CHAPTER 90
Ronald was bewildered when he heard the call ended with a toot.
What was Arianna trying to say? What did she mean by ‘there are plenty of women around’ and ‘you’re free to have your pick of them’?
He was the only one who had been around Xander those few days, and he was a straight man no less!
How and why in the world would Arianna a misunderstand his relationship with Xander?
All of a sudden, Ronald felt a strong gust of wind from behind. He turned his head abruptly and saw his boss, just as he expected. He was unsure when Xander had gotten out of bed and stood at the room door, but the man’s dark eyes were staring gloomily at him.
Ronald gulped unconsciously. Could Xander’s expression be a consequence of what Arianna had said…
Xander was pulling a long face, but just as Ronald was fretting over how he should explain himself, Xander’s thin lips parted slightly and he asked coldly,
“Who else came here during the past few days besides you?”
The sudden question left Ronald stunned. He was about to answer and say that he was the only one, but he received a notification on his cell phone before he could speak.
He glanced at it. It was a WeTalk message from Tiana, asking about Xander’s recovery progress.
Tiana had been sending him more than a dozen WeTalk messages every day, all thinly veiled expressions of her concern for Xander.
He stared at the message for a few seconds and suddenly recalled that Tiana had been there that day. To make things worse, he remembered walking out and seeing her placing a phone down.
That phone was probably Xander’s!
He had been so preoccupied those past few days that he hadn't given much thought to Tiana's actions. Now, in retrospect, he realized they were rather peculiar.
Reluctant to keep anything from Xander, he responded honestly,
"Tiana from the office came by once. I'm not sure if she handled your phone. Could that be what caused the misunderstanding with Ms. Jackson?"
Ronald swiftly lifted his phone, ready to call Arianna and clarify everything. But just as he was about to dial, Xander's intense gaze made him freeze.
Despite his mind being a mystery at that moment, Xander abruptly interjected,
"Forget about it!"
Ronald hesitated, unsure if he had misunderstood his boss's intentions.
"So, you mean I shouldn't clarify things with Ms. Johnson, Mr. King?"
Despite Xander never openly acknowledging anything, Ronald couldn't ignore the stark contrast in how he treated Arianna compared to others. It was evident there was a deeper connection between them.
Piper had been Xander's companion for the past two years, yet his attitude towards her was lukewarm, despite granting her every wish. Conversely, Xander paid little heed to women who aggressively pursued him.
Arianna was the only person who consistently stirred his emotions and stripped away his usual composure, making him appear like any regular man.
That was why he struggled to comprehend Xander's indifference towards resolving a difficult situation.
Ronald debated internally whether he should interject and advise Xander about the negative implications of such behavior. However, he was interrupted by Xander's suave voice.
"You mentioned Tiana has been expressing concern about me these past few days? Was she inquiring frequently about my recovery?"
Ronald stifled the advice he had poised to give Xander. He couldn't quite grasp why Xander would show such concern for Tiana, but he responded dutifully nonetheless,
"Yes, she inquires about you daily and offers her assistance whenever necessary."
"Is that so?" Xander's lips curved into a smile. "In that case, let her take up this opportunity."
Those words caught Ronald off guard, leaving him utterly stunned.
Xander was known for his fastidious nature and aversion to strangers touching him. From what Ronald understood, Xander had limited interaction with Tiana, knowing her primarily from their brief daily exchanges. Yet, had he just assigned her the task of caring for him?
Was Xander swayed by Tiana's consistent inquiries, or was this a reaction to Arianna's rejection?
Ronald couldn't decipher Xander's reasoning, but he dared not probe further. Instead, he quietly sought confirmation.
"Mr. King, are you saying you want Tiana to come here and look after you?" Ronald asked tentatively.
Timothy had already started walking into the room when he replied, "No."
"No?" Ronald echoed, puzzled.
Xander continued walking, his words trailing lazily behind him. "Let's just see."
Ronald was left stunned by Xander's response, his mind going blank. It seemed Xander not only lacked the motivation to extricate himself from tricky situations but also enjoyed testing boundaries.
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