CHAPTER 98
After that, Arianna turned around to face a dumbfounded Tiana, wearing a mocking grin.
"You can't even file a proper complaint, yet you have the audacity to act like you're innocent?"
"You... You..." Tiana was taken aback by Arianna's unexpected response. It stopped her in her tracks, halting whatever argument she had been preparing to launch.
However, Arianna's boldness played into Tiana's hands. She realized she didn't need to engage in a direct confrontation with Arianna. Instead, all she needed was to gain Xander's sympathy and enlist his help.
Tiana's complexion drained of color as tears streamed down her cheeks. She gazed at Xander, who stood silently beside her, and sobbed,
"Mr. King, you invited me here to take care of you. That's all I wanted to do. I don't know why Ms Johnson has treated me so unfairly..."
She paused, biting her lip lightly, her voice thick with emotion.
"Mr. King, I... I don't think I can stay here and take care of you properly if she's going to be around."
Arianna understood the subtle message Tiana was conveying: that Arianna was an obstacle and should be removed from Xander's presence.
Tiana had evidently picked up on Arianna's earlier advice and was now adept at making compelling complaints.
Unfortunately for Tiana, Arianna was capable of two extremes. She could either be friendly and overlook those who didn't provoke her, or she could prove she wasn't one to be trifled with if someone insisted on stepping into her path and entering a potential conflict zone!
Why should Arianna fear Tiana when she didn't fear Xander himself?
Leaning casually against the door, Arianna crossed her arms over her chest and spoke in a calm, deliberate tone.
"Oh? So, Mr. King invited you here just to take care of him, huh? I thought he invited you over for something else entirely—like spending the night with you! I mean, why else were you so eager to slip into the master bedroom and wear someone else’s nightdress?"
Tiana's feigned expression of sorrow froze abruptly.
She had changed into the nightdress from the master bedroom with the sole intention of impressing Xander. It never occurred to her that Arianna would be so brazen in front of him and bring it all up.
Fear crept into Tiana's eyes as she struggled to explain,
"Mr. King, I... I didn't mean to. You said I could pick any room, so I just chose one randomly. And about the nightdress, I spilled water on my clothes accidentally. When I saw women's clothes in the closet, I thought they were for guests. I had no idea they belonged to someone else."
“It really was just a plain nightdress…”
Arianna felt a surge of disgust, as if the steak she had just consumed might come back up.
She might have simply regarded Tiana with contempt if Tiana hadn’t acted so promiscuously, but every word and action of Tiana's made Arianna sick to her stomach.
Arianna peered down at Tiana and inquired icily,
“Ms. Reece, do you happen to know who owns that ‘plain nightdress’ you mentioned?”
“Who?” Tiana didn’t take the question seriously. The nightdress was nondescript and modest, and she wouldn’t have put it on if she’d brought her own.
Grandma King also resided in that villa, so Tiana assumed the nightdress belonged to the elderly lady. Perhaps the maid mistakenly organized the clothes and placed them in the master bedroom closet.
Seeing through Tiana’s assumption, Arianna smiled knowingly and stated plainly, “It belongs to Mrs. King.”
She paused for effect before clarifying in a somewhat patronizing tone, “You’re thinking of Old Mrs. King, but I’m not referring to her. I mean Xander’s wife, the rightful Mrs. King. That Mrs. King!”
Tiana's eyes widened abruptly as she glanced back and forth between Arianna and Xander. The idea of Xander being married seemed far-fetched to her; she had never heard any rumors suggesting otherwise.
However, Tiana's confident assertion left her curious and unable to refrain from asking,
"Is that true, Mr. King?"
Arianna also turned her gaze towards Xander, studying his handsome features intently. Quietly, she slipped her hand into her pocket and discreetly activated the recording function on her cell phone.
Arianna's intention was clear as she aimed to capture Xander's response on her phone. If he resisted signing the divorce papers, she planned to use the recording to confront the matter with the elder lady. She wanted to ensure Xander faced the same level of difficulty as she did.
Xander's intense gaze met Arianna's eyes. When she referred to him as 'Mr. King,' he was struck by a pang of emotion, and his lips parted slightly as he finally spoke.
His response left both Arianna and Tiana stunned.
In a monotone voice, he uttered just one word: "Yes."
