CHAPTER 99
Tiana's mind went blank. Had Xander secretly gotten married? Who was Mrs. King? Could it be Piper? That didn’t make sense—if the Kings and the Schmidts had married, it wouldn’t have been kept so hush-hush. If not Piper, then who?
She puzzled over it but couldn’t figure it out. Her eyes then drifted to Arianna, and a sudden, alarming thought struck her.
Could it be…Arianna?
Impossible!
It couldn’t be. Arianna had claimed she was just a guest invited by the elder Mrs. King and was clearly staying there shamelessly. Xander had publicly broken things off with her two years ago, so why would he be interested in her again?
Arianna probably knew about Mrs. King because the old Mrs King had told her.
Mrs. Xander King’s existence was of no importance to Tiana at that moment. Arianna had humiliated her so terribly that day and ruined her plan, so she had to teach Arianna a lesson.
At the very least, she wanted to see Xander kick Arianna out of the villa and crush any social climbing ambitions she might have!
Tiana quickly adjusted her demeanor, looking as delicate as a flower swaying in the wind.
“Mr. King, I didn’t know that the nightdress belonged to…Mrs. King. It was my mistake. If anyone has the right to be angry, it’s Mrs. King. What does it have to do with Ms. Johnson? What right does she have to insult me? Could she be that eager to overstep her place because she wants to be your wife?”
While saying that, Tiana pretended to act helpless and attempted to lean against Xander’s body.
Xander did not hide the disgust in his eyes and took a step back. Unable to grab hold of him, Tiana staggered and nearly fell.
He opened his lips to speak once more, and his voice was so cold it could pierce through one's heart. “Ms. Reece, hand in your resignation letter tomorrow and disappear. Don’t ever let me see you again.”
Tiana thought she had heard him wrongly and asked in a daze, “Are you talking to me, Mr. King?”
Xander was supposed to deal with the malicious vixen Arianna! Why did he suddenly tell her to resign and just disappear?
“No… Wait, Mr. King, I… Was I wrong? Why are you doing this to me?” Tiana asked anxiously before Xander could speak.
Tiana was not the only one puzzled—even the dumbstruck Arianna could not comprehend why he said that. She turned to look at Xander, waiting for his answer.
In the past, Xander would not have bothered to say another word or offer any explanation. However, he opened his mouth once more and explained clearly,
“You answered my call without authorization and deleted the call records to hide that fact. Your dereliction of duty at work has already reached a level that necessitates expulsion.”
Tiana never expected Xander to know that she had secretly answered the call. She had been so careful.
“I, Mr. King…I, I…” She stammered, trying to explain and secure a lifeline for herself.
Before she could even think of a reason, she heard Xander's merciless sentence. “More importantly, you went into Mrs. King's room, wore her pajamas, and seduced her husband before her very eyes.”
“Get lost. Don’t make me repeat it a second time.”
‘Before her very eyes?
‘Mrs. King…?’
Tiana felt like she had been struck by lightning. She turned her neck abruptly and looked stiffly at Arianna.
Xander really was married…and his wife really was Arianna…
‘But how?!’
Tiana’s knees gave out, and she slumped onto the floor, unable to utter another word.
…
The door slammed shut.
Xander lowered his eyes and looked at the still-stunned Arianna. There was a hint of joy in his deep eyes that was not easily detectable.
His voice resonated throughout the quiet villa, the slightly hoarse timbre particularly pleasing to the ear. “Are you satisfied with the way this was handled, Mrs. King?”
Arianna was still processing everything and remained silent for some time.
The corner of Xander’s lips curled into a smile as well. He took a step toward Arianna, closing the distance between them. Leaning in slightly, he lowered his head and practically pressed his lips against her earlobe. His voice softened to a whisper, almost muffled, as he said,
“When you made all those requests to me earlier, did you do so as my wife? As Mrs. King?”
His warm breath brushed against her ear, sending a shiver down Arianna’s spine. She snapped back to consciousness, her eyelashes fluttering fiercely as she listened to him.
She took a quick step backward, putting some distance between herself and Xander.
The sudden twist of events caught her completely off guard. Arianna had assumed Xander intentionally brought another woman on her special day to upset her, but now it seemed that wasn't the case at all.
What were his intentions, then? Arianna couldn't help but ponder over his motives, her mind racing with unanswered questions.
And that question he asked... She couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling it left her with.
Speaking before clarifying the situation would only lead to potential misunderstandings. Arianna suddenly raised her hand to her head and pretended to be intoxicated. Her expression became blurry, and she responded with a question instead of an answer,
"What did I say? Did I say something? I... I feel so drunk. I can't remember anything. Ugh, my head is pounding. I need to lie down..."
She even let out a small burp while speaking and attempted to walk away.
Among the various strategies available to handle the situation, leaving seemed to be the most viable option of all!
