and me. I agreed to her terms without hesitation. I turned down Xander's heartfelt confession, never explaining the real reason, and left under Grandma King's arrangements, believing it was for the best."
"Xander was heartbroken and confused when I rejected him, but I convinced myself it was only temporary. I clung to the hope that once I returned, fully healed, nothing would stand in our way again."
Harmony's fingers curled tightly around her teacup as her expression darkened.
"But I was a fool. I trusted Grandma King too much. After she sent me abroad, there was no famous doctor. No treatment. It was all a lie. She tricked me—banished me, really—and ensured I had no way to come back. She even cut off all contact between me and Xander."
Tears welled in her eyes, sliding silently down her face. "I was just a scared, broken girl in a foreign country, powerless to fight back. All I could do was focus on my studies, determined to make something of myself so that one day, I could return and reclaim what was taken from me."
Suddenly, Arianna's phone buzzed softly on the table. She glanced down and saw a message from Xander:
\[Dinner’s ready. What time will you be home?\]
Harmony noticed the message too, but rather than bitterness, her gaze shifted to something more sorrowful—almost as if she pitied Arianna.
Arianna didn't respond to the message. Silently, she slipped her phone back into her bag and fixed a cold, unflinching gaze on Harmony. Her voice, calm yet piercing, broke the tense silence.
"Everything you've just said belongs to the past."
Her words carried a clear message—what once was no longer mattered. The past held no power over the present, and Arianna refused to be shackled by it.
Harmony, however, remained unfazed. She dabbed the corner of her eyes with a tissue, her composure returning almost too effortlessly.
"But you see, when it comes to Xander and me, there is no 'past.' Some things never really end."
A small, almost mocking smile curved on her lips. "Do you remember the first time we met? It was at the airport—when you and Xander were heading off for your honeymoon."
Her gaze sharpened, voice turning almost too sweet. "It might sting to hear this, but let me be honest with you anyway. Xander didn’t go to Barrkjaer Island for you. He went there for me."
Harmony paused, savoring the tension in the air.
"He knew I was going there to find peace, to clear my mind. So he followed me. You, Arianna—were nothing but a convenient cover."
"I was heartbroken when I learned Xander had finally married you," Harmony began, her voice laced with feigned sorrow. "So, I decided to cut all ties with him. That was why he sought me out—just to explain that he only married you because he needed an heir."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, watching for Arianna's reaction.
"And why you, specifically? It’s simple—Grandma King favors you. Xander has always been devoted to her wishes, especially since she’s the only family he has left after his grandfather passed. He married you because he wanted to honor her desires, nothing more."
Harmony’s expression softened, but her words sharpened. "At first, I was against it. I thought it was incredibly unfair to you—being caught in a marriage without love. But he insisted it was the only way, so I tried everything I could to give you subtle hints about the truth. I wanted you to know, to protect yourself. But instead, you twisted my kindness into cruelty. You misunderstood everything I did."
Her lips curled into a faint, icy smile. "Then again, Arianna, the more I got to know you, the more I realized—you were never the kind of person who deserved my help in the first place."
Arianna's expression remained calm, unyielding.
"You’re making a lot of claims," she replied coolly, her voice steady. "But where’s your proof?"
Harmony’s eyes narrowed as she studied Arianna's calm demeanor, clearly surprised by how difficult she was to shake. But her lips soon curled into a sneer.
"Xander told me you’ve never fully trusted him since he ended the engagement. That’s why he had to pretend to be on your side—to convince you to carry his child."
She leaned in slightly, voice laced with mock sympathy. "And you? You let your guard down, didn’t you? Slowly, bit by bit, you started falling for him."
Her expression darkened as she continued, bitterness seeping into her voice. "Imagine how it feels to watch the man you love stay close to another woman every day, even when it’s all just a façade. It’s painful—humiliating, even. But Xander...he's thinking about our future, so I’ve had no choice but to endure it."
Harmony let her fingers trail gently along her cheek as a soft, sweet smile appeared. "Still, Xander couldn’t stand to see me hurting. He knew how much it pained me, so he found ways to cheer me up—ways you’d never know about."
Her gaze sharpened. "You want proof, don't you? Fine. Remember the first time we crossed paths—the anchor competition? I was denied first place, shut out of Starlight TV, despite my talent. But Xander knew how much it meant to me—he knew it was my dream. So he pulled some strings behind the scenes to make sure I was hired. Wasn't that obvious enough?"
Arianna’s face remained unreadable, her silence unwavering.
Harmony’s smile twisted coldly.
"Or do you need something more concrete? Don’t fool yourself into thinking you beat me in those competitions because of your skill. I let you win—and Xander made sure of it."
Harmony’s grin widened as she leaned back slightly.
"Do you need something tangible?"
She stood, walked over to the coat rack, and retrieved a bag before returning to the coffee table. Setting it down, she slid it across toward Arianna.
"Go ahead. Take a look."
Arianna’s eyes flicked to the bag.
Though she had no idea what it contained, her chest tightened, and she couldn’t deny the unease creeping in. No matter how composed she tried to appear, Harmony’s words had hit a nerve.
The reason for that unease? Harmony’s claims aligned too perfectly with the timeline.
When Xander had manipulated the situation to force Arianna into marriage, it was out of hatred. He had misunderstood her, despised her, and sought revenge through the arrangement.
Their relationship had been nothing short of disastrous in those early days, filled with animosity and pain as they constantly hurt one another.
If it hadn’t been for Grandma King’s intervention, they likely would have divorced long ago, leaving each other behind without a second thought.
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