CHAPTER 406
Harmony stared at her phone screen, her wrist still aching from where she’d slammed it into the dresser. Her breathing was ragged, uneven, disbelief twisting her face.
He didn’t come.
He always came.
She sat on the cold floor of her apartment, surrounded by the silence that pressed in from all sides. Her wide eyes darted around the empty room, her mind racing. The fake pain had been real enough this time—her wrist was swelling, bruising—but that didn’t matter.
He hadn’t come.
He was with her.
A strangled sob escaped Harmony’s throat, and she curled into herself, rocking slightly, clutching her injured wrist. Her thoughts churned, dark and frantic.
Why was Arianna always there?
Why did Xander keep choosing her?
After everything Harmony had done for him?
Her eyes flicked toward the corner of the room where a worn hoodie of Xander’s still hung limply on a hook. She got up slowly and grabbed it, pressing it to her face, inhaling the scent like it was a drug.
“No,” she whispered into the fabric.
“He loves me. He’s just confused. She’s—she’s manipulating him.”
Tears burned down her cheeks as her expression slowly hardened.
“I’ll make him see,” she hissed. “I’ll remind him who I am. Who we are.”
She stood with trembling resolve, clutching the hoodie tightly.
If Xander wouldn’t come to her… then she would go to him.
And this time, she wasn’t going to leave without a reminder.
.....
“No more, please…” Arianna whined, leaning back with a dramatic sigh.
“Just one more spoon, baby,” Xander coaxed with a playful smile.
“Come on, open up.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, then let out a soft sigh. “Just one.”
Her lips parted, and he gently fed her the final spoonful of soup.
“There we go—good girl,” he murmured, his voice warm with affection.
Xander set the empty bowl on the coffee table, then leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. His movements were tender, instinctive.
He reached for the painkillers on the tray, quietly opening the packet with care.
Arianna placed her hand on his hand, her touch soft and steady, anchoring them both in the quiet intimacy of the moment.
“Xander… you don’t have to worry so much,” she said softly, her eyes searching his.
“I’m your husband. Looking after you isn’t just my job—it’s my heart’s instinct.”
“I’m okay now. The pain’s already fading.”
But the worry in his eyes didn’t ease. Not yet.
Just then, his phone buzzed again.
Then again.
Then again.
Over and over—Harmony’s name flashing on the screen. Her calls coming in with a frenzied rhythm.
Arianna’s gaze drifted to the phone buzzing on the table.
“She probably needs you,” she said quietly, her voice calm but laced with something fragile beneath the surface.
Xander didn’t spare the phone a glance. Instead, he cupped her face gently, his thumb brushing her cheek as he held her gaze.
“No,” he said, his voice low and certain.
“You need me.”
Arianna’s lips parted, her voice barely above a whisper.
“But… you always go when she calls.”
His expression faltered, guilt flickering across his features like a shadow. For a moment, he said nothing—just stared at her, the weight of her words sinking in.
“I know,” he murmured, guilt threading through his voice.
“I’ve done that, I have. But it’s not helping her anymore, Arianna. She’s becoming too dependent—and me running to her every time she calls... it’s only making things worse.”
He exhaled, brushing his thumb along her jaw.
“She needs real help. Not me showing up like a crutch every time she breaks. And I’ll make sure she gets that. But I can’t keep sacrificing us to fix her.”
He picked up the phone, finally silencing it with a sigh. Then he opened a text and typed quickly.
“I’m messaging Zach. He’ll check on her.”
Arianna blinked, surprised.
“You’re really not going?”
“I’m right where I need to be,” he said simply, brushing a kiss across her forehead.
“With my wife.”
And in that moment, with his warm hand still resting on her cheek and Harmony’s silence finally filling the air, Arianna allowed herself to lean into him just a little more.
Because maybe… just maybe… she was finally winning.
.....
The soft flicker of the fire cast warm shadows along the lounge walls, wrapping the room in a cocoon of quiet intimacy. Outside, the rain whispered against the windows, but inside, it was peaceful—almost sacred.
Arianna sat nestled on the couch, a blanket draped over her legs, her body curled toward the warmth of the fire. She wasn’t reading the book in her lap—her gaze was locked on Xander.
He walked in slowly, his damp hair tousled from the shower, a mug of tea in each hand. He handed one to her without a word and sank down beside her on the couch, so close their shoulders touched.
“You look cozy,” he murmured, his voice low, affectionate.
She smiled. “I was waiting for you.”
Xander reached out, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering against her cheek. “You don’t know what that does to me—hearing you say that.”
