《Arranged marriage?: Married to an unknown man》


 01

    Writer¡¯s POV


    Rupert Knight, best friend of Peter Jones: Ariana¡¯s father, was sitting in his study in his mansion and was in deep thought; worry could be seen on his face. The reason for his worry was Ariana. He received the news from his source that Andrew Smith was marrying off Ariana to save his business from drowning.


    He recalled the time when his best friend Peter asked him to take care of his little girl, no matter what. He swore to his dying friend that he would take care of Ariana because he knew that Peter¡¯s wife Jade would never take care of Ariana. He knew what kind of woman Jade was.


    He stood up from his chair and made his way to see his wife, M Knight.


    She was sitting in the living room, reading some magazine; he sat beside her and told her about the situation.


    ¡°Oh my god, Rupert we can¡¯t let this happen!¡± M worriedly said to her husband as she held his hands.


    M knew everything, she was also Peter¡¯s friend back in college and also knew how Jade abhorred her own daughter. So, they both had decided to take care of Ariana, what they didn¡¯t know that a barrier had been put in their way to help Ariana. Jade married Andrew Smith and it became difficult for them to do help as they couldn¡¯t enter Smith¡¯s house and couldn¡¯t meddle in their family matters.


    So, they had decided to help the girl secretly by appointing a man who would follow the girl whenever she¡¯s out of the house; they made sure that Ariana got no harm. That man followed her and reported everything to the Knights, luckily they never received the news of any physical harm. They even made sure that the man they appointed followed her when she went to college in Chicago. They were always aware of her whereabouts.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Looking at her worried wife, Rupert squeezed her hands softly and said, ¡± Don¡¯t worry love, we will do something, we will not break the promise we made to our friend.¡±


    ¡°But Rupert, we don¡¯t have time to think, we have to act fast. Smith¡¯s will soon tie her knot to that man and I know they will not even ask for that girl¡¯s choice¡± M said to her husband.


    ¡°Yeah, I know that man very well. He is disrespected in the business world and is not good as a person as well.¡± He said.


    Rupert already had a solution but was hesitant to tell his wife. He didn¡¯t know whether she would like the idea or not. Still, he thought to give it a shot.


    ¡°Umm¡­M, I¡­I kind of have a solution but it seems to be difficult and I don¡¯t know if you will like it or not but this idea came to my mind just now and I think is ourst hope.¡±


    ¡°What solution?¡± she asked intriguingly. Any solution at this intense moment would be weed. All she wanted was for Ariana to be safe.


    ¡°I was thinking of investing in Andrew¡¯s business and will offer him a good deal which he would not be able to reject and in return, I will ask him Ariana¡¯s hand for our son for marriage.¡± He said while looking at his wife, thinking if she would agree or not, or if she would get angry at him.


    M was looking at his husband with wide eyes as if she had received a shock.


    Looking at her wife¡¯s reaction he thought she didn¡¯t like the idea so he exined further, ¡°I know this is a rash decision but I think this is the only thing we can do right now as we don¡¯t have time and I don¡¯t mind making Ariana my daughter-inw. We will not have to worry about her because she will be in safe hands.¡±


    ¡°Rupert, oh my goodness, this is a fantastic idea!¡± M squeaked. ¡°Goodness, I would love to make Ariana my daughter-inw, I know she would be perfect for our son¡±. She said excitedly as she hugged her husband.


    But her excitement vanished instantly.


    ¡°But Rupert, will our son ept this? You know our son and his lifestyle, he will not take this lightly.¡± M muttered disappointingly.


    ¡°Yes, I know. But we have to give it a shot. We have to make him ept this for his own good, for Ariana. Because that girl is a pure soul.¡± He said.


    ¡°Agreed. Okay, let¡¯s talk to him and I hope he agrees to this. This is the best we can do for both of them.¡± M said hopefully.


    ¡°Hmm¡­I guess first I should give a visit to Andrew and offer him my deal so that he will not marry off Ariana to anyone else. Then we will talk to our son.¡±Rupert replied.


    The same day Rupert visited Andrew since he didn¡¯t want to dy this. And as he thought Andrew agreed immediately.


    Of course, Andrew had to agree because he was getting a good deal and after all, the famous Rupert Knight was investing in hispany and the burden of Ariana was getting off of his shoulders. He couldn¡¯t be happier.

 02

    Xavier Knight


    Driving through the busy streets of New York, I made my way to mypany, XDS Autotech. My best friends, Daniel Adams, Sean Peterson, and I are equal partners in thepany. Ourpany was the USA¡¯s top Autoponent manufacturerpany.


    Ourpany was nothing when we started it right after college. We were Mechanical engineering graduates, after college, we started thispany from scratch and after seven years of intense struggle, ourpany became the highest-grossingpany of the year,st year. The goal was the same for this year as well. Right now, we had clients all over the world and famous automobilepanies were our clients. We had offices in some countries in the world but we had been working on expanding our business. It¡¯s a billion dorspany and I was very proud of it. And why wouldn¡¯t feel proud? It was my dream and now I was living it.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    As I reached mypany building, I parked my car in the private parking area and sauntered towards the entrance. Greeting good morning to the security guards, I entered the building then headed towards the private elevator, greeting good morning to my employees and the receptionist who was giving me a seductive smile making me mentally roll my eyes.


    Entering into the elevator, I click the sixtieth-floor button, which was my floor. Fifty-ninth belonged to Daniel and fifty-eight to Sean. Only a few other people worked on our floors and all other employees working in their respective departments on their respective floors.


    Once on the floor, I sauntered towards my office, greeting good morning to Mrs. Rosa Miller with a smile, she was the floor manager and was hardworking. As I got near my office I abruptly stopped, the view in front of me gave me an instant headache. There were hundreds of flower bouquets ced near the sitting area in front of my office.


    ¡°What is all this Ronald?¡± I asked my employee who, actually worked in the management department but right had to work as my temporary P. A. since I didn¡¯t have one at the moment as I fired myst P. A. a week ago.


    ¡°Sir, these are wishes from your clients and business partners.¡± He replied politely.


    I sighed, new clients always send letters and flowers as a thank you greeting.


    ¡°Clear the ce, Ronald. This scene is giving me a headache¡±.


    ¡°Umm¡­sir you won¡¯t go through these letters?¡± He questioned.


    I sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t have time Ronald, I have more important work to do.¡±


    Don¡¯t get me wrong but my every second count and going through these letters would surely take a day. But I couldn¡¯t disappoint my clients as they were the reason I was standing here.


    ¡°Ronald, do one thing, you together with Mrs. Miller, reply for those letters on my behalf but firste in the office and tell me my today¡¯s schedule,¡± I said and entered my office.


    I was going through the documents when suddenly my phone rang. I smiled watching the name which appeared on the phone screen ¡®My Old man¡¯. I picked up the call immediately.


    ¡°Good morning¡­world¡¯s best dad,¡± I said, grinning ear to ear as I rxed back in my chair.


    ¡°Oh.. ttering, are you saying this because you didn¡¯t meet your old man and old woman for so long?¡± Came his taunting reply.


    ¡°Ohe on, dad, you know I have been busy and I said that because I mean it.¡± Yeah, my parents are the best in the world. I am really very lucky to have them.


    ¡°Okay, okay fine I get it.¡± Heughed. ¡°Well son, your mother and I have something to talk to you about. Come for dinner tonight and don¡¯t say no because this is important.¡± He said with seriousness in his tone.


    ¡°Dad, is everything all right? Is mom okay?¡± I asked worriedly as I sat straight in my chair. My mom had a heart problem, she had already got two heart attacks in the past, but luckily they were not fatal.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry son, everything is fine and your mom is well, It¡¯s just that we both want to talk to you. Please doe, son.¡±


    ¡°Dad, you don¡¯t have to say please, you just have to order. I wille for sure, okay? See you tonight, bye dad, love you.¡± Saying that I hung the call.


    ¡°No way in hell I am gonna do that!¡± I snapped angrily at my parents who were sitting with me in the living room of the mansion after we had dinner.


    I came here to meet them, I was worried sick that there must be something serious but I didn¡¯t expect this news.


    ¡°One thing I don¡¯t understand is that why you invested in Andrew¡¯spany? You know he is not a wise man and most importantly why I have to marry her daughter?¡± I asked in bitterness.


    ¡°Xavi.. son, please try to understand it¡¯s for your own good. She is a good girl,¡± My mom said in a soft tone, taking my hands in hers.


    I gazed at her in disbelief. ¡°How can you say that it¡¯s for my own good? I am more than capable to create my own good and bullshit with that good girl crap, Andrew¡¯s daughter is nothing but a spoiled brat,¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Language Xavier.¡± My dad snapped at me. I huffed, I hadn¡¯t ever raised my voice at them.


    ¡°Sorry, dad¡­mom.¡± I apologized.


    ¡°Here we are not talking about Scarlet, we know what she is but we are talking about Andrew¡¯s other daughter. She is his stepdaughter.¡± Dad said.


    ¡°Andrew has two daughters?¡± I asked in surprise because I had never heard about that. Only that brat Scarlet was seen everywhere in the media.


    ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s not the point right now. Listen, son, she is a good girl. She is anything but a spoiled brat.¡± He said.


    ¡°How do you know that, dad? Have you seen her, met her? I myself right now got to know that Andrew has two daughters, I have never seen her; never met her. I don¡¯t know how she looks like and you want me to marry her?¡± I asked in disbelief.


    ¡°Please son¡­¡± I cut my dad in between


    ¡°My answer is NO and that¡¯s final,¡± I said getting up from the couch.


    Suddenly my mom took my hands in hers again.  ¡°Xavi, son, we never asked you for anything, we let you do what you wanted to we never interfered but for this first time, we are asking you for something. Please son just this one time listens to us just this time. We will never do anything wrong to you, we always want your good. Please, please, son.¡± Mom said with teary eyes.


    My heart sank watching my mother cry, it hurt me so much. Thest time I saw tears in her eyes was when I was in college and fell ill. I was away from home and she cried to see me but I didn¡¯t allow her toe to me because she was not well. We only talked on Skype. After that, I had never seen her cry.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, mom, you know I can¡¯t see tears in your eyes.¡± I embraced her into a tight hug.


    ¡°Please son, listen to us, we just want to see you happy,¡± Dad said. I gazed at him and found him with teary eyes which he was trying to hide but I saw them.


    I immediately let go of my mom and hugged my dad tightly. Indeed, they had never asked me for anything; even never questioned my decisions. They gave me everything and when I told my dad about my decision of starting my ownpany, he supported me in that too when wanted me to run the family business.


    They are the best parents in the world. If they were insisting me to do something then there must be something serious which they didn¡¯t want to tell me. At this moment, I wanted to hate them for doing this to me, but I couldn¡¯t because I love them to death. I can do anything for them. If marrying that girl would bring a smile to my parent¡¯s face so be it. I will do it!


    Sighing, I pulled apart and ran my hands in my hair topose myself.


    ¡°Okay, mom, dad, I will do this¡­just for you,¡± I said. Even though I didn¡¯t want to but I had to. I mean what could go wrong?


    ¡°Oh my god, son thank you, thank you, thank you so much.¡± Mom said happily and hugged me.


    ¡°But I have conditions!¡± I said after I pulled away from the hug.


    ¡°What conditions son?¡± Dad asked.


    ¡°This wedding will the smallest you could arrange. I mean.. no guest; no media. From my side, only you two will be present and from her side only her parents, no one else. No one should get to know about this marriage thing. And I want her details before I marry her.¡± I said in finality.


    My dad and mom looked at each other seem like they were talking with their eyes.


    ¡°Okay, son as you are agreeing to marry her we ept your conditions,¡± Dad replied.


    ¡°Thank you, Xavi,¡± Mom again hugged me tightly and I imitated her action.


    It feels good to see them happy.


    And about that girl, I will handle her myself.

 03

    Ariana Jones


    ¡°Mom, please don¡¯t do this to me. I am your daughter please at least listen to me.¡± I cried in front of my mom. We were sitting in my room; she came to tell me about my arranged marriage otherwise she never bother to step a foot into my room.


    Were there fewer troubles in my life already that I had to go through this as well?


    ¡°You have no choice. You are not letting Andrew¡¯s image down, he has done many things for you now it¡¯s your turn to repay. This will save Andrew¡¯s drowning business¡± mom said firmly.


    ¡°But I am not a business deal. I am your daughter, mom,¡± I yelled at her as I stood up from my sitting position, tears were running down my face.


    ¡°What did I do to deserve all this.¡± I cried harder, my legs became shaky making me fell to my knees.


    ¡°And what did I do that all that happened to me. I was forced to marry your father. I never loved him, I always despised him. He even didn¡¯t have enough money to fulfill my demands. Then you came because I was pressurized to give your grandparents a child and that gave me another reason to hate him and I hate you too.¡± She yelled angrily. I flinched at her tone.


    I couldn¡¯t believe what I was listening to. We were a happy family before my father died. Right? My mother loved me, No, she¡¯s lying to make me ept this marriage.


    ¡°No mom you¡­ you¡­are lying, you used to say that you love me.¡± I cried.


    Then she came to me and yanked me upwards harshly holding my left upper arm.


    ¡°Listen to me and listen carefully because I won¡¯t say it again¡­I never loved you nor I do now and I never loved your father. You don¡¯t know what I have been through. Now it¡¯s your time to feel the same as what I felt when I was forced to marry your father.¡± She spat angrily and pushed me backward which made me stumble on my steps.


    ¡°In fact, you should be thankful to us. We are generous enough that we are not giving you to any poor person. We have found a very rich man for you. You will live like a queen there.¡± She said and left the room.


    I ran after her crying ¡°Mom please¡­ please listen to me.¡± I cried but my cries were unheard.


    I reached the living room where Mr. Smith and his daughter, Scarlet, were sitting on the couch. My mother approached them. Scarlet was painting her toenails while Mr. Smith was doing something on his phone.


    ¡°Mom please¡­try to understand, I can¡¯t do this. I am not creating any trouble for you people, I just stay in my room, I have always done what you people asked me to do. But please don¡¯t do this to me.¡± I cried harder in the hope that mom will understand this.


    ¡°Enough of this drama!¡± A voice boomed in the living room making me flinch. It was Mr. Smith, my so-called father.


    ¡°You are going to marry the man I found for you. I have done so much for you. I gave you a living, sent you to school, gave you a ce to live. Now it¡¯s your turn to pay all that back by marrying him.¡± He said sternly.


    ¡°But dad the man you found for her is the most handsome man; he has got money. I want to marry him. I told you that before.¡± My step so-called sister Scarlet said annoyingly. She has always been a brat, she got everything without even asking for it, she even got the love of my mother which I didn¡¯t get even after asking for it.


    ¡°Oh, sweetie¡­that man is heartless, ruthless, and arrogant. I won¡¯t allow my daughter to marry that kind of man. I will find you the most loving, sincere, and best man on the. You deserve the best¡­ darling.¡±


    Mr. Smith said side hugging his daughter.


    My heart sank listening to him. Heartless and arrogant. No¡­ I couldn¡¯t handle this. I had seen enough heartless people in my life. I didn¡¯t want more. I immediately ran back to my room because I know they would not listen to me.


    I closed the room door and slumped on the floor with my back touching the door; I cried my heart out.


    ¡°Dad, please help me¡­I know you are watching me from up there. Please,e to me, save me from these cruel people, and this cruel world. I need you, dad¡­ I need you.¡± I mumbled, sobbing.


    No one here notices my tears¡­


    No one here notices my sadness¡­


    No one here notices my pain¡­


    I couldn¡¯t even run as they would find me anyway because I had tried it in the past but failed as Mr. Smith had got power, he found me within a day.


    With teary eyes, I looked up at the ceiling as though looking at the sky. ¡°Dad, help me, they are marrying me off to an unknown man. I don¡¯t know his name, I don¡¯t know what he looks like and I even don¡¯t know what kind of person he is.¡± I cried.


    Will he treat me as they did.


    Will he hurt me as they did.


    ¡°Please, Dad, give me the strength to face this situation too. You have always given me strength that¡¯s why I am still alive in the hope that one day I will find someone who will love me unconditionally and give me what I always desired of.. love, respect, and care.¡±


    Don¡¯t I deserve love, Don¡¯t I deserve affection and care.


    I never wanted money and luxury, I just wanted to be loved, I just wanted someone to care for me too.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    But for now, I just wanted to disappear.


    With all those thoughts swirling in my head I closed my eyes and fell into a deep slumber.

 04

    Ariana JonesN?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    This is it, the day came. The day of my marriage, probably the day of my doom. I was going to marry a man I didn¡¯t know anything about and it was happening just a day after my mother announced that I had to marry to save Mr. Smith¡¯s business.


    I didn¡¯t know anything; what I knew was just that it was a Church wedding and no guest would be present except his parents and my parents. It¡¯s not that I was expecting anyone there, I barely knew anyone, nor I had any friends. And also, no one knew about the wedding.


    I was wearing a simple white gown with ace design at the upper part of the gown which was chosen by my mother. I was not even taken for shopping for my own wedding. I would have admired the beauty of the gown but my mind was clouded with the thoughts of my life after the wedding.


    I walk down the aisle with Mr. Smith by my side. I never wanted this. I always wished that my father walk me down the aisle. But that¡¯s not possible. With my father in my mind, I moved forward. Tears started brimming in my eyes but I refused to let them out because I vowed to myself that I would not cry because I had already cried a lot.


    I stood at the altar, my head hung low. I slightly raised my eyes to look at the man to whom I was about to tie the knot. And as I looked at him my breath hitched; in front of me was standing the most handsome man I had ever seen. I could see the dark brown color of his beautiful eyes, his dark brown hair neatlybed back and his sharp jawline.. but I saw his jaw clenching, and then it hit me, his face was emotionless; he was ring at me which made me immediately lowered my eyes.


    He seemed angry, but why? If he was against this marriage then why he agreed? He didn¡¯t seem like anyone who would agree to do anything against his will.


    ¡°Do you Xavier Knight take Ariana Jones as yourwful wife.¡± The priest asked him and I looked up at him to find him looking at me, I lowered my eyes again. After a few seconds, he said: ¡± I do¡±.


    ¡°Do you Ariana Jones take Xavier Knight as yourwful husband.¡± I immediately said ¡°I do¡± because I wanted to get over with it and it¡¯s not that I have a choice. And then the wedding rings were exchanged.


    ¡°In the presence of God and your family, I now pronounce you husband and wife. May God bless you¡±


    ¡°You may now kiss the bride¡±


    My heart started beating at a faster rate as if it¡¯s going toe out. He was going to kiss me which made me nervous. I started to get panic but to my relief, he took my hand in his and kissed the back of it. I flinched under his touch, his touch gave me tingles in my body, the sensation I felt was something I had never experienced before.


    He let go of my hand and without uttering a word, he walked out of the church. I took moved down the altar.


    A middle-aged couple came to me whom I assumed were my husband¡¯s parents because of simr features. Thedy embraced me into a tight hug. ¡°Oh my God, you are so beautiful, Ariana. You have your father¡¯s eyes. You have grown up in a beautifuldy.¡± The tears I had been holding back began to appear again when my father¡¯s name came up. Did she know my father?


    ¡°No dear, don¡¯t cry I know you are missing your father but don¡¯t worry his blessings are always with you,¡± The old man said as he came and hugged me from the side. I usually get rmed when someone touches me but their touch gave me warmth. It was new to me.


    ¡°I am Rupert Knight and this lovelydy here is my wife M Knight and we are your father and mother-inw. And to bring you out from confusion, let me tell you, we and your father were best friends since college, we studied together.¡±


    I nodded my head in understanding. Then Mr. Knight handed me a ck box  ¡°Ariana this is for you. Your father wanted us to give this to you at your wedding, he gave this to us .. before¡­you know¡­¡± He said thest part sadly. I immediately understood because I didn¡¯t want to recall it.


    Upon opening the box, my eyes went wide; inside the box, there was a beautiful silver neck chain. I touched it and looked up at Mr. And Mrs. Knight with teary eyes. I know I vowed not to cry but the gift from my father made me remember my father and his absence had been eating me alive.


    Mrs. Knight gave me a consoling hug and I hugged her back.


    ¡°My dear, your father was a jewelry maker, he used to work in a jewelry store and he carved this beautiful piece with his own hands just for you,¡± Mrs. Knight said.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. And Mrs. Knight, this means a lot to me, you gave me the most precious gift of my life,¡± I said in a broken voice.


    ¡°Oh. Don¡¯t thank us, it was made for you and from now on please call us mom and dad, you are now our daughter, today we have got a daughter we never had.¡± Mr. Knight said, patting my head with his hand. I nodded my head.


    My mom came towards me and hugged me which I know she did to show my inws that she cared about me.


    ¡°Behave yourself there,¡± She whispered in my ear and pulled away.


    Scarlet my sister was looking at me with disgust. And as of Mr. Smith, his face showed nothing, same emotionless.


    I looked away since I didn¡¯t want to have any connection with them anymore. They had hurt me enough. Hope now, they would not do it to me anymore. Mrs. Knight took my hand in hers and smiled at me then took me out of the church.

 05

    Xavier Knight


    I never knew Andrew Smith had two daughters, the whole business world knew that he only had one daughter, Scarlet Smith because she was always in limelight. She was always present in business events or other parties with her father. She was nothing but a spoiled brat.


    But what intrigued me was Andrew¡¯s other daughter, his stepdaughter. Though she¡¯s his stepdaughter, why was she never in limelight, why was she hidden from the world, and most importantly how my mom and dad knew her if no one else did? And why they wanted me to marry her.


    How were they sure she¡¯s not some spoiled brat like her sister? As for me, I could only think of her as a spoiled brat. Maybe she had done something due to which her parents had to hide her from the world? I knew I was being judgemental but what else could I think when I didn¡¯t know anything about her?


    When my father gave her details to me, I got to know that her biological father died when she was ten and her mother remarried just after a year of her husband¡¯s death to Andrew Smith. She was a straight-A student in high school and college. That¡¯s all I got to know about her.


    When I saw her picture; I would be lying if I say that I wasn¡¯t mesmerized by her beauty but from my experience, I had learned that looks are always deceiving. They all had faces hidden behind their mask of beauty. These types of girls are always after money and she is no different; only because of money she must have said yes otherwise she didn¡¯t have any reason to say yes because we had never met, never knew each other.


    When she stood in front of me in the Church, I so badly wanted to run away, my blood was boiling and I was on verge of letting all my anger out on someone. But I chose not to because I was the reason she was standing in front of me. I agreed to marry her just because my parents wanted me to.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    It took me few seconds to say ¡°I do¡± because I wanted to say ¡°I don¡¯t¡± but my parents¡¯ happy face shed before my eyes, they were really happy when I agreed to marry the girl of their choice.


    I didn¡¯t want to kiss her on her lips or her face so I took her hand and kissed the back of her hand. A jolt of electricity passed through my body as I kissed her hand, my heartbeat increased at an rming rate which made me immediately let go of her hand. This kind of thing never happened to me before. What exactly happened? It was just a kiss.. that too on her hand. I was so damn confused. I immediately walked out of the Church to calm myself down.


    My thoughts were interrupted by my name being called, I turned towards the direction of the voice, which was my mother calling my name. She was holding her hand. She let go of her hand and approached me.


    ¡°Xavier son, today you made me happy by marrying Ariana. I wholeheartedly ept her as my daughter-inw. I know right now you must be confused an¡­ and must be a little unhappy with our decision. You must be hating us right now for doing this to you. But trust me, son, Ariana is pure gold, you will never regret marrying her. Take care of her son she is a delicate flower, we have done enough, she is now your responsibility. Take care of her, son and don¡¯t hate us. Remember that I love you. I am always proud of you.¡± She kissed my cheek and hugged me tightly and whispered: ¡°My little Xavi is a married man now.¡± Then she let go of me.


    ¡°Son, today I am handing over her responsibility to you. I will now live in peace because I know she will always be safe with you. I trust you on this son. Stay healthy, stay happy and keep her happy.¡± My dad patted my back.


    Handing over her responsibility? Safe?


    Though I had many questions in my mind, I just nodded my head but didn¡¯t say anything. Yes, I was hurt and upset but my parents¡¯ happiness was more important to me and they were very happy with my decision of marrying that girl. I may hate that girl for life but I couldn¡¯t do that to my mom and dad.


    I walked towards my car and opened the car back door for her to enter. I didn¡¯t want to do this but my parents were standing there. My mom and dad hugged her then she made her way towards the car. She entered and sat on the car backseat. Closing the door, I moved to the other side of the car and sat beside her. I asked my driver/bodyguard, Finn, to drive to my penthouse building.


    That¡¯s the new penthouse I purchased and shifted in a month ago; media or paparazzi didn¡¯t know about it. That¡¯s good for me because I didn¡¯t want them to know that I was married, I wanted to keep that hidden. If the media finds about this they would gather outside my workce and surely would dig out the address of my penthouse building and would not let me live in peace.


    We reached the building; Finn parked the car in the private parking. I got out of the car ordered Finn to bring her luggage up. Without saying anything I made my way towards the private elevator. I knew she was following me.

 06

    Ariana


    The ride from the church to his house was silent. He didn¡¯t even nce at me. I thought of looking at him but ignored that thought immediately. We reached his penthouse building.


    He got out of the car without uttering a word and approached the driver, and after mumbling something to him, he walked past him. His driver came and opened the car door for me. It¡¯s not that I wasn¡¯t capable of doing it on my own but I was tensed and had been sitting rigidly in my position that I forgot I had to get out of the car. I mumbled a small thank you to him and followed my husband.


    I stepped into the elevator with him and stood behind him. My heart was beating at an rming rate, it felt like it was going to explode anytime soon. But luckily, before it could happen the elevator door opened. He stepped out first then I stepped out. He entered the passcode into the security panel and when clicking the sound of opening the door lock came he opened the door and entered first.


    Once I stepped inside the house, my steps came to halt, stopping me from moving any further. My heartbeats which had already been speeding up at an rming rate a few minutes ago, now skipped a beat because the scene in front of me was worth skipping a heartbeat for. My eyes went wide; I was stunned by the beauty of the house.


    I was in awe of the beauty of this house that I almost forgot whose house was this and with whom I came here. The first thing that caught my eyes was the breathtaking skyline view which can be seen through therge ss window of the living room. Just one word came to my mind when I saw the scene


    ¡­. Wow¡­. just¡­wow¡­


    Surely I had spent life after my father¡¯s death in Mr. Smith¡¯s mansion which might be beautiful but this is a more beautiful house on the top of some tall building that shows the beautiful view of NY city.


    Basically, I never cared about admiring the beauty of Mr. Smith¡¯s mansion because how can one admire a prison? Yes¡­his mansion was a prison for me where I was not allowed to exit my room so that they all didn¡¯t get to see my face. I wasn¡¯t free in that mansion. I never lived a free life there or in their house.


    I didn¡¯t know why but right now where I was standing made me feel like a free bird. I had a feeling that I would not be caged here as they caged me, I would not be treated here as they treated me. This ce felt like freedom to me.


    This is the new phase of my life, basically, 3rd phase, the first being living with my father, and the second being, living with Mr. Smith and them, and this was the third.


    I didn¡¯t know what stepping into this new phase of life would bring to me, but I was hopeful¡­ hopeful like always I had been¡­ hopeful for a better life full of love, respect, and care.


    Please, dad, support me in this.


    My thoughts were interrupted by a voice full of agitation.


    ¡°Are you gonna stand there or you gonnae to see your room?¡±


    When I looked at him, he was already standing in the middle of stairs with his hands in his pant pockets.. looking extraordinarily handsome¡­


    Well, when Scarlet was whining about marrying the man who I was forced to marry, saying that he was handsome¡­ I never imagined him to be this handsome.


    I nodded my head and followed him upstairs. He stopped in front of a room.


    ¡°This is your room and beside this is my room. Do whatever you want in your room but don¡¯t bother me.¡± He said sternly. I nodded my head looking down.


    ¡°Look at me when I talk to you¡± He grumbled firmly.


    I immediately looked up and met his eyes, his beautiful eyes were void of any emotion he was just staring at me like he wanted to kill me.


    Oh my goodness is he really going to kill me?.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    He opened his mouth to say something but shook his head and turned around to leave but his steps came to halt, he again turned around and stared at me clenching his jaw. He walked forward and I stayed rooted at my ce unable to move. He stopped a hand distance away from me. His face was full of rage, he was constantly clenching his jaw.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what magic you did on my parents that they couldn¡¯t stop praising you and asked me to marry you. We are married but this doesn¡¯t mean I ept you as my wife. I don¡¯t know you and you don¡¯t know me. I don¡¯t know about you but I married you for the sake of my parents. Remember this¡­you are my wife only in my parents¡¯ eyes¡­for me, you are nothing. Who knows you might be a gold-digger as your sister because she is, you can¡¯t deny this fact.¡± He lightly shrugged his shoulders as he frowned hard at me. Saying this, he turned around and left.


    Again¡­all hopes of my desired life were broken. He shattered all my hopes like ss into millions of pieces.


    I didn¡¯t know for how long I stood there, dumbfounded, trying to grasp his words. But I came back into my senses when something warm touched my cheeks, I touched my cheek with my hand to get to know those were my tears, I was crying. No, I couldn¡¯t cry, I promised myself that I won¡¯t cry. I immediately wiped my tears and entered the room.


    If I wasn¡¯t this distressed I would have admired the beauty of this room. But I just sauntered towards the cushioned bench ced against the window showing the skyline view.


    I sat on the bench not bothering to change my clothes and stared outside the window at the skylines thinking about what he said.


    He was angry, he let out what had been troubling him. But what about me? I was also angry, I also wanted to take out my anger, I also wanted to scream, I also wanted to let out all I was feeling. But no I couldn¡¯t do it because no one is there to listen to me, to my pain, my cries.


    He said I was nothing to him. I thought my husband would be the one who will show love to me, guess I was wrong. I had been called worse and had never been important to anyone in my life. I never felt broken as I felt now. Hearing that I was nothing for pained me more. I didn¡¯t know why it pained¡­ maybe because I had been expecting him to be kind and good to me?


    Gold digger? I mentally scoffed. Only if he knew I never wanted gold, I just wanted a peaceful life with a job that pays enough to meet my ends. I never desired luxury. I just dreamt of spending a simple life with the person who will love me unconditionally, will respect me, will care for me.


    But who was I kidding? My life had always been like this and will remain like this. I think I was born to be left alone.


    What did I do to deserve all this?


    With all those thoughts in my mind, I drifted off to sleep.

 07

    Ariana


    I opened my eyes when I received the feeling of slight burning. I looked at the source which was causing me to feel burned; it was the searing heat of the sun prating my skin. I groaned when I came back to my senses. I slept on the cushioned benchst night with curtains wide open. I looked up towards the wall clock, it was six in the morning.


    I stood up from the bench and made my way to the bathroom and as soon as I entered the bathroom, I gasped out loud. The bathroom was huge, it was almost the same size as the room. Floor tiles were shiny white, giving the feeling of ss. Arge modern bathtub is ced at one side of the bathroom and a ss-walled shower beside it. Some indoor nts are ced on the side making the bathroom more beautiful.


    I brushed my teeth and then I stripped out of my wedding gown and headed into the shower; I was not a fan of a long bath. I turned the knob of the shower and stood below the stream of water flowing from the shower. I let out a breath when water touched my head. I did not wet my hair daily but today I needed it¡­ to calm my head for some time from the thoughts swirling in my head otherwise I would have gotten a headache. After showering, I took a towel that was ced neatly in the cab and towel-dried myself then wore the robe and stepped out of the bathroom. First, I shut the curtains of the room with the remote control. Yeah, curtains were controlled by a remote. I knew I was in the room on top of a tall building and no one could see me from outside but still, I wasn¡¯t feelingfortable changing my clothes without shutting the curtains.


    I opened my suitcase and I took out ck casual sweatpants, t-shirt and wore it. I didn¡¯t feel like wearing jeans when I knew I¡¯d not be going out. Sweatpants are morefortable.


    I air-dried my hair thenbed my waist-length hair, my hair is deep brown-almost ck, anyone could misjudge it as ck, especially at night. I put my hair into a bun. I never leave it open, all the time either my hair is braided or in a bun. My hair is super smooth, silky, and straight. But Scarlet always used to bully me that my hair looks hideous, I always felt self-conscious of my hair that¡¯s why I always tied it up. I don¡¯t even put it in a ponytail.


    After getting ready, I sat on the bed, contemting if I should go out of the room or not. What if I came face to face with him and he would get angry at me? But I needed to eat breakfast, I was hungry. What should I do?


    The ring of the doorbell echoed in my ears, making me flinch. Someone was at the door. I looked at the wall clock which indicated 7:30 am. The doorbell rang again. Why isn¡¯t he opening the door? I wondered. When the doorbell rang the third time I stood up from the bed and made my way outside. I reached the living room. He wasn¡¯t there, maybe he¡¯s still sleeping. I should open the door before his sleep gets disturbed.


    I opened the door toe face to face with a middle-ageddy. ¡°Yes..?¡± I asked politely.


    ¡°Good morning Mrs. Knight, I am Molly Cooper, cook for Mr. Knight. He called mest night and asked me toe here at this time.¡± She said in a very sweet voice.


    ¡°Oh, pleasee in,¡± I said and opened the door wider for her. She entered inside with two other females.


    ¡°These girls came to cleaning the house. They will clean the house and in the meantime, I will prepare breakfast for you,¡± She said, pointing towards the females standing beside her.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Xav¡­ Xavier is still sleeping, let him get up then you can make breakfast for him¡± Ugh¡­why I stammered speaking his name.


    ¡°Oh, no Mrs. Knight, he isn¡¯t here. He left for a business trip early in the morning. He informed mest night¡± she replied. Oh.. he isn¡¯t home.


    ¡°Oh!¡± I said feeling embarrassed, what she must be thinking that I didn¡¯t know the whereabouts of my husband?


    ¡°I should start preparing breakfast, you must be hungry,¡± She said and dismissed otherdies to do their work. She made her way to the kitchen and I followed her.


    ¡°Umm¡­Mrs. Molly, you don¡¯t have to take any trouble for me. I can make breakfast for myself and I can even do the cleaning work.¡± I said politely.


    ¡°Oh, nonsense. You are now a Knight darling, you should take advantage of being a Knight. And I am the cook here, I came to cook for you. So just sit and let me know what you want to eat¡± she said


    ¡°I insist¡­Mrs. Molly.¡± Before I could say anything else she cut me off in between.


    ¡°Scrambled eggs and toast¡­good for you?¡± I sighed and said yes. She was not going to listen to me anyway.


    ¡°Coffee or tea¡­Mrs. Knight ?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Neither one¡­ I can¡¯t handle caffeine¡± I replied. Well, it¡¯s true, the doctor has advised me to stay away from caffeine due to my severe headache issues.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡°And please Mrs. Molly, call me Ariana, you are older than me. It doesn¡¯t feel right you calling me Mrs. Knight¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ Ariana¡­I will make fresh juice then.¡± She replied, smiling.


    I sat on the barstool ced against the counter. After a few minutes, she ced a breakfast te and a ss of juice in front of me.


    ¡°You are just the way Mrs. Knight described you. Beautiful, polite, and well-behaved. They have chosen the best for Xavier. Eat your breakfast, dear. If you need anything else, please let me know.¡± She smiled, patting my head in a motherly manner.


    I just nodded my head and started eating my breakfast. I didn¡¯t know what else to say.


    It had been four days since I got married and four days since Ist saw him. I didn¡¯t know where he was, with whom he was, and when he was going toe back. I knew nothing.


    In a very short time I had grown closer to Mrs. Molly, she was a sweet, bubbly, and caringdy. She told me that she had been working for Xavier¡¯s family since he was two years old. Basically, she started working as a nanny for Xavier but after that, she started working as a cook there. She told me that she was second mother to Xavier. He was pretty close to her. If he was in NY and not in any business meeting, he only ate food prepared by her or his mother.


    She told me that she lived in Knight mansion with her husband David Cooper, who is chauffeur to Mr. Rupert Knight. She had two children, a son, and a daughter. Her son worked in a financepany in Florida, he lives there with his wife and five-year-old daughter. Her daughter also lived in Florida who is a fresh graduate searching for a job. She told me that Mr. And Mrs. Knight funded her children¡¯s education. She was also very close to Mrs. Knight.


    What should I say about Mr. And Mrs. Knight? They are a really sweet couple. They both came a day before yesterday to check on me if I was okay or not. Mrs. Knight told me that they were going on a vacation as they needed some free time from their hectic life. So, before leaving they came to see me. I was really touched by their gesture because no one had ever checked on me.. after my father.


    Mrs. Molly woulde to prepare breakfast and dinner. After a lot of requests, she agreed not toe to make lunch. I was really feeling disabled when she was not allowing me to do anything. At least now I could move my body a little and make lunch for myself. She didn¡¯t allow me to clean the house but I told her that I would clean my room myself to which she agreed. Cleaning means only making my bed or putting things in the right ce because not even slight dirt could be seen in the house.


    I thought of finding a new job since I had to quit from thest one. I had to find a job for my mental stability. I decided to talk to Xavier about this when hees back.


    But would he listen to me? And if by chance he agreed to listen to me then would he allow me to do the job? Though he shouldn¡¯t have a problem with that since it would be better for both of us. I would not see him and he would also not see me.


    I didn¡¯t know how would I talk to him, he seemed very intimidating. But I had to gather the courage to talk to him because I had to prove to him that I was not a gold digger. He was suspecting me to be one, I would show him who I actually was.


    My whole day went into my thoughts. I spent my whole day thinking about how would I initiate the talk with him.


    I changed my clothes and went to bed to sleep. I let themplight on because I couldn¡¯t sleep inplete darkness. I was scared¡­I was scared of nightmares¡­ I was scared of them who haunted me in my sleep too.


    I drifted my mind to Xavier and my future with him. Mrs. Molly knew what was going on between us. She asked me to give time to Xavier. She asked me to have faith.


    But she doesn¡¯t know that he has already crumpled all my hopes.


    Shutting all the thoughts off from my mind I went into slumber.


    I hope tomorrow will be a different and productive day.

 08

    Ariana


    ¡°No¡­No¡­ please¡­. Please¡­ don¡¯t¡­¡±


    I woke up startled, with sweaty palms and I was panting hard. I rubbed my face with my palms as I tried to catch my breath. Again¡­again I had a nightmare. I was sick of it now! Why were they not getting out of my mind? It¡¯s only my fault, I shouldn¡¯t have thought about them before sleeping.


    I looked at the clock ced on the nightstand and found out I woke up at five in the morning. I decided to get up from the bed as it was morning already. Well, my eyes automatically open at sharp six in the morning but there¡¯s no way I was going to catch any sleep now, so, I got up from the bed then I pressed the remote button to open the curtains. I stood near the window, looking at the beautiful view outside, the sun had not fully raised yet.


    I stood there looking into the void, thinking about what this new day would bring to me. I hoped that the new day brings new possibilities. Every morning first thing I do is hope for the positive, this is what my father taught me, always be positive, every day is new you don¡¯t know what a new day may bring to you. This is what I have been doing since I was a child, hoping for the day that will change my life for good.


    I sighed out loud and made my way towards the bathroom. I did my morning business then showered and stepped out of the bathroom in my bathrobe. I slid the ss doors of the walk-in closet and entered there. I wore loose ankle-length denim jeans and a t-shirt. I tied my hair in a bun and sat on the bed, it was still 6:45 am. I made my bed and ced other things in their ces, and then headed downstairs. When I reached the living room I heard some sound in the kitchen.


    ¡°Must be Mrs. Molly¡± I mumbled as I sat on the couch.


    Suddenly something struck me¡­Mrs. Molly always rang the bell though she had a password and she woulde at seven-thirty in the morning but right now it was still seven in the morning. Weird. I headed towards the kitchen and froze on my steps when I saw a man finding something in the fridge.


    Oh my goodness, there is a thief in the house. What am I gonna do now? Frantically, I tiptoed back to the living room and started searching for something to hit him. I took the first thing I found, a TV remote. Stupid, I know, but that was the only weapon I could think of to save myself with. I ran towards the kitchen, my hands held high gripping the remote tightly but abruptly stopped at the entrance of the kitchen when the thief turned.


    My eyes turned wide¡­there stood the man whom I hadn¡¯t seen in thest five days. When did hee back? That¡¯s not my fault that I didn¡¯t recognize him, I first andst saw him only on the wedding day. He was looking at me with weird expressions.


    ¡°What are you trying to do by lifting the remote in the air?¡± Xavier asked me, raising eyebrows.


    ¡°Oh!¡­ I was just catching the signal¡± I immediately put my hand down and hid the remote at the back. Seriously Ariana¡­ catching the signal.. you are so stupid Ariana.. stupid.. stupid.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    He gave me are-you-out-of-your-mind look¡­yeah I am out of my mind right now. I averted my eyes and looked down.


    ¡°Whatever. Meet me in my study exactly at ten. I have something to talk to you about.¡± Saying that he walked out of the kitchen.


    What now? He said that day not to bother him but now he wants to talk to me? Hope there is not anything serious.


    Mrs. Molly came on her time, I helped her to make breakfast, she sent Xavier¡¯s breakfast to his room then I ate mine. I wanted to help her with washing the dishes but she didn¡¯t allow me.


    I wanted to divert my mind because I may be here but my mind was at him thinking what he wanted to talk to me about.


    It was almost ten and here I was, standing outside his study feeling extremely nervous. He seemed intimidating and I didn¡¯t know how I¡¯d have a conversation with him. But I had to.


    ¡°Ariana put your insecurities away and be confident. He will not eat you alive, he said he wants to talk which means he will only talk civilly. You can do it, Ariana.¡± I did a pep talk to myself to prepare to face him. I suck a deep breath and knocked on the door. And when he said toe in, I turned the doorknob and entered. I left the door wide open. He was sitting on the couch with theptop on hisp and was typing furiously. He has a good typing speed. He still hadn¡¯t looked at me.


    ¡°You wanted to talk to me?¡± I asked nervously, looking towards him while fidgeting my fingers. He stopped typing and looked at me.


    ¡°Yes.¡± He kept hisptop aside and stood up, and stuffed his hand in his pant pockets. He was wearing grey pants and a white shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was looking devilishly handsome.


    ¡°I want you to work for me.¡± He said.


    Oh, okay he wants me to work for him that¡¯s not something serious¡­wait, what? Work for him?


    ¡°Wh.. what?¡± I asked while looked at him questioningly. I think I heard him wrong.


    ¡°You heard me,¡± he said authoritatively.


    This means I heard him right. My ears were not ying tricks with me. I want to work¡­but for him?


    ¡°What work?¡±


    ¡°I want you to work as my Personal Assistant¡±


    And that hit me hard. I stood there frozen, rewinding his words in my head.. he wants me to work as his personal assistant. But why?


    I knew he owned apany and a very bigpany, Mrs. Molly told me about this. But I didn¡¯t have any experience in the field. I always did small jobs. What if Imit any mistake? Being a P. A. for the owner of apany is a very big responsibility.


    ¡°I.. I don¡¯t have any experience and I-¡± Before I could say anything else he cut me off.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t have any experience. Obviously, how will you have the experience, you must have been spoon-fed by your parents and must not have worked for anything. But here you have to earn the living. I need a P. A. so just suck it up and ept it.¡± He said in a sharp tone.


    I was just looking at him surprised not with his tone but by him judging me. How could he say that I was spoon-fed? He didn¡¯t know how much I had struggled all my life. I wanted to cry but I wouldn¡¯t, I¡¯d be strong and show him what I was capable of. My life has been a challenge and I epted all the challenges. I will ept this too and I will prove him wrong. One day he¡¯ll take his words back.


    ¡°Okay. I ept it¡± I said confidently. I didn¡¯t know where I got the confidence from but I could not let him judge me without knowing me.


    ¡°Good, by the way, you didn¡¯t have any choice. Now listen, you have to reach my office sharp at eight-thirty, not a minutete. I hate tardiness. Rest will be discussed in my office.¡± He announced.


    ¡°Okay.¡± This is all I could say.


    ¡°And you will use public transport to reach the building¡±.


    ¡°Okay¡± that¡¯s not difficult, I had always used public transport.


    ¡°Good. You may go now.¡±


    I turned to go out but before I could leave he said,


    ¡°Don¡¯t bete and don¡¯t make me regret my decision of appointing you as my P. A.¡±


    Without turning to look at him, I replied positively and went out of the room.

 09

    Xavier Knight


    I had been sitting in my office waiting for her to arrive. It was eight in the morning and she was to arrive at eight-thirty. I left my penthouse early as I had some work toplete and also I didn¡¯t want to see her in the morning, not because she had done something abhorrent, but because I was still not used to someone¡¯s presence in my house. I just left before she coulde out of her room.


    I knew I had been a jerk for disappearing after our marriage without informing her. But I was angry at her, at myself, at everybody. I didn¡¯t want to talk to anyone so, I just left, but I did drop a text to Mrs. Molly so that she could inform her.


    I had no idea what came up to me and I offered her the vacant position in my office. I didn¡¯t know why I offered her the position which would allow her to be closer to me all the time. But I did, and now I had to live with it.


    Well, she better arrive on time otherwise she will see my boss mode which I am very eager to show her. I strictly told her not to tell anyone about the marriage thing. I didn¡¯t want anyone to know about that. I wanted to keep this information hidden, not because I wanted to give people the idea that I was single, but because I hadn¡¯t epted her yet.


    I had no idea what was her lifestyle since she had been hidden all this while. But considering that she was Andrew¡¯s daughter and Scarlet¡¯s sister, she had been living in luxury and was still enjoying it. It was rude of me to order her to use public transport but I thought she would retort, but to my surprise, she didn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t say anything, I just had to let everything go with the flow.


    I sighed. She would get to see the real world now. She would get to know how the luxury is earned, like the way I learned. This is not everyone¡¯s cup of tea. One has to work hard to get all this bypromising sleep,fort zone, and peace of mind. Even though I had my father¡¯s support, I had to work myself for everything. My father refused to find me connections since he wanted to do it on my own. Clients, equipment, marketing, productivity, hard-working and trustworthy employees, risks, profits; all these things are major aspects to run a business. Finance is not the only key.


    I was not here by doing nothing! I worked hard to reach this position. I worked hard to make my own name when many people were there judging me at every step saying I had my father¡¯s finance with me, asking me why I was not joining my father¡¯spany as the CEO.


    My father owned apany named Softtech. Corp. He built thatpany on his own. It¡¯s a softwarepany that develops almost every type of software. Security software, gaming software, ounting software, downloading software, graphic software, educational software, you name it. And is a very renownedpany in the USA.


    It¡¯s not like, I didn¡¯t want to join my father¡¯spany, I just wanted to make my own name without involving my father in it. To date, my dad had been eagerly waiting for my agreement so that he could transfer thepany to me.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    But he knew that I always wanted to make my own name which I already had made. I have shown the world what I could do.


    Building my empire brought me many other benefits too. I became a major shareholder in manypanies around the world.


    XDS Autotech didn¡¯t only belong to me. My best friends, Daniel and Sean were equal partners and we all did equal hard work to bring thispany to the top. Hence, the name XDS AUTOTECH.


    Daniel has been my friend since high school. My and his fathers were also friends. We entered the same college and opted for the same course because our interests were the same. His whole family including his mom, dad, and sister died in a ne crash when we were in thest year of our college. He was devastated by the news, luckily I, Sean, and my parents were there to handle and console him. Since then my parents took care of him and loved him like their own son. His father¡¯spany was transferred to him after that incident.


    As for Sean¡­ Daniel and I met him in college, he was also taking the same course. He had issues with his family. When we met him in college, he instantly became our friend and he also became close to my family.


    Daniel, Sean, and I are more than just friends; we are brothers. Since the day we met, we have been with each other. We have shared our happiness and sorrows together. We know each other very well.


    Daniel is full of life, he is funny, crazy, he is not hot-tempered. He barely gets angry. He always handles every situation calmly. But if anyone dares cross the line or anyone dare hurt his loved ones, that person has to go through his wrath. He can die and kill for his loved one.


    Sean, on the other hand, is a serious man, he is even more serious than me. He¡¯s more reserved, silent, and grumpy. He barely joked.


    XDS Autotech was our priority because it made us who we are today. We handle all our other businesses from here itself.


    My train of thoughts was interrupted by a knock on the door. I nced at the clock which indicated the time, eight-thirty. Hope it¡¯s her. I had challenged her to show me what she could do. Let¡¯s see what has she got.


    I straightened myself in my chair and wore a bossy look.


    ¡°Come in¡±.

 10

    Ariana


    I had no idea why I had been feeling weird. I felt jittery, I felt like butterflies were flying in my stomach and it was giving me an unusual sensation. My legs were shaking and my mind was not calm. It was not just another day for me, It¡¯s a new opportunity, a new beginning. From today onwards I¡¯d be working for my husband as his P. A. I didn¡¯t know how I¡¯d manage to work as his P. A. when I had a problem with socializing with people. And being a PA means I had to speak to many people rted to work. But I have to do it. It¡¯s now or never.


    I was standing in the closet, in my bathrobe trying to figure what to wear. I didn¡¯t have many clothes and I couldn¡¯t wear jeans, t-shirt as I had been wearing them all my life at work. They were small jobs and clothes didn¡¯t matter there, but I couldn¡¯t wear them at his workce. He owned a bigpany. I couldn¡¯t afford to make fool of myself by wearing jeans and a t-shirt. I should have gone shopping for clothes a day before. I have some savings from myst job.


    I only had one or two outfits that look professional. I choose white pants, a ssic white shirt, and a navy blue cardigan. It was fall season, making the weather slightly chilly. I wore the outfit and looked at myself in the mirror. I hope this outfit looks professional.


    I had a problem with wearing skirts or any other piece of cloth which would show my skin, especially my stomach, lower back, and thighs, I was notfortable. I wanted to wear them but I couldn¡¯t because I couldn¡¯t let anyone see my past, the insecurities that I had been hiding underneath the clothes.


    I stared at my reflection in the mirror and blinked back my tears which were threatening to fall. I shook my head vigorously¡­this is not the time to recall the past.


    I wore ballet ts, my height is good, 5¡¯8¡å, so, I didn¡¯t have to worry about looking short. Heels would do nothing but give me sore feet. I put my hair in a bun and wore my only silver wristwatch. I didn¡¯t put on any makeup, just nude lipstick, thin eyeliner, and applied moisturizer¡­I was not into makeup. I took my preciousptop bag and slung it over my shoulder.


    Yeah, thisptop was precious to me. When I was in college, I won apetition, and college management gave me thisptop. But the one who handed it over to me said theptop is from someone special. I didn¡¯t know who that someone special was but I was thankful to that person as theptop had helped me in my studies a lot since I couldn¡¯t afford to buy it myself. I didn¡¯t let a single scratche to theptop.


    I ate my breakfast which Mrs. Molly prepared for me; she told me that Xavier had already left because he had some work to do before going to the office. I left for work at seven fifty because I had to take the bus to reach the building and it would take twenty minutes by bus to reach the building. I didn¡¯t want to bete on my first day.


    The bus dropped me at the bus stop near the building. The building was 5 minutes walk away from the bus stop.


    When I reached outside of the building, I stood there frozen looking towards the sky-high ss building. It¡¯s magnificent, truly amazing and at the top, there¡¯s written XDS AUTOTECH in bold letters.


    I made my way inside the building, greeting good morning to the guards. When I got inside, I was spellbound by the inside beauty of the building. His workce was truly a fine piece of architecture.


    Looking around, I reached the reception desk and tried to get the attention of thedy sitting across the massive desk whose face was covered with heavy makeup. She¡¯s wearing a very tight shirt which was showing her deep cleavage. How could she wear such a tight dress at the workce and how was she even breathing in such a tight dress? I nced at her name tag ced on the desk¡­ Katherine.. that¡¯s her name.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± I tried to gain her attention. She looked up and raised her eyebrows.


    ¡°Yes?¡± She asked in a clipped tone.


    ¡°Could you please tell me the way to Xa-um¡­ Mr. Knight¡¯s office?¡± I asked politely.


    ¡°Do you have any appointment?¡± She asked rudely.


    ¡°No. Actually, I am appointed as Mr. Knight¡¯s Personal assistant and it¡¯s my first day today.¡±


    ¡°I am not informed about this.¡± Shemented. I immediately passed her the letter Xavier gave me to show the employees in case of any inconvenience.


    She read the letter with furrowed eyebrows and then looked up, she looked surprised. She started checking me from head to toe. I felt conscious about my look. Is my outfit not looking professional?


    ¡°Take that elevator to your left. His office is on thest floor that is 60th floor, there you will find ady named Mrs. Rosa Miller at the floor reception desk, she will lead you to the CEO¡¯s office.¡± She passed me the letter and started doing her work.


    I thanked her and entered the elevator. I reached the top floor; then to the reception desk, ady in her mid-thirties was sitting behind the desk. She smiled looking at me.


    ¡°Good morning. How may I help you?¡± She asked politely with a smile. She seems to be a nicedy.


    I greeted her good morning and handed over the letter to her.


    ¡°Oh, Ms. Ariana Jones. I was informed about your arrival. Well, nice to meet you. Let¡¯s take you to your destination.¡± She smiled and stood up from the chair.


    ¡°Come with me.¡±


    I walked beside her, she stopped in front of the door on which CEO- Xavier Knight was written.


    ¡°Well, Miss Jones, this is your destination. Knock on the door and wait for hismand to enter. Have a nice day.¡± Saying that she left me standing in front of therge door.


    I inhaled and exhaled three times then I knocked on the door. With the faint sound ofe in, I twisted the doorknob to open the door and stepped inside.


    There he was, sitting on his chair behind his desk looking all authoritative, dominant, and supreme. And most importantly, he was staring at me making my heart pick up the speed.


    ¡°On time¡­hmm.. impressive.¡± He said, not taking his eyes off me.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I said and bowed slightly. My father had taught me to bow out of respect whenever I greet anyone. He was Asian and bowing when you greet someone means respect in many Asian countries and most importantly you are saved from shaking your hand with a stranger.


    ¡°Sit.¡± He said, pointing at one of the chairs ced opposite his desk.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    No greeting back??¡­ rude!!


    I sat on the chair and kept myptop bag on myp and started fidgeting my fingers, my legs were shaking.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s talk about your work.¡± He leaned a little forward and ced his elbows on the table; still, his eyes were on me.


    ¡°First thing first, you will address me as ¡®sir¡¯ or ¡®Mr. Knight¡¯ and no one, means no one should get to know about this marriage thing. Is that clear?¡± He said authoritatively.


    I know that! He doesn¡¯t need to remind me again and again. I know he thinks that I am not worthy of being his wife. And it hurts me a lot.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied timidly.


    ¡°Now, as my P. A. you will handle the business calls, set the meetings, appointments, proofread the documents, and will handle the e-mails. You will apany me in all business meetings inside and outside the building or country if needed. And you will make coffee for me whenever I ask for it. Is that clear?¡±


    Woah¡­ that¡¯s a lot of work. That means a lot of socializing.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Here are some files¡± He pointed towards the pile of files on his desk ¡°That¡¯s your work for the day. In some files, you have to proofread the content and some files contain the documents you have to email. Take these files and start working in your office which is beside mine. It¡¯s already prepared for you. And remember, don¡¯t make mistakes andplete your work on time.¡± He said thest partmandingly. I nodded my head.


    ¡°You may leave.¡± He ordered.


    I didn¡¯t listen to him. I was just gaping at the files and then looked at him, whose eyes were now on theputer screen. I again looked towards the files.. these are so many files, how will I lift them?


    I was eyeing the pile of files when his voice interrupted me ¡°Any problem?¡±


    I looked at him and found him staring at me with raised eyebrows.


    ¡°N.. No.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­do I have to personally bring you to your office?¡± He said annoyingly.


    ¡°No.¡± I immediately stood up and hanged myptop bag on my shoulder then picked up the files. Oh god, those were so heavy. I turned and took cautious and slow steps towards the door making sure not to fell on the floor with files.


    Carefully, I stepped out of his office.. phew.. finally I did it without falling.


    I started walking towards my office bncing the files in my hands; after taking a few steps I bumped into someone and all the files fell on the floor.


    ¡°Woah¡­easy there girl¡±

 11

    Ariana


    ¡°Woah¡­easy there girl!¡±


    I gasped as I looked at the mess on the floor. All the were files scattered on the floor. And then I looked up to see whom I bumped into. I gasped again. There stood two handsome men with a beautiful shade of eyes. One had beautiful blue eyes and the other had brown eyes. They both had chiseled faces which gave them a look of models. But Xavier¡¯s features were finer. Wait¡­Why was Iparing them with him, why? I guess it was because I bumped into them pretty hard and some of my nerve cells got disced that¡¯s why stupid things wereing into my mind. Really Ariana? How nerve cells can be disced from their position?


    I think I had been staring at them for long because I came back to my senses when the blue-eyed one snapped his finger in front of my face.


    ¡°Oh! Erm, sorry.¡± I immediately crouched to pick up the files.


    ¡°Let us help you.¡± They also crouched down and started picking the files.


    ¡°Do you work here? Have never seen you before.¡± Blue-eyed one asked.


    ¡°I just started working today, It¡¯s my first day,¡± I said as I stood up with some files in my hand, they also stood up with files in their hands.


    ¡°Oh. In which department do you work?¡± The Brown-eyed one asked.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I work on this floor itself. I am appointed as Personal Assistant to Mr. Xavier Knight.¡± I said, looking at them.


    ¡°You are appointed as what?¡± They asked in unison. The shock was clearly visible on their face. Did I say something wrong?


    ¡°Umm.. Personal Assistant to Mr. Xavier Knight?¡± It came out as a question from my mouth.


    They both exchanged a look and then looked back to me, ¡°Okay¡­well, let us help you to walk to your office.¡± The Brown-eyed one said. I nodded my head and started walking.


    I opened the door of my office, walked inside, and ced the files on the desk and they also did the same.


    ¡°Um¡­Thank you for your help.¡± I said as I faced them.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee. So, what¡¯s your name?¡± The Brown-eyed one asked he was gazing at me intently.


    ¡°Ariana Jones.¡± As I said my name, his eyebrows went up as if he was surprised. Strange. He didn¡¯t break his intense gaze. He kept on watching me as if he was trying to figure out something. I averted my eyes, his scrutinizing gaze was making me nervous.


    ¡°Nice name. So, do you know us?¡± The Blue-eyed one asked.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Should I? Do you two also work here?¡± I asked in confusion. I really didn¡¯t know them. Was I missing something here?


    The blue-eyed one was about to say something but the brown-eyed one cut him off.


    ¡°Never mind. It was nice meeting you. Enjoy your first day of work, Miss Jones.¡± Saying that he dragged the blue-eyed one out with him.


    I was about to ask their names but they had already left. I¡¯ll ask their name if we meet again.


    I shrugged my shoulders and went around the desk to sit on my chair. As I sat on my chair my eyes went to two gadgets ced on the desk.


    A smile broke on my face when I saw an iPad and thetest iPhone. I loved gadgets, I was so into them. I never missed anytest news on them, they always brought a smile to my face. I wish I could have all the gadgets, but I couldn¡¯t afford them.


    I read the note ced beside the gadgets.


    ¡°For official purposes.¡±


    Xavier Knight


    As if I was going to use them for any other purpose.. hmpf


    I took the iPhone in my hand and nced it admiringly¡­ I would have preferred Android.. but I am more than happy that I got the chance to hold an iPhone.


    I ced the iPhone back in its ce and grabbed the file.


    ¡°Time to work,¡± I muttered to myself.


    I was in the middle of the work when the inte beeped; I received it. Before I could say hello a deep voice came¡­


    ¡°In my office, Now.¡± I didn¡¯t take time to guess whose voice was it. Obviously, my boss.


    I sighed and stood up from my chair and went to his office.

 12

    Xavier Knight


    Rather than being annoyed, I was amused. I mean, was she really that stupid? She could have taken a few files first, but no, she took all of them in one go. Apart from that, she really surprised me by arriving on time. I thought she would show upte.


    Suddenly, the door of my office burst open and two men barged in; two men who never knock before entering my office; two men who are my best friends.


    ¡°What the hell man!¡± Both said in unison.


    ¡°Good morning to you too,¡± I greeted them as I stood up from my chair and hugged them but to my surprise, they pushed me away.


    ¡°Keep your good morning to yourself.¡± Sean snapped annoyingly.


    ¡°What the hell man! You got married and didn¡¯t even invite your best friends?¡± Daniel scowled.


    I rub my face with my palms. Why did I even inform them? Because I can¡¯t hide anything from them. I sat back on my chair since I knew it was going to be a long talk.


    ¡°Seriously Xavier, what was the rush and you haven¡¯t even told us who the girl is?¡± Sean asked annoyingly.


    ¡°And I didn¡¯t even get the chance to eat the wedding food¡­ because someone decided to get married secretly,¡± Daniel said sarcastically.


    I rolled my eyes. Daniel and food, no one can separate them.


    ¡°Seriously Daniel, you are more concerned about the food rather than his marriage?¡± Sean scowled looking at him, pointing a finger at me.


    ¡°Yeah, I mean he already got married without inviting us, we can¡¯t do anything about that, but I can alwaysin about the most important issue, that is.. food,¡± Daniel replied.


    ¡°Daniel you can eat whatever, whenever and wherever you want. You have got money.¡± I replied to his childishment.


    ¡°Oh.. no, no, no, you have no right to speak in the middle of this matter because you got married secretly and no one knows to whom. And the food, you know what free food tastes like? And out of all¡­wedding food, it carries feelings, love, and emotions.¡± Daniel said thest line dreamily.


    Seriously, no one at this moment could say that he was CEO of the USA¡¯s topmostpany. Sometimes he acts childishly, but of course, only in front of his loved ones.


    ¡°Shut up Daniel! And you tell us why and how all this happened.¡± Sean asked in a serious tone.


    I sighed and exined to them how I got entangled in this situation.


    ¡°Oh!¡± They both said in unison, nodding their head.


    ¡°Just oh! Nothing else?¡± I asked annoyingly. They don¡¯t have anything else to say?


    ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s done is done. What I don¡¯t get is¡­ why your parents choose Andrew Smith¡¯s stepdaughter?¡± Sean asked.


    ¡°I am thinking the same. When I asked my parents they didn¡¯t tell me the exact reason,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°One more thing, you have appointed a new Personal Assistant and that too a woman?¡± Dean asked in utter surprise.


    ¡°Yeah, you had never appointed a woman as your Personal Assistant. You preferred appointing man, what¡¯s different this time?¡± Sean asked


    Oh, they have already met her.


    ¡°About that¡­well¡­ erm¡­ she is Andrew Smith¡¯s stepdaughter,¡± I said, drumming my fingers on the desk.


    ¡°The one you got married to?¡± Sean asked calmly. I knew it was the calmness before the storm. I nodded my head, biting inside of my cheeks.


    ¡°What the hell Xavier!¡± both snapped in unison. I knew it!


    ¡°How many shocks will you give us in a day?¡± Sean said angrily.


    ¡°And may I ask why is she your P. A?¡± Daniel asked.


    ¡°Because I needed a P. A and now I don¡¯t want to talk about this,¡± I said dismissively.


    ¡°Call her here and introduce us to her. It¡¯s like she doesn¡¯t know us, like who we are in thepany and who we are to you.¡± Daniel ordered.


    ¡°I¡¯ll introduce her to you afterward. Right now I have much more important work to do.¡± I retorted.


    ¡°NOW!¡± Daniel said sternly, ring at me. I red back with the same intensity. But I knew who¡¯s gonna win the game.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I huffed. I had to give up because I knew my friends very well, they would have bugged me to death. They sat on the couch ced on the right side of my desk.


    I called on her inte immediately ¡± In my office, Now.¡± And I cut the call.


    She knocked on the door in a few seconds. When she entered, first she nced at them and then stepped towards my desk.


    ¡°Umm¡­you called?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yes¡­ don¡¯t you know them?¡± I asked, staring at her. My finger was pointed at the two men sitting on the couch. She nced at them before looking back at me.


    ¡°No,¡± She replied nervously. Of course, what could I expect? Even I had to tell her about myself and mypany. She needs to watch the news.


    Sean stood up from the couch and approached her. ¡°Hi, I am Sean Peterson, Co-owner of thispany and Xavier¡¯s best friend.¡±


    Her eyes became wide for a second, then came back to normal. ¡°Good morning, sir.¡± She greeted him, bowing her head slightly. Why does she do that?


    Daniel approached her as well.


    ¡°Well, we met a few minutes ago but I didn¡¯t introduce myself before, let me introduce myself this time. Hi, I am Daniel Adams, the other Co-owner of thepany and his best friend. Basically, we three are best friends.¡± Daniel said with a smile as he extended his hand for a handshake. But she didn¡¯t shake his hand, instead greeted him while bowing slightly.


    ¡°Good morning sir, Sorry, I didn¡¯t know about you.¡± Her voice was low.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. And please, call me Daniel or Dan.¡±


    ¡°Same, call me Sean.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate, you both are my bosses.¡± She said hesitantly.


    ¡°Oh,e on princess you are married to Xavier, which means you are a Knight now and Xavier Knight is like a brother to me, so, it means you are like my sister-inw in short sister. So you have got all the rights to call me by my name.¡± Daniel chirped.


    Princess?


    ¡°But-¡± She was about to say something but Sean cut her off.


    ¡°Okay, you call us by our name when we are not in front of our employees,¡± Sean suggested.


    What were they both doing? I didn¡¯t get it as to why they were being friendly with her. And Daniel called her princess? The word ¡®Princess¡¯ was closer to his heart and was most emotional to him and he gave that title to her that easily?


    ¡°O.. okay,¡± She agreed.


    ¡°Now princess, can we shake our hands? We are no strangers now.¡± Daniel asked with a smile.


    She hesitantly shook his hand and smiled a little then she did the same with Sean. They both smiled back at her.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough! The introduction is over now. You can go back to work.¡± I ordered her.


    ¡°Okay,¡± She replied and went out.


    ¡°So, what you gonna do now?¡± Sean asked me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll n on how to get out of this situation¡± I replied monotonously. I honestly had no idea what I was going to do, but I had to do something. I couldn¡¯t stay in a loveless marriage for life.


    ¡°At least give her a chance, she seems nice and polite. And she is beautiful and different.¡± Sean suggested.


    ¡°Looks are always deceiving¡± I shot back.


    ¡°Yeah, looks are deceiving but not always.¡± Daniel snapped. What¡¯s with him today?


    ¡°And how can you say in just first meeting that she is different, huh? And you Daniel? Why did you call her princess? Why you guys are getting friendly with her that easily? Don¡¯t forget she is Andrew¡¯s daughter, you never know she might be maniptive and deceiving like her father and sister.¡± I said angrily.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget she is Andrew¡¯s stepdaughter, okay? And the fact that she didn¡¯t gawk at us like other women or didn¡¯t try to seduce us in the first meeting and she didn¡¯t know who we are is enough to tell that she is different. Xavier, don¡¯t judge her on the basis that she is Andrew¡¯s daughter, try to know her.¡± Sean replied.


    ¡°Yes. And out of all people, you should know that I will not give that title to just anybody. I called her princess because I saw her in her. Xavier, try to know her because she seems nice. Give her a chance.¡± Daniel said and went out.


    I didn¡¯t know what came into him that he gave that title to her. Daniel used to call his sister by the title princess. His sister¡¯s name was also Ariana, but that doesn¡¯t mean he should get emotional and call her princess.


    ¡°Well, I should leave as well. Xavier, She seems like a keeper, don¡¯t let that gem slip off your hand.¡± Sean said, patting my shoulder. Then they left.


    Okay¡­ It takes four to five hours to sign a deal and sometimes even days. But they both concluded that she was different and good for me, that too in just a few minutes of meeting?Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    I had no idea what I could do about that. Like my parents, both of my friends¡¯ opinions mattered a lot to me. And right now my parents and my best friends were on her side. They were supporting her.


    It seemed like I was the wrong one.


    Was I really judging her based on her father and sister?¡­. Maybe I was¡­


    Should I really give her a chance? Is she worth it?


