CHAPTER 411
Arianna sat on the edge of the bed, legs tucked beneath her, the book in her lap long forgotten. Her mind refused to settle, spinning with every calculated step she still had to take. Her fingers drummed nervously against the pages, a soft rhythm that did little to calm her.
She glanced at the clock, the minutes ticking by with agonizing slowness.
An hour had passed, and still, there was no sign of Xander.
He’d promised he wouldn’t be long, but as the minutes dragged on, Arianna couldn’t shake the growing certainty that Harmony was doing everything in her power to keep him by her side.
Arianna pulled her phone from her pocket, tapping the screen until the recording played back softly in her ear.
Harmony’s voice filled the speaker—sharp, cold, unfiltered. The mask had slipped during that conversation, and Arianna had captured every second of it.
The venom. The fangs. The truth.
She closed her eyes for a beat, biting back the urge to march straight to Xander and shove the phone into his hand.
She wanted him to hear it—God, she needed him to. But not yet. Not like this.
He couldn’t just hear it.
He had to see it.
He had to feel it.
She had to make sure Harmony didn’t get the chance to manipulate the situation, to falsify or spin the recordings.
She couldn’t afford to let Harmony get ahead of her—not when the woman was capable of twisting anything in her favour.
Unhinged as she was, Harmony would lie, fake tears, and even manipulate her own voice if it meant saving face.
No, Arianna wouldn’t rush this.
She would be patient and calculated.
She’d wait for the perfect moment—when the evidence was undeniable when even Harmony’s theatrics couldn’t cover the truth.
When the mask slipped... and everyone finally saw the chaos beneath it.
That woman’s little performance tonight had only made things clearer.
The manipulations.
The crocodile tears.
The perfectly played victim act.
It all had to end.
And Arianna would be the one to end it.
The door creaked open, and Arianna looked up.
Xander stepped in with a small, tired smile tugging at his lips. His eyes met hers, softer than she expected, and something in her chest fluttered before she could stop it.
“Hey,” he said softly, rubbing the back of his neck, guilt shadowing his features.
“I’m sorry for keeping you waiting.”
Arianna fought to keep her tone even, swallowing down the urge to lash out, to shake him and force him to see—truly see—the manipulations Harmony had been weaving all along.
But she bit her tongue.
No. Not yet.
She had to stay calm.
Had to be patient.
The truth would come out tomorrow —and when it did, there’d be no looking away.
“It’s okay,” she said, her voice calm.
“I wasn’t going anywhere.” She hesitated, then added with quiet restraint,
“How’s Harmony?”
Xander let out a slow breath, his shoulders sinking slightly as he stepped farther into the room.
“She’s… fine, I guess,” He gave a small shrug, but it lacked conviction—like he wasn’t quite sure if he believed it himself.
He crossed the room, took the book from her hands without a word, and sat beside her.
Then, without warning, he pulled her onto his lap. His arms closed around her like a shield, and his head dropped against her chest with a long, uneven breath.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured, his voice soft, the breath against her hair heavy with regret.
Arianna didn’t budge, her body tense.
“Sorry for what?”
“Sorry for bailing on you … for letting Harmony stay the night when I know you’re not comfortable with her here.” His voice softened, the guilt clear in every word.
She pulled away slightly, meeting his gaze with sharp, focused eyes. Her expression tightened, frustration bubbling beneath the surface, though her voice stayed controlled.
“You don’t need to apologize for that,” she said, her voice calm but edged with an underlying tension.
“You’re trying to help her, I get it. But you also need to realize that it’s not just about her feelings—it’s about mine too. And right now, I feel like I’m the one always being pushed aside.”
"Arianna..."
“You could’ve just shown her to the guest room, Xander. But no—you had to stay. For what? To play doctor? Hold her hand? Maybe tuck her in with a bedtime story too?”
The sarcasm was light, but it couldn’t mask the quiet ache behind her words.
“Arianna, it’s not like that,” he said quietly, stepping closer to her. “I wasn’t playing doctor or trying to be her savior. I just... I don’t know, okay? I just didn’t want her to feel alone.”
My stupid, stupid husband.
He sighed, his voice softening. “But I see how this looks. And I’m sorry. I’m not trying to hurt you.”
“Is Harmony feeling better now that you’ve tucked her in?”
Xander let out a weary sigh, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Arianna…” he said, the weight in his voice clear,
“I know you’re upset,” Xander said quietly, his voice laced with guilt.