Arianna leaned into his touch, her heart fluttering. “Then I’ll say it more often.”
He chuckled, brushing a kiss to her temple before setting his mug on the side table. With a soft tug, he pulled her closer until she was curled against him, her head resting on his chest, his arms wrapped securely around her.
They sat in silence for a while, the fire crackling softly, their heartbeats syncing.
“You know what I love most?” Xander said after a moment, his voice barely above a whisper.
“Hm?”
“This. Just… you. Me. No drama. No noise. Just this.”
She looked up at him, her eyes glowing in the firelight. “Me too.”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead, lingering there, breathing her in. “I could stay like this forever.”
And for a brief, perfect moment, forever didn’t seem so far away.
Xander leaned in, his lips brushing against Arianna’s in a tender, slow kiss.
The warmth of her mouth sent a shiver through him, his hand gently cupping her cheek as he deepened the kiss, the world outside of them fading away.
Arianna responded instinctively, her hands sliding to his chest, fingers threading into his shirt.
Her heart raced, the heat between them building, when—
Bzzzzt.
The intercom buzzed, sharp and loud, tearing through the quiet of the room.
Xander’s lips pulled away from hers in a frustrated groan.
"Unbelievable timing," he muttered, his forehead resting against hers for a moment, eyes closed as if willing the interruption to disappear.
Arianna’s breath was still quick from the kiss, and she smiled softly at him, but her tone was cautious.
“Xander…”
He moved to lean in again, but Arianna gently placed a hand on his chest, pushing him back slightly.
“Xander, it could be someone important.”
His eyes softened with reluctance, his hand sliding down her arm as he pulled away, but only just.
“I swear, the universe is testing my patience,” he said with a wry smile, glancing at the intercom.
Arianna chuckled, her fingers brushing against his. “You can’t ignore it. Maybe it’s something urgent.”
Xander sighed, running a hand through his hair.
“Fine. I’ll get it, but don’t think this is over.”
She laughed softly, the sound like music to his ears.
“I’ll be right here waiting.”
Reluctantly, Xander stood, his gaze lingering on her for a moment longer before he walked to the intercom, leaving Arianna with a knowing smile, already anticipating the next time he’d come back to her.
He reached for it with a frown. “Yes?”
The voice of one of the estate guards came through, calm but laced with concern.
“Sir, it’s Miss Harmony at the front gate,” the guard’s voice crackled through the intercom.
“She’s in a bad state—crying, looks like she might be bruised. She won’t let us call a medic and insists she won’t leave until she speaks with you. Says it’s urgent.”
Xander went still, his eyes going to Arianna.
Arianna slowly turned her face to look at him. No words passed between them,
Xander let out a slow, exhausted breath, dragging a hand down his face as the weight of it all settled on his shoulders. His jaw tightened, frustration flickering in his eyes.
“Harmony?” Xander muttered under his breath, frustration seeping into his words. He glanced toward the door, then back at Arianna, his expression torn.
“I swear, I had no idea she was coming.”
“I know,” Arianna replied quietly, her voice betraying no emotion, though the tension was clear in her eyes.
Xander ran a hand through his hair, his gaze flicking between her and the door.
“I can’t just turn her away. It’s pouring outside... and she—” He hesitated, his words faltering as he searched Arianna’s face for some sign of understanding.
“Is that… okay with you?”
Arianna didn’t look at him. Her eyes stayed fixed on the soft fabric of the blanket draped over her lap.
She shrugged, her movements slow, almost deliberate, as if weighed down by something more than just the conversation.
“Do whatever you need to do,” she said, too even, too quiet.
He wanted to say more—wanted to explain that this wasn’t what he wanted, that he hated how it felt like he was choosing one over the other. But the knock came again.
“Sir?” the guard prompted from the intercom.
Xander hesitated, his heart torn in two, then gave a tight nod. “Let her in.”
Arianna didn’t speak. Didn’t flinch.
She simply pulled the throw tighter around her and leaned into the cushions as if bored.
He watched her for a second longer, then stood up and headed toward the entrance hall.
The front door burst open before he could even take a step—she must’ve found it unlocked.
Harmony stood there, drenched from the light drizzle outside, her eyes wide and wild. Tears streaked her cheeks.
Her wrist was wrapped hastily in a scarf, red blotches blooming through the fabric.
“Xander…” she whimpered, stumbling forward dramatically, scarf still wrapped around her wrist, her hair soaked from the drizzle, mascara streaked down her cheeks.
“I didn’t know where else to go,” she sobbed, rushing forward.
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