CHAPTER 52
"Alright," Xander replied without hesitation.
He stepped forward, reaching out his hands toward her.
Arianna, bracing herself, stood her ground, her back straight and rigid.
Even if Xander intended to strike her, Arianna had no regrets about slapping Piper. In fact, she felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
Arianna felt Xander’s hands on her neck, and for a moment, she braced herself, thinking he might strangle her. To her surprise, he simply grasped the shirt on her shoulder.
Arianna was momentarily stunned, confused about his intentions.
Her confusion didn't last long. Xander abruptly yanked her shirt down, revealing her elegant shoulders.
Arianna's eyes widened in shock as she stared at Xander.
Was he really this twisted? Did he plan to torture her with such degrading methods?
"Xander... You..."
In any other situation, Arianna could handle it. But this? This was beyond humiliating. As she reached out to push him away, she froze, her mind reeling from his unexpected words.
Xander asked, "Are you hurt?"
Arianna blinked in disbelief. Had she misheard him? Was Xander really concerned about her well-being?
When she didn't respond immediately, Xander seemed to lose his patience. He reached forward, his hands moving to remove her clothing, clearly intending to check for injuries himself.
"Wait... Hold on..." Arianna finally found her voice, grabbing his hands to stop him. "I-I'm fine, and I'm not hurt!"
Her heart raced as she looked into his eyes, trying to decipher the mix of emotions she saw there. It was a side of Xander she hadn't expected, and it left her feeling even more confused and vulnerable.
Xander's lips twitched slightly, and he nodded toward Arianna’s arm. "What's that?" he asked, his tone a mix of irritation and concern.
Arianna glanced down at her arm, noticing the scrape for the first time. The blood had dried, leaving a crusty, dark mark against her skin.
Memories flooded back—she had sustained the injury while fending off Nate and his gang. Amidst the chaos, she had taken a few hits and knocked into something hard while dodging their attacks.
She had been so preoccupied with everything else that she hadn't even noticed the scrape, let alone given it any attention. She certainly hadn't expected Xander to notice it, either.
"It's nothing," Arianna muttered, trying to brush it off. "Just a scratch from earlier."
Xander's expression didn't soften. If anything, he seemed more annoyed.
"Nothing, huh? Looks like more than nothing to me." He reached out, his fingers brushing against the dried blood, sending a jolt of pain through her arm.
"Ouch..." she whimpered softly.
"Does it hurt much?" he asked, his expression gentle as he looked at the dried blood. He softly rubbed his fingers over the scratch, his touch surprisingly tender.
The reason why Xander had brought Arianna back to the villa and pulled down her clothes wasn’t to avenge Piper, but to care for her?
As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Arianna dismissed it as impossible.
"You..." Arianna swallowed hard and looked at Xander. After a moment of hesitation, she asked, "What are you doing?"
Xander either didn’t understand her or chose to pretend he didn’t. He responded with a question of his own,
"What do you mean, what am I doing?"
Arianna couldn’t exactly ask him outright, so she fell silent, her mind racing to comprehend his unexpected actions.
Arianna couldn't bring herself to directly ask if he was concerned for her, fearing she might embarrass herself. Instead, she opted for a more indirect approach.
"Why are you so worried anyways. It's none of your business whether I'm injured or not!" she retorted defiantly.
None of his business?
Xander's blood boiled at the mere mention of those words.
While traveling, he stumbled upon the viral images and clips. Instantly, Xander recognized that the woman was definitely not Arianna.
Despite the uncertainty of the situation, Xander sensed that she was possibly facing some sort of danger.
Although he held a deep-seated hate towards her, Xander found himself unable to suppress his genuine worry in that moment.
Only a few days ago, when returning to the villa and finding Arianna lying weakly in bed, her face drained of color, Xander felt a surge of emotions overwhelm him. His usual composure faltered, much to his dismay.
Xander seethed with anger, frustrated that Arianna could still evoke such a reaction from him. Yet, despite his inner turmoil, he couldn't ignore the urgency of the situation.
Without hesitation, upon hearing that she might be in trouble, he had swiftly booked the next available flight back home, unable to shake off the need to see her.