“But she was hurt, Arianna… did you see her hand? It looked bad. I couldn’t just walk away from that. I couldn’t turn my back on her—not like that.”
If you won’t turn your back on her—I’ll make you.
She’d had enough of standing by while Harmony wove her web of false tears and fragile smiles.
I’ll show you exactly who she is. Strip away the lies. The pity. The facade.
And when the mask finally crumbles, when the truth is laid bare—
You will.
You will turn your back on her.
“I get it, Xander,” she said quietly, her voice controlled but laced with an underlying edge.
“But what about me? I’m here, waiting for you, needing you too. It feels like every time something happens with her, I’m the one who gets pushed aside.”
“Arianna, you do come first,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.
"I just... I don’t know how to balance everything. I don’t want to lose you..or disappoint Bunny”
“So, what exactly were you two doing for so long?” Arianna’s voice was more direct now, her eyes narrowing, her patience fraying.
His eyes flickered to hers, a sudden urgency in his tone.
“Nothing, I swear… I didn’t even realize how much time had passed. She just wouldn’t stop talking, and... I—I don’t know, Arianna. My mind wasn’t even there. I was only thinking about you... about us.”
Arianna let out a quiet laugh—sharp, disbelieving.
“Right. You were thinking about us…"
She shook her head slowly, the bitterness creeping back into her tone.
“You expect me to believe you were sitting there, zoned out, daydreaming about me, while she clung to you like she always does?”
"I wasn’t with her emotionally. I was just… there. Physically. My heart’s not with her, Arianna. It has never been...It’s with you. Only you. I get that you don’t trust her. But you have to trust me. I’m here. With you. And I’m not going anywhere.”
Arianna didn’t blink. Didn’t speak. She simply looked past him, her gaze distant—cool, unreadable.
Xander’s gaze softened, and a gentle smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He reached for her, pulling her close as he spoke, his voice low and filled with affection.
“Why are we even talking about her?” His thumb gently traced her jawline, sending a shiver down her spine.
“I’m here with you, my beautiful wife. With you. And nothing else matters right now.”
He leaned in, his lips brushing against her forehead with a tenderness that made her heart race.
“This moment, us, it’s all that matters to me.” His hand rested on her waist, pulling her even closer.
“Let’s forget everything else, just for tonight. Let me show you how much you mean to me.”
Arianna’s breath caught, her anger dissolving in the warmth of his touch.
“Xander…” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.
He smiled, his eyes full of love, and for the first time that evening, she felt his presence, not as a caretaker or protector, but as the man who had vowed to love her—forever.
“Let me remind you, right here, right now, what you mean to me,” he murmured, his lips brushing lightly against hers.
Arianna pulled back just slightly, her lips curling into a playful smile.
“It’s late, Xander… and I’m still mad at you,” she said, trying to keep her tone stern, though the softness in her eyes gave her away.
Xander smirked, inching closer.
“Mad at me, huh? Then I guess I’ll have to work twice as hard to earn my way back into your good graces… right, darling?”
She raised a brow, lips tugging into a sly smile. “Hmm… you’ll have to do more than work hard to get my attention tonight.”
He grinned, voice low and playful.
“Challenge accepted, Mrs. King.”
Arianna laughed softly, the tension in her shoulders easing as she looked up at him.
"We'll see if you can handle the challenge," she teased, her voice light but full of warmth.
She met his gaze with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.
"But be warned, Xander... I'm not easily impressed."
Xander leaned in closer, his breath warm against her skin.
"Oh, I think I can manage," he said with a playful wink.
"Just wait."
Xander’s grin deepened, eyes darkening with playful intent as he closed the small distance between them.
“Oh, baby…” he murmured his voice a low rumble against her ear.
“I’ll work for it. I’ll earn every second of your attention—every kiss, every sigh, every little sound you make when I touch you just right.”
He trailed his fingers down her arm, slow and deliberate.
“You’re the only thing I want tonight....I'll always want”
Just as Xander leaned in, his lips a breath away from hers, the sharp buzz of his phone cut through the moment.
They both glanced down.
Harmony: "Can’t sleep. Can we talk?"
Xander exhaled a heavy sigh, jaw tightening as the glow of the screen flickered between them.
The tension that had just begun to melt back into desire instantly returned, sharp and unwelcome.
“Of course,” Arianna said flatly, pulling back slightly.
“Why wouldn’t she text now?”
Xander rubbed a hand over his face, the weight of frustration settling in his shoulders.
“I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I’ll turn it off.”
But the moment—they both knew—was already broken.
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