CHAPTER 397
Arianna stood still, unmoving, her face composed in a mask of quiet restraint. Inside, however, she burned.
The air in the room was thick, suffocating, filled with tension so palpable it threatened to snap.
She was watching a scene unfold that she had seen too many times before.
Harmony—the tragic heroine, wilting perfectly in Xander’s arms, every breath shaky, every tear an exquisite drop of suffering.
And Xander—the ever-loyal protector, standing exactly where Harmony wanted him.
His hands moved over her arms, checking her like he was making sure she was still in one piece. His voice was soft, laced with worry. “God, I was so worried… You scared the hell out of me, Bunny.” His fingers brushed a strand of hair from Harmony’s face, his eyes scanning hers as if he could absorb her pain.
Arianna forced a tight-lipped smile, though it felt like a blade pressed against her skin.
She didn’t move, didn’t speak. Just watched.
I watched as Harmony leaned into his touch as if she belonged there.
Watched as Xander hovered, drowning in concern, his attention solely on the woman in front of him.
Arianna's nails dug into her palms, but she willed herself to stay calm. If Xander wanted her to play nice, fine.
She could play nice.
For now.
She cleared her throat. "I’m… glad you’re feeling a little better, Harmony."
Harmony’s gaze flickered to her. No warmth. No gratitude. Just a slow, deliberate blink—like Arianna was some nuisance interrupting a moment she had no right to be part of.
Arianna pushed on anyway. "If you need anything—"
"She needs Xander," Zach cut in sharply, his eyes glinting with quiet disapproval.
His arms wrapped around Harmony in quiet defence, holding her close, steady—like a barrier, a silent wall between her and whatever unseen threat loomed.
As if he were protecting her.
As if Arianna was the danger.
Harmony sniffled softly, the sound small, fragile.
And then, with exquisite precision, she exhaled a shaky breath, stepping back just enough to lift those wide, tear-filled eyes to Xander.
"I’m sorry," she whispered, her voice trembling just the right amount.
"I'm sorry, Xander," Harmony murmured, her voice fragile, barely holding together. She hesitated, letting the silence stretch just long enough before lowering her gaze, her lashes trembling.
"I know you were meeting Arianna today. I know how upset you were last night when she stormed off… how hard you were trying to fix things."
Her lips quivered as she let out a shaky breath.
"I never would’ve interrupted if I had any other choice. I swear, I wouldn’t have burdened you with this. But I—I didn’t know what else to do." She swallowed hard, her fingers twisting into the fabric of her sleeves.
"I just felt so… lost. So empty. It scared me, Xander."
She looked up at him then, her eyes glassy, pleading.
"I didn't want to be alone with my thoughts." A tear slipped down her cheek.
A calculated pause. A quiet tremor of breath.
Harmony inhaled sharply, her gaze flickering downward as if she were gathering the courage to say what she shouldn’t say—but would anyway.
“I never would have disturbed you,” she continued, her voice catching at just the right moment.
“But I just… I just felt like I was drowning…”
Her lower lip trembled.
The room stilled.
Xander exhaled, his grip on Harmony’s shoulders tightened slightly, a reassurance she didn’t deserve.
Harmony hesitated, swallowing hard, then let out a shaky breath. Her voice, barely above a whisper, carried the weight of a devastating truth.
"I held a baby today."
Xander stiffened. His eyes flickered with something unreadable, but Harmony wasn’t finished.
"She was perfect—tiny, beautiful. And for a second, I just… I put my hand on my belly and thought, maybe one day I could…" Her voice wavered, and she let out a soft, bitter laugh. "And then I remembered—that day will never come."
And there it was.
The final hook.
She lifted her gaze to Xander’s, letting the sorrow, the loss, the unbearable tragedy of it all bleed into her expression.
"Because of that night. Because of me." Xander whispered.
Silence.
Arianna didn’t move.
Xander’s jaw tensed, his fingers curling slightly on Harmony’s arms. The guilt in his eyes was unmistakable now, raw and suffocating.
And Harmony? She just let it sink in, let it weigh on him. Let him feel it.
The moment stretched, heavy, unbearable.
And just like that—she had him exactly where she wanted.
God. She was good.
Too good.
And the worst part?
Xander was falling for it.
Again.
Arianna took a measured breath, schooling her expression into something calm, something composed.
"It’s fine... you didn’t disturb anything," Arianna said smoothly, keeping her tone even. "And you’re not alone, Harmony. You have Zach, and—"
Harmony shook her head, eyes dipping slightly as if Arianna’s words were almost… naïve.
"Zach does help me," she murmured, as if the thought itself was sweet but foolish, her voice wrapped in quiet resignation. Then, slowly—purposefully—she lifted her gaze to Xander.
Then—her voice, breaking at just the right moment.
"But Xander…" A delicate pause. A hesitant inhale. "Xander understands me better."
Arianna inhaled sharply through her nose, forcing down the wave of frustration threatening to crack her calm.
"Of course he does," she said smoothly, tilting her head slightly.
