CHAPTER 382
Arianna clung tightly to the last shred of reason she had left. She was willing to give Xander one final chance—one last opportunity to prove her trust in him wasn’t misplaced.
She silently prayed he wouldn’t let her down.
Taking a shaky breath, she forced herself to steady her trembling hands. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out her phone and dialed Xander’s number, her gaze fixed unwaveringly on him.
The sound of his ringtone cut through the air, interrupting his conversation with Harmony at the entrance of the VIP room.
Arianna watched closely as Xander reached into his trouser pocket, glancing down at the screen for a brief moment.
Then, without hesitation, he swiped his finger across the screen.
A cold, robotic voice echoed from Arianna's phone: “The number you have dialed cannot be reached at the moment…”
He had declined her call.
The phone slipped limply from her hand, hanging uselessly at her side.
The truth was undeniable now, wasn’t it?
Xander had rejected her call because he was with Harmony.
Had it always been like this? All those times he ignored her calls in the past—had he been with Harmony then too?
The weight of that realization crashed down on Arianna, far more painful than she had ever imagined. No—ten times worse than anything she could have prepared herself for.
She had brushed off Harmony’s taunts before, standing her ground without wavering. But this? This single, deliberate action from Xander had shaken her to the core.
Could Harmony have been telling the truth all along?
Had he married Arianna just so she could bear his heir, nothing more than a convenient way to secure his obligations while keeping Harmony in his heart?
Was she simply a tool to help him fulfill his duty to his family while Harmony remained the one he truly loved?
Had she been the only one who mattered so little? The only one sacrificed without care?
Were his sweet words, his tender gestures, all a lie?
How could he treat her this way?
Why would he hurt her so cruelly?
Arianna’s hands curled into tight fists at her sides, her entire body trembling violently. Her chest ached, and her vision blurred as her eyes burned with unshed tears.
Ahead of her, Xander and Harmony disappeared together into the VIP room, the door clicking shut behind them.
Arianna’s eyes burned with a fury so intense it felt almost blinding. Rage surged through her veins, and she took a determined step forward, ready to storm in after them.
But before she could get far, a sudden, overwhelming wave of nausea crashed over her, far stronger than before. Her stomach twisted violently, and she staggered, bending over as she retched uncontrollably.
The dizziness was relentless—her head spun, her vision blurred, and her legs buckled beneath her. Unable to keep her balance, she sank to the floor, pressing a trembling hand against the wall for support.
A nearby waitress noticed her distress and hurried over, concern etched across her face. "Miss, are you alright? Do you need help?"
Arianna struggled to find her voice, her breaths shallow. "I...I feel sick..." she whispered hoarsely.
"Let me help you to the restroom," the waitress offered gently, slipping an arm around her shoulders and guiding her carefully toward the bathroom.
As soon as they reached a stall, Arianna collapsed to her knees, heaving into the toilet as her body convulsed with sickness.
The waitress stayed by her side, retrieving tissues and handing them over while rubbing her back soothingly. "Do you feel any better now? Should I call for a doctor?"
Arianna's stomach was empty, leaving nothing but bitter stomach acid as she retched. The sensation was agonizing, leaving her drained and weak, slumped against the wall.
She couldn't find the strength to speak right away, her body trembling from the ordeal.
Suddenly, her phone buzzed in her hand, the vibration loud in the quiet restroom.
The waitress, still crouched beside her, noticed and offered gently,
"Maybe you should call someone? A friend or a family member who can come help?"
Family?
For a moment, Arianna's chest tightened painfully. She had thought she’d finally found a new family, a place where she belonged.
But it had all been a cruel illusion.
Her lips parted, voice barely a whisper. "I... I don't have anyone."
The waitress blinked, leaning closer, unable to catch her words.
"Sorry, what did you say?"
Arianna's gaze dropped to the floor, her voice hollow.
"No one... I have no one."
The pale, tearless grief on her face made the waitress hesitate, her helpless expression betraying how deeply she sensed Arianna's pain—yet had no idea how to ease it.
Arianna took a shaky sip from the glass of water, the cool liquid doing little to calm the storm inside her. Her throat still burned, but it was nothing compared to the ache twisting deep in her chest.
Her gaze lifted, locking onto the door where Xander and Harmony had disappeared moments ago. The pain in her heart sharpened, but she forced herself to take a few slow, measured breaths, steadying the trembling in her hands.
You need to know the truth.
Setting the glass down with a quiet clink, Arianna straightened her posture and walked forward. Each step echoed in her ears, louder than it should have been, as if the weight of her doubts and anger made the floor heavier beneath her feet.
Without pausing, without knocking, she pushed open the door and stepped inside.
The sight before her was a dagger straight to her heart.
Harmony was wrapped around Xander, her arms coiled tightly around his waist, her head tilted slightly as if whispering something only he could hear. Xander’s posture was stiff, unmoving.
For a heartbeat, the world seemed to freeze.
Xander’s head turned at the sound of the door, his eyes locking onto Arianna’s.
Shock rippled across his face, his expression raw—wide eyes, parted lips—as if he hadn’t expected her to be standing there. As if he hadn’t expected to be caught.
Arianna’s breath hitched, but she didn’t flinch. She stood rooted in place, heart pounding, waiting for him to speak—waiting for an explanation that, deep down, she was terrified might never come.
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