CHAPTER 49
Ronald swiftly led the guards into the alley, their well-honed training allowing them to swiftly subdue the burly men, pinning them against the wall.
Piper appeared disheveled, her clothes rumpled, her hair in disarray, and her makeup marred by her tear-streaked face.
Despite his lack of fondness for the arrogant woman, Ronald couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy at the sight before him.
Without hesitation, he shed his coat, extending it to Piper with a gesture of kindness.
"Ms. Schmidt, please cover yourself with this," he offered gently.
Piper, consumed by fear and confusion, appeared disoriented. After a moment of bewilderment, she turned to Ronald, completely disregarding the offered coat, and inquired,
"You... Is Xander here for me too?"
Before Ronald could respond, Piper scrambled to her feet, staggering as she dashed out of the alley.
Spotting Xander, Piper's distress intensified, tears streaming down her face as she cried out in anguish.
"Xan... Xander... Sob, sob... I'm so scared..."
As Piper quickened her pace towards Xander, her outstretched arms yearning for his embrace, she longed for the comfort and safety he represented.
But just as her fingers brushed against his shirt, Xander's gaze shifted, casting a sideways glance at her. Piper's heart lurched with uncertainty, and she instinctively withdrew her hands, a pang of rejection stabbing at her already frayed nerves.
During the past two years, Xander had showered Piper with attention and gifts, fulfilling her every whim with a mere request.
Rumor had it that he treated her even better than he did Arianna.
However, despite his affection, Xander harbored mysophobia, a dislike for physical contact. He reserved his touch for rare occasions, allowing Piper to hold onto his arm during formal events or social gatherings, adhering to etiquette rather than genuine affection.
Piper couldn't stop herself from feeling a strong sense of anger towards Xander's distant behavior. This feeling became even worse when Sheena encouraged her to run into Xander's arms, but instead of a warm embrace, he almost broke her wrist.
Since that awful event, Piper has been scared and unsure about touching Xander, worried that he might respond in a similar manner.
Despite her anxiety and unease, Piper couldn't help but give in to the urge to gently pull on Xander's shirt. In a shaky voice, she begged, .
"Xander, if you had been a moment later... I-I'll... You must seek vengeance for me and deal with these thugs!"
Her body belonged to Xander, and the thought of being nearly violated filled her with rage, her teeth gritted in frustration.
From Arianna's vantage point, it seemed as though Piper and Xander were pressed closely together, their bodies almost touching. This display of intimacy between them only seemed to underscore the depth of their relationship.
Her smile, tinged with mockery, deepened further. Though subtle, a faint discomfort lingered in her heart, barely detectable.
As Ronald approached, he posed the question to Xander with polite deference,
"Mr. King, how should we deal with those
men?"
Before Xander could respond, Piper interjected with a resentful edge to her voice,
"Break their arms and legs! Blind them!"
With a coquettish glance and teary eyes, Piper implored Xander,
"You have to avenge me, Xander!"
Arianna observed the scene unfold from the sidelines, fully aware that the actors had not exceeded their boundaries. Their actions had merely amounted to taunting Piper, and she remained unharmed. Despite this, Piper's response was ruthlessly severe.
Because she had hired those actors to pretend to be hooligans, she couldn't just abandon them while Piper had them punished. They were only doing the task she had assigned them. Arianna wouldn't protect herself and abandon them.
She had to take action. Moreover, with Xander's skills, he could easily discover that she was the one behind all of this.
With a composed demeanor, Arianna pocketed her phone and approached the scene calmly. "Release them," she stated dispassionately.
"I instructed them to carry out this act."
Xander glanced in Arianna's direction, his gaze piercing and inscrutable, a dark intensity flickering in the depths of his eyes, devoid of any discernible emotion.
Piper's eyes turned to Arianna, her initial surprise swiftly transforming into bitterness.
"Why? Arianna, we've never had any problems, but now you have the audacity to plan an attack against me? How absolutely repulsive and disgraceful!"
Initially, Piper felt a surge of anxiety as Arianna had skillfully evaded Nate's men, escaping unscathed. This unexpected turn of events left Piper unnerved, as she realized she had severely underestimated Arianna's cunning and resourcefulness.
The ease with which Arianna had dodged the threat made it clear that any future attempts to harm her would be met with formidable resistance.
The realization dawned on Piper that targeting Arianna again would be a daunting and potentially perilous task, one that required far more caution and strategy than she had previously employed.
However, Piper never imagined that Arianna would be so foolish as to admit the attack on her. This unexpected turn of events left Piper both surprised and dismayed.
Gritting her teeth, Piper discreetly pinched her thigh hard, causing herself to cry out from the pain. She turned to Xander with a pitiful expression, her voice laced with desperation.
"Xander, a woman's reputation is everything. Even if Arianna harbors jealousy towards me, she shouldn't resort to such heartless actions. If you hadn't arrived just in time, my reputation would have been irreparably damaged! You have to do something!"
Piper's intention was clear: she wanted Xander to see Arianna as the ruthless and unscrupulous woman she believed her to be.
By painting Arianna in a negative light, she hoped to sway Xander's opinion and diminish any enchantment he may have felt towards her.