    I sighed out loud and mumbled to myself, ¡°Thinking about this will give me a headache. I¡¯ll think about itter. Right now I have important work to do.¡±


    I began to read the document ced in front of me.

 13

    Ariana


    As he asked me to leave, I immediately left the office and released a breath that I didn¡¯t know I had been holding. They must be thinking that I am a fool. But what else could have I done? I had never been interested in any business news.


    When my husband offered me a job I only knew that he owned a business. He asked me if I came from another and then he exined to me about hispany and just now when he introduced me to those good looking men, who helped me a while ago as the co-owners and his best friends, I felt like a fool. I must at least know whom I am working for.


    As I entered my office, I immediately searched about thepany, and what I saw shocked me. I was married to a man who ruled the business world. Thepany was the highest-grossingpany in the USA. Oh my goodness¡­I was practically married to a celebrity! And I was working in the USA¡¯s topmostpany. This was beyond my expectations. Daniel and Sean were also celebrities. Well, three of them do look like models. Never in my wildest dream, I had ever imagined being working as the P. A of this hugepany.


    I read everything about them and thepany because if I had to work withoutmitting mistakes, I must know about thepany, their regr clients, business partners, the list of products manufactured, etc.


    I started reading the files that my boss gave me. I mailed the content he asked me to and sent forty e-mails in total; some to his business partners and some to the different department heads of thepany. That was easy as my typing speed was good. Well, my college degree came in handy. Well, not exactly, but typing was the part of my course I chose to study.


    I was proofreading a document when the inte buzzed. I picked it up and again before I could say hello, his voice came. ¡°Come to my office.¡± I looked at the clock which indicated eleven. I stood up and went to the office.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    He looked up from his work and asked


    ¡°How much work is done?¡±


    ¡°A part of the work is done. I mean, I have sent all the emails you asked me to send and I was just going through the contract files.¡± I said confidently.


    Anyone could tell his eyes were showing surprise at the moment although he was trying to hide the expressions. He must have thought I would not be able to do the work. But he didn¡¯t know I liked to take the challenge. Yeah, take that.


    ¡°Okay, now bring me ck coffee with one part whiskey, no sugar.¡± He said, masking his stunned expressions.


    Coffee with one part whiskey??


    I stood there for a few seconds thinking I might have heard him wrong and he would correct himself but no, he didn¡¯t correct himself instead he just snapped at me.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? GO. I don¡¯t have all day.¡±


    I immediately rushed out of his office. I thought he had lost his mind because for one, who drinks coffee when it¡¯s almost lunchtime? And two, doesn¡¯t he know that mixing alcohol with coffee is bad for health? Though caffeine is a stimnt that can mask some of the depressant effects of alcohol, still alcohol is going in your body. He was asking for ck coffee means he was trying to be a health freak and then he wants whiskey in it making it alcoholic.


    I went to the kitchen; his personal kitchen on the floor. I made his ck coffee and extended my hand to take one of the whiskey bottles which are ced on the upper shelf of the cab.


    And you know what I did? I just added two spoons of whiskey in coffee. Why? Because my mind and hands didn¡¯t allow me to add the amount of whiskey he asked for. I knew he would be angry at me but I didn¡¯t like the fact that he asked for something alcoholic. It means he always drinks coffee this way but he should not do that. Let¡¯s take the chance.


    I knocked on his office door and entered with a e in¡¯ and ced the tray on his desk. He picked up the cup without looking up and took a sip. Biting the side of my lower lip, I waited for him to snap at me.


    He looked up and eyed me¡­he¡¯s gonna snap¡­. be ready. He again took a sip, eyeing me. I just looked at him nervously.


    He opened his mouth to say something, now he will snap.. but what he said surprised me.


    ¡°Go back to work,¡± And he began working again.


    Yeah, I was surprised that he didn¡¯t snap at me. I left ran out of the office before he could change his mind. I wondered why he didn¡¯t get angry at me. Did he like the coffee? Did he not get to know the change I made in the coffee? Well, it¡¯s good for me if as I¡¯d make his coffee this way only to reduce his alcohol consumption. This would be my little secret, I¡¯ll always keep it to myself. I self patted my shoulders in appreciation. Good Ari.. you did a great job.


    I entered my office and was about to sit on my chair when the inte beeped. My boss had called me again.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Go and bring Sean¡¯s signature on these documents,¡± he said giving me the documents.


    ¡°Okay, sir.¡±


    I came back in five minutes with Sean¡¯s signature on the documents.


    ¡°Sir, documents,¡± I said as I ced the documents on his desk. He took the documents and gave a glimpse to them.


    ¡°These documents need Daniel¡¯s signature as well. Go and bring his signature.¡± He said, sliding the file on the desk towards me.


    Huh? He could have told me when I went to the down at fifty-eighth floor to bring Sean¡¯s signature, I would have taken Daniel¡¯s signature too on my way back. I knew that he did it on purpose. He was so wicked. He was testing me. So be it.


    ¡°Sure sir,¡± I took the documents and left his office.


    I came back with Daniel¡¯s signature on the documents.


    ¡°Sir documents; both of their signatures are there on the documents,¡± I said, cing the documents on the table again. Taking the documents, he ced them in the drawer of his desk and started working on hisptop.


    ¡°Go back to your work.¡± He said without ncing up at me. I left the office.


    I entered my office and was about to sit when the inte beeped again. I sighed and put the receiver to my ear.


    ¡± Make a reservation of VIP table for five in Cenare nel sapore restaurant.¡±


    ¡°Okay, sir.¡±


    I sat on my chair then took the number of the restaurant from the telephone directory and made the reservation.


    I sat doing nothing for a few minutes, looking at the inte in case he calls again. When he didn¡¯t call, I started doing my work. I was in the middle of work when someone knocked on the etched ss door. I looked up to see Mrs. Miller peeping from the door.


    ¡°Hope I am not disturbing you, Miss Jones?¡± She asked politely.


    ¡°Oh, no, no, Mrs. Miller, you are not disturbing me, and please call me Ariana,¡± I replied quickly.


    ¡°Okay, Ariana, so¡­umm¡­ I was heading for lunch and I thought I should ask you as you are new here and don¡¯t have apany. Would you like toe with me? If that¡¯s okay with you.¡± She asked hesitantly.


    ¡°Mrs. Miller, it¡¯s absolutely okay with me. Actually, I am famished right now. And it¡¯s so sweet of you that you came to ask me to apany you for lunch.¡± I said, smiling at her. I wouldn¡¯t have asked anyone on my own. Besides I needed to put back my insecurities if I had to socialize and make friends. It¡¯s really important to work for thispany.


    ¡°Okay then let¡¯s go.¡± Mrs. Miller grinned.


    ¡°Okay, but let me inform Mr. Knight first,¡± I said closing all my files. We left my office together, I entered my boss¡¯s office while Mrs. Miller waited for me outside.


    He crocked an eyebrow while looking at me.


    ¡°Sir, I came here to inform you that I am heading for lunch,¡± I said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to inform me while going for lunch. If I ever want you to stay back during lunch I¡¯ll inform you beforehand.¡± He said monotonously.


    I came out of his office saying ¡®okay¡¯. Mrs. Miller asked me if I wanted to eat at the cafeteria present in the building or if I wanted to have lunch at any restaurant outside the building. I decided to go to the cafeteria.


    We reached the cafeteria; took our lunch and sat at a vacant table. We were talking while eating our lunch when a man who seemed to be in histe twenties came to our table with a food tray in his hand.


    ¡°Hello, Mrs. Miller. Oh, you have a newpany today?¡± He questioned looking at me.


    ¡°Hello, Kevin, and yes I have a newpany today. Meet Miss Ariana Jones, new P. A to Mr. Xavier Knight.¡± She said introducing me.


    ¡°That¡¯s you? Finally, I get to see the face of talk of the day.¡±  He said with shocked expressions which made me look at him in confusion. Talk of the day? What did he mean by that?


    ¡°Oh, I am so sorry. It¡¯s like¡­ since the morning everyone is talking about Mr. Knight¡¯s P. A as he never had a female as his P. A, so, I was also excited to see that person. Oh! Where are my manners I am just bbering and haven¡¯t introduced myself! Hi, my name is Kevin Reed and I work in the marketing department.¡± He said with a cute smile on his face.


    ¡°Hello, Kevin, nice to meet you. I hope you don¡¯t mind me calling you Kevin?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Not at all. And may I call you Ariana?¡± He asked hesitantly.


    ¡°Yeah sure,¡± I replied. To continue the conversation I asked about one thing which gained my attention when Kevin was talking about me.


    ¡°Umm. I had no idea that Mr. Knight had never appointed a female as his P. A. before.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ariana. This is the thing that surprised all the employees in thepany.¡± Mrs. Miller replied. Then why did he appoint me as his P. A.?


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why you are the talk of the day, Ariana. Today you created history by bing the first female to work as Mr. Knight¡¯s P. A.¡± Kevin replied yfully.


    A smallugh escaped my throat after listening to his statement. He¡¯s really funny and easy to talk to. I had got one more person to talk to.


    ¡°You are really beautiful, Ariana,¡± Kevin said out of nowhere making my cheeks go red.


    ¡°Umm¡­thank you,¡± I replied shyly. I was not used to hearingpliments about my looks or my face. I always heard how ugly and in I look¡­ Scarlet used to say this to me which had made me more insecure about myself.

 14

    Ariana


    Mrs. Miller, Kevin, and I were eating our lunch; talking about random things and interests when three women came to our table, one of them was Katherine, the receptionist. The other two, I didn¡¯t know who they were. One had short blond hair and the other had short red hair. They both wore a tight-fitted knee-length pencil skirt and tight-fitted shirt.


    The one with blond hair ced her manicured hands on the table and bent a little towards me.


    ¡°So, you are Ariana Jones, the new P. A. Well, hello, My name is Bianca Wilson and this is Diana Morgan.¡± She said while pointing at the red-haired girl. ¡°And this is Katherine you must have met her in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Hello,¡± I greeted three of them. Then Diana came forward.


    ¡°So Ariana, do tell us how you got this job? I mean, you did an unexpected thing that no one else was ever able to do. Many females applied for the post but always got rejected. What did you do that Mr. Knight appointed you as his P. A?¡± She asked, raising an eyebrow. What should I tell them? I didn¡¯t evene for an interview here.


    ¡°What she did or what she did not do to get this job is none of your business, Diana. Concentrate on your work.¡± Kevin replied sternly. I didn¡¯t know what to answer, my mouth felt dry, I picked up the ss of water and started drinking.


    ¡°Ohe on Kevin, we are just curious that how did she do it. So Ariana, did you seduce him to bed and after that ckmail him by being pregnant and asked him for work?¡± Katherine¡¯s usation made me choke on water. I started coughing. I ced the ss back on the table and cleaned my mouth with tissue that Mrs. Miller offered me.


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about Katherine?¡± Mrs. Miller replied angrily.


    ¡°Oh really? If we are wrong then why won¡¯t she tell us what she did to get this job?¡± Bianca asked,ughing bitterly.


    ¡°Oh,e on Bianca, it¡¯s clear that she did ckmail him for something. But Ariana, tell me how did you seduce him by the in and ordinary look of yours? You look hideous in your outfit. How can you wear such clothes at work.¡± Diana asked, eyeing me from head to toe.


    I felt like crying, my vision started to get blurry but I held back my tears. They used me of things that I could never do even in my dreams. How can they judge anyone without knowing them? What is with people, why they think so low of me? First Scarlet, then Xavier, and now these three.


    And what will these women say when they¡¯ll get to know that I am married to Xavier Knight. What will they use me of then?


    ¡°Enough! You don¡¯t have any right to judge anyone.¡± Kevin spat angrily as he stood up by pushing his chair roughly.


    ¡°Ariana are you done with your lunch?¡± He asked me. I looked at him and nodded my head. ¡°Then let¡¯s go,¡± he said.


    Mrs. Miller and I stood up and made our way to the exit. But I stopped in the middle. I didn¡¯t know what came up to me but I walked back to where those three women who used me were standing.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± I said to gain their attention. They looked at me with raised eyebrows. I took a deep breath and exhaled. Then I did what I had never done before.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sorry to burst your bubble but I never slept with Mr. Knight and do not intend to do so. And about my clothes, I wear what I feelfortable in and my boss who appointed me didn¡¯tin about my outfit. And about how I got this job, please go and ask Mr. Knight about it because I didn¡¯t ckmail him to get the job. Do you really think that anyone can ckmail the richest and powerful man of the USA with these cheap tactics? Well if think so¡­I¡¯ll advise you toe out of the parallel universe.¡± I said confidently and moved back to where Mrs. Miller and Kevin were standing, leaving those vile and evil women behind standing with their mouths wide open.


    My heart was beating at a faster rate because what I said a few seconds ago surprised me too. I had never talked back to anyone. They had called me worst and I was unable to defend myself back then. But today I couldn¡¯t keep calm when these women questioned my worth and insulted me. But One thing confused me, why did I defend Xavier? I didn¡¯t know what kind of person he was but still, why did I defend him?


    ¡°Woah! Ariana, that was really hot. You shut their mouth very easily. We are friends from now on.¡± Kevin replied enthusiastically and extended his hand forward for a handshake. Well, he seemed to be a nice person, we could be friends. But is the handshake necessary? It¡¯d be rude if I didn¡¯t shake his hand. And I had to do it if I had to make friends. I shook his hand briefly; smiled and said ¡®friends¡¯.


    ¡°Well done, Ariana. They needed to be set straight.¡± Mrs. Miller said proudly.


    I felt great. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. I thanked both of them, then we headed back to work.


    My day went into working continuously as my boss gave me more workload and also made me go up-down to Sean and Daniel¡¯s floor several times. I used stairs to carry a little workout and also it didn¡¯t make any sense to use the elevator every time to go just one or two floors down.


    I nced at the clock, it was five in the evening. Everyone leaves at five but I had to leave at six because my boss said so. I waited for my day to end. I felt hungry; I love food and I don¡¯t starve myself. I need food from time to time to make my mind function properly. I decided to bring light snacks to eat in the middle of work.


    When the clock struck 5:50 pm, I stood up from my chair with files in my hand and headed towards my boss¡¯s office. When I entered his office, I found him engrossed in the work.


    ¡°Sir, all the work is done,¡± I said cing the files on his desk.


    ¡°Put these files on the shelf to your right.¡± He said without lifting his eyes from the file he was studying.


    ¡°Anything else sir?¡± I asked after I had ced the files in their ce.


    ¡°No. You can leave.¡± He said, again without lifting his eyes. I sighed silently and left the office greeting him good night. I said good night because I knew that I¡¯d not see him at the penthouse. I¡¯d be asleep by the time he¡¯de back.


    Before heading out of the building, I said good night to Daniel and Sean to which they greeted me back happily. At least they didn¡¯t treat me like my boss. I left the building greeting good night to the guards.


    I didn¡¯t take the bus immediately because I had to shop for good clothes. So, I went shopping nearby and purchased two pairs of pants, four formal blouses, two formal-looking jumpsuits, and two pairs of shoes. I don¡¯t need many clothes because I can always repeat my outfits.


    I was really hungry, I couldn¡¯t wait to reach the penthouse to have dinner. So, I called Mrs. Molly not to cook dinner for me as I would be eating outside.


    I grabbed a burger, fries, and chicken nuggets takeout from a small Diner, then I took the bus; satfortably, and ate my food on the bus. I was exhausted when I reached the penthouse building. So, when I entered the penthouse I first drank water in the kitchen and headed straight to my room.


    I went to the bathroom washed my face; changed into nightclothes that is full-length pajama and a t-shirt. Iid on the bed and started thinking of the day.


    Well, the day was indeed a different day for me. I started working in the USA¡¯s topmostpany as P. A of the richest man in the USA who is my husband too. I took a risk by manipting Xavier¡¯s coffee. I made two friends, Kevin and Mrs. Miller who are my first friends ever too, and the most important thing: I stood up for myself against false usations.


    At the end of the day, I was proud of myself because today I did what I hadn¡¯t done ever before.


    At this moment I had a satisfying smile on my face. My face hurt because of smiling like a fool but couldn¡¯t help it. In my 25 years of life span, I was never satisfied with myself¡­. but now I was.

 15

    Ariana


    Two weeks!


    It had been two weeks since I started working here. Two weeks since I started working as P. A. of Xavier Knight. Our rtionship was just like employer and employee, nothing more. We never talked about anything else than business. Basically, our talk was limited to¡­him ordering me for some work and me replying for that¡­ that¡¯s it.


    In two weeks of working with him, I got to know a little bit about him. Like, he was passionate about what he did. He never took any work for granted. He¡¯s serious about his work. He had that aura, that authority, that dominance that no one could deny his decision taken for business. No doubt he rules the business world.


    I also came to know that he¡¯s very close to his friends Daniel and Sean. Three of them had the rule to meet at least ime together after lunch to discuss business and stuff. Although they meet after work hours, meeting each other in the building was a must if three of them were present in the building.


    Whenever they would meet, it was my duty to make coffee for them. Sean and Daniel got so addicted to my coffee that they couldn¡¯t stop praising me and asked me to make their morning coffee too. I couldn¡¯t deny their request because they asked, not ordered me. Well, I would have done it if they had ordered me to but no they asked me if I wasfortable with it. So from that day, I had been making coffee for them too and they appreciated it every time, making me happy because I like to cook and it makes my heart swell with happiness whenever someone appreciates my cooking. At least they were not like Xavier, who not even a single timemented anything about the coffee. Also, Sean and Daniel¡¯s P. A were happy that they now had one less work to do.


    As an employee and as a P. A, my two weeks had been so hectic, chaotic, and tedious. Xavier gave me so much work and made me do up down to several floors hundreds of times in a day, it was the part of my work. I felt tired but I didn¡¯tin because I was here to learn and to show him that I was not what he thought I was. I was learning from my mistakes.


    Daniel and Sean were of great help. They always corrected me politely whenever I was wrong. They always appreciated my efforts. They taught me many things.


    Mrs. Miller also helped me a lot with work. There were so many things I didn¡¯t know as I didn¡¯t have any experience in the field. But she was always there whenever I needed help. Kevin also helped me in many ways. I had grown closer to them, we always did our lunch together. These two people are full of life. Spending time with them made me realize what I had missed by not having friends in my life.


    I had made two new friends, Scott Mt and Lauren Hart. Scott was Daniel¡¯s P. A and Lauren was Sean¡¯s P. A. They also joined us for lunch if they were free at that time.


    Right now, I was sitting in my cabin, making a presentation my boss asked me to make. Suddenly the door of my office burst open which made me jump in my chair. I looked up to see Xavier entering my office. He should have at least knocked. I stood up from my chair immediately.


    ¡°Cancel your ns for lunch if you have any. You areing with me for a lunch meeting with Mr. Nong Sutharak.¡± Hemanded.


    ¡°But your schedule was free for lunch,¡± I replied. Because I don¡¯t know anything about this meeting, he doesn¡¯t have any meetings scheduled for today.


    ¡°It¡¯s ast-minute decision. Daniel was to attend the meeting now he has some other important work to do. So, be ready at 1. And make sure to collect documents rted to this meeting from Daniel¡¯s office¡±. He replied.


    ¡°Okay, sir.¡±


    He left my office without uttering another word. I sat back on my chair and patted my hand over my chest to calm my racing heart. This was the first time he entered my office that too unannounced otherwise he would always call me in his office.


    Sharp at one he called me in his office. Taking my bag and documents in my hands I went to his cabin.


    ¡°Have you taken all the documents?¡± He asked, getting up from his chair.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± He picked up his mobile phone and left. I followed him.


    I pressed the button of the elevator which I used regrly.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± He asked, looking at me.


    ¡°Umm.. getting into the elevator,¡± I replied timidly.


    ¡°No. You areing with me in this elevator.¡± He said pointing towards the private elevator. I just nodded my head and entered the private elevator with him.


    In utmost silence, we reached the ground floor. Exiting the elevator, we made our way to the private parking lot. He unlocked his luxury sports car, a ck Bugatti Veyron. I stood there, gawking at the ssy car. I never sat in such type of car before. It was my dream to drive this type of car at least once in my lifetime. Yep, I can drive but no one knows about it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t gawk like you haven¡¯t seen a car before.¡± He replied sarcastically and sat on the driver¡¯s seat. I just shook my head¡­ I had seen cars, who haven¡¯t? But riding a luxury car is something to get excited about.


    I sat in the front seat beside him. As soon as I sat on my seat, the car¡¯s divine scent filled my nostrils. It¡¯s his smell, his scent, so manly, so strong and enticing. I was used to this scent. I could recognize the scent from far away. His office also smells like this.


    I sat quietly and ufortably on my seat, his close proximity was making me nervous. This was the first time I was sitting this close to him.


    The car ride to the restaurant was awkwardly silent, at least for me. I was just looking outside the window. My legs had been shaking because of nervousness but I was trying to control the shaking of my legs by pressing them tighter together.


    He stopped the car in front of a tall building and stepped out of the car, I also did the same. He passed the car keys to the valet then made his way to the entrance of the building and again, I followed him. Every staff member in the lobby greeted him. Everyone knows him. We entered the VIP elevator and he pressed the button to the 12th floor.


    As the door of the elevator opened, I felt nervous, I felt under-dressed in a navy blue sleeveless jumpsuit covering my body up till my corbone with my hair put in a bun. Because the restaurant in front of me was a ssy and luxurious Italian restaurant.


    ¡°Come,¡± hemanded me. I nodded and entered the restaurant with him.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Mr. Knight.¡± A man, well suited came and greeted him. I think he is the manager.


    ¡°Good afternoon. Is our table ready?¡± Xavier asked.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Knight. The VIP table is ready. This way please.¡± The manager said and lead the way to take us to the VIP area.


    ¡°Sir your table.¡± The manager said, gesturing towards the four-seater sofa seat table.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Just as we were about to sit, two men came towards where we were standing. One seems old, not too old, maybe in his fifties and another one was younger. Xavier advanced towards them.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Sutharak. Nice to meet you.¡± Xavier extended his hand to shake it with the old man. Oh, he is Mr. Sutharak.


    ¡°Swasdi Mr. Knight. Dic thi di cex¡±


    Mr. Sutharak shook his hand. He was speaking Thai?


    (Trantion: Hello Mr. Knight. d to meet you.)


    ¡°You don¡¯t speak English?¡± Xavier asked in confusion.


    ¡°A bit. Nan pen hetuphl thi chan keb nak pl wi kab chan.¡± Mr. Sutharak replied and nodded at the man who had been standing with him.


    (Trantion: A bit, that¡¯s why I keep trantor with me.)


    ¡°Good afternoon Mr. Knight. I am Kris Thanakrit, Mr. Sutharak¡¯s secretory/trantor. And he means¡­he is d to meet you.¡±  Mr. Sutharak¡¯s secretory, Kris, replied.


    Xavier stood there, totally perplexed. I think he didn¡¯t know that he would need a trantor. It was not good. A trantor was necessary for these kinds of meetings. It would put a bad image of Xavier before Mr. Sutharak. This can¡¯t happen. I could not let that happen. I couldn¡¯t let his reputation go down. I had to do something. I took a deep breath and stepped forward.

 16

    Xavier Knight


    At that particr moment, I wanted to strangle Daniel¡¯s neck. Damn!!! He didn¡¯t tell me that I¡¯d need a trantor. And why he chose an Italian restaurant. Why not any Asian restaurant?


    I knew Mr. Nong Sutharak was Thai but I didn¡¯t know he couldn¡¯t speak thenguage that I understand.


    Mr. Sutharak was a steel tycoon of Thand and was a renowned name in Southeast Asia. We wanted to set up our business in that part of Asia and for that, we¡¯d need raw steel for our product manufacturing. And if we join hands with steel tycoon of that part of Asia itself it¡¯d be a plus point for our business setup.


    But to make the deal happen I needed a trantor. I knew he came with his own trantor who would trante his words to me. But still, a trantor should be there with both parties in these kinds of meetings to make sure that there is no misunderstanding. And also, if one has a trantor with them, one can know what other party is discussing amongst themselves in their ownnguage.


    I could speak a fewnguages fluently and hell I could even speak a little bit of Japanese but I didn¡¯t know how to speak Thai. I never learned it. I had to do something to make this deal happen. If there will be any kind of hindrance in this deal, I¡¯ll kill daniel with my bare hands.


    I was brought out of my thoughts when my P. A. stepped forward. She joined her hands together, bowed her head slightly. What is she doing?


    ¡°Swasdi Mr. Sutharak. Chan khux Ariana Jones phu chwy swntaw khxng Mr. Knight..¡± She said with a broad smile that I never saw before on her face.


    Trantion: Hello. Mr. Sutharak. I am Ariana Jones, Mr. Knight¡¯s Personal Assistant.


    She¡¯s speaking Thai? What?!


    Mr. Sutharak smiled broadly and did the same gesture of joining his hands and bowing his head and said,


    ¡°Swasdi. Yindi thi di rucak khun Miss Jones¡­. Khun duhemuxn khn xecheiy¡±


    Trantion: Hello. Nice to meet you, Miss Jones¡­ You look like an Asian.


    To which she replied with a smile.


    ¡°Ch. Khrung xecheiy cring. Phx khxng chan ma cak prathesthiy.¡±


    Trantion: Yes. Half Asian actually. My father was from Thand.


    ¡°Thi na tuntatunc. Rusuk di mak thi di phb khnn prathes khxng khun n din dn xun.¡± Mr. Sutharak replied with an even broader smile.


    Trantion: That¡¯s amazing. It feels great to meet your own country¡¯s people on anothernd.


    ¡°Ch (yes).¡± She smiled.


    I didn¡¯t get anything that they were talking about. I concluded that they were exchanging pleasantries. I stood there, dumbfounded, watching her speak Thai fluently. I never knew she could speak Thai.


    When I came back to my senses I realized we were still standing.


    ¡°Mr. Sutharak let¡¯s have a seat first,¡± I said, gesturing towards the table. He understood the gesture and nodded his head, and sat on the sofa seat with his secretory. I sat on the sofa across them and she sat beside me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have lunch first then we¡¯ll discuss business.¡± I cajoled.


    ¡°Nnxn wa rea ma than xahar ngwan kan kxn¡± He said as he nodded his head. He understands little English.


    Trantion: Sure, let¡¯s have lunch first.


    We all ordered our food. I ordered the best wine. A waiter arrived with our food and ced it on the table then he started pouring wine in sses. When the waiter reached for her ss she stopped him.


    ¡°No. Not for me.¡±


    Before I could ask her anything, Mr. Sutharak said something to her.


    ¡°Khun mi chxb win Miss Jones herx?¡±


    Trantion: You don¡¯t like wine, Miss Jones?


    To which she replied ¡± Chan mi dum xlkxhxl¡±


    Trantion: I don¡¯t drink alcohol.


    Mr. Sutharak nodded his head and started eating his food. But I wanted to know what he said and what she replied to him because I didn¡¯t get a single word they spoke. So I shifted a little towards her which made my arm touch hers. I could sense her body stiffen. I immediately pulled my arm away.


    ¡°What was Mr. Sutharak saying?¡± I whispered lowly, turning my head towards her.


    ¡°He was asking if I don¡¯t like wine,¡± She whispered, turning her head slightly towards me but didn¡¯t look at me.


    ¡°So, you don¡¯t?¡± I asked in a whisper.


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t drink alcohol,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Oh! You want anything else?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No. I am good,¡± she replied. I just nodded my head which I knew she didn¡¯t notice and I started eating my food.


    After finishing our food we started discussing business. She tranted my words to him. Basically, Kris, Mr. Sutharak¡¯s secretory was sitting silent because she was also tranting Mr. Sutharak¡¯s words to me. Because Mr. Sutharak was mostly speaking while looking at her. I had no idea why he had been doing that. Maybe because she was able to understand hisnguage?


    In the end, the meeting was sessful. We signed the deal and I was beyond happy. Finally, took one more step ahead in setting thepany in Asia. We all stood up from our seats.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure doing business with you,¡±  I said shaking Mr. Sutharak¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Pen khwam yindi sahrab chan chen kan Mr. Knight,¡± he said while shaking hand with me.


    Trantion: It¡¯s a pleasure for me too, Mr. Knight.


    Kris tranted Mr. Sutharak¡¯s words to which I nodded my head.


    ¡°Rea khwr xxk txn ni rea mi theiyw bin thi ca cab¡± Mr. Sutharak said and Kris tranted his words.


    Trantion: We should leave now, we have a flight to catch.


    ¡°Oh. Sure, Mr. Sutharak.¡± I replied nodding my head. Then he faced her.


    ¡°Man penkar prachum thi di sahrab khun Miss Jones,¡±  he said while bowing his head slightly.


    Trantion: It was nice meeting you, Miss Jones.


    ¡°Khx khxbkhun. Yindi thi di rucak chen kan¡± She replied while bowing her head too.


    Trantion: Thank you. It¡¯s nice to meet you as well.


    After bidding goodbye, Mr. Sutharak and his secretory left the ce. I paid the bill and faced her. I thought of thanking her for helping me out. The deal was possible without any hindrance just because of her. She did amendable job.


    I opened my mouth and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go¡±. Shit, why didn¡¯t Thank you came out of my mouth? Damn!!


    She nodded her head and collected her belongings. We then made our way towards the VIP elevator. I pushed the button but it didn¡¯t work.


    ¡°Sir, due to sensor failure this elevator is not working. It¡¯s under maintenance right now.¡± One of the staff members said while approaching us.


    Shit! It was working when we arrived here.


    ¡°Sir, it will take time to repair,¡± he said.


    But I had to attend another meeting.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take the other elevator then,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s a regr elevator, not the VIP one.¡± He replied nervously.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, in the end they serve the same purpose.¡± I pushed the button of the elevator and entered. The elevator was empty. I stood at the back since I knew other people would enter the elevator. She stood beside me. I took out my phone and started checking the emails.


    The elevator stopped on the next floor and many people entered the elevator. Shit!! Can¡¯t they wait for a little more? They knew space was less but still, they entered. I shifted little back to make space for myself, my back touched the elevator¡¯s back wall. I sighed and again began reading my emails on the phone.


    Suddenly someone pushed into me which made me stumble a little. I looked at the person only to find that it was her.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you stand still?¡± I whispered irritatingly.


    ¡°S.. sorry.¡± She stammered. I again diverted my attention back to my phone. Just in a few more seconds, she again pushed into me. What¡¯s her problem? Everyone is standing still can¡¯t she do that too?


    ¡°What is the problem with you? Can¡¯t you stay still for a few minutes?¡± I whisper-yelled.


    ¡°S. s.. sorry.¡± She stammered again but she flinched and again pushed into me. I looked at the other side only to see a man standing there whose hand was touching hers which was making her ufortable. Knowingly or unknowingly that man again brushed his hand with hers. Damn him!!


    ¡°Come to this side.¡± I made some space for her so that she could stand where I was standing. I stood between her and that man.


    But again someone from front stepped back, pushing into her which made her gasp. I clenched my jaw and softly pushed her against the wall of the elevator, and ced my hands on either side of her head trapping her in between me and the wall,  securing her from other people¡¯s touch but I kept distance between us. She pressed the file she was holding against her chest tightly.


    A whiff of sweet flowers reached my nostrils, there was not doubt that it wasing from her.. she smells so good¡­The smell was not strong but sweet that has the capability to capture any man¡¯s attention. Totally alluring and addicting.


    My eyes met her now wide eyes. For the first time, I saw her eyes from this close. Her eyes were dark ck, holding twinkle in them, like the way stars twinkle in the night sky. Her ck eyes seemed like holding some secret deep inside them. I couldn¡¯t help but get mesmerized by her tantalizing ck eyes. Before I knew it, my heart started picking up the race. I swear that her eyes were the most beautiful eyes I¡¯d ever seen in my life.


    She averted her eyes and looked down. I moved my eyes from her eyes to her nose and then to her lips. Her pink lips looked soft. I wonder what her lips taste like and what it feels to kiss them. Just a mere thought made an unknown sensation ran through my body which made my heart drum at a fast rate.


    Why¡¯s that happening to me? That¡¯s the same kind of sensation which I experienced when I kissed her hand on the day of the wedding.


    My hand unknowingly reached up and touched her cheek. She tensed under my touch, but I ignored the tension that developed in her body. I caressed my thumb over her cheek. So soft¡­She wasn¡¯t wearing even a singleyer of makeup. I could feel that in my touch. Goodness.. she is a natural beauty. And I always thought she wore tons of makeup. And the blush that crawled on her spotless skin made her look so cute.


    Wait.??¡­ cute?? What was I doing?


    The elevator stopped, bringing mee back to my senses. And only then I realized, we were standing in an awkward position in the presence of many people. Shit!!


    I pulled my hands back from the wall of the elevator immediately and stood straight. I averted my eyes.


    That was the first time I stood this close to her. When all other people moved out of the elevator, I also exited with her walking behind me.


    Fuck! What was I thinking? I hope no media person was there in the elevator otherwise that will be in the newspaper and magazine the next day.


    Taking my car keys from the valet I sat on the driver¡¯s seat. She sat on the passenger seat beside me.


    I started driving my car. There was an awkward silence in the car. I nce towards her to see her looking outside the window.


    I wanted to ask a question that was swirling in my head since the meeting with Mr. Sutharak. So to break the silence I asked.


    ¡°How do you know the Thainguage.¡± Fuck.. seriously.. how??.. Anyone can learn anynguage they have an interest in. Why are stupid wordsing out of my mouth?


    ¡°I mean people generally learn to speak German, Italian, Russian, French, etc. etc,¡± I said, masking my stupid question. My eyes were on the road.


    She nced at me, I saw that from the corner of my eyes.


    ¡°Um¡­My father.. my bi.. biological father was Asian, he was Thai. He used to teach me to speak thatnguage before he.. he.. d.. died.¡± She stuttered. My head immediately turned towards her. She was looking down, fidgeting her fingers. I never knew this.


    ¡°After that, I learned thenguage online. So um.. basically I am half Asian.¡± She said and looked out of the window again. I again directed my attention towards the road.


    ¡°I am sorry¡­about your father..¡± I trailed off.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± She said politely.


    I sighed silently. I knew she was Andrew¡¯s stepdaughter but I never knew she was half Asian and that too Thai. No doubt why Mr. Sutharak was impressed by her.


    ¡°And that exins her beautiful eyes,¡± I mumbled under my breath.


    ¡°Huh? You said something?¡± She asked looking at me.


    ¡°No. Nothing,¡± I said without looking at her.


    Mumbling ¡®okay¡¯ she diverted her attention back to the window.


    And only then I realized that I didn¡¯t know anything about her. Though I didn¡¯t need to, I felt like I should know her more.


    I stopped the car when we reached the office building. She unlocked the door and was about to get out when I stopped her.


    ¡°Wait!¡± she stopped and looked at me questioningly.


    ¡°Err¡­Thanks for your help back there. Mr. Sutharak was an important client.¡± I said, ncing towards her while drumming my fingers on the steering wheel. Well, she indeed did a great job back there. And I am not the person who doesn¡¯t appreciate good work.


    Her eyes went wide for a second before she averted them.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. That was part of my work.¡± She replied softly with a hint of a cute smile on her face.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Shit!! What¡¯s happening to me. Why Am I referring to her as cute? I should not do this. I took a deep breath and turned my attention back to the road.


    ¡°You can go now. I have another meeting to attend.¡± I said firmly. I saw her smile fading slowly. Saying okay she stepped out of the car.


    Suddenly I realized something¡­that was the first-ever normal conversation I made to her.


    I shook my head. I should stop this. I started my car and drove to my next destination.

 17

    Ariana


    I wasn¡¯t able to concentrate on my work.


    I had been reading the document in front of me for thest ten minutes but I couldn¡¯t grasp a single word written in there as my mind was somewhere else.


    It was whirling around in yesterday¡¯s incident that happened in the elevator, after the meeting.


    I was notfortable when someone touches me. It¡¯s not like I was acting untouchable or something but my past didn¡¯t allow me to trust anyone until I know the person closely.


    But who was I kidding? People close to you give you the most horrible scar of your life just like my own¡­mother did to me.


    Incidents that happened in my past had made me conserved to myself. So, when in the elevator, the man standing beside me intentionally or unintentionally touched me, I jerked back but I didn¡¯t know that I pushed myself into Xavier.


    Obviously, he got angry but what could have I done? Firstly, we were in a fully packed elevator where I would never enter on my own. And secondly, the man who stood beside me was making me ufortable. I was a little relieved when Xavier asked me to stand on his other side, but the feeling of relief was short-lived as someone from in front pushed into me making me gasp.


    And within seconds of that, I was pushed against the elevator wall, trapped between the person who pushed me and the wall. My eyes went wide when I saw the face of that person. It was¡­ Xavier¡­


    Though he wasn¡¯t touching me, his close proximity was enough to elevate my heartbeat. He was staring directly into my eyes, making my heartbeat increase even faster. I clutched the file I was holding against my chest tighter.


    I didn¡¯t get it as to why I got those feelings when he was this close to me. I may have felt different things that I hadn¡¯t ever felt before but I never felt ufortable around him. And that¡¯s strange.


    He was staring into my eyes with so much intensity as if he was trying to see through them. I averted my eyes and looked down and just for a second, I looked around and then it dawned on me.


    He was protecting me from being touched by others. And that mere thought was enough for my fast beating heart to calm a little.


    But again, that calmness was short-lived because his hand touched my cheek. My body tensed under his touch. And I knew my face had turned red as I felt warmness on my cheeks. I didn¡¯t dare raise my eyes.


    I closed my eyes and they shot open with the ding of the elevator. He immediately pulled away and I too stood straight, not looking at him. After every single person inside the elevator went out then only he exited the elevator, not looking back. I followed him to the car.


    The car ride was awkwardly silent until he broke it by asking how I knew the Thainguage. And I did what I had never done before, I exined to him how I know it. I told him about my father.


    I never, never talked about my father to anyone. He only asked me once and I blurted out about my father to him.


    He¡¯s making me do many things I hadn¡¯t done before.


    When he thanked me for helping him in the meeting, I couldn¡¯t help but smile because he never thanked me before for anything.


    But again that moment was also short-lived because in the next moment he firmly told me to go out of the car.


    And when he drove off I made my way into the office building but stopped when I realized one thing¡­


    That was the first-ever normal conversation we had.


    I couldn¡¯t sleep for the whole night. Throughout the night, the elevator incident images were shing in front of me. I was restless the whole night and I was restless right now.


    When in the morning I went to his office, I tried my best to not look at him. He gave me work to do but I couldn¡¯t concentrate on it. I was sure that I would be scolded for not doing work on time.


    Sighing, I looked at the time, it was 11:15 am but I hadn¡¯tpleted proofreading even a single file since nine in the morning.


    I averted my eyes from the clock to continue my work but my eyesnded on the file that the IT head gave me the day before that was to be signed by Xavier.


    Oh no!!! I totally forgot that.


    I stood up from the chair and picking the file, I clutched it tightly with my hands across my chest.


    I opened the door of my office and stepped out of it. When I was about to move towards his office someone called me. I looked around to see Scott, Daniel¡¯s P. Aing towards my cabin.


    ¡°Hey Ariana,¡± he smiled.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I greeted him with a smile.


    ¡°Is Mr. Knight free? Mr. Adams asked me to bring Mr. Knight¡¯s signature on these documents.¡± He said pointing at the files in his hand.


    ¡°Oh, I am also heading to his office. You cane with me.¡± I said, tapping my fingers on the files I was clutching against my chest. If he¡¯lle with me it¡¯ll be a little less awkward to face him.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he replied.


    I was about to move when his phone rang.


    ¡°Oh, Ariana, I have to take this. You go, I¡¯ll after taking the phone call,¡±  he said.


    Uh oh! I have to face him alone. Don¡¯t worry Ari¡­ Scott wille inside just in few seconds.


    ¡°No problem,¡± I said.


    I knocked on my boss¡¯s office and with a e in¡± I entered. He was busy typing on hisputer.


    ¡°Sir, IT head passed me these documents which are to be signed by you,¡± I said cing the file on his desk.


    He nced at files and then looked at me then averted his eyes but he did a double-take on me. He sucked a breath and opened his mouth to say something.


    ¡°What the he¡­¡± he was cut off by the knock on the door and he said e in¡± but immediately cursed ¡°fuck¡± making me flinch.


    ¡°Mr. Knight, Daniel sir¡­¡± Scott¡¯s voice was cut off by Xavier.


    ¡°Stay right there, Scott.¡± Xavier almost shouted as he stood up from the chair hastily and walked past me only after whispering harshly in my ear.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare turn around.¡±


    I stood there, rooted in my ce. What did I do now? I dare not to turn around. I just stood there listening to their conversation they were doing behind me.


    Scott left the office after Xavier instructed some work to him. But my heartbeat elevated when I heard the click sound of locking of the door.


    And within seconds my arm was grabbed and I was turned around harshly.


    ¡°What the hell you think you are wearing?¡± He seethed in anger making me flinch at the intensity of his voice.


    I started trembling and looked at him in confusion. I didn¡¯t get him, I was only wearing my regr clothes. That is trousers and a shirt.


    ¡°I d.. do.. don¡¯t know what are you talking about.¡± I stammered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know? Look at your shirt. The top three buttons of your shirt are open and your ck bra is on the disy.¡± He seethed, running his fingers frustratingly through his hair.


    I looked down at my shirt and gasped when I saw the open buttons of my shirt which made my bra visible. I immediately clutched both corners of the shirt to close it and turned around. My face flushed red. I was so embarrassed.


    I tried to close the buttons but they were not at their ce. Oh no! Buttons are broken. What am I gonna do now?


    He again grabbed my arm and again turned me around to face him. This time he didn¡¯t let go of my arm. I was still clutching my shirt with my hands.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know what¡¯s happening with your clothes or you did it on purpose.. huh? What were you trying to do, Huh? Wanted to grab attention by showing off your skin? If you aren¡¯t aware let me tell you that there¡¯s a dresscode you have to follow when at work.¡± He stated angrily.


    I could feel tears starting to form in my eyes. His harsh voice made me wince, but I didn¡¯t let the tears fall. How could he use me of something like that?


    ¡°Have you met anyone since the morning?¡± To my surprise, this time his voice was calmer.


    I immediately shook my head in no. I hadn¡¯t met anyone since I sat in my office. I just met Scott but at that time the file I had been holding was covering my chest.


    He sighed out loud, rubbing his palms on his face.


    ¡°What are you doing now? Just fucking close those buttons.¡± He snapped.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ ca.. can¡¯t. Buttons ar¡­ are bro¡­broken.¡± I said frighteningly.


    ¡°I.. I have a spare sh.. shirt in my office,¡± I said, walking towards the door.


    ¡°Where do you think you are going now?¡± He asked in a hard voice.


    ¡°To ch.. change in another shirt.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± He asked.


    ¡°In my office,¡± I replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what I am asking. Where do you keep your spare shirt?¡± He asked. I looked at him in confusion.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me? Where?¡± He asked again.


    ¡°It¡¯s in the cab ced left to my desk,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Stay here,¡± he said and walked out of his cabin.


    And within a few seconds, he came back with the shirt and threw it at me, I caught it with my one hand.


    ¡°Go, change in that bathroom,¡± he said pointing towards the bathroom in his office.


    I immediately rushed towards the bathroom and get changed into a new shirt. When I came out of the bathroom he was standing near the window, looking outside. His hands were in his pant pockets.


    ¡°Th.. thank you,¡± I said in low voice, looking down at my feet.


    He turned and approached me but stopped a hand distance away from me.


    ¡°Next time make sure to check your clothes.¡± He said in a hard voice. I just nodded my head, still not looking at him.


    ¡°Look at me when I am talking to you!¡± He snapped annoyingly. I immediately looked up to meet his eyes.


    He was about to say something when the door of his office barged open.


    ¡°Hey.. Xav¡­ Oh, Princess, you are here. I was looking for you in your office.¡± Daniel¡¯s voice rang in my ears.


    I sighed in relief. Now I will be saved.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Daniel asked walking towards us.


    ¡°No. Everything is fine. I was just putting some sense in her brain.¡± Xavier said sarcastically and I winced at his words.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Daniel asked, looking at me.


    I looked at him and replied ¡°nothing¡±.


    His gaze traveled between Xavier and me suspiciously.


    ¡°What do you want, Dan?¡± Xavier asked irritatedly.


    ¡°Oh, I just need her help with some work. If you don¡¯t have any work with her then can I take her with me.¡± Daniel asked Xavier.


    Xavier sighed out loud and said ¡°yes¡±.


    ¡°Okay then¡­ let¡¯s go, princess,¡± Daniel said, walking back towards the door. I walked out with him, not daring to look back.


    Ariana


    I wasn¡¯t able to concentrate on my work.


    I had been reading the document in front of me for thest ten minutes but I couldn¡¯t grasp a single word written in there as my mind was somewhere else.


    It was whirling around in yesterday¡¯s incident that happened in the elevator, after the meeting.


    I was notfortable when someone touches me. It¡¯s not like I was acting untouchable or something but my past didn¡¯t allow me to trust anyone until I know the person closely.


    But who was I kidding? People close to you give you the most horrible scar of your life just like my own¡­mother did to me.


    Incidents that happened in my past had made me conserved to myself. So, when in the elevator, the man standing beside me intentionally or unintentionally touched me, I jerked back but I didn¡¯t know that I pushed myself into Xavier.


    Obviously, he got angry but what could have I done? Firstly, we were in a fully packed elevator where I would never enter on my own. And secondly, the man who stood beside me was making me ufortable. I was a little relieved when Xavier asked me to stand on his other side, but the feeling of relief was short-lived as someone from in front pushed into me making me gasp.


    And within seconds of that, I was pushed against the elevator wall, trapped between the person who pushed me and the wall. My eyes went wide when I saw the face of that person. It was¡­ Xavier¡­


    Though he wasn¡¯t touching me, his close proximity was enough to elevate my heartbeat. He was staring directly into my eyes, making my heartbeat increase even faster. I clutched the file I was holding against my chest tighter.


    I didn¡¯t get it as to why I got those feelings when he was this close to me. I may have felt different things that I hadn¡¯t ever felt before but I never felt ufortable around him. And that¡¯s strange.


    He was staring into my eyes with so much intensity as if he was trying to see through them. I averted my eyes and looked down and just for a second, I looked around and then it dawned on me.


    He was protecting me from being touched by others. And that mere thought was enough for my fast beating heart to calm a little.


    But again, that calmness was short-lived because his hand touched my cheek. My body tensed under his touch. And I knew my face had turned red as I felt warmness on my cheeks. I didn¡¯t dare raise my eyes.


    I closed my eyes and they shot open with the ding of the elevator. He immediately pulled away and I too stood straight, not looking at him. After every single person inside the elevator went out then only he exited the elevator, not looking back. I followed him to the car.


    The car ride was awkwardly silent until he broke it by asking how I knew the Thainguage. And I did what I had never done before, I exined to him how I know it. I told him about my father.


    I never, never talked about my father to anyone. He only asked me once and I blurted out about my father to him.


    He¡¯s making me do many things I hadn¡¯t done before.


    When he thanked me for helping him in the meeting, I couldn¡¯t help but smile because he never thanked me before for anything.


    But again that moment was also short-lived because in the next moment he firmly told me to go out of the car.


    And when he drove off I made my way into the office building but stopped when I realized one thing¡­


    That was the first-ever normal conversation we had.


    I couldn¡¯t sleep for the whole night. Throughout the night, the elevator incident images were shing in front of me. I was restless the whole night and I was restless right now.


    When in the morning I went to his office, I tried my best to not look at him. He gave me work to do but I couldn¡¯t concentrate on it. I was sure that I would be scolded for not doing work on time.


    Sighing, I looked at the time, it was 11:15 am but I hadn¡¯tpleted proofreading even a single file since nine in the morning.


    I averted my eyes from the clock to continue my work but my eyesnded on the file that the IT head gave me the day before that was to be signed by Xavier.


    Oh no!!! I totally forgot that.


    I stood up from the chair and picking the file, I clutched it tightly with my hands across my chest.


    I opened the door of my office and stepped out of it. When I was about to move towards his office someone called me. I looked around to see Scott, Daniel¡¯s P. Aing towards my cabin.


    ¡°Hey Ariana,¡± he smiled.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I greeted him with a smile.


    ¡°Is Mr. Knight free? Mr. Adams asked me to bring Mr. Knight¡¯s signature on these documents.¡± He said pointing at the files in his hand.


    ¡°Oh, I am also heading to his office. You cane with me.¡± I said, tapping my fingers on the files I was clutching against my chest. If he¡¯lle with me it¡¯ll be a little less awkward to face him.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he replied.


    I was about to move when his phone rang.


    ¡°Oh, Ariana, I have to take this. You go, I¡¯ll after taking the phone call,¡±  he said.


    Uh oh! I have to face him alone. Don¡¯t worry Ari¡­ Scott wille inside just in few seconds.


    ¡°No problem,¡± I said.


    I knocked on my boss¡¯s office and with a e in¡± I entered. He was busy typing on hisputer.


    ¡°Sir, IT head passed me these documents which are to be signed by you,¡± I said cing the file on his desk.


    He nced at files and then looked at me then averted his eyes but he did a double-take on me. He sucked a breath and opened his mouth to say something.


    ¡°What the he¡­¡± he was cut off by the knock on the door and he said e in¡± but immediately cursed ¡°fuck¡± making me flinch.


    ¡°Mr. Knight, Daniel sir¡­¡± Scott¡¯s voice was cut off by Xavier.


    ¡°Stay right there, Scott.¡± Xavier almost shouted as he stood up from the chair hastily and walked past me only after whispering harshly in my ear.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare turn around.¡±


    I stood there, rooted in my ce. What did I do now? I dare not to turn around. I just stood there listening to their conversation they were doing behind me.


    Scott left the office after Xavier instructed some work to him. But my heartbeat elevated when I heard the click sound of locking of the door.


    And within seconds my arm was grabbed and I was turned around harshly.


    ¡°What the hell you think you are wearing?¡± He seethed in anger making me flinch at the intensity of his voice.


    I started trembling and looked at him in confusion. I didn¡¯t get him, I was only wearing my regr clothes. That is trousers and a shirt.


    ¡°I d.. do.. don¡¯t know what are you talking about.¡± I stammered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know? Look at your shirt. The top three buttons of your shirt are open and your ck bra is on the disy.¡± He seethed, running his fingers frustratingly through his hair.


    I looked down at my shirt and gasped when I saw the open buttons of my shirt which made my bra visible. I immediately clutched both corners of the shirt to close it and turned around. My face flushed red. I was so embarrassed.


    I tried to close the buttons but they were not at their ce. Oh no! Buttons are broken. What am I gonna do now?


    He again grabbed my arm and again turned me around to face him. This time he didn¡¯t let go of my arm. I was still clutching my shirt with my hands.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know what¡¯s happening with your clothes or you did it on purpose.. huh? What were you trying to do, Huh? Wanted to grab attention by showing off your skin? If you aren¡¯t aware let me tell you that there¡¯s a dresscode you have to follow when at work.¡± He stated angrily.


    I could feel tears starting to form in my eyes. His harsh voice made me wince, but I didn¡¯t let the tears fall. How could he use me of something like that?


    ¡°Have you met anyone since the morning?¡± To my surprise, this time his voice was calmer.


    I immediately shook my head in no. I hadn¡¯t met anyone since I sat in my office. I just met Scott but at that time the file I had been holding was covering my chest.


    He sighed out loud, rubbing his palms on his face.


    ¡°What are you doing now? Just fucking close those buttons.¡± He snapped.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ ca.. can¡¯t. Buttons ar¡­ are bro¡­broken.¡± I said frighteningly.


    ¡°I.. I have a spare sh.. shirt in my office,¡± I said, walking towards the door.


    ¡°Where do you think you are going now?¡± He asked in a hard voice.


    ¡°To ch.. change in another shirt.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± He asked.


    ¡°In my office,¡± I replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what I am asking. Where do you keep your spare shirt?¡± He asked. I looked at him in confusion.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me? Where?¡± He asked again.


    ¡°It¡¯s in the cab ced left to my desk,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Stay here,¡± he said and walked out of his cabin.


    And within a few seconds, he came back with the shirt and threw it at me, I caught it with my one hand.


    ¡°Go, change in that bathroom,¡± he said pointing towards the bathroom in his office.


    I immediately rushed towards the bathroom and get changed into a new shirt. When I came out of the bathroom he was standing near the window, looking outside. His hands were in his pant pockets.


    ¡°Th.. thank you,¡± I said in low voice, looking down at my feet.


    He turned and approached me but stopped a hand distance away from me.


    ¡°Next time make sure to check your clothes.¡± He said in a hard voice. I just nodded my head, still not looking at him.


    ¡°Look at me when I am talking to you!¡± He snapped annoyingly. I immediately looked up to meet his eyes.


    He was about to say something when the door of his office barged open.


    ¡°Hey.. Xav¡­ Oh, Princess, you are here. I was looking for you in your office.¡± Daniel¡¯s voice rang in my ears.


    I sighed in relief. Now I will be saved.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Daniel asked walking towards us.


    ¡°No. Everything is fine. I was just putting some sense in her brain.¡± Xavier said sarcastically and I winced at his words.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Daniel asked, looking at me.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    I looked at him and replied ¡°nothing¡±.


    His gaze traveled between Xavier and me suspiciously.


    ¡°What do you want, Dan?¡± Xavier asked irritatedly.


    ¡°Oh, I just need her help with some work. If you don¡¯t have any work with her then can I take her with me.¡± Daniel asked Xavier.


    Xavier sighed out loud and said ¡°yes¡±.


    ¡°Okay then¡­ let¡¯s go, princess,¡± Daniel said, walking back towards the door. I walked out with him, not daring to look back.

 18

    Xavier Knight


    I sighed heavily.


    I didn¡¯t intend to be harsh on her.


    My mind was already whirling around the elevator incident. I couldn¡¯t sleep for the whole night. She overtook my mind. Whenever I tried to close my eyes, her ck, beautiful eyes would sh before me, making it hard for me to sleep.


    I couldn¡¯t stop myself from thinking about her. I was just trying to forget that incident, her alluring eyes, her pink lips, her blush that formed on her face when I touched her¡­fuck!!


    I thought being harsh with her would make me not think of her but ¡­NO! Instead, I felt guilty for shouting at her. It wasn¡¯t her fault. It was just a wardrobe malfunction, It could happen with anyone.


    In fact, she always showed professionalism. Not a single time she tried to make a move on me. Even she was doing her work remarkably, but she seemed to be very conservative. And Ipared her with her stepsister which I knew was wrong.


    Working with her for two weeks I learned that she was not at all like her stepsister. But still, I made a big mistakeparing her with Scarlet Smith.


    And when I saw the hurt in her beautiful, innocent eyes, I regretted it immediately. I couldn¡¯t forget how she flinched when I shouted and when I cursed. She was trembling by the intensity of my voice.


    I admit that I was wrong and should not have been harsh on her, but I got furious when I thought that someone might have seen her in that state. I instantly sighed in relief when she confirmed that she hadn¡¯t met anyone since morning or I would have lost my mind.


    When I thanked her for helping me in the meeting, that was my genuine feeling. The way she gave a small smile made my heart flutter. I wanted to know her more. I wanted to give her a chance for the sake of my parents and for the sake of my sanity.


    Deep down I wanted her to prove me wrong. I wanted her to prove to me that I was doing wrong byparing her to her stepsister, I wanted her to prove to me that she¡¯s not money-hungry and an attention seeker like her family.


    But¡­


    I fucked up big time!!


    Ariana


    When we reached Daniel¡¯s office, he stood beside me and asked.


    ¡°Is something wrong, princess?¡±


    I faced him and replied ¡°nothing¡±. I think he sensed that I didn¡¯t want to talk about it so he changed the topic.


    ¡°Hey, I received the news about what you did in the meeting with Mr. Sutharak. You saved my life princess otherwise I would have been dead by now by the bare hands of ¡®your loving boss¡¯.¡±


    Augh escaped my lips. He really knows how to change someone¡¯s mood.


    ¡°I really forgot to tell Xavier to bring a trantor with him. But you saved me from his wrath. Thank you, princess. I owe you big time.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Daniel, you don¡¯t have to thank me, it¡¯s part of my work. Besides, it¡¯s just that¡­ it was a coincidence that the meeting was with a Thai client and I know thenguage¡­ That¡¯s it. And you owe me nothing.¡± I said politely.


    ¡°And of course my boss will never kill you. After all, you are his best friend.¡± I added with augh.


    ¡°Oh, believe me, princess, you don¡¯t know him.¡± He said yfully. The smile on my face died instantly.


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know him,¡± I muttered in a low whisper.


    ¡°I am extremely sorry, princess. I have been very busytely. I couldn¡¯t talk to you about¡­about¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°How¡¯s everything going with Xavier?¡± He asked in a serious tone.


    ¡°Why do you call me princess? I have a name you know?¡± I asked dismissing his words. I didn¡¯t want to talk about Xavier.


    ¡°I know very well that you have a name and a very nice name. And why I call you princess is a story for another time. Now don¡¯t change the topic.¡± He wiggled his eyebrows yfully.


    ¡°Is everything good between you and Xavier?¡± He asked. I can¡¯t escape from this.


    ¡°Umm¡­We barely talk, barely see each other at his penthouse¡­so yeah, everything¡¯s good.¡± I replied, averting my eyes from him.


    He sighed out loud.


    ¡°Listen, princess¡­ Xavier is not like the way he is behaving these days. He is a very loving and caring person. He¡¯s just upset these days. Upset with sudden changes in his life. I know you must also be upset about this sudden marriage. But please don¡¯t give up on him. Give him some time, he¡¯ll definitely show you the real him. I know that.¡± He said reassuringly.


    I stayed quiet; not looking at him.


    ¡°Princess, look at me.¡± I looked up at him. He took my hand in his which made me tense a little but I rxed instantly. He¡¯s Daniel¡­ He¡¯s no harm.


    ¡°You¡¯re like a sister to me. You know, you can tell me anything that is bothering you? You can tell me about your worries, your feelings, you can tell me what¡¯s going in your head. I can be a good listener.¡± He said politely, letting go of my hands.


    I was touched by his words. No one had ever bothered to listen to me. And he was willing to do it. I knew I was a little unsure about it but I also knew that I could share my feelings with him. He¡¯d listen to me. After all, he was my newfound brother.


    I nodded my head and smiled at him.


    ¡°Thank you, Daniel. So, as you called me your sister, can I call you brother?¡± I asked with a teasing smile.


    ¡°Of course, I would love to be called one.¡± He beamed.


    He was about to say something when the door of his office opened and Sean entered.


    ¡°Hey, Dan¡­oh, Hey, Ariana.¡± He said when he saw me.


    ¡°Hello, Sean.¡±


    ¡°Some serious talk going on here?¡± Sean asked, looking towards Daniel.


    ¡°Oh, no. Nothing serious. I was saying to her that she is my sister now. She can approach me anytime she wants to talk about anything. And¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°And asked her to give Xavier a chance.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. Umm, Ariana, I¡¯ll say the same as what Daniel just said. Give Xavier some time, he¡¯lle around eventually.¡± Sean said, standing in front of me.


    ¡°And consider me as your brother too. You can also share your worries with me. You should not give that advantage to Daniel only.¡± He said thest sentence yfully making meugh. I could feel tears developing in my eyes.


    ¡°Thank you, Sean. I never had a brother but see today I.. I.. got two brothers.¡± My voice broke.


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey.. don¡¯t cry, princess. See what you did Sean! Why did you evene in here? She was happy when I was talking to her.¡± Daniel snapped annoyingly at Sean.


    ¡°She is not crying, Daniel, or are you, Ariana?¡± Sean looked at me. Panic could be heard in his voice when he asked me.


    ¡°No, I am not crying it¡¯s just that I am happy and emotional at the same time, nothing else,¡± I reassured them.


    ¡°Good because I don¡¯t want to see my sister cry,¡± Sean said, patting my head with his hand in a brotherly way.


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile. A smile that would assure them that what they said to me means a lot to me.


    ¡°Oh, Daniel, I want the file of our France project. That was the reason I came here.¡±  Sean said.


    ¡°Okay, here is your file.¡± Daniel picked up the file and passed it on to Sean.


    ¡°Okay, so¡­ I¡¯ll take your leave. I have to check this file. And Ariana, I appreciate what you did in meeting with Mr. Sutharak.¡± Sean said and went out of the office.


    ¡°Okay now¡­ Daniel, can you tell me with what you needed my help?¡± I asked because it seemed like we both forgot why he brought me here.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, actually I wanted you to go through some documents and check if there is any mistake in there because I have sent my P. A to another department for some work. So sit, I¡¯ll just pass you the documents.¡± Daniel said as he went around to sit on his desk.


    I did the work he asked me to do and left his office. I then reached my floor to meet Mrs. Miller to go to have lunch in the cafeteria. Kevin didn¡¯t join us for lunch since he had some work to do.


    Mrs. Miller left in the middle of lunch break because she was called to the ounts department urgently. I finished my lunch and went out of the cafeteria. I was about to push the button of the elevator to go back to my cabin when I was stopped by the three women. Bianca, Diana, and Katherine. They are always together.


    ¡°What are you ying at Ariana by acting all innocent?¡± Bianca asked. I looked at her in confusion.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°Diana saw youing out of Mr. Adam¡¯s office. You were there for a long time when his P. A wasn¡¯t there.¡± Katherine said in an using tone.


    ¡°What were you doing there? Seducing him too? Because as far as I know, you don¡¯t work for him.¡± Diana used.


    ¡°What magic did you cast on Mrs. Miller and Kevin that they can¡¯t see your real face? You can y your innocent card on them but not on us. We know who you are.¡± Bianca said in an using tone.


    I didn¡¯t reply. I just smiled at them turned around and entered the elevator.


    I didn¡¯t want them to ruin my mood. These women didn¡¯t know anything but still use me of the things I could never do. I didn¡¯t want their words to affect me. The incident in Xavier¡¯s office and his words had done enough damage to me.


    Though I was really upset with what Xavier said to me, I was happy that I met the two amazing people who are now my brothers¡­Sean and Daniel.

 19

    Ariana


    I had been sitting in my office, thinking about how one and a half weeks went by after that embarrassing moment in his office.


    Till now, my thoughts had been revolving around that office incident. I felt so embarrassed. I couldn¡¯t meet his eyes every time I met him after that. And strangely, he didn¡¯t snap at me for the whole week.


    He said I did that to gain attention. He alsopared me with Scarlet. He thought I was like her who gains attention by doing anything she could do.


    I didn¡¯t feel this much hurt when Bianca, Diana, and Katherine used me and insulted me. But I didn¡¯t know why his words affected me so much. His words felt like needles, needles that were still pricking in my heart at a slow pace giving me heartache.


    I think he didn¡¯t ever learn that never judge anyone without knowing them.


    I was pulled out of my thoughts with a beep of my phone. I picked up my phone to see a message notification¡­


    ¡°Your ount has been credited¡­¡±


    I immediately opened the message. My eyes went wide as I stared at the amount that was credited to my ount.


    My first sry since I started working as a P. A and it was the amount that was equal to the 6 months sry I used to earn from myst job.


    Why was I even shocked? I guess this is what you get as you work for the CEO of the USA¡¯s topmostpany.


    The corner of my lips tugged up and within seconds I was smiling like a fool. My savings were nearly ending, now I didn¡¯t have to worry. But my smile faded when I realized something.


    Watching the message of my sry made me realize that¡­


    One month had already passed.


    It had been a month since I got married to Xavier Knight. It¡¯s been a month since I entered my new phase of life. A month since I got free from Smith¡¯s.


    And¡­


    A month since he became my husband but I never became his wife.


    It¡¯s not that I wanted to be called his wife but at least he should not judge me without knowing me. And I didn¡¯t know what theing days will bring to me. Will he ignore me for eternity? Will he ever change his opinion about me? Will I be tied to this loveless bound for life?


    Sighing, I ced my phone aside. The situation wasn¡¯t in my hands. The best I could do was concentrate on work so that I would not think of all that happened in a month and I¡¯d not think of what will happen in theing months.


    During the lunch break, Mrs. Miller, Kevin, Lauren, Scott, and I decided to go to a small diner near the building since our bosses were out for a meeting so, Lauren suggested that we should go out because our bosses won¡¯t demand us and we didn¡¯t have to rush to them between our lunch break.


    So, here we were, sitting at a rectangr table in a cozy diner ready to order our food. I was sitting between Lauren and Mrs. Miller, Scott and Kevin were sitting across us.


    ¡°Listen, everybody,¡± I said excitedly. They all turned their attention to me.


    ¡°Today¡¯s lunch is on me,¡± I beamed.


    ¡°What¡¯s the asion?¡± Kevin asked, raising his eyebrows.


    ¡°Actually¡­¡± Before I could say anything Scott asked excitedly.


    ¡°Why? Is it your birthday today?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Why? Someone proposed to you today?¡± Lauren asked excitedly, wiggling her eyebrows.


    ¡°What? ¡­N.. No!¡± I blushed. Why would she ask that?


    ¡°Then, you proposed to someone?¡± Mrs. Miller asked teasingly.


    ¡°No!¡± Goodness, they don¡¯t know that I am married.


    ¡°Then?¡± They all asked in unison.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing that you all are thinking about. The thing is, my sry got credited today. One monthpleted.¡± I said excitedly.


    ¡°Already?¡± They all screeched in unison, making all other people in the diner stare at us.


    ¡°Shhh¡­lower your voices.¡± I hushed them.


    ¡°Oh god, Ariana, a month has already passed? It feels like we just met yesterday.¡± Lauren squealed, side hugging me. Iughed at her reaction.


    ¡°Time truly flies so quickly.¡± Mrs. Miller said, pulling me in a hug from another side.


    ¡°One month since we have known each other.¡± Scott smiled warmly. I smiled back at him.


    ¡°Really? One month already passed in admiring your beauty?¡± Kevin replied, grinning ear to ear, making my cheeks turn pink.


    ¡°Goodness, Kevin, you made her blush.¡± Laurenughed, poking my cheeks. I swatted her hand away softly.


    ¡°Okay enough. Order now.¡± I said a little sternly so that they won¡¯t make fun of me anymore.


    ¡°Aww¡­ Ariana, you look too cute when you act stern.¡± Thisment from Kevin made my face go red. All of themughed watching me.


    ¡°I guess you all don¡¯t want a treat. It¡¯s okay, fine by me.¡± I shrugged my shoulders trying to tease them.


    ¡°Who said that? Okay, guys, we¡¯ll talk afterward. Now order.¡± Lauren said hurriedly. I sighed in relief.


    ¡°Okaaayyy..¡± they all replied in unison like singing a song.


    Iughed. Goodness, how did I be so lucky to have these amazing people in my life? It was the first time I was sharing my happiness with someone¡­not just someone¡­ I was sharing it with my friends.


    For the first time, I got to know how it feels to celebrate or share your happiness with others. My heart swelled with contentment seeing these people celebrating with me. It felt so good.


    After lunch, I paid the bill then we all went back to our respective departments to continue with our work.


    An hour before the end of work hours my boss returned and asked me toe to his office. When I went there, I saw him standing near the window, looking outside, his hands were in his pockets.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sir,¡± I said.


    He turned to face me then slowly walked to his desk.


    ¡°I got the invitation to Scarlet Smith¡¯s birthday party which is tonight.¡± He said, pointing towards the card ced on his desk.


    Oh¡­ it¡¯s her birthday today. It¡¯s not that I forgot, I just didn¡¯t want to remember. I was never allowed to join hervish birthday party which was held every year in the mansion. I was sure this time too it was going to bevish.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to attend the party since I have a meeting with a client. So, the thing is, I know you must be invited there, so you go to the party and apologize from my side. I¡¯ll have Finn bring a gift for Scarlet.¡± He said while gazing at me intently. His voice was gentle, it was like he was asking me to that, not ordering me.


    But my main concern was the party. He wanted me to attend the party, but how should I tell him that I wasn¡¯t invited there, never was and never will be? How do I tell him they would not be pleased to see me there since they had already tossed me out of their lives.