"After all, no one plays their part in your story better than Xander, right?"
Harmony’s lips parted as if wounded, but Arianna didn’t miss the way her fingers subtly tightened around Xander’s arm.
Xander exhaled, his brows furrowing as he turned to Arianna.
"Ari, come on. Please—" He sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Bunny is going through something. Can we just… not do this right now?"
Arianna nodded slowly, her lips curving into a small, unreadable smile. Her voice was light, smooth—so carefully measured that only someone truly listening would catch the edge beneath it.
"Of course," she murmured.
"Harmony needs you. I understand."
She met Xander’s gaze briefly, then turned away, her expression calm and composed. No argument. No fight. Just quiet acceptance—laced with just enough sarcasm to make her point.
Zach exhaled sharply, his gaze hard as he turned to Arianna.
"Maybe you should go home," he said, his voice firm but not unkind.
"Bunny is vulnerable right now. She needs to be surrounded by people who love her and care for her. And you being here… well—"
"Arianna came with me," Xander cut in smoothly, his voice cool, unwavering. His stormy gaze met Zach’s, a quiet finality in his tone.
"And she will leave with me."
Harmony’s fingers curled slightly against the fabric of Xander’s sleeve, but he didn’t look at her. His attention remained solely on Arianna, his stance clear.
Zach scoffed, shaking his head.
Zach’s words landed like a slap, sharp and cutting.
"Bunny’s already feeling intimidated, Xander. After all, they’re competitors. Who knows what kind of lies she’ll spin once she gets to Starlight TV about Bunny’s mental state?" Zach's voice was calm, but there was an edge to it—a quiet accusation woven beneath his words.
"You know how these things go," he continued, folding his arms. "One wrong word, one twisted narrative, and suddenly, Bunny’s the villain, the unstable ex, the tragic mess for everyone to pick apart. You really think Arianna wouldn’t use that to her advantage?"
Arianna’s fingers curled into fists at her sides, anger flaring beneath her skin. "What I would never—"
"Enough."
Xander’s voice sliced through the air, low and commanding, but laced with something dark—anger.
His grip on Harmony loosened, then fell away entirely as he turned, his full attention snapping onto Zach.
His jaw was tight, his shoulders squared. A slow breath left him, controlled but simmering beneath the surface.
"Arianna would never do such a thing," Xander bit out, his voice low and edged with warning.
"What the hell has gotten into you, Zach?"
"Gotten into me?" Zach let out a sharp breath, disbelief flashing across his face.
"How about the fact that you brought her here? I know what she did to Harmony at Starlight TV—how she attacked her for no reason. I don’t trust her, and I sure as hell don’t want her in my apartment. She’s not welcome here!"
Xander’s jaw tightened, his expression turning to stone. His stormy gaze locked onto Zach’s, daring him to push further.
"Fine," he said coolly. "Then we’ll both leave."
Harmony stiffened beside him, momentarily forgotten. But Arianna didn’t miss the way her fingers twitched, as if resisting the urge to pull him back.
Because in that moment, it wasn’t her Xander was protecting.
It was Arianna.
Harmony’s grip on Xander’s sleeve tightened, her nails pressing into the fabric. She barely held back a scowl.
This was supposed to be her moment.
She was the fragile one. She was the one who needed saving. Yet, somehow, Arianna had become the centre of attention—again.
It wasn’t fair.
Her lashes fluttered as she forced a deep, trembling breath, willing Xander to look at her again. To remember that she was the one hurting.
Arianna had seen enough performances in her life to know when someone was playing to an audience. And right now, Harmony was giving the performance of a lifetime.
And yet, Xander couldn’t see it.
Neither could Zach.
She reached out, fingertips ghosting over Xander’s arm, her touch featherlight—just enough to pull his attention back to her.
Her eyes, hollow and pleading, locked onto his.
"Please..." The word was barely a breath, so soft, so fragile, it seemed to tremble in the air between them. She leaned toward him just enough to appear unsteady, just enough to make him feel like she needed him to keep her from falling.
"Xander, please don’t go like this… not when you’re this angry." Her voice wavered, breaking in all the right places, delicate yet pleading.
"And don’t fight with Zach. He’s only trying to protect me… just like you always do."
She cast a fleeting glance downward as if gathering the strength to say her next words.
"But I understand if you need to be with her… if Arianna is where you truly want to be," she continued, her voice barely above a whisper, each word laced with quiet resignation.
"I don’t want to be a burden. I never wanted to come between you two."
She took a trembling breath, her lashes fluttering as if she were struggling to hold herself together.
"I’ll try to get a grip on my emotions by myself. I won’t do anything reckless again… I promise. I just—I don’t know if I can get through this alone, but I’ll try. I don’t want to make you feel trapped."
Her voice cracked just enough, her fingers loosening slightly around his arm as if letting him go—only to tighten again, barely noticeable, as she lowered her gaze.
"But if you leave now… I won’t stop you. I just—" she hesitated, exhaling shakily.
"I’ll understand."
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