CHAPTER 381
Arianna’s lips curled into a slight smirk as she spoke, "Is this what you consider proof?"
"You may have the trophy in your hands, but how did it get there? You claim Xander gave it to you, but I can just as easily say you took it. Perhaps you stole it."
The accusation stung Harmony deeply.
"Why would I steal it? This trophy belongs to me!"
Arianna's gaze remained steady, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Do you honestly think you can keep spinning lies whenever it suits you? Give it up, Harmony. The truth is right in front of you—Xander loves me, and only me. So stop pretending he could ever be yours."
Harmony seethed, Arianna’s words hitting too close to the mark. "H-he... he is m-mine."
Arianna remained composed, a sly smile playing on her lips. "Is that so? Then why are you stuttering? Looks like my instincts were spot on. You're nothing but a manipulative liar."
Harmony chose not to respond to Arianna's bold defiance, her voice cold as she said,
"Fine. What kind of proof do you need to believe that what I'm saying is the truth?"
Arianna hesitated, her gaze dropping for a moment as a new thought settled in. She had an idea, but once she voiced it, there would be no going back.
Things had already spiralled to a point where the retreat was no longer an option.
If she didn’t uncover the truth now, her life with Xander could never return to normal.
She’d already asked herself if she could live with that uncertainty.
The answer was clear. No. Not if Xander had been lying about his reasons for staying with her.
Despite the depth of her feelings for him, despite the precious moments they had rediscovered together, this was a line she couldn’t cross. She would rather face the truth, however painful, than continue living in a lie.
Arianna wanted nothing to do with it if Xander wasn’t sincere.
She pressed her lips together, fixed her gaze on Harmony, and said firmly,
“Call him right now. Get him to come here.”
She wouldn’t believe it until she saw it for herself.
For a moment, Arianna thought she saw a flicker of emotion in Harmony’s eyes, but she couldn’t be sure. Without hesitation, Harmony flashed a smile and responded,
“If that’s what it takes to prove my point, then I’ll do it.”
Arianna’s gaze darkened in that instant.
Without another word, Harmony pulled out her phone and, without any pretence, held down the ‘1’ key, bringing up Xander’s contact from speed dial.
Ten seconds later, the call connected, and Xander’s voice, unmistakably familiar, came through the line.
“Hello?”
Harmony arched an eyebrow at Arianna, a playful glint in her eyes, before bringing the phone to her ear. Her voice took on a sweet, honeyed tone as she spoke,
"It's me, Xander."
Arianna couldn’t hear what Xander was saying on the phone, and though Harmony had stepped back slightly, she couldn’t catch the full conversation from her side. However, she couldn’t miss how Harmony’s smile seemed to grow even more syrupy with each passing second.
A few moments later, Harmony ended the call, mentioning her location to him. She set the phone down on the coffee table and looked back at Arianna.
"Xander said he’ll be here shortly. Just as you wanted."
Arianna’s lips curled into a smirk, her scepticism evident.
"He won’t come."
Xander had already told her he was staying home, waiting for her to join him for dinner.
He wasn’t coming.
Arianna knew that for sure.
Harmony seethed with frustration, taken aback by Arianna's unshaken demeanour as she smiled and calmly said her piece.
With a biting tone, Harmony shot back,
"We’ll see about that."
The drive from the villa usually took about 40 minutes, traffic permitting. With rush hour already over, the timeline was clear—forty minutes, and they’d have their answer.
Arianna glanced at the wall clock—it was already 8:00.
For a brief moment, she wasn’t sure whether she wanted time to speed up or come to a halt. Each second seemed like an eternity, filled with unbearable tension.
Neither Arianna nor Harmony spoke. Their mutual disdain kept the silence thick, broken only by the distant sound of water heating.
By 8:35, Arianna felt the familiar wave of nausea building up inside her, though she couldn't tell if it was from the nerves gnawing at her or from missing dinner.
She fought it back, her efforts growing more futile with each passing second. The nausea only intensified, despite her best attempts to suppress it.
When Arianna felt Harmony’s gaze lingering on her, she didn’t want her to notice how unwell she was. Without a second thought, she stood up, grabbed her bag, and walked out.
At first, Harmony was taken aback, but then she sneered in disdain.
“What’s this? Running away because you can’t handle the truth?”
Arianna paused, her back still to Harmony, and replied, “Seeing your face makes me nauseous. I need some fresh air before I throw up.”
“You…” Harmony’s face paled with anger.
Arianna ignored her and continued down the hallway.
She made her way to the restroom at the end of the corridor, splashing cold water on her face to try and steady herself. She dug through her bag, pulling out a sachet of glucose powder, tearing it open, and tipping it into her mouth.
The sweet taste did little to completely calm her stomach, but it helped ease the worst of the nausea.
She didn’t return immediately—she hadn’t been lying when she said Harmony’s presence made her sick.
Her phone’s clock finally ticked over to 8:40. Arianna took a steadying breath and walked back out of the restroom, heading back toward the tearoom.
Arianna reached the final turn before the tearoom, ready to step back inside.
But something made her heart skip a beat, a strange unease she couldn't place. She stopped in her tracks, and just as she did, she saw a figure emerge slowly from the other side of the corridor.
Though there was some distance between them, and the dim lighting made it hard to see clearly, Arianna instantly recognized the silhouette.
It was Xander.
For a moment, Arianna found herself unable to steady her breath. She staggered back a few steps, her hand instinctively reaching for the wall to keep herself upright.
She had just told Harmony with full confidence that Xander wouldn’t show up.
And now, here he was, walking toward her—his sudden arrival was a harp slap in the face to everything she had believed.
As if on cue, the door to the VIP room swung open, and Harmony stepped out.
Arianna’s face drained of colour, and she knew she couldn’t let them see her like this. She quickly stepped to the side, pressing herself against the wall to hide her presence.
As Xander approached the door to the VIP room, Harmony looked up, greeting him with a warm, sweet smile.
Xander’s body was slightly turned away, so Arianna couldn’t read his expression clearly, but she sensed no hint of avoidance or distance in his posture.
The two of them engaged in quiet conversation, with Xander’s gaze lowered and Harmony looking up at him, her tone intimate.
Though she couldn’t hear their words, the scene before her felt like a sharp stab to her chest.
Harmony could summon him with just a phone call, yet even after Xander had promised to wait for Arianna at home, here he was, standing with Harmony.
Was this how he treated someone who was supposedly “just a friend”?
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