CHAPTER 6
Was this what Xander really thought about her?
Was that the reason he publicly called off their engagement at the altar, making her look bad in front of everyone?
Arianna felt a wave of pain well up inside her, threatening to spill into tears as the memories came flooding back.
Despite all of the hardships and cruel treatment she had endured over the years, she had always kept a brave face and smiled despite her suffering.
Once, Xander's tenderness had been her compass, his kind words a salve that could mend even the deepest cuts.
But all Arianna saw when she met his stare was resentment and contempt.
She thought her time spent overseas had strengthened her resilience.
She prepared herself for any verbal attack because she thought she was unbeatable.
But as soon as Xander's cutting comments cut through her armor, Arianna's resolve faltered and she teetered on the edge of an emotional precipice.
She tried to keep up a front of indifference, but the sadness within her was almost overwhelming.
She fought back the tears that were about to spill out of her eyes and forced a sardonic smile to mask the pain she was feeling inside.
Her next words were without emotions.
"Mr. King, I think there's a misunderstanding," her voice firm despite the pain within.
"I was attacked and drugged at the entrance to your grandma's mansion as I was heading home." She said it in an emotionless voice.
She spoke with conviction and faced him squarely.
"I know you don't trust me, but make sure to watch the security footage. I'm sure it will demonstrate my attack.
Xander did not say anything, observing her intently.
She paused a moment before letting out a resigned sigh.
"I'm willing to go through whatever hospital examination is required to confirm that I was given drugs if it isn't convincing enough. That you were also drugged has nothing to do with me at all. Who planned this, I'm not sure, but onevthing is for sure, I DID NOT PLAN ANY OF IT! I have no interest in any form of intimacy with you, nor do I seek any financial gain."
"Arianna, you'd better watch your words " Xander hissed.
Arianna replied, "Really! Mr. King, you appear to have an overly inflated opinion of yourself." Her tone was tinged with disdain.
"Arianna !..." Arianna interrupted Xander's chilly tone.
"Even if I were considering such a decision, it would not include someone like you. Whatever the circumstances, rest confident that I would never lower myself to contemplate the idea of returning to you, let alone having sex with you!"
Arianna's unexpected comments cast a shadow over Xander's face, deepening it with a terrifying intensity.
Arianna sensed the environment become colder, with a foreboding sensation of disaster approaching.
Despite Xander's penetrating gaze and whispered threat,
Arianna held her ground, summoning every ounce of courage to meet
Their locked gazes held an unspoken challenge, each daring the other to yield first.
Yet, as seconds passed, Arianna felt icy beads of sweat forming on her brow, her resolve wavering.
Just as she teetered on the brink of surrender, Xander's abrupt snort pierced the tension.
"Arianna, you better be tell the truth!" Xander exclaimed before abruptly walking away, leaving her isolated in the stifling stillness.
With the sound of the door slamming shut, Arianna crumbled, her strength draining away, leaving her feeling utterly abandoned and desolate.
Arianna sat alone in the dimly lit room, her gaze fixed on the closed door through which Xander had just departed.
The silence enveloped her like a heavy blanket, suffocating and oppressive.
With every beat of her heart, she willed herself not to break down, not to succumb to the overwhelming urge to cry.
Her mind raced with questions as she gazed at the door, each one stabbing her heart even more deeply than the last.
Was Xander really someone she knew?
When had he changed to appear before her like this distant, cold figure? And why, oh why, did he feel such deep contempt towards her?
Her mind was filled with fragments of happier times, when they whispered promises of eternity, laughed together, and shared dreams.
But now those memories were like glass shards, piercing her soul with their agonizing reminder of the past.
Arianna struggled to contain the tears that were on the verge of spilling, her nails biting into her palms as she balled her fists.
She wondered if the man who had just walked out that door was ever truly the same person she once loved, or if he had been a stranger all along, wearing a mask of affection that had now been cruelly ripped away.
Leaving the confines of the hotel, she wandered aimlessly along the shore, the rhythmic sounds of waves crashing against the sand providing a somber backdrop.
Seated on a weathered bench overlooking the expanse of the beach, she gazed out at the endless horizon, the azure sea stretching into infinity.
Unable to contain the weight of her emotions any longer, Arianna buried her face in her hands, her body trembling with silent sobs.
The tears she had been holding back finally spilled forth, a testament to the ache in her heart and the shattered fragments of her once vibrant love.
Disregarding Simon and Margaret's presence in the living room, Arianna made a beeline for her room, determined to avoid any confrontation with her estranged father. But Simon wasn't about to let her off the hook so easily.
"Stop right there, Arianna!" Simon's voice sliced through the air, dripping with disdain.
"You think you can just waltz in here and ignore us? What happened at that party? Did you manage to grovel enough to Grandma King for her to speak to her famiky about helping us out of this financial situation?"
Arianna's jaw clenched at the venom in his words, but she refused to dignify his accusations with a response.
Without sparing him a glance, she continued towards her room, her footsteps echoing with quiet determination.
But Simon wasn't finished yet.
"You can't just shut us out, Arianna!" he barked, his tone laced with fury.
"We have a right to know what happened, especially if it affects our financial future!"
Arianna's grip on her emotions tightened as she slammed the door to her room shut behind her, shutting out Simon's harsh words along with the rest of the world.
She took a moment to collect herself before retreating under the covers, blocking out the world with a heavy sigh.
