CHAPTER 57
During their relationship, Xander was always attentive and caring towards Arianna, catering to her every need and hanging on her every word. Thus, Arianna found herself slipping into old habits, inadvertently issuing commands to him once more.
But before she could retract her statement and suggest she sleep on the sofa instead, Xander interjected with a tone dripping in contempt and mockery.
"Why are you behaving like this all of a sudden? Haven't we been intimate before? Plus, there's no part of you that I haven't already seen or touched, right?
He said this with a smirk on his face, his eyes locked onto her. He even took a moment to gaze at the exposed area of her collar.
How audacious!
Arianna gritted her teeth.
It was true. Even though she was still a virgin and intended to save herself for their wedding night, but they had engaged in other activities.
"You, on the other hand!” Xander lightly pinched Arianna’s chin. “Don’t try to do anything while I’m asleep!”
“Haha!”
Arianna forced a strained smile, her anger simmering beneath the surface.
Did he truly believe he was irresistible to everyone? She rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"Mr. King, don’t worry about it. Even if you’re naked and initiate everything, I won't be interested in you!"
The last few words were said through her gritted teeth.
Xander's eyes lost their smile, and his face darkened.
"Likewise."
"Why are you still not letting me go?" Arianna demanded, her frustration evident in her tone.
Xander got up with a scowl, rudely pushing Arianna to the other side of the bed. He flicked off the light switch with unnecessary force, then lay down, shutting his eyes tightly.
Childish!
Arianna cursed inwardly.
Though their argument had ceased, she refused to let her dignity suffer by sleeping on the couch. After a moment's hesitation, Arianna reluctantly laid down, careful to keep her distance from Xander.
The bed felt enormous, yet with Xander occupying it, Arianna felt suffocated. She couldn't shake off the sense of being overly cautious and uncomfortable, so she reluctantly positioned herself at the very edge of the bed.
In the darkness, Arianna couldn't discern Xander's silhouette, but his presence loomed palpably in the room.
As the vast room grew silent, the night seemed to stir up Arianna's most delicate emotions, leaving her feeling vulnerable and exposed.
In the past, Arianna would have made every effort to snuggle up to Xander.
But Xander would never have imagined that Arianna would now be so distant.
Arianna turned away, her back to Xander. She blinked a few times, took deep breaths, and eventually drifted off to sleep.
As Arianna's breathing steadied into a rhythmic pattern, Xander's eyelids fluttered open, revealing his dark, contemplative gaze.
He glanced at the figure at the edge of the bed, distant and aloof. A pang of pain pierced his heart, an unwelcome sensation he struggled to comprehend.
This feeling shouldn't linger, yet it weighed heavily on him, casting a deeper shadow over his features.
Since Arianna's return, Xander found himself acting foolishly time and again. Despite knowing better, he couldn't seem to resist.
What did he truly want? The answer eluded him, lost in the labyrinth of his conflicted emotions.
The following morning, Arianna's phone buzzed with notifications, stirring her from sleep. She reached out groggily, grabbing her phone from the bedside table. Blinking away the drowsiness, she saw a WeChat voice message from Rochelle.
Arianna tapped the message and listened as Rochelle's worried voice filled the room. "Ari, I just heard about last night! Did that jerk take you somewhere? Are you okay? Are you alive?"
Arianna couldn't help but chuckle at Rochelle's dramatic concern, but she appreciated her friend's care nonetheless.
As soon as the voice messages finished playing, Arianna felt an intense surge of murderous intent permeating the room. At first, she was stunned, her heart racing as she tried to grasp the source of the hostility. Then, realization dawned on her like a sudden thunderclap.
She wasn't alone in bed; Xander was here too.
Arianna's mind raced, recalling the events of the previous night. Exhausted, she had fallen asleep without fully registering his presence, and now, with Rochelle's message bringing her back to reality, she couldn't ignore the tension that hung heavy in the air.
Arianna's hand shook as she gripped her phone tightly. In an instant, all traces of drowsiness vanished, replaced by a sense of urgency and fear. She sat up abruptly, her heart pounding in her chest as she frantically searched for an escape route.
But Xander wasn't about to let her slip away. He grabbed her shoulder, his grip firm and unyielding, and forced her back down onto the bed. With a steely gaze, he demanded,
"Who's the b*stard?"
Arianna swallowed nervously, feeling guilty and trapped beneath his intense scrutiny.
