CHAPTER 410
As soon as the door to the elder King’s suite shut behind them,
Grandma rounded on her granddaughter-in-law, her voice lowered but venomous.
“She’s a leech, Arianna. A poisonous snake in perfume and silk. And Xander—that foolish boy—he’s too damn stupid to see it. He’s letting her sink her claws in deeper every time she cries.”
Her eyes were sharp, filled with years of experience and bitterness.
“You don’t know what she’s really like. You always see the good in everyone, but she’s evil, Arianna. Pure evil. And one day, you’ll see it too. But by then, it’ll be too late.”
Arianna gave a small, almost amused huff, folding her arms.
“I know exactly what she is,” she replied, her voice calm and steady.
Grandma and Aunt Julia turned toward her, both taken aback by the certainty in her tone.
“Then why are you letting her stay? Get rid of her!” Grandma demanded, her voice sharp with frustration.
Arianna’s lips curled into a knowing smile.
“Oh, I’ll get rid of her . But not just tonight. For good. And I promise you—Xander will know soon enough about his precious Bunny. I won’t have to drag her out. She’ll expose herself.”
Grandma’s face lit up at Arianna’s words, her expression softening into one of approval, a gleam of victory in her eyes.
“And what if she doesn’t?” Grandma pressed, her voice filled with a mix of challenge and hope.
Arianna’s voice dropped, steel threading through every word.
“She will,” Arianna said, her voice low and deliberate, her gaze unwavering.
“Because women like her can only thrive in the spotlight. Take that away, withhold the attention she craves from Xander, and she'll unravel. Her true nature will surface, and everyone will see exactly what she is."
Arianna’s expression didn’t waver as she slowly pulled out her phone, the glow of the screen casting a cold light over her features.
“Besides,” she said calmly, lifting it slightly,
“I’m already collecting evidence against her.”
She tapped the screen with practiced ease, a bitter edge creeping into her voice.
“She thinks she’s so clever. So careful. But she didn’t even notice I was recording our little conversation earlier.” Arianna’s eyes narrowed.
“The one where she bared her fangs—literally—and showed exactly who she is underneath all that soft-spoken sweetness.”
Her gaze sharpened. “And it’s not the first recording, either.”
Grandma King’s eyes gleamed with something dark and victorious as a slow smile pulled at her lips.
“Well, I’ll be damned…” she muttered, almost to herself, before fixing her stare on the phone.
“You’ve got proof—so why the hell aren’t you showing it to that thick-skulled grandson of mine?”
Arianna’s lips curved into a knowing smile. Not triumphant—but patient. Calculated.
“Because I don’t want him to just hear it, Grandma.”
She looked toward the window, where the wind whispered against the glass like a warning.
“I want him to see it. Him, John, Zack… the whole damn world.”
Her voice dropped to a whisper laced with steel. “I want them all to see Harmony for what she really is.”
Grandma King looked at her for a long moment, then nodded slowly, the corners of her lips curling again.
“Well, I’ve always liked a woman with conviction.”
“Tomorrow’s John's birthday party. Press will be here. Society families. Cameras.” Her lips curled into a slow, knowing smile.
“Let her bask in it. Let her dance in the light. Because the moment she forgets to keep her mask on… he’ll see her. Everyone will.”
Grandma King gave a slow, deliberate nod, a hint of satisfaction creeping back into her stern expression.
Arianna turned her gaze over her shoulder, her eyes glinting with cold resolve.
“And Xander ” she replied, her voice soft but filled with a quiet, dangerous certainty,
“he’ll finally see Harmony for what she truly is—nothing more than a lie wrapped in a pretty face.”
..........
“So, what do you think?” Harmony asked as Xander sat on the guest room couch, her voice light but expectant.
“About what?” he replied distractedly, only half looking at her.
Harmony turned to face him, frustration flickering in her eyes. “Have you been listening to anything I’ve said?”
He hadn’t. His mind kept drifting, back to Arianna, to the guilt gnawing at him for the situation he found himself in. Every time he thought about leaving, Harmony would stop him, her voice soft but pleading.
“Please, just a little longer,” Harmony murmured, her voice soft and pleading, her wide eyes filled with a mix of vulnerability and desperation.
“Harmony, it’s late… I really should be going. Arianna’s waiting for me.” He shifted uneasily, his gaze flickering toward the door, torn between obligation and desire.
“Just ten more minutes... please,” she pouted, trying to soften her features into a look of innocence, as if to tug at his resolve.
He sighed.
“Ten minutes.” He nodded reluctantly, though every part of him screamed to leave—to escape—to be with Arianna, where he felt he truly belonged. But for now, he stayed.
"So, I was thinking..." Harmony began, her voice low and trailing, as if trying to reel him back into the conversation. She watched him carefully, gauging his reaction.
"Xander... Xander!"
"Huh?" He snapped back to reality, his mind having wandered again.
"See, there you go again," Harmony said, her frustration rising, but still trying to keep her tone light.
"What are you thinking about this time?"
Arianna.
The image of her face when he told her that Harmony would stay the night haunted him. It was a look that cut deep, one that made him regret his words the instant they left his mouth. He knew he shouldn’t have offered, but Harmony had been so fragile, and he couldn’t bring himself to turn her away.
And all he wanted in that moment was to go to Arianna, to hold her close and make everything right. Yet, here he was—
“When you’re with me, you should only be thinking about me,” she said, her voice laced with an edge of command.