    ¡°Besides, you haven¡¯t seen your mother for so long. So, it¡¯ll be good for you to meet your mother.¡± He mumbled gently and this time his gaze held gentleness as well.


    His statement shocked me but I didn¡¯t allow my face to give any type of expression. Why did I feel like he was concerned about me that I hadn¡¯t met my mother for so long?


    Mother? I scoffed. What mother? A mother who didn¡¯t listen to her own daughter¡¯s requests. A mother who didn¡¯t love her own daughter, a mother who didn¡¯t even call once to ask how her daughter had been doing. I was sure she would not be happy to see me there.


    But I couldn¡¯t say no to him. What reason would I give to him? He didn¡¯t know what pain I had endured there, he knew nothing. And I didn¡¯t want him to know. After all, what could he be able to do if he gets to know about it? Probably nothing.


    So, I decided that I would just go there and would return after handing the gift to one of the guards. I would not go inside the mansion.


    ¡°Umm, okay,¡± I replied, not giving any kind of expressions that could make him suspicious about my intentions.


    He nodded his head and said,


    ¡°And I¡¯ll have Finn to drive you there.¡±


    I got rmed. Why his driver. What about my n now?


    ¡°No.. it¡¯s not necessary.¡± I immediately replied, panicking.


    ¡°Finn will drive you there and that¡¯s final.¡± He said with finality in his tone, gazing directly into my eyes.


    I lowered my eyes, gazing down at my shoes. Why did he want me to go in one of his cars? I had no idea. The change in his behavior had been surprising.


    ¡°What did I tell you, what to do when I talk to you?¡± He asked in a calm tone.


    Look at me when I am talking to you¡­ His words rang in my mind.


    I immediately looked up to see him staring at me intently. My heartbeat began to speed up. Why always it felt like he¡¯s trying to see through me by looking into my eyes.


    I tried to keep calm but my heartbeats were saying otherwise.


    ¡°Is that clear what I said earlier?¡± He asked, arching an eyebrow.


    Oh, the car and the driver. It seems like I can¡¯t escape this.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied, looking at him. Now I have to think of something else.


    ¡°Good. Now you can go back to work. I¡¯ll be leaving for the meeting in fifteen minutes.¡±


    Saying okay, I exited his office and went to my office. I began to formte a new n. I walked back to my chair to sit when something struck me.


    It¡¯s Scarlet¡¯s birthday. Which means¡­


    They will be there.


    No, no, no, no. I couldn¡¯t go there. I didn¡¯t want to see them. They were my biggest nightmare.


    My legs trembled and I fell on my chair with a thud. How could I forget about them?


    What should I do now?

 20

    Ariana


    If Xavier had not gone to the meeting, I wouldn¡¯t have been in a situation I was in.


    I had been sitting on my bed, my legs hung down with my feet on the floor. My legs had been shaking furiously, making my whole body shake. I was trying to calm myself but wasn¡¯t able to do it.


    I was on verge of getting a panic attack, my heart was beating furiously, it felt like it woulde out of the ribcage any moment.


    Anxiousness had crawled in my body. I was frightened, there was an uneasiness flowing in my body, giving me a weird sensation in my stomach. I was feeling apprehensive about going there. It felt like something bad was going to happen.


    I didn¡¯t want to see them. I didn¡¯t want to see any of the Smiths. They were not weing people. They would not be pleased to see me there. They would not even acknowledge my presence, instead, they would get angry, especially Mr. Smith.


    And I couldn¡¯t forget the fact that they would be there too. Those evil people who stole my happiness, who stole my growing years, who made me weak, because of whom Ick confidence would be there. I didn¡¯t want to recall what they did to me. Seeing them would only bring my horrible memories back that I had been trying to hide somewhere inside.


    The ringing of the doorbell brought me out of my thoughts. It must be Finn, Xavier¡¯s driver/bodyguard had. I forcefully stood up from the bed and walked to the door to open it for Finn.


    As I opened the door, I saw him standing in a stiff posture, hands at the back, head straight.


    ¡°Hello, ma¡¯am. The car is ready.¡± He spoke.


    ¡°Umm, hello, I am ready as well, Let¡¯s go,¡± I replied, a little unsure of myself.


    ¡°Err¡­ Ma¡¯am, you sure you are ready?¡± He asked, looking at me questioningly.


    I looked down at my outfit. I was wearing fitted denim jeans, a white hoodie, and sneakers with my hair tied in a bun. Yeah, I was going there in this outfit because I knew I won¡¯t go inside the mansion, I had already decided to pass the gift to one of the maids through the back door and would leave.


    ¡°Oh.. yeah, I am ready. I won¡¯t stay there for long. So, let¡¯s go.¡± Before he could say anything else, I stepped out of the penthouse, locked the door, and headed inside the elevator. He entered the elevator with me.


    When we reached the parking area, Finn walked in front of me, he clicked the button on the car remote. I nced in the direction of the beeping sound only to see a Rolls Royce. My jaw almost fell on the floor when I looked at the red shiny, royal, top-ss Rolls Royce.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± Finn said while opening the back door of the car for me.


    ¡°We are going in this?¡± I asked while pointing my finger at the car.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Umm.. can we go in another car? Any small car instead?¡± I asked, looking around to find a small car between the collection of luxury cars of Xavier. But I found none.


    ¡°I am sorry ma¡¯am. I am afraid we can¡¯t take another car. Mr. Knight ordered me to drive you there in this car.¡± He replied.


    Huh? Xavier ordered him? But why? His behavior had been confusing me these days.


    Well, I was excited though. It was the first time I¡¯d be sitting in a Rolls Royce.


    I sat inside the car and Finn shut the door for me before taking the driver¡¯s seat. He started driving towards Smith¡¯s mansion.


    The atmosphere in the car was silent and my mind was again flying towards the things that would happen in the mansion. So, I tried to talk to Finn to ease my uneasiness.


    ¡°Finn? How long have you been working for Xavier?¡± He nced at me through the rearview mirror.


    ¡°It¡¯s been 3 years ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Finn, Please call me Ariana,¡± I said politely.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate. You are my employer¡¯s wi¡­¡± I cut him off before he couldplete the sentence.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I don¡¯t mind. Please call me Ariana from now on.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay, Ariana ma¡¯am,¡± He said hesitantly. He won¡¯t call my name so, I had to settle with this. I smiled at him through the rearview mirror and he reciprocated the smile.


    The atmosphere in the car again fell silent. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the ce I hadn¡¯t seen for a month came into the view. I closed my eyes to calm my heart but that it didn¡¯t help, instead, my heart started beating at a faster rate.


    Finn stopped the car in front of the mansion and instantly stepped out of the car to open the door for me. I hesitated a bit but sensing that I still had no choice, I stepped out of the car with the gift in my hands.


    ¡°Let me hold this for you,¡± Finn said while bringing his hands to hold the gift box.


    ¡°No it¡¯s okay, I can hold this,¡± I reassured him.


    ¡°Okay, ma¡¯am. I¡¯ll park the car, give me a call when you are ready to leave.¡± I nodded my head.


    When Finn drove the car towards the parking area, I immediately ran to the back of the mansion to enter from the backdoor which opens into the kitchen.


    Inhaling deeply, I opened the backdoor. First, I peeked inside the kitchen and when I found no one there, I stepped inside and decided to wait for a maid to enter the kitchen. I¡¯ll hand over the gift to the first maid that enters the kitchen and will leave immediately.


    I waited for almost five minutes but no one came. Maids must be busy serving the guests. But I was getting very anxious standing there. Frightening thoughts began to cross my mind.


    What if they enter the kitchen before any maid?


    No, no, no¡­


    I took the cautious steps towards the door of the kitchen and slowly peeked outside. There was an etched ss wall that was hindering the view of the party. I slowly walked towards the end of the ss wall to peek outside so that I could call for a maid.


    I was sauntering while looking at the other side that I failed to notice that someone wasing from the front. An audible gasp left my throat when I bumped into someone. I closed my eyes praying for my safety. Please, God, don¡¯t let this person be one of them.  Please, please.


    ¡°Where the hell are your eyes, you stupid woman?¡± Honestly, I was relieved when I heard an unfamiliar female voice. It wasn¡¯t one of them. I immediately opened my eyes and looked up. There stood ady who wore a gown with a slit reaching up to her thigh. Her face was caked up with makeup.


    ¡°I am so sorry.¡± I immediately apologized. But instead of epting my apology, she began shouting at me.


    ¡°Are you blind or what? I almost fell on the floor because of you!¡± She seethed in anger, making me flinch at her tone.


    ¡°I am s-sorry. It was¡­¡± I tried to apologize again but was cut off by the booming voice.


    ¡°What is going over here?!¡± Oh no! It¡¯s Mr. Smith.


    ¡°Ask your maid! I fell because of her. I think I sprained my ankle.¡± I gasp at her usation. Why was she lying? And she called me a maid?


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that Mr. Smith, actually-¡± I tried to exin but he again cut me off.


    ¡°You shut up¡± he shouted, pointing a finger at me.


    ¡°Mrs. Moore, are you alright? Can you walk or Do you need any help?¡± Mr. Smith asked that evildy politely. Huh, he could act polite? That was new.


    ¡°Yes, fortunately, I can walk. But Mr. Smith you must teach your servants to behave and how to walk without bumping into someone. She touched my dress with her filthy hands! Now I have to throw this expensive dress away.¡± She seethed, eyeing me from head to toe in disgust.


    ¡°I apologize from her side, Mrs. Moore. I¡¯ll buy you a new dress. Please enjoy the party. I¡¯ll take care of this woman standing here.¡± Mr. Smith eyed me in anger which made me tremble in fear.


    ¡°Fine! I am leaving this matter here for now.¡± She said this in attitude and marched back to the party.


    Scarlet and my mother came running towards us.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on he-what are you doing here?¡± My mother asked in shock when she saw me.


    ¡°Your good for nothing daughter bumped into our most important client¡¯s wife, Mrs. Moore and she fell on the floor. Thank God I came on time otherwise we would have lost an important client. She was really angry.¡± Mr. Smith eximed in rage.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that-¡± Before I could exin myself, Mr. Smith cut me off by pping me hard on my face. The force of his p was so strong that I almost fell on the floor.


    ¡°Shut up! What the hell are you doing here? Who invited you? Don¡¯t you know you are not allowed in any gatherings rted to my family?¡± He shouted on my face.


    A lone tear rolled down my eye. Yes, it had been like this only. Whenever I would mistakenlye before his guests, he would p me for no reason.


    ¡°Come on dad, don¡¯t spoil your mood. She is not worth wasting your time on. Guests are waiting for you outside.¡± Scarlet said, eyeing me with annoyance.


    ¡°You better leave right now.¡± With that, Mr. Smith went back to the party.


    ¡°You always ruin everything for me, you bitch. You better leave before my dad sees you again.¡± Scarlet spat angrily and marched back.


    ¡°What are you doing here, Ariana?¡± My mother asked with the void of emotion or concern in her voice.


    ¡°M-mom¡­ I came here as a recement for Xavier. He couldn¡¯t attend the party, and, and thatdy was lying.¡± Tears started flowing down my eyes.


    ¡°Leave right now, Ariana. You have already ruined our mood.¡± She said as she averted her eyes from me. I felt hurt.


    I didn¡¯t wait even for a second and ran away from there. I ran until I reached the back of the mansion.


    As soon as I reached outside, I fell on my knees and I cried. I cried until I let my frustration out through my tears. My own mother didn¡¯t even try to console me. Shepletely ignored me.


    Why I had to go through this. Why?


    What mistake I hadmitted that I was treated like an animal? Even animals are treated better.


    ¡°Dad, why did you leave me? My life would have been better if you were here with me.


    What did I do wrong, dad, that you left me? These people do not treat me well. I am broken, dad. I can¡¯t take this anymore. I am tired. Tired of them, tired of everyone, tired of everything.¡± I cried.


    I then looked up in the sky. ¡°I have now lost all my hopes for a better life. Please, dad, call me to you. I don¡¯t want to live down here.¡±


    I cried harder until tears stop flowing. I cried until no more tears were left toe out.


    I was thankful that they were not there. And if they were indeed there, I was thankful that they didn¡¯te in front of me.


    I angrily cleared my tears with the back of my hand and stood up from the ground and ran towards the parking lot. I didn¡¯t want to stay there any longer. I saw Finn and approached him with my head down.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, is the party over? Were youte for the party? You havee so early.¡± Finn asked.


    ¡°N.. no,¡± I mumbled, not looking at him.


    ¡°Are you crying? Is everything okay?¡± He asked with concern.


    And the tears that I had been trying to stop started flowing again.


    ¡°P-please, I want to go back,¡± I said while sobbing.


    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± He immediately opened the back door of the car for me. I sat inside and cried again.


    When we reached the penthouse building, Finn parked the car and opened the door for me.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, Let me drop you to the penthouse,¡± he said, giving me his handkerchief. I took the handkerchief from his hand and wiped my face. I didn¡¯t have the strength to deny him so I let him apany me to the penthouse.


    ¡°Thank you, Finn, for dropping me here. But I have one request, please don¡¯t tell this to Xavier. Please, Finn. Don¡¯t even tell this to Mrs. Molly, she¡¯d tell this to Mrs. Knight which will make her worried.¡±


    ¡°But Ma¡¯am-¡±


    ¡°Please Finn, I request you.¡±


    ¡°But ma¡¯am, Mr. Knight should know whatever happened back there in the mansion,¡± He said.


    ¡°Please Finn. He doesn¡¯t have to know about this. I just had an argument with my mother. That¡¯s all.¡± I lied hoping that he¡¯d agree to my request.


    ¡°O.. okay.¡± He was hesitant but agreed.


    ¡°Promise me that you won¡¯t tell anyone.¡± I looked at him in hope. He thought for a second then agreed which made me sigh in relief.


    ¡°Thank you, Finn.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, ma¡¯am. I¡¯ll take your leave then. Take care.¡± I nodded my head then he left.


    I ran to my room and jumped on the bed and hid my face in the pillow and¡­ screamed, Screamed till my throat was sore.


    With no hope of a better life, no hope of finding someone who would care for me, love me like my dad, with no hope of anything, Iid on the bed until sleep engulfed me.

 21

    Ariana


    My eyes fluttered open when I felt rays of sun falling on me. I sat up on the bed, rubbing my eyes with my hands. I nced around only to see that I again slept with curtains wide open. I slept in the clothes I worest night. My eyes were sore because of crying, my throat was hurting because of screaming which was not heard by anyone.


    Last night¡­


    Last night was still fresh in mind¡­that woman¡¯s false usation, the p, my own mother¡¯s hurting words, my tears. And it was fresh in my mind that I was left with no hope of a better life. I was born to be left alone.


    I nced at the clock, it was ten past seven in the morning. Oh no, I slept for long. I have to get ready for work. I ran into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror and what I saw made me wince; my eyes were puffy and red, my hair was messy, and my face-my left cheek had a bruise.


    It was the impact of the p that Mr. Smith gave me. All his four fingers were visible as red marks on my skin. I touched my cheek and winced; tears started welling up in my eyes, tears¡­ not of physical pain, but emotional pain.


    I shook my head, it was not the time to cry. I had cried enoughst night, but now I had to do something to cover the bruise because I couldn¡¯t go to work with the bruise on my face.


    I brushed my teeth, then took a quick shower and changed into my work outfit. I then looked at myself in the mirror, my eyes were not red anymore but they were still puffy, and my bruise was as it is.


    ¡°I think, first I should apply an ice pack on the bruise and I should also drink lukewarm water to ease my sore throat,¡± I mumbled to myself.


    I nced at time again, it was seven-thirty. Mrs. Molly won¡¯te for a few days as she had gone to Florida to meet her son. And Xavier must also have left for work. So, it was safe to go downstairs without letting anyone know about the bruise.


    Walking out of my room, I headed to the kitchen but I halted on my steps at the entrance of the kitchen when I saw Xavier standing there, dressed in his navy blue suit. His back was facing me. Oh no!! What is he doing here till now? He is never around at this time. So why today?


    I immediately turned to run back to my room before he could notice me, but I froze when he spoke,


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    Oh no, he already noticed me. What now?


    ¡°I wanted to ask, umm, how was the party?¡± He asked in a very calm and hesitant voice.


    ¡°Um, it was g.. good,¡± I replied in a croaked voice without turning to him. My throat hurts.


    ¡°What happened to your voice? And how many times do I have to tell you to look at me when I am talking to you?¡± He said firmly. I could hear heavy footsteps behind me. No, no, no, don¡¯te near me.


    I tried to run but before I could take a step forward, with a firm grip on my arm I was spun around forcefully.


    ¡°How many times-What the hell happened to your face?¡± He asked angrily by letting go of the arm. I looked at him with shock and wide eyes.


    Suddenly, he gripped my jaw with hisrge hand and turned my face to another side.


    ¡°Who did this to you?¡± He asked sternly, scrutinizing my cheek.


    I was about to make an excuse but what he said next sent a shiver down my spine.


    ¡°And don¡¯t you dare lie to me or give anyme excuse like you fell and bruised yourself because I won¡¯t believe it. This bruise on your cheek shows a handprint which means someone pped you. So tell me, who the hell did this to you? And tell me the damn truth.¡± He asked in a dangerously low voice, gripping my jaw tightly while gazing directly into my eyes.


    I tried to look downwards but his grip on my jaw was firm, not letting me make any movement. I closed my eyes, not daring to look at him.


    ¡°Tell me the truth, ARIANA.¡±


    My eyes instantly met his. This was the first time my name came out of his mouth. Though he took my name firmly, the way my name rolled down his tongue sent tingles through my body.


    ¡°I am asking you something, Ariana? Are you trying to find an excuse? If this is so, don¡¯t you even dare to think about it.¡± He warned me.


    I couldn¡¯t lie to him because if I did, he¡¯d go deep into this matter and would dig out the truth. He¡¯d ask Finn and that¡¯d be bad because he¡¯d threaten him. That will not be good for me. So, it¡¯s better to tell him the truth.


    ¡°Mr. Smith did¡­t-this.¡± I stuttered, fearing how will he react. His grip tightened on my jaw.


    ¡°Andrew Smith? Why?¡± He asked with gritted teeth while pinning his gaze with mine.


    ¡°I.. mis.. mistakenly bumped into his.. important g.. guest.¡±


    ¡°Just because of that he pped you?¡±  He asked disbelievingly. I meekly nodded my head.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± he cursed as he let go of my jaw and ran his fingers in his hair.


    ¡°And your mother? What did she do?¡± I looked down and just shook my head in no.


    He mumbled some incoherent words and ran his fingers in his hair frustratingly as he turned his back to me. He again turned to face me. His hands were clenched in a tight fist.


    ¡°You will not go there anymore!¡± He eximed which made me look at him. His face was showing anger; anger that I hadn¡¯t seen before.


    I nodded my head. I myself didn¡¯t want to go there.


    He looked into my eyes, the rage that was zing in his eyes instantly died, and his eyes¡­. Softened. He took a step towards me and slowly raised his hand and touched my bruised cheek, making me flinch, but I rxed when he began caressing my cheek soothingly with his thumb, spreading warmness in my body.


    ¡°Does¡­does it hurt?¡± He asked softly creasing my cheek. I could sense¡­. Concern in his voice?


    I wanted to say it hurts, not physically but emotionally. But I just shook my head.


    He audibly sighed and let go of his hand from my cheek, taking away the warmness with him.


    ¡°Come.¡± He gently grabbed my wrist and made me sit on the couch in the living room.


    ¡°Sit here,¡± he said and went into the kitchen.


    What was he doing?


    He came back within a few minutes and stood in front of me.


    ¡°Drink this.¡± He ordered, giving me the ss of water. I raised my hand to take the ss from his hand and as soon as I touched the ss, my head shot up and my wide eyes instantly met his.


    He brought lukewarm water for me? It was unpredictable.


    ¡°Drink it, it will help to relieve your sore throat,¡± he said, bobbing his head at me. I took the ss from his hand and slowly drank the water. He took the empty ss from my hand and ced it on the center table. Then he sat beside me, keeping a little distance from me.


    I didn¡¯t try to move. I was just watching his every move silently. I looked the other way from where he was sitting. Suddenly, I felt something cold on my left cheek which made me wince.


    ¡°Ow,¡± my head quickly turned to him only to find him holding an icepack. Why was he doing this? Showing concern? Why did he seem to be bothered by this?


    ¡°Oh.. does it hurt?¡± He asked softly.


    ¡°N.. no¡­ it¡¯s just cold.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­okay, umm, hold this icepack and pat it on the bruise by yourself so that you can adjust ording to the cold.¡± He said handing me the icepack.


    He stood up from the couch and cleared his throat.


    ¡°You are noting to work today.¡± He ordered.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Before I could say anything he gave me a you-dare-defy-me look. I couldn¡¯t do anything but agree to his order. After all, he¡¯s the boss.


    ¡°So, umm, I¡¯ll just take my bag and leave for work,¡± he said and walked to his room upstairs.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    I just stared at him as he walked to his room. I bent slightly to look at his disappearing figure properly, my one hand was pressing the icepack on my cheek and the other one pressed on the armrest of the couch. I must be looking like a fool.


    What had just happened? Did he show concern towards me? But why? He never cared what¡¯s happening to me. Why now? What¡¯s different this time?


    I abruptly straightened myself when I saw himing out from his room with his office bag in his hand. He walked past me, not ncing at me but stopped at the door and turned back slowly. I kept noticing his every move.


    He began walking towards me which brought me to alert mode. Why was heing towards me?


    He stopped in front of me and bent a little, I slightly pulled my head back because his face was way too close to mine. I slowly gazed into his eyes. His eyes were showing hesitance¡­ but I couldn¡¯t figure out why and of what? What was he trying to do?


    With hesitance in his eyes, he did something and said ¡°Take care.¡± And left in a hurry without ncing back.


    The thing he did, surprised me, not surprised me, it shocked me. I sat there, frozen on my spot. I couldn¡¯t move and at that moment I couldn¡¯t even feel the coldness of the icepack which I had pressed tightly against my cheek.


    Thank goodness that I was sitting on the couch or I would have fallen on the floor because my legs had turned into jelly; living beings inside my stomach started doing summersault and butterflies also entered my stomach to apany them and they were giving me a tingling sensation. Goosebumps climbed up to my spine. I felt warm and fuzzy inside.


    The thing he did before leaving holds the most beautiful meaning. The thing he did shows care, concern. The thing he did shows respect. It shows protection, it indicates an emotional connection. The thing he did could melt anybody with happiness and is the most beautiful gesture in the world.


    He did something to me that wasst done by my father..


    The thing he did to me made me realize something.. that..


    That my hopes that diedst night, maybe they were still alive somewhere.


    I could feel the side of my lips tugging up and at the same time, tears started welling up in my eyes. Tears of hope, hope that maybe be someday I would also be cared for and would be respected by someone.


    I slowly raised my hand and touched my forehead with my fingers. I closed my eyes, tears instantly rolled down my cheeks but the smile was still there on my lips.


    Yes, I touched my forehead because¡­


    He kissed my FOREHEAD¡­


    Xavier Knight kissed my forehead.

 22

    Xavier Knight


    The moment my lips touched the soft, delicate skin of her forehead, I knew I was in trouble.


    My heart was pumping blood furiously, making it beat at an rming rate. I didn¡¯t know why I always felt that way when I touched her. For haven¡¯s sake, that was just a kiss that too on her forehead but still, it felt like it was not just a kiss on her forehead. It felt like, like¡­Damn! I couldn¡¯t even exin it to myself. I didn¡¯t know what it feels like. But it felt different.


    My n was to walk out of the penthouse after I had given her icepack, but I didn¡¯t know when my feet involuntarily walked me to her and when my lips involuntarily made their way to her forehead. And I kissed her¡­I fucking kissed her forehead. Damn¡­Why? Why? Why?


    I closed my eyes to calm myself down but as soon as I closed my eyes, her face with that red handprint shed before my eyes, making my body fill with rage again.


    That bastard¡­ Andrew Smith¡­ How dare he hit her? How dare he hit a woman.


    I abhor men who hit women. Actually, they should not be allowed to be called men. These kinds of people are a fucking coward, fucking scumbags not men. Because¡­


    ¡®Real men don¡¯t hit women¡¯


    I always hated Andrew with all my guts. He was very obnoxious, disgusting, and evil. He was not respected in the business world. I never regarded him and the act he pulled by hitting her made me detest him even more.


    And her mother! How could she allow anything like this to happen to her own daughter? Andrew was her stepfather but Jade? She¡¯s her biological mother.


    If anyone dares touch me in front of my mother she would kill that person with her bare hands. Okay.. not kill .. but will surely make that person regret the decision ofying hand on me.


    And her mother, she didn¡¯t even utter a word? How could she do that?


    I thought she would want to meet her mother since she hadn¡¯t met her since our marriage but I had no idea that her mother had problems with her. I had no idea that Andrew would p her. If I knew about it, I wouldn¡¯t have asked her to attend the party.


    I had no idea what exactly happened there. I just knew that she was pped for a highly excusable act. That is what she told me and I knew she didn¡¯t lie about it.


    I even asked Finn about what happened at the party because I gave him the responsibility to drive her there and bring her back safely since he¡¯s my trusted driver and bodyguard.


    He was hesitant because apparently, he had promised Ariana that he won¡¯t tell anyone so I had to threaten him to open his mouth. And then he told me that within fifteen minutes of going into the party she came out crying.


    I had known her for a month now. She had been living with me in my penthouse and had been working with me for a month now, but I never saw her crying. The hurt I saw in her eyes this morning, I had never seen that before, even when I said many bad words to her, she remained emotionless.


    She must be hurting a lot emotionally. I knew it because her eyes conveyed it all, she didn¡¯t have to speak, her eyes spoke for her.


    I just wanted to relieve her pain, except agreeing to marry me she hadn¡¯t done anything bad to me so I didn¡¯t want her to cry anymore.


    I would not let her go that ce again, I¡¯d make sure to keep her away from those vile people ¡­at least.. till she is with me.


    I was pulled out of my thoughts when Daniel and Sean entered my office.


    ¡°Hey man, where¡¯s Ariana?¡±


    ¡°Where is princess? She isn¡¯t in her office.¡±


    I sighed silently. No greetings, no good morning, nothing, just where is Ariana! They had developed this new habit by now. They would not acknowledge me but would ask about her.


    ¡°This is workce Daniel, you can¡¯t call her with endearment here and for your information, she has a name,¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°You are snappy this morning. What happened? Fought with someone?¡± Daniel asked, frowning his eyebrows. He and Sean sat on the chair ced across my desk.


    ¡°Nothing happened to me. And I didn¡¯t fight with anybody.¡± Well¡­I wanna fight with Andrew though.


    ¡°Say this to those who don¡¯t know you,¡± Sean replied, crossing his arms in front of his chest.


    ¡°Why are you both here anyway? As far as I know, you are not here to talk to me.¡± I asked as I ced my elbows on the desk, leaning forward.


    ¡°Who said we don¡¯t want to talk to you?¡± Daniel asked.


    ¡°Well, this is the routine of every morning for a few weeks now.¡± I furrowed my eyebrows. They both averted their eyes.


    ¡°See? You guys are not even denying it. In the morning you two only enter my office if you don¡¯t find her in her office.¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°Well¡­Ariana is handling our work too. So it¡¯s obvious that we will ask for her.¡± Sean casually shrugged his shoulders.


    She had indeed been handling their work too since they had engaged their Personal Assistants in other businesses they owned. So, basically, my P. A was their P. A as well for a few days now. She was handling a lot of work.


    ¡°So, where is she?¡± Daniel asked impatiently.


    ¡°She isn¡¯ting today. She has a day off.¡± I replied nonchntly.


    ¡°Why?¡± They both asked in unison.


    What should I tell them? I couldn¡¯t tell them the truth. If I¡¯d tell them the truth about Andrew hitting her, they would be furious as they hate Andrew too and most importantly they considered Ariana as their sister. They had started acting like overprotective brothers towards her.


    I have toe up with something¡­


    ¡°She had a headache this morning so I gave her a day off,¡± I said cautiously so that they won¡¯t suspect anything because they act like detectives sometimes.


    ¡°Headache? What happened? Is she all right? I think I should call her and ask her.¡± Daniel said, taking out his phone from his pocket.


    ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s not necessary. Um, she might be sleeping at this moment.¡± I said hurriedly. If he¡¯ll talk to her he¡¯ll know the truth.


    He eyed me suspiciously which forced me to avert my eyes. I can¡¯t even look into their eyes. These two can fucking read my eyes. They know me more than I know myself.


    ¡°You are right. I should not disturb her.¡± I sighed silently. He¡¯ll not question anymore.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org.


    I looked at Sean only to find him staring at me. I raised my eyebrows at him.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked. He shook his head lightly, he had a hint of a smile. What¡¯s there to smile?


    ¡°So, Ariana had a headache¡­.¡± He trailed off, pinning his eyes with mine. Didn¡¯t he hear me before?


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. He nced at Daniel; both of them shared a look that I found suspicious. Both of them turned their attention to me.


    ¡°And you gave her a day off?¡± Sean asked, smirking. Daniel was also smirking.


    ¡°So?¡± I asked, cautiously looking at both of them. What¡¯s going on in their mind?


    ¡°You know¡­ her headache may have gone by having medicine and she could have been present here, working¡­ without any headache?¡± Sean said, his eyes are showing amusement.


    ¡°Your point?¡± I asked Sean but he didn¡¯t reply, instead, Daniel replied.


    ¡°What he means to say is¡­ There was no need to give her a day off. Besides, you never gave a day off to any of your P. A before.¡±


    ¡°I always make sure my employees are well so that they can work properly. I am not a cruel boss.¡± I snapped at both of them.


    ¡°And I don¡¯t know why are we discussing all this. If you don¡¯t have anything productive to say then leave.¡± I narrowed my eyes. But instead of getting up and leaving, they started grinning. They fucking started grinning.


    ¡°Here we go again, avoiding the topic! Why don¡¯t you ept one thing.¡± Sean asked, drumming his fingers on the desk, grin not leaving his face.


    ¡°What?¡± I was getting irritated now.


    ¡°That you, my brother, have started caring for princess,¡± Daniel said, grinning ear to ear. Seanughed and I red at both of them.


    What the hell?¡­


    I rubbed my face with my palms to calm myself down. Calm down, Xavier¡­ They are your best friends. You don¡¯t have to kill them.


    ¡°So¡­have you?¡± Daniel¡¯s teasing voice reached my ears.


    That¡¯s it. I picked up a pen from my desk and threw it at him.


    ¡°What the fuck? It could have hurt me.¡± Daniel snapped getting up from his chair.


    ¡°It was meant to.¡± I snapped back. Seanughed loudly. We both red at him making him suppress hisugh.


    ¡°Okay, on a serious note, how are we gonna manage today? Ariana is basically managing three of our work. And I gave some documents to her yesterday. I need them now.¡± Sean said.


    ¡°Well, same for me. I gave her some files to review. And she is not here now, so how am I gonna get them?¡± Daniel asked, sitting back on his chair.


    Shit!! Why I didn¡¯t realize that before. I also wanted my schedule for the day. How was I gonna work without her? I shouldn¡¯t have given her off. But that was necessary. I couldn¡¯t let her roam in the office with that bruise on her face. She needed rest.


    What to do now? Should I call her and ask to work from home? Would it be right?


    ¡°Hey, hey¡­I got a mail from princess.¡± Daniel said, looking into his phone. What mail?


    ¡°It seems like she is a responsible employee. She has sent me an email saying that she has alreadypleted reviewing the documents and has asked Mrs. Miller to send the files to my office.¡± Daniel replied, looking up from his phone.


    ¡°Indeed she is. She sent me an email too. And I wanted some statistics files from the ounts department, she has asked them to send them to me.¡± Sean replied, checking his phone.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you two give your work to your P. A. instead of giving to mine.¡± They both were getting dependent on her. They were giving too much of their work to her.


    ¡°You know it, Xavier¡­ Our other business needs our attention too. And both of our Pas are handling that workload. I know it¡¯s not good to give Ariana our workload but it¡¯s just for a few days. But I feel bad man¡­ I think this is the reason for her headache.¡± Sean said thest statement with a little regret in his voice.


    ¡°Yeah, man¡­ I feel bad too. We are the reason for her headache.¡± Daniel said sadly.


    Goodness, they don¡¯t know that I lied to them. I¡¯ll be dead if they would get to know the truth,


    ¡°I¡¯ll apologize to her when I meet her,¡± Daniel said, getting up from his chair.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do the same,¡± Sean said as he too stood up from his chair.


    ¡°Come on Daniel, we should get back to work now,¡± Sean said while patting Daniel¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°See youter Xavier.¡± They turned their back at me and started walking. But after a few steps, Daniel turned around.


    ¡°Hey bro¡­ I forgot to say something.¡± He started grinning. ¡°I wanted to say that¡­ No one is taking her away from you¡­ She is all yours.¡± He and Seanughed loudly.


    The moment I realized that hemented this on my words of saying her mine. I instantly picked up the paperweight and threw it at Daniel but before it could hit him, they both ran out of my officeughing loudly.


    By mine, I meant my P. A, not anything else. I don¡¯t consider her mine.


    ¡°And you don¡¯t have to tell us, we both know you have started caring for her,¡± Daniel shouted, peeking his head in my office, and before I could find something else to throw at him, he ran away shutting the door loudly.


    I huffed, finally they are gone.


    They had gone mad. A little bit of concern tends to happen when you live with someone under the same roof. Right? Yes, that¡¯s why I did that for her. These two friends of mine have lost their minds. They were just seeing unusual things.


    I turned my attention back to myptop and checked my emails. I too got an email from her. She had sent me my schedule of the day and had also written that she had sent mails I asked her to send. She also wrote that she could help with any work which didn¡¯t need her presence.


    That surprised me. She did all the work she was asked to do while sitting there when she knew she had a day off.


    I read my whole schedule and found that I had to go to a party tonight.


    ¡°No man! I don¡¯t want to go to any party.¡± I muttered. I was in no mood to attend any party. But I had to attend that party because it was an important event, many business associates would be present there.

 23

    Xavier Knight


    They would always do this to me. Daniel and Sean always forced me to attend these boring parties and they would skip them.


    The same thing happened today as well. They were to attend the party with me but no, they both had some ¡®important meeting¡¯ to attend which I was not aware of.


    I was in no mood to attend that party as I wasn¡¯t feeling well, I was feeling a bit tired but I had to attend the party, that too alone. It was not an informal party, it was a kind of business gathering where business associates meet to discuss business.


    I wanted my P. A beside me at the party but I couldn¡¯t bring her with me because she wasn¡¯t in the state to attend one.


    And I was in no mood to drive so I asked Finn to drive me there. After reaching the venue, I mingled with some business associates and discussed business.


    Every single person who was present at the party respected me as I was the most powerful man amongst them. They all wanted to do business with me that¡¯s why they would sweet talk to me. But they also knew I did business on my own terms. I make my own decisions in business and never let anyone underestimate me. I never let anyone cross my way in business. People know their limits, they fear my power; my authority.


    I have earned it; this respect, superiority, dominance, leadership, and authority. I have earned it all with my hard work. I never misused my power, I always tried my best to guide the budding businessmen so that they can do well in the business.


    I felt a little bored with all of the business talks as nothing new was being discussed among the businessmen. I needed fresh air, so, I excused myself and walked out of the party, and went to the garden present at the back of the hall.


    I felt a little calm when the cool breeze hit my face, I inhaled deeply¡­


    ¡°Didn¡¯t find it worth your standard to bring your wife here to this ssy party?¡± A mocking female voice interrupted my little alone time. Way to ruin my mood even more.


    If she is here that means Andrew Smith is also here.


    I closed my eyes and Ariana¡¯s bruised face shed in front of my eyes. My body instantly filled with rage. I clenched my hands into a fist and turned around to face the one who dared to interrupt me and again reminded me of what her father did to Ariana. I turned around to face Scarlet Smith, Ariana¡¯s stepsister.


    ¡°Well, who am I kidding? I know that she¡¯s not worth anyone¡¯s standard.¡± She mocked, shing an evil smirk as she approached me.


    I clenched my fists tighter to calm my rage. I wanted to strangle her neck, but I do not hit women and didn¡¯t want to touch her with my hands. I didn¡¯t want to make my hands dirty.


    ¡°Why does your face look so gloomy? You should be happy that you have got a permanent one to satisfy your needs whether she is of your standards or not ¡­ Or.. isn¡¯t she good enough in bed?¡± She said mockingly.


    I clenched my jaw; she was testing my patience.


    She took a step towards me.


    ¡°You know, instead of her, you should have married me. At least then you wouldn¡¯t have to worry about your standards and most importantly¡­ I would have satisfied you. But you know, you still cane to me anytime. I¡¯ll give you what she can¡¯t give you.¡± She said seductively and tried to touch my arm but I stepped back and red at her.


    How much low she could go? Didn¡¯t she have any self-respect? She was asking her sister¡¯s husband to sleep with her? That was so disgusting.


    I saw her gritting her teeth before she spoke.


    ¡°You always say no to me. I have tried many times but you always ignore me. What am Icking? Huh? Every man at this party is after me but you¡­. You are just ignoring me. Why can¡¯t you just give me one chance?  At least I am much better than low life, charity case wife of yours who-¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± I barked. I had heard enough. I was trying to control myself not to say anything but she crossed her limits.


    I didn¡¯t want to but I clutched her arm tightly making her wince.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you even darepare yourself with her¡­Because she is not low life, you are. The fact that you are asking your sister¡¯s husband to spend a night with you shows how low life you are. It¡¯s even disgusting to think.¡± I spat.


    ¡°And my needs are none of your concern. I very well know-how, when and with whom to satisfy them.¡± I stated.


    ¡°And the most important thing.. don¡¯t ever again dare to speak rubbish about her. Because she is not a Smith anymore¡­ basically she never was. You may have said and done many things to her before, but now you have lost all the rights to insult because now MY NAME is attached to hers. She is ARIANA XAVIER KNIGHT now. And no one ¡­. I mean no one insults Knights because people don¡¯t want toe in bad terms with me as they know the consequences of it.¡±


    I pushed her back with a force that she stumbled on her steps. How dare she speak rubbish about Ariana?


    I may not consider her my wife yet but it doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t ignore the fact that she has my family¡¯s name now. And no one in this world has the right to bad talk about Knights.


    ¡°Last but not the least, tell you loving daddy that if he daresy hands on her again, he¡¯ll live without hands for rest his life.¡± I spat angrily.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    I turned and started walking to my car, leaving her standing there, open-mouthed and dumbfounded. Now I have to sanitize my hands for touching her.


    I was walking when a voice again interrupted me.


    ¡°Xavier, son.¡± Only he was left to ruin my day. Well, it¡¯s good he showed himself; it was time to set him straight. And how dare he call me son?


    I turned and faced Andrew Smith. But before I could speak he took a step towards me and spoke.


    ¡°I hope that daughter of mine is not giving any trouble to you. And if she is, don¡¯t hesitate to tell me, I know how to set her straight. After all, I don¡¯t want to lose my business because of her wrong-doings.¡± Heughed in the end¡­he fuckingughed. He made me angrier than I was before. He saw her just as a business deal. Fucking bastard.


    I took a step forward, squared my shoulders, and red at him, my body was shaking with anger.


    ¡°First of all, I am not your fucking son, so don¡¯t you dare call me that. It¡¯s Mr. Knight for you.¡± His smile died at that instant.


    ¡°And you can never be her father, so you better don¡¯t call her your daughter.¡±


    ¡°How can you say that?¡± His face portrayed shock.


    ¡°I am not finished yet, don¡¯t fucking speak in between.¡± I spat angrily.


    ¡°Tell me, did you forget that she is my wife?¡± I asked angrily.


    ¡°No, why would I?¡± I could sense fear in his voice.


    ¡°Then how dare youy your filthy hands on her dammit!!¡± I shouted.


    ¡°How dare you p her? By pping her you insulted me. And you very well know that I don¡¯t spare anyone who dares to insult me or my family. You are lucky I wasn¡¯t there to witness what you did to her. Consider this yourst mistake because if you even think of repeating it, I will not hesitate to bring you down beneath my feet.¡± I seethed at him. He flinched at my tone. He should¡­ He should know his ce, where he stands because he is nothing in front of me.


    Without giving him a chance to speak, I walked away from there because if I had waited there for even a second more, I would have punched him.


    I sat in my car and asked Finn to drive back to the penthouse. I wanted to sleep, I was tired of all the shit that happened today. Many things were going on in my head.


    I didn¡¯t know why I took her side; spoke for her. I was confused, I was in a veryplicated situation, my feelings were inconsistent for her. I didn¡¯t like her or feel anything for her but still, a voice inside me said otherwise. I just couldn¡¯t stand someone insulting her.


    I closed my eyes to think clearly but didn¡¯t get any result. And then I heard the sound of rain. I immediately asked Finn to pull over the car on the side. I remove my suit jacket, my necktie and ced them on the seat, opened the door of the car, and stepped outside in the rain.


    ¡°Mr. Knight, it¡¯s raining. Please take the umbre.¡± Finn offered me an umbre but I pushed it away softly.


    ¡°No Finn, you get back in the car. I need to think clearly and standing in the rain is the best way to do that.¡±


    ¡°But Mr. Knight, the temperature is getting down. You will get sick, you will catch cold.¡± Finn said with concern in his voice.


    ¡°Finn¡­ if rain helps me in clearing my head, and if the raindrops bring me out of my dilemma then catching a cold and getting sick will be worth it. Now you go back in the car.¡± I ordered him.


    But he didn¡¯t get back in the car, instead, he stood there, under the umbre.


    I stepped a little forward, craned my neck upwards, and closed my eyes making the cool and tiny rain droplets directly hit my face.


    I remembered the words of my mom. My mom says whenever you are in a dilemma and can¡¯t think straight and if it¡¯s raining, stand in the rain. Feel every single droplet that falls on you. When tiny, cool, and pure water droplets hit your head, it helps you to think clearly. Think until you feel you can¡¯t think anymore. And the moment you feel you don¡¯t have anything left to think, you feel peaceful standing in the rain, you feel calm, you feel just rain, nothing else. That is the moment you have cleared all your dilemmas, your mind is in the right ce. And do what you decided while standing in the rain because that is the best decision you will ever make.


    And that is what I was gonna do.


    I didn¡¯t know till when I stood in rain with my eyes closed, but my mind was clear. I now knew what to do.


    ¡°Thank you, mom,¡± I mumbled.


    All wet in rain, I sat back in the car and asked Finn to drive straight to the penthouse.

 24

    Ariana


    I kept on thinking about the kiss all day. The Forehead Kiss.


    I could still feel the touch of his lips on my forehead. There was a strange sensation in my body since morning which I couldn¡¯t even exin, I felt dizzy, jittery and butterflies hadn¡¯t stopped flying in my stomach. I couldn¡¯t take that feeling away from me. And I didn¡¯t even know why I had been blushing since the morning.


    I tried to divert my mind by doing some official task. I sent all the emails Xavier asked me to send; replied to some emails and arranged his schedule. I even did the work given by Daniel and Sean while sitting in thefort of my bed. I cleaned my room and also cleaned other parts of the penthouse except for his room. I had never been to his room. Though there was not a single particle of dust in the penthouse, I cleaned it to divert my mind. I even watched business news to pass my time and to be aware of business affairs happening around.


    It was ten at night and I was sitting in my bed, wearing a full-length pajama set. I was sitting there, hugging the big pillow tightly with my chin pressure on the pillow.


    I tried to forget all of that, but I was unable to divert my mind as my mind was still there in the morning¡¯s event. His concerned-filled eyes, his caring act, that ¡­. kiss¡­ It was still lingering in my head.


    I didn¡¯t know why he did that, why he showed concern, he didn¡¯t like me but still, I saw the worry in his eyes. I couldn¡¯t ept the fact that why he gave me lukewarm water and the icepack that too without asking for it. He did the thing that no one after my father did to me¡­ He showed concern towards me.


    I let out an exasperated sigh andid down on the bed. I was going insane by thinking too much. My mind needed rest, I wanted to sleep. I nced at the clock; it was half-past ten already but he was still not back from the party.


    Believe it or not, I never sleep until I know he is back from his work. May it be midnight but I always sleep when I hear his footsteps as he passes from in front of my room to go to his room.


    I feel uneasy until he is back.


    Whether he epted it or not, whether he wanted it or not but hisst name was now attached to my name¡­ Whether he considered me as his wife or not but for me he is my¡­ Husband. It may have happened undesirably, forcefully but .. I was married to him and I respect the purity of this rtion. And I feel worried until he is back to penthouse .. that too .. safe¡­


    My heartbeat elevated when I heard the footsteps. He¡¯s back. I sighed in relief, he¡¯s finally here.


    I knew, wanting him around when he doesn¡¯t like me was wrong but what could I do? I felt safe, secured, shielded when he¡¯s around. I was aware that he didn¡¯t feel anything for me, but to me, it was like he¡¯d protect me from any danger.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Though he may have said many bad words to me, he never treated me like I was treated by all those people with whom I had lived, those who tormented me, who gave me pain, made me live in agony for years, who always treated me as worthless.


    That¡¯s why his presence somehow assures me that he won¡¯t let anything happen to me¡­ At least¡­ physically.


    Shutting all my thoughts, I snuggled into the duvet, engulfing the warmness provided by it. I closed my eyes and surrendered to sleep.


    My eyes automatically opened in the middle of the night when my throat felt dry. I sat up on the bed with sleepy eyes and extended my hand towards the nightstand to pick up the bottle of water. I groaned when I came to know that the bottle was empty.


    ¡°Now I have to leave theforting warmness of my bed,¡± I mumbled sleepily. I nced at the clock to see it was half-past two at midnight.


    I took the bottle in my hand and went out of my room to get water from the kitchen. But as I was about to descend the stairs I heard some sound. I didn¡¯t hear it clearly but I was sure that I heard it. I looked around but there was nothing. I shrugged my shoulders ¡°maybe my ears are ying tricks with me.¡±


    I again took a step to descend the stairs but halted abruptly when I heard the sound again.


    I heard the sound of someone groaning in pain. I was not afraid of ghosts because I don¡¯t believe in them. So it means someone was actually in pain. I looked around to see where the sound wasing from. That sound wasing from¡­ Xavier¡¯s room? Why that sound wasing from there?


    Should I check by going there? No, I should not. He would get angry when he¡¯lle to know that I went to his room, but I heard the sound again which made me worried. What if something happened to him?


    ¡°I should check on him,¡± Mumbling that to myself, I walked towards his room.


    As I took the cautious steps towards his room, the intensity of sound increased. I stopped before his room; his room was not locked, instead, it was slightly open and the lights of his room were on. Cautiously, I pushed the door a little and stepped inside his room and what I found made me shocked.


    Xavier was twisting and turning in bed, groaning and whimpering. I immediately rushed to him, his eyes were closed but his face was showing pain. I immediately touched his forehead and found out that he had a fever.


    I rushed into his bathroom to check the cab for any medicine. I picked up the first aid box from the cab and took fever medicine out of it. I was walking back to the room but stopped when my eyes fell on wet clothes lying on the bathroom floor. I picked up the clothes and put them in theundry basket. He must have gone into rain in this cold weather. And that must be the reason for his fever.


    I poured the water into a ss from the jar that was ced on the nightstand. I tried to wake him up but he didn¡¯t open his eyes, instead, he just groaned. There was no option left then to put the medicine in his mouth by myself. I ced my one knee on the bed and bent a little then I pressed my thumb on his one cheek and another finger on another cheek with my one hand and gave a slight squeeze to open his mouth.


    I put the medicine in his mouth and grabbed the ss of water. Slid my hand under his head, I tried to crane his head up. Ugh! He is so heavy. When I seeded in doing so, I pressed the ss of water to his lips and made him drink water. He drank it slowly, swallowing the medicine.


    I first put the ss back on the nightstand then I pulled back my hand slowly from under his head, making his head fall back on the pillow. I stood up and went into the kitchen. I first drank water because of which I woke up. Thank goodness I woke up otherwise he would have kept on burning in fever till the morning.


    I poured cold water into a bowl and took a small clean towel and went back to his room. I sat beside him on the bed near his head then soaked the towel in cold water and drained extra water by squeezing the towel. I gently wiped his face with the wet towel. I pulled the t-shirt away from his neck to wipe that area. He was still groaning but didn¡¯t open his eyes. Then I put the towel on his forehead to bring down his body temperature.


    His groaning and whimpering reduced in few minutes. I think medicine started doing its work. I again soaked the towel in cold water and again ced it on his forehead. In another few minutes, he was sleeping silently which made me sigh in relief.


    I stood up from the bed and pulled the duvet up to his chin. A smile formed on my lips when he snuggled into the duvet. He looks like a baby while sleeping.


    I stood straight and looked around and then it hit me. I was standing in his room and that too for the first time. His room was bigger than mine and so manly.


    Walls were painted in grey and Navy Blue with off-white curtains giving his room a royal look. Not many essories were there, just a nightstandmp and a few white and grey vases. The wall behind his bed was covered with texture from floor to ceiling. A big couch and two single-seat couches with the center table are ced in perfect position on one side of the room. The floor-to-ceiling window was showing the magnificent view of skyscrapers.


    I picked up the remote from the nightstand and pressed the button to close the curtains and turned off the room lights. I dragged an armchair near his bed and sat on it. I pulled my legs up, and hugged my knees, and rested my chin on my knees.


    I didn¡¯t want to leave him alone, he was still not well and he might need anything anytime. In the morning, he showed concern towards me and now he needed me, no one else than me was here to take care of him.


    I gazed at his face which was illuminated by the nightmp. He was sleeping peacefully, his lips were parted a little. He looked so calm, no sense of pain could be seen there on his face and that gave relief to me. The medicine worked really fast.


    I really got worried when I saw him groaning and whimpering. He looked so vulnerable and helpless. I had never seen him in pain before and I don¡¯t even want to see him like that ever again. Power and authority suit him, not vulnerability.


    I want him to stay healthy forever because¡­ what I felt when I saw him groaning, I don¡¯t wanna feel that again. I was so scared, worried and I felt uneasy. I felt frightened: of what? I had no idea. But whatever it was, I don¡¯t want to feel that again for him.


    I didn¡¯t know when my eyes closed and sleep engulfed me but my eyes jerked open when I again heard him groan. I instantly stood up from the chair and sat beside him on the bed. I removed the towel from his forehead and touched his forehead with the back of my hand and found him burning in the fever again.


    I got rmed. Medicine didn¡¯t work for long. He needed to see a doctor right now but it was three-thirty in the morning.


    How would I bring a doctor at this time and I didn¡¯t have the contact of the doctor saved in my phone. Whom should I contact for a doctor?


    And then I remembered the people who could help in this situation. Sean and Daniel.


    I looked around for my phone. Oh no, my phone is in my room. I stood up from the bed and without thinking twice, I picked up Xavier¡¯s phone and pressed the button to unlock it. Thank goodness he doesn¡¯t have the password on his phone.


    I immediately called the first number in his emergency contact. Sean. I paced back and forth, panicking, waiting for Sean to pick up the call. After a few rings, he picked up.


    ¡°Why are you disturbing my sleep at this hour, Xavier?¡± Came his sleepy reply as soon as he picked up the call.


    ¡°Sean, it¡¯s me, Ariana.¡± I hurriedly replied.


    ¡°Ariana, why are you calling from Xavier¡¯s phone? What happened? Is everything alright?¡± He asked worriedly.


    ¡°Sean, Xavier is burning in fever. He needs to see a doctor right now.¡± I replied hurriedly, the worry was evident in my voice.


    ¡°I am on my way, I¡¯ll bring a doctor with me. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Pleasee fast.¡± Saying that, I hung the call.


    I again sat beside him and ran my fingers in his hair to calm him down. But he was still groaning loudly and started twisting and turning. I knew it was just fever but looking at him in that state elevated my worry.


    Please Seane fast.

 25

    Ariana


    Sean arrived with Daniel and a doctor.


    ¡°Ariana, this is Dr. Colton. Our trusted doctor. Xavier always goes to him if he gets ill,¡± Sean said while pointing at the doctor. I nodded my head.


    ¡°Xavier is in his room?¡± Sean asked me.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied. All of us went to the room.


    Sean and Daniel rushed to Xavier who had still been groaning in pain. Daniel touched his arm and Sean pressed the back of his hand on Xavier¡¯s forehead. ¡°Fuck!¡± They both cursed in unison. Why they curse so much?


    Doctor Colton sat beside Xavier to examine him. I stood beside Daniel who was standing beside Sean, the worry was evident on both of their faces.


    ¡°Has he taken any medicine?¡± Doctor asked, looking towards Daniel and Sean. But I was the one who was with him all the time so I answered,


    ¡°Yes, I gave him medicine an hour ago. But I think medicine didn¡¯t work for long ¡¯cause he started groaning in pain again.¡±


    Doctor Colton strangely stared at me which made me ufortable. I averted my eyes, trying to befortable. He knew Xavier on a personal level, he must be wondering who I was and what I was doing in Xavier¡¯s penthouse. Sean and Daniel sensed my uneasiness because they both stepped in front of me, shielding me from the ufortable gaze of the doctor.


    ¡°What happened to him, doctor?¡± Daniel asked.


    ¡°He has a fever and cold. I think it¡¯s due to the weather.¡± Doctor replied.


    ¡°I think he went into the rain,¡± I replied. Daniel and Sean looked at me questioningly.


    ¡°I saw his wet clothes in the bathroom,¡± I replied slowly, looking at them. They both nodded their head.


    ¡°He always gets a fever whenever he goes in the rain but still he doesn¡¯t learn,¡± Daniel mumbled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just give him a shot, it will bring down his fever fast.¡± Doctor Colton took out a syringe from his bag, filled liquid medicine in it, and injected it into Xavier¡¯s upper arm then he took out some medicine from his bag and ced them on the bed.


    ¡°Give these medicines to him in the morning when he wakes up. And these medicines are to be given to him three times a day. He¡¯ll recover soon.¡± Doctor Colton assured.


    ¡°What about the pain? He generally feels pain in his body when he has a fever.¡± Sean asked the doctor.


    ¡°He also gets a headache during fever,¡± Daniel said.  Oh! That¡¯s why he was groaning.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the shot I gave him will bring down his fever and reduce the pain as well. And the medicine will do the same.¡± Doctor assured. I sighed in relief.


    ¡°And also, give him light food.¡± Doctor states.


    ¡°I shall leave now. If he doesn¡¯t feel well after taking medicine then call me again.¡± Doctor said.


    ¡°Thank you, Doctor, foring at this hour.¡± Sean shook his hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention, it¡¯s my duty.¡± Doctor Colton replied as he shook Sean¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Come, I¡¯ll walk you out,¡± Sean said to the doctor. The doctor stared at me before walking out of the room. Sean came up to me before heading out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯ll be fine. Okay?¡± Sean said softly, cupping my cheek with his hand. I nodded my head. Then he kissed the side of my head. I closed my eyes to feel his brotherly gesture. It made me feel rxed a little.


    Daniel sat beside Xavier and ran his fingers in Xavier¡¯s hair. Xavier stirred a little. I just looked at him adoringly. Both Sean and Daniel care for him a lot.


    ¡°You never listen to anyone. Why you went into the rain when you know you get a fever after that? You always make all of us worried.¡± Daniel scolded him softly like he was scolding a baby. I don¡¯t know if Xavier heard him or not but I was touched by this action of Daniel. He was scolding him as a big brother. Daniel stood up came towards me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry he¡¯ll be fine,¡± Daniel assured me. ¡°He always does that, makes everyone worried about him. He is so stubborn. But don¡¯t worry, Now I scolded him he¡¯ll be a good boy¡­ At least for some time.¡± Hisst statement made me smile. He surely knows how to bring a smile to someone¡¯s face.


    ¡°I know Princess that you are worried about him. But don¡¯t worry, he¡¯ll be fit as a fiddle in just a day because you are the one who is taking care of him. I trust you with him.¡± He gave me a brief side hug and kissed the side of my head. Tears welled up in my eyes. This gesture didn¡¯t bring any sensation to my body like Xavier¡¯s kiss did but it did spread warmness in my body. I was experiencing this brotherly affection for the first time. And trust is the big word.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just go and talk to the doctor.¡± I nodded my head and then Daniel also left the room.


    I sat beside Xavier and covered him with the duvet till his chin then I pressed my fingers on his forehead to give a massage to reduce his pain. He must be in so much pain. I knew it because I had experienced the worst headache and other physical pain.


    He stirred a little which made me stop pressing my fingers on his forehead. My heart sank in the pit of my stomach. He was notfortable with it. He didn¡¯t want me to give him a massage. He didn¡¯t know what was happening around him but still, he could sense my presence and it was making him ufortable. I think I should leave him alone.


    With a heavy heart, I tried to get up from the bed but stopped when he shifted towards me and ced his arm on myp, resisting me from moving. I was surprised by his move.


    I didn¡¯t try to move, I couldn¡¯t¡­ because of the shock. He groaned again. I hesitantly lifted my hand and ran my fingers through his hair and surprisingly, he leaned into my touch.


    ¡°Mmmm¡­¡± He moaned and tightened his grip around myp. And then it hit me, he stirred because he was trying to get in afortable position. Warmness instantly spread in my body. He¡¯s not ufortable with me being around him. And that mere thought brought a smile to my lips.


    I gave him a massage until he fell asleep then I gently removed his heavy arm from around myp and stood up. I gave him ast nce before heading out to look for Sean and Daniel. I really forgot about them.


    I ran downstairs and found them sleeping on the couch in the living room. Sean was sleeping on the couch with his arm covering his face. Daniel was sleeping on another one-seater couch with his head resting on the backrest of the couch, his hands were folded in front of his chest.


    They must be feeling cold. They should have taken any of the spare rooms to sleep. I couldn¡¯t even wake them up because they were sleeping peacefully. I picked up two nkets from the room and covered both of them with them.


    Xavier is lucky to have them in his life. They really care for Xavier. They got really worried when they saw him groaning in pain. They came here just in one call regardless of their sleep. What I have learned about the three of them is that they are always there to help each other in any situation, if one of them is in any problem they don¡¯t care about what important work they are doing, they will immediately rush to help each other, leaving their work behind.


    They are brothers for life.


    And I was happy to have these two in my life as my brothers.


    I nced at the clock that was hanging on the wall. It was already five in the morning. I went into my room, brushed my teeth, showered, and wore loose jeans and a T-shirt. I dried my hair and then put them in a bun.


    I went into Xavier¡¯s room to check on him and when I found him sleeping peacefully I went to check on Daniel and Sean. They were also sleeping, curled up on the couch. I decided not to wake them up.


    I went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast for them and soup for Xavier. First, I started making pancakes and chocte sauce then I put the pan on the stove to cook tomato soup for Xavier. I added my special ingredients to make the soup tasty.


    ¡°I smell food.¡± I jumped when I heard a voice. I looked up to see Daniel entering the kitchen while rubbing his eyes.


    ¡°You startled me, Daniel.¡± I was so engrossed in cooking that I didn¡¯t see himing into the kitchen.


    ¡°Sorry. But what can I do? The delicious aroma of food woke me up from sleep and my feet involuntarily walked me here.¡± He said while rubbing the back of his neck.


    ¡°You even walk in sleep when you smell food,¡± Sean said, entering the kitchen.


    I gave my full attention to them. ¡°Okay, tell me why didn¡¯t you two sleep in any of the spare rooms? There are a lot of rooms in this penthouse. You could have taken any of them but you chose to sleep on the couch in cold. I had to cover you with a nket.¡± I said.


    ¡°I think we both were tired and slept when we sat on the couch to talk. And by the way, thank you for saving both of us from cold.¡± Daniel smiled.


    ¡°Now, go and freshen up so you can have breakfast,¡± I said as I stirred the soup.


    ¡°Yeah. I am starving.¡± Daniel said and dipped his finger in chocte sauce.


    ¡°No Daniel, it¡¯s-¡°.


    ¡°Fuck. It¡¯s hot.¡± He licked his finger.


    ¡°I was going to say that! And why do you two curse so much?¡± I red at them.


    ¡°We don¡¯t.¡± They both said in unison. I gave them a you-really-want-argue-with-me look. They both looked at each other and then looked at me.


    ¡°Sorry, we won¡¯t do it again.¡± They both replied giving me the most innocent look.


    I sighed. ¡°Good, now go and freshen up.¡±


    They both left the kitchen and came after freshening up. Both of their hair was wet from showering. They sat on the chair at the dining table.


    ¡°Here¡¯s your breakfast.¡± I ced the breakfast in front of them. I served them coffee too. They both took a bite of pancake.


    ¡°Goodness Ariana. It¡¯s so delicious. Simply the best thing to start the day with.¡± Daniel said while stuffing pancake in his mouth. I smiled. I love feeding people with the food I cook.


    ¡°It¡¯s the best pancake I have ever tasted. And the coffee you make, it¡¯s the best in the world.¡± Sean said as he sipped his coffee.


    ¡°Okay, you two finish your breakfast, I¡¯ll go and see Xavier. He must be up.¡±


    ¡°Good luck with that,¡± Daniel muttered sipping his coffee.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Why good luck.


    ¡°Xavier behaves like a kid when he gets sick. So, good luck because you will have to bear with his whining and tantrums.¡± Sean muttered while sipping his coffee.


    I smiled and shook my head. I picked up the tray of food and headed upstairs to his room.


    When I entered his room, he was sitting on the bed, his head was pressed against the headboard and his eyes were closed. He looked so weak and fragile. I ced the food tray on the nightstand and touched his forehead which caused him to open his eyes.


    ¡°Umm¡­ I was just checking your temp¡­ temperature.¡± Goodness, why I always get nervous around him? I don¡¯t get nervous while talking to Daniel and Sean.


    To my surprise, he lifted his hand and touched my cheek, sending tingles in my body. I looked at him but he was looking at my cheek. Oh! He¡¯s checking the bruise.


    ¡°It¡¯s gone¡­ Thank you.¡± That came out of my mouth in a whisper. His eyes met mine, searching for something. He nodded his head and removed his hand.


    ¡°Umm¡­ I brought soup for you.¡± He scrunched his nose on that.


    ¡°I want coffee and a real breakfast. Soup is for sick people. And it doesn¡¯t taste good.¡± He grumbled.


    I wanted to say that you are sick but I decided against it.


    ¡°Caffeine has a dehydrating effect and the doctor said you should eat light food till your fever subsides. And I tried to make the soup tasty. It doesn¡¯t taste like any other normal soup for sick people.¡± I reasoned out.


    ¡°I am not sick.¡± He gazed at the soup and then at me and then he agreed to eat it. I smiled broadly. Thank goodness he agreed.


    I ced the tray in front of him. He stared at the soup for long before taking the spoonful of soup. He first brought it close to his nose and sniffed it, he scrunched his nose again. He indeed behaves like a kid when sick. He then put it into his mouth. I had my fingers crossed. Hope he likes it.


    Then he started eating it hurriedly. I was watching him in amusement. He didn¡¯t stop until he finished the whole bowl. He liked it.


    ¡°You want more soup?¡± I asked when he drank water after finishing the soup.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Ye.. yes.¡± He replied, not looking at me. He indeed liked it. I felt extremely happy.


    I picked up the tray and left the room and headed back to the kitchen. Daniel and Sean had finished eating.


    ¡°I think we should leave, it¡¯s time to get back to work. We have to attend the meeting that Xavier was supposed to attend.¡± Sean said.


    ¡°Yes. And thank you for the breakfast, Princess. It was delicious. We¡¯lle back in the evening to check on him.¡± Daniel said.


    ¡°No need to thank me and call me if you want any help with work and I¡¯ll cook dinner for you two. So make sure not to make any other ns. Okay?¡± I said, looking at both of them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea. You must be tired, you haven¡¯t slept since midnight. You just take care of him and yourself, okay? You were also not well yesterday, you had a headache. So you take rest and We¡¯ll take care of office work.¡± Sean replied. Oh. Xavier gave them this reason.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay, I am totally fine now. And I¡¯ll be cooking for myself and Xavier, I¡¯ll cook for you two too. It won¡¯t take much time. Or you don¡¯t like the food I made?¡± I asked sadly. I know they liked the food. I just want them to eat dinner here.


    ¡°No¡­ It¡¯s not like that, the food was very tasty.¡± Daniel said and heaved a sigh. ¡°Okay fine, we¡¯ll stay for dinner. I can¡¯t say no when you are giving me that cute look.¡± Daniel gave his most famous smile.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I grinned. Sean shook his head and agreed too. Then they left.


    I went to Xavier¡¯s room, taking more soup in the bowl.


    ¡°What took you so long?¡± He frowned.


    ¡°I was just seeing off Daniel and Sean,¡± I said putting the tray in front of him.


    ¡°They were still here? I thought they left already.¡±


    ¡°Now they have left,¡± I replied.


    He started eating soup. After he finished, I ced the tray on the nightstand and gave him medicine. Heid back on the bed. I turned around and was about to leave when I felt a tug on my wrist. I turned around to see Xavier was holding my wist. He was looking directly into my eyes.


    ¡°Could you please give me the head massage that you gave me before?¡± He requested in a whisper. I was stunned to know that he knew I was the one who gave him the massage and he wanted me to give it to him again.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    He was looking at me with pleading eyes. I couldn¡¯t say no to him. Suddenly, all my nervousness flew in the air, I agreed to him and sat beside him to give him a head massage.

 26

    Xavier Knight


    I was sitting in my bed, working on myptop. I hadn¡¯t worked since morning because I was unable to. I was under the effect of medication and had been sleeping all day.


    Why did the doctor give me the medicine which made me sleep? My whole day was wasted due to sleeping.


    I couldn¡¯t even go to the office because Sean and Daniel were persistent to make me stay in bed when they came to meet me in the morning¡­


    I was sitting on the bed after freshening up and brushing my teeth when they entered my room.


    ¡°You are finally awake,¡± Sean said, sitting on the bed beside me.


    ¡°You really made us worried Xavier,¡± Daniel said as he took an armchair, ced it near my bed, and sat on it.


    ¡°When did you guys arrive?¡± I asked in a low voice as I rested my head on the headboard of the bed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know? Oh, how would you know? You were lying in the bed nearly unconscious, groaning in pain. And about your question¡­ We are here since three in the morning. Ariana called me. She was worried about you and asked me to bring a doctor with me.¡± Sean replied.


    She called him? How did she know I was having a fever?


    ¡°You always do this, Xavier. Why did you go into the rain when you know you always get sick after that? You know Princess was so worried about you. She was here with you all the time, taking care of you. She hasn¡¯t slept since midnight. And now, she is there in the kitchen cooking for you.¡± Daniel snapped.


    That caught my attention. She was worried about me? She was here all the time? So, she was the one who was giving me a head massage. I remembered someone running fingers through my hair. And when for a moment running of fingers stopped, I became restless but it started again. I felt so rxed at that time.


    ¡°How do you know I went into the rain?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Ariana told us, she saw your wet clothes lying on the bathroom floor, she thought you went in the rain and then we confirmed it from Finn,¡± Sean said. Oh!


    ¡°Why did you go into rain in this cold weather?¡± Daniel asked.


    Well, I went in the rain to think clearly. I was very confused about my feelings for Ariana. I was angry with Andrew and his daughter. And while standing in rain, I thought about Ariana. She indeed is not like the Smiths. She¡¯s extremely different from them. Standing in the rain cleared my feelings. And I decided to know Ariana better. I decided to give her a chance.


    ¡°I had something in mind so I went into the rain to think clearly,¡± I replied.


    ¡°This is ridiculous Xavier! If you were so desperate to think underwater, you could have done it under a warm shower.¡± Daniel snapped.


    ¡°You know, we were worried about you? You were twisting and turning in the bed. You were burning in the fever.¡± Sean said.


    I know they must have been worried. I would have also worried about them if I had seen them in such kind of condition.


    ¡°Sorry about that. Now I am fine. I think I should get ready for work.¡± I sighed.


    ¡°You are not going anywhere. You are sick.¡± They both snapped.


    ¡°I am not sick. I can work. Besides I have many meetings to attend today.¡±


    ¡°You. Are. Sick. And we¡¯ll take care of your work and meetings. You will stay in bed. Is that clear?¡± Sean scowled.


