CHAPTER 81
On the other side, the housekeeper escorted Piper out once the guests had departed and the guestroom fell silent once more.
Arianna checked cautiously for any lingering onlookers outside, exhaling deeply with a sense of relief as she discreetly stowed away the needle in her possession.
However, her relief was short-lived. To her dismay, she noticed a drastic change in Xander. The effects of the aphrodisiac had completely dissipated, leaving him devoid of coherent thought, driven solely by primal instincts.
Arianna struggled to fend him off, but his overpowering strength rendered her attempts futile. In a desperate bid to break free, she attempted to push him away, only to find her hands pinned firmly behind her, immobilizing her completely.
With a swift and forceful movement, Xander tore open her clothing, causing Arianna to gasp in shock and fear. Her voice trembled uncontrollably as she pleaded,
"No, Xander, please don't!" She knew escape was impossible under his relentless grip.
Someone could enter at any moment, but Arianna was desperate to avoid becoming Xander's next conquest. Despite her fear and the impending danger, she blurted out impulsively,
"If you need release, I can... I can bring Piper to you!"
As soon as Arianna uttered those words, she felt Xander's tall frame stiffen abruptly. His once intense gaze turned colder, adding an extra layer of chill to the atmosphere. His voice cut through the air like a knife, demanding, "What did you just say? Say it again!"
Arianna's panic now rivaled that of earlier, when their secrecy could have been exposed at any moment. The weight of Xander's gaze and the sharpness of his tone caused her to swallow hard, beads of cold sweat forming on her back.
She couldn't fathom why his anger surged. Didn't Xander and Piper love each other? Her words were harmless, weren't they?
Could he be upset with Piper because... Piper plotted against him?
True, Xander despised being manipulated by others. After all, his disdain for her stemmed from his continual misunderstandings!
Arianna bit her lip and quickly corrected herself. "Alright, I misspoke. Just hold on a bit longer. I'll get you out of here now, and once you're free, you can find another woma—"
"Arianna!" Xander gritted his teeth, cutting her off mid-sentence. The fury in his eyes intensified, piercing through Arianna with a glare that could strip her to the bone.
This damned woman was his wife, yet she had the audacity to suggest he find another woman!
Rage surged through his veins, compounded by the potent effects of the medication, clouding Xander's vision. A palpable aura of menace radiated from him, casting a chilling shadow over the room.
Xander's hand moved swiftly to his waist, producing a gleaming dagger seemingly out of thin air, its sharp edge catching what little light filtered into the closet.
He raised the dagger.
Arianna was dumbfounded. Was he so furious that he intended to kill her?
Xander's movements were swift and deliberate. Arianna instinctively recoiled, but to her surprise, he plunged the dagger into his own thigh instead of aiming for her.
Arianna could hear the sound of fabric ripping and the muted thud of flesh being pierced...
Her breath caught in her throat.
He intended to stab himself... not her...
In a daze, she gazed at his thigh where blood was already seeping out, the sight shocking her to the core.
"Xander, why..." Arianna faltered, at a loss for words in that moment.
The pain slicing through Xander's thigh momentarily cleared the haze from his vision. Without sparing a glance at Arianna, he swung open the closet door and stepped out.
Arianna remained stunned for a fleeting moment before she shook herself out of her daze and followed suit.
Amidst the chaos outside, no one paid them any heed. Xander emerged, swiftly retrieving his cell phone to dial his assistant, Ronald, who promptly rushed to his side.
Robert was shocked to see his boss suffering from such an injury and appearing visibly unwell. He was equally surprised to see a distraught Arianna trailing behind Xander.
Ronald quickly moved forward to support Xander and asked with concern, "Mr. King, what happened?"
"Let's go," Xander replied curtly, his voice tinged with pain and exhaustion. His directive was clear and final.
Ronald nodded silently, refraining from further questions. He assisted Xander to the waiting car outside and helped him inside.
Arianna halted in her tracks upon witnessing the scene.
Xander seemed to have things under control with Ronald's assistance. Realizing her presence was unnecessary and perhaps unwelcome, Arianna considered leaving.
She turned to go when Ronald's voice stopped her short.
"Ms. Johnson, where are you headed? Please join us in the car!"
“I don’t think I—”
Before Arianna could finish her refusal, Ronald interrupted,
“You’ve been with Mr. King this entire time, right? I have no idea what happened to him, and I need to get a doctor to examine him. He’s in a confused state, so someone has to explain the situation to the doctor!”
Arianna hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly walked toward the car and got in.
After all, Xander had saved her life once by calling the doctor just in time to treat her when she was ill. She couldn’t bring herself to be ungrateful for that.
All she had to do was explain what happened to the doctor.
When Arianna got into the car, she saw Xander’s handsome face twisted in pain. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his lips were pale.
It was clear he was in immense discomfort, suffering from both the pain of his injury and the effects of the aphrodisiac.
Despite the pain, Xander closed his eyes and leaned motionlessly against the back of the seat, saying nothing. His stoic demeanor masked the extent of his discomfort, revealing nothing but a strained expression.
The car sped down the road.
Ronald, sitting in the front passenger seat, made a call to the doctor. Then he turned to Arianna and asked,
“Ms. Johnson, what exactly happened to Mr. King?”