“Nothing else matters, Xander. Not Arianna. Not anyone else. Just me.”
Xander’s eyes narrowed, his patience finally unraveling.
“You don’t get to dictate what I think, Harmony,” he said, his voice growing icy.
“Arianna is my wife. The woman I love. She was hurt today, too, and yet here I am—sitting here with you, instead of being by her side.”
His words were sharp, each one laced with a raw frustration that had been building for too long.
Harmony’s eyes flickered with surprise for a moment, but she quickly masked it with a gentle, almost apologetic smile.
“Xander, I didn’t mean it like that...” she said, her voice shifting to a tone of soft concern.
“Please, just calm down. You know how much I care about you, right? And of course, you should be worried about Arianna... I understand.”
She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a soothing whisper as her hand gently touched his arm.
“I just thought... maybe we could have a little time together. We don’t get much of that these days. But I never meant to upset you. Really.”
She softened her gaze, carefully forcing the hint of vulnerability into her eyes. Her mask remained intact—she couldn’t afford to let it slip now, not when she was so close to keeping him where she wanted him.
Xander stared at her, the tension in his chest growing. His gaze searched her face, trying to decipher the truth hidden beneath the sweet veneer she’d painted.
He’d gently suggested having Alex or John swing by—hell, even both—to keep her company while she recovered. But she’d dismissed the idea almost instantly, claiming she wasn’t up for visitors.
At first, he didn’t think much of it. But the more he reflected, the stranger it felt.
She never made an effort with them. Not once had she called or texted either of them on her own.
Every interaction she’d had with them was when he was present—always polite, always distant. They were her friends, too. Or at least they used to be. But the mention of their names always seemed to shift something in her expression—subtle, but telling. No warmth, no curiosity. Just that same tight smile and quick subject change.
Something about that didn’t sit right. But for now, he said nothing.
Harmony turned her phone toward Xander, the screen glowing softly in the dim light. His brow furrowed as he took in the images—sun-drenched beaches, turquoise waters so clear they seemed unreal, and a sprawling resort with a bridge arcing over a massive pool.
“What is this?” he asked, confused.
Her voice was soft, hesitant. “Do you remember your promise?”
He blinked.
“We’ll both be twenty-five soon,” she added, still not looking at him.
That’s when it hit him—Tenerife. The dream destination. The promise they made years ago, back when life was simpler, and the future felt limitless.
She’d shown him so many pictures over the years; But he’d forgotten. About the trip. About the promise.
“Harmony…” he said gently.
“I can’t go with you. I’m married now.”
There was a beat of silence. No reaction at first—then the smallest flicker in her expression. Hurt. Quickly hidden.
“And Arianna’s already… insecure, because of our friendship,” he continued.
“I won’t do anything that could take her peace away. Or take her away from me.”
“Right. Of course.” Harmony forced a small smile, but the bitterness in her voice was unmistakable.
Xander’s gaze flickered to her, sharp enough to catch the tension in her features. He noticed how her fingers clenched into a tight fist, her knuckles whitening as she tried to hide the anger seeping through her carefully controlled demeanor.
He didn't say anything, but the sight sent a shiver of unease down his spine.
'Is this really who she is' he wondered, the doubts creeping back into his mind.
“I shouldn’t have brought it up.” Her voice softened, but there was something off in the way she said it, like a thin veil of politeness barely covering the bitterness that still lingered.
“The last thing I want is to make things harder for you.”
Xander watched her for a long moment, his gaze flicking back to the clenched fist she quickly pulled into her lap, trying to mask the anger. The small, telling detail did nothing to ease the growing uncertainty in his chest.
Was she always this bitter?
She swiped at a tear on her cheek before it could fall, her lips trembling with the effort to stay composed.
“I could never do anything to hurt your marriage, Xander. Tell me you know that.”
He nodded slowly.
“And I don’t want to hurt you or your marriage,” she whispered.
“Ever.”
A voice echoed in the back of his head:
Isn’t that what you’re doing to Arianna by letting Harmony stay? She was hurt too. And yet here you are… with Harmony.
“I think I’ll get going,” Harmony said suddenly, rising from the bed.
“I have a few documents I need to finish. Today has been… hard.”
“Call me if you need anything,” he said softly.
She nodded and walked out, leaving him in a silence that felt impossibly loud.
Harmony gave a soft nod, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Thank you,” she said softly, her voice laced with sentiment.
“You’ve always looked out for me, and I want you to know… no matter what’s happened, I’m truly grateful.”
Then, without waiting for a response, Harmony rose onto her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
Xander flinched—just slightly—but enough. He stepped back, instinctively putting space between them.
Harmony noticed.
But she chose to ignore it, pretending not to see the discomfort flicker in his eyes.
Xander exhaled quietly and slipped out of the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click.
As soon as he was alone in the hallway, Xander dropped his head into his hands, the weight of everything pressing down on him.
He pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes, as if trying to push away the swirling thoughts, the nagging feeling that something was wrong.
“Could Grandma have been right all along?”
He clenched his jaw, frustration bubbling up as he tried to make sense of it all. Harmony had always seemed so genuine, so caring. But now… now everything felt like it was starting to unravel.
He exhaled slowly, the doubts gnawing at him.
“I don’t know what to believe anymore…” The question echoed in his mind, relentless.
Was Harmony really the woman he thought she was, or was he just another pawn in some game?
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