    ¡°But..¡±


    ¡°No buts! You are not going anywhere and that¡¯s final. Now you take rest we are leaving.¡± Daniel said as he got up from his chair. I couldn¡¯t say anything as I knew if I¡¯d argue they would stay in my room for the whole day and would not allow me to even lift a finger.


    When they both left, I closed my eyes and rested my head on the headboard. After a few minutes, the door of my room opened and someone entered. A whiff of flowers passed into my nostrils. It was her. I opened my eyes when she touched my forehead. My eyes lingered on her cheek. I touched her cheek to inspect the bruise, I could feel her shudder under my touch. I removed my hand when she said the bruise was gone.


    Then she said she cooked soup for me which made me scrunch my nose. I don¡¯t like soup, it¡¯s for sick people and I was not sick, I just had a fever. That¡¯s all.


    I didn¡¯t want to eat it but she assured me that it tasted good. I saw the pleading in her eyes, so, I agreed. And the smile she shed made my heart skip a beat. I never saw her smile at me before. When I tasted the first spoonful of soup, I was stunned because the soup was so delicious. It surely didn¡¯t taste like any other soup for sick people. I instantly felt hungry and finished the soup hurriedly.


    When she asked me if I wanted more, I got embarrassed, she was standing there the whole time watching me eat hurriedly. But I couldn¡¯t say no as the soup was very tasty and I wanted to eat more. She went out to bring more soup.


    But she didn¡¯te back instantly. I was longing to eat more and waited for her to bring soup. I was restless. When she came with the soup I finished it instantly. She gave me medicine and then Iid back on the bed. She was about to leave when I tugged her wrist.


    ¡°Could you please give me the head massage that you gave me before?¡± I whispered when she faced me. I saw her surprised expression. She thought I didn¡¯t know that it was her who gave me the head massage. I truly liked how her massage calmed me and helped me sleep peacefully. I wanted her to do it again.


    She sat beside me and started giving me the head massage. I didn¡¯t know when sleep engulfed me but when I got up, it was already noon. She gave me a vegetable soup that was tasty too. She really cooks delicious food. Then I took medicine and slept again.


    And now it was almost six in the evening and here I was, sitting in my bed, catching up on my work. My room door burst open and Daniel and Sean walked in.


    We started talking business, about the meeting they attended on behalf of me and other things. Almost an hourter there was a knock on my bedroom door and Ariana came inside.


    ¡°Sorry to disturb but dinner is ready.¡± She said politely. She had been cooking dinner? Dinner could have been ordered from outside. She had been up since midnight. Wasn¡¯t she tired?


    ¡°Okay, Princess, I was waiting for dinner. I am starving.¡± Daniel said as he excitedly stood up from the couch.


    ¡°Well, the same goes with me,¡± Sean replied, standing up.


    I frowned. They are staying for dinner? Did she cook for them too?


    ¡°Umm.. you want your dinner here in your bedroom?¡± She asked looking at me.


    ¡°No, I¡¯lle downstairs,¡± I replied. Then she left saying okay. Daniel and Sean were about to leave when I stopped them.


    ¡°You two are staying for dinner?¡± I frowned.


    ¡°Yep. Princess invited both of us. Any problem?¡± Daniel grinned. I ignored hisment.


    ¡°We denied but she wanted us here, we couldn¡¯t say no, so, we epted.¡± Sean shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°Besides, who will say no to the best food in the world? She is an amazing cook. Well, I don¡¯t have time to talk. I am starving, so bye.¡± Saying that Daniel rushed outside.


    Well, if she could make the boring soup tasty then indeed she¡¯s a good cook. I stood up from the bed to go downstairs to have dinner. Finally, I would get to eat proper food. I only had soup since morning. I was excited to taste her other dishes.


    I and Sean left the room. As we reached the dining area, we saw Daniel already sitting there and filling his te hurriedly. Daniel and food, no one can separate them.


    I reached the dining table and saw mouth-watering dishes that were being served. Chicken curry, rice, steamed dumplings, and much more. The aroma of food made my stomach grumble instantly.


    I sat on the chair ced at the head of the table. Sean sat to the right of Daniel who was sitting on the first chair to my right. Sean began filling his te.


    I set a te in front of me and was about to scoop Chicken curry from the bowl when a voice stopped me.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t eat that.¡± Ariana came rushing to me with a tray in her hand which made me look at her questioningly.


    ¡°I have cooked chicken soup and vegetable sd for you.¡± She said softly, cing the tray in front of me. I heard snickering. I red at those two who were now trying to stifle theirughter.


    ¡°No! I am not gonna eat that. I am perfectly fine now and the food on the table is too much, why did you cook separately for me?¡± I asked annoyingly.


    ¡°Umm¡­ The doctor said that¡­that you have to eat light food all day.¡± She said softly fiddling her fingers.


    Fucking doctor.


    ¡°The day is over. It¡¯s almost night now, I will not eat that.¡± I grumbled and she saddened.


    ¡°Xavier, this is not right. She cooked that especially for you. You should eat that or it will be wasted.¡± Daniel grinned showing his teeth. I will kill him.


    ¡°Xavier she cooked that especially for you. You must eat that.¡± Sean replied. I knew she cooked that especially for and I appreciated that but I wanted to eat something spicy.


    I gazed at her and found her watching me with hopeful eyes. Goodness.. those eyes. I let out a frustrated breath and agreed. Her face instantly lit up. Then she turned to leave.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    ¡°Wait, aren¡¯t you eating?¡± I asked her. She turned around.


    ¡°I¡¯ll eat after you all,¡± she replied. I was about to ask her to sit and eat with us but Daniel beat me to it.


    ¡°That¡¯s not gonna happen, princess. You will eat with us. Now sit and start eating.¡±


    ¡°Yes Ariana, you will eat with us. Sit now.¡± Sean said. She was hesitant but eventually sat on the left side near me.


    ¡°Wow princess, this smells so good.¡± Daniel sniffed the chicken curry on his te. I stabbed the fork in the sd. I too wanted to eat chicken curry.


    Then Daniel took a spoonful of rice mixed with chicken curry and brought it near his mouth but stopped and looked at me.


    ¡°Wanna eat?¡± He teased. I kicked him from under the table due to which his spoon dropped in his te and his other elbow hit Sean¡¯s arm making his spoon drop as well.


    ¡°Fuck Xavier!¡±


    ¡°Fuck Daniel!¡±


    I stifled myugh. Serves them right.


    ¡°I told you two not to curse!¡± My head shot up in the direction of the one who spoke. Ariana. And she was ring at both of them?


    Woah!! That¡¯s new.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± And now my head automatically turned to Sean and Daniel. What had happened to them? It was new to see them being ordered around.


    ¡°You said that in the morning too but you two again did that. Cursing is not a good habit.¡± She scolded them.


    This was the first time I was watching her like this. She was trying to intimidate them but she didn¡¯t know that she was looking too damn cute.


    ¡°Sorry again.¡± Daniel and Sean avoided looking into her eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t do it again.¡± She said softly. I had noticed this. She always flinches when someone curses around her. I must go deep into it.


    We all resumed eating silently. Well, I was eating sulkily but Daniel and Sean were eating happily. After we all were done eating she stood up to collect dishes.


    ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t have to do that.¡± I stood up and stopped her.


    ¡°Yes Ariana, you were generous enough to cook for us and now we¡¯ll do the dishes,¡± Sean said.


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s okay, I can do it.¡± She countered.


    ¡°No means no Princess. I¡¯ll not let you do the dishes.¡± Daniel picked up the dishes from the table and went to the kitchen.


    ¡°But..¡±


    ¡°No Ariana.¡± Sean picked up the empty tes. I also went to the kitchen to do the dishes. She came running after us yet we refused to let her clean. She didn¡¯t leave the ce, instead, she just stood there. We cleaned the dishes and then dried them with a towel. Then we all sat in the living room and started talking about business. Ariana was basically silent and was sitting there only listening to us.


    ¡°I think we should leave now.¡± Sean states. We all stood up. Then he approached me.


    ¡°Take care of yourself.¡± He gave me a side hug.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s time to leave. And don¡¯t you dare make us worried again.¡± Daniel hugged me. I hugged him back and smiled.


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Yeah, I won¡¯t because my mind is clear now.


    Then they both approached her.


    ¡°Thank you, Ariana, for cooking delicious food for us.¡± Sean smiled.


    ¡°Thank you, Princess,¡± Daniel said. She gave them her most beautiful smile. I was watching her mesmerizing smile, smiling to myself but what Daniel and Sean did next took my smile away and made me shocked.


    They both kissed her forehead one by one.


    Fucking hell!! What the hell is happening here? Since when they started doing this? What am I missing?


    I scowled. Why did they kiss her forehead? I knew they both considered her as their sister but still, a hug is okay. But a kiss? It¡¯s too much. I have to talk to them about this.


    They left the penthouse but the scowl on my face didn¡¯t leave. They shouldn¡¯t have done that.


    ¡°Umm¡­ I think you should rest now otherwise fever will be back again.¡± My attention turned towards her, who was now standing a two-hand distance away from me.


    I looked at her face. She was looking tired yet was trying to hide it. Today she really changed my thinking about her.


    She took care of me all day, she was up since midnight, she cooked for Daniel and Sean too and cooked separate food especially for me. The most surprising thing was she didn¡¯tin at all. Though she was tired, she didn¡¯t reflect it on her face, not for even once.


    ¡°I am totally fine now,¡± I said as I took steps towards her.


    ¡°The one who should take rest is you. You haven¡¯t slept sincest night. You must be tired.¡± Her wide, tired eyes met mine. My eyes softened looking at her.


    Don¡¯t ask me why but I did this. I raised my hand & with a frown on my face, I wiped her forehead with my fingers where those two stupids kissed her. She visibly shuddered under my touch.


    Then I ced my hand on the back of her head and pulled her slightly closer to me and kissed her forehead.


    ¡°Thank you for taking care of me. I really appreciate it. Now go to bed. You need to sleep.¡± I whispered, looking into her now even wider eyes. She looked surprised and kept on staring at me with wide eyes for longer. I smiled inwardly.


    I snapped my fingers in front of her face.


    ¡°Huh?¡± She blinked her eyes.


    ¡°I said go and sleep.¡± She instantly ran past me which made meugh out loud.


    Goodness, she is so damn cute.

 27

    Ariana


    The following day, I woke up with a smile on my face. I rememberedst night¡¯s events. Last night Xavier kissed my forehead for the second time and I couldn¡¯t take that out of my head. The first touch of his lips on my forehead was not even out of my mind andst night he gave me the second one.


    Last night st night was full of¡­fun. Last night I came to know three of them a little more. No one could say that the most powerful, feared, dominant, authoritative businessmen who rule the business world actpletely childish when they are together.


    They make fun of each other, tease each other, talk insanely, argue for nothing, behave childishly, and fight for food while eating. I was watching them with amusement when they were doing all of that. I think apart from their parents I was the only one who came to know about this funny side of them. And that side was the opposite of what the world sees. And I absolutely like this funny, full-of-life side of them.


    I dressed up for work and then went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast. I woke up a little early so that I could prepare breakfast before Xavier leaves. I remember how yesterday he was whining to eat proper food so I made scrambled eggs, pancakes, toast, and ck coffee without whiskey for Xavier.


    ¡°I think I should go and call him for breakfast,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I was startled by the voice. I looked up to find him staring at me. He looked really handsome in the grey suit he wore. His hair wasbed back. He looked fresh, no sign of weakness could be seen on his face. The way I want to see him. Yep! That¡¯s right, I don¡¯t want to see him weak and fragile. I always want him to be like this, the way he is standing in front of me right now, fresh and full of energy.


    ¡°I asked you something.¡± Oh no! Blush instantly crept on my face when I realized that I was gawking at him. Why Ari, why?


    ¡°Um, Yeah, I.. I¡­well, I cooked breakfast for you.¡± I stuttered, looking down, and started ting the breakfast. I hope he didn¡¯t see my flushed face.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have cooked for me. I would have eaten out.¡±


    My hands instantly stopped ting the food. His words dropped my mood. I was excited to cook for him but he didn¡¯t want to eat food cooked by me. Did he not like the food? I woke up early to cook for him. Now, he was saying he wanted to eat out.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t know that you wanted to eat out. It¡¯s just that¡­Mrs. Molly told me you prefer eating homemade food that¡¯s why I cooked for you.¡± I replied softly, looking down.


    ¡°No. I didn¡¯t mean that. It¡¯s just that you cooked for me yesterday. And besides, you have to go to work too, you¡¯ll get¡­ tired.¡±


    He was concerned about me? It means he just wanted me to have rest? And here I thought he didn¡¯t want to eat the food cooked by me.


    ¡°No, I never get tired of cooking, I like to cook. And I have had enough rest for thest two days. Umm, Would you eat?¡± I asked nervously, fidgeting my fingers.


    ¡°Yeah, of course.¡±


    His reply brought warmness to my body and a smile on my face. But I hid my smile. Obviously, I didn¡¯t want to make a fool of myself in front of him.


    He sat at the dining table and I served him breakfast and his coffee before sitting opposite him. I started eating my breakfast and had my head lowered but I kept watching him through my eyshes, waiting for his reaction about the coffee.


    When he held the coffee cup, I bit the corner of my lower lip. He¡¯ll definitely notice the change this time.


    He took a sip of coffee and looked at me but I acted as if I didn¡¯t see him, I just focused on my breakfast. My heart started beating fast. He¡¯ll definitelyin about it now.


    I waited for him to say something but he didn¡¯t say a single word. I craned my neck a little to look at him and saw him eating his breakfast silently but I saw a smile on his lips.


    Goodness, had I been hallucinating? Why was he smiling? Whatever the reason was, he has a beautiful smile, a very mesmerizing smile making me want to keep looking at him.


    ¡°Why are you not eating your breakfast? Any problem?¡±


    Then I realized I had stopped eating and was gawking at his smile.


    ¡°Uh, Nothing.¡± I blushed and again diverted my attention back to my breakfast. I propped my one elbow on the table and rested my palm on my cheek to hide my red face from him.


    After we were done eating, I was about to stand up to clean the table when he spoke.


    ¡°From today onwards Finn will bring you to work.¡±


    My eyes instantly shot up and found him studying my face.


    Huh? Finn? His driver? Why?


    ¡°No.. there is no need, I can go on my own,¡± I replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s for your safety.¡± His soft reply shut my mouth.


    But why now? Why he had a sudden urge to keep me safe? I felt like he was going this to return the favor of taking care of him.


    ¡°If you are doing it to return the favor for taking care of you then there¡¯s no need.¡± I dared to talk back.


    He abruptly stood up from his chair making me flinch. I looked at him.


    ¡°I am not doing this to return any favor. And I really appreciate what you did for me yesterday. I am not a heartless person.¡± He said sternly, still, I could disbelief on his face.


    ¡°And about Finn bringing you to work¡­ I won¡¯t change that decision. You will go with him ande back with him. Do you get that?¡± He asked firmly. I meekly nodded my head. Then he left, not before putting his te in the dishwasher.


    Why did I even say that? He was just caring for my safety. I had been noticing his changed behavior towards me for the past few days. I should have known that he was just concerned. I never judge people, never. But I judged him and that too wrongly.


    Days went by and now it had been two weeks, two weeks since I had beening to work with Finn and also going back with him too. He drops me in the private parking area and also picks me up from there.


    In the past two weeks, Xavier¡¯s and my rtionship did improve but only as boss and employee. He started discussing many business-rted topics with me and also back at home we began to have dinner together, in silence, of course. All of it improved things between us.


    Home. Yes, now I had started calling his penthouse¡­home. Because in a home you are considered a member of the family. You live there, enjoy there, make memories and most importantly you feel free there. I was experiencing all those things there that¡¯s why I started calling that ce home.


    When I used to live with Smiths, I wasn¡¯t free to do anything. I wasn¡¯t even allowed to roam freely in that mansion. I was never considered as their family member.


    But here, though Xavier doesn¡¯t talk to me much, still, he never stopped me from using anything in his penthouse. I could do anything freely here.


    Coming to Sean and Daniel, I had now started to consider them as my family. In the past two weeks, our rtionship has also improved. Now they more oftene home and ask me to cook dinner for them. And I happily oblige to their request. And now it¡¯s both of theirmon habits to give a kiss on my forehead.


    I was pulled out of my reverie by the beep sound of the inte. I picked it up.


    ¡°Come to my office.¡±


    I stood up from my chair and made my way towards Xavier¡¯s office.


    ¡°Come with me, we have to go to the conference room on Sean¡¯s floor. We have some good news to share.¡± He said while getting up from his chair. He sounded happy. And the good news? I wondered what the news was that made him so happy.


    We reached Sean¡¯s floor and entered the conference room. Daniel, Sean, Lauren, and Scott were already there. Daniel, Sean, and Xavier gave each other a brotherly hug.


    I was confused and nced at Lauren and Scott only to see them standing there with confused expressions. I walked and stood beside Lauren.


    ¡°Any idea what the good news is?¡± I whispered in her ears.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any idea about it. I was asked to join them here. But looking at the way they are behaving I think it¡¯s something big.¡± She whispered back. I nodded my head.


    ¡°I also wonder what it is,¡± Scott whispered too.


    ¡°Okay listen,¡± Sean said and the three of us looked at them.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s time to share the best news of the year,¡± Daniel said happily.


    ¡°So, the thing is, ourpany XDS AUTOTECH is announced as the highest-grossingpany of the year second time in a row.¡±


    Before I could even blink I was engulfed into a tight hug from the side and a loud squealing sound reached my ears.


    ¡°Oh my goodness.¡± It was Lauren, she was squealing happily almost jumping and shaking me in the process.


    ¡°Miss Hart?¡± Sean called her and only then she removed her hands from me.


    ¡°Oh, sorry. I am just happy. Couldn¡¯t control the excitement. And Congrattions, sir.¡± She said happily and walked forward to shake his hand. She shook their hands and Scott also did the same.


    I was also happy, they deserve it. They had worked hard to bring thepany to the top. They worked day and night without caring about time, sleep, and hunger. I was the eyewitness. And I was extremely proud of them.


    I stepped forward to congratte them. I first shook Daniel¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Congrattions sir.¡± I smiled, Lauren and Scott were there so I avoided calling him by his name.


    ¡°Thank you, princess. I would have hugged you but we have an audience here.¡± Daniel whispered. I beamed at him and shook my head. He¡¯ll never change.


    Then I shook Sean¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Congrattions sir. I am truly happy for you.¡± He shook my hand with a broad smile on his face and said thanked me. And without thinking twice I put my hand forward in front of Xavier.


    He looked at me, into my eyes. Then I realized what I had done. I was about to bring my hand back when he sped my hand and started shaking it.


    I stiffen when I felt a jolt of electricity that ran through my body. I gazed into his eyes. His dark brown eyes were gazing directly into my eyes. His eyes were showing happiness and some emotions which I couldn¡¯tprehend. He didn¡¯t let go of my hand but tighten his around it, I could feel a burning sensation spreading in my body. His touch on my skin always did that to me.


    I winced when I heard the sound of the clearing of the throat. I looked in the direction of the sound to see that it was Daniel who had a mischievous smirk on his face. I immediately let go of Xavier¡¯s hand and blushed. I was again gawking at him. What¡¯s happening with me these days?


    ¡°Umm¡­ Cong¡­ Congrattions sir.¡± I stuttered and averted my eyes.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He said after clearing his throat. Then I saw him re at Daniel who was now grinning ear to ear. What¡¯s with Daniel now?


    I turned around to go back and stand with Lauren but when I saw her looking at me with raised eyebrows I wanted to abort that mission but my feet were already taking me there. I stood beside her, not looking at her. I was praying to Almighty up there to not let Lauren ask any question. But before my request could reach up there, Lauren poked me in my arm. I am doomed.


    ¡°What was that?¡± She whispered in my ear. I was avoiding her gaze. She again poked me in my arm with her finger.


    ¡°What was what?¡± I asked her back.


    ¡°Really?¡± Goodness, why isn¡¯t she letting it go?


    ¡°Okay, now sit. We need to discuss something,¡± Sean said bringing our attention towards him. I sighed in relief, I was saved.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and sit. And you, my friend, we have some important matter to discuss.¡± Lauren said with a mischievous smirk on her lips. I think I am not saved.


    We sat on the chair at the conference table. I sat between Lauren and Scott. And to our opposite side, three of our bosses were sitting.


    ¡°First of all, thank you for making this possible. You three and all the employees worked really hard that¡¯s why this became possible.¡± Xavier said.


    ¡°So, as a token of thanks, all the employees of XDS AUTOTECH will be getting a bonus this month,¡± Sean said happily.


    ¡°Are you serious? Thank you, thank you, sir.¡± Lauren said, pping her hands excitedly.


    I couldn¡¯t me her, who wouldn¡¯t be happy after listening to the news of the bonus?


    ¡°And the next thing is, we have to throw a party.  A grand party to celebrate thepany¡¯s sess.¡± Daniel grabbed our attention by saying that.


    ¡°We want to throw the party this weekend,¡± Sean said.


    ¡°Three of you supervise the preparation. Venue, Theme, invitations, catering, whatever it is, you¡¯ll do it.¡± Xavier said.


    ¡°We want to have a grand celebration. We¡¯ll invite every business partner, client, and even our business rivals. So make sure no mistake should happen.¡± Sean stated firmly.


    ¡°We know time is less so you can also ask the help of any other employee. Choose whoever you want.¡± Xavier said.


    ¡°We trust you on this,¡± Daniel said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry sir, your trust in us will not be broken.¡± Three of us assured them. We can¡¯t let them down on this. This is important for them. Their reputation is at stake.


    ¡°And also, you will be very busy this week as you have official work to do as well. Your presence here in the building is also necessary, so, make sure three of you manage your time with office work and party preparations.¡± Sean said.


    ¡°Yes, of course, sir. We know it, we will work it out.¡± Lauren assured them.


    We discussed some more important matters regarding the party and then we all left for our work.


    From the next day, we all were going to be busy for the whole week. We would be running here and there preparing for the party and doing office work. My concern was not that. My main concern was the party, the crowd. How will I cope up with that? I had never been to such kind of parties or any party ever before.

 28

    Ariana


    When our bosses informed us that we would be extra busy, they surely weren¡¯t joking.


    Our presence was needed at both the ces, at the party venue, and in the office. At least one of us had to be present in the office, so we divided our time and work.


    The grandest party hall was booked. It was not easy to book that in a short time but who would say no to the most powerful businessmen in the USA? Lauren had gone to give Invitation cards for printing.


    Scott was gone to meet with some event managementpanies which we had shortlisted as that would be easy for us to handle our work otherwise we had to book decorator and caterer separately and that would have been more chaotic and tiring than it was now.


    I had been working on myputer continuously for thest two hours. I had been mailing some important documents to the business partners and also had been replying to fan mails at the same time. Also, I had been receiving non-stop phone calls from otherpanies, business partners, and clients. Some called for greetings, some to ask for meetings. Xavier ordered me not to disturb him until there was something extremely important. So, I wrote all the names and their purpose of calling on the notepad so that I could inform him afterward.


    I was typing on myputer when someone knocked on the door before entering. I looked up to see Lauren with some files in her hands.


    ¡°Hey, when did youe back?¡± I asked as I sat straight in my chair.


    ¡°Oh, I just came back and already have loads of work.¡± She huffed, cing files on my desk, and sat on the chair on the other side of the desk.


    ¡°What are these files for?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Some are contract files to be given to Mr. Knight and some files are to be signed by him.¡± She replied.


    ¡°Okay, let me inform him that you are here,¡± I reached for the inte to call him but Lauren stopped me.


    ¡°Wait, not right now.¡± I raised a questioning eyebrow.


    ¡°Oh,e on, Let me have five minutes rest! And you also have a short break, your boss won¡¯t kill you for that. And besides, we have something important to talk about.¡± She said thest statement while wiggling her eyebrows.


    Uh oh! She hadn¡¯t forgotten about that.


    ¡°Lauren, I have numerous emails to send and also many phone calls to attend, we¡¯ll talkter, okay? Maybe during lunch?¡± I said, hoping that she¡¯ll agree and forget about the talk.


    ¡°Oh, I see¡­Trying to be smart, huh?¡± She raised her eyebrows and then smirked.


    ¡°But my dear friend, I think you don¡¯t know that I am over smart. I know you want me to forget about that because you know we¡¯ll get busy afterward. So, Ariana, we are talking NOW.¡± She sat straight in her chair and crossed her arm in front of her chest.


    Uh oh! What I have gotten myself into?


    My throat went dry so I picked up the ss of water and started drinking.


    ¡°I know we don¡¯t have time so I¡¯lle directly to the point¡­ Do you have a crush on Mr. Knight?¡± I choked on the water.


    Who in the world has a crush on their own husband?


    I started coughing hard. I instantly put the ss back on the desk and took the tissues from Lauren¡¯s hand which she was offering me to clean the spilled water. Lauren was watching my every move silently.


    ¡°Where did thate from?¡± I asked her after Iposed myself.


    ¡°You thought I didn¡¯t notice? The way you were staring at him while congratting him, it was like you were lost in his eyes. And not to forget the blush that crawls on your face whenever you are around him. Isn¡¯t this proof enough to tell that you have a crush on Mr. Knight?¡± She asked yfully.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not what you think. He¡¯s just my boss, that¡¯s all. And I immediately pulled my hand away after shaking his hand. Besides you have to make eye contact with a person you are shaking your hands with, right? That is what I did.¡± I reasoned out. But I could feel warmness on my face. Oh no! Is my face again turning red?


    ¡°See, you are blushing even while talking about him. Now, what would you say?¡± She smirked.


    I immediately cupped both of my cheeks with my hands.


    ¡°No, I ¡­I am not blushing. It¡¯s happening because I choked on water.¡± I mumbled while cupping my cheeks.


    ¡°Oh,e on Ariana. You can share it with me. I won¡¯t judge you. Besides, there is no harm to have a crush on anyone. It¡¯s not that you always end up with your crush. Crushes are mainly to evoke the desire in you. Crushese in your life just to stimte your desire hormones.¡± She bbered like she was a teacher and her favorite subject of teaching was ¡°Crushes and their advantages¡±.


    I just listened to her and when I didn¡¯t say anything she continued.


    ¡°You know what? I once had a crush on three of our bosses and that too at the same time.¡± She stated.


    ¡°What?¡± Augh escaped my lips.


    ¡°Yes, that happened a long time ago, I epted that I didn¡¯t have a chance there. But you know crushes are meant to keep on changing. It¡¯s good for health. And don¡¯t tell this to my boyfriend¡­ currently I have a crush on ten men.¡± She said herst statement in a whisper.


    ¡°What? Isn¡¯t this called cheating?¡± I asked.


    ¡°My goodness, Ariana, you are so naive. Haven¡¯t you had any crush or a boyfriend before?¡± A blush crept on my face instantly after hearing her.


    What should I tell her that I never had a boyfriend or a crush? I had never experienced any of that before? And I directly got a husband and he is the same person who she thinks I was having a crush on?


    ¡°Ariana, don¡¯t tell me you never had one?¡± She asked with the most horrific expression on her face. I broke eye contact with her and looked down on myp and shook my head.


    ¡°No one ever asked you out?¡± I didn¡¯t look up just shook my head in no. Who would like to ask out an extremely shy girl who doesn¡¯t know how to socialize with people? A girl who was conserved to herself, a girl who always wore baggy clothes, a girl who has an ugly face. Scarlet and her friends used to bully me a lot about it.


    ¡°How could that be possible? You are so beautiful Ariana and by far the most humble, soft-spoken person I have ever met. How is it that no one ever asked you out? And what about you? You never had a crush on anyone? Do you never had the desire to be with someone, to be in someone¡¯s arms, do you never had a sexual attraction for anyone?¡± She spoke out loud. My head instantly shot up. How can she be so straightforward?


    ¡°Lauren, why are you talking so loudly? What if someone hears us? And about your questions, I never had time for that.¡± I said avoiding her gaze. Lauren instantly stood up from her chair, marched towards me, bent a little, and hugged me tightly.


    ¡°Oh, Ariana, I don¡¯t know why you never had time for enjoying your life. But don¡¯t worry, I am here and I¡¯ll teach you everything.¡± She let go of me and stood straight.


    ¡°And hell, you have every right to have a crush on Mr. Knight. He is born to have a crush on.¡± She said excitedly. Oh no! Not again.


    ¡°Lauren you are mistaken, I¡­.¡± Before I couldplete my sentence she cut me off.


    ¡°No Ariana, you are not allowed to say anything. It¡¯s high time you should have a boyfriend. I know it¡¯s all new to you but don¡¯t worry I am here for you. Before you get any boyfriend you should know how to develop desire. I¡¯ll teach you everything.¡± She said firmly while pointing her finger at me. I sighed silently. I can¡¯t escape this.. can I?


    She again bent a little, gripped the backrest of my chair with one hand, and ced another hand on the desk, trapping me in my chair. I looked at her questioningly.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start with the basic lesson.¡± She said, bring her face near me. I pulled back slightly. Then she continued,


    ¡°Take out any picture of Mr. Knight in which he is shirtless, you can find it on the inte amongst his many pictures from photoshoots. Then..¡± She paused again.


    ¡°Then.. admire him, his chiseled body, his neck, his broad shoulders, his chest, then go little down to his delicious six-pack abs, then a little more down to his V shape going down to his¡­.¡±


    ¡°E¡­Lauren that¡¯s gross, Go away.¡±  I pushed her away softly, blushing hard. She has no filter on her mouth. And was I seriously imagining his¡­body?


    ¡°Goodness Ariana, you are such a baby! You are blushing just by imagining about him. Then how will you develop a sexual desire in you? I think I have to work harder on you.¡± She huffed and shook her head.


    The phone on my desk started ringing, saving me from her teaching lessons. I sighed silently and picked up the receiver.


    ¡°Hello, I¡­¡± Before I could say anything the person on the other side spoke.


    ¡°Hello, Am I speaking to Xavier Knight¡¯s Personal Assistant?¡± A female voice spoke from another side.


    ¡°Yes, you are. How may I help you?¡± I asked, my eyes were on Lauren who walked back and sat back on her chair.


    ¡°Well, I am Sarah Park from GBN. I want to talk to Xavier.¡± I frowned at her tone. She spoke somewhat rudely. And she called him by his name?


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, Mr. Knight is busy right now, you can give your message to me, I¡¯ll deliver it to him,¡± I said politely.


    ¡°Oh, no¡­ he¡¯s never busy for me. Inform him that Sarah Park is on call. I am his friend, he¡¯ll not say no.¡± She replied with an attitude. I didn¡¯t want to disturb him but what if thisdy was an important person?


    ¡°Wait a moment, ma¡¯am,¡± I said then I called Xavier.


    ¡°Sir, there¡¯s a call from Sarah Park, she wants to talk to you now.¡±


    ¡°Okay transfer the call,¡± he replied. She might be a really good friend of him that¡¯s why he immediately agreed. I transferred the call and diverted my attention back to Lauren.


    ¡°Who was it?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Someone named Sarah Park from GBN,¡± I replied, frowning. I didn¡¯t know why was I even frowning.


    ¡°Oh, she is the most famous anchor of a famous news channel, Global Business News. And let me tell you she is a total bitch.¡±


    ¡°Lauren, you can¡¯t talk about anyone like that.¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on Ariana, you know what? She has slept with I don¡¯t know how many producers and directors to get to this position. And she has dated almost every man she has interviewed. She has an attitude as high as Mount Everest. She is called a bitch by everyone that knows her, I am not the only one calling her that.¡± She said without taking a breath.


    My mind directly went to Xavier. Had they both spent time together? A weird sensation passed through my stomach thinking about that. I didn¡¯t have any right to question his rtionships but I didn¡¯t know why the thought of him spending time with someone made me sad.


    I was pulled out of my thoughts by the beep sound of inte. Iposed myself and picked up the receiver.


    ¡°Come to my office.¡± I nced at Lauren.


    ¡°Sir, Miss Hart is here, she has some files that are to be signed by you,¡± I said.


    ¡°Okay, bring her with you.¡± I put the receiver back in its ce.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get back to work, Lauren,¡± I said standing up from my chair.


    ¡°Yep, let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll teach you some other time.¡± She stood up and winked. I just smiled and shook my head. She will not let this go.


    We both reached his office, where he was sitting on his chair proudly, typing on hisputer. His suit jacket was hanging on his chair, his white crisp shirt which was clinging to his body was giving the view of his toned muscles. The sleeves of his shirt were folded till his elbow showing the movement of his forearm muscles while he was typing. His perfectlybed hair was now tousled, he might have run his fingers in his hair several times.


    My mouth went dry seeing him in this state. He looked extraordinarily handsome. I couldn¡¯t help but stare at him. I jerked when someone nudged the side of my stomach. I looked in that direction to see Lauren was staring at me with a smirk on her lips.


    ¡°My first lesson for you was to admire his photo, not his live form. Baby steps Ariana, baby steps.¡± She whispered in my ear, making me blush hard. I cleared my throat and nced back at Xavier, he was busy doing his work. Thank goodness, he didn¡¯t see me ogling him. What¡¯s happening to me?


    Lauren has corrupted my mind.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t admiring him,¡± I whispered back, not looking into her eyes.


    ¡°Sure, you weren¡¯t.¡± Saying that she stepped forward.


    ¡°Mr. Knight, these are two files of your France manufacturing nt project. Mr. Patterson wants you to take a look at them.¡± She ced the files on his desk.


    ¡°And these are the files that need your signatures.¡± She said, forwarding him some other files.


    He took the file, take and then signed them. After signing, he handed the files back to Lauren. Lauren stepped back and stood beside me.


    ¡°How¡¯s the preparation going?¡± He asked, looking at both of us.


    ¡°Preparations are going good Mr. Knight,¡± Lauren replied.


    ¡°Okay, so, I called you because I want you to arrange the interview room. I got a call from the anchor of GBN, they want to interview Daniel, Sean, and me. Their team will arrive tomorrow.¡± He said, looking at both of us then he nced at me.


    ¡°Clear my schedule for tomorrow for the interview. And if there is any meeting, reschedule it. And also, inform Daniel and Sean.¡±


    ¡°Okay, sir.¡± I nodded my head.


    ¡°And also, one you have to be present there in the room at the time of the interview.¡± He ordered.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    We both nodded our heads and said okay.


    ¡°Miss Hart you can leave and you stay here.¡± He ordered while looking at me.


    ¡°Okay, sir.¡± Saying that Lauren turned around, winked at me, and left the cabin.


    He then nced at me, his eyes lingered on me, making me nervous all of a sudden. I tried not to look at him. Then after a few seconds, he spoke.


    ¡°You have to be present there in the room at the time of the interview.¡± My eyes instantly met his. I looked at him questioningly.


    ¡°Miss Hart and Scott can do other work but you have to be there..pulsorily.¡± He ordered.


    Why my presence ispulsory? But I couldn¡¯t question his order so I just nodded my head and said Okay.


    ¡°You may leave now.¡± He said and diverted his attention to his work.


    I left his office to continue with my work and to prepare for the interview.


    One more work to take care of.

 29

    Ariana


    The following day, the GBN team arrived before the anchor herself and began to prepare the interview room. The team had set the stage and adjusted the equipment ordingly. They also ced a moveable backdrop on the stage on which GBN and XDS AUTOTECH was written.


    My duty was to supervise the preparations in the interview room. Scott was with Daniel in his office. Lauren had gone to the party venue to check on the preparations. She didn¡¯t want to go there as she¡¯d be bored without anypany, she wanted to bring me with her but I had to refuse because my presence waspulsory here in the interview room.


    I had been observing the preparations being done on the stage when someone spoke from behind.


    ¡°Hey, beautiful¡­ would you mind giving me the side?¡± I turned around to see a man standing there with a big white light-equipped umbre with a stand-in his hand.


    ¡°Oh, I am sorry.¡± I stepped aside so he could ce the umbre in the ce.


    ¡°No problem, beautiful.¡± He said with a smirk while eyeing me up and down. I frowned. Why is he calling me that? And why is he looking at me like that? I felt ufortable under his gaze. I stepped a little more aside. He then ced the umbre stand in its ce and then again turned to me but before he could say anything, I walked towards the door to exit the room.


    As soon as I opened the door, I bumped into someone.


    What¡¯s with me and my bumping into people?


    ¡°What the hell? Watch where you are going.¡± I flinched at the high-pitched female tone. I looked up to see a woman who had shoulder-length blond hair and was wearing a one-shoulder white body-con dress that ended a little above her knees and was wearing pointed heels.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have eyes? You could have ruined my dress.¡± Saying that she bought me back in the present.


    ¡°Umm¡­I am so sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to-¡± But before I couldplete my sentence I was cut off by someone.


    ¡°You are so clumsy, Ariana. Can¡¯t you walk with your eyes open?¡± Bianca snapped at me.


    ¡°Next time watch where you go.¡± Diana snapped looking at me.


    Bianca and Diana both worked in the Public Rtion department and mainly handled the media rtions of thepany.


    ¡°Who is she?¡± The woman I bumped into asked Diana.


    ¡°Miss Sarah, she is Mr. Knight¡¯s P. A. Ariana Jones,¡± Diana replied.


    Oh, She¡¯s Sarah Park.


    ¡°Oh, you are the one I talked to yesterday? Well, you don¡¯t look like a P. A. of the most influential and powerful businessman here. I am even surprised that Xavier employed you as his P. A.¡± She scoffed sarcastically, eyeing me up and down in disgust. I shifted ufortably. I felt humiliated.


    ¡°Well, whatever, move aside and where are your bosses?¡± Sarah Park asked, pushing me aside. Sarah, Diana, Bianca, and another woman who came with Sarah entered the room.


    ¡°Mr. Knight and Mr. Peterson are in urgent video conference meeting and Mr. Adams is in his office. They will be here in five.¡± I replied, walking behind them.


    ¡°Then what am I doing here? You should have informed my assistant. Isn¡¯t this your work? And do you think I¡¯ll wait for them here? You should have prepared a VIP waiting room for me.¡± Sarah snapped at me. I looked around to see everyone¡¯s attention was now on me. Bianca and Diana were snickering.


    ¡°It was Mr. Knight¡¯s order to bring you here directly as he won¡¯t take long toe here,¡± I replied as politely as I could.


    ¡°Then you better go and inform him that I have arrived.¡± She snapped.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just go and inform him.¡± Saying that I rushed out of the room.


    I reached the top floor, rushed to Xavier¡¯s office.


    ¡°Sir, Miss Sarah Park has arrived,¡± I spoke. He looked up and stared at me for few seconds then spoke,


    ¡°Is everything set for the interview?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir, everything is set.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you-¡± He sighed out loud and ran his fingers through his hair then again spoke.


    ¡°Whatever¡­¡± He didn¡¯tplete his sentence. What was he about to say?


    ¡°Have you informed Daniel and Sean?¡± He asked standing up from his chair.


    ¡°Yes, I called Scott and asked him to inform them.¡± He again stared at me clenching his jaw. Did I say something wrong?


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s go.¡± Saying that he walked outside. We entered the private elevator, he stood beside me and started scrolling on his phone. I just stood there silently.


    When we reached the fifth floor where the interview room was present. We stepped out together and marched to the interview room together.


    When we entered the room, I saw Daniel and Scott had already arrived and Sarah was kissing Daniel¡¯s cheeks. Then she looked at Xavier and smiling brightly, she rushed to him.


    ¡°Oh, Xavier it¡¯s been ages since we met.¡± She said sweetly and kissed both of his cheeks. I frowned, just a while ago she was snappy and now she was behaving all sweet. Her demeanor changed so fast.


    ¡°Xavier, You don¡¯t have time for me these days, do you?¡± She pouted and touched his arm with her hand. She was standing way too close. Why doesn¡¯t she step back?


    ¡°Sarah, you know I have an empire to run, I barely get time for myself, but don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll make it up to you,¡± Xavier said as he took a step back, creating distance between them.


    ¡°You better make it up to me.¡± She said yfully.


    ¡°Sure, now let¡¯s start with the interview.¡±


    ¡°I came here to take three of yours interview but only two are here,¡± Sarah said.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Sean?¡± Xavier asked Scott.


    ¡°Sir, I have already informed Mr. Peterson, he said he¡¯ll be here in a minute,¡± Scott replied.


    ¡°He¡¯s taking a lot of time. I even called him but he¡¯s not picking up his call.¡± Daniel said annoyingly.


    Xavier looked into his wristwatch and turned to me. ¡°Go and bring him here as fast as you can.¡± He said to me. I nodded my head went to Sean¡¯s office.


    When I reached in front of Sean¡¯s office, I saw the door was slightly open, so I knocked twice and entered without waiting for his permission to enter. Sean got startled and abruptly stopped whatever he was doing.


    ¡°You startled me, Ariana.¡± He spoke, rubbing his face with his palms.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The door was open so I just knocked and entered without asking for your permission.¡±


    ¡°No, It¡¯s okay that was my mistake.¡± He sighed.


    ¡°Umm, okay, so, you are being called for the interview,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes, I know. I¡¯ll be there in a minute.¡± He sighed out annoyingly. What¡¯s the matter?


    ¡°You said that to Scott too but you didn¡¯te so I was asked to bring you there. Is there any problem, Sean?¡±


    ¡°Umm.. no.. actually ¡­. yes¡­. no it¡¯s not a problem¡­well.. yes it¡¯s a problem actually.¡± He rambled.


    ¡°Sean?¡± He never rambled. I wondered what¡¯s the problem?


    ¡°Umm, actually Ariana, I needed help with something, can you help me?¡± He said, rubbing the back of his neck.


    ¡°Yeah sure. What is that you need help with?¡±


    ¡°Well do you know how to¡­how to¡­¡± I felt like he was hesitating to ask.


    ¡°How to what, Sean?¡±


    ¡°Umm.. you know how to knot a tie? He asked with a tint of redness on his cheeks. Is he blushing? This is something new. I guess he is embarrassed.


    I approached him and gave him my sweetest smile.


    ¡°You know, you don¡¯t have to be embarrassed. Not everyone in this world is perfect, everyone has their own ws and not everyone knows how to do all the things. So, it¡¯s perfectly fine to ask for help that too without hesitation.¡± I said as I knotted the tie around his neck.


    ¡°Yeah, and make fool of myself?¡± He said sarcastically.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t understand what I said, did you?¡± I asked, looking at him.


    ¡°I do but you know being in such a high position, your life is not private and people always want to get on you to mock you for life. So, it¡¯s better somethings to remain hidden from the world.¡± He scowled.


    Well, I agree with him. A celebrity¡¯s life is never private. The world is watching their every move and wait for any slight slip to make it a piece of news against them. But I can¡¯t let him think negatively. I think he forgot what power he beholds.


    ¡°Okay, tell me one thing. Can those people say it in front of your face?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. They wouldn¡¯t dare. So why does it affects you what they say at your back? People don¡¯t know who you actually are, they don¡¯t know what you can do or not, they will just bber rubbish to gain some publicity, that¡¯s all. So, it shouldn¡¯t affect you even a bit because you know they can¡¯t reach you.¡± I smiled.


    ¡°Here it¡¯s all done.¡± I tapped the knot of the tie and fixed his shirt cors.


    ¡°Thank you so much. And you surely know how to make someone feel positive.¡± He smiled. Finally, he smiled.


    ¡°I just state the facts.¡± I shrugged.


    ¡°Thank you, Ariana. You are the best.¡± He said and kissed my forehead.


    ¡°Nowe on, we should leave before your friendse up and drag you over there.¡±


    ¡°Ariana umm, can I request something from you?¡± He said while rubbing the back of his neck again.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell this to Xavier or Daniel, especially Daniel. He¡¯d make fun of me for life.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t know about this?¡± I asked in surprise. Howe they don¡¯t know about this?


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s almost impossible to keep any secret from them. But this is the only thing they don¡¯t know.¡± He said.


    ¡°Then who helps you with your tie daily?¡± I asked out of curiosity.


    ¡°Well¡­ I have many self-knotted ties. I use them when I am out of town or abroad. But on daily basis, Miss Hart helps me with this.¡± He blushed again.


    ¡°Lauren? Won¡¯t she reveal it to anyone?¡± I asked in surprise.


    ¡°I made her sign a contract. You know how much she speaks.¡± Augh escaped my lips. A contract?


    ¡°What will I get for this?¡± I asked with a teasing smile.


    ¡°Whatever in the world you want.¡± He stated. I tapped my chin with my index finger making a gesture as if I was thinking. But I knew what I wanted.


    ¡°Okay¡­ for now, I just want you to rush to the interview room as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°You want this?¡± He asked surprised.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    ¡°Well, yes?¡±


    ¡°Are you aware that you have a chance to ask for anything you want and I surely will give it to you? No one will ever want to refuse this kind of offer.¡± He asked in confusion.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anything. I think I have everything I need.¡± I shrugged.


    ¡°You are something else, Ariana.¡± He smiled and shook his head.


    ¡°Maybe. So, shall we leave now?¡± I smiled


    ¡°Yeah, we should. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    We entered the elevator together. Sean started scrolling on his phone. For a few seconds, we were standing in silence but I broke it by asking him a question.


    ¡°Sean? Can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Yes, anything.¡± He said without looking up from his phone.


    ¡°Am I the only one who saw you blushing?¡±


    His head shot up quickly and he looked at me with shock. I tried to stifle myugh. He looked like he had seen a ghost.


    ¡°I never blush!¡± He stated proudly. I then folded my arms across my chest and gave him an I-saw-it look.


    ¡°I was not blushing, I never blush and why would I blush? You are just imagining things. And don¡¯t spend too much of your time with Daniel, he is spoiling you. You are asking a lot of stupid questions like him.¡± He frowned.


    ¡°Am I Sean?¡± I asked again ignoring hisment on Daniel. Daniel is not spoiling me.


    ¡°You won¡¯t let this go, would you?¡± He sighed exasperatedly. I shook my head in no vehemently.


    ¡°Okay fine! You are the only and only one, happy now?¡± He said throwing his hands in the air.


    ¡°Very.¡± I gave him a toothy grin. He shook his head and smiled.


    ¡°You got me there, Ariana. Let¡¯s keep this a secret too.¡± He said.


    ¡°Top secret,¡± I said doing the action of zipping my lips. He again diverted his attention to his mobile phone.


    ¡°Sean?¡±


    ¡°Now what?¡±


    ¡°I am honored.¡± I teased stifling myugh. He looked up at me.


    ¡°Ariana?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Iughed. Goodness, this is so funny.


    Talking to him made me forgot the humiliation I felt in the interview room. I forgot the insults Sarah threw at me. I felt rxed after talking with him.


    I was really lucky that I got to meet them.


    After a few minutes, we reached the interview room.

 30

    Xavier KnightN?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    When XDS AUTOTECH was announced as the highest-grossingpany of the year two times in a row, I was bombarded with phone calls from close business partners for greetings. I had been attending the calls non-stop and also after being announced as the topmostpany of the year, our business partners now wanted to expand their contract tenure with us. Also, many new clients were adding up with us. All this had been keeping me busy.


    I was happy being busy, after all, that¡¯s what any business person would want from their business. I was proud of my employees, they surely did hard work that¡¯s why ourpany was at the top. I truly appreciate their work.


    And I, without any doubt, appreciate my P. A¡¯s work. The way she had been handling work and keeping a tab on my schedule was incredible. She not even oncemitted a single mistake and also I never heard herining about being given extra work. She handled all her work with precision.


    No single Personal Assistants I had before ever did their work to this precision.


    When I ended the video call from one of the business partners, Ariana entered my office.


    ¡°Sir, Miss Sarah Park has arrived.¡± She spoke.


    I looked up at her. Oh, the interview, I almost forgot about that.


    ¡°Is everything set for the interview?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes sir, everything is set.¡±


    I frowned.


    What¡¯s the problem with her? Why couldn¡¯t she say my name? I knew I was the one who asked her to address me as sir but slip of tongue could happen, right? She could say my name by mistake. I know It sounds weirding from me but I was longing to hear my name from her mouth. But she didn¡¯t speak my name even once.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you-¡°(can¡¯t you say my name) I wanted to say that but I bit my words. I sighed out loud and ran my fingers through my hair frustratingly. I think I have to wait for her to speak my name. And I¡¯ll wait.


    ¡°Whatever-¡± I huffed.


    ¡°Have you informed Daniel and Sean,¡± I asked standing up from my chair.


    ¡°Yes, I called Scott and asked him to inform them.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± Saying that I walked outside.


    As soon as we entered the interview room, Sarah rushed to me.


    ¡°Oh, Xavier it¡¯s been ages since we met.¡± She said, kissing both of my cheeks. I was caught off guard by her action.


    ¡°Xavier, You don¡¯t have time for me these days, do you?¡± She pouted and touched my arm with her hand.


    ¡°Sarah, you know I have an empire to run, I barely get time for myself, but don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll make it up to you,¡± I said taking a step back. She was standing way too close. This is the workce, I didn¡¯t want to give anyone a wrong idea about us. Sarah and I were friends since college. We had a drunken one-night stand in college and that¡¯s all. She tried to advance her feelings towards me but I was never interested in rtionships. I never slept with her ever again but we remained friends. In fact, I never slept with anyone after her.


    ¡°You better make it up to me.¡± She said yfully.


    ¡°Sure, now let¡¯s start with the interview.¡±


    ¡°I came here to take three of your interview but only two are here,¡± Sarah said. I frowned and looked around to see Sean didn¡¯te yet.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Sean?¡± I asked Scott because Ariana had asked him to inform Sean.


    ¡°Sir, I have already informed Mr. Peterson, he said he¡¯ll be here in a minute,¡± Scott replied.


    ¡°He¡¯s taking a lot of time. I even called him but he¡¯s not picking up his call.¡± Daniel said annoyingly.


    He never getste for any work. What¡¯s the matter this time. I turned to Ariana and asked her to bring Sean down as fast as possible. I sent her because I knew he¡¯ll not say no to her. And also, whatever work he must be doing he¡¯ll stop it that instant.


    ¡°Come on Xavier, let¡¯s get you ready for the interview until Sean arrives,¡± Sarah said and walked to the stage.


    Daniel approached me with a scowl on his face.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Why did you agree to give the interview to that bitch? You very well know I don¡¯t like her and she even kissed my cheeks, now I have to wash my face with sanitizer.¡± Daniel said, scrunching his nose.


    Daniel hated Sarah to the highest level. Even back in college he never liked her hanging with me. He even didn¡¯t talk to me for a month when he got to know that I slept with her.


    ¡°Daniel, it¡¯s just an interview. Besides, she has been trying to get our interview sincest year so when she called this time, I couldn¡¯t say no.¡± I exined. He still had a frown on his face. I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s get over with it.¡± I said and walked to the stage.


    I sat on the single-seat sofa. Sarah¡¯s assistant approached me to fix the cor mic.


    She bent, showing me her full cleavage. I always feel disgusted whenever a woman tries to seduce me by doing these kinds of tactics. I turned my head but she bit her lips seductively and again came before my face and reached for my shirt cor to fix the mic. Goodness, I don¡¯t want her to touch me.


    So, before she could even touch me, I stopped her.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    She looked at me questioningly. I asked her to step back. She confusedly stood straight and stepped away which made me sigh in relief; her perfume was so strong that it started giving me a headache.


    The door of the interview room burst open, Sean and Ariana entered. An idea instantly popped into my mind. I called Ariana on the stage.


    ¡°Excuse me, pass the cor mic to my assistant,¡± I ordered Sarah¡¯s assistant.


    She passed the mic to her, eyeing her with disgust. How dare she?


    Ariana looked at me with a cute frown on her face. I smiled inwardly.


    ¡°Could you fix this mic on my cor?¡± I asked her softly. She looked at me with wide eyes then looked around. Everyone¡¯s attention was on us but I didn¡¯t care about others.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I whispered, bringing her attention back to me. She nodded her head and came a little closer. I was sitting so she had to bent a little; a whiff of sweet flowers filled my nostrils. The smell was not strong, it was light and so soothing. The smell I would love to inhale forever.


    Although she was wearing a shirt that reached up to her corbones when she bent down her shirt hanged down a bit, showing the milky skin of her upper chest area, which caused her face to turn red. I lowered my eyes, then looked up, only to find her standing straight.


    ¡°Uh, could you please stand up?¡± She asked nervously. I didn¡¯t need to be told twice; I willingly acknowledged her request and stood up. She hesitantly grabbed my shirt cor to fix the mic. I couldn¡¯t help but smile proudly at her. This small gesture of hers had filled tons of respect for her inside me. Pure respect.


    Once my cor mic was fixed, it was the turn to fix the mic transmitter on my waist belt. She moved her hand here and there hesitantly in front of me thinking how to fix the transmitter. Then she frowned, obviously not knowing how to fix it. She scratched the back of her neck and kept on looking at her in amusement, anticipating her next move. Then she blew a tiring breath and spoke,


    ¡°Can you fix this transmitter yourself on the waist belt at your back?¡± She asked softly looking at me with hopeful eyes. I was trying hard not to smile but when she looked up at me with her ck, glistening eyes, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. She is so damn cute.


    ¡°Sure.¡± I took the transmitter from her hand and fixed it on my belt at my back.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said and was about to sit when she stopped me.


    ¡°Wait!¡± I raised a questioning eyebrow at her.


    ¡°Umm¡­your tie is a bit crooked.¡± She said, pointing at my tie. I didn¡¯t look at my tie, instead, I looked into her eyes.


    ¡°Then fix it.¡± This came out of my mouth in a whisper, which in return, dusted all over her face.


    She again hesitantly reached for my tie and started fixing it. She avoided my gaze but mine was fixed on her face. Her fingers unknowingly brushed on my neck, making sparks flow in my body.


    ¡°Done,¡± She said and stepped back. I cleared my throat and thanked her. She then walked down the stage and stood beside Scott.


    I sat back on the sofa and then the interview started. I already informed Sarah not to ask personal questions because it was a professional interview so it was better to be kept that way.


    It took an hour for the interview to end as many cuts were taken in between. Whenever there was a cut I would steal a nce at Ariana. All the time she was sitting stiffly on the chair in the corner with her eyes fixed on the stage. Her difort in the crowd was bugging me. I wanted to know why she acted that way in public.


    After the interview ended, Sean walked out of the room immediately since he had to attend an important meeting. Daniel walked down the stage. I too was about to step down the stage when Sarah approached me, stopping me from going.


    Ariana


    I observed three of them giving the interview with such confidence. I wish I had at least a bit of confidence like they behold. I was enthralled looking at the way they were answering every single question without hesitation. I can never do that.


    It took an hour for the interview to end. Till then, I sat on the chair beside Scott, not paying attention to anyone around. I knew they were stealing nces at me the moment I stepped down from the stage after fixing Xavier¡¯s mic. I had no idea why Xavier asked me to fix his mic when others were there to fix it for him.


    After the interview, Sean left the room to attend an important meeting, Lauren was not there so Scott apanied him. GBN team started packing the equipment.


    I stood up from my chair when I saw Xavier stepping down the stage but before he could step down, he was stopped by Sarah.


    I looked at them when they were talking. Sarah was the kind ofdy who matched Xavier¡¯s standards. I, on the other hand, would never be able to match his style. Sarah was a confident, strong-willed, and fashionable woman who can grab men¡¯s attention easily. She was suitable to fit into a high-ss society.


    Whereas I was weak, diffident, shy, meek, andcked fashion sense. I didn¡¯t belong in high society. Xavier would never consider me as hispanion because I didn¡¯t match his standards. I would only bring embarrassment to him.


    For me, his concern towards me was more than enough. After my father, no one ever showed even a bit of concern towards me. And after a long time, I was getting it from him. I was happy with that, I didn¡¯t know for how long it¡¯dst but I was pleased. That¡¯s why I was not dreaming of anything else at the moment. I wanted to cherish everything I was getting. May it be only his concern that I was receiving.


    I knew I didn¡¯t belong in his world but seeing him talking to Sarah; smiling andughing caused a weird sensation in my stomach. The way she touched his arm made me feel strange. I was not liking her moves even a bit.


    ¡°Jealous, are we?¡± Someone whispered in my ear, making me jump. I looked in the direction of the voice to see Daniel standing there, grinning ear to ear.


    ¡°Daniel do you want me to have a heart attack? Why you always startle me? And who is jealous?¡± I asked him, putting my hand on my heart to calm it down.


    ¡°Sorry about that. And the jealous one is you.¡± He said, pointing at me.


    ¡°Jealous? Me? Of whom?¡± I asked him confusedly.


    ¡°Of them,¡± He said, bobbing his head towards the stage. I looked in that direction to see him pointing at Xavier and Sarah. I looked back at him.


    ¡°Why would I be jealous of them?¡± Augh escaped my lips.


    ¡°Then why are you gripping the pen in your hand like you want to break it?¡±


    I suddenly looked at my hands, I indeed had been holding a pen tightly. I immediately eased my grip on my pen.


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t notice that I was doing that,¡± I said, not looking at him.


    ¡°You can¡¯t fool me, Princess.¡±


    ¡°I am not fooling anyone,¡± I said softly as I averted my eyes.


    ¡°Then look into my eyes and say it.¡± He said firmly. I instantly looked into his eyes but couldn¡¯t bring myself to speak anything. He looked at me as if trying to read my eyes.


    He shook his head and smiled.


    ¡°Princess, don¡¯t feel like that. Sarah will not take him away from you. Xavier is¡­all yours.¡± He smiled.


    I then looked at the stage, they were still talking,ughing, and smiling. He will never be mine.


    I backed my attention to Daniel.


    ¡°He is¡­not mine,¡± I whispered.


    Daniel¡¯s smile dropped in an instant. He then gazed at the stage, lingered his eyes there for a few seconds, and then again looked at me.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be¡­one day.¡± He whispered back. His eyes expressed hope.


    But how do I tell him that I already lost all my hopes?


    I sighed silently.


    ¡°Daniel, You have a meeting to attend in ten minutes, you should leave,¡± I said changing the subject. I didn¡¯t want to continue with this talk.


    ¡°Yeah, I must leave.¡± He said as he looked at his wristwatch.


    ¡°Everything will be fine.¡± He said, tapping my shoulder before walking out of the room. I just smiled at him.


    I looked around to see if anyone saw us talking but everyone was busy, no one must have noticed us talking. Bianca and Diana were talking to Sarah¡¯s assistant, GBN team was busy packing the equipment. Xavier and Sarah were still talking.


    I picked my iPad from the chair and started reading Xavier¡¯s schedule. If he had any meeting then I would have to inform.


    My focus was fully on my iPad, I didn¡¯t know what was happening around me. A sudden gasp escaped my throat when someone grabbed my wrist and pulled me away making me bump into a hard body. I immediately recognized the smell. It was Xavier.


    Then I heard the loud crashing sound.


    ¡°What the hell you think you are doing? Can¡¯t you watch someone is standing here? You could have hurt her.¡± Xavier shouted on top of his lungs as he held me tightly.


    I looked up into his eyes and found eyes filled with rage as he kept looking at my back which caused me to nced at my back. I saw a heavy light stand lying on the floor near me. I could have hurt by that but Xavier saved me. But how did he manage to approach me so fast? Just a few seconds ago he was standing on the stage with Sarah.


    ¡°You should pack your things carefully. She could have been hurt if I wasn¡¯t fast enough to pull her back.¡± He snapped again at the man who was picking up the equipment, making me flinch.


    ¡°Sorry, sir.¡± That man apologized.


    ¡°What sorry?-¡± Xavier was about to snap at him but I stopped him.


    ¡°I am okay. I am not hurt.¡± I whispered. He looked at me and his eyes softened.


    ¡°You sure you okay?¡± Xavier asked with concern as he released me from his embrace. I stepped back.


    ¡°I am perfectly fine, nothing happened,¡± I said softly, looking into his eyes.


    ¡°Xavier, that was just an ident. You don¡¯t have to shout at him like that. Besides, the one who is at fault is her. She shouldn¡¯t be standing there when she knew that wrap-up is going on.¡± Sarah said,ing towards us. She¡¯s right, I was at fault too.


    ¡°And she seems perfectly fine to me,¡± Sarah said, looking at me.


    ¡°Yes, she is fine because I was fast enough to save her from any injury,¡± Xavier replied.


    ¡°Oh,e on, Xavier, you are acting as you saved her from death. And if she was even hurt, she would have had only a scratch.¡± Sarah said annoyingly. Xavier¡¯s demeanor changed and he got angrier.


    ¡°Listen, Sarah, she is my employee, okay? And I care about every employee. Mypany is running sessfully just because of my employees. I don¡¯t want to see any of my employees getting hurt even a little bit.¡± Xavier said sternly.


    He is right, I¡¯ll always be only his employee, nothing more¡­


    But I was d that he cares for me. That¡¯s all I needed.


    ¡°And one more thing Sarah. Never again talk about my employees like that or I¡¯ll forget that you are my friend.¡± Xavier said in a dangerously firm tone, making Sarah and others gasp out loud. I was surprised as well. A few minutes ago he was smiling andughing with her and now he was angry at her.


    ¡°You are threatening our friendship just because of your clumsy P. A? Where does she even stands, look at the way she is dressed, she looks like some cheap¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough Sarah! Enough! Don¡¯t you even dare toplete your sentence!¡± Xavier¡¯s voice boomed in the room. He saved me from humiliation.


    ¡°You can¡¯t talk to me like this. You don¡¯t know what power my channel behold. Don¡¯t forget my channel has gained you so much publicity before, and it surely can ruin your reputation in no time.¡± Sarah threatened.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. Mypany doesn¡¯t need any channel to make it popr. And you better pack your things and leave. I don¡¯t want to see you here anymore.¡± Xavier seethed in anger.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Xavier said to me and walked outside. I didn¡¯t look back and walked out with him.


    ¡°You¡¯ll regret this Xavier.¡± I heard Sarah shout.


    I felt bad. The interview was going on in a happy mood. Everyone was happy. But because of me, everything changed in just a few seconds. Just because of me a rift developed between these two. I felt bad for that.

 31

    Ariana


    The next day when I entered the office building, everyone¡¯s focus turned to me. They all looked at me as if I hadmitted a serious crime. I knew why they all were staring at me. They wanted to know why my boss snapped at Sarah, his long-time friend because of me. They were murmuring that I became the reason for drift in their friendship. Although they were murmuring in whispers still, I heard all that these people were saying. I really felt bad about what happened in the interview room.


    Since that incident, Xavier was not in a good mood. He was grumpier. Maybe he too was feeling the same as others that I drifted him apart from his friend? I didn¡¯t want all that to happen. I was even unable to speak at that moment when they were arguing because of me. I was at fault too. I should have been aware of my surroundings.


    When Sean and Daniel got to know about the incident, they got furious at Sarah saying how could she talk to me like that. They even didn¡¯t listen to me when I tried to exin that I was at fault too, instead, they brushed it off and asked if I was okay.


    I walked past the people who were staring at me. I was aware of every judging stare even of Katherine¡¯s, the receptionist, still, I ignored all of them. Many of them didn¡¯t know what exactly happened and they also didn¡¯t know that I feel bad about that.


    I entered the elevator and was about to push the sixtieth-floor button when someone shouted,


    ¡°Wait for me!¡± I looked at Lauren who was running towards the elevator. She entered and huffed.


    ¡°Thank you, Ariana.¡± She said while panting hard.


    ¡°Why were you running? You are on time.¡± I frowned as I checked the time on my wristwatch.


    ¡°Oh, I know that. I just wanted to ride up with you. I saw you entering the building, so, I ran to catch up with you.¡± She said when her rapid breathing calmed a little.


    ¡°You are weird, you know that?¡± Iughed.


    ¡°Ha. Ha. Very funny. I just wanted to talk to you about the interview incident. Scott told me what happened.¡±


    Not that again. I wanted to forget that. And Scott was not even there when all that happened. But of course, he knew everything.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it, Lauren.¡± I sighed.


    ¡°Why? Come on. Don¡¯t even think you were at fault. I am extremely happy that Mr. Knight took a stand for you. That bitch doesn¡¯t have the right to talk to you like that.¡± She said thest statement with anger.


    ¡°Language Lauren. And you don¡¯t know how guilty I feel right now for being the reason for the crack in their friendship. And she even threatened to bring down Mr. Knight¡¯s reputation.¡± I said worriedly.


    ¡°Oh,e on Ariana. You don¡¯t have to feel guilty for anything. The whole world knows that their friendship was just business. And do you really think Mr. Knight is easy to be threatened? Don¡¯t you know what power he beholds? Cheap people like Sarah are just like a bucket of water in the Ocean. Here, Ocean is Mr. Knight; he will not care if a small bucket of water is withdrawn from him. He will still flow with the same strength, not caring about anything.¡±


    I looked at her with wide eyes. Is this really Lauren?


    ¡°Laure, are you okay?¡± I asked her. She looked at me in confusion.


    ¡°Since when you started giving philosophy lecture?¡± I asked and she burst outughing.


    ¡°Oh, Ariana. You know that I have taken the responsibility to teach you, right? So obviously, I have to read as many books I can to be a good teacher.¡± She said yfully. I shook my head and smiled. No need to worry, she is perfectly fine.


    Then I thought of what she said. She was right, Xavier wasn¡¯t the one who could be threatened by anyone so easily.


    ¡°You know, I really wanted to be there to see Sarah¡¯s expression when your crush was snapping at him.¡± Lauren wiggled her eyebrows, making me blush.


    ¡°Aww¡­you are so damn cute, Ariana.¡± Sheughed heartily.


    ¡°Lauren, if you won¡¯t stop teasing me right now, I¡¯ll not give you the carrot cake I baked,¡± I warned her. She instantly stoppedughing and gasped.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that to me! I am the one who asked you to bake it. And you are threatening me not to give it to me?¡± She said with horrified expressions. I gave her my most determined look.


    ¡°Okay fine, until you give me cake I won¡¯t say anything about your crush.¡± She huffed.


    She will never stop teasing me.


    ¡°Oh¡­Ariana, we¡¯ll go dress shopping today. Be ready. Mrs. Miller will be joining us as well.¡± She added.


    Oh, the dress for the party. I almost forgot about that.


    ¡°Yeah sure,¡± I replied. We then went out of the elevator on our respective floors.


    After cing my belongings in my office, I prepared coffee for Xavier. I ced one of the cake containers and the coffee mug on the tray and went to his office.


    When I entered his office, he was busy typing on theputer. I ced the tray on the desk. Without looking up from theputer, he reached for the coffee mug but when his fingers touched the container, he looked at it and raised his eyebrow at me.


    ¡°This is a carrot cake. I baked it. You left early without having your breakfast so I brought it for you. Umm, is it okay with you?¡± I asked, feeling unsure. I didn¡¯t know if he wanted to eat it or not. I didn¡¯t even ask him about it, I just gave it to him to eat.


    He didn¡¯t say anything, he just opened the container and started eating the cake with the fork, without breaking eye contact with me.


    ¡°At what time you¡¯ll leave for the party venue?¡± He asked while eating.


    ¡°After an hour.¡± I wanted to avert my eyes but couldn¡¯t do it. His gaze was fixed at me as if he was daring me to look away.


    ¡°Who¡¯s apanying you?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Lauren,¡± I replied to which he nodded his head and again took the bite of the cake.


    ¡°Have you arranged for the meetings that are to be held in your absence?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give the schedule and important documents to Scott before heading out.¡±


    He again nodded his head. He finished eating the cake and licked his lips. I gulped looking at him. I didn¡¯t know why my lips went dry. I averted my eyes and lowered my head to lick my lips.


    ¡°Thank you for the cake. It was¡­. Delicious.¡± He praised and it made me look up at him. Now he had the coffee cup in his hand, still looking at me. Why was he looking at me like that? I wondered why he never asked about the change in the taste of his coffee.


    ¡°Is there anything else I can help with?¡± I asked.


    ¡°For now, No. I¡¯ll ask for you when I¡¯ll need¡­ anything.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­so can I leave now?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes you may,¡± He said.


    I was about to turn to leave when he stopped me again.


    ¡°Wait! I forgot to ask. Have you bought a dress for the party?¡±


    Why does he want to know that?


    ¡°No. But today I will.¡±Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°Okay,¡± He said and picked his wallet from the desk, pulled out a card, and slipped it towards me.


    ¡°Take this.¡±


    I picked it up without knowing what to do with it. ¡°What is this for?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s for your dress.¡± He announced which made me look at him with wide eyes. For my dress?


    ¡°No, no, I don¡¯t need this, I have money to buy the dress.¡± I ced the card back on the desk.


    ¡°Did I ask you if you have money or not?¡± He asked calmly. I looked down and shook my head lowly. I had savings, I could buy a dress with it. And I didn¡¯t want him to think of me as gold digger; he had a suspicion about it.


    ¡°I know you have money of your own. But I am giving this card to you because I want you to use it to buy a dress. So pick it up.¡± He urged me to grab the card.


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°Ariana, I won¡¯t repeat myself!¡±


    I reluctantly grabbed the card because I knew he would not back down.


    ¡°Good. And don¡¯t look at the price tag of the dress, just buy it.¡± He said and turned his focus back to theputer screen.


    I nodded my head. I will not swipe his card, I¡¯ll buy it with my money and give his card back to him. He won¡¯t get to know about it, right? Perfect, I¡¯ll do this.


    ¡°One more thing before you leave. Don¡¯t even think of not swiping the card. I¡¯ll know if you don¡¯t swipe it. I want the message on my phone.¡± He said not looking up from the screen.


    How does he know I was thinking that? And of course the message! How can I forget that? Obviously, he¡¯ll get the message when the card will be swiped.


    Here goes my ¡®perfect n¡¯.


    I exited his office and released the breath I didn¡¯t know I had been holding.


    I reached Daniel¡¯s floor to give him his morning coffee, but before going to his office I went to Scott¡¯s office.


    ¡°Good morning, Scott. Here¡¯s your coffee.¡± I ced the coffee mug on his desk.


    ¡°Why did you make it for me?¡± He was surprised.


    ¡°Scott, you came early in the morning and I know you haven¡¯t had breakfast. So, I made coffee for you too. And this is a carrot cake I baked. Enjoy.¡± I slipped the cake container on his desk.


    ¡°Ariana, you didn¡¯t have to.¡± He added.


    ¡°Come on, Scott, it¡¯s just a coffee.¡± I smiled.


    ¡°Thank you, Ariana. You are so sweet.¡± He smiled as well.


    I exited his office and went to Daniel¡¯s office.


    ¡°Good morning, Daniel. Here¡¯s your morning coffee.¡± I chirped happily.


    ¡°Thank you, Princess. I was wanting for it.¡± He immediately picked up the mug and sipped the coffee and moaned in delight.


    ¡°Here¡¯s one more thing.¡± I ced the cake container in front of him.


    ¡°You baked it?¡± He asked with wide eyes as he smelled the aroma of the cake.


    ¡°Yep. And this is the biggest piece of cake out of others.¡± I said happily. He immediately stood up from the chair and engulfed me in a bear hug.


    ¡°I knew it, you love me more Princess. You are the best sister in the world.¡± He kissed the side of my head.


    ¡°Okay, now eat your cake. I¡¯ll go and give coffee to Sean. He must be waiting for me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah sure.¡± He went back on his chair and eagerly started eating his cake.


    I then went to Sean¡¯s office.


    ¡°Here¡¯s your coffee Sean,¡± I said as I entered his cabin after making his coffee.


    ¡°Oh. Thank goodness you are here. I was wanting for it. I was beginning to get a headache due to the endless meetings I have been attending.¡± He picked up the mug of coffee took a sip and then took a bite of cake.


    ¡°Ariana, your coffee is to die for. And this cake is simply awesome. Thank you for this.¡± He smiled.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee. Okay, so you continue with your work and I¡¯ll continue with mine.¡±


    Saying that I exited his office and reached mine. I collected the documents I had to pass to Scott that was needed for the meeting. I went to Scott¡¯s office but I didn¡¯t find him there. I called him and find out he was in with Daniel in his office. I waited for him outside Daniel¡¯s room.


    ¡°Hey, Ariana.¡± He said as he came out of the office.


    ¡°Scott, here are the documents. I have arranged them in separate files so you won¡¯t get confused. And this file has Mr. Knight¡¯s schedule.¡± I said, passing him the files.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take a look at them. And Ariana pleasee inside Mr. Adam¡¯s office. He¡¯s asking for you. He¡¯s actually in a dilemma which I am unable to solve.¡± He mumbled, scratching the back of his neck.


    ¡°What dilemma?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Umm.. a strange kind of dilemma? Maybe you could solve that.¡±


    I entered Daniel¡¯s office with Scott only to find Daniel sitting on his chair lost in his thoughts.


    ¡°Sir?¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, here you are. Pri¡­Ahem¡­ Actually, I needed your help with something.¡± He said.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I was confused about whom to bring as my date at the party?¡± He asked.


    I almostughed at him. Seriously? He was worried about that?


    I looked at Scott and gave him a confused look, he just shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°This is your problem, Sir?¡± I tried not tough.


    ¡°Yes, and it¡¯s serious. See, I know Sean will have Lauren apany him because she is his P. A and Xavier might ask you. But who should I bring .. Scott?¡± He pointed at Scott.


    Why would Xavier ask me to be his date? He would bring someone else with him.


    Would I be okay with that? Well, I had to, as I was just an employee for him, nothing else.


    I brushed my unsettling thoughts off and looked at Scott, I almostughed at his horrified expressions.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have any girlfriend, sir?¡± I asked teasingly.


    ¡°No!¡± He straightforwardly denied.


    ¡°And I don¡¯t want to bring just anybody with me who will cling to me all the time for no reason.¡± He grumbled annoyingly.


    ¡°Sir, I have something in my mind. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s right or wrong¡­¡± I looked between Scott and Daniel.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Daniel said.


    ¡°Okay, so answer my questions. This is your sess party, right?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Yes?¡± He replied questioningly.


    ¡°You are the host of the party. Right?¡± My next question.


    ¡°Yes? What are you getting at?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I am getting to my point, just onest question. You¡¯ll be busy entertaining your guests. Right?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Now, my point is, if you¡¯d be busy entertaining your guests and will not be able to focus on your date then why bring one with you? You know, it¡¯s not good to bring someone with you and not give your attention to them. Right?¡± I said cautiously. I may be wrong but what I feel is¡­ never bring anyone with you to the ce where they¡¯ll feel left out.


    Daniel looked at me in shock. Then I looked at Scott, he too had the same expression. I think I gave a bad idea.


    ¡°God, you are awesome! I was thinking so hard but wasn¡¯t getting any solution. But you? You just in a matter of few minutes solved my dilemma. Even Scott here was a thinking mess. He was just giving me the names of who I should bring with me to the party but even he didn¡¯t catch the point that you did.¡± Daniel said excitedly, standing up from his chair. I knew he wanted to hug me but stopped because of Scott¡¯s presence.


    ¡°I just stated the fact.¡± I shrugged and smiled.


    ¡°Thank you for your help,¡± Daniel said.


    ¡°No problem. Umm, do you need help with anything else? If not then can I leave; I have to be the party venue¡± I asked politely.


    ¡°Oh, sure.¡±


    I left his office and went to see Lauren who had been waiting for me at the building¡¯s main entrance. I didn¡¯t know that Lauren had asked Kevin to join us. Three of us hailed the taxi and went to the party venue.


    At the venue, we separated our ways to look at the preparations. My focus went to a girl who was one of the crew members of the decoration team. She was trying to fix the twinkle light behind the white curtain. Though she had adder to fix the light, due to her short height, she was unable to do so. No one was there to help her. I approached her to offer my help.


    ¡°Hey, let me help you with this,¡± I said looking up.


    ¡°Oh, thank you. But ma¡¯am it¡¯s my work, I¡¯ll do it.¡± She said politely.


    ¡°Ohe on, no need to be formal. Besides, no one is here is help you with this. And I am taller than you. I can fix it properly.¡± I said.


    She hesitated a bit but agreed. I passed my phone to her and climbed thedder with lights in my hand. I was fixing it when my phone rang, she passed it to me. It was Xavier.


    ¡°Where is the file of Mr. Hamel¡¯s contract?¡± He asked before I could say ¡®hello¡¯.


    ¡°Oh, I forgot to give it to Scott. I¡¯ll just call Mrs. Miller, she¡¯ll bring it from my office to you.¡±


    ¡°No need for that. I am already in your office, searching for it for thest five minutes. Just tell me where it is.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the ck folder ced on the first shelf in the cab to the right of my desk,¡± I said, putting my phone between my ear and shoulder so that I could fix the light with my hands.


    ¡°Hey, Ariana, this is the map of tables ced in the hall. Lauren asked me to pass it on to you. And what are you doing up on thedder?¡± Kevin asked from behind. I looked at him and before I could say anything Xavier¡¯s voice interrupted me.


    ¡°Who was that? And what the hell are you on thedder?¡±


    ¡°Umm, I was just helping the girl fix the light,¡± I said softly, holding the phone in my hand.


    ¡°There are other people to help her. Your work is only to supervise the preparations. Climb down thedder right now.¡± He said sternly.


    ¡°Okay.¡± I nced down to take a step down when Kevin approached me.


    ¡°Here, hold my hand and climb down carefully.¡± He said, giving his hand for help.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± I almost forgot Xavier was still on the line. But before answering him I reached for Kevin¡¯s hand and climbed down thedder.


    ¡°Thank you, Kevin,¡± I said, my phone still attached to my ear.


    ¡°I asked you something, Ariana. Who was that?¡± I excused myself from the girl and Kevin and walked aside to talk to him.


    ¡°Umm, He¡¯s Kevin,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Who Kevin?¡± He questioned.


    ¡°He works in the marketing department in thepany,¡± I said softly.


    ¡°What is he doing there with you? You said you were going with Lauren. Why did you hide that from me?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s here to help. And I didn¡¯t know he was joining us. Lauren asked him to join us. I didn¡¯t hide anything from you.¡± I replied. I heard him sigh.


    ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t get involved with anyone. Just do what your work is. Stay with Lauren and maintain your distance from¡­others.¡± He said and hung the call.


    What had happened to him? What did he mean by ¡®maintain distance from others? I myself was self-conscious and had already been maintaining distance from unknown people. Sometimes I don¡¯t understand him. Well, many times.


    I walked back to Kevin, the girl who I helped thanked me and went back to do her work. Kevin and I walked back to Lauren and started doing our work. Then we went to a restaurant for lunch. After lunch, we decided to go shopping. Lauren asked Kevin to stay back at the venue to supervise stuff until wee back from shopping.

 32

    Ariana


    Lauren and I went to a mall where Mrs. Miller joined us. Lauren was so excited about shopping that she literally dragged us with her. We first entered a designer dress shop. The dresses there were beautiful but I was looking for a dress which would not show much skin and is without any cuts or slit. I just wanted a decent dress. I didn¡¯t want to show my scars to anyone.


    Lauren kept showing me dresses but I kept refusing all of them since they all had thigh-high slits. I asked her to look for a decent dress but she gave me a lecture.


    ¡°Ariana, I have been showing you the best dresses out here but have been refusing everything. At least try one on, then only you¡¯ll know if it¡¯s good or not.¡±


    ¡°Lauren, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to wear a dress. It¡¯s just that¡­ I want a dress that doesn¡¯t show my skin.¡± I reasoned out.


    ¡°Here we go again.¡± Lauren huffed. Mrs. Miller just gave me a sad smile, saying that Lauren will not stop until she dolls me up the way she wanted.


    I was sauntering in the shop, ncing at every dress when a beautiful navy blue dress caught my attention. It was an off-shoulder, sweetheart neckline, mermaid gown. It was an elegant gown without any slit and cuts the way I wanted and it was not too costly. I showed it to Lauren, she thought for a little while before asking me to try it. I went to the changing room and tried it on and stepped out of the changing room to show it to Lauren and Mrs. Miller.


    ¡°How¡¯s it?¡± I asked. They looked at me with wide eyes and open mouths.


    ¡°Goodness, Ariana, you look WOW. I thought this dress will make you look so in but hell, I was wrong. This dress perfectly suits you. It fits perfectly on your every curve. Okay done, you¡¯re gonna buy it. That¡¯s final.¡± Lauren said excitedly.


    ¡°Ariana, I think this dress was only made for you. You¡¯ll look gorgeous at the party.¡± Mrs. Miller said.


    Lauren and Mrs. Miller started looking for their dress, so I slipped to the cash counter to pay for my dress. For once, I thought of not paying it with his card but I knew if I didn¡¯t, he¡¯d not be happy. So, I passed the card to thedy at the cash counter. Lauren bought a green A-neckline long dress with a slit. Mrs. Miller bought an A-line half sleeve side slit ck dress. I knew she¡¯d look beautiful in it, she didn¡¯t even look like she was in her mid-30s.


    After that, we went for shoes and jewelry shopping. I only bought earrings. And I bought shoes and other things with my savings. I didn¡¯t swipe Xavier¡¯s card after buying the dress. When we were in the jewelry shop, something caught my attention but I couldn¡¯t buy it in the presence of Lauren and Mrs. Miller. So, when we left the shop to go to another shop, I excused myself saying I had to use the restroom. I went back to the jewelry shop to buy what I saw. Men¡¯s silver bracelet.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    I bought three customized Men¡¯s bracelets for Xavier, Sean, and Daniel with their names engraved on them. I bought them bracelets to gift them on their newly gained sess. And I had noticed that Xavier liked to wear essories. I didn¡¯t know if they¡¯d like it or not or if they¡¯d wear it or not, I bought them.


    I paid for the bracelets and ced them in my handbag to hide them from Lauren and Mrs. Miller. I then went to the restroom. When I stepped into the restroom, I came face to face with none other than¡­ Scarlet, my step sister.


    I looked around; no one else was there in the restroom. I think I should leave before something happens.


    I was about to walk out when she blocked my way by standing in front of me with her arms folded across her chest.


    ¡°Running already?¡± She smirked. She eyed me from head to toe, then her eyes lingered on the bags I had been holding. I tried to hide them behind my back because I knew she¡¯d want to rummage through them.


    ¡°Scarlet please let me go. I have to head back home.¡± I said.


    ¡°To do what? Warm your husband¡¯s bed?¡± She said with a mockingugh. Huh?


    ¡°And what is this?¡± She snatched bags from my hands and started rummaging through them.


    ¡°Scarlet no¡­ please..¡±


    ¡°Where did you get money to buy these dresses? Huh? Oh, why am I even asking? You are married to the Xavier Knight. And the gold-digging bitch you are you must have spread your legs for him to get money out from him.¡± She snapped, making me flinch. She would always make me feel cheap; always talk dirty about me. But I never spoke against her. I was scared of being pped by Mr. Smith.


    ¡°How dare you snatch him away from me? I was meant to marry him, not you, you low-ss bitch. He was meant to be mine you slut.¡± She shouted, throwing bags on the floor. I felt tears forming in my eyes.


    ¡°Scarlet.. he.. he¡¯s not.. you.. yours¡± Not even mine.


    I dared talk back.


    ¡°Shut up you bitch. What ck magic have you done on him, huh? Tell me? What did you do to attract him to you? What you did that he threatened me and my father because of you!¡± She yelled.


    Huh? I had no idea what she was talking about. What did she mean Xavier threatened them? Why would he do that?


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t act innocent. Just because of you, he threatened me. He threatened my father to destroy his business just because he pped you. It¡¯s not the first time my father pped you, besides, you deserved to be pped for what you did.¡±


    I froze on my spot, I was utterly shocked. Xavier took a stand for me? He threatened Mr. Smith for pping me!


    A lone tear escaped my eye. Tear, not of sadness but of happiness that Xavier took a stand for me. No one ever did that for me. I was no one for him but still, he threatened them for me. Me.


    I closed my eyes. Dad? Is that a sign of hope? Did you send him for taking care of me?


    I was lost in my thoughts that I didn¡¯t get it when tears started pouring down my eyes.


    ¡°Cry you bitch, cry all you want. Because you were born to cry, born to be left alone. Mark my words, you¡¯ll never be happy in your entire life. You¡¯ll never get love. You¡¯ll be alone. All alone.¡± Saying that she stormed out of the washroom.


    I held the edge of the counter to steady myself. For the first time in life, I ignored herments on me. I was just thinking of Xavier. He may have scolded me, snapped at me, or may have said bad words to me but somewhere inside, he genuinely cares for me. Scarlet¡¯s revtion proved that to me.


    More tears started flowing down my face. Tears of contentment, tears of hope¡­


    Iposed myself then washed my face and dried it with tissues. I picked up the bags and inhaled and exhaled three times before heading out the restroom to join Lauren and Mrs. Miller. After going to more shops we exited the mall, the sun had already gone down by then. I was exhausted, but we had to visit the party venue onest time to check on the preparations and after that, we had to go to the office as we had somest-minute official work to finish as well.


    Mrs. Miller left for her home as she had no work to do and office hours were over. Lauren and I again reached the venue. Kevin was still there. I felt bad for him, he was there all alone, supervising the preparations on our behalf.


    ¡°Thank you, Kevin, for your help,¡± I said to him.


    ¡°Anything for you.¡± He smiled sweetly at me. I smiled back. Lauren also thanked him.


    My phone went off. I looked at the caller ID. It was Xavier again. I didn¡¯t know why but this time I felt happy watching his name on the screen.


    I excused myself and stepped aside from them and picked up the call.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Where are you now? When will youe back? There is some work that has to be done urgently.¡± He asked.


    ¡°I am at the party venue. Lauren and I will leave just in few minutes.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Oh,e on Lauren, I can¡¯t let you two go alone to the office. It¡¯s almost night. It¡¯s not safe. I¡¯ll apany you two, that¡¯s final.¡± Kevin¡¯s voice came from behind. Lauren must be denying his help because he had already done enough. He must be tired too. He should go home.


    ¡°Is Kevin still with you?¡± Xavier asked.


    ¡°Umm.. yes?¡± I heard him mumble something but I didn¡¯t get anything he mumbled.


    ¡°Listen to me, Ariana. Ask Kevin to leave. I am sending Finn to pick you and Miss Hart.¡± He said.


    ¡°No, there¡¯s no need¡­ we¡¯ll a take taxi..¡± He cut me off.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like repeating myself, Ariana. So, do as I said. There is urgent work that has to be done, if you¡¯lle in a taxi it¡¯ll take time. So, Finn will pick you up. Don¡¯t leave until Finn arrives and ask Kevin to leave.¡± He ordered.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said softly. I can¡¯t argue with him. Can I?


    ¡°Good. Wait for Finn.¡± Saying that he hung the call. I went back to my friends.


    ¡°Ariana, you tell me, how can I leave you two alone? Lauren is not understanding this,¡± Kevin asked me the moment I approached them.


    ¡°Kevin, thank you for thinking about us but you have already done enough. You must be tired too. You should go home. We¡¯ll go by ourselves.¡± I said.


    ¡°But Ariana, it¡¯s night time taking a taxi is not safe.¡± He said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Mr. Knight is sending his driver to pick us up. And the office is not that far.¡± I exined to him.


    ¡°Mr. Knight? When did he say that?¡± Lauren asked, raising her eyebrows.


    ¡°He just called. He said there is some urgent work that has to be done immediately so he¡¯s sending Finn, his driver to pick us up.¡± I said to her.


    ¡°Oh¡­I see.¡± She smirked. I knew that smirk. I knew what she was thinking. I gave her a look asking her not toment now. She just smiled at me.


    ¡°Okay fine, if Mr. Knight is sending his driver to pick you two then I have no problem. I¡¯ll leave then.¡± Kevin said. But I felt a hint of sadness in his voice.


    ¡°Take care. Bye.¡± Kevin said and left for home.


    ¡°So, Mr. Knight and personal driver, huh?¡± Lauren teased.


    ¡°Lauren, I told you that there is some urgent work that¡¯s why he¡¯s sending his driver to pick both of us.¡± I emphasized ¡®both of us¡¯.


    ¡°Yeah I heard that¡­urgent work.. personal driver, ¡®both of us¡¯, I heard that all,¡± Lauren said, nodding her head at every word.


    Goodness, why she loves teasing me?


    After ten minutes, Finn arrived and drove us to the office.


    Xavier Knight.


    I wasn¡¯t a little bit surprised when she brought a carrot cake for me. I knew it was not only for me. She must have brought it for her brothers too.


    I ate the cake in front of her and drank my coffee. I inwardly smiled. I knew what maniption she had been doing with my coffee but I never let her know that I caught her the first time she made coffee for me. She had been experimenting a lot with my coffee. I didn¡¯t say anything because I love the coffee she makes. It¡¯s delicious.


    I was satisfied with her work, how she arranged everything before going to the venue. She handed everything to Scott in the correct order. But I needed a file of a contract urgently and she was not here, and I didn¡¯t want to disturb her. So, I went to her office to search for the file. I searched for the file but I couldn¡¯t find it anywhere. I didn¡¯t want to call her, she might be busy but I had to since even after searching I wasn¡¯t able to find it. So I called her.


    She told me where the file was. I picked up the file from there. Then I heard someone speak from near her.


    ¡°Hey, Ariana this is the map of tables ced in the hall Lauren asked me to pass it to you. And what are you doing up on thedder?¡±


    A man¡¯s voice? Anddder? What is she doing on thedder?


    ¡°Who was that? And what the hell are you doing on thedder?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Umm¡­I was just helping the girl to fix the light.¡± She said in her soft voice. Is she out of her mind? She might hurt herself by falling from thedder.


    ¡°There are other people to help her. Your work is only to supervise the preparations. Climb down thedder right now.¡± I said sternly. I didn¡¯t want her to get hurt.


    ¡°Okay.¡± She said meekly. I calmed a little when she agreed but my calmness was short-lived when that man spoke again.


    ¡°Here, hold my hand and climb down carefully.¡±


    How dare he offer his hand to her? And who the fuck was he?


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± I demanded, clutching my phone tightly in my hand. But she didn¡¯t reply, after a few seconds she said,


    ¡°Thank you, Kevin.¡± Did she take his help? Did she give her hand to him?


    ¡°I asked you something, Ariana! Who was that?¡± I asked. How could she take a stranger¡¯s help when she gets ufortable even standing in front of them?


    ¡°Umm, He¡¯s Kevin¡± Who the fuck is Kevin?


    ¡°Who Kevin?¡± I asked sternly.


    ¡°He works in the marketing department of thepany.¡± She replied.


    ¡°What is he doing there with you? You said you were going with Lauren. Why did you hide that from me?¡± I asked immediately, fisting my hand. Why would she hide it from me?


    ¡°He¡¯s here to help. And I didn¡¯t know he was joining us. Lauren asked him to join us. I didn¡¯t hide anything from you.¡±  Her reply made me sigh in relief, at least she didn¡¯t lie to me.


    ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t get involved with anyone. Just do what your work is. Stay with Lauren and maintain your distance from.. others.¡± Saying that I hung the call immediately. I didn¡¯t know why I felt irritated.


    I engaged myself in meeting for the rest of the day but my thoughts kept wavering to her and that Kevin. Was he still with her? I was getting impatient.


    I was sitting in my cabin, signing some documents when I received a message on my phone. I opened it; it was the message of withdrawal of money. I smiled to myself, thank goodness, she swiped the card. The amount withdrawn was not much, I sighed. She¡¯s so stubborn, I asked her not to look at the price tag but did she listen to me? No. Nheless, I was looking forward to seeing her in a dress.


    The day went in endless meetings. By the time meetings ended it was almost night but Ariana hadn¡¯t arrived back. So, I called her.


    ¡°Hello¡± Her tiring voice rang in my ears.


    ¡°Where are you now? When will youe back? There is some work that has to be done urgently.¡± I made an excuse so that she won¡¯t think anything else.


    ¡°I am at the party venue. Lauren and I¡¯ll leave just in few minutes.¡± She replied in her tiring voice.


    ¡°Ohe on Lauren, I can¡¯t let you two go alone to the office. It¡¯s almost night. It¡¯s not safe. I¡¯ll apany you both and that¡¯s final.¡±


    I heard that voice again. My jaw clenched automatically. What is he still doing there?


    ¡°Is Kevin still with you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Umm.. yes?¡±


    Fuck! Did he apany her shopping too? Was he with her all the time? And he even dares to bring her to the office? I won¡¯t allow that.


    ¡°Listen to me, Ariana. Ask Kevin to leave. I am sending Finn to pick you and Miss Hart.¡± I said firmly.


    ¡°No there¡¯s no need¡­ we¡¯ll a take taxi..¡± I cut her off.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like repeating myself. So, do as I said. There is urgent work that has to be done, if you¡¯lle in a taxi, it¡¯ll take time. So, Finn will pick you up. Don¡¯t leave until Finn arrives and ask Kevin to leave.¡± I ordered.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Good. Wait for Finn.¡± Saying that I hung the call. I immediately asked Finn to bring both Ariana and Miss Hart back to the office.


    I was irritated. It¡¯s not that I had feelings for her but still I didn¡¯t like the fact that she was roaming with some other man. Was I jealous? No, why would I be? Jealous? I brushed those stupid thoughts away.


    I waited for her patiently in my office. When she arrived I felt like my day waspleted. She¡¯s safe and standing in front of me. I had no idea since when I started caring for her. I may not be vocal, but I cared and I wanted her safe.


    But She looked tired.


    ¡°Good evening. What was the urgent work?¡± She asked. Why doesn¡¯t she everin about exhaustion? She is looking exhausted but still asking for work.


    ¡°Work was urgent so I asked Scott to do it,¡± I said. Well, in reality, there was no urgent work. Actually, there was not even any work. I was just intrigued by where she was and what she was doing. I could have asked Finn to drop her home but Miss Hart was with her and I didn¡¯t want her to think anything. So I asked him to bring both of them here.


    ¡°Oh, okay, I am sorry for beingte.¡± She said lowering her head. Goodness, why is she taking it on her? It was not her mistake.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it wasn¡¯t your fault,¡± I said.


    There came a knock on the door I ordered whoever was there toe in. Miss Hart entered holding a file. She too looked tired.


    ¡°Sir, Mr. Peterson asked me to give this file to you.¡± She said, cing the file on my desk.


    ¡°Okay. Is your work done?¡± I asked Miss Hart.


    ¡°Yes. This file was thest work of the day.¡± She replied.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll have Finn drop you two at your ces.¡± I said. They both were tired and I know Ariana would go with Finn. But I also couldn¡¯t let Miss Hart grab the taxite at night.


    ¡°No, sir. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll be good with a taxi. I am used to it.¡± Miss Hart refused.


    ¡°Miss Hart. It¡¯ste and not safe for you to go alone. You work for thispany and it¡¯s my responsibility to make sure every employee remains safe. So, don¡¯t say anything. My driver will drop you two to your ces.¡± I said calmly.


    ¡°Okay sir,¡± she said.


    I called Finn and had him first drop Miss Hart at her ce and then Ariana.

 33

    Ariana


    Finally, the day had arrived. The day of the party.


    I was at Lauren¡¯s house to get ready for the party.


    Just for once, I thought Xavier would ask me to be his date. But he didn¡¯t pick up the topic. I wasn¡¯t upset at all because why would he? I knew no one would ever ask me for it, no one ever did before and no one will do it in theing future. I didn¡¯t know whether Xavier wille alone or will bring any date with him, but one thing I was sure of- he¡¯ll not look at me¡­even for once. And thinking about Xavier bringing someone and not noticing me caused my heart to constrict in mysterious pain.


    In the morning, I silently slipped the gift I bought in their offices, I also ced a note with the box. Bracelets weren¡¯t expensive like the things they used to wear, I didn¡¯t know if they¡¯d like them or not but I just wanted them to keep the bracelets with them as a memory¡­ because this was the first gift I had ever given to anyone. No one was ever this close to me. All the people I had met before were just selfish and rude.


    ¡°Sit here, let me do my magic on you,¡± Lauren said, pulling me out of my train of thoughts. She was enthusiastic to doll me up and I was scared of her enthusiasm. She made me sit on a table stool in her room, she didn¡¯t even let me sit in front of the mirror.


    ¡°Lauren, please, don¡¯t cake me up. I just want a little makeup. Okay?¡± I said, looking at her with hopeful eyes.


    ¡°Ariana, I know what to do with your face. I won¡¯t cake you up, stay assured. You are a natural beauty, I won¡¯t hide your natural beauty with artificial beautifiers. Trust me, okay?¡± She said assuring. I nodded my head.


    She started doing her magic and I didn¡¯t know for how long I sat there being her canvas but when she was done with her art, she chirped happily,


    ¡°Perfect, Now wear your dress and then I¡¯ll decide what to do with your hair.¡±


    ¡°Umm.. my hair? A bun won¡¯t do?¡± I asked nervously. I had never experimented with my hair.


    ¡°Nope. Not gonna happen. Now change,¡± She said determinedly.


    ¡°Can you go out while I change?¡±


    ¡°Ohe on, as if you have something I don¡¯t have. We both are female remember?¡± She raised an eyebrow at me.


    ¡°Umm¡­yeah but¡­please I need some privacy.¡±


    ¡°Oh Ariana, sometimes I don¡¯t get it why are you so shy? Okay fine I¡¯ll go out, call me when you¡¯re done.¡± Saying that she left her room.


    I locked the door and took the only decent dress I found in the shop out of the bag. I hastily removed my jumpsuit I was wearing and put on the dress. It was a zipper dress but I didn¡¯t need any assistance with that because my hands easily reached for the zipper. I unlocked the door and called her inside.


    She entered the room and when she saw me her jaw almost hit the floor and her eyes went wide.


    ¡°Freaking hell, Ariana! You-wait I¡¯llplete my sentence after I am done with your hair. Come sit. Hurry.¡± She ran to me and again made me sit on the table stool. She let my hair free from the tight bun. I closed my eyes. She¡¯ll alsoment that my hair is unattractive. Scarlet and her friends used to say that.


    ¡°Goodness Ariana, your hair is so soft and silky. It¡¯s beautiful. Why do you always hide your hair in a bun?¡± She asked.


    Beautiful? No, my hair is not beautiful. She is just saying to make me feel good.


    ¡°Lauren, please don¡¯t lie. You can give your honest opinion, I won¡¯t mind.¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Lie? Why would I even do that? Your hair is beautiful and I am not lying about that.¡± She said, looking at me.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked in surprise. No one ever said that.


    ¡°Yes. Why do you feel otherwise?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Uh.. some¡­people used to say that my hair looks¡­ unattractive.¡±


    ¡°Whoever those people are, they were lying. Do you get that? Now, let me show you how beautiful hair you have.¡± She said, picking up ab and a hair straightener. She straightened my hair and let it free. I wasn¡¯t sure about keeping my hair open. But I think I can do it for one day. I can¡¯t make Lauren unhappy. She was so excited about everything.


    When she was done with my hair, I wore four inches heels which Lauren forcefully made me buy. I wore earrings and my watch.


    ¡°All done,¡± I said, looking at her. I didn¡¯t know how I was even looking as I didn¡¯t even look myself in the mirror yet.


    ¡°Okay, now let meplete what I wanted to say.¡± Saying that she cleared her throat.


    ¡°Freaking hell Ariana, you look so gorgeous. Tonight you¡¯ll make every man drool over you. I know I want you to get the attention of men tonight but I think I have to guard you against any unnecessary attention. Because not just men but women will also be drooling over you because damn girl you look so hot, you look like an angel¡­hot angel. And you look wless.¡± She bbered without stopping.


    ¡°You are exaggerating, Lauren. Anyway, can I look myself in the mirror?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I am not exaggerating! And of course, you may see yourself in the mirror, dear.¡± She said sweetly and tugged my wrist to make me stand in front of the mirror.


    I was surprised when I saw my reflection in the mirror. I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes. I was amazed, I never knew I could ever look that much pretty in my life. Sticking to her words, Lauren kept the makeup to minimal.


    ¡°That¡¯s me?¡± I whispered moving my fingers on my reflection.


    ¡°Without any doubt, it¡¯s you,¡± Lauren said from behind, looking at my reflection in the mirror with admiration. Tears start welling up in my eyes.


    ¡°Hey.. hey don¡¯t you dare cry. You¡¯ll ruin my work.¡± Lauren turned me towards her and engulfed me in a tight hug.


    ¡°Thank you, Lauren. I never knew I could look beautiful.¡± I whispered, hugging her back.


    ¡°You are beautiful. Okay now, enough of emotional drama let me dress up too or you¡¯ll be going there alone without your bodyguard.¡± She said, removing her hands from around me. I smiled at her which she reciprocated.


    I helped Lauren with the things I knew in makeup. I helped curl her hair, she let her hair down. When she got dressed, I watched her in awe, she looked beautiful in a green dress, and the slit of her dress which reached her thigh showed her perfectly shaped leg. She looked so confident while I was a mess of nervousness. I was thinking if I would be able to pull it off or not.


    ¡°You look beautiful, Lauren.¡± Iplimented her.


    ¡°Thank you, dear. Now let me book an uber otherwise we¡¯ll gette.¡± She said, picking her phone from the bed.


    Uh oh! I think it¡¯s time to tell her that someone is picking us up.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Lauren..¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± She said not looking up from her phone screen.


    ¡°Umm.. there¡¯s no need to book an uber.¡± Her head shot up and she looked at me questioningly.


    ¡°And why is that? Do you have any other options?¡±


    ¡°Actually..¡± Goodness, how should I tell her?


    ¡°Actually what Ariana?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Knightsaidhewillsendhiscartotakeustothevenue¡± I closed one eye after saying that and looked at her with one eye, furrowing my eyebrows.


    ¡°Okayyy, fine. Listen, Ariana, I know you find me weird but let me tell you, I am not that much weird to understand aliennguage.¡± Sheughed at herself. I took a deep breath and said what I wanted to say,


    ¡°Mr. Knight said that he¡¯ll send his car to bring us to the venue.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay, and here I thought that there is something else. Mr. Knight will send-wait, what? Mr. Knight? Will send? His car?¡± She shrieked. I bit the corner of my lower lip, trying not tough at her reaction.


    ¡°Why? And who asked him to do so?¡± She asked astonished with what she heard.


    ¡°No one asked him, he¡­well, he ordered,¡± I said, scratching the back of my neck not looking at her.


    ¡°He ordered you?¡± She asked, pointing at me. I nodded my head which made her smile mischievously. Oh no! Not again. I tried to avert my eyes from her. But she was gazing at me intently. She folded her hands at her back and took slow strides towards me.


    ¡°Oh, he ordered you. That means you told him that you will get ready at my ce¡­hmm. Means you have started sharing your personal information with him¡­I get it,¡± She said, walking in circles around me. I didn¡¯t utter a word.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t want you to take a taxi, I am justing in between..¡± She stopped in front of me and folded her hands in front of her chest. I shifted in my position.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that..¡± She cut me off.


    ¡°Goodness, Ariana, I thought only you were crushing over our boss. But freaking hell! He has also developed a crush on you. Fire is burning on both sides.¡± She squealed. Had she gone mad?


    ¡°I would be on cloud nine if I see you two start dating.¡± I blushed at her statement. But from inside I knew that it was never going to happen. He¡¯ll never consider me for anything.


    The ringing of my phone made her squealing stop. I looked at the caller ID, it was Finn. I picked up the call, he told me he was waiting for us under Lauren¡¯s apartment building.


    ¡°Finn is here,¡± I said. We picked up our belongings and headed towards the car.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me we are going in that!¡± She shrieked. I looked at the shining ck Mercedes Benz Sedan. Anybody would be shocked if they¡¯ll get to know they¡¯re going to ride in a luxury car. Why did he send his luxury car?


    ¡°He didn¡¯t have to send this much expensive car,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°As if he has any less luxury. Come on, let¡¯s enjoy the luxury ride.¡± Saying that she held my hand and walked towards the car. Finn opened the door for us. We thanked Finn for that. When we settled down, Finn started the car and drove towards the venue.


    As the ce came near, my heartbeat started picking up its pace. Fear started creeping inside me. Fear of being in the crowd, fear of being judged by the piercing gaze of people. I was not a social or outspoken person. I couldn¡¯t stand between people let alone make conversation with them. I didn¡¯t want to create any awkward scene there.


    I was pulled out of my reverie when the car came to halt. I saw the paparazzi crowding the ce. The fear which was creeping inside me elevated. I asked Finn to take the car to the second entrance of the party hall which was deserted from any people. Lauren didn¡¯t protest when she saw my worried face.


    We entered inside the hall, my gaze lingered around the hall, guests started arriving, women present in the party wore extravagant dresses and jewelry, and men wore suits. But I couldn¡¯t see those three people who were the host of the party. Haven¡¯t they arrived yet? They were the host, they should be here by now and I didn¡¯t receive get any message from any of them for beingte. We spotted Mrs. Miller, Scott, and Kevin standing in a corner talking andughing. We approached them.


    ¡°Oh goodness, Ariana you look¡­different and gorgeous.¡± Mrs. Miller chirped happily the moment we reached there.


    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Miller. And you look gorgeous too.¡± Iplimented her with a smile. She thenplimented Lauren. I looked at Kevin, who stood there with wide eyes, looking at me.


    ¡°Kevin?¡± I waved my hand in front of his face.


    ¡°Ariana, is that you? You look.. amazing, gorgeous¡­beautiful. Wow, this dress has transformed you into an angel, Not that you are less angel but you look¡­hot.¡± Kevin rambled making me blush at his words. Hot? No way.


    ¡°Thank you, Kevin. And you look handsome too.¡± I smiled at him, he wore a ck suit.


    ¡°Thank you, mdy. It feels good to hear apliment from you,¡± He bowed down making all of usugh. Scott alsoplimented me and Lauren. We all started talking andughing at Scott and Kevin¡¯s jokes when I felt someone¡¯s piercing gaze on me. I looked in the direction from where I felt the gaze on me.


    The moment I looked there, my breath hitched. At the entrance of the party hall, stood Xavier with Sean and Daniel. But my eyes stopped on him. He looked devilishly handsome in a blue three-piece suit with a white shirt beneath whose top two buttons were open. The stubble on his chiseled face made him look more charming. My eyes met his, without leaving my eyes he started walking towards me and at that moment I felt like time stopped.


    Xavier Knight


    I looked myself in the mirror, brushing my hair back with my fingers. I was ready in my blue three-piece suit. I wore my watch when my eyesnded on a ck velvet box which I found in my office. I picked it up and opened the lid, a smile tugged my lips looking at the silver chain bracelet with my name engraved on it. A gift from her. I opened the note which I kept inside the box and read it again.


    Congrattions on your sess. I don¡¯t know what more to say, you already are on top of the world. You own the crown. But still, I wish you achieve more and more sess so that the crown you own never leaves you. Stay happy, stay healthy, and achieve more sess.


    ARIANA.


    My smile broadened, she surely has a way with her words. I wore the bracelet, fixed my cor, and gave ast look at my reflection before heading out of my penthouse. I sat on the driver seat of my white Lamborghini and drove to the venue, a car of bodyguards trailing behind me. I wouldn¡¯t have taken other bodyguards if Finn was with me, he is my most trusted security person, but I had sent him on Ariana¡¯s duty. I wasn¡¯t bringing any date with me because I don¡¯t ever do that and when Daniel told me about Ariana¡¯s views on a date I was stunned because she shares the same thoughts as mine. But for the first time in life, I wanted to bring someone as my date. I wanted to bring her as my date but wasn¡¯t able to voice out my thoughts.


    I was looking forward to seeing her in a dress. What would she be wearing? Short dress? Long dress, backless, slit dress? I was going insane, imagining her in all kinds of dresses. I called her but she didn¡¯t pick up her phone so I called Finn to ask whether they had arrived or not.


    With her thoughts in my mind, I reached in front of the venue. I saw two cars in the rearview mirror. Sean and Daniel had also arrived. I got out of my car and gave my keys to the valet when Daniel and Sean approached me. Paparazzi surrounded us, not even letting us reach the photo booth especially designed for paparazzi to have photos. Our bodyguards blocked the paparazzi from reaching us. We reached the photo booth to give photos to the paparazzi. Media persons started asking questions too.


    ¡°Who would you give the credit of your sess, Mr. Knight?¡± Someone asked from the crowd.


    ¡°Without any doubt, my employees,¡± I replied proudly.


    ¡°What this achievement of yours made you feel?¡± Someone asked making me think how can people ask such a stupid question?


    ¡°Obviously we are happy. Who wouldn¡¯t be?¡± Sean replied.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you three bring a date with you?¡±


    ¡°Because we didn¡¯t want to,¡± Daniel replied making me and Seanugh at his blunt reply.


    ¡°When are the three most eligible bachelors are getting hooked?¡± Only if they knew.


    ¡°You¡¯ll hear that from one of us¡­very soon,¡± Daniel replied with a mischievous smirk on his face, giving me a side nce. I wanted to smack his head for making this controversial statement. Whatever he said, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s gonna happen. The crowd started hooting. Now the paparazzi will not leave us alone.


    ¡°Can we know who out of you three getting hooked soon?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know when the time is right,¡± Sean said, making me look at him. How could he act like Daniel? Why did he say that?


    After giving answers to questions of media andplying with their request for photos, we headed inside. As soon as we entered inside, I roamed my eyes to look for the person I was almost dying to see. After roaming my eyes in the hall, I found her.


    There she was, standing in the corner with her colleagues, talking and smiling.


    My breath got caught in my throat when I saw her. She looked stunning in her off-shoulder mermaid style, navy blue dress. The dress hugged her curves in the right ces. She was bare of any extravagant jewelry, she just wore earrings and a watch. She looked ssy, sophisticated, beautiful, alluring, and tempting, all in one. And Damn she looked so hot. She was wearing very little makeup that didn¡¯t hide her natural beauty. Her silky, smooth hair that cascaded down her back was like a cherry on the cake. It was the first time she let her hair down. She totally stood out from others.


    The moment my eyes met the most beautiful and mesmerizing ck eyes ever, I was spellbound.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Her eyes can stop the time. Spellbound, captivated, and not leaving her gaze, I walked towards the beauty.

 34

    Xavier Knight


    As she saw me walking towards her, she stepped a little forward, leaving her colleagues behind. As I was walking towards her, my heart, mind, and soul were screaming topliment her.


    The moment I approached her, I swallowed hard, she looked even more breathtaking from closer. I racked my eyes on her beautiful face, making sure that the beauty standing in front of me was real. I flickered my eyes from her face down to her neck, I saw her gulp.


    I looked back at her face to find her face already turned pink. Cute¡­ Then I realized¡­ Shit!! What was I even doing? I was gawking at her. We are in public. Damn!! What¡¯s wrong with me?


    ¡°You haven¡¯tplimented her yet. Do it now.¡± My subconscious mind said. I cleared my throat.


    ¡°Why weren¡¯t you picking up the phone? I was calling you.¡± Fucking hell. I was supposed topliment her.


    She immediately looked at her empty hands.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my phone? It was with me when we sat in the car.¡± She mumbled to herself but I heard it. Then she made a face that she remembered something.


    ¡°I think I left it in the car and it was on silent mode. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll just go and get it.¡± She said.


    ¡°No need. I¡¯ll call Finn to bring your phone. And next time don¡¯t put your phone on silent, get it?¡±


    She nodded her head, looking guilty. Before I could say anything, a voice from behind me stopped me.


    ¡°Woah princess, you look gorgeous.¡± Daniel came and stood beside me. He was tailing behind me?


    ¡°Wow, Ariana. You look really beautiful.¡± Sean said, standing beside me. He too was trailing behind me? Can¡¯t they leave me alone?


    ¡°Thank you. You both look handsome too.¡± Sheplimented both of them with a huge smile.


    ¡°Thank you, Princess. I am honored to receive apliment from my lovely sister.¡± Daniel said, making me roll my eyes. Ariana¡¯s smile now turned into a grin.


    ¡°Thank you, Ariana,¡± Sean replied smiling.


    ¡°One more thing..¡± Daniel said, eyeing her up and down, and then he looked at me,  smirking.


    ¡°Did you two secretly ned the color code because you two are matching! Come on guys, you could have told me, I would have also worn the same color.¡±


    I looked down to look at my suit, then it hit me. We both were wearing navy blue. Her eyes turned wide when she looked at my suit. Her cheeks turned red.


    ¡°N.. No.. it¡¯s a coincidence.¡± She replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s pure coincidence, Daniel,¡± I said, ring at him to which he smirked again.


    ¡°Yeah, sure coincidence..¡± He said, making Seanugh. I raised an eyebrow towards Sean asking what was there tough. He just shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°Anyway, Princess, let me alert you about something,¡± Saying that, Daniel stood beside her, facing me. I frowned. Alert about what?  She looked at him in confusion. Daniel looked at her and said,


    ¡°Princess, be aware tonight¡­¡± Daniel then pinned his eyes with mine, he smirked and said ¡°¡­You look so beautiful that the men present here will try to hit on you. You might end up having uncountable proposals tonight.¡±


    I clenched my jaw and threw him a venomous re. He was getting on my nerves now. How dare he even think about that? But no matter what, he was right. The way she was looking, men around here would definitely try to make a move. No way in hell I¡¯ll let that happen. I¡¯ll not leave her alone in the open field of predators.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have guests to attend?¡± I snapped at Daniel.


    ¡°Not just me, you too have guests to attend.¡± He smirked. Goodness, he and his smirk. I¡¯ll kill him with my bare hands.


    ¡°Sean, take him away from here,¡± I said looking at Sean who was standing silently and enjoying the show.


    ¡°Well, he isn¡¯t wrong but sensing the situation here¡­¡± He looked between me and Ariana ¡°¡­I think we should leave you two alone. Come on Daniel, let¡¯s go. Someone has to attend the guests.¡± Saying that he dragged Daniel with him. I ignored the sarcasmced in his tone.


    Finally, they are gone.


    I looked at Ariana who had an adorable frown on her face while looking at her brothers¡¯ disappearing figures. I cleared my throat to grab her attention. She looked at me, now that I got her attention I said,


    ¡°You¡¯ll stay by my side the whole time.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± She asked.


    Because men tonight will see you as an open invitation and in order for me to keep my sanity to not kill anyone with my bare hands I have to keep you by my side. But how should I tell her by not telling her?


    ¡°Because many business associates are here tonight and there will be business-rted talks so I need my P. A beside me to take a mental note on every conversation.¡± Stupid Xavier, this is what came up with?


    ¡°But it¡¯s a party.¡± She said softly.


    ¡°For everyone else. For me, it¡¯s business.¡±


    ¡°But Daniel and Sean didn¡¯t ask their P. As to be with them.¡± She said. Why can¡¯t she understand at once?


    ¡°They have a different opinion about parties and I have mine. Soe with me.¡± I said with finality in my tone. Her shoulders slumped a little. She looked around and then looked at me.


    ¡°Okay. Umm.. let me inform my colleagues about that.¡± She replied disappointingly. Finally, now I don¡¯t have to worry about her.


    I looked back to where her colleagues were standing. I frowned when I saw someone. Kevin Reed. When she told me in which department he worked, I called for his file and read about him. I had to ask for his file because it¡¯s hard to remember every employee who works for you. No doubt, he¡¯s a hard-working employee but his close proximity to Ariana was making me restless about something that I couldn¡¯t even exin to myself. Like the way thinking about men gawking at her was making me insane.


    ¡°Thank you for gracing this party with your presence.¡± I heard Daniel¡¯s voice. Damn!! I have to wee the guests.


    ¡°Meet me near the stage.¡± Saying that to her I ran to the stage. I grabbed the mic and stood beside Daniel and Sean.


    ¡°We are d to say that ourpany XDS AUTOTECH is announced as the highest-grossingpany of the year second time in a row,¡± I said. The hall erupted into a round of apuse.


    ¡°This achievement is not only ours but also of every single person who worked hard for thepany. We thank every employee of ourpany for making this possible.¡± Sean said.


    ¡°Thank you again for sparing your precious time to celebrate this achievement with us,¡± Daniel said.


    ¡°Enjoy the party.¡± Three of us said in unison and stepped down the stage. I approached Ariana, who was standing near the stage.


    ¡°Xavier,¡± Someone called me from behind. I turned around and smiled to see Mr. Seth Ruiz and his wife Mrs. Natasha Ruiz. They are a cute old couple, Mr. Ruiz was my dad¡¯s friend and business associate. I grew up seeing the couple in my home. They used toe home very often.


    ¡°Sir, pleasure to meet you,¡± I said as I shook his hand. I call him sir because I learned many things about a business from him.


    ¡°Mrs. Ruiz, a pleasure to meet you too,¡± I said, kissing the back of her hand. She smiled at me.


    ¡°Ohe on, Xavier son, you still call me Sir? You have earned a huge name now. Call me by my name now.¡± Mr. Ruiz said.


    ¡°Sir, I may have reached the heights but I haven¡¯t forgotten that you were my mentor along with my father,¡± I said.


    ¡°You and your words. Talking about your father, where are your parents? I couldn¡¯t find them.¡± Mr. Ruiz asked.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t here. Actually, they have been vacationing in Italy and due to some bad weather conditions, the jet couldn¡¯t take off. So they aren¡¯t here.¡± I was really upset when my mother informed me about this. I wanted them here, they were always there with me to celebrate my every single achievement. But tonight they are not.


    ¡°Oh, okay. And who this beautiful youngdy is?¡± He said, looking at Ariana.


    ¡°She is Ar..*Ahem* Ariana. My P. A¡± I said while cing my hand on her lower back.


    ¡°Oh my, the one about whom the whole business world is talking?¡± His expressions turned into a surprising one.


    ¡°Dear, d to meet you. I wanted to meet you the day I heard about you. You must be really good in your work that Xavier, who never had a female P. A appointed you as his P. A.¡± Mr. Ruiz said.


    ¡°Indeed she is,¡± I said proudly. Beautiful and hardworking.


    ¡°Thank you, Sir. And Pleasure to meet you too.¡± She replied joining her hands in front of her and bowing her head slightly.


    ¡°Pleasure to meet you too, ma¡¯am,¡± She bowed in front of Mrs. Ruiz.


    ¡°Oh dear, a pleasure to meet you too, you have a very sweet voice. And you are so beautiful.¡± Mrs. Ruiz looked at her in adoration which made Ariana blush. She blushes very quickly. But I like her blush.


    Mrs. Ruiz came and patted my back, which took me off guard.


    ¡°Xavier, your P. A. seems to be a gooddy. Make a move before anyone could. It¡¯s high time for you to settle down.¡± She whispered in my ear and stepped back. I smiled at her.


    Only if she knew.


    ¡°Well, Xavier, you should take my wife¡¯s advice. And I know what she said.¡± Mr. Ruiz patted my back.


    ¡°I will take it into consideration,¡± I smiled at both of them. I looked at Ariana who had a confused expression on her face.


    I then excused myself from them and took Ariana with me to greet other guests. I conversed with the business associates without letting her go away from me.


    And thank heaven to the Asian culture, Whoever tried to shake hands with her, she greeted them with bowing her head otherwise I would have lost my sanity.


    I won¡¯t let anyone touch her. I knew she wasn¡¯tfortable in greeting people but I made sure to make herfortable. I didn¡¯t let anyone stand near her. If anyone tried to stand beside her I would make her stand at my other side to make her feelfortable but I didn¡¯t let her leave my side.


    I hope my actions give a message to everyone that she is off-limits for them.


    Ariana


    My cheeks were hurting because of smiling at everyone. Tonight, I greeted the number of people that I never did in my whole life. I always used to run away from people. I always thought that they would try to touch me in one way or the other. I felt ufortable but tonight I didn¡¯t¡­ because Xavier was by my side. His presence beside me was enough to make mefortable. Though he kept me by his side while talking to the business associates, still, he made sure that I was at a notable distance from them.


    He said that he wanted me beside him to make a mental note on business conversations but no single business conversation took ce with anyone. Then why he didn¡¯t let me go? I wasn¡¯t even speaking, I was just listening to them and I was tired of standing for so long. For heaven¡¯s sake, I was wearing heels that were giving me foot ache and I was hungry. I hadn¡¯t eaten anything since noon, my stomach needed food.


    We were standing in a group of men and I was thinking of the way how to go away from here when a woman looking like a model came and greeted Xavier by kissing on his cheek. Smiling, heplimented her. I frowned, he didn¡¯tpliment me. He didn¡¯t even smile at me for once. Was I not looking good? Everyone elseplimented me but he didn¡¯t. Did they lie to make me feel better? I know Xavier won¡¯t lie about his opinion about me and he didn¡¯t say anything to me which means¡­ I wasn¡¯t looking good.


    I looked at him, he was engaged in conversation with her and other men. I wanted to go away from here. I couldn¡¯t stand with him to see him talking with her and smiling at her.


    I took a breath to gather courage and poked him in his upper arm. He looked at me. Oh no! His look, just one look from him is enough to elevate my heartbeat. The courage I gathered flew away in the air. But I have to speak.


    ¡°Can I go and stand with my colleagues?¡± I whispered so that no one but he could hear me. He didn¡¯t say anything for a few seconds but when he did, he dropped my heart.


    ¡°No,¡± Whispering that to me, he diverted his attention back to the people he was talking to. But I desperately needed to go away. So, I poked him again. He looked at me, raising his eyebrows.


    ¡°I want to go, I am hungry,¡± I whispered. He sighed and excused himself from others.


    ¡°Okay, but stay with Miss Hart or Mrs. Miller. I don¡¯t want to see you standing or sitting alone. Get that?¡± He said and I nodded my head.


    I excused myself went to be with my friends.


    ¡°Oh, finally you realized that you have friends.¡± Lauren mocked me.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I wanted toe but Mr. Knight didn¡¯t let me go,¡± I reasoned out.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t he leave you alone? It¡¯s a party, not the office that you have to be with him as his P. A,¡± Kevin said annoyingly.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Kevin. He¡¯s our boss. We can¡¯t say no to him,¡± Mrs. Miller said. I smiled at her for taking my side.


    ¡°Umm.. can we go and eat? I¡¯m really hungry.¡±


    ¡°Yes, me too. Let¡¯s go.¡± Lauren said and we all went to the dining area.


    After eating, we all got back to standing in one corner of the hall. Scott and Kevin excused themselves to meet other colleagues. Mrs. Miller also went to talk to someone else, leaving me with Lauren.


    ¡°So, now we are alone.¡± Lauren turned towards me. Uh oh! I sense trouble.


    ¡°Tell me one thing which I am so intrigued to know since we arrived at the party. Did you know Mr. Knight was wearing blue?¡± She asked, crossing her arm in front of her chest.


    That¡¯s the other thing that bothered me. Xavier and me unintentionally matched.


    ¡°No Lauren, that was pure coincidence,¡± I said.


    ¡°Really?¡± She raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Yes, really and why would you think that I¡¯d intentionally do that? And that too with my boss?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You never know. People do strange things to get attention from their crush.¡± She smirked, making my cheeks turn red.


    ¡°Lauren I didn¡¯t do that and for thest time I don¡¯t have a crush on him nor he has on me.¡±


    ¡°If you say so. You know, I was thinking to ask Mr. Knight to guard you. But freaking hell! He did it without even being told to do so.¡± She said happily.


    ¡°Lauren why would he guard me and from whom? He wanted me beside him just for business purposes.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then why his hand was on your back the whole time. I saw that.¡± She said. Well, I didn¡¯t have an answer to that.


    ¡°I don¡¯t.. know,¡± I said, averting my eyes from her.


    ¡°Come on, Ariana, why don¡¯t you ept that he has a crush on you and you too have it.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He didn¡¯t even say anything about my outfit and didn¡¯t nce at me even for once. He was busy talking to his business associates and¡­women. He surely doesn¡¯t feel anything about me.


    ¡°Then how will you exin the way he was looking at you when he arrived? The way he possessively kept his hand on your back and the way you were stealing nces at him the whole time? I saw that Ariana. I saw that all. And believe me, it¡¯s not bad at all. Live a little Ariana and try to express yourself¡± Lauren said softly.


    ¡°Lauren can we not talk about this? Can we sit? These heels are giving me trouble.¡± I said softly so that she doesn¡¯t feel bad about changing the topic.


    ¡°Okay, you sit there, I¡¯ll juste in a few minutes. Have to use the restroom.¡± She said, pointing at the vacant table near us.


    ¡°Pleasee fast. I don¡¯t want to be alone,¡± I said worriedly.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Saying that she went away. I sat on the chair and waited for her.


    I saw Daniel approaching me which made me smile.


    ¡°Hey, why are sitting alone?¡± He said as he sat on the chair beside me.


    ¡°Lauren went to the restroom so I am just waiting for her,¡± I said.


    ¡°Okay, So, How does it feel spending time with Xavier?¡± Daniel grinned.


    ¡°Daniel, why are you teasing me? I wasn¡¯t spending time with him. I was with him because he wanted me to take a mental note on business conversations.¡±


    ¡°Only if you knew, Princess. Only if you knew.¡± He mumbled.


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean by that.¡± I asked confusedly.


    ¡°Nothing princess.¡± He shook his head, grin not leaving his lips. He put his right hand on the table, my eyesnded on his wrist making my eyes go wide.


    ¡°You wore that?¡± I whispered, pointing towards the bracelet I gave him.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? It¡¯s a gift from one of my favorite people in the world. And I love it.¡± He smiled at me. I could feel my emotions taking over me. I thought he¡¯d not like it as it¡¯s not that expensive. But surprisingly, he wore it.


    ¡°Thank you, Daniel, it means a lot to me.¡± I smiled at him.


    ¡°No Princess, this bracelet means a lot to me. And now, I¡¯ll always wear it.¡± He emphasized ¡®a lot to me¡¯. Goodness, why is he so sweet? I wanted to cry out of happiness. How did I get lucky to have him as my brother?


    ¡°Hey, Daniel,¡± someone called him from behind.


    ¡°Princess, I have to go. But don¡¯t sit alone, okay?¡± Saying that he left me sitting alone.


    I looked around to find Lauren but I couldn¡¯t find her. Why was she taking so much time toe? I nced at my wristwatch to see it was already midnight. I got up from my chair to look for Lauren. I was about to walk when a man approached me.


    ¡°What a beautifuldy like you doing alone here?¡± He asked with a smile, making me worried. No one is here with me. How will I manage this?


    ¡°Umm.. just waiting for my friend,¡± I replied. I was frightened.


    ¡°Oh, okay. I saw you with Xavier Knight before. I wanted to talk to you but couldn¡¯t reach you but now that I found you alone¡­ we can talk.¡± His eyes lingered on my bare shoulders.


    His words made me more scared. The way he was looking at me made me feel ufortable. He looked creepy.


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t think.. we ca.. can talk. I have to go.¡± I said and tried to walk away. But he blocked my way.


    ¡°Oh,e on, I won¡¯t take much of your time. Here, take this.¡± He said, picking up a wine ss from the tray of the passing waiter and offered it to me.


    ¡°Umm.. no¡­I..¡± Before I could say anything a strong voice cut me off.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t drink,¡± Xavier said, approaching us. He came and stood beside me.


    ¡°Xavier Knight. How are you, man? And how do you know she doesn¡¯t drink?¡± The man in front of me asked. I could sense the hardness in his voice.


    ¡°I know it because she is my P. A,¡± Xavier said in the same hard voice, snaking his arm around my waist.


    ¡°Oh.. you know more than a boss should know about his employee and to me, it seems she is more than P. A to you.¡± That creepy man said, eyeing Xavier¡¯s hand around me.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business, Chris.¡± Xavier snapped at him.


    ¡°Oh, but I¡¯ll take it as my business because I want to talk to her,¡± Chris smirked which made me worried. I could sense the tension between these two.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you even dare. Stay away from her.¡± Xavier tightened his grip on my waist and walked away from Chris, taking me with him.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to stay alone?¡± He questioned as soon as we reached behind the huge pir in the hall where no one could see us.


    ¡°What were you doing there alone?¡± He asked.


    ¡°M.. my feet were hurting so I sat there and was waiting for Lauren toe from the restroom,¡± I said, looking down.


    ¡°You should wear what makes youfortable.¡± He said calmly. I didn¡¯t say anything. I heard him sigh audibly.


    ¡°Come, we are leaving.¡± He said making me look at him.


    ¡°Where?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Penthouse.¡±


    ¡°What about the party?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Sean and Daniel will take care of it.¡±


    ¡°But I came with Lauren.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have Finn drop Miss Hart at her ce safely. Nowe on, we are leaving.¡±He said and turned to walk but I stopped him.


    ¡°Wait! Paparazzi is still outside.¡± I reminded him. He mumbled something under his breath which I couldn¡¯t hear.


    ¡°There must be another way out.¡± He said, looking around.


    ¡°I know the second door which is deserted from anyone.¡±


    ¡°Okay,e then.¡± Saying that he called Finn and then he called Sean to inform him about leaving.


    Writer¡¯s POV


    Watching Xavier dragging Ariana out of the party hall, with a knowing smile, Daniel approached Sean, who was also watching Xavier¡¯s act of dragging Ariana out of the party.


    ¡°Hey, Sean babe! Did you see the same as I saw?¡± Daniel drawled, snaking his arm over Sean¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that you dumbass and what are you talking about?¡± Sean scowled, swatting Daniel¡¯s arm away.


    ¡°Why? You never said anything to yourst girlfriend when she used to call you babe,¡± Daniel said with a grin on his face.


    ¡°Fuck off Daniel, she wasn¡¯t my girlfriend.¡± Sean scowled.


    ¡°Watch your tongue, man, or I¡¯llin it to Princess,¡± Daniel smirked.


    ¡°You¡¯ll do no such thing. On a serious note, do you think Xavier has started liking Ariana?¡± Sean asked Daniel.


    ¡°And you call me dumbass! Of course, he has started liking her. Didn¡¯t you see how he was acting like a possessive husband? He didn¡¯t leave her side for a second and had his arm snaked around her possessively like if he¡¯ll leave her for a second someone will snatch her away from him.¡± Daniel said.


    ¡°Mmm¡­hmm.. I saw that. And do you think Ariana likes him?¡± Sean asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s visible on her face, duh,¡± Daniel said.


    ¡°And I feel like I have got a new project to do,¡± Daniel said, looking in the direction from where Xavier and Ariana left.


    Sean raised a questioning eyebrow at Daniel and asked,


    ¡°What project?¡±


    ¡°Time to y cupid.¡± Daniel faced Sean.


    ¡°And you Sean babe¡­ are gonna help me in it, you¡¯ll be my assistant off course.¡±


    Sean rolled his eyes ¡°Will you stop calling me that?¡±


    ¡°Not until you agree to assist me,¡± Dean grinned.


    Sean sighed out loud ¡°If that helps to bring two of them close then ¡­I will¡±


    ¡°But what are we gonna do?¡± Sean asked.


    ¡°Just wait and watch,¡± Daniel said.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Sean wondered if he did the right thing to agree with Daniel. But he was sure of one thing that he¡¯d do anything to bring those two close. After all, Xavier was like a brother to him and he never had a rtionship in the past and always drowned himself in work but since Ariana arrived in his life he changed which was a positive change of course.


    And Ariana, who in a short period had made a way in Sean¡¯s heart as his sister. Sean looked at the bracelet tied on his wrist and promised himself that he¡¯d make his sister happy by bringing her close to the love of her life.


    Daniel also promised himself that he would do anything to bring the two of them close together. They both meant a lot to him. One is like a brother to him and the other one resembled his sister in every way. He would make sure that they confess their feelings at least to themselves which they were refusing to feel right now.

 35

    Ariana


    Xavier led me out of the hall where his car was parked and took keys of his white Lamborghini from the valet. How did the valet know that he wasing? Xavier opened the car door for me. I was about to sit when he positioned his hand on my head making me confused. I looked up at him, he didn¡¯t say anything but bobbed his head, gesturing me to sit. When I sat then only I realized why he did that. He did that to secure my head from bumping into the car¡¯s head.


    He pulled the car out of the parking and drove home. The car ride was awkwardly silent, I sat on my seat looking out of the window and he kept his focus on driving. I wanted to ask him about Chris. Why he reacted that way in front of him? Why he snapped at him? I agree that I was scared by his prating and diforting gaze but the way Xavier reacted made me feel like there was something else going on between them. I wanted to ask but I stayed quiet.


    When we reached home, the first thing I did was, I sat on the couch in the living room and removed my heels, and sighed in relief. I felt so relieved. I closed my eyes and rested my head on top of the backrest of the couch.


    ¡°That much tired?¡± I jolted up straight when I heard Xavier¡¯s voice from near me. He was standing near me, he had already removed his suit jacket. I immediately stood up from the couch feeling embarrassed by what I was doing.


    ¡°Why did you stand up? Sit down, your feet must be hurting.¡± He said with concern.


    ¡°Uh, umm, I¡­n¡­need water.¡± Saying that I ran into the kitchen. I poured water in a ss from the jar and started drinking it but stopped when I felt a presence behind me. When I turned around, I found Xavier standing close to me with his hands stuffed in his pant pockets, looking at me. Does he need something?


    ¡°You need something?¡± I looked at the ss in my hand and then looked up. ¡°W.. Water?¡± I asked.


    He didn¡¯t speak a word. Without leaving my gaze, he reached for my ss, took it from my hand, and brought it to his lips. He started drinking water from my ss, making my heartbeat speed up. Why did he do that?


    While trying to avert my eyes, my eyesnded on the silver chain tied on his wrist. Bracelet. He wore that! He wore the gift given by me. My heart fluttered. I couldn¡¯t believe Xavier Knight wore the bracelet given by me.


    I looked at him to make sure that I wasn¡¯t dreaming. He¡¯s real. He really wore that. Before my emotions could take over me, he ced the ss down on the countertop and took a step towards me. And as a reflex action, I took a step back but he didn¡¯t stop. He took one more step towards me and I took one more back. I stepped back until my back hit the wall. He stopped mere inches away from me and ced his hands on both sides of my head on the wall, making me press myself more into the wall.


    ¡°Did I tell you how stunning you look tonight?¡± He said, looking deep into my eyes. His breath fanned my cheeks, sending pleasure down my spine. I gulped. Why was he saying that now? He must be lying otherwise he would haveplimented me in the party itself when he wasplimenting other women.


    ¡°Y.. you are.. lying.¡± I stuttered. I was bothered by his close proximity.


    ¡°Why would I lie about such a thing?¡± He frowned. I didn¡¯t say anything but averted my eyes. I jerked when he cupped my chin between his thumb and index finger and coaxed me to look into his eyes.


    ¡°I won¡¯t lie about that to you. You look magnificent and breathtaking in this dress tonight. You totally stood out from others. And your hair.¡± He touched my hair. ¡°Your silky smooth hair added more shine to your beauty.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ever leave your hair open?¡± He asked softly.


    ¡°Because people say that my hair looks hideous,¡± I said, lowering my head. Why did I even tell him that? This will not matter to him. He again cupped my chin to make me look at him.


    ¡°Who are those people?¡± He asked with hardness in his tone. What happened to him all of a sudden?


    ¡°Scarlet and her friends.¡± Those words flew out of my mouth before I could stop them. His eyes immediately darkened with anger.


    ¡°Listen to me, Ariana. Scarlet was lying about that. She is jealous of your beauty and your beautiful hair which is why she made you feel low. And whatever she said about you in the past, forget all of that. You are not what she made you think. Get that? You are beautiful.¡± He said determinedly as if he knew me more than anyone else.


    But one thing glued in my head-Scarlet lying to me-I never thought like that. Was Xavier saying right? Was she jealous of me? But why? I never said anything to her, never came in her way, I just remained in my own world without even bothering her or anyone else. Then why she always bullied me? Why she always called me with vile names?


    ¡°Do you get that?¡± He asked again. His face was just inches apart from mine, his lips almost touched mine. I nodded my head, trying to press my body in the wall.


    ¡°Good, because I don¡¯t want you to ever think low of yourself.¡± Saying that he nuzzled his face in my neck making me gasp.


    ¡°Goodness, your scent is so soothing.¡± He mumbled, inhaling in my neck. My heart started drumming in my chest loudly. Heat instantly red in my body.


    ¡°Wh.. what ar.. re y.. you doing?¡± I stuttered, my hands fisted on my side.


    ¡°Inhaling your enticing scent, what else?¡± He whispered and ced a soft kiss on my neck, making me shudder. Goosebumps erupted on my body.


    ¡°Y.. you are invading m.. my personal sp.. pace,¡± I said. My body began to tremble.


    ¡°Mmmm¡­I don¡¯t think so.¡± He kissed my ear and slid his hand down my body. He suddenly circled my waist and started kissing my shoulders. My breathing became ragged.


    ¡°Xa.. Xavier.¡±


    His head shot up with lightning speed and he looked deep into my eyes. His eyes were dark, showing desire.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± He asked, pulling me closer to him, removing every single millimeter distance between us. My hands automatically went up on his chest to make a little bit of distance I could.


    ¡°Y.. you are invading m.. my person..¡±


    ¡°After that, Ariana.¡± He groaned pulling me more closer to him. I bet now he could feel my loudly thumping heart because I surely could feel his heartbeat as my chest was pressed against his.


    ¡°W.. what?¡± I asked confusedly, looking into his eyes. What did I say and how could I remember anything in this situation? My mind was hazy, I already lost my thinking capability.


    ¡°My name, Ariana, say my name again.¡± He groaned again. Is he in some kind of pain?Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°Say it!¡± He gripped my waist more tightly and brought his face closer to mine. I gasped as I felt something hard poking my lower abdomen. An unknown sensation quivered in my body making me giddy.


    ¡°Xavier.¡±


    And before I could close my mouth, he pressed his lips on mine. He started kissing me, making me freeze in my position. My eyes went wide due to his sudden move. He moved his lips on mine so furiously, gripping me more tightly as I would run away.


    With his other hand, he gripped the back of my neck, tilted it up, and deepened the kiss by plunging his tongue into my mouth. His kiss was full of fire which almost melted me into liquid. I curled my hands in a fist by gripping his shirt for support as my knees went weak and started trembling.


    I couldn¡¯t move, I couldn¡¯t do anything because I wasn¡¯t able to. I just stood frozen letting him do what he was doing. Because I didn¡¯t know what to do.


    After all, it was my first kiss that he¡­ stole.


    ¡°Goodness, I wanted to do this for so long,¡± He said between the kiss. After moving his lips furiously, he slowed down but didn¡¯t let go of my lips. He then kissed me softly and gently like I was some porcin doll that would break if he put any further pressure. He caressed my lips with his lips gently, making that unknown sensation shoot like a fire inside me.


    He kissed me, kissed me until I was out of breath. My heart kept skipping the beats to remind me that something new was happening with me. I don¡¯t know for how long he kissed me but he let go of my lips when I was totally out of the air. Closing his eyes, he pressed his forehead against mine. We both were panting hard, gasping for air.


    After regaining his breath, he opened his eyes and looked at me with admiration. Slowly lifting his hand, he caressed my lower lip with his thumb. I closed my eyes to calm my racing heart. But nothing happened, instead my heart started thumping more loudly.


    ¡°My name sounds so damn sexying out of your mouth.¡± He said, fanning his hot breath on my nose and mouth. I could feel my cheeks burning up.


    ¡°Open your eyes,¡± He ordered huskily. Instead of opening my eyes, I shut them more tightly.


    ¡°I think ¡®open your eyes¡¯ means to open them, not to shut them more tightly.¡± Amusement and yfulness were evident in his husky voice. But I didn¡¯t budge, I didn¡¯t open my eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re so stubborn. Okay fine, if you won¡¯t open your eyes in the next second I¡¯ll kiss you again.¡± His statement made my eyes shot open instantly.


    ¡°See? Was that hard?¡± He asked softly, yfulness not leaving his tone.


    ¡°Now that I got your attention, listen to me carefully. I waited for so long to hear my name from your mouth. And now, I want you to always call me by my name whether we are in the office or not. Get that?¡± He ordered huskily. But why? I was unable to speak, I just nodded my head and tried to wiggle out of his grip but he tightened his hold on me.


    He smiled, gazing at my lips which made my breath hitch. I wanted to avert my eyes but couldn¡¯t. My eyes stuck to his smile-coated lips. Goodness, his smile is so beautiful. Why doesn¡¯t he smile more often? The smile looks good on him.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kiss me back?¡± He asked out of the blue, making mee back out of my dreand. I looked into his eyes to see he was staring at me like he wanted to read me by my expressions. Heat instantly pooled up on my cheeks. Embarrassed about what I¡¯d answer him, I again started wiggling to run away.


    I slipped out of his grip and tried to run away but one tug on my wrist brought me back in the same position, that is, pressed against his chest with his hand around my waist.


    ¡°Where are you running to? You think you can evade from my grip without answering my question?¡± He cupped my chin with his other hand making me look into his eyes.


    ¡°Why?¡± He asked softly pinning his eyes with mine.


    ¡°I d¡­ don¡¯t know h. h.. how to k.. k.. kiss.¡± These words involuntarily slipped out of my mouth making me more embarrassed. His eyes went wide. I tried to avert my eyes but he put more pressure on my chin so that I could not do that.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how to kiss?¡± He asked shockingly. I felt ashamed of myself for not knowing how to kiss.


    ¡°That means I am your first kiss?¡± He asked with amusement sparkling in his eyes. No words came out of my mouth, instead, my face burned up making my cheeks turn red and I lowered my head due to embarrassment.


    He suddenly embraced me into a tight hug, burying his face in the crook of my neck and mine in his neck by putting his hand on the back of my neck.


    ¡°Goodness, Ariana you don¡¯t know how special you made me feel by saying that. I know I¡¯m being a jerk for saying I¡¯m d to be your first kiss but I really feel special.¡± He mumbled into my neck, showering kisses there, making my body pool up with heating desire. I suppressed the moan which was about to leave my mouth. When I realized what I was doing I started wiggling in his arms.


    ¡°Stay steady. Let me imprint and seal this moment in my heart.¡± He mumbled, holding me steady which made me stop wiggling.


    After a few minutes of keeping me in his embrace, he let go of his hands around me and cupped my face with both his hands.


    ¡°I am honored to hear that I¡¯m your first kiss. I know you are not my first kiss but I assure you that from now on you¡¯ll be my only one.¡± He said with determination and kissed my forehead. I didn¡¯t know what he said was true or not but somewhere inside I felt special. My cheeks burned and I bet they must be of darkest red color right now.


    ¡°I like the color of your cheeks when you blush. You look so adorable.¡± He said, yfully pinching both of my cheeks.


    To save myself from fainting out of embarrassment, I pushed him softly and ran away. I didn¡¯t care if I was wearing a long dress which could make me stumble on my steps, I just ran and I didn¡¯t stop until I reached my room. Shutting the door I rested my back on the door, breathing hard. My legs trembled so I sat on my bed.


    ¡°Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee¡± I squealed, burying my face into my hands. I couldn¡¯t control myself from smiling. I touched my lips with my fingers to recall the most special moment. I could still feel his lips on mine. I slumped back on my bed, grabbed a fluffy pillow, and hugged it tightly.


    What did just happen? Xavier kissed me? I got kissed for the first time in my life that too by my husband.


    Tonight I learned what a kiss feels like. A kiss on lips makes you feel special, important and wanted. It leaves a jittery feeling inside you, shoots a tickling sensation in your body.


    The way he kissed me, he melted me in his arms, build up desire, and sensation inside me that I never felt before. His kiss awakened all my dreams, secrets, and wishes which had been sleeping deep inside me which never came alive for any reason. But his one kiss¡­ just one kiss awakened them like fire. In just one kiss he took me to whole another world.


    His arms around me when he embraced me felt like a lock of safety. Safety that no one ever gave me before. His lock of arms was like a promise that he would never let anything happen to me.


    The way he held my face in his warm hands and looked at me with admiration showed care.


    And when he kissed my forehead and pronounced those promising words showed respect.


    Safety, Care, and respect, the things I was yearning for all my life. I got them in just a single moment. In just one kiss, Xavier gave me all of that.


    It was just love that was left but I didn¡¯t care about that. I was happy with what I had and what I received tonight.


    But there was a voice in my head asking questions.


    ¡°Is that all true? What if it¡¯s all sham? What if it¡¯s just a dream? What if he kissed me just because he was longing for it? What if he didn¡¯t feel anything like I was feeling? What if whatever he said is not true? What if it¡¯s just me who thinks there¡¯s the deep meaning of that kiss? What if he has already forgotten about the kiss?¡±


    I argued back to the voice in my head who was questioning me,


    ¡°But he said I¡¯ll be only one from now on. He promised me. I don¡¯t know him much but I know him enough that he never makes fake promises. His eyes said that all, his smile said that all. I don¡¯t need to even ask him for that. And he wore the bracelet I gave him that means I mean at least something to him. Like he means more than something to me. And I won¡¯t deny the fact that I have started liking him.¡±


    ¡°But what if..?¡± That stupid voice in my head again spoke.


    ¡°Shut up, shut up, shut up. Just go away and don¡¯t y with my head. Let me cherish the moments I am living in, let me cherish the things I am receiving. For the first time in life, let me be greedy, let me be selfish, let me live for myself. Let me ask for things I never asked before. Let me experience things that I never experienced before. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s all sham, I don¡¯t care if it¡¯ll notst for long. May it be only for some time but let me live a little. I am not asking for money, luxuries, or¡­love, I am just asking for safety, care, and respect. Let me have them, let me hold them till I can. Let me hold to the one person from whom I am getting them.¡±


    Shutting my inner voice, I got up from my bed to change into something morefortable to sleep.


    After changing and washing every single particle of makeup away from my face I lie down in my bed. I snuggled into the warmness of the duvet and closed my eyes with only one thought in my mind.


    I like Xavier.

 36

    Xavier Knight


    A smile made its home on my lips with the intention of not leaving anytime soon.


    I had been smiling like a fool since I kissed her. Finally, I got the chance to taste her lips which I wanted to do for so long. Her soft, delicate, feather-like lips tasted so sweet like honey was dripping from them.


    I had never gotten so lost in a kiss before. I tasted her lips as I had never tasted before. That kiss was total bliss and surely the best one.


    And when she told me I was her first kiss my heart almost stopped.


    Her expressions, her reactions, her face, her innocent eyes, her smile everything about her is so cute and adorable. And I like to see the blush on her face.


    She was even blushing when she saw me in the morning. I remember her tiptoeing out of her room. I bet she must be hiding from me. She tiptoed to the kitchen wearing work clothes. It was seven-thirty in the morning, I hadn¡¯t left for work by then. I had decided to drive her with me to work. Today was off for all other employees because of the partyst night except three of the PA they had toe to work as we had some contracts to work on.


    Dressed in work clothes, I too tiptoed behind her and made my way to the kitchen. I stopped and saw her searching for something or rather someone. A ghostly smile tugged my lips and I decided to surprise her because I knew she was searching if I was here or had already left for work.


    ¡°Looking for me?¡± I whispered in her ear, making her jump. She turned around with her hand on her heart.


    ¡°You are still here?¡± She asked in shock, blush started crawling on her face.


    ¡°Where would I be?¡± I arched an eyebrow and asked although I knew what she meant. She averted her eyes and took a step back which made me take a step forward. I stood a hand distance from her. I wanted to close the distance between us but I stopped myself.


    ¡°Um.. you generally le.. leave at seven,¡± She stuttered. I like the effect I have on her.


    ¡°I woke upte,¡± I lied.


    ¡°Oh!¡± She replied, still not looking at me.


    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± I asked because I didn¡¯t, I was just thinking about her.


    ¡°Uh.. yes, I slept well.¡± I heard the hesitation in her voice. She doesn¡¯t know how to lie. Well, I won¡¯t press it more because I knew she didn¡¯t sleep, must be thinking of the kiss.


    ¡°Good. Now let¡¯s eat breakfast. Mrs. Molly already prepared it and left.¡± I said.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten yet?¡± She asked in surprise.


    ¡°I told you I woke upte.¡± Although I woke up early and was in the kitchen when Mrs. Molly was making breakfast. I just wanted to eat with her.


    ¡°Oh.. okay¡± She nodded her head.


    ¡°Umm.. so, you sit, I¡¯ll serve the breakfast.¡± She added.


    ¡°I¡¯ll serve it, you prepare coffee,¡± I said as I rounded the counter to pick up the te for serving. Drinking coffee made by her is the best way to start my day. I ted breakfast for both of us and ced them on the table, I ced her te beside me. She came with my coffee in one hand and a ss of juice in another. A cute frown formed on her face when she saw her te set beside mine. She gave me coffee and hesitantly sat beside me.


    After eating breakfast and cing the empty tes in the sink she turned to face me.


    ¡°I think I should leave, Finn must be waiting for me.¡± She said.


    ¡°Finn is on leave today,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh okay, then I¡¯ll take the bus then.¡± She said and rushed out of the kitchen but I stopped her by pulling her by her waist making her gasp.


    ¡°You¡¯lle with me today,¡± I said. Her eyes went wide.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I want to,¡± I said coolly.


    ¡°But.. mmmm¡±  I smashed my lips on her. She¡¯s so stubborn. She can¡¯t listen in once. Her lips are more delicious than her coffee. I think I should drink her lips every morning instead of coffee.


    I pulled her more closer, she gripped my suit cors with her hands. I kissed her slowly and passionately. I could feel myself turning on. Damn!! But she didn¡¯t respond. I let go of her lips when we were out of breath. It was thest time I had let her go without her responding to my kiss. I¡¯d teach her how to kiss and I bet that would be fun.


    ¡°Next time you act stubborn I¡¯ll kiss you senseless and won¡¯t let go. Get that?¡± I said breathing hard. She didn¡¯t respond, just looked at me with wide eyes, a blush covering her cheeks.


    ¡°Should I kiss you once more or you understood?¡±I asked yfully. She immediately ced her hand on her mouth and nodded vehemently with wide eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re nodding your head, you want one more kiss?¡± I said yfully, inching my face closer to her.


    ¡°No, I understood.¡± She mumbled, her hand still mping her mouth. Why is she so cute?


    ¡°Good. And one more thing.¡± I brought my lips near her ear ¡°This is thest time I am leaving you without you kissing me back, next time I won¡¯t.¡± I whispered and nibbled her earlobe. I looked at her face, she was red as a beetroot.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll teach you, no need to worry. I¡¯ll be a good teacher if you promise me to be a good student¡± I said yfully, kissing the corner of her mouth.


    ¡°X.. Xavier.. let go.¡± She whispered wiggling in my arms.


    ¡°It took you so long to say my name. And why should I let go, you haven¡¯t promised me yet.¡± I smiled and kissed the tip of her nose.


    ¡°Xavier, we¡¯ll gette.¡± She whispered, wiggling again.


    ¡°I am the boss Ariana and you are my P. A so it doesn¡¯t matter if we¡¯ll gette. And you wiggle so much, I think I should tie you up to teach to stay steady.¡± I said and regretted it because she stopped wiggling and something shed in her eyes, something like ¡­fear?


    ¡°D.. don¡¯t t.. tie me,¡± She said worriedly. I think I took the joke a little far so, I embraced her in a hug.


    ¡°Hey, I was just joking, okay?¡± I said, patting her back. She nodded her head on my shoulder.


    ¡°Now, go get your bag, we¡¯re leaving. And put your hair down. I told you not to tie your hair. If you don¡¯t want to open, at least put them in a ponytail but not in a bun.¡± I said pulling away.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it tomorrow.¡± She said softly.


    ¡°You better.¡± She nodded and turned around to leave but stopped and faced me.


    ¡°Xavier,¡± She said politely. Goodness, why my name sound so differenting out of her mouth?


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for wearing the bracelet¡± Saying that she ran into her room. I nced at my wrist and smiled.


    But one thing was bugging me. Why she reacted that way after hearing that she¡¯ll be tied. It¡¯s not that I was going to do that. I was just joking. But the fear I saw in her eyes bothered me. Did something happen to her in the past? What was she hiding?


    She came down with herptop bag. I wanted to ask her about that but ignored it for now and decided to ask talk about itter. Then we went to work together.


    ¡°Why are you smiling like a fool?¡± Someone asked, pulling me out of my trance. I looked at that someone to see Daniel¡¯s face which was just inches away from mine.


    ¡°What the fuck Daniel? What¡¯re you doing?¡± I pushed him away. He startedughing and I heard another person¡¯sugh too. Sean.


    ¡°When did you entered my office? And what¡¯re you two doing here?¡± I asked annoyingly, sitting straight in my chair.


    ¡°We arrived when you were busy dreaming of someone,¡± Sean remarked mockingly.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t dreaming.¡± I shut them.


    ¡°Then why were you smiling?¡± Daniel asked sitting on the chair on another side of the desk.


    ¡°Is smiling banned?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No. But the way you were smiling says something happened. Tell me, Ariana and you did the deedsst night?¡± Daniel asked, wiggling his eyebrows. I picked up the pen and threw it at him. He and Sean startedughing.


    ¡°Nothing happened.¡± I red at both of them.


    ¡°Ohe on, don¡¯t lie, your smile and you being in dreand says otherwise.¡± Sean chirped. Since when he started talking rubbish?


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I believe it?¡± Daniel said


    ¡°Ohe on, you can share it with us. Remember We don¡¯t keep secrets from each other.¡±Daniel said grinning. I just red at him.


    ¡°Nothing happened and if something would happen I won¡¯t tell you.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll never want to know the details of what you do with our sister. But right now we are just eager.¡± Sean said smiling. I huffed they¡¯ll not let go until I tell them what they want to know.


    ¡°Okay fine. I kissed her that¡¯s it.¡± I said, averting my eyes from them.


    ¡°Just kiss. Man you¡¯re are so slow, I thought the way you dragged her out of party you must have formed a baby?¡± Daniel said & they both startingughing hard.


    ¡°Fuck off.¡± I threw a pen at both of them but they didn¡¯t stop, instead, theyughed hard, clutching their stomach making me smile at their foolishness. I shook my head. Where¡¯ll be fun in my life without them?


    ¡°Xavier, hope by now you have learned that she is not like Scarlet. She is way better than her, in fact, there is noparison.¡± Sean said seriously.


    ¡°Xavier, she¡¯s the right choice for you. I¡¯m not saying because I consider her my sister but because she really is the right choice. A woman like Ariana is hard to find these days.¡± Daniel too became serious. He indeed was serious because he didn¡¯t call her Princess, instead, took her name which I guess was the first time since he met her.


    By now I had learned that I waspletely wrong about Ariana. I had been too judgemental. But I still was hesitant about something. I hadn¡¯t been vocal to her about my feelings, but I didn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t feel anything for her.


    ¡°Forget that, tell me why are you guys here?¡± I waved off the topic since I didn¡¯t want to discuss it at the moment.


    ¡°Sean and I thought that we should take a day off and spend it together like a family. It¡¯s been like years we went on a holiday together.¡± Daniel said.


    ¡°Daniel is right Xavier, it¡¯s been long we went out together,¡± Sean said.


    ¡°I have work. I¡¯m busy.¡± I said and starting checking the file in front of me.


    ¡°Come on, Xavier, a day off won¡¯t hurt anyone, besides, it is the weekend. And I¡¯m not saying that we¡¯re taking off for two to three days. It¡¯s just one day, man.¡± Daniel whined.


    ¡°I¡¯m busy, end of the discussion,¡± I said sternly. There were a lot of contracts to renew and they wanted a holiday?


    ¡°Is this your final decision?¡± Daniel asked. I didn¡¯t look up from the file and said ¡®yes¡¯.


    ¡°You won¡¯t change it?¡± Sean¡¯s voice rang in my ears.


    ¡°Not a chance.¡±


    ¡°As you wish,¡± They both said in unison then there was a silence of a few seconds. Good that they didn¡¯t force me to agree. But it was strange, they never settle down that easily. There must be somethinging up, I knew.


    ¡°Hey Princess,¡± My head snapped up to Daniel. He was on the phone. Why is he calling her?


    ¡°Could you pleasee to Xavier¡¯s office? Yeah, okay..e fast.¡± He cut the call.


    ¡°Why did you call her?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You remember I said we¡¯ll go out as a family, yeah? So do you think I¡¯d leave her out of that? I consider her family now. What did you think, I was talking about just three of us? No. I included her in we. As you said No, so, Princess, I and Sean will spend a day out.¡± Daniel smirked.


    ¡°Why would she go with you?¡± I frowned.


    ¡°Because we would ask her.¡± Sean snapped.


    ¡°She is my wif-ahem- my Personal Assistant, she works for me and I¡¯m not giving her day off.¡± Was I about say, wife? Well, she is. Thinking of calling her my wife gave me a strange feeling.


    ¡°Wif-P. A or not, she¡¯ll go. And tomorrow is off for everybody.¡± Daniel smirked. Guts of this man. Before I could say anything there was a knock on the door.


    ¡°Good morning, Daniel. Good morning, Sean. Any work for me?¡± She smiled at them. Daniel stood up from his chair and approached her.


    ¡°You¡¯re glowing today. Did something good happenst night? Or¡­ in the morning today?¡± Daniel teased her. Her eyes went wide and a blush crept on her face.


    ¡°Daniel¡± I snapped. What was he up to?


    ¡°N.. no, nothing happened. Why wo.. would you think that?¡± She asked, blushing hard, not looking at anyone of us. Goodness, she¡¯s so transparent, anyone can read her inside out. I¡¯ll kill Daniel if he said anything else to her.


    ¡°Daniel, don¡¯t tease her. Good morning Ariana. I must say you look cute when you blush.¡± Sean said, approaching her andughed making Danielugh too. I groaned. What were they ying at?


    ¡°Enough you two. Ariana, go back to work they don¡¯t have anything to talk to you about.¡± I said to her. She looked at me and nodded.


    ¡°Hey, wait we have something to talk to you,¡± Daniel said.


    ¡°Will you spend a day out with Sean and me tomorrow?¡± Daniel asked her.


    Ariana


    My mind was hazy fromst night¡¯s kiss and he kissed me again in the morning. And drove me to the office too. Stupid blush wasn¡¯t going away from my face. I could feel it because my cheeks were warm.


    ¡°Why is your face red?¡± I was snapped out of my trance by Lauren¡¯s voice. I looked at her and found her standing in front of my desk with arms crossed in front of her chest. Uh oh!


    ¡°Good morning, Lauren. And my face is red due to the cold weather outside.¡± I said, rubbing my cheeks with my palms.


    ¡°Oh, okay. Where did you go leaving me there at the party?¡± She asked sitting on the chair on the other side of the desk. Goodness, I forgot that.


    ¡°Sorry, Lauren. I.. I had to go home urgently.¡±


    ¡°With Mr. Knight?¡± My eyes went wide. How did she know?


    ¡°I tried calling you but you didn¡¯t answer. I asked others but no one knew about you. I became worried about you. So I searched for you outside. There, Finn told me that Mr. Knight took you home.¡± She raised an eyebrow.


    Goodness, Finn what have you done?


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Lauren. I made you worried. But I had to leave. Mr. Knight just offered me a ride back home.¡± I said. Why is it hard to exin? Now she¡¯ll ask me tons of questions.


    ¡°You could have at least informed me. I wouldn¡¯t have stopped you from leaving. But I¡¯m happy Mr. Knight dropped you home. He dropped you home when he knew that he had guests to attend.¡± She smiled.


    ¡°So tell me, Ariana, did something happen between you two?¡± She grinned. I blushed.


    Yes, he kissed me. Not just once but twice.


    ¡°N.. Nothing happened, Lauren.¡± I said.


    ¡°Really? But your blush is saying otherwise.¡± She smirked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not blushing.¡± I didn¡¯t look at her.


    ¡°Lying doesn¡¯t suit you, Ariana.¡±


    ¡°Nothing happened,¡± I said again.


    ¡°Ohe on, you can share it with me. Tell me, did he kiss you?¡± She asked excitedly, making me blush more. I lowered my head to hide my face.


    ¡°Oh my God, Ariana, he really kissed you?¡± She came running to me and held my face in her hands. I nodded.


    ¡°Oh, Ariana, I¡¯m so happy for you. Your crush finally kissed you.¡± She hugged me. Only If she knew he¡¯s my husband.


    ¡°So tell me how was the kiss? How it feels to be kissed by The Xavier Knight. Did he leave you breathless?¡± Lauren asked excitedly.


    ¡°Lauren, you¡¯re teasing me.¡± I hid my face with my hands.


    ¡°Ohe on..¡± Before she could say anything my phone buzzed. Thank heaven. I¡¯m saved.


    It was Daniel¡¯s call. He asked me toe to Xavier¡¯s office.


    ¡°Lauren, Daniel sir is calling me. I have to go.¡± I said standing up from the chair.


    ¡°Go. But don¡¯t think I¡¯ll leave you. I want all the juicy details.¡± She smirked and left my cabin. I went to Xavier¡¯s office.


    When Daniel said I was glowing. I blushed. Goodness, did he know? Did Xavier tell him? Then Sean teased me. I couldn¡¯t control my face from turning red. When Xavier told me to leave, I was about to leave but Daniel stopped me.


    ¡°Hey, wait, we have something to talk to you about,¡± Daniel said.


    ¡°Will you spend a day out with Sean and me tomorrow?¡± Daniel asked her.


    I looked at him in surprise. Did he just say a day out? Like a pic? I hadn¡¯t spent a day out with anyone after my father. I wasn¡¯t allowed to. My gaze automatically traveled to Xavier.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at him, he isn¡¯t going. You tell me, will you?¡± Sean asked.


    ¡°she..¡± Before Xavier could say anything Sean snapped looking at him from his shoulder.


    ¡°No one asked you!¡±


    What¡¯s going on here? And why wasn¡¯t Xavier going? But I desperately wanted to go and if Xavier wasn¡¯t going that means there will be no awkwardness. I would be away from him. I was still not confident to face him after what happenedst night and this morning.


    ¡°Where are you nning to go?¡± I asked both of them.


    ¡°Leave it on us. We have nned a lot for tomorrow. You just say yes or no.¡± Daniel said.


    ¡°Well, then I would love to,¡± I said without hesitation. Daniel immediately engulfed me in a bear hug.


    ¡°Thank you, Princess. We three will have fun tomorrow. The good thing is¡­there¡¯ll be no disturbing element with us.¡± Daniel grinned. I looked at him confusedly.


    ¡°Enough now. If your nning is over then get back to work.¡± Xavier snapped.


    ¡°Always grumpy,¡± Daniel mumbled making me smile.


    ¡°We¡¯ll leave, but first, let us finish the talk,¡± Sean said.


    ¡°So, Ariana, be ready at five in the morning tomorrow. We¡¯ll pick you up.¡± Sean said.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too early?¡± Xavier asked, annoyingly.


    ¡°You¡¯re noting with us so stay out of it.¡± Daniel gave him a mocking smile. I heard Xavier huff in annoyance. I still couldn¡¯t see him Daniel & Sean are still standing in front of me.


    ¡°Umm.. okay,¡± I said.


    ¡°And Princess make sure to pack one extra outfit with you,¡± Daniel said making me confused. What have they nned?


    ¡°Why does she need an extra outfit?¡± Xavier asked from behind. Daniel turned to him.


    ¡°Because Xavier, things might get dirty tomorrow. So, she might need to change.¡± Daniel said, looking at him. I heard yfulness in his voice.


    ¡°What have you two nned for tomorrow?¡± I asked Sean, who was standing facing me with a mischievous grin on his face.


    ¡°Nothing but fun. So make sure to pack one extra outfit. And be ready sharp at five. We have nned many things for tomorrow. So to enjoy to the fullest we¡¯ll leave early. Okay?¡± Sean said.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said. Now I was excited. No Xavier and No work. I think it¡¯ll be fun tomorrow.


    ¡°Okay, Princess, you can go now,¡± Daniel said turning to me. He didn¡¯t let me see Xavier and ushered me out of the cabin.


    Tomorrow would be the day out with my favorite people on the Earth. And I guess it would be fun. I didn¡¯t know what this one-day trip would be like but I was sure that it would be a new experience for me.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.

 37

    Writer¡¯s POV


    The excitement of spending the day out masked Ariana¡¯s sleep. She kept twisting and turning the whole night. And because of that, she jumped out of bed at three in the morning and took a quick shower. She wore the casual outfit she thought she would befortable in. She wore a ck T-shirt and blue jeans.


    She then stood before the mirror to tie her hair in a bun but she stopped her hands in mid-air when Xavier¡¯s words came into her mind, he imed that her hair was beautiful, soft, and silky. He wanted her to leave her hair open. Scarlet always made her feel downgraded, she always felt self-conscious about herself but now she wanted to feel positive in every way, she wanted to wash off whatever Scarlet had ever said to her. So, she let her hair open.


    She then packed extra clothes in a bag as Daniel asked her to do. She wore a jacket as it would be chilly outside. She sat on her bed and waited for Daniel or Sean¡¯s call. It was half-past four already and they said they would pick her up sharp at five. Almost after five minutes, she received a call from Sean saying that they had arrived. She excitedly picked up her bag, cap, and sunsses and ran out of the room in excitement.


    When she came out of her room she saw Xaviering out of his room, wearing a casual outfit. She was mesmerized, she had never seen him in casuals, she thought only suits made him look charming, but in jeans and a t-shirt, he looked more handsome. But why was he wearing that for? That too in the morning?


    He too saw her, ready with a bag for the day out. He was mesmerized by her beauty. He thought that she has the superpower to look cute in every outfit even in jeans and a t-shirt. His eyes lingered on her hair which made him smile secretly, ¡°finally she let her hair down, finally, she realized how beautiful her hair is,¡± he thought to himself. He could see the excitement on her face, her eyes were also gleaming with excitement.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± She said when he stopped in front of her.


    ¡°Good morning. All set for the day-out? Have they arrived?¡± He asked, pointing at the bag she was holding.


    ¡°Uh.. yes. Sean just called me, they are waiting for me in the parking lot.¡± She said to which Xavier nodded his head.


    ¡°Umm¡­I think I should go otherwise we¡¯ll gette.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you should go.¡± Ariana nodded her head walked out of the penthouse and reached the parking lot. She saw Daniel and Sean leaning against a luxury SUV, wearing casual outfits, looking all handsome. She approached them.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± She chirped happily.


    ¡°Good morning, Princess. Excited?¡± Daniel asked, giving her a side hug.


    ¡°Good morning, Ariana.¡± Sean too gave her a side hug.


    ¡°So where are we going?¡± She asked excitedly.


    ¡°That¡¯s a surprise, Ariana. But I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll like it.¡± Sean grabbed the bag from her hands and ced it inside the car.


    ¡°So, what are we waiting for? Let¡¯s go.¡± She jumped happily.


    Daniel and Sean looked at each other, secretly asking what to do. ¡°He should be here by now. Where was he? Was he seriously noting? What will happen to their n if he ditches them?¡± They both thought.


    ¡°Just five more minutes and we¡¯ll leave,¡± Daniel said making Ariana confused. They both wanted to leave sharp at five and now they wanted to wait for five more minutes.


    Daniel and Sean sighed in relief when they saw Xavier walking towards them. They both smirked and exchanged the knowing look, after all, their n seeded. They knew that Hell would freeze but Xavier wouldn¡¯t let Ariana go out without him being around her. They knew Xavier¡¯s possessive side was taking over and they just nned to hike that side.


    ¡°Hey, Xavier, going somewhere?¡± Daniel asked, grinning ear to ear. Ariana turned around to see Xavier walking towards them. She got more confused as to why was he there.


    ¡°Yep. Coming with you.¡± Xavier replied coolly. Ariana¡¯s eyes went wide listening to what he said.


    ¡°But you said otherwise the other day.¡± Sean raised his eyebrows.


    ¡°You clearly stated that you¡¯ll note with us. What made you change your mind overnight?¡± Daniel asked, knowing the fact that he was ying with Xavier¡¯s mood. He just wanted to provoke him.


    ¡°I told you I was busy. I never said that I¡¯ll note.¡± Xavier shot back. ¡°Nowe on let¡¯s go. You wanted to leave at 5 so what are you waiting for?¡± Xavier said & walked towards the car.


    ¡°Yeah, sure. Come, Princess, sit in front, beside me. I¡¯m driving.¡± Daniel said, taking Ariana¡¯s hand in his.


    ¡°Ariana, if you want to go,e to the backseat and sit with me,¡± Xavier eximed, making Daniel and Sean smirk. Ariana frowned, thinking why was he reacting that way? First, he gatecrashed the trip and now he wanted her to sit with him. She huffed and gave up but she was still confused as to why Xavier was there when he had already refused to join them.


    Daniel went on the driver¡¯s seat, Sean sat beside him on the passenger seat. Xavier, beside Ariana in the back seat.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Xavier asked as soon as Daniel started the car.


    ¡°You¡¯ll know soon.¡± Sean and Daniel said in unison.


    Daniel drove to their first destination, happy with himself. He knew his cupid n would work for sure. He promised himself that during this trip he would make sure to bring out the extreme possessive and jealous side of Xavier to bring out his feelings for his wife.


    Ariana, on the other hand, was sulkily looking out the window. She gave a side nce to Xavier, he was busy scrolling his phone. She huffed inwardly, thinking why did he evene if he just wanted to spend his time with his phone.


    Sean saw the scene of the backseat through the rearview mirror and nudged Daniel. Daniel looked at Sean, Sean bobbed his head asking him to look back. Daniel nced in the rearview mirror and rolled his eyes, thinking he didn¡¯t n this trip for the two of them to sit in either corner of the car, not even looking at each other. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel thinking what he should do and smirked when a devilish idea crossed his mind. He straightened his sitting posture and gestured to Sean to do the same. Sean smirked, hepletely understood what Daniel was up to, so, he sat straight and held the seat tightly with his hands.


    Daniel nced in the rearview mirror and purposely rolled the starting wheel to the right in a rush. Due to the instant jerking of the car, Xavier fell on Ariana who was sitting on the right side which made her gasp in surprise. Xavier ced his hands on either side of the door, trapping Ariana in between. They both stared into each other eyes, their lips almost touched. Xavier¡¯s eyes fell on her lips which were parted due to a sudden jerk. He wanted to touch her lips with his, he was dying of anticipation, he had wanted to kiss her in the morning when he saw hering out of her room looking fresh, excited, and happy. He forgot that they had an audience, he tilted his head and moved his face closer to Ariana whose breathing was ragged, her eyes were on Xavier¡¯s chiseled face which was moving closer to hers.


    Sean secretly took pictures of what was happening without letting them know.


    Just when their lips were inches apart, Daniel blew the horn of the car, making both of them snap back into reality. Xavier hastily pulled himself away and groaned.


    ¡°What the hell Daniel? Are you drunk or what? Can¡¯t you drive carefully?¡± Xavier snapped, making Daniel grin.


    ¡°Sorry, but a dog came in front of the car. I had to do that to save the dog,¡± Daniel said, looking at Xavier through the rearview mirror and winked. Xavier red at him, he knew there was no dog and he did it on purpose.


    ¡°Instead of being engrossed in the phone, you should look around, Xavier, we¡¯re here on the trip, not to work,¡± Sean said, looking over his shoulder.


    ¡°Daniel, you should drive carefully,¡± Ariana said softly.


    ¡°Sorry, princess,¡± Daniel smiled guilty, looking into the rearview mirror.


    After that, during the whole ride, Daniel engaged everyone in talk. He purposely involved Xavier in his talk who was still busy on his phone. After almost half an hour, Daniel stopped the car in front of huge iron gates.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, we have arrived at our first destination.¡± Daniel got out of the car followed by Sean. Ariana stepped out of the car and frowned. She walked to Sean to ask him where they were.


    ¡°Sean, what¡¯s this ce?¡±


    ¡°Grandma¡¯s Farmhouse,¡± Xavier spoke, looking at therge iron gates-on whose bars he used to hang and y when he was a teen. Nostalgia hit him hard, the Farmhouse held a special ce in his heart. After all, he had spent most of his time there, skipping the sses in high school. When most of the teens engrossed themselves in drinking and partying, he and Daniel woulde here to meditate, away from tters of busy life direct into peace and fresh air. This ce was more personal to him. He had never talked about this ce to anyone else than his parents, Daniel and Sean.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Daniel said. All four of them walked inside. Ariana admired the ce in awe. The ce was built near a bigke. Her mood instantly brightened up when she saw a massive farmhouse, animal shelters, different crops growing inrge fields. She smiled in satisfaction. All the greenery took her heart away. The peace in the ce gave her immense pleasure.


    ¡°This ce is so beautiful and quiet. How do you find this ce?¡± She asked, looking around.


    ¡°Yes. The most beautiful and quiet ce out there. And Princess, this is the ce where I and Xavier spent our teen years at.¡± Daniel said, circling his arm over her shoulders.


    ¡°And the ce they showed me when we became friends in college,¡± Sean spoke circling his arm on her shoulders from another side.


    ¡°I think we should go and meet grandma. Come, Ariana.¡± Xavier said, removing their hands from her shoulders.


    He held her wrist and made her walk with him. Daniel and Sean smiled and walked ahead of them.


    An olddy almost in her eighties smiled when she saw them walking towards her. She looked at them in adoration. Her mind went back to the past when these grown-up men were naughty teens and used toe here to y in fields. She remembered all their naughtiness, they used to disturb peacefully sleeping animals and would always run to her when animals chase them for disturbing them. Although she was not their real grandmother, still, she loved them as one. She may have grown old yet she remembered everything.


    ¡°Good morning, Grandma,¡± Three of them hugged her tightly.


    ¡°Good morning, my favorite children. It¡¯s been long you came here.¡± She said, getting emotional.


    ¡°Sorry Grandma, but responsibilities hit us hard.¡± Xavier smiled sadly, breaking her embrace.


    ¡°Who¡¯d say that these grown-up men who are now businessmen always used toe here to run away from their responsibilities.¡± She said, patting Sean¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Where¡¯s grandpa, grandma?¡± Daniel asked.


    ¡°He is out of the town, dear. Anyway, Daniel, when you called me yesterday informing me about your arrival, you said that you¡¯ll be bringing someone special with you? Where¡¯s that person?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yeah, Grandma, meet Ariana, the special one,¡± Daniel said, gesturing towards Ariana who had been standing at a little distance from them.


    ¡°Come here, sweety. Why are you standing there?¡± She waved at her. Ariana slowly approached them and Daniel introduced her to Grandma.


    ¡°Princess, she is Grandma Jenny. She and her husband, Grandpa Robbin, are the owners of this Farmhouse.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Grandma.¡± Ariana bowed her head, joining her hands in front of her. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind me calling you grandma?¡± She asked politely. She was instantly embraced in a tight hug.


    ¡°Dear, you can call me whatever you want.¡± She broke the hug and cupped her face. ¡°Goodness, you are such a beauty. You must be really special to these boys that they brought you here otherwise they have never brought anyone here before.¡± Ariana blushed at her remark.


    ¡°So, who¡¯s girl is she?¡± Grandma Jenny asked yfully looking at the three of them. Ariana¡¯s blush deepened. Xavier started coughing, Daniel and Sean smirked.


    ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m hungry, I want breakfast. Come.¡± Xavier dragged Grandma with him to the house. He didn¡¯t want to pick up that topic. The rest of them followed. When they went inside, a young man came into their view.


    ¡°Jason, how are you?¡± Daniel hugged him. Sean and Xavier greeted him too. Jason was their childhood friend and crime partner.


    ¡°Ariana, meet Jason, my grandson.¡± Grandma Jenny said. Jason looked in Ariana¡¯s direction, he was awestruck by the beauty standing in front of him. He approached her with a smile he greeted her.


    ¡°Good morning. I¡¯m Jason, Grandma¡¯s favorite grandson. Wee to our farmhouse,¡± He extended his hand for a handshake. Ariana nced at the young man, almost of her age, smiling boyishly, but she couldn¡¯t just shake his hand. So, she bowed and greeted him. Jason didn¡¯t feel offended, he just smiled at her.


    ¡°Ariana,e, sit and have breakfast,¡± Xavier said who didn¡¯t like the way Jason was trying to approach her. Ariana nodded her head and sat beside him. He filled her te with fresh organic food and a big full ss of fresh milk. After breakfast, they went outside to explore the area. Xavier tugged on Ariana¡¯s wrist and pulled her closer to him to make some distance between her and Jason, who had been walking beside her.


    Xavier¡¯s phone buzzed, making him stop in his tracks. It was an important call he couldn¡¯t ignore. But he also couldn¡¯t leave Ariana alone. Daniel approached him and took hold of Ariana¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°Go, Xavier, take your call. I¡¯ll show her around.¡± Xavier gave him a warning look, saying to look after her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere alone.¡± He said to Ariana and walked away to take the call. Daniel dragged Ariana to the grass field. Ariana removed her sneakers to walk on grass barefoot, to feel the essence of moist, lively grass.


    ¡°Come, Ariana, I¡¯ll show you animals here.¡± Daniel dragged her with him and showed her horses, rabbits, sheep, cows, and many others. When he was showing around, Ariana stopped to see the baby pigs that were ying in the mud inside the wooden boundaries.


    ¡°Look, Daniel, these baby pigs look so cute.¡± She squealed.


    ¡°Not as cute as you. Wanna y with them?¡± Daniel, without warning, opened the wooden gate and the baby pigs came rushed to Ariana. They started licking her bare feet which made her jump due to the tickles she felt.


    ¡°Aaaaa, they are licking my feet. Daniellllllll.¡± She shrieked and hid behind him but piglets came running to her.


    ¡°Why are you hiding? You said they look cute. See, this one even wants to kiss you.¡± He picked one of the baby pigs and brought it near her face.


    ¡°No, Daniel, keep it away.¡± She started running but Daniel didn¡¯t stop, he too ran after her, enjoying every bit of it. He wasughing hard. Baby pigs too ran after Ariana.


    Xavier was still on call. Grandma, Sean, and Jason were talking about their memories of this ce. Xavier hung the call and approached them. He was about to ask for Ariana when he heard a high-pitched sound.


    ¡°Aaaaa,¡± He looked in the direction to see Ariana being chased by baby pigs. He wanted tough at the scene but instantly got surprised when she came, climbed on his feet, and hugged him. He was shocked for a moment. His body went stiff. What did just happen?


    ¡°Xavier¡­ Xavier, save me. These piglets are licking my feet.¡± She mumbled against his neck while jumping on his feet, not allowing herself to step on the ground. Xavier came into reality and snaked his arms around her. He smiled at her cuteness.


    ¡°You¡¯re afraid of pigs?¡± He chuckled but she didn¡¯t look up and gripped him more tightly when she felt pigs licking her feet.


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. They are tickling me.¡± She mumbled.


    ¡°Then why are you walking barefoot?¡± He asked, gripping her tightly to stop her jumping.


    ¡°I wanted to feel moist grass.¡± She said softly, raising her head.


    ¡°Princess? You won¡¯t give a kiss to this baby.¡± Daniel wasughing, holding a baby pig in his hand.


    ¡°Aaaa, Xavier, please keep him away. He¡¯s making that piggy kiss me. Xavier, Xavier,  please.¡± She squealed and again hid her face in his neck. Heughed out hard at her cuteness. She¡¯s such a baby. Everyone present there joined him andughed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry he won¡¯te near you,¡± Xavier assured her, stillughing.


    ¡°Daniel, why are you teasing the poor girl? Keep the piglet away.¡± Grandma scolded Daniel by pulling his ears.


    ¡°Ow¡­Grandma, I was just ying. And she said these piglets are cute. I was just showing her how cute they really are.¡± Danielughed.


    ¡°Shut up, Daniel, don¡¯t be a child. Keep it away. You¡¯re scaring her.¡± Sean scolded him.


    ¡°But this baby in my hands wants to kiss her,¡± Daniel said and approached the couple.


    ¡°Daniel, don¡¯t you daree near.¡± Xavier snapped, but inside he wasughing.


    ¡°Jason, go take all the piglets back to their ce,¡± Grandma said to Jason. Jason grabbed the piglet from Daniel¡¯s hand and shooed away other piglets that were still trying to lick Ariana¡¯s feet.


    ¡°Hey, they are gone,¡± Xavier said softly, caressing her hair with one hand.


    ¡°Promise?¡± She mumbled.


    ¡°Promise.¡± Ariana looked around and when she didn¡¯t find any piglet she stepped away and red at Daniel.


    ¡°Daniel, how could you?¡± Saying that she charged at him, making him run. Not knowing what she did a few minutes ago she ran after Daniel.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sean go and look after Daniel, make sure he doesn¡¯t tease her anymore,¡± Grandma said. Sean who wasughing nodded his head and ran after them.


    ¡°So, she is your girl¡­and you like her, don¡¯t you?¡± Grandma looked at Xavier who was now looking at Ariana¡¯s running figure. His eyes snapped at Grandma.


    ¡°What are you talking about, Grandma?¡± He asked, not meeting her eyes.


    ¡°You know Xavier, These eyes may have be old but they have seen the world more than you. These eyes are way too experienced.¡± She smirked.


    ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m not understanding,¡± Xavier said. A tint of blush could be seen on his face.


    ¡°Let me make you understand. Why did she came running to you for help when others were standing there? She came to you like you are the only one who she thought would provide the protection she needed. Why did you hold her tightly, locking her in the safety of your arms? Why were you looking at her with admiration during breakfast? And most importantly, why are you blushing?¡± Grandma asked making Xavier¡¯s heartbeat drum faster.


    ¡°She noticed all of that?¡± He thought to himself. And was he blushing? No. Why would he?


    ¡°I¡¯m not blushing, Grandma. And whatever you said is not true.¡± He reasoned out. But Grandma knew what feeling he had for that girl. It was pictured all over his face. She thought that Xavier was confused about his feelings towards that adorable girl. She was old and had seen a lot of people, just by looking at people she could tell who is awful and who is not.


    ¡°Come with me.¡± Grandma took hold of his wrist and made him walk towards the area where Sean, Daniel, Jason, and Ariana were chasing hens to grab them. She shook her head. Daniel again disturbed the resting hens and now they are out of the cage.


    Xavier¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he saw Ariana,ughing her heart out while chasing the hens. He had never seen herugh before. She had smiled but neverughed the way she had beenughing now. He was mesmerized.


    ¡°See? You can¡¯t even take your eyes off her.¡± Grandma teased. Xavier averted his eyes.


    ¡°Xavier, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s stopping you from confessing your feelings. But look at her she¡¯s so pure, lively and full of energy. She knows how to treat and respect others. I have seen many young girls whoe here to have fun but they feel disgusted when any animal touches them. They never treated workers of this Farmhouse with respect. But look at this girl, not bothering about her clothes, she is chasing after those hens in the mud. And she¡¯s so adorable. Look how crazily she¡¯sughing and running after hens. She¡¯s a nice girl.¡± She patted his back.


    Unknowingly, Xavier smiled in satisfaction. Grandma was an old and experienced woman, she barely talked about people she didn¡¯t know about. But he was happy that she gave her a review about Ariana. Ariana can make anyone fond of her, especially elders.


    ¡°You know Xavier, Someone once said. Mature man and a crazy woman are a deadlybination.¡± Xavierughed at Grandma¡¯sment. ¡°She is a rare gem, Xavier. Don¡¯t let her slip away.¡± She whispered those words.


    ¡°I won¡¯t Grandma. Thank you.¡± Xavier hugged her.


    ¡°Go, Xavier, spend your time with them. Live a little. In this stressful life, if you get a chance to enjoy yourself like a kid, believe me, it¡¯s a blessing. So just go, be a kid.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grandma.¡± Xavierughed and walked towards where all the kids were ying.


    ¡°Jason¡­there.. go.. go catch.¡± Arianaughed, chasing after fast running hens.


    ¡°Why did you do this Daniel?¡± Sean was continuously snapping at Daniel for letting the hens free.


    ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t do anything. I just opened the door to check on them but they started running. What is my fault?¡± Daniel said annoyingly while chasing after hens.


    ¡°I got one¡­yay!¡± Ariana screamed happily. Jason approached her and stood beside her in the mud.


    ¡°You did it, Ariana. Good job.¡± Jasonughed at her excitement. She was jumping happily that she forgot she was standing in slippery mud; she lost her bnce but before she could fall, Jason grabbed her by her waist. She gripped his shirt to regain bnce, the hen flew away from her hand.


    Xavier saw the scene, his blood boiled at the scene in front of him. The hands which gripped his shirt when they kissed were now gripping someone else¡¯s shirt. He was hell sure that if he hadn¡¯t felt jealousy before he sure was feeling it now.


    ¡°What the hell is happening here?¡± Xavier¡¯s voice boomed. Jason and Ariana abruptly pulled away and maintained a distance between them.


    ¡°Ariana, what are you doing in the mud? Come out right now.¡± Xavier eximed.


    Ariana who was now covered in the mud nodded her head and walked out slowly. Jason tried to give her a helping hand but Xavier beat him in that.


    ¡°Here, hold my hand.¡± Xavier extended his hand. Ariana grabbed his hand and stepped out of the mud.


    ¡°What were you doing, huh? See, you are now covered in mud.¡± He said softly, wiping mud from her face with his handkerchief.


    ¡°Sorry, I was so engrossed in chasing hen that I forgot where I was going.¡± She said softly, not looking at him. Xavier sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± He said, tucking her hair strands behind her ear.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, darling. Now go and wash up the mud and change into something new. Okay?¡± Grandma said,ing from behind. Ariana nodded her head.


    ¡°Come, I¡¯ll show you the bathroom.¡± Grandma took her hand and walked her inside.


    ¡°Come on, Xavier bro, give me your hand too,¡± Jason asked for help.


    ¡°Come out yourself!¡± Xavier snapped, making Daniel and Seanugh out loud. Sean helped Jason toe out. Jason was confused as to why Xavier reacted that way. He had never done that before.


    ¡°Is he PMSing?¡± Jason whispered in Daniel¡¯s ear at which Daniel couldn¡¯t control himself andughed out hard.


    ¡°No Jason, he isn¡¯t. You know him since teen years, he doesn¡¯t like sharing and you tried to take his candy from him.¡± Daniel said betweenughs. Xavier heard it and charged at him. Daniel sensed it and stepped away making Xavier fall into the mud. Xavier groaned and pulled Daniel into the mud as well. Sean and Jason wereughing hard. Xavier and Daniel dragged them in too. They all started throwing mud on each other. After ying for don¡¯t know how long they stopped andughed looking at each other.


    ¡°Daniel, see what you did! Now, what will I wear? I don¡¯t even have extra clothes.¡± Xavier grumbled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry we packed extra clothes. We knew you¡¯ll join us.¡± Sean smirked, teasing him.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Xavier rolled his eyes and moved out of the mud. They all then showered and changed into new clothes.


    Ariana too showered and changed. Her hair was wet because of showering so she sat on the embankment of theke to air dry her hair.


    Xavier came out of the house and saw her smiling to herself while drying her hair, looking amazing in a white T-shirt and jeans. He approached her.


    ¡°Do you like the ce?¡± He asked. Ariana sat straight and nced at the wide fields.


    ¡°Very much. I never saw this much beautiful and peaceful ce before and the air here is so fresh.¡± She smiled, inhaling the fresh air. Xavier felt satisfied that she liked the ce. Now, one more memory added to the list of memories about this ce.


    After half hour of exploring the ce, talking andughing, remembering their good old days, they decided to leave.


    ¡°Xavier,¡± Grandma called him. Xavier walked towards her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let her go and take good care of her.¡± She whispered to which Xavier smiled and nodded his head.


    ¡°Daniel, Sean, next time I want to see your girls too.¡± She narrowed her eyes towards them. Daniel and Seanughed.


    ¡°Oh,e on, Grandma, let us live a little. One of us is hooked, that is enough.¡± Daniel said and got smacked on his head by Xavier.


    ¡°Ariana, darling,e here,¡± Grandma called her. Ariana approached her. She cupped her face and whispered.


    ¡°Ariana, you¡¯re a very kind girl. And a perfect match for Xavier.¡± Ariana¡¯s eyes went wide, Grandma smiled and nodded her head. ¡°I know darling and I also know that you like him. Ariana, Xavier is a very kind and soft-hearted person but a little dumb, it takes him long to realize what¡¯s right for him but he¡¯ll surely realize. Just give him some time.¡± She patted her cheeks.


    Ariana nodded her head not knowing if he would ever like her or not but she surely knew that she liked him. She didn¡¯t know for how long their rtionship wouldst but she was sure that she would not be able to like anyone else in her life the way she liked Xavier.


    ¡°Bye, Ariana. Do visit soon.¡± Jason waved at her.


    ¡°Bye Jason. It was fun spending time here and I¡¯ll try my best to visit here soon.¡± Ariana smiled sweetly at him. Xavier scoffed.


    ¡°Okay, time to go. Goodbye, Grandma. Take care.¡± Xavier tugged Ariana¡¯s wrist and made her sit inside the car and sat beside her.


    ¡°Got too close to Jason in a short time huh?¡± He asked her. Ariana frowned.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I was just saying goodbye to him.¡± Ariana said.


    ¡°Come here,¡± He tugged her closer possessively and kissed the side of her head.


    Ariana felt something strange. She couldn¡¯t understand what. Did she feel loved? ¡°No.¡± She thought to herself. ¡°No, it¡¯s not what you think. Shut your rubbish thoughts and enjoy the trip.¡± She scolded herself.


    Daniel and Sean sat in the car, this time steering wheel was in Sean¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Ready to go to the next destination?¡± Sean asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ariana replied happily.


    ¡°But where are we going next?¡± She asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s a surprise, princess, and I bet you¡¯ll like it,¡± Daniel said and then they headed to their next destination.

 38

    Ariana


    ¡°Where are we, Sean?¡± I asked when Sean stopped the car.


    ¡°We¡¯re at the ADVENTURE SPOT. Here we¡¯ll do paragliding.¡± Sean smiled. My face lit up in excitement.


    ¡°Seriously, Adventure?¡± Xavier said in disbelief.


    ¡°Thank you, Sean. I¡¯ve always wanted to do an adventurous sport.¡± I said, embracing him tightly. Goodness, they were making my dreamse true.


    ¡°I take it as you like it,¡± Daniel said from behind.


    ¡°Like it? I love it, Daniel.¡± I grinned.


    ¡°So, let¡¯s get going,¡± Daniel shouted. Sean and Daniel walked ahead. I was about to walk after them but was stopped by Xavier.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your Jacket?¡± He frowned.


    ¡°Umm.. in the car,¡± I replied. He tugged my wrist and walked me to the car. He opened the door and took out my jacket.


    ¡°Wear this, it¡¯s chilly out here.¡± He made me wear my jacket as if trying to make five-year-old wear it.


    ¡°And wear these too.¡± He put sunsses on my eyes and a cap on my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know why these stupids chose this ce. There are many people here, if anyone here sees us they¡¯ll take photos and sell it to media¡± He grumbled.


    He then intertwined his fingers with mine making sparks tickle my body. I nced down at our intertwined hands and smiled. It was the first time he did something like that. The gesture of holding hands is so precious to me.


    ¡°Stay by my side.¡± He said and started walking. Those simple four words were enough to make my heart skip a beat. I hope someday he says ¡®stay by my side forever¡¯ and I, without thinking twice will oblige to it. But will he ever say that to me?


    When we went near Sean and Daniel, we found them tying harnesses around them.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked. Xavier still hadn¡¯t released my hand.


    ¡°We¡¯re going Paragliding,¡± Daniel said. I squealed and letting my hand free from Xavier¡¯s grip, I ran near to Daniel and Sean.


    ¡°You can do it yourself? You know paragliding?¡± I asked in surprise. They replied in ¡°yes¡±.


    ¡°I too want to do it.¡± I jumped happily.


    ¡°It¡¯s not safe for you,¡± Xavier said from behind. Pouting, I faced him.


    ¡°But I want to.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not trained, you¡¯ll hurt yourself.¡± He said.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am.¡± A man approached us who was wearing an ID card around his neck. ¡°Ma¡¯am if you want, you can also do paragliding. This is a tourist spot and many untrained people do that too. I can assist you with this. I¡¯ll tie you with me and take you up in the sky. I¡¯m a trained paraglider, it¡¯s my job to make our tourists who are not trained experience paragliding.¡± He suggested.


    My eyes lit up but I couldn¡¯t go up in the sky with just anybody, I couldn¡¯t let any stranger touch me.


    ¡°Thank you but, No. She¡¯s not interested.¡± Xavier pulled me towards him by my waist. I wanted to experience this extreme sport. I too wanted to experience flying in the air like Sean and Daniel. The man who suggested the idea left. I escaped from Xavier¡¯s grip and approached Daniel and Sean.


    ¡°Princess, take my phone and make a video of us paragliding.¡± Daniel handed his phone to me. I pouted, looking at him.


    ¡°Daniel, can¡¯t you take me with you? Sean?¡± I asked hopefully both of them.


    ¡°Princess, I would love to you but your man here is little extra protective towards you and if I do that against his will, he¡¯ll hang me to death.¡± Heughed, making me pout again.


    ¡°Goodness, you¡¯re so cute. Okay, I¡¯ll give you one suggestion. Ask Xavier, he is a trained and experienced paraglider.¡± Sean suggested.


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked in surprise.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Daniel said and ruffled my hair. They both said bye to me. I waved at them pouting while protruding my lower lip outwards.


    Grinning, they left for paragliding. I made their video,ughing excitedly at the way they were flying in the air. When theynded, I decided to ask Xavier.


    So, I turned around to look at Xavier who was by my side the whole time but was busy on his phone. I tugged the hem of his jacket, making him look at me.


    ¡°I want to do it.¡± I gave him my best puppy dog eyes.


    ¡°I told you, it¡¯s not safe.¡± What? Puppy dog eyes didn¡¯t work? I think I should try once more.


    ¡°But you¡¯ll be with me, right? Please.. please¡­ please, pretty please.¡± I again gave him puppy dog eyes. He groaned and mumbled something which I didn¡¯t hear.


    ¡°What will I get?¡± He asked, putting his phone back in his pocket.


    ¡°Anything¡­ I¡¯ll give you whatever you want.¡± I jumped excitedly. Wait? Did I just say I¡¯ll give him anything? But he has everything, what else he wants?


    ¡°Wait, what do you want?¡± I asked a little suspiciously. He grinned and stepped closer to me.


    ¡°Not something you can¡¯t give. As you agreed to give what I want, I¡¯ll give you what you want.¡± He pecked my cheek.


    I bit the corner of my lower lip. Did I do something wrong agreeing to him? Whatever it was, I would think of it afterward as at the moment I just wanted to go Paragliding.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He then led me to the area where crew members were preparing people for paragliding. He asked one of them to bring a safety suit, Xavier wore it but I didn¡¯t know how to tie it.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, let me help you.¡± The man who passed the safety suit said.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll do it,¡± Xavier said and made me wear the safety gear. I was d that Xavier helped me, I couldn¡¯t just let anyone touch me purposely.


    Then Xavier gave me strict instructions on what to do and what not to. He sternly made me memorize the instructions by repeating them at least ten times. Then he tied me with a safety belt against his body with my back pressed against his chest. I waved to Sean and Daniel who gave me thumbs up. Crew members helped us tie the glider to Xavier then he asked me to run. And just after a few minutes, we were in the air. I wasughing my heart out. We were going up and up in the clouds. The view there was so beautiful. It was cold over there but the excitement was more than the cold. After about ten minutes of flying in the air, wended.


    As soon as we were out of our safety suit, I hugged Xavier by snaking my arms around his neck.


    ¡°Thank you so much, Xavier. It was the best experience of my life. Thank you for making my dreame true. I always wanted to fly in the air like a bird.¡± I mumbled against his neck. His body was stiff. Then I realized what I did. I loosened up my arms around his neck to back away but he stopped me by snacking his arms around my waist.


    ¡°Anything for you.¡± He whispered in my ear, his lips touched my ear and I tightened my arms around his neck.


    I don¡¯t know for how long we were standing in that position but I didn¡¯t want to back away. I wanted to stay in his arms but someone¡¯s clearing of the throat make us pull apart. It was Daniel. I blushed. Goodness, what was I doing? We were in public.


    ¡°Your phone. I recorded the video.¡± Daniel handed me my phone. Xavier took my jacket, cap, and sunsses from Sean¡¯s hand and gave them to me. They too wore a cap and sses to hide from people.


    Then we went to stroll in the street market around. Many small shops were there for tourist attraction. I and Xavier were walking together as our fingers were intertwined. Daniel and Sean were behind us. Girls walking around didn¡¯t forget to steal a nce at the three men with me.


    I was walking, watching different shops when someone bumped into my shoulder and walked past me making me stumble on my steps. Xavier¡¯s hand instantly circled my waist bncing me.


    ¡°Hey watch where you¡¯re going.¡± He shouted looking in the man¡¯s direction.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Xavier, I¡¯m alright,¡± I said, touching his arm. He looked at me and calmed a little then he made me walk on his other side where no one could bump into me as there was a wall beside me.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    We went inside a huge clothing showroom. Xavier didn¡¯t let go of my hand and dragged me into the women¡¯s section.


    ¡°Pick whatever you want.¡± He said, making me look at him.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want anything I have enough clothes,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking, Ariana.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t brought my wallet,¡± I said, I had just a few dors in my pocket.


    ¡°Did I ask you for money?¡± He asked.


    ¡°But..¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you too stubborn? Did you forget what I told you I¡¯ll do when you act stubborn?¡± He smirked.


    I¡¯ll kiss you when you act stubborn. I remember his words.


    I nodded my head, blushing at the same time.


    ¡°Good. Now pick up the clothes if you don¡¯t want me to do that in public.¡± He said and started searching for clothes. I too started searching the racks. Xavier handed me three pairs of jeans, five t-shirts, two pairs of shorts, and a crop top.


    ¡°Go, try them.¡± He said.


    ¡°I d.. don¡¯t wear sh.. shorts or crop top.¡± I stuttered. I hope he doesn¡¯t force me to buy them I can¡¯t wear shorts because of scars on my thighs and lower stomach.


    ¡°There¡¯s always the first time for everything. Go and try.¡± He said nonchntly. My eyes went wide. No, I won¡¯t. I can¡¯t let him see my marks.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Xavier.. please¡­I c.. can¡¯t.¡± I lowered my head. He raised my head by putting his index finger under my chin. I saw his eyes softened.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want then it¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t force you to do something you don¡¯t want.¡± He said softly. I nodded my head and went to try the clothes. Xavier gave me more clothes to try. He also made me try some casual sundresses which weren¡¯t revealing and were full-length. I liked them. After he made me try many clothes and gave his review of them, he turned to the salesdy who was standing with us.


    ¡°We¡¯re buying all.¡± My eyes went wide.


    ¡°No Xavier, these are too much.¡±


    ¡°But they look good on you,¡± Xavier said emphasizing every word, and walked me to the cash counter. He passed his card to the cashier. I didn¡¯t know how much all of that cost because Xavier didn¡¯t let me even see the bill receipt.


    Then we the men¡¯s section. He started searching for something for himself. My eyesnded on an off-white printed t-shirt.


    ¡°Try this,¡± I said, handing the shirt to him. He gazed into my eyes and without looking at the shirt he grabbed it from my hand and handed it over to the salesman who was assisting us to pick up clothes.


    ¡°Pack this.¡± He said to him.


    ¡°But you haven¡¯t even tried it. What it if doesn¡¯t look good on you?¡± I frowned. He gave me his most beautiful smile and stepped closer to me.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to try. You chose that for me, without any doubt it¡¯ll be good.¡± He said, adjusting my cap on my head. I blushed.


    ¡°Hey, Princess look at this. Is it good? Should I buy it?¡± I looked in Daniel¡¯s direction who was approaching us with a belt in his hand.


    Belt? No.. no.. no..


    My breath instantly became ragged looking at the belt. I felt my palms getting sweaty. Fear crept inside me. He was holding the belt. The belt that gave me the most dreadful memories. The belt that gave me scars on my soul. I started trembling. I started panicking.


    I felt like they were approaching me to give me more scars. No, they.. they can¡¯te near me. They have done enough damage to me. No¡­


    ¡°Hey, what happened Ariana?¡± Xavier¡¯s voice pulled me back into reality. I sighed in relief. That wasn¡¯t real. I was free and safe. I was with Xavier.


    ¡°You okay?¡± He asked, cupping my face, the worry was evident in his voice.


    ¡°Y.. yes¡­ I¡¯m okay¡± I said rubbing my sweaty palms on my jeans.


    ¡°What happened? Why did you zone out?¡± Sean asked, who I didn¡¯t know was standing with Daniel.


    ¡°Princess, you okay?¡± He asked touching my arm, the belt was still in his hand. I averted my eyes from the belt.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Then why were you shivering?¡± Xavier asked. Oh no. I have toe up with something.


    ¡°Um¡­I suddenly felt cold. Maybe that¡¯s why.¡±


    ¡°Then you should keep the buttons of your Jacket closed.¡± Xavier scolded me, buttoning up my jacket. Then he pulled me into the embrace of his arms. Safe¡­ that¡¯s what I felt. Warmth¡­ that¡¯s what I found in his embrace.


    ¡°Okay now?¡± He asked. I nodded my head in his chest. He kissed my head and pulled away. He was making me fall for him more and more.


    ¡°So, should I buy this?¡± Daniel asked.


    ¡°Y.. yeah you should,¡± I said, not looking at the belt.


    After shopping, we went for lunch. We decided to have lunch in a small diner which was near the clothing shop as we all were famished and couldn¡¯t wait to eat. We didn¡¯t remove our sses and caps to make it a little difficult for people to recognize us.


    ¡°What you wanna eat, princess?¡± Daniel asked me when we all sat in the farthest corner of the diner. Xavier and I on one side of the table, Daniel and Sean on another side.


    ¡°I want Pizza and chicken nuggets,¡± I said excitedly. Chicken nuggets are my favorite.


    ¡°No junk food. Eat something healthy.¡± Xavier grumbled.


    ¡°Pizza isn¡¯t junk food,¡± Daniel argued. Good, my bro.


    ¡°It is. You too should start eating healthy.¡± Xaviermented.


    ¡°Where is fun in that?¡± Daniel grinned which made Xavier roll his eyes. Daniel and I decided to have pizza. Xavier ordered pizza for me and baked salmon for himself. I didn¡¯t order chicken nuggets since Daniel had already ordered enough.


    After eating, we all went out of the diner.


    We were walking on the street. I and Xavier walking together, Sean and Daniel ahead of us. After walking for a few minutes Sean and Daniel stopped in their track and turned towards us.


    ¡°What is he doing here?¡± Both of them mumbled making me frown.


    ¡°Who¡¯s here?¡± Xavier asked.


    ¡°Trent and he¡¯sing in our direction,¡± Daniel said.


    ¡°Whose Tren-¡± Before I could ask, Xavier dragged me away towards the car.


    ¡°Sit inside the car and don¡¯te out.¡± He ordered, making me sit in the car.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked adjusting myself in the seat.


    ¡°Trent is an old friend, and is not a nice person. So you¡¯ll sit here till we talk to him. Okay?¡±


    I nodded my head then he went away, shutting the door. Sighing, I leaned against the backrest of the seat.


    The day out was full of fun, I really enjoyed it a lot. Especially the paragliding. I never thought that I would be able to fly so high in the sky. I always wanted to feel like a bird. I felt free. Being free is a whole new world for those who used to be trapped in some way or the other. I was also trapped. I just hoped for the day I would be set free from the trap. When I was forced to marry Xavier, I thought my life would be worst but totally opposite happened. Marrying him was my first step to freedom. He made me understand what freedom actually was. Though he gave orders, still, it¡¯s a totally different feeling. It didn¡¯t feel like he was binding me.


    And by his acts, he was making him admire him more and more.


    I opened my eyes and looked out of the window. My eyes fell on an old man sitting across the street wrapped in a nket. He was looking at the people who were enjoying food standing near the food truck. I think he¡¯s homeless and hungry.


    I got out of the car, bought two sandwiches and a hot coffee from the food truck with the few dors I had with me, and went near the old man.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± I said, he looked up at me.


    ¡°This is for you.¡± I smiled, offering him what I bought for him.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He snatched them from my hand and started eating. He indeed was hungry. I sat beside him on the street.


    ¡°What¡¯re you doing? Don¡¯t sit here, your clothes will get dirty.¡± He said.


    ¡°I¡¯m giving youpany and if my clothes get dirty, I¡¯ll wash them¡± I shrugged and smiled at him. I don¡¯t like people treating homeless people like dirt. They too are humans just they don¡¯t have money or a home to live in. It doesn¡¯t mean that should be ignored like nothing.


    ¡°Why are you sitting here?¡± I asked. I know it¡¯s not my business to ask but I know he must be lonely and surely wanted to talk to anyone.


    ¡°Oh, just waiting for my son to take me home.¡± He smiled. My heart dropped. He was waiting for his son? His son abandoned him?


    ¡°Since when are you sitting here?¡± I asked, my heart started beating fast.


    ¡°Two weeks. My son said he¡¯lle to take me when he¡¯ll be free from work.¡± He said hopefully. Tears prickled in my eyes. He was living on false hope. His good-for-nothing son had abandoned him. How could anyone do this to their parents? Many people in the world are dying to feel their parents¡¯ love and some people are so cruel that they abandon the one who brought them into the world. People really don¡¯t know the value of what they have. Humanity is really lost from this world.


    ¡°Your son¡­¡± I almost cried.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, my child. I know what you trying to say. I know my son won¡¯te.¡± He smiled sadly.


    ¡°You should go to an old age home. If you don¡¯t know the ce I¡¯ll help you.¡± I said. Xavier, Sean, and Daniel could help me with it.


    ¡°No dear. I don¡¯t want to go. I know I¡¯m living with false hope but I still have hope. What if one day he changes his mind andes searching for me?¡± He said hopefully. A lone tear escaped from my eye.


    ¡°But.. still living on streets is not the only option,¡± I said.


    ¡°My child, don¡¯t cry for me. If not for my son, I¡¯m waiting for my death. My days are almost near. And I want to live those remaining days with positive hope. Don¡¯t cry for me. Dear, you¡¯re a very kind girl, you are not like others who treated me as filth. You made me realize humanity is still alive in this world. Keep up with this. This money-hungry world needs people like you. Live your life to the fullest and spread love. For the remaining days I have left with me, I¡¯ll pray that you, my sweet child, get all the happiness in the world.¡± He smiled, patting my head. His words made my vision blurred. I almost cried but I stopped myself. He was smiling on the worst days of his life, I couldn¡¯t cry in front of him, it would only make him feel sad. He didn¡¯t want any kind of help but I could help him buy food. I could give him money.


    I stood up and searched for money in my pockets. Then I realized, I hadn¡¯t brought my wallet with me and the few dors I had, I bought food for him. Uh oh! What to do now?


    I could ask for money from Sean or Daniel. Xavier had already paid for my clothes. I couldn¡¯t ask him.


    ¡°Wait a minute, I¡¯ll juste.¡± I stood up turned to search for them, but as soon as I turned around, my eyesnded on Xavier who was standing a few feet away from where I was standing.

 39

    Xavier Knight


    I liked the feeling I received when our fingers intertwined with each other. It felt like there was a strong connection between us. I didn¡¯t want to let go of her hand, I didn¡¯t want her to leave my side even for a second.


    Those two stupids had nned a day out to roam in public. What were they even thinking? Did they forget that if anyone recognizes us, it¡¯d be a mess? And above all, she was with us, if the media got the hold of this news it would be in the newspaper and magazines the very next day. I didn¡¯t want the media to disturb her peace.


    I tried my best not to make her do that extreme sport, I didn¡¯t want her to be in any kind of danger but DAMN those eyes. Her bewitching and innocent eyes cast a spell on me. I wasn¡¯t able to deny her but I couldn¡¯t make myself not be a little selfish. That wasn¡¯t my n to ask something from her but I did that to tease her, I thought she would stop whining but she agreed then I took her to paraglide. Obviously, I couldn¡¯t let anyone else touch her, so being a trained paraglider, I took her in the sky.


    She took me by surprise when she hugged me tightly and thanked me for making her dreame true. That was the moment when I felt like all of that was worth it. I felt very special, I felt like I was the luckiest person in the world who made her dreame true. I felt calm,posed, peaceful, and satisfied. Her scent had a tranquilizing effect on me. And at that moment I swore to myself that I would make her every dreame true.


    When Daniel told me Trent was here I immediately dragged her away so he couldn¡¯t see her. He didn¡¯t have a good image amongst women. I left her in the car to catch-up with an old friend of mine. In the middle of our talk, I felt the urge to check on her, if she was okay or not. So I excused myself by making an excuse.


    On my way back, I bought some chicken nuggets for her. She wanted those as well but didn¡¯t order. I just wanted her smile back.


    When I reached the car I didn¡¯t find her there, I became restless. I immediately dialed her number but her phone rang in the car.


    ¡°Fuck why can¡¯t she keep her phone with her?¡± I mumbled. I ced the box of nuggets in the car and looked around to search for her.


    While searching I found her sitting beside an old man on the street. What was she doing there? I crossed the road and began approaching but stopped a few meters away when I saw her talking with an old man who was eating his food with a satisfactory smile on his face. She gave him food to eat.


    I wasn¡¯t able to hear what they were talking about but I saw what was happening there. I saw her sitting on the street beside that homeless man talking to him, giving himpany to take away his loneliness. Not bothering about the dirt, not bothering about her clothes getting dirty, not bothering about people strangely looking at her, she engaged the old man in a conversation. The smile on the old man¡¯s face was proof that he liked herpany. He patted her head like giving her a blessing which made her smile.


    She surely knows how to give respect to others. She¡¯s different, she doesn¡¯t think twice before helping others. Like she was doing it now. Many people ignore homeless people like they¡¯re some shit. They don¡¯t even give a single nce to them like they¡¯re not humans. They don¡¯t feel anything for homeless people, they don¡¯t know how lonely these people feel. People don¡¯t even want to understand the reason why these people live on the streets.


    This moment and this kind gesture of hers was enough to melt my heart. This kind act of her hit directly at my soft spot, my chest puffed and I felt proud of her. No one ever gave me that feeling. I felt like I was the lucky one to have this kind of woman in my life. I wanted to submerge in this feeling for the rest of my life. Yes, I confessed to myself that I never felt like this before, I never had the urge to want anyone this badly in my life. And I won¡¯t lie that I had started liking her.


    I like her smile, herughter. I like holding her in my arms, I like kissing her for no reason, I like her cute expressions, I like every little thing about her. I care for her, I can¡¯t see her in any pain. I¡¯m hell possessive for her. I even have started feeling jealous when I find her with another man. These things are enough to make me understand that I do like her.


    I saw her when she got up and started searching for something in her pockets. She then said something to the old man and turned around¡­ that is when our eyes met.


    She started walking towards me. She came and stood in front of me. Her sunsses were in her hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I got out of the car.¡± She spoke softly.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay but you should have at least informed me. And why do you have the habit of leaving your phone in the car.¡± I asked. Her safety was most important to me.


    ¡°Sorry, I forgot.¡± She mumbled.


    ¡°What were you doing out?¡± I asked. I saw her but I wanted to hear it from her. I also wanted to know what was she searching for.


    ¡°Umm.. I was¡­Uh.. can you tell me where is Sean or Daniel?¡± She asked, dismissing my question.


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked, frowning.


    ¡°I wanted¡­ something.¡± She said, averting her eyes from mine. What the hell is that something that they could give but I couldn¡¯t? And in the first ce why she has to ask them? Why can¡¯t shee directly to me?


    ¡°What?¡± I asked again.


    ¡°I.. I w.. wanted to a.. ask for money.¡± She stuttered. Money? She could have asked me for it.


    Why would she ask you? You called her gold digger¡­ Remember? A strange voice in my head mocked me.


    ¡°For what?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I wanted to help the homeless man sitting across the street.¡± She whispered, lowering her head.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe to me to ask for that?¡±


    ¡°Y.. you already paid for my.. clothes.¡± She said. Did she think I¡¯ll deny her request?


    I wanted her toe to me if needed any kind of help. I wanted her to trust me. I took a hold of her wrist and dragged her towards the car.


    I made her sit in the back seat of the car and slipping inside beside her I shut the door. I grabbed her arm and brought her body closer to mine.


    ¡°Listen to me Ariana and listen carefully because I won¡¯t repeat this ever again. If you want anything¡­like anything,e directly to me. I¡¯ll give you everything you want. Never think of going to others to ask for anything. You¡¯re my wife. It makes me the first person for you to ask for anything. Get that?¡±


    Wait¡­Did I just call her my wife?


    Her eyes went wide, her face showed shock. That was bound to happen because I called her my wife which I always denied even ept.


    ¡°Get that?¡± I asked again, dismissing the thought. She nodded her head meekly but I didn¡¯t let go of her arm. There was more wanted her to understand.


    ¡°Why you always deny my money, Huh? That¡¯s my money and what¡¯s mine is yours since you are my wife. I want you to use it. Next time don¡¯t think twice to ask for money, you can ask for any amount you want. I won¡¯t deny it. Just never ask it from anyone else. Okay?¡± I said softly. She hesitantly nodded her head. I wanted her to know that she wasn¡¯t a gold digger as I used her. She¡¯s a pure soul.


    ¡°Ariana I really appreciate your kindness towards that homeless man. I think we should do something for him. We can bring him to shelters for homeless people.¡± I said. She looked at me with sad eyes.


    ¡°I asked him but he denied. I tried to convince him but he said no. That¡¯s why I thought I could help him with some money but I didn¡¯t have my wallet with me.¡± She said sadly. She felt she won¡¯t be able to help him. But I won¡¯t let that happen.


    I immediately took out $1000 from my wallet and handed it over to her.


    ¡°Go, help him,¡± I said. She took the money with hesitation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too much?¡±


    ¡°Believe me when I say that this amount is not even close to digging a hole in my bank ount,¡± I assured her.


    She nodded her head and stepped out of the car. She sat down on her knees and handed him the money. I saw him denying the money but Ariana pointed her index finger in front of him. Iughed, she was threatening him to take the money. He took the money and patted her head. She then stood up from there.


    She smiled in satisfaction which made me smile in gratification. This is what I needed, her smile. That was enough for my heart to dance in happiness. She came and sat inside the car.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She smiled at me.


    ¡°No need to say thanks,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Here, this is for you,¡± I said, passing the box of chicken nuggets to her. She looked at the box and gasped as she saw what was written on the box.


    ¡°Chicken nuggets?¡± She asked in shock.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I smiled.


    ¡°For me?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She squealed in surprise and excitedly opened the box and started eating.


    ¡°Mmmm¡­this is soooo good.¡± She moaned.


    ¡°Thank you so much. I was craving for them.¡± She said happily.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± I replied, smiling and ruffled her hair which she didn¡¯t pay attention to as she was busy eating.


    Living with her for two months had made me realize that she didn¡¯t need anything extravagant to be happy. She finds happiness in small things. Like food, her face lit up when she sees food.


    I was surprised that in just two months she had managed to change my views about her that too in a positive way. And she made me feel something for her that I never felt before for anyone.


    ¡°Xavier.¡± She looked at me with her stunning ck eyes, studying me intently.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Your smile is beautiful. Never stop smiling.¡±


    Damn!!!! She making me like her even more.


    ¡°Nope¡­yours is more beautiful.¡± I found myself replying which made her eyes go wide. Her face covered with a blush. She tried to look away but I didn¡¯t let her. I pulled her face closer to me by putting my hand behind her neck.


    ¡°X¡­ Xavier.¡± She whispered.


    I nced at her lips, I was dying to taste them since morning but I was not going to kiss her because I promised myself that in our next kiss I¡¯d make her kiss me back. And that was not the right moment to do that. I wanted to take my time to teach her. I wanted to make her pro in that and I¡¯d do it for sure.


    So I moved forward and kissed the corner of her mouth.


    ¡°Woah! Are we disturbing you two?¡±


    I groaned when I heard the voice of two disturbing elements. Ariana immediately pulled away and hid her face by lowering her head. I red at two fuckers who were now sitting on the front seat, grinning while looking in our direction.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not. Now drive to the next spot.¡± I gave them a tight-lipped, sarcastic smile.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°You really want that? If you want, Sean and I can go out of the car so you can continue¡­¡±


    I smacked his head harshly making him groan.


    ¡°What the fuuu¡­. unky man you are¡± Daniel changed his words when he saw Ariana¡¯s head shot up and when she narrowed her eyes at him. Sean and Iughed out hard. That was so funny.


    ¡°Now drive,¡± I said when myugh died down.


    Then they took us to other ces they had nned for the day-out. After roaming here and there for some time, we stopped to have dinner in a fancy restaurant.


    After dinner, we were about to leave but stopped when we saw Paparazzi crowding the entrance of the restaurant.


    ¡°Shit. How will we go out?¡± I mumbled. Ariana tightened her grip on my arm. I looked at her to find her looking outside in uneasiness. I knew she was afraid of the crowd. And these Paparazzi are like animals, they¡¯ll jump on us the moment we step out.


    ¡°How did they got the news that we are here?¡± Sean said frustratingly.


    ¡°They are Paparazzi, they can smell any celebrity from even a mile distance,¡± Daniel replied.


    ¡°This was bound to happen. How could you even think that you¡¯ll n the day out and they won¡¯t follow us? We don¡¯t even have bodyguards with us.¡± I said annoyingly.


    ¡°How will we hide Ariana from them?¡± I asked. ¡°I don¡¯t want them to crowd around her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just talk to the manager to ask for guards.¡± Saying that Sean went to talk to the manager. After a few minutes, Sean came with the manager.


    ¡°Mr. Knight pleasure to meet you. I have ordered hotel security to make way for you.¡± Manager said.


    I asked Ariana to wear her sses. I circled my left arm around her shoulder and pressed her face in my chest with my right hand.


    ¡°Stay like this,¡± I said and walked outside. My hand was on her face so that Paparazzi couldn¡¯t get a glimpse of her face.


    The moment we went outside Paparazzi started clicking photos and threw questions towards us.


    ¡°Who is this girl with you?¡±


    ¡°Why are you hiding her face?¡±


    ¡°Is she your girlfriend?¡±


    We simply walked, ignoring their questions. Security didn¡¯t let them reach us. Daniel and Sean were also trying their best to hide Ariana from them. Ariana tightened her grip on my shirt, she was frightened. I didn¡¯t let go of my hand from her face.


    Anyhow, we reached our car. Sean opened the door and I helped her sit in the car covering her face. Then after thanking the security, we drove away.


    ¡°That was scary,¡± Ariana mumbled. I pulled her closer to me and rubbed her shoulder. It was her first experience with the camera.


    ¡°These people don¡¯t know how to give personal space,¡± Sean said angrily.


    ¡°Sorry princess, you had to go through that.¡± Dean apologized, looking in the rearview mirror, he was driving the car.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, that wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± She gave him a tiring smile. I rested her head on my shoulder and she didn¡¯t protest. She must be really tired. After a few minutes, she fell asleep.


    Daniel stopped the car in the private parking of my penthouse building.


    ¡°Hey, Ariana, wake up. We have arrived.¡± I said, softly shaking her. She pulled her head away from my shoulder and rubbed her eyes. She nodded her head and stepped out of the car.


    ¡°Good night princess, I hope you enjoyed your day.¡± Daniel smiled at her. She moved towards him and embraced him in a hug.


    ¡°Thank you so much. Today was the best day of my life. I enjoyed a lot.¡± She said. Daniel kissed the side of her head. She then hugged Sean.


    ¡°Thank you so much for giving me the best experience of my life.¡± Sean smiled and kissed her forehead.


    I didn¡¯t stop her from doing so, she likes her brothers very much. But sometimes those two stupids be too close and touchy. I didn¡¯t like that, but of course, I couldn¡¯t say anything as they did that to tease me. And I know what they felt for her. They adore her as their sister, they too wanted to give her happiness, they too wanted to keep her safe.


    ¡°Good night, man.¡± Daniel and Sean came hugged me together.


    ¡°Good night and thank you,¡± I said.


    ¡°Thank you for what?¡± They asked pulling away.


    ¡°You won¡¯t understand.¡± I shook my head. They won¡¯t understand that they helped me in realizing my feelings towards her by nning the day out.


    ¡°Seriously? We won¡¯t understand?¡± Sean smirked. I raised my eyebrows at him.


    ¡°Xavier, this wouldn¡¯t have happened if we hadn¡¯t understood.¡± Daniel mocked, pointing between Ariana and me.


    ¡°So.. never say that we won¡¯t understand because we do, more than you,¡± Sean patted my shoulder, making me smile secretly. Nothing can be hidden from these two.


    They then left.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said to Ariana. I asked the security guard to bring shopping bags to the penthouse. When we reached the penthouse I apanied her to her room.


    ¡°You must be tired, go get some sleep. Good night.¡± I kissed her forehead. I can¡¯t stop myself from kissing her forehead. She nodded her head and opened the door of her room. I turned around to leave but she stopped me by calling my name.


    ¡°Xavier.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± I looked at her. She came near me and without hesitation embraced me in a hug.


    ¡°Thank you so much. Without you, the day wouldn¡¯t have been fun.¡± She mumbled against my chest. I circled my arms around her. I felt really special. I smiled satisfactorily. I thought she would be upset that I gatecrashed their trip. But no, I was wrong, she liked my presence beside her.


    She pulled away and smiled.


    ¡°Good night.¡±


    ¡°Good night.¡±


    Saying that I went into my room. After changing my clothes, I slept, wishing to meet her in my dreams.

 40

    Ariana


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re smiling. May I know the reason behind your secret smile?¡± Mrs. Molly¡¯s voice pulled me out of my dreand. I nced at her to find her looking at me with a mischievous smile.


    Then I realized where I was and what I had been doing. I was in the kitchen, dressed up for work, helping her with breakfast. And I was in my dreand thinking about what happened yesterday. I was thinking about Xavier. For the first time, he called me his wife. I don¡¯t know if that slipped out his tongue or he really wanted to call me his wife. But him calling me his wife was more than enough for every organ of my body to dance in happiness.


    ¡°Umm.. nothing, Mrs. Molly. I was just thinking about yesterday,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Oh, the day-out with the boys. Your smile is proof that you had fun.¡± Shemented.


    ¡°A lot.¡± I gave her a satisfactory smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy that everything is getting on track. And I like your hair.¡± She said patting my cheek. Her eyes showed warmth. And yes, I had my hair down. Xavier¡¯spliment gave little confidence to me.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a day off? You must be tired roaming here and there yesterday.¡± She asked.


    ¡°Mrs. Molly, you very well know what business is like. I can¡¯t just take a day off when I know there¡¯s loads of work waiting for me. Besides, the off I got yesterday filled me with energy. Now it¡¯s time to use that energy in a good way.¡± I exined.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re under Xavier¡¯s influence, he has turned you into a workaholic.¡± Sheughed.


    ¡°Now go and call Xavier for breakfast.¡±


    I nodded my head and headed to his room. He was still home, I don¡¯t know what was he waiting for. It¡¯s the second time he was being for work. Not exactlyte, but still, he used to leave early.


    I reached in front of his room. The door of his room was half open so I knocked and entered without even waiting for his permission.


    And what I saw inside his room made me freeze in my ce, my eyes went wide and my face heated up. Xavier was standing near his bed with a shirt in his hand.. not on his body. He was standing just in suit pants with the upper body bare.


    I gulped when my eyesnded on his toned abs. His stomach area looked like¡­like someone carved those beautiful shapes there. His body was amazing like some sculptor had patiently craved all the cut, dips, and bends in his muscles. How much time does he spend in the gym? And when does he get time for the gym? I never saw him doing any exercise.


    ¡°Is the show worthy? If it¡¯s not, I can make it more worthy.¡±


    It took me a few seconds to register the words that echoed in the room and then it drowned me, I was gawking at his naked body.


    I immediately turned my back at him, covering my innocent eyes with my hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to¡­I umm¡­I just came to tell you that breakfast is ready.¡± I mumbled. I could feel the heat on my cheeks.


    ¡°Oh! Okay, but why are you covering your eyes?¡± He asked and I could bet on my food he was smirking.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re not wearing your shirt,¡± I stated in an obvious tone. Then I heard heavy footstepsing towards me.. no, no no.. he¡¯sing near me.


    He stopped behind me. The heat radiated in my body told me that he¡¯s just a few inches away from me.


    ¡°So?¡± His breath fanned my neck making me shudder.


    ¡°It means you¡¯re naked¡± I mumbled under my breath not wanting him to listen to what I said.


    Then he moved more closer to me. My heartbeat started beating at a rapid rate. My hands were still covering my eyes.


    ¡°Oh sweetheart, I can assure you that¡­you haven¡¯t seen me naked¡­yet.¡± He whispered huskily in my ear. A shiver ran down my spine and goosebumps erupted on my body.


    Goodness, he heard that? He wasn¡¯t supposed to hear that!


    ¡°But I heard that.. loud and clear.¡± He whispered. His lips touched my ears which send tingles in my body.


    Did I say that loud?


    ¡°Not that much loud but what do you think, you¡¯d talk about my body and I¡¯d not hear that?¡± He kissed below by ear, making me jump a little.


    What is happening here?


    The next thing I did would make me the stupidest person in his eyes. I ran out of his room without pulling my hands away from my eyes. Not caring about tripping over, I just ran until I was in the living room. I removed my hands from my eyes and blew a breath of relief.


    What was that? I embarrassed myself in front of him, first by gawking at his perfectly sculpted body and then running away like a fool.


    Iposed myself by patting my cheeks and counted till ten before heading to the kitchen. I can¡¯t let Mrs. Molly see my flushed face.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here. Xavier ising, right?¡± Mrs. Molly asked as I entered the kitchen.


    Uh¡­He didn¡¯t say anything abouting. What should I say to her? He¡¯lle, why would he skip breakfast?


    ¡°Yeah, he is¡­I guess.¡± I mumbled thest words under my breath.


    ¡°Okay. Should I serve you first?¡± She asked me.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll wait for him,¡± I replied as it would be rude if I start eating without him.


    I picked up the ss of water to drink as my throat was dry because of what happened up in his room. I started drinking water but choked when I saw Xavier entering the kitchen just in his suit pants.


    ¡°Oh dear, you okay?¡± Mrs. Molly grabbed the ss from my hand and passed me tissues. She patted my back.


    ¡°Yes *cough* I¡¯m *cough* okay,¡± I replied, wiping my mouth with a tissue.


    ¡°You sure you okay?¡± The one who was the reason I choked asked and I could bet on my favorite chicken nuggets that I sensed yfulness in his voice.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay,¡± I replied looking everywhere but him. Why is he here without wearing his shirt?


    ¡°Okay, nowe sit both of you. I¡¯ll serve breakfast.¡± Mrs. Molly said and rounded the counter.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°Ariana,e sit here.¡± Xavier sat on the barstool ced against the middle counter of the kitchen and patted on the chair ced beside him.


    He wants me to sit beside him when he¡¯s looking like that?


    ¡°We don¡¯t have all day, Ariana. Come, sit.¡± He said. I scratched the back of my ear. Will I be able to eat peacefully sensing the effect he has on me?


    ¡°Ariana dear, why are you standing there. Come sit otherwise your breakfast will get cold.¡± Mrs. Molly said. I sat on the chair beside him. Mrs. Molly served breakfast to both of us.


    Xavier didn¡¯t utter a word and I avoided looking at him but still, my body was shaking a little. Shaking of my body couldn¡¯t be seen by others but I was affected by it as wasn¡¯t able to eat properly. He was sitting too close, almost naked.


    ¡°Xavier dear, you want anything else?¡± Mrs. Molly asked him.


    ¡°Not now,¡± Xavier replied and then I felt his gaze on me, I didn¡¯t dare to look at him. ¡°Maybe afterward.¡±


    My hand stopped in mid-air when he said that. What did he mean by that?


    ¡°Ariana, you?¡± I looked up at Mrs. Molly. She had a mischievous smile on her face and was wiggling her eyebrows. My face flushed, I hurriedly replied ¡®no¡¯ and dug in my breakfast. I didn¡¯t look up until I finished my breakfast.


    After Mrs. Molly left, I stood up from the chair and turned to leave but was stopped by the tug on my wrist. What does he want now?


    ¡°Going somewhere?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yes, umm, work,¡± I replied without turning around. He stood up from his chair and pulled me back, trapping me between him and the counter. I gripped the edge of the counter tightly and pressed myself against the counter to make some distance.


    ¡°From now on you¡¯ll go with me.¡± He said looking into my eyes.


    ¡°People will see us,¡± I pointed out.


    ¡°Do you think I care about people?¡± He asked.


    But I care. I care about your reputation. People will say many things if they¡¯ll see us together. I wanted to say this but I bit back my words.


    ¡°O.. okay, then maybe.. you should get ready,¡± I said, averting my eyes.


    ¡°I will, but first¡­ let me teach you the lesson of the day.¡±


    My eyes instantly met his. He smirked and leaned forward, cing his hand on either side of me on the counter.


    ¡°Wha¡­what lesson?¡± I asked. I knew what he was talking about. I¡¯m very shy, I can¡¯t just ept to learn to kiss openly.


    But Ari why don¡¯t you ept that you want to learn it and only from him. An evil voice in my head said.


    ¡°You¡¯re a bad student Ariana. You have a very bad memory. But being a good teacher I am I¡¯ll make you a good student too.¡± He winked.


    He tilted his head and inched closer and closer, and closer. Just when his lips were about to touch mine, he pulled away from me a little and grinned, showing his white teeth.


    ¡°Are you nning on making a world record of the highest number of kisses in the kitchen?¡±


    I looked at him in confusion.


    ¡°This will be our third kiss and that too in the kitchen again.¡± Heughed, making me blush.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t mind till I¡¯m getting what I want. Now kiss me.¡± He instantly said, making me look at him with wide eyes.


    ¡°What? Do it. I¡¯m waiting¡± He whispered huskily. I can¡¯t escape. Can I? I think I have to do this. Well, because maybe I want to.


    So I mustered up the courage and moved my face closer to his and pressed my lips on his cheek. He stiffened on my action. Did I do something wrong?


    I pulled away immediately and lowered my head, feeling embarrassed about myself. I can¡¯t give him what he wants. He ced his index finger under my chin and he lifted my head and gave me his sweetest smile.


    ¡°I loved it but that is not what I was asking for, Ari.¡±


    Organisms in my stomach did the backflip together making me feel fuzzy all of a sudden. He loved it? He loved the kiss I gave him? And he called me Ari?


    Only my father called me by this nickname.


    ¡°But what I want is¡­kiss on my lips.¡± He said, pointing his finger at his lips.


    ¡°I.. ca.. can¡¯t. I don¡¯t know.¡± I stuttered.


    ¡°That is what I¡¯m here for. To teach you exactly what you don¡¯t know.¡± He said, grabbing my hands and ced them on his bare chest. I flinched a little on the intimate skin-to-skin contact. I felt the muscles of his chest flexed. He then made my hands slide up around his neck.


    ¡°Keep your hands like this.¡± He slid his hands down my body feeling my every curve and braced his both arms around my waist.


    ¡°Now touch your lips with mine.¡± He whispered looking into my eyes with desire. Yearning desire of something extensive, something deep was visible in his eyes.


    The desire in his eyes made me lost in eyes. I was hypnotized. The longing in his eyes made me do the thing that I wouldn¡¯t dare to do even in my dream.


    I inched closer and closing my eyes, I pressed my lips on his. Current instantly flowed in my veins. He gripped me tightly and my hands automatically tightened around his neck.


    Neither of us moved our lips. After a few seconds, he pulled away.


    ¡°Open your eyes, Ari.¡± He whispered but instead of opening them, I closed them more tightly. I could feel heat ming on my face. I can¡¯t meet his eyes after what I did a few seconds ago. All my courage drained.


    ¡°I think you really don¡¯t know the meaning of ¡®open your eyes¡¯.¡± He chuckled and kissed the corner of my mouth. I slowly opened my eyes and looked into his eyes.


    ¡°Damn! Your eyes.¡± Saying that he crashed his lips with mine. He kissed me sensually and passionately. This kiss felt different from the other kisses he gave me. The kiss was full of desire.


    He glided his one hand up my back and tangled it in my hair. He gave a tug in my hair making me gasp. He took it as an advantage and plunged his tongue into my mouth. My hands around his neck tightened to get some support as my knees turned into jelly. I moaned into his mouth which earned a groan from him.


    He then slid his hand down my back. His hands go lower and gripped my hips, making me freeze. My mind went nk.


    Ari stop, don¡¯t you dare go there. It¡¯s over, you¡¯re not there anymore. You¡¯re free. It¡¯s Xavier & you like him. He won¡¯t hurt you in any way.


    But he touched me where I hate the most. It reminds me of those filthy hands that touched me there. His touch was not at all like the way they touched me. But the part of my body he touched brought those painful memories back. All of a sudden I felt like crying, I felt dirty. The way I was being touched in my past gave me the most dreadful scar on my body and soul.


    I immediately pulled my hands away from around his neck and tried to push him away by pressing my hands on his chest. But he didn¡¯t budge instead he gave a squeeze on my butt and pulled me more against him. I was out of the air. I needed oxygen. He sensed that and spared my mouth. My breathing was heavy and ragged, not just because of the kiss but also because of what was going in my mind. His hands were still on my hips.


    ¡°Xa¡­ Xavier.. let go.¡± I stuttered. I didn¡¯t want to speak. I knew I would break down but I didn¡¯t want to do it in front of him. I didn¡¯t want him to see me vulnerable. I don¡¯t have an ounce of courage to exin to him any single thing.


    ¡°Something wrong? Di.. did I hurt you in any way.¡± He let go of my hips and cupped my face. I silently sighed in relief.


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t. I¡¯m fine.¡± I voiced out a little confidently. I didn¡¯t want him to ask any question to which I don¡¯t have an answer.


    He was about to say something when his phone rang. He answered the call.


    ¡°Yes, Sean¡­what urgent matter?.. Okay, I¡¯m on my way.¡± Saying that he hung the call.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just go and get ready then we¡¯ll leave for work together.¡± He kissed the side of my mouth and rushed to his room.


    I touched my lips and smiled, apart from that touching part, I loved every single thing.


    I wonder what the urgent matter was. Hope it¡¯s not anything bad. And thank heaven the topic was diverted by the call. I picked my bag and coat from my room then we went to work together.


    It was just ten minutes sitting in my office working when my inte buzzed. I picked it up.


    ¡°Send media rtions head from the PR department in my office,¡± Xavier ordered gravely and hung the call.


    What happened to him? He was in a good morning back at home and now he sounds angry. And why is he asking for Bianca and Diana? They¡¯re the head of media rtions.


    I shrugged my shoulders and called the PR department to deliver the message.


    After about ten more minutes Bianca and Diana barged into my cabin without knocking.


    ¡°You could have informed us that our bosses were in a bad mood,¡± Bianca said ring at me.


    ¡°Just because of you we had to go through their wrath in the morning,¡± Diana said in a clipped tone.


    I didn¡¯t know that Daniel and Sean were also in Xavier¡¯s office. And Wait.. because of me? I didn¡¯t do anything.


    ¡°Then you should have firste to me before heading to Mr. Knight¡¯s office. You didn¡¯te to me so how do you think I¡¯ll inform you about his mood.¡± I replied calmly but I was getting irritated by their usation.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you dare spill it on us. You should have informed that when you delivered the message asking for us.¡± Bianca used.


    Okay, I don¡¯t want to say this but have they lost their mind? Why are they acting like fools?


    ¡°Listen, I don¡¯t know why are you using me of the matter which doesn¡¯t have anything to do with me. But right now, I¡¯m busy. Can you y your me game some other time?¡± I bit out, standing up from my chair. I picked up the files from my desk which needed Daniel¡¯s signature on them and walked past them, my work was more important.


    But before I could exit my office, a tug on my leg caused me to stumble on my steps, and the next thing I knew I was on the floor.


    ¡°This is what you get when you mess with us. Don¡¯t think that we¡¯ll spare you. Just because of you Mr. Knight threatened to fire us. It¡¯s all your fault.¡± Diana said, gritting her teeth.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Diana, we can¡¯t let her mistake fire us,¡± Bianca said and dragged Diana out with her.


    I winced as I tried to stand up, my ankle hurt. What did ever I do to them? These women are so cruel. And what did Xavier say to them that made them angry? Why did he threaten to fire them? What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s the matter?


    I stood up with the support of the wall. What did they think that they could break me by giving me this little physical injury?


    Well, they¡¯re wrong. I had endured much more than this and I surely can endure this negligible pain -which I don¡¯t even consider as pain-.


    Wincing, I picked up the files from the floor and wobbled my way back to the chair. I removed my t pump shoes and rubbed my right ankle. I picked up a pain relief spray from the drawer and sprayed it on my sprained ankle.


    I then called Scott to pick the files from my office. My ankle just needed some rest, it¡¯d be okay soon.


    For the rest of the day, I was so busy. I didn¡¯t see Xavier for the whole day but he gave me orders through the inte. He gave me so much work that I didn¡¯t even have time for lunch. I had to skip lunch.


    I was also d that Xavier didn¡¯t give me any work where I had to walk around.


    I was wondering what exactly happened. Each time when Xavier buzzed the inte to give orders, he sounded angry. Why was he angry? I didn¡¯t even hear anything from Daniel and Sean.


    Hope there¡¯s nothing serious.


    Xavier Knight


    I was wondering what urgent work they had to discuss with me that couldn¡¯t wait. I was enjoying kissing Ariana but those fucking disturbing elements had to interrupt in between.


    I entered my office to find Daniel and Sean sitting on the couch with grim expressions on their faces.


    ¡°What made you two so gloomy in the morning?¡± I asked, walking towards my chair.


    ¡°Magazines on your desk,¡± Sean replied curtly.


    What happened to him?


    I picked one of the magazines to see photos of four of us walking out of the restaurant printed on the first page. I gave a nce to other magazines, all had different articles and photos printed about us. I was d that Ariana¡¯s face was not revealed. My hand was covering her face.


    ¡°What¡¯s new in this? The media always print photos and articles about us. Even Ariana¡¯s face is not visible. So, what¡¯s wrong with you guys?¡± I asked both of them.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen all the magazines. See this one.¡± Daniel said pointing at the magazine ced on the center table in front of him. I walked towards the table and picked up the magazine.


    Photos in that magazine were the same as others, I looked at both of them confusingly.


    ¡°Read the article,¡± Sean said. I started reading the article.


    ¡°Looks like three hottest bachelors had a great timest night. Three of them were seen exiting a fancy restaurant with a woman. We couldn¡¯t see the face of the woman as Xavier Knight¡¯s hand was securing her face. We wonder who that woman is. Is she his girlfriend or a mere timepass? It looked like they were out on a date. But what Daniel Adams and Sean Peterson were doing there? We wonder if three of them are sharing a woman because only one woman was seen instead of three. Is this woman some hooker who wanders with the rich to make money? Is she ying with three of them? Is she sleeping with three of them? Hope the richest men are not doing something wrong.¡±


    Chief Editor & Anchor


    Global Business News


    Sarah Park


    ¡°Fucking bitch!¡± I gritted my teeth and threw the magazine on the table.


    ¡°How can she write something like this about a woman? I didn¡¯t know she can stoop so low. She wanted revenge on me then she should have written about me. But she dragged Ariana in this.¡± I spat angrily running my fingers through my hair.


    ¡°Exactly, I don¡¯t care what anyone writes about me. But this Sarah bitch called Ariana, my sister, a hooker and she dared insult her in the worst way possible.¡± Sean spat angrily.


    ¡°No one knows who the woman in the photo is. But we know and if Princess gets to know about this what would she feel?¡± Daniel also spat angrily.


    ¡°This fucking article is even on the inte. What if she has already seen it?¡± Sean said worriedly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she saw it, we arrived just a few minutes ago, she must be arranging my schedule. And don¡¯t worry I won¡¯t let her see this.¡± I assured them.


    I will give her extra work so she¡¯ll be busy. I don¡¯t want her to read this and feel low of her. Scarlet had done enough damage to her. This time I won¡¯t let it happen.


    ¡°And what the hell is our PR team doing? How they don¡¯t get hold of this news? And why the news is still in the market?¡± Sean asked irritatedly.


    I picked up the inte receiver and order Ariana.


    ¡°Send media rtions head from the PR department in my office.¡±


    After I put the receiver down I cursed myself. I didn¡¯t want to show my anger to her. She was not at fault.


    After a few minutes, there was a knock on the door.


    ¡°Good morning, Mr. Knight, Mr. Adams, and Mr. Peterson. You asked for us?¡± One of them asked.


    ¡°Exin this,¡± I said, sliding magazine towards them. Both of them picked up the magazines and their eyes went wide. I could bet that it was a fake reaction because they were media rtion managers, howe they didn¡¯t see it?


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you are not aware of this,¡± I said in a dangerously calm voice.


    ¡°No.. um.. yes.. no I mean yes Mr. Knight.¡±


    And Just like that, I lost it.


    ¡°Then why this fucking news is still in the market and on the inte,¡± I shouted making them flinch. I don¡¯t care if I was cursing at this moment. I won¡¯t spare anyone who doesn¡¯t take their work seriously.


    ¡°What we pay you for? For reading the news after it is published?¡± Sean snapped angrily.


    ¡°Sorry, sir.¡± Both of them mumbled.


    ¡°We don¡¯t want your sorry. We want this news out of the market.¡± Daniel snapped.


    ¡°Listen, you two. If every single magazine and every single article on the inte is not taken down within half-hour, consider yourself fired.¡± I threatened them.


    ¡°Sir.. please, we didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°And we don¡¯t care, now out you two. Make sure these magazines should not circte in the office building. I want every single magazine burnt.¡± Sean snapped. Nodding their heads, they scurried out of the cabin.


    ¡°Now what about your friend Sarah Park,¡± Daniel asked. I knew this wasing.


    ¡°This time she took it too far. I¡¯ll handle her my way.¡± I assured them.


    ¡°You better, or I¡¯ll do it. And fuck I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to face Ariana after this.¡± Sean said and left my office. Daniel followed him.


    They¡¯re really angry, well they should be. Sarah, through her article, degraded the purest rtion of brother and sister.


    It was the time to show her mirror, it was the time to bring her back to reality. It was the time to show who Xavier Knight was and what he does to those who hurt his dear ones.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to have a serious talk with Sarah Park.¡±

 41

    Ariana


    It was almost four-thirty and I was arranging some documents in order which needed Xavier¡¯s attention. I was about to stand up to go into his office when he himself walked into my office.


    ¡°I¡¯m going out for some work so, I won¡¯t be able to drive you back. Finn will drive you back, I have already informed him.¡± He informed me.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said without standing up from my chair. Then without saying anything else, he left my office.


    What important work he had? There was even no meeting scheduled for the particr time.


    I shrugged my shoulders and focused back on the documents. I huffed. He¡¯s gone which meant I had no work till hees back.


    I decided to meet Lauren, I was too upied with work that I couldn¡¯t meet her since the morning. My ankle had not healedpletely but the pain was a little less.


    I went to her office and knocked on the door.


    ¡°Hi, Lauren.¡±


    Her eyes lit up seeing me. ¡°Hey, you finally got time to meet your poor friend.¡± She said sarcastically but smiled at me.


    ¡°Sorry Lauren, I have been so busy that I even didn¡¯t have lunch,¡± I said, sitting on a chair in front of her desk.


    ¡°I have been upied as well because my boss is in a really bad mood today. He snapped at me for even negligible mistakes.¡± She huffed.


    Sean? He¡¯s not in a good mood? I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. Why three of them are in a bad mood?


    ¡°Mr. Knight was also in a bad mood. I wonder what happened. You know anything?¡± I asked her out of curiosity.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± She asked, making a weird face.


    ¡°No?¡± I frowned.


    ¡°In which world do you live, Ariana? Since morning, everyone in the building is talking about just one thing. Though the magazines are being taken down, I still have one copy with me. Here, have a look.¡± Lauren said, taking out the magazine from the drawer of the desk and slid it towards me.


    To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes. Pictures, pictures of four of us were printed in the magazine. But that was not the shock. The actual shock was the article printed with the pictures.


    And the article was written by none other than Sarah Park. The one whose friendship broke with Xavier because of me.


    She did it, she did threaten to take down Xavier¡¯s reputation, she had seeded in it. And all that happened because of me.


    This is why he was angry since the morning, this is why Daniel and Sean were in a bad mood. This is why Xavier threatened to fire Bianca and Diana.


    And all this happened BECAUSE OF ME.


    I don¡¯t know when my hands started shaking and the magazine fell from my hand.


    ¡°Hey, hey, Ariana, it¡¯s okay. I know you¡¯re shocked to see another woman in Mr. Knight¡¯s arms after he kissed you. But hey, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not the end.¡± Lauren came to me and patted my back.


    But she didn¡¯t know that what she said was the least of my concern. No one knew that the woman in his arms was me, he was securing me from Paparazzi.


    I didn¡¯t care about myself because I was no one. No one knew me and would never get to know me. I was worried about Xavier¡¯s reputation, three of their reputation,pany¡¯s reputation which was almost ruined.


    JUST BECAUSE OF ME.


    ¡°Lauren I n.. need to l.. leave.¡± Saying that I rushed out of her office, I didn¡¯t stop even when she shouted for me. Picking up myptop bag from my office, I left the building. I didn¡¯t care if work hours were not over. I just wanted to go away, I wanted to go to the ce which provides me tranquility. I wanted to go home.


    I asked Finn to drive me home. I was on brink of breaking down, only I knew how I had been handling myself at the moment.


    They must be thinking that I was the reason behind all that happened. That¡¯s why three of them were angry. None of them wanted to see my face. They didn¡¯t even ask for coffee. I shouldn¡¯t have gone out with them. I was so selfish that I didn¡¯t even for once thought the consequences of going out with them.


    Pain¡­ that¡¯s what I felt. I¡¯m not good for anyone. I again went back to my past. Sarah Park called me a hooker, I had been called worst. All the emotional pain that I had been hiding inside me came flooding out.


    Someone has said ¡®Pain changes people¡¯.


    Pain makes you emotionally strong. But for me, it worked otherwise.


    The pain may have made me physically strong but it made me emotionally weak. Pain gave me the power to endure physical injury but it didn¡¯t give me the power to fight my demons.


    I wanted to cry, I wanted to shout, I wanted to scream. I wanted to let it all out. But my tears refused toe out. Before I was on verge of crying but now it was like my tears evaporated in the air.


    I became numb. Just one thing had been swirling in my head.


    It was all my fault.


    I was on brink of getting a panic attack. I was stressed, the headache had begun to grow. I needed to divert my mind to something else to avoid getting a panic attack.


    So, I picked up myptop and started doing work that needs concentration. Even a minor mistake could fail all the effort of doing it. I started doing what I hadn¡¯t done for so long. This was only my sce when I used to get stressed. This was something I pursued to study to make a carrier in.


    I started doing coding/programming. After all, I had graduated in software engineering.


    Hope doing this would make me calm like it used to do before.


    Xavier Knight


    I strode confidently into the GBN building. I was totally in the mood to show Sarah her ce. I didn¡¯t pay heed to the receptionist and other employees who were ogling me. Ignoring every stare I stride to Sarah¡¯s office.


    ¡°Oh my, my, did the sunrise from the west today? The Xavier Knight himself came to visit an old friend?¡± Sarah weed me with the sarcastic remark, sitting on her chair.


    ¡°Truth to be told, I knew I¡¯d hear from you today. But I didn¡¯t know that you will personally visit me.¡± She smirked.


    ¡°Well, what can I say, I thought you forgot who Xavier Knight is. So, I personally came to remind you.¡± I said arrogantly as I sat on a chair ced in front of her desk.


    ¡°So, how do you like the article?¡± She smiled wickedly.


    ¡°Which article are you talking about? The one which has been taken down already?¡±


    Her smile vanished after hearing me and now it was my time to smirk.


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t know? What did you think that someone would write rubbish about me, mypany, my dear ones and I¡¯d do nothing about it?¡± I said sarcastically. She didn¡¯t speak, obviously, she was out of words. Her face turned into a scowl.


    I leaned forward and put my elbows on the desk. I scratched my forehead with my finger before speaking.


    ¡°You wanted revenge on me then you should have written about me. But you dared to involve my friends, my dear ones in your game. You shouldn¡¯t have done that. I didn¡¯t say much when you insulted my employee in my ownpany. But you have crossed your limits this time.¡± I said in a dangerous, deep tone.


    She smirked and leaned forward. ¡°Ohe on, I didn¡¯t write much about you. Why are you angry? Or is it because I wrote that to know who that woman was? The world wants to know what¡¯s happening in Xavier Knight¡¯s life. So, tell me who that woman was in your armsst night? Or should I say, who¡¯s warming your bed these days¡­¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s warming my bed and who¡¯s not is none of your fucking business and is none of the world¡¯s business.¡± I gritted my teeth, ring at her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that whatever I wrote was true. She¡¯s indeed some hooker.¡± She fake gasped.


    That¡¯s it, my calmness and patience all went in the air. How dare she insult Ariana in front of me? I abruptly stood up from the chair, pushing it away harshly.


    ¡°Just fucking shut your mouth! I didn¡¯te here to listen to your nonsense. I came here to remind you that if you dare pull this stunt again, if you dare meddle in my business again then be ready to kiss your career goodbye. And I assure you that if this ever happens again, no one will be able to bring you back in this industry. I¡¯ll not care if you were my friend once.¡± I said, raising my voice a little.


    I was done with her, I didn¡¯t want to stay there for long.


    ¡°Just remember my words.¡± Saying that I turned to leave.


    ¡°How can you do this to me? You are breaking years of friendship just because of your fucking P. A? That fucking bitch. Don¡¯t tell me she slept with you and maybe she¡¯s giving something more to you that¡¯s why you¡¯re being on her side. Tell me what is that cheap whore giving you that I can¡¯t.¡± She shouted on top of her lungs, making all my restrain vanish in the air. I turned to face her.


    ¡°Shut up if you don¡¯t want me to strangle your neck right now. Don¡¯t you dare say anything about her! You don¡¯t know her and you¡¯ll never know her. She¡¯s not like you who fucked don¡¯t know how many men to get on this position. My P. A is working in the topmostpany in the world because she deserves to be there. And I assure you that one day she¡¯ll do something big because She has got talent, she is hardworking. Don¡¯t you dare question her ability or her talent.¡± I raised my voice. She was standing in her position, breathing heavily because of shouting.


    ¡°I won¡¯t remind you again not to insult her in any manner. You¡¯re no one to question her nobility. And if anyone who dares question her dignity has to go through me because In my eyes she¡¯s the most respected woman after my mother.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    ¡°Mark my words, this is thest and final warning I¡¯m giving you,¡± I warned her and stormed out of her office and the building. I didn¡¯t regret saying all that to her. She¡¯s no fucking one to insult Ariana. I¡¯d surely destroy her if she tries to pull such kind of stunt again.


    Getting out of the building I thought about Ariana, she¡¯s not like other money and body hungry women. She¡¯s so pure.


    I respect Ariana, she has earned it. In a very short period, she changed my views about her. She¡¯s worthy of doing many things. She¡¯s the most dignified woman I ever met. Though shecks confidence, she¡¯s scared of people, she¡¯s conserved to herself but that doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s any less worthy.


    Her calm, decent, innocent, pure, and selfless personality has been making me fall for her.


    When I reached outside my penthouse building it was almost ten at night. I had been driving around to clear my head and even went to the bar to drink but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to drink. So, I left the bar and drove aimlessly, thinking about Ariana; how she changed me, how I was willing to fight with anyone who dared to speak against her.


    When I was emotionally ckmailed by my parents to marry her I didn¡¯t want to have any rtion with her. I didn¡¯t want to call her my wife back then, but everything changed with time.


    I desired to keep watching her beautiful face, I wanted to remain lost in her ck sparkling eyes. Her eyes are so hypnotizing. I wanted to keep kissing those luscious lips of hers. I wanted to take her to my bed, but with respect. I wanted to show her the world she hadn¡¯t seen yet. I wanted to experience ecstasy. I wanted to feel her. I just wanted to be the only one who does these things to her.


    I never had the urge to call someone mine. My parents may have ckmailed me to marry her, I may have always denied epting her. But now, I was sure that I would not let her go. I was so proud of her that I could proudly announce to the world that she¡¯s MINE. The inside-out beauty is mine. This kind, polite, generous, crazy, stubborn, cute, and adorable woman is mine.


    She¡¯s Ariana Xavier Knight.


    My wife.


    And I like her.

 42

    Xavier Knight


    When I entered my penthouse, I heard some muffled sound. I strode into the living room to see Ariana lying on the couch and her body was shaking.


    I immediately rushed to her. Her eyes were closed, she was sleeping and was murmuring something.


    ¡°No¡­no please ¡­. it hurts.. please don¡¯t¡­ it hurts.¡±


    Goodness, she was having a nightmare! I immediately kneeled to her level and gently shook her.


    ¡°Ariana? Wake up.¡±


    Instead of waking up, she clung to my arm.


    ¡°Dad.. please.. save me Dad¡­it hurts.¡± She mumbled.


    Her move shocked me. What happened to her? Why was she asking for help? What was hurting her? Had someone hurt her?


    My jaw clenched automatically on the thought of someone hurting her.


    ¡°Ariana, wake up, it¡¯s just a bad dream¡± I tried to wake her up but she didn¡¯t open her eyes.


    ¡°Dad pleasee and save me.¡± She whimpered. She wanted her father to protect her from something or maybe someone. She had been missing her father.


    I again tried to wake her up but she just kept on shivering. I picked her up in my arms and walked to my bedroom. No way in hell I¡¯d let her sleep alone in this condition. She sounded scared. She was scared of something.


    She snuggled into my chest and mumbled something which almost made my heart stop beating.


    ¡°Xavier.. save me¡­ It hurts¡±


    She wasn¡¯t aware of her surrounding, she didn¡¯t know what she was saying but it made me happy that she trusted me enough to keep her safe. And I¡¯ll do it, I¡¯ll keep her safe from this cruel world.


    ¡°I¡¯m here, Ari. No one is gonna hurt you. I have got you. You¡¯re safe.¡± I whispered and kissed her forehead.


    As if she heard me, she stopped trembling. I felt relieved that she trusted me.


    I ced her in my bed and reached for the duvet to cover her but stopped when my eyes fell on her swollen ankle.


    I frowned. How and when did that happen? And why hadn¡¯t she applied any medicine to it?


    Sighing, I went into the bathroom and picked up ointment and crepe bandage from my first-aid kit.


    I then sat near her and ced her foot on myp. I applied pain relief ointment on the swollen part and rubbed her ankle for a few minutes. Then, I wrapped her ankle with the crepe bandage and gently ced back her foot on the bed.


    I covered her with the duvet till her chin, she immediately snuggled into the warmness of the nket. I was about to leave to put back the ointment in the cab when she stopped me by grabbing my wrist.


    ¡°Xavier, please don¡¯t go.¡± She mumbled sleepily.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, Ari, I¡¯m right here. Sleep peacefully.¡± I whispered and kissed her forehead. I sat beside her, holding her hand until her breathing became soft.


    When she fell asleep, I changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt and sat on the couch near the bed, and watched her sleep. I wanted toy beside her, cuddle her to sleep but I decided against it. I didn¡¯t want her to feel that I took advantage of her fragile state to sleep with her in bed.


    After almost ten minutes, she again began trembling. I rushed to her to calm her down. Then I decided to sit beside her on the bed to give herfort. Resting my back against the headboard of the bed, I intertwined her fingers with mine.


    When I was sick, she was awake to take care of me. I¡¯ll do the same because tonight she needs me.


    With my other hand, I brushed back hair strands from her face.


    I stared at her now worry-less face, wondering what¡¯s she hiding. I wondered what happened in her past that made her get the nightmare. From whom she wanted to be saved? Who had hurt her? Did she get nightmares more often? If so, then I¡¯d not let her sleep alone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Ari what you are hiding but I want you to know that you can trust me. I want you to tell me your fears, Ari. I want you to share your pain with me so I can take it away from you. I want you to share your happiness with me. I want you to talk to me. Please, Ari, trust me on this.¡± I whispered, running my fingers through her hair.


    Ariana


    My eyes fluttered open when I felt light directly hitting my eyes. I nced in the source of light to see sun rays were peering from between the gap of curtains. I sleepily sat on the bed and rested my back on the headboard.


    I rubbed my eyes to make sleep leave me. I turned my head towards the nightstand to look for the clock, to know the time but I got shocked when I found a different nightstand and a different clock ced on it. Frowning, I immediately studied in my surrounding to find that I was in Xavier¡¯s room.


    How did I end up in his room? Last I remember, I had been sitting on the couch in the living room. Did I sleepwalk? And where¡¯s Xavier, didn¡¯t hee backst night? He must not havee back otherwise he would¡¯ve woken me up from his bed.


    I immediately shoved the duvet away from my body and tried to get up.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    ¡°Don¡¯t, you¡¯ll hurt your ankle even more,¡± Xavier said, entering the room, wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt.


    How did he know about my ankle? And why didn¡¯t he say anything about me sleeping in his bed? My gaze fell on my ankle to found it wrapped in a bandage.


    ¡°Don¡¯t freak out, I brought you here and bandaged your ankle.¡± He said, walking towards me. He sat on the bed facing me and ced my foot on hisp. He removed the bandage and gently rubbed my ankle with his warm fingers.


    ¡°How did this happen? Are you in pain? Is it hurting?¡± He asked, scrutinizing my ankle. His face showed worry.


    I wanted to tell him that I had endured much more than this, this pain was nothingpared to what I had suffered. I wanted to tell him that I was in pain, not physical, but emotional.


    ¡°I slipped in the kitchen in the evening and no, it isn¡¯t hurting,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Your ankle is swollen and red. It must be hurting, don¡¯t lie.¡± He said, pinning his gaze with mine.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth, it isn¡¯t hurting. And why did you bring me to your room? You should have woken me up, I would have gone to my room.¡± I said, diverting the topic.


    He let go of my foot and scooted closer to me.


    ¡°I tried waking you up but you were having a nightmare, you were trembling. So I brought you into my room. What was the nightmare about?¡± He said, looking into my eyes as if searching for something.


    My heart starting beating faster. He saw me when I was having a nightmare? Did I say something that was not meant to be heard by him? And I didn¡¯t wake up? I always wake up when I have a nightmare, what was differentst night? I never do something like that. And the most important thing¡­ he didn¡¯t leave me alone!


    ¡°I.. I d.. don¡¯t remember. Did.. did I say anything at that time?¡± I asked, fearing if I spilled out something during sleep.


    ¡°You were asking for help at that time, you were mumbling ¡®it hurts¡¯. Tell me, Ariana, from whom you wanted to be saved? Why were you mumbling that? What or who is hurting you?¡± He asked.


    My heart almost stopped beating. Why didn¡¯t I sleep in my roomst night? Now he¡¯d ask many questions until he¡¯s satisfied.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything.¡± I again said that. He sighed out loud.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to share it now. I won¡¯t force you, but remember I¡¯m always here to listen.¡± He said softly, taking my hand in his.


    Just like that, warmness filled in my heart. No one had ever said that to me. No one was ever there to listen to me.


    I gazed into his eyes to look if he was just saying that to make me feel good but no, I was wrong, his eyes were filled with determination like he was ready to listen to anything I¡¯d say.


    I don¡¯t know what happened to him, he suddenly broke eye contact and stood up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get the ointment to apply on your ankle.¡± He said and turned around to leave but I stopped him by grabbing his wrist.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It all happened because of me.¡± I said lowly, lowering my head.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± He asked. I didn¡¯t raise my eyes.


    ¡°I saw the article in the magazine,¡± I mumbled. He immediately sat on the bed, facing me. He was about to say something but I took his both hands in mine and spoke first.


    ¡°Xavier, please listen to me first. I didn¡¯t know that going out with you would create this much trouble. If I had even a slight idea that this would happen, I wouldn¡¯t have gone with you. I¡¯m so sorry, just because of me your image is ruined. Daniel and Sean¡¯s image is ruined. I didn¡¯t want all this to happen. I really am sorry and from now on I¡¯ll never go out with any of you. Your reputation is more important than mine. I don¡¯t want to be a burden on you. I have been a burden on my family but I don¡¯t want you to feel like that. I don¡¯t want you to suffer because of me. If.. if you want to shout at me then do it. But please, please, don¡¯t be mad at me.¡± I said in one breath.


    I was very anxious, I didn¡¯t want him to look at me like my so-called family did. Image ruiner!


    ¡°Ari, Ari, Ari, what are you talking about? Whatever happened was not your fault. And I¡¯m not mad at you. Why would I be? You did nothing wrong. It¡¯s media, they print nonsense to sell their news. The one who¡¯s at fault is Sarah, she wrote gibberish. Don¡¯t worry, everything is fine now. Every single magazine and article has been taken down. These small things can¡¯t ruin my reputation, no one can degrade mypany or my name by pulling these nonsense stunts.¡± He said, cupping my face.


    ¡°And never¡­I mean never call yourself a burden because you¡¯re not and will never be.¡± He kissed my forehead.


    ¡°I should be the one saying sorry. I¡¯m sorry that all this happened. I¡¯m sorry that I was unable to stop this.¡± He said.


    My breath hitched listening to him. He said sorry. He was apologizing when he knew it wasn¡¯t his mistake either.


    I immediately circled my arms around his neck.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize for anything because it wasn¡¯t your mistake either,¡± I mumbled, hiding my face in his neck. He encircled his arms around my waist and held me tightly.


    He¡¯s so sweet. He¡¯s not like Andrew or them who always made me fear them.


    I respect him a lot. He¡¯ll always hold the most important ce in my heart. I didn¡¯t know if I was still anything for him or not, but for me, he¡¯s everything.


    I was so happy, he was there to listen to me. He was not mad at me, he didn¡¯t consider me a burden. He again melted my heart with his words. I fell for him even more.


    I mentally thanked my dad, ¡°Dad, thank you so much for sending Xavier for taking care of me. Thank you for sending him in my life to protect me, to keep me safe. Thank you for making me strong enough, for teaching me not to break down in the lowest moment of life. I¡¯ll cherish my moments with Xavier throughout my life.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for giving me hope,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Ari?¡± He said.


    I pulled away and looked into his eyes.


    ¡°I like it when you call me Ari,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± He smiled and his eyes lit up with amusement. I blushed when I realized what I had confessed.


    ¡°Well, I like calling you Ariana but if you like me calling you Ari.. then I¡¯ll do it too. And that¡¯s a deal¡± He said. ¡°Now let¡¯s seal the deal with a kiss. Shall we?¡±


    Before I could even react, he ced his lips on mine.


    ¡°Xavier, I haven¡¯t brushed yet,¡± I said pulling away.


    ¡°Shhh¡­Just move your lips in sync with me.¡± He whispered and again ced his lips on mine.


    And Iplied with what he asked for.

 43

    Ariana


    It had been two weeks since that magazine incident. Two weeks since that small talk with Xavier. To be honest, the past two weeks had beenplete bliss, pleasing, and gratifying.


    I confronted Daniel and Sean who were trying to ignore me after that incident. They thought that they had put me in trouble I would be upset because of them, but they were wrong; I wasn¡¯t. They apologized numerous times but I assured them that I wasn¡¯t upset, it wasn¡¯t their fault.


    I felt like Sarah Park had unknowingly brought four of us closer, especially Xavier and me.


    Xavier has been nothing but sweet towards me. Though in the past two weeks he had been too busy, he showed his extreme care and concern towards me. I was so touched by his solicitude.


    After that nightmare, Xavier asked me to sleep in his room but I denied it. It was not easy for me. It took so much persuading for me to make him agree to that. He did agree but only on one condition. In return, he wanted more lessons. So, he extended the number of kissing lessons. And he certainly did make sure that I learn something out of it. To be honest, I learned a lot but I was still ipetent and Xavier was not giving up.


    He kissed me passionately but didn¡¯t try to proceed with it any further for which I was thankful for him. He surely sensed my difort since he didn¡¯t force himself on me. That¡¯s what I like about him, he always perceives my uneasiness, my difort and he tries his best to make everythingfortable for me. I was trying to learn to lean into his touch. His touch was gradually making me forget all those sickening touches. He introduced me to something new which I had never even dreamt of.


    My feelings for Xavier had grown stronger. His care, concern, sweetness, yful remarks, and teasing filled me with warmth. I liked this version of Xavier that no one had ever seen. People consider him a ruthless, dominant, and authoritative businessman but no one knew the sweet side of him.


    Seeing him caring for me sometimes made me feel that I should share my fears and insecurities with him. But trepidation always took over me making me conceal everything back in my mind and heart.


    I feared that if Xavier gets to know about my past he¡¯d distance himself from me. I didn¡¯t want that, I wanted him closer. He made me feel special, made me feel wanted. For the first time, I was being selfish because I wanted him near me, not away from me. I didn¡¯t want him to see me with disgust as everyone else saw me.


    I was broken from inside, no one had ever cared about me, everyone always took advantage of me. I was always alone and if concealing my past would keep him alongside me then I¡¯d do it.


    Because he¡¯s the first man after my father who took a stand for me, who threatened others to protect me, to keep me safe, who gave me freedom, who gave me a ce which I could call home. He¡¯s the first man who made me feel confident, who saw potential in me, who saw beauty in me. The first man who kissed me. He¡¯s the first man towards whom I had grown intense feelings.


    The feeling for him was so intense that I wanted to immerse myself in that feeling. The feeling was so passionate that I wanted to flow in that passion. The feeling gave me warmth and I wanted the warmth to flow in me forever.


    I didn¡¯t know what that feeling was. Was that intense feeling¡­ love? Was I in love with him?


    I was not sure about it because I didn¡¯t exactly know what love is? I know I had been yearning for love all my life. What I mean is, how will I know that someone loves me? What does it feel like when you¡¯re in love?


    And most importantly, how would I know that I¡¯m in love with someone?


    I don¡¯t know anything about what exactly love is, but¡­


    If fear of losing someone is love then yes, I had fallen in love with him.


    If the feeling of unexinably drawn to someone is love then yes, I had fallen in love with him.


    If getting worried for someone when they¡¯re not around is love then yes, I had fallen in love with him.


    If caring for someone and desiring for their well-being is love then yes, I had fallen in love with him.


    If finding sce in someone is love then yes, I had fallen in love with him.


    If findingfort and safety by being with someone, but still getting weak knees when that person smiles at you is love then yes, I had fallen in love with him.


    If all these beliefs are an abstraction of love then without any doubt I had fallen in love with him.


    But I still needed just one sign to confirm if that the feeling was really love. But how?


    And Xavier, I didn¡¯t know what Xavier felt for me. Did he feel the same as I did? What if he¡¯s still not over that forceful marriage thing? After all, I was forcefully given to him. What if he¡¯s still upset with me for marrying him? But he had not shown any sign of repulsion, instead, he had been behaving quite opposite.


    I decided to just let that proceed as it was proceeding. I didn¡¯t want to make anything awkward between me and Xavier. I¡¯d not think of asking more from him, I¡¯d cherish every single moment, every single day I spent with him. That¡¯d be my biggest treasure.


    I heaved a sigh and pulled myself back into reality. I had been revising very important documents. The documents were of great value to thepany.


    Xavier, Daniel, and Sean were nning to buynd in France to build a new manufacturing unit there. There were many other business rivals from New York and different countries who were nning to buy thatnd. So, the government of France had announced a conference in which all those who wanted thend had to present their design abstract which had to bepulsorily eco-friendly, and the one whose project would make an impact would get thend.


    For thest two weeks, three of them had been working hard day and night, sitting with their engineering team and other members who were working on the project to make sure they win thend in France. So, whatever documents they would finalize, Xavier would give them to me to check.


    I started working again but my focus was broken by a knock on the door.


    ¡°Hey, hope I¡¯m not disturbing you?¡± Kevin peeped his head inside my office.


    ¡°Hey,e in and no, you¡¯re not disturbing.¡± I smiled at him. He entered and sat on the chair in front of the desk.


    ¡°So what brings you up here. Any work?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Come on, Ariana, can¡¯t Ie to meet you?¡± He questioned.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± I yfully narrowed my eyes.


    ¡°Okay sorry. I came to ask you for lunch. It¡¯s almost lunchtime.¡± He said, raising his hand to show me time on his wristwatch.


    ¡°You know, Lauren and Scott aren¡¯t here and Mrs. Miller is also busy so I thought I should ask you.¡± He exined.


    Lauren and Scott were gone out with their respective bosses and Xavier was also not in the building, they all had gone for a meeting.


    ¡°You know, we all haven¡¯t had lunch together for thest two weeks. So will youe with me? If you¡¯re not busy.¡± He said.


    I nced at the documents, my work was almost done so I thought a small break wouldn¡¯t hurt. And Kevin was right, we hadn¡¯t had lunch together for thest two weeks as we all were busy with some work or other.


    ¡°I think I can spare some time. So¡­ let¡¯s go.¡± I stood up and arranged my desk before heading out.


    We decided to have lunch in a diner across the street which was our regr spot for lunch. We sat and ordered our food.


    ¡°I think I should note today¡¯s date in my diary,¡± Kevin said, making me confused.


    ¡°Why? What¡¯s special today.¡± I asked, frowning my eyebrows.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time we are having lunch alone. Basically, the first time we are alone.¡± He smiled sheepishly.


    ¡°Kevin you really are funny.¡± I shook my head andughed.


    ¡°At least my funny remarks make youugh.¡± He said, staring at me intently. I heard no yfulness in his voice and his eyes showed no jolliness. I felt like the situation became a little awkward. He never behaved like that.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    The waiter came with our food, eliminating all the awkwardness between us. We ate our lunch, talked, andughed. Kevin insisted to pay for our lunch but I totally denied it, but he was adamant to pay. But I can be stubborn when I want to so we ended up paying an equal share. After paying, I was about to stand up when Kevin stopped me.


    ¡°Hey, wait, wait, I have something to talk to you about.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, intrigued.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time we have spent time alone so I¡­ actually wanted to ask something.¡± He said, rubbing his back of his neck.


    ¡°You¡¯re acting strange today Kevin. Is everything alright?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Um¡­yeah.. everything is alright. I just want to ask something.¡± He said.


    ¡°Then ask away. What¡¯s stopping you?¡±


    ¡°Let me muster up some courage.¡± He mumbled, lowering his head.


    ¡°Kevin?¡± I said. What¡¯s wrong with him today?


    He looked up and heaved a sigh, then met my gaze. I looked at him with confusion.


    ¡°Kevin wh-¡±


    ¡°Will you go on a date with me?¡± He cut me off by saying this. I became shocked by what he asked.


    Date? I was speechless and baffled.


    ¡°Ariana, don¡¯t get me wrong but I think I have grown some feelings for you. To confirm my feelings towards you I want to take you out on a date.¡± He said, looking at me.


    ¡°Kevin.. I.. I..¡± I wasn¡¯t even able to form words. Since when he had feelings for me? Did I give him any wrong signal? I see him just as a friend. I had to clear things with him. I didn¡¯t want to lose a friend.


    ¡°Kevin I.. I can¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry.¡± I said, looking at him. His face dropped instantly.


    ¡°Why? Are you with someone else?¡± He asked lowly.


    Should I tell him that I¡¯m married? No, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea. But I can tell him something else.


    ¡°Umm¡­yes, Kevin,¡± I said truthfully


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me with whom. But I like him a lot and I can¡¯t betray him even in my dreams.¡± I added. His face became glum and he looked away.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I think I¡¯m toote.¡± He said, looking at me and smiled which didn¡¯t reach his eyes. I didn¡¯t want that, I didn¡¯t want to see him sad. He¡¯s a very funny and jolly person. I didn¡¯t want to be the reason behind his sadness.


    ¡°Kevin, don¡¯t be sad. I¡¯m sorry if at any point I made you feel what you felt for me. I never did anything intentionally. I consider you as my friend. I never had a friend in my life before I met you all, and I don¡¯t want to lose any of my friends.¡± I exined.


    ¡°Ariana, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong. It was just me who felt something for you. And it¡¯s okay, one-sided liking happens. I¡¯m just feeling bad that I made things awkward between us by confessing my feelings.¡± He said lowly, not meeting my eyes.


    ¡°Kevin, look at me,¡± I demanded softly. When heplied, I continued.


    ¡°Kevin it¡¯s good that you confessed your feelings, at least it made you feel light otherwise this thing would have eaten you inside, would have made you depressed. I don¡¯t want that, I want my friend to be happy. And no, nothing will be awkward between us if you want to.¡± I assured him.


    ¡°You¡¯re really sweet Ariana. Many girls don¡¯t give a damn about these kinds of situations. They just reject you and never look back. And you, you¡¯re concerned about me. And yes, you¡¯re right, I feel light. And Ariana, I may have made this awkward but I¡¯ll not be a fool by losing a friend like you.¡± He smiled sweetly. His smile proved that he epted the rejection and was okay with that.


    ¡°This is what I want, your sweet smile. Promise me nothing wille in between our friendship?¡± I stretched my hand and held it in front of him to make a promise.


    ¡°Promise.¡± He ced his hand on mine without hesitation.


    ¡°And don¡¯t worry you¡¯ll soon find a girl ten times better than me.¡± I gave him my sweetest smile to cheer him up.


    ¡°I would be on cloud nine if I get a girl even 50% like you.¡± Heughed making me shake my head. I got my friend back.


    ¡°Whoever you are with is one lucky man. He has reserved a rare diamond for himself.¡± He said, making me blush.


    Kevin doesn¡¯t know that I¡¯m the lucky one to have Xavier in my life.


    ¡°Now if everything is settled, can we go back to work?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yep, sure. I don¡¯t want Mr. Knight to shout at my friend. Let¡¯s go.¡± He said standing up.


    We exited the diner and made our way towards the building. I wasughing all time because of Kevin, he was cracking jokes. We were back to normal.


    I reached my office and sat on my chair. I was about to start work when the inte beeped. I picked the receiver only to hear the angry voice of Xavier.


    ¡°Come to my office right now.¡±

 44

    Xavier Knight


    Ariana, this one name and this one woman was stuck in my mind since I confessed my feelings to myself. Thest two weeks had been very busy and exhausting because of the new project in France, but seeing her face, her encouraging smile after non-stop work takes away all the exhaustion. Her mere presence was enough to make me calm. I had smiling more these days. Sean and Daniel were throwing teasing remarks at me but I kept ignoring them. I would tell them my newfound feelings for Ariana but not yet. I knew they must have sensed something that¡¯s why they were teasing me and Ariana. They make Ariana blush with their teasing remarks.


    I have been taking more care of her. She refused to sleep in my room. I knew she was ufortable, so, I agreed. But that didn¡¯t stop me from checking her at least four times in the middle of the night to make sure she was okay. I also extended the number of lessons topensate for her not sleeping with me. I had been teaching her more and more lessons. I also sensed her difort while kissing so I didn¡¯t proceed anything further.


    Although she¡¯s so tempting that she¡¯s giving me painful days and nights, it was extremely hard to stay away from her yet I had been enduring the pain pretty well because I was taking everything slow, I didn¡¯t want to scare her. I didn¡¯t know how I was controlling myself but I had to do it, for her. But I couldn¡¯t resist the heat that flows in my body whenever I was near her. I couldn¡¯t ignore the sparks that ignited in me when I touched her.


    These days she had been smiling more and doing her work energetically. I gave her the most important task: to revise the France project documents because she¡¯s the best choice for that work. She had been doing her work more precisely and at the end of the day, the work she would show me blows my mind away. She¡¯s doing her work with perfection.


    So, as a return gift for her hard work, I had a surprise for her which I¡¯d give her tonight.


    I was driving back to my office building from a meeting. I wanted to bring Ariana with me but the work she¡¯s handling was more important than the meeting so I left her with the work.


    I parked my car in the private parking lot and walked out towards the entrance of the building. I was about to enter when my eyesnded on Ariana. I frowned when I saw her. She wasn¡¯t alone, she was with that bloody Kevin and she wasughing at whatever he was saying to her. He also gave a shoulder bump to her. Dammit!


    My blood boiled looking at that scene. What was she doing with him? And what was he saying that was making herugh.


    Hell, I should be the one making herugh. I should be the one spending time with her. How dare he snatch my duties?


    Fuming in anger, I reached my office and waited for her toe back. After almost five minutes of waiting, I called her to my office. I waited for her near the door. As soon as she entered my office I pulled her by her waist and backing her against the wall, I crashed my lips on her.


    I kissed her fast and roughly, I poured all my jealousy, possessiveness, and anger into the kiss. Her moans made me kiss her more passionately. I only released her lips when we were short of breath. I pulled away and cupped her head between my hands and made her look at me.


    ¡°What were you doing with him?¡± I asked firmly. I was still angry.


    ¡°W.. who?¡± She asked, breathing heavily.


    ¡°Kevin, who else?¡± I gritted my teeth.


    ¡°We were¡­ju¡­just gone for lunch.¡± She said in a low voice.


    ¡°Lunch? Then why was he getting cozy with you? What was he saying that made youugh, huh?¡± I asked sternly. She flinched at the hardness of my voice. Fuck! I shouldn¡¯t have been too harsh on her.


    My eyes softened and I sighed. ¡°Ariana, I may be a gentleman. But I¡¯m not gentleman enough to share what¡¯s mine. I¡¯m very, very possessive about what¡¯s mine. And YOU. ARE. MINE. Your smile, yourughter, your touches are mine. I¡¯m not gonna share you with anyone.¡± I said pinning her gaze with mine. Her face all of a sudden portrayed shock. Maybe because I called her mine? But I wasn¡¯t done yet, so I continued,


    ¡°That Kevin¡­hell I don¡¯t even want to say his name. He¡­he tried to share of you from me. And I¡¯m not happy with this, I¡¯m furious. And if you think I¡¯m jealous then yes I am. I think I have to do something with that boy. I think I should fire him.¡± I said sternly.


    ¡°No.. please don¡¯t do that.¡± She instantly replied by grabbing my wrists.


    ¡°Why? Why should I not?¡± I asked. I wasn¡¯t happy that she was taking his side. What had he done to her?


    ¡°Because he¡¯s my friend, Xavier. And I don¡¯t want to be a reason for his joblessness. Please don¡¯t do this. I assure you that there¡¯s nothing between him and me, we are just friends. And if you want I¡¯ll stay away from him. I¡¯ll not go out with him. If you¡¯re angry then you can scold me. But please don¡¯t fire him.¡± She pleaded. Her eyes were showing worry. I heaved a sigh and closed my eyes.


    Goodness, why is she so kind? I can¡¯t even be mad at her. She thinks of others before herself. But seeing her with another man makes me furious. But that was not gonna work. I had to change my thinking for her sake.


    I opened my eyes and looked at her, she was looking at me with pleading eyes. How can I be mad at her when she looks at me like this?


    ¡°Ariana, I won¡¯t scold you, your intentions are so pure. I even can¡¯t be mad at you for long. I understand you. I¡¯m sorry that I got mad and blurted nonsense. And don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t ever ask you to break your friendship with him. I know what friendship means. Your happiness, your smile matters to me a lot. I am not going to snatch your friends from you. I will not keep you away from your friends. I just¡­ I just got jealous, that¡¯s all.¡± I said softly, caressing her cheek with my thumb.


    I didn¡¯t give her any chance to speak because I pressed my lips on her again, I kissed her again. I narrowed the distance between us by bringing her closer. Damn!! I was aroused. She has the power to make me arouse instantly. I slipped my hands on her butts and squeezed them, making her gasp. Taking that as an advantage, I slipped my tongue into her mouth. She kissed me back, she tried to dominate and moaned which made me groan. I knew I was taking it a little further but I wanted to do it. I pressed her lower body against mine. Her soft moans filled my body with pleasure.


    I tugged her lower lip between my teeth and then kissed her on her jaw then slid down showering soft kisses on her neck. I grazed my teeth on the soft skin of her neck. Pushing the cor of her shirt away, I bit the space between her neck and shoulder.


    ¡°Xavier¡­¡± She whimpered pressing her hands on my chest but I didn¡¯t stop. It was the first time I was taking it further, it was the first time I was marking her and I sense no regret doing it. I wanted to mark her mine.


    All the time her body remained pressed against mine. When I felt that the mark was deep enough, I licked the spot to soothe the pain that she might have felt. Her body shivered. I kissed the spot and pulled my face away.


    ¡°This will remind you not to make me jealous. And also, this will remind you that you¡¯re mine.¡± I mumbled, rubbing my thumb on the mark I gave her.


    ¡°What did you do?¡±She was breathing hard, her chest which was pressed against mine was falling and rising faster.


    ¡°I marked you as mine, Ari¡­¡± I breathed out kissing the corner of her mouth. Her eyes went wide and she looked at me with confusion. I could bet that she didn¡¯t get what I meant by that. I decided not to tell her, she¡¯d understand by herself when she¡¯d look herself in the mirror.


    Before she could ask any other question I ced my hands on her hips again and I pressed her lower body against mine again making her gasp.


    ¡°Xavier¡­¡± She pressed her hands on my chest.


    ¡°Goodness, Ari¡­You are making things painful for me.¡± I groaned breathlessly.


    ¡°Me? I didn¡¯t know you are in pain. I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m so sorry if I hurt you. I don¡¯t even know what I did? Please tell me what did I do? Can I help you to reduce your pain?¡±She rambled worriedly.


    Fuck!! She¡¯s so naive, she didn¡¯t even know what I was talking about and she didn¡¯t know that she¡¯s the only one who could reduce my pain. I wanted her to reduce my pain, my longings but not now, she¡¯s not ready¡­yet.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Ariana, I¡¯ll be fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡± I assured her with a smile, creating some distance between us to keep myself in control.


    ¡°You sure? I can really help if you want.¡± She again asked making meugh.


    ¡°Not now, Ari¡­not now,¡± I said and kissed the side of her head.


    ¡°Woah.. my innocent eyes.¡±


    I groaned when I heard Daniel¡¯s voice. I looked at the intruder who dared disturb us. He was grinning ear to ear, looking at us. I seriously want to kill this disturbing element.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Learn to knock.¡± I spat.


    ¡°Learn to Lock.¡± He shot back grinning.


    ¡°Hey, Princess.¡± He waved at her making her blush. I pressed her face against my chest.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± I asked, ring at him.


    ¡°Oh! Yeah¡­Why I¡¯m here?¡­. actually I forgot. You two continue with what you were doing, I¡¯ll just sit on that couch to think what I came here for.¡± He replied. Before I could say anything he walked to sit on the couch.


    ¡°And don¡¯t worry I won¡¯t look. I¡¯ll close my innocent eyes.¡± He replied from behind. Fucking bastard.


    Ignoring that disturbing element, I looked at Ariana whose face was still pressed against my chest. I pulled away to find her face covered with a shade of pink due to blushing.


    ¡°You look so cute when you blush.¡± I grinned and pinched her cheeks.


    ¡°Yes, Princess, you¡¯re way too cute.¡± Daniel¡¯s unwanted reply made her face turn red.


    ¡°Shut up, Daniel.¡± I groaned.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill him with my bare hands,¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°That¡¯s rude, he¡¯s my brother.¡± Ariana frowned and red at me. Cute¡­


    ¡°Yeah.. you and your brother. I will kill him if he won¡¯t stop disturbing us.¡± I said sarcastically, making her frown go deeper. I removed her frown with my thumb and then kissed the center of her eyes.


    ¡°Anyway, now go and finish your work quickly because we¡¯ll leave early. You have been a very good employee, you have worked hard in these past two weeks. So today, I am going to give you something in return for your hard work.¡± I whispered so that Daniel won¡¯t listen.


    ¡°What?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Get ready sweetheart. Tonight We are going out for dinner.¡± I whispered


    ¡°Out?¡± She asked in surprise.


    ¡°Yes out. And just you and me.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± I silenced her by giving a peck on her lips. I knew what she was thinking. She must be afraid of paparazzi.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle everything,¡± I assured her.


    I then ushered her out so that Daniel wouldn¡¯t get to see her or he would tease her again. Shutting the door, I turned my attention back to Daniel who was looking at me in amusement.


    If he dared make any funny or mocking remark, I¡¯d forget that he¡¯s my best friend and would beat him enough to put him on a hospital bed.


    Ignoring his stare, I walked and sat on my chair.


    ¡°Why are you here Daniel?¡± I asked him calmly.


    ¡°Before I tell you what I¡¯m here for, I want to ask something.¡± I raised my eyebrows towards him.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Did you inform her to hide the hickey you gave her?¡± Heughed clutching his stomach.


    I immediately stood up from my chair and charged towards him. He surely will end up in hospital today.

 45

    Ariana


    You are mine¡­


    If you think that I¡¯m jealous then yes I am.


    These two statements, these two confessions that came out of Xavier¡¯s mouth shook me to the core. He¡¯s jealous of Kevin. I thought he would want me to break my friendship with Kevin, but he didn¡¯t. I was d that he didn¡¯t force me for anything.


    My thoughts again went back to Xavier. Did his confession mean that he felt something for me? Did he mean whatever he said? Goodness¡­.. he did!¡­ He did feel something for me otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have said that. He¡¯s a man of his words, he doesn¡¯t fool around.


    I felt corners of my mouth twitching up and in no time I was smiling like a fool. I wanted to jump in excitement because he felt something for me. I thought Xavier was still upset with me for marrying him but no, he¡¯s not. My heart was doing a happy dance by beating speedily.


    The way he kissed me in his office was different from other kisses. The kiss felt like he poured all his possession and jealously in that kiss. The kiss was fast and filled with need.. need of what, I don¡¯t know. The way he touched me was different and the most bewildering thing was, it didn¡¯t feel odd to me. My body automatically reacted to his every touch like my body was also yearning for some unusual needs.


    Although physically I was sitting in my office, mentally I wasn¡¯t there. I tried to concentrate on my work because Xavier asked me to finish my work quickly as he wanted to take me out for a dinner. But after his confession, I lost all my focus. I wasn¡¯t able to even read a sentence written in documents because his words were blocking my thinking and concentrating capability.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Anyhow, I finished the work but I had to review my work two times to check if I made any mistakes. I then made my way to his office, silently wishing not toe face to face with Daniel.


    Goodness, I was embarrassed, Daniel saw us standing close¡­too close to each other. What he must be thinking? And he¡¯d surely tease me if he finds me. Just thinking of being caught by Daniel made me blush.


    I knocked on the door of Xavier¡¯s office, but before fully stepping inside, I peeked my head through the door to see if Daniel was there, when I found no sign of him, I entered.


    Well, I would have run away if Daniel was here.


    ¡°Finished? Already?¡± Xavier asked surprisingly when I ced the documents on his desk.


    ¡°Yes, all done,¡± I said.


    ¡°I think someone is extra excited to have dinner with me.¡± He chuckled, making me blush.


    ¡°No.. it¡¯s not that..¡±


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re that excited then who am I to make you wait?¡± He said, standing up from his chair.


    ¡°You won¡¯t check the work?¡± I asked looking at him.


    ¡°I trust your work. I know you don¡¯t make mistakes. And if there¡¯s any need for checking, it can be done afterward.¡± He said, buttoning up his suit jacket. He picked up his phone and rounded the desk to stand in front of me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    I grabbed myptop bag and other belongings from my office and then we both entered the private elevator. We reached the lobby on the ground floor.


    Xavier walked beside me confidently without paying heed to his staff around. But I was aware of the curious stares of employees that were thrown in our direction. I was sure that these people must be talking behind our back but Xavier¡¯s power and fear didn¡¯t let any gossip reach the top floor.


    When we reached home and I was about to enter my room when Xavier spoke,


    ¡°Ariana wait.¡± I stopped immediately.


    ¡°I have something for you. Wait here, okay?¡± Saying that he ran into his room and within seconds he came out with a bag in his hand.


    ¡°Here, this is for you,¡± He said extending his hand to give the bag to me.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°A dress for you to wear tonight.¡± He simply stated.


    That shocked me. Did he buy a dress for me? It was just dinner and I could have worn any dress present in my closet.


    ¡°But I already have dresses, remember you bought dresses for me on the day of the trip? I can wear any of them.¡± I said.


    He smiled and took a step towards me. I didn¡¯t move. He took my hand in his and ced the bag in my hand.


    ¡°Ari.. those are casual dresses. And this dress is special.¡± He said, making me more confused.


    ¡°Special?¡± I frowned.


    ¡°What did you think, I won¡¯t buy you a dress for our first date night?¡± He chuckled, his eyes shining with amusement.


    ¡°Date?¡± My jaw dropped and I blinked several times. Had I been dreaming? Date? He¡¯s taking me out on a date? I thought it was a casual dinner.


    ¡°Yes Ari, Date. Did you think it¡¯s a casual dinner? If yes, then no, it¡¯s not.¡± Heughed, closing my mouth by pushing my chin up with his index finger.


    Oh goodness, how many shocks he wanted to give me in one day? First those confessions, now this.


    ¡°So, go and pamper yourself. It¡¯s a special night and we still have time till dinner. It¡¯s 4:30 and we¡¯ll leave at 7.¡± He said, caressing my cheek with his thumb.


    Unable to say anything, I just nodded my head and entered my room. cing the bag on the bed, I immediately rushed into the bathroom and after locking the door, I jumped in excitement. I wasughing like a madwoman.


    The day became special for me and I was sure the night would be special too because I was going on a Date with Xavier, my husband. I had never gone on a date before. I didn¡¯t know what the night would be like, I didn¡¯t know how the night would end. But I was so, so, so excited about the night.


    I thought of soaking myself in a warm bath. I am not a fan of a long bath but today I felt like having one. I had been working non-stop for thest few days and free my body from any tension and soreness in muscles. So, after turning the faucet of the bathtub on, I removed my clothes and walked towards theundry basket to ce my clothes in it.


    I walked back to the bathtub but abruptly stopped when I passed by the mirror. I felt like I saw something, I reversed my steps and looked into the mirror, and I saw a red mark between the space of my neck and shoulder. Frowning, I moved forward and stood close to the mirror. Looking in the mirror, I rubbed the red mark.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I asked myself. In the morning it wasn¡¯t there. And I don¡¯t even¡­


    My hands automatically stopped rubbing when I remembered the pain I felt when Xavier did something on that particr spot of the neck in his office. Yes, it¡¯s him¡­ But why he did that? Why did he bite me? Was he that much jealous of Kevin that he punished me by biting me? Could he be that evil? What did he want to show by doing that? Why¡­


    My eyes suddenly went wide and my hand dropped on my side when I remembered¡­


    I marked you as mine Ari¡­


    ¡°Goodness, Xavier marked me by biting me,¡± I eximed to myself.


    He stamped me with this red mark. This mark feels like it won¡¯t fade away easily. I groaned loudly, my skin is so sensitive, any mark on my skin takes many days to fade away. I already have those¡­. Those scars on my body now I have to endure this one too.


    ¡°I think I have to ask Xavier why he did that. He can¡¯t just bite me.¡± I eximed loudly.


    I stomped my foot on the bathroom floor and walked towards the bathtub. I closed the faucet and checked the temperature of the water by dipping my hand in it. When I was satisfied with the temperature, I sat in the bathtub.


    I closed my eyes and moaned as warm water immediately worked on my tensing muscles and started removing tight knots in my muscles.


    I remained in the bathtub for almost half an hour and after that, I showered and washed my hair. After wearing a bathrobe and wrapping my hair in a towel, I walked out of the bathroom.


    I looked at the time. It was half-past five and I had one and a half hours to get ready. I unwrapped my hair from the towel and sat on the table stool in front of the dresser and started drying my hair with a hairdryer. After drying my hair, I got up to see the dress Xavier bought for me.


    Silently praying for the dress not to be revealing, I took out the dress from the bag. I gasped when I saw the dress, it was a beautiful ck, round neck full sleeves, ankle-length dress with white diagonal stripes. But it had a small slit at the side which I thought will end up till my knee. I had to check the slit by wearing it. I don¡¯t want to show my scars and I don¡¯t even want to upset Xavier.


    Apart from that slit, the dress wasn¡¯t at all revealing for which I was thankful for Xavier. He was aware of my difort, he knew I don¡¯t wear revealing dresses that¡¯s why he bought me this dress. He¡¯s so sweet.


    And no matter what, I¡¯ll wear this dress just for him. I¡¯ll conceal my scars if I have to but I¡¯ll wear this dress.


    I went inside the closet and slip out of the bathrobe and wore the dress. I slightly closed my eyes and stood in front of the mirror. Biting my lower lip, I slowly opened only one eye to take a look at the dress. But my second eye automatically shot open and a loud gasp escaped my throat when I looked at my reflection. The dress looked¡­. Gorgeous on me. And the slit ended just above my knee. I sighed in relief when I saw that none of the scars on my thigh were visible.


    I then went back to my vanity and decided to apply a little makeup. I applied a light foundation, eyeliner, nude eyeshadow, and lipstick. When I was done with that, I straightened my hair and wore earrings. Then I again went back to my closet to wear shoes.


    I thought of wearing ts but I always wore them and it was a special night. I wanted to look good so I opted to wear heels. They would give me sore feet but I would handle that.


    I gave a quick look to myself in the mirror before heading out. I ran towards the bedroom door and opened it swiftly only toe face to face with Xavier whose hand was hanging in the air. When he saw me, his hand went down on his side.


    My eyes bulged out when I saw him, I was stunned, he looked handsome, more handsome than he looked regrly. He wore a ck casual suit with a white round-neck T-shirt underneath. His hair was neatlybed back, and he wore casual sses. I had never seen him wearing sses. He was looking drool-worthy and¡­hot.


    Wait¡­ did I just say hot? Goodness, what¡¯s happening to me? I think my mind is corrupted by some virus. But I can¡¯t even me that virus¡­ because he indeed was looking hot.


    My gaze traveled up to his face only to find him staring at me. I bit the inside of my cheek shifted on my feet which made him look at my face.


    Without breaking eye contact, he stepped towards me until he was just inches apart from me. And in no time he snaked his arm around my waist and tugged me closer to him, making my front press to his front.


    ¡°Guess, we¡¯re matching again. And you look absolutely stunning.¡± He said huskily, kissing my cheek.


    ¡°You look handsome too.¡± Those words left my mouth before I could stop them. He immediately stepped back, removing his hand from my waist.


    ¡°Is that a firstpliment I¡¯m hearing from you?¡± He asked, surprised. I consider him handsome but I had neverplimented him. Not that I didn¡¯t want to but I wasn¡¯t able to voice out my thoughts before, but now it was different.


    I lowered my head feeling embarrassed. But then my face was lifted by Xavier¡¯s index finger under my chin.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you consider me handsome. Well, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t know that but hearing it from you made me more delighted.¡± He smiled, making my face heat up.


    ¡°And you don¡¯t even need artificial blush to apply on your cheeks ¡¯cause your cheeks are always pink.¡± He chuckled, caressing my cheek with his thumb.


    ¡°Why are you wearing heels? They will hurt your feet again.¡± He asked with concern.


    ¡°It matched the dress, so I wore them,¡± I said.


    ¡°But I must say, you look hot in those heels.¡± He said, kissing the corner of my mouth. My legs became weak at hispliment.


    ¡°I think we should leave. We don¡¯t want to gette on the first date, now, do we? Now go and wear your coat then we¡¯ll leave.¡± He said and ushered me inside the room. I wore my off-white trench coat which was in the bag with the dress Xavier had bought. I walked out of the room to find him leaning against the wall, he stood straight when he saw me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Xavier wait,¡± I said immediately. I wanted to clear something with him.


    ¡°Yes?¡± He asked, looking at me.


    ¡°Um¡­mmm.. you.. mmm¡­¡± I scratched the back of my neck. I wasn¡¯t able to form the sentence.


    ¡°Me what Ari?¡± He frowned.


    ¡°Umm.. you can¡¯t just do that,¡± I said, looking everywhere but him.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do what? I¡¯m not understanding you, Ari.¡± He asked.


    ¡°Why did you bite me?¡± I asked quickly.


    ¡°Bite you? What¡­Oh, wait¡­I almost forgot about that. Ari, it¡¯s not a bite, it¡¯s called hickey.¡± Heughed heartily making my heart skip a beat. He moved near me and ced his hand on my neck and scrutinized it.


    ¡°So sad, it¡¯s not visible in this dress.¡± He frowned slightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that the mark is not visible and whatever it is called, you can¡¯t just do that,¡± I stated a little harshly. I didn¡¯t know where I found the guts to talk to him like that.


    He smirked and again snaked his arm around my waist.


    ¡°Feisty huh? Do You know you look adorable when you try to act tough? And about the bite, I can and I will do that. No matter how many times, I¡¯ll give you more of these bites so that they won¡¯t fade away. This will remind other men that you¡¯re taken so that they¡¯ll stay away from you.¡± He whispered haughtily, making me shiver, but Iposed myself and narrowed my eyes at him.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Try me.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to,¡± I replied hastily because I knew challenging him was a waste of my time and strength. He would do it anyway.


    ¡°Aww.. my Ari is scared? You know I can do it whether you agree or not. But I¡¯ll not, not now or we¡¯ll gette. You must have learned that these things take time.¡± He smirked, pressing my body more against him. Then after a few seconds, he let go of me and intertwined his fingers with mine.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go before I give you another bite.¡± He said and dragged me out of the penthouse.


    We sat in his shiny red Maserati and he drove off into the street. I sat there, looking out of the window, watching the view outside. I knew he was watching me because I could feel his burning gaze on me. I turned my head to remind him to pay attention to the road and not on me but as I turned my head, I found him looking at the road. I frowned, I knew he was watching me, I felt that.


    I shrugged my shoulders; maybe I was hallucinating, after all, my mind had been upied by only him. I shook my head at my dumbness. Then I saw him clutching the steering wheel tightly. The grip was so tight that his knuckles were turning white.


    ¡°Hey, you okay?¡± I asked, touching his arm with my hand. He flinched slightly at my move, making me worried. What happened to him?


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay.¡± He shed a smile. I was not convinced with his answer as his smile was forced, I knew what his natural smile is like. But I decided to push my worrying thoughts away. He must be thinking about business.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I whispered.


    I leaned back in my seat and again looked outside the window, my eyes fell on the rearview mirror to see a car following us. There was a lot of space for that car to pass but that car was just behind us.


    Were they paparazzi? My heart immediately started beating fast. If they were paparazzi they¡¯d again cause some trouble.


    I immediately sat straight and looked at Xavier.


    ¡°Xavier, a car is following us,¡± I said with panic in my voice. He first looked at me and then in the rearview mirror and then shook his head.


    ¡°Ari, no need to worry. It¡¯s just Finn with other bodyguards following us in a car.¡± He said softly and intertwined his fingers with mine, his one hand was on the steering wheel.


    ¡°Finn?¡± I asked. Why is he following us?


    ¡°Yes, Finn. I can¡¯t take a risk with your safety so, I ordered Finn to follow us with other guards. In case paparazzi catch us, they will not let theme near us.¡± He said, tightening his hold on my hand and again backed his attention on the road.


    I closed my eyes and sighed in relief. His concern towards me made my body mushy from inside. I slowly opened my eyes and looked at him adoringly and smiled. He nced at me and let out a smallugh.


    ¡°What happened? Why are you looking at me like that?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Nothing¡­ it¡¯s just you¡¯re so generous and caring.¡± I whispered, admiring his face. He chuckled and raised our inteced hand. He kissed my hand but didn¡¯t say anything.


    After driving for almost half an hour, Xavier stopped in front of a three-floor exquisite restaurant whose exterior was decorated with bamboos andmps. The name of the restaurant wasn¡¯t visible to me, maybe because I was sitting in the car.


    Xavier got out of the car and ran towards my side to open the door for me. He extended his hand for me to hold and I happily obliged and stepped out. Immediately, a chilly breeze hit my face making me shiver. I clutched the coat around me tightly. He passed the car keys to the valet and gave a nod to Finn who stopped his car behind us. I waved at Finn who smiled in response. Xavier then rested his hand on the small of my back which made pleasuring heat fire up in my body. I tried to search for the name of the restaurant by looking around.


    ¡°What are you searching for?¡± Xavier¡¯s voice stopped my search operation. I looked at him and frowned.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for the name of the restaurant. Where¡¯s it written? Where are we?¡± I asked which made him chuckle.


    ¡°Come.¡± He led me on the small pathway covered with bamboo trees,mps, small umbres, and dim lights. The ce was so peaceful. He stopped a few meters away from the huge entry door which was made up of ss.


    ¡°Read that..¡± He pointed above the ss door. I looked up to read what was written there.


    Wee to the world of¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    I gasped and my head instantly shot in his way. He was grinning ear to ear as if he knew I¡¯d like this ce. I smiled widely and hugged him excitedly.


    ¡°Would you like to dine here?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I would love to,¡± I eximed excitedly.

 46

    Xavier Knight


    The moment I saw her bright smile, I knew the Date was sessful. The moment she hugged me after looking at where I brought her, I knew I had won a huge part of her heart. I knew she would definitely like this ce. I grinned in triumph and looked at her.


    ¡°Would you like to dine here?¡± I asked her although I knew she would love to.


    ¡°Yes.¡± She eximed excitedly. I looked where I asked her to look.


    Wee to the world of Thai cuisine¡­


    Yes, I brought her to a Thai restaurant. I had been thinking hard to n a date for her. I didn¡¯t want a simple dinner, I wanted to n something unique and best for her and when I got to know that one of my business associates had recently opened a Thai restaurant, I immediately nned this Date night for her. I knew she¡¯d love to visit this ce but I had no idea she¡¯d be this happy.


    ¡°Come,¡± I rested my hand on her back and walked towards the ss door. When we entered, we were weed by the manager, William Stones, with whom I had personally met to n everything.


    ¡°Wee, Mr. Knight, Wee, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Is everything  ready?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Knight, please this way.¡± William gestured towards upstairs. He took us to the private room I had booked for dinner. Obviously, I didn¡¯t want any disturbance while dining with her. I wanted herplete attention.


    We entered the room which was a mini representation of Thai culture. Lamps were hung up the ceiling, some small bamboo nts were ced in ss vases, the walls were masterpieces of wooden artwork. A table was set in the middle of the room with two upholstered chairs. The lights were set to dim making it a perfect ce for a romantic dinner.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± I heard Ariana whisper and looked at her to see her eyes twinkling with admiration.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you like the ce,¡± I whispered back.


    ¡°Sir, ma¡¯am, please have a seat,¡± William said gesturing towards the seat.


    I first pulled the chair for Ariana and let her sit then I sat on the opposite side of the table.


    ¡°This is Rosy, she¡¯ll be at your service,¡± William said pointing at the girl who came forward and stood near the table.


    ¡°This is the buzzer, you can press it if you need any service,¡± William said pointing at the tiny buzzer ced on the table.


    ¡°Enjoy your meal.¡± Saying that William left the room.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what to order,¡± I said picking up the menu card but before I could read, it was snatched from my hand. I nced up to see Ariana holding the card in her hand and was having the biggest smile on her face.


    ¡°Let me suggest what to eat, I¡¯m aware of Thai cuisine and I know what¡¯s best to order¡­¡± Her chirping stopped when she saw me staring at her.


    ¡°I¡­I¡¯m sorry.. I got carried away. Here take a look and order.¡± She said cing the card in front of me. She looked guilty of what she was doing.


    Staring at her, I picked the card and passed it to her again.


    ¡°Order for me too. I haven¡¯t had Thai food before. So, I¡¯ll eat whatever you¡¯ll suggest.¡± I smiled.


    ¡°You sure?¡± She asked hesitantly.


    ¡°100%¡± I assured her. Her eyes lit up again and she happily picked up the menu card again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what the dishes are and then you decide what to eat.. okay. So the first dish is Rat na. It is basically Wide rice noodles served with meat like chicken, beef, pork, or any other seafood topped with sweet soy sauce¡­¡± She enthusiastically started describing the dishes to me. She seemed happy doing so.


    I knew I was the one who brought her on a date and I should be the one ordering but looking at her wide smile and enthusiasm I let her decide for us. For a man, a date is meant to make his woman satisfied and happy. And I knew I seeded in gaining her satisfaction the moment she saw where I had brought her. Seeing her twinkling eyes and bright face I concluded that the Date night I had nned was aplete sess.


    Ignoring her cute babbling about the dishes, I took that chance to admire her. When I chose that dress for her I didn¡¯t know she would look hot in this simple dress. While choosing the dress, only one thing was in my mind, herfort. I was aware of her difort in wearing dresses that show her skin. It¡¯s not the I wanted her to show her body to the world. No, Her body is for my eyes only. I just wanted to make her feel confident about her body that¡¯s why I intentionally chose a dress that had small silt on the side.


    For me, she¡¯s the epitome of ss and elegance, she can don any look with perfection. My breath was caught in my throat when I saw her standing in front of me, wearing that dress. Her leg which wasing out of the slit made my body stir in anticipation. My eyes lingered on her perfectly shaped leg and. If only the skin of her leg has the power to make my body stir in anticipation then what effect she¡¯ll have on me when she¡¯dy underneath me?


    In the car, I was dying to rest my hand on her knee, I wanted to touch her leg and feel her skin. But I resisted myself from doing so. I clutched the steering wheel tightly so that I don¡¯t lose control, I even tried my best not to look at her, or I would have stopped the car in the middle of the road and kissed the hell out of her.


    I was taking baby steps. First, I¡¯d make her fullyfortable with me then only I¡¯d proceed further. I was actually surprised that she wore the dress, I was thinking that she¡¯de to me saying that she can¡¯t wear the dress because of the slit. But what can I say, she¡¯s full of surprises. Since the day she came into my life, she had been giving me surprises in one way or the other.


    ¡°So, what would you like to eat?¡± Her chirping voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I cleared my throat and looked at her face.


    ¡°What were you saying?¡± I asked sheepishly. I didn¡¯t hear a single word because I was busy admiring her body.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t listen to the single word I said. Right?¡± She asked in disbelief.


    ¡°What were you thinking? I was exining the dishes so that you can order them. But you didn¡¯t pay attention to me.¡± She frowned.


    ¡°Ariana, I told you I¡¯ll eat whatever you¡¯ll suggest,¡± I said.


    ¡°But at least you should tell your preference.¡± She said to me, her eyes were searching mine.


    ¡°This night is all about you, My preference is not required here. So, if you have decided¡­ should I call for service?¡± I asked her. She nodded her head then I pressed the buzzer. The waitress came with the tab to note our orders. I gestured for Ariana to order. She was hesitant at first but when I gave her assuring smile and she ced the order. The waitress noted our orders and left the room.


    After the waitress left, the room fell in silence. Ariana started looking around, admiring the decoration. I decided to break the silence.


    ¡°How do you know this much about Thai cuisine?¡± I asked, grabbing her attention.


    ¡°Oh that, well.. when I was little, my father used to cook for me. He was a great cook. From time to time he used to cook Thai food for me and always used to talk about Thand and its culture. He wanted me to adapt to both American and Thai culture. He even made a recipe book for me so that whenever I want I can cook Thai food.¡± She let out a small chuckle at thest part but her face and eyes manifested sadness. I cursed myself for starting the topic that had a soft spot in her heart. I knew it was not the right ce to talk about these things but I wanted her to open up to me because I wanted to know what was inside her heart that she had been hiding.


    ¡°Have you ever been to Thand or any other Asian country?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Umm.. no, I have never been to Thand or any other country, though I want to explore different ces. I have only been to¡­ Chicago that too for studies. I¡­never explored that ce.¡± She saidst part hesitantly looking everywhere but me. I wondered why she sounded hesitant talking about Chicago. I let it slide for the moment, she was gradually opening up to me. I wouldn¡¯t force her to talk against her will, at least for now. It¡¯d be good if she tells everything by herself.


    I felt as if she was hesitant, she was silent and wasn¡¯t trying to make a conversation. I didn¡¯t want that, I wanted her to talk to me. I wanted her to know that I was there to listen to her.


    ¡°Ariana, don¡¯t sit silent. Say something.¡± I said politely.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­know.. what to say.¡± She replied. I silently sighed and started thinking about the way to make her speak.


    ¡°Okay, Let¡¯s do this. Let¡¯s ask questions to each other, not about likes or dislikes, not even personal questions but random questions which can be funny or deep, whatever you feel like asking. Okay?¡± I asked her. I was literally dying to have a talk with her. Through this questioning game, I¡¯ll know her more and it won¡¯t be boring.


    ¡°Umm¡­okay, you ask first.¡± She said.


    ¡°Okay umm¡­.. Who¡¯s the most famous person you have ever met?¡± I asked randomly. To my surprise, she startedughing. Did I ask a funny question? But whatever it was, at least I heard herugh. I like the way her cheeks lift when sheughs making her eyes squint in the process. She looked so carefree, herughter is so precious to me because she barelyughs like this. Her heartyugh portraits her jolly nature.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­ it¡¯s just that.. the most famous person I have ever met is sitting in front of me. Apart from you, only Sean and Daniel.¡± She said while stifling herugh. I rolled my eyes and shook my head, she again startedughing and this time I joined her.


    ¡°Okay now, your turn.¡±


    Plopping her arms on the table, she leaned forward and asked. ¡°Okay, so¡­ What¡¯s the biggest goal in your life right now?¡±


    ¡°To make you mine in every sense,¡± I said without thinking twice. Her cheeks turned a shade of pink and she sat straight, avoiding my eyes.


    The waitress chose the moment to enter the room with a trolley of food. She ced the food on the table and left. We both started eating our food. The food was really delicious. I had never tasted Thai food before but it¡¯s always good to explore something new. We both continued asking random questions to each other while eating. After we finished with the dinner the waitress cleared our table and left the dessert menu card on the table.


    ¡°How do you like the food?¡± She asked excitedly.


    ¡°I should be the one asking you that. I brought you to this ce. But knowing that you¡¯re over-excited to ask about my experience of having different cuisine so yes, I like the food and it was really delicious.¡± I responded.


    ¡°Dessert?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Umm¡­ I¡¯m not a fan of sweet,¡± She said, propping her elbows on the table.


    ¡°But I want ice cream,¡± She mumbled.


    ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll order ice cream.¡± I was about to press the buzzer when she stopped me by cing her hand on mine.


    ¡°No, not here. I want to have ice cream from a roadside truck.¡± She said hastily.


    ¡°Umm.. only if it¡¯s okay with you.¡± She added quickly, pulling her hand away but I stopped her action by grabbing her hand.


    ¡°Whatever you like!¡± I smiled at her and she responded with a shy smile.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I pressed the buzzer to ask for the bill. Ariana praised and thanked the waitress for the service and the food. After I paid the bill we left the ce to have ice cream from a roadside truck. Finn¡¯s car was following us. I pulled the car on the side when I saw the ice cream truck. I stopped my car at a notable distance from the truck.


    ¡°You stay here, I¡¯ll bring ice cream for you,¡± I said. There was a long line near the ice cream truck, I didn¡¯t want her to stand in line.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to sit in the car. Can I stand outside? I promise I won¡¯t go anywhere I¡¯ll stand by that railing.¡± She pleaded, pointing outside. I wanted to argue but her pleading eyes made me not to.


    ¡°Okay.¡± I huffed.


    ¡°Thank you, thank you.¡± She took me off guard by hugging me excitedly.


    I made her stand near the fence on the roadside. I was thankful that the area was deserted by people. I signaled Finn to guard her. I would have asked Finn to bring ice cream but I wanted to do it for her. I wanted to enjoy and experience every little thing with her and for her.


    ¡°What vor would you like?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Vani with sprinkles.¡± She eximed. Nodding my head, I made my way towards the truck, one other bodyguard was following me. I hid my face with a handkerchief so that no one could recognize me. I bought the same vors for her and me and headed back to her.


    ¡°Eating ice cream in cold weather is the best thing.¡± She muttered while licking her ice cream.


    ¡°Yeah and catch a cold after that,¡± I said sarcastically, licking my ice cream.


    ¡°Then why are you eating ice cream. Don¡¯t eat, you¡¯ll catch a cold.¡± She snatched ice cream from my hand.


    ¡°I was talking about you. I¡¯m a strong man, I won¡¯t catch a cold. Now give back my ice cream.¡± I tried to snatch it from her hand but she hid it behind her back.


    ¡°Strong man? You were the one who caught a fever and cold just by getting wet in rain. Remember?¡± She mocked. Did She seriously mock me?


    ¡°That was rain and it¡¯s just small ice cream.¡± I again tried to grab the cone from behind her back but she raised her hand in the air.


    ¡°Nope, you¡¯re not getting it. You made a joke about it, now pay for it.¡± She giggled, licking her own ice cream, and started walking away.


    ¡°Ariana, I¡¯m warning youst time.¡±


    ¡°Whatever, you¡¯re not getting it.¡± She eximed, looking over her shoulder.


    ¡°Okay then.. you asked for it.¡± Saying that I ran towards her which made her squeak, and she started running but I caught her in two long strides. I hoisted her up circling her waist and started twirling her around which made herugh loudly.


    ¡°Xavier stop, Ice cream will drop from my hand.¡± She said,ughing hard. Herughter sounded so carefree. I was enjoying the moment. I stopped twirling and ced her back on the ground.


    ¡°Now give it back to me,¡± I said. She again denied but this time I tickled her which made her give my ice cream back to me. I smirked in victory to which she stuck out her tongue at me. Iughed at her childishness.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a stroll,¡± Ariana said after finishing her ice cream.


    ¡°No, Ari.. there are many people around here, what if anyone recognizes us and ¡­¡± I abruptly stopped talking when I nced at her. She was looking at me with the cutest pout forming on her lips. Fuck!! So Damn Cute.


    Can Ipliment her pouting face by calling her a cute piglet? No Xavier are you fucking crazy? Innocent or not if I darepare her with even a baby pig she¡¯ll scratch my face with her ws.


    Well.. I won¡¯t mind if she scratches my back in pleasure.


    But It¡¯s official now, she¡¯s the cutest woman on the.


    And I¡¯m d that this cutest woman is mine. This cute piglet is mine. Piglet¡­It¡¯ll be my secret endearment for her.


    ¡°We¡¯ll stroll, only when you¡¯ll kiss me,¡± I said yfully.


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair.¡± She frowned.


    ¡°Either kiss me or¡­¡± I didn¡¯t evenplete my sentence when she kissed me on my cheek. When will she learn that kiss me means kiss on lips? I couldn¡¯t even argue with her because she¡¯d say -you didn¡¯t mention anything-. I sighed. I had to wait a little longer, she still had to learn many things.


    I sighed and ignoring the desire that developed in my body because of her simple kiss, I pulled her closer to me by wrapping my arm around her shoulder. We then walked on a pathway like that. I knew guards were following us from the distance.


    ¡°What¡¯s your biggest addiction?¡± She asked out of nowhere. I first frowned and soon I realized it, she was continuing the questioning game. I smiled and looked at her adoringly. I felt contended that she¡¯s feelingfortable around me. Just a few hours ago she wasn¡¯t even trying to make conversation and now she was opening up, just the way I wanted her to be.


    ¡°My work.¡± (And you) I said thest part in my head.


    ¡°My turn. So tell me, What¡¯s one thing that you¡¯re proud of right now?¡± I asked. She stopped walking, making me stop too, and nced at me.


    ¡°You.¡± She whispered.


    ¡°Me? Why? What did I do?¡± I frowned.


    ¡°Yes, you. The way you work with determination because of which your business is booming, making you the most inspirational man for budding businessmen and even women. And the way you care for every employee and boost their self-esteem by praising their work. The way you care and always spare time for your family and friends. All these things make me proud of you. You¡¯ve conquered the world but still, you are so down to earth. You inspire me, Xavier.¡± She said with pride lingering in her eyes.


    I embraced her in my arms and kissed the side of her head. She took my heart away with her revtion about me. Listening to her, for the first time I felt like I had achieved something more remarkable than money and fame in my life.


    ¡°What¡¯s one thing that made you smile today? And why did it made you smile?¡± She asked as we resumed walking.


    ¡°You. You made me smile today. The thought of going out with you on a date was enough for me to smile.¡± I said truthfully. She didn¡¯t look at me, I knew she was blushing.


    ¡°For you, what is the meaning of life?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Living with happiness. That¡¯s what I think life is all about. I know money ys an important role, but still, many have money butck happiness. For them, luxury is everything and that too is less for them, they only live for money, not caring about their families. And many are there who don¡¯t have money but still are happy. They find happiness in small things, like in their partner¡¯s smile, children¡¯s giggles, parents¡¯ well-being. These people live for their loved ones and not for money.¡± She said, looking ahead of her, but my eyes were on her. I was admiring her opinion about life.


    ¡°In one word, What do you live for?¡± This question slipped off my tongue involuntarily.


    ¡°Hope¡±


    Hope.. This one word has the deepest meaning.


    Her opinion about life was so deep. I never thought about life that deeply. I was always carefree and used to think- if I have earned money I have earned everything in my life including happiness-. It doesn¡¯t mean I became conceited or arrogant and didn¡¯t value the money or feelings of people. But her opinion about living life ispletely different. For her, money is a mere source to stay alive and she doesn¡¯t put happiness and money in one frame.


    This woman in my arms is full of surprises, she¡¯s selfless, caring and so down to earth. I feel lucky to have her in my life. She¡¯s not aware of it but her simple theory about life gave me an important life lesson that I¡¯m not gonna forget in my life. She inspires me to be better.


    It¡¯s only Ariana, my Ari¡­my wife.


    I¡¯m attracted towards her like a ma, I admire her, she inspires me and I¡¯m so proud of her.


    I couldn¡¯t let this wonderful woman slip away from me. And now, I no longer hide my feelings from her. It¡¯s the right time for her to know that I liked her. I couldn¡¯t keep her in dark anymore.


    But I was scared, what if she didn¡¯t have feelings for me as I had for her? After all, I had been a total jerk to her and I had hurt her with my words many times. Even on the wedding day, I used her of things she¡¯s not. I even asked her to stay away from me. And here I was now, who couldn¡¯t think of being away from her.


    But I had to take a step, I had to tell her. Whether she rejects me or tries to run away from me, whether she reciprocate the same feelings or not, I would confess my feelings to her tonight.


    I was ready for the consequences, If she rejects me, I¡¯d do anything to make her ept me. Because I was not going to leave her at any cost. I was not letting her go away from me.

 47

    Ariana


    ¡°In one word, what you live for?¡± He asked in a low whisper.


    ¡°Hope¡± (And you are everything I hoped for.) I wanted to add this too but I stopped myself from saying it.


    We were engrossed in our talk that we didn¡¯t know when we reached the park. The park was empty, no one was there.


    ¡°Hey, see there¡¯s a swing, let¡¯s go there. It¡¯s been ages since I sat on a swing.¡± I happily eximed. I didn¡¯t care if I was wearing heels, I ran towards the swing, leaving Xavier behind. He was calling me but I only stopped when I reached near the swing.


    Basically, I wanted to distract him from asking questions. I felt as if the talk we were having was going too deep which was ruining the fun. And I wanted to enjoy every single moment of the night.


    ¡°Come, Xavier, sit,¡± I said, pointing at the swing.


    ¡°Are you serious, Ariana? That¡¯s for kids.¡± He stated, looking at me weirdly.


    ¡°Ohe on, don¡¯t behave like a grumpy old man.¡± I was behaving so childishly that I didn¡¯t know what I was saying.


    ¡°Old man?¡± He gaped at me. Then a smirk started forming on his lips. He came closer to me and stood just inches away from me.


    ¡°You think I¡¯m an old man? Should I show you how much of an old man I¡¯m? You¡¯ll be amazed to see the stamina of this old man. Just say yes and I¡¯ll show you.¡± He winked. I stepped back, looking everywhere but him which made himugh.


    What does he mean by that? I was just joking & I don¡¯t want to see him showing off his exercising skills.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to sit? Okay then, give me a push.¡± I said, waving off his yful remark and sat on the swing. He first rolled his eyes then chuckled and came behind me.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky that I like your childishness.¡± He said and started giving a push to the swing. I wasughing heartily. I didn¡¯t even know when was thest time I was so carefree. I felt like a kid again.


    Tonight, Xavier surprised me by bringing me to a Thai restaurant. I hadn¡¯t had Thai food for so long. I had been to a Thai restaurant before but not the ssy one in which Xavier took me. I never had money to eat in exquisite diners.


    Eating Thai reminds me of my father, whenever missing him bes unbearable I either cook that food or go to a small Thai diner.


    And Xavier just took my heart away by bringing me there. Since the day I married him, I didn¡¯t have Thai food and I was missing my father so badly. And Xavier fulfilled that wish too.


    After giving the push to swing for almost five minutes, Xavier stopped the swing abruptly. Holding the chains of swing with my hands, I craned my neck to look at his face to find him staring at me, intently. His eyes were full of emotions.


    I slowly stood up from the swing and stood in front of him. He cupped my face with one hand and caressed my cheek with a thumb.


    ¡°Did you enjoy the Date night?¡± He asked in a low whisper. I took both of his hands in mine and looked into his eyes.


    ¡°I enjoyed it a lot. I loved the ce where we had dinner. You really surprised me by bringing me to that ce. Unknowingly, you fulfilled my wish of having Thai food. This is the first date I have ever been to and I¡¯m gonna remember it for life. Thank you, Xavier, for giving me the moments to cherish for all my life.¡± I said with a smile.


    He stared at me with many emotions lingering in his eyes.


    ¡°Ariana.. I.. I have something t.. to tell you.¡± He stuttered nervously, making me frown. He¡¯s always confident, he¡¯s never nervous.


    ¡°What is it, Xavier?¡± I asked softly.


    ¡°Umm¡­I¡­um.. let¡¯s just sit on the bench first.¡± He dragged me towards the bench and made me sit on it. He then sat beside me.


    ¡°Xavier? Is everything okay? You¡¯re behaving strangely.¡± I asked. Turning his body towards me, he held my hands in his.


    ¡°Ariana, just please listen to whatever I have to say, okay?¡± He was hesitant but serious.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening, Xavier.¡±


    ¡°Ariana, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m really sorry for being a jerk to you. The way I treated you, I used you of things you are not, I even said many bad things to you. I¡¯m really, really sorry for everything. I was upset at that time, I was furious that my parents ckmailed me to marry a stranger. I couldn¡¯t say no to them because I love them so much. So, I let out my anger on you. Ipared you with Scarlet, I thought you¡¯re also like her, brat, money-hungry, rude, and maniptive. And when I started spending time with you, I came to know that I was wrong, I had the wrong opinion about you. You¡¯re not what I thought you were. You¡¯re selfless, sweet, caring, and so down to earth. And I apologize from bottom of my heart for being rude to you. Please forgive me.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t able to take my eyes off him. He was apologizing. I felt so calm andposed, like every single cell of my body knew that this was going to happen someday. What I had learned about Xavier is, that he¡¯s not a bad person, he¡¯d never hurt anyone intentionally. Anyone would be upset when they get to know that they have married a stranger. I was upset too but unlike him, I endured all silently and kept everything in my heart.


    He was asking for my forgiveness but he didn¡¯t know that I had forgiven him the day I came to know that he took a stand for me. I forgave him the day I came to know that he threatened Mr. Smith for pping me.


    He never hides his mistake, he apologizes if he¡¯s wrong, he takes a stand for the right. And that is what I love about him.


    Did I say love?


    My calmposure instantly vanished in the air and my heart starting beating at an rming rate when I realized something. Love¡­


    Oh goodness, I was such a fool!! I was looking for a sign to prove to myself that whatever I felt for him was love or not. But I failed to notice that all the signs were in front of my eyes.


    His taking stand for me, his changed behavior towards me, his caring nature, his kisses, his smile, his touches¡­ all those things made me feel something for him. All the things made me fall in love with him.


    I had been in love with him for so long and I didn¡¯t know about it.


    ¡°Ari, say something,¡± His low voice pulled me out to reality.


    ¡°I forgive you, Xavier,¡± I said without hesitation. My heart was still beating fast.


    ¡°Thank you, thank you so much, Ari. This thing had been eating me from inside.¡± He pulled me into his arms. After a few seconds, he pulled away and again took my hands in his.


    ¡°Ari.. I.. I have something¡­else t.. to tell you.¡± His eyes were showing hesitation and fear? What now?


    ¡°Xavier¡­¡±


    ¡°I like you, Ari.¡±


    And that¡¯s when my heart almost stopped functioning. His words hit me like a gust of wind. I couldn¡¯t even blink, I sat there dumbfounded.


    I like you, Ari¡­


    He likes me. Xavier likes me.


    ¡°Ari.. I.. I don¡¯t know how and when it happened. I just know that I have strong feelings for you and I¡¯m not bluffing around. Ari, I was the one who acted like a jerk and told you to mind your own business. But here I¡¯m now who doesn¡¯t want you to stay away from me.¡± He looked at me, studying my face.


    ¡°Ari, You forgave me so easily because you¡¯re a soft-hearted person but I¡¯m sure you must be upset with me for behaving rudely to you. And I¡¯ll do anything to correct my mistakes because now that I know I like you, I¡¯m not letting you go away from me.¡±


    I was listening to him so intently that I didn¡¯t know when my emotions took over me and a tear ran down my face. In no second, I was a crying mess.


    I couldn¡¯t believe that the man I love, likes me. The man who gave me everything I asked for has feelings for me.


    ¡°Hey.. hey, Ari, why are you crying? Did I say something wrong? Did I hurt you again? I¡¯m sorry if I did. But please don¡¯t cry. It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t like me. I¡¯ll¡­.¡±


    I didn¡¯t let himplete his sentence. I immediately lunged my arms around his neck and buried my face in the crook of his neck.


    ¡°I like you too, Xavier. I like you.¡± I mumbled.


    I didn¡¯t say love because I didn¡¯t want to act clingy. I didn¡¯t want to lose him. I wanted to take everything slow.


    Tears were still flowing down my face. I didn¡¯t care if it was the first time I was crying in front of him. I didn¡¯t care if I was making a fool of myself.


    I just cared that the man I loved had feelings for me. My husband likes me. He wanted to give this marriage a chance, he wanted to correct his mistakes. And I was ready for everything. I was ready to give any test, I¡¯d do anything to be with him.


    Because now that I know he likes me, I¡¯ll do anything to prove myself to be worthy of him. Now, I can¡¯t imagine my life without him.


    He removed my hands from around his neck and cupped my face.


    ¡°You do?¡± He asked with surprise lingering in his eyes and on his face. I nodded my head.


    ¡°Then why are you crying? Please don¡¯t cry. I can¡¯t see you cry that too because of me.¡± He said, wiping my face with his thumbs.


    ¡°I.. I thought you¡¯re upset with me because I was tied to you without your will. I.. I thought you¡¯ll never forgive me, you¡¯ll never feel anything for me.¡± I sniffed.


    ¡°I thought the same, I thought you were upset with me because of being rude to you.¡± He whispered.


    ¡°And I guess we both were thinking nonsense, we both were living in a delusional world.¡± He chuckled and augh escaped my throat.


    ¡°Ari, I may have messed up many things but the things I have done can¡¯t hide the fact that we¡¯re married and you¡¯re my wife. Mywfully wedded wife. And I intend to keep it that way.¡± He stated, brushing strands of hair away from my face.


    My wife.


    Without thinking twice, I cupped his face and pressed my lips against him. He stiffened for a second, then rxed and moved his lips against mine. I kissed him back with all my will, pouring all my love in it. He too didn¡¯t let me go until he kissed me with all his will. We kissed each other passionately until we were out of breath.


    He pulled away and pressed his forehead against mine. I closed my eyes to feel the moment, my breathing was rapid. He enveloped me in his arms and pressed my face against his chest.


    ¡°I¡¯m not letting you go. Not now, not ever.¡± He mumbled, kissing the top of my head.


    Being in the arms of the person you love is the best feeling in the world.


    I felt like I was home. His tight hold on my body made me feel at home. I feel wanted in his arms, I feel loved, I find peace.


    ¡°You want to go somewhere else?¡± He asked.


    Somewhere else? I was already at the ce I wanted to be. In the safety of his arms. But still, we couldn¡¯t sit there all night. So, the only ce I wanted to go was where I would love to spend my life with my husband. The ce which is made of love. The ce where the best memories are made. ce where families are made. I want to go to my happy ce.


    ¡°Home, I want to go back home,¡± I mumbled.


    Xavier Knight


    Home.. she whispered.


    For a few seconds, the system of my body stopped working thinking that she considered my penthouse as home.


    I had never considered my penthouse as home. I always saw my penthouse as a resting ce where I could rest after a tiring day. I always considered my parents¡¯ house as home. But listening to her, calling my penthouse home, made me feel satisfied and happy.


    I recalled my mother¡¯s words she used to say whenever I woulde back home and say -It feels happy to be home- then she would always reply with-You feel happy to be home. Wait until you built your own home, you¡¯ll be ten times more satisfied and happy than you are now. You¡¯ll feelplete- And I used to counter back saying -I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever consider any other ce as home-


    Guess what? Mom was right. I felt much happier than I used to be. I built the house, but Ariana converted it into a home.


    I was no more alone. Ariana was with me, she liked me and she shared the same feelings as mine. She gave me immense happiness by confessing her feelings.


    I have my own home now. Our home.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you home,¡± I said and asked Finn to bring the car which was parked near the ice cream truck, in front of the park. We then drove back home.


    ¡°Ariana..¡± I called her name when she was about to enter her room.


    ¡°Ariana, please sleep in my room with me,¡± I said. Her eyes immediately filled with hesitance, she opened her mouth to say something but I cut her off.


    ¡°Ari.. please, I want you near me, close to me. I promise I¡¯ll not make you ufortable. I will keep my distance, I won¡¯t touch you until you ask for it. But please, sleep with me. I want to keep you close to me as much as I can. Please¡­Ari..¡± I pleaded desperately.


    I couldn¡¯t let her away from me, I wanted her to sleep with me to make herfortable to me in every sense. I can¡¯t bear the distance from her. I wanted her to take a new step, every single step will lead to closeness.


    ¡°Okay¡± she nodded her head which made me jump in excitement.


    ¡°Thank you, thank you so much for trusting me on this,¡± I said, hugging her.


    She then went into her room to change and I went into mine. I hurriedly freshen up and changed my clothes. I waited for her while sitting on the couch. I nced at the bed which in no time I was going to share with my wife. I couldn¡¯t hold my excitement, for the first time I¡¯d be sleeping with her. Though I had to keep my distance which would be difficult I would do it, for her. I wanted to make my room our room and only she had the power to make it so.


    With a knock on the door, she slowly entered the room. She was wearing herfy cute pajama shirt and ankle-length bottom.


    ¡°Umm.. you can take any side you want,¡± I said shifting on my feet. Goodness, why I am even nervous?


    ¡°Umm.. I don¡¯t have any preference.¡± She said hesitantly.


    ¡°O.. okay, umm.. you can take the right side, I¡¯ll take left,¡± I suggested. She nodded her head & slowly walked towards the bed. She hesitantlyid down on her side.


    Iid on the utmost corner of king size bed to give her space. I turned towards her side to find her lying on her back with closed eyes. I itched to hold her closer to me.


    I stared at her beautiful face, she looked so peaceful and calm. My heart broke when I saw tears in her eyes. I thought she was offended by what I said but she wasn¡¯t. Whatever the reason may be, I can¡¯t see tears in her eyes. Though I had seen her puffed, red eyes after that bastard Andrew Smith pped her but I never saw her crying in front of me and I don¡¯t want to even see her crying. Smile andughter, that¡¯s what I want to see on her face. I¡¯ll try my best to keep her smiling.


    I instantly closed my eyes when she turned her body towards me. I felt her twisting and turning in the bed, but I didn¡¯t open my eyes. After a few minutes, her twisting and turning stopped, I felt her gaze on me.


    ¡°Xavier,¡± She called my name in a low whisper. I opened my eyes to see her staring at me.


    ¡°Yes, Ariana. Are you feeling ufortable here?¡± I asked uneasily, I didn¡¯t want to hear an affirmative answer.


    ¡°Umm.. will you.. umm.¡± She stuttered.


    ¡°What is it, Ariana?¡± I asked softly getting up in a sitting position.


    ¡°Umm.. will you mind if.. I co..e closer to you?¡±


    ¡°Never. Come here.¡± Iid back shifting towards her. Ariana too shifted closer to me.


    Wrapping my arm around her shoulders, I pulled her closer to me. She hid her face in my chest.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She whispered.


    ¡°Sleep tight, Ari,¡± I mumbled and covered our bodies with the duvet.


    I couldn¡¯t hold my excitement and smiled secretly. I was damn sure that Ariana could hear my heartbeat because my heart was beating furiously in excitement and happiness.


    I knew we still had many distances between us but I¡¯d make sure to erase them.


    Inhaling her enticing fragrance, I held her tightly and closed my eyes to sleep but I knew that sleep wouldn¡¯te to me anytime soon.


    Tonight, I confessed my feelings to my woman, tonight she forgave me, tonight she made me contented, tonight she¡¯s sleeping in my arms and I wish to continue this.


    Her kind and humble personality made me like her more. I have many ws but I¡¯ll work on myself. I¡¯ll try to work on my feelings. I want to be much more to her. No woman had ever made me fall for them.


    Ariana made that possible. She made me fall for her.

 48

    Ariana


    Snuggling into the warmness beside me, I slowly opened my eyes. I fluttered my eyes to blink away sleepiness.


    A smile formed on my lips when I nced at the warmth to which I had been clinging as if my life was dependent on it. My one hand was around Xavier¡¯s torso with my head rested on his shoulder and his arm was wrapped around my shoulders. Laying beside him felt so right.


    Craning my neck up, I gazed at his sleeping face. He looked so peaceful and calm. Events of thest night shed before my eyes. The best night of my life; my first date night, the night on which we both confessed our feelings to each other, the night Xavier asked to give this marriage a chance, the night we slept together for the time, cuddling each other and the night on which I found my hope, my love.


    Slowly, I leaned towards him and pressed my lips on his forehead. A sudden squeal escaped my throat when I was suddenly flipped on my back with Xavier on top of me.


    ¡°I¡¯d have preferred a kiss on my lips. That¡¯d be the best way to wake up in the morning.¡± He said in his morning husky voice which made my stomach flip in giddiness.


    ¡°You were awake?¡± I whispered shyly.


    ¡°I woke up the moment you decided to stare at my handsome face.¡± He said haughtily, making my eyes wide. Heughed at my reaction.


    ¡°Xavier that¡¯s cheating,¡± I said blushing. He chuckled and kissed my cheek.


    ¡°That¡¯s not cheating. I was just waiting for you to make any move my cute piglet.¡± He bit his tongue as he said that.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I said I was just waiting¡­¡±


    ¡°No, thest word. I couldn¡¯t hear it clearly.¡± I cut him off, frowning.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t hear?¡± He sighed. ¡°Then your mistake, I¡¯m not repeating it. It¡¯s top-secret.¡± He whispered, nibbling my ear, and rubbed his stubble against my cheek.


    ¡°Now, give me my morning kiss.¡± He inched closer to my lips but I instantly covered my mouth with my hand.


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t brushed yet,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°And I don¡¯t care. Remember we have done it before?¡± He frowned and pouted like a kid. Aww, he¡¯s so cute.


    ¡°I know but it¡¯s not going to happen today. Now, go away I have to go to my room to get ready for work.¡± I tried to push him but he didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Ariana¡­¡± His voice suddenly left yfulness, his expressions became serious.


    ¡°Ariana, from now on you¡¯ll sleep in this room and I¡¯m not taking no for an answer. From today onwards this will be our room. Get that?¡± He stated, looking deep into my eyes.


    I nodded my head because I didn¡¯t want to be away from him. He¡¯s making me experience new things that are boosting my confidence little by little.


    ¡°Good, I¡¯ll ask Mrs. Molly to transfer your stuff in this room.¡± He said.


    ¡°No I can do it.. mmmm,¡± He cut me off by crashing his lips on mine. He took me off guard and deepened the kiss by plunging his tongue in my mouth. And as though he did some magic on me to hypnotize me, my lips automatically moved to respond to his kiss. The intensity of the kiss was making me dazed. He ran his hands seductively on my curves making me moan in delight.


    ¡°What will you say now?¡± He pulled away and smirked.


    ¡°You¡¯re a cheater, Xavier.¡± I red at him, catching my breath.


    ¡°Oh, yeah? Then you¡¯re the same because you kissed me back.¡± He winked, making me blush. I averted my eyes mentally scolding myself. Seriously I have got that desperate that I couldn¡¯t control myself? Goodness, Xavier is making me lose control.


    ¡°Now go get ready if you don¡¯t want to kiss me back again.¡± He grinned evilly. I immediately pushed him away and ran into my room.


    It was three in the afternoon, I was sitting in my office, doing my work. Daniel and Sean were out for a meeting. So, Xavier asked Mrs. Molly to send lunch to the office and we had our lunch together. I had to make an excuse to my friends for eating with Xavier.


    I wondered till when we¡¯d be ying this hide and seek. I think it¡¯ll take time because it¡¯s just the start of our rtionship. And I don¡¯t have any problem with it. Well, it¡¯s better no one knows because if the media get the hold of this news they¡¯ll not let us live.


    I stood up from my chair to go to Xavier¡¯s office to remind him about a meeting.


    I knocked on the door but no answer came back. I knocked again and this time the answer came in low voice. I entered the office to find him sitting on his chair with his elbows propped on the desk and his face in his hands.


    ¡°Xavier¡­¡± I called his name softly, walking towards him. He looked up and my heart almost dropped when I saw glum expressions on his face.


    ¡°What happened Xavier?¡± I asked, standing beside his chair. He was cheerful all day. Suddenly what happened that made him like this?


    ¡°Ariana¡­¡± His voice was full of sadness. I frowned and touched his shoulder but immediately pulled my hand away when the office door burst open. Daniel and Sean strode in, they too had gloomy expressions.


    ¡°Hey Daniel, Hey Sean. Everything¡¯s okay?¡± I asked, looking between three of them.


    ¡°Ariana, can you please bring coffee for us?¡± Xavier asked me.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Xavier, I came here to remind you about the meeting.¡± I said before leaving the cabin.


    ¡°Cancel it.¡± He replied. Nodding my head, I went out and first canceled the meeting then prepared coffee for three of them.


    ¡°How can this happen?¡±


    ¡°Ourwork is so secured.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so disappointing. I think someone from our ownpany is deceiving us.¡±


    These were the arguments I heard when I entered Xavier¡¯s office with coffee. They all were sitting on the couch.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m intruding but can you tell me what¡¯s happening? You all look angry.¡± I asked hesitantly after giving them coffee.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not intruding. Xavier, Sean¡­ I think she should know what¡¯s happening. She¡¯s also working day and night with us on that project.¡± Daniel said. I sat on the single-seat couch.


    ¡°Princess, it¡¯s about Chris Silva, our business rival,¡± Daniel said.


    My eyebrows touched when I heard that name. Chris, I had heard this name somewhere. Suddenly, I remembered him; the man who approached me at the XDS AUTOTECH sess party had the same name. Confusingly, I looked at Xavier, he clenched his jaw and averted his eyes. It confirmed my suspicion, he was the same man.


    ¡°Chris? What about him?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t utter his name from your mouth.¡± Xavier snapped abruptly. I sighed and faced Sean and Daniel.


    ¡°Ariana, that bastard Chris has stolen our France manufacturing unit n which we were working on,¡± Sean said, gritting his teeth.


    ¡°What?!¡± I asked shockingly. He cursed but I ignored it this time.


    ¡°How do you know that? And how did he get ess to the n? How can you be sure that he has stolen your n?¡± I asked. Daniel came forward to exin the issue to me.


    ¡°Today when we were in a meeting, Chris was also there. He was basically sitting beside me; hisptop was open, my eyes mistakenly fell on the screen and I saw the folder titled the same as the name of our project. He was stupid to open that screen in my presence but his stupidness worked for us. And when he left the meeting to attend a phone call I secretly essed hisptop which gave me the shock of my life. The same folder had our full n which we are going to represent in France to im thatnd.¡± Daniel exined.


    I got shocked after hearing that. Our best team worked day and night to win thatnd for what? To get their hard work stolen by someone? That was such a cheap move.


    ¡°I think someone is deceiving us. Someone from ourpany gave this information to Chris. And I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s someone from the IT department.¡± Sean said.


    ¡°What if he hired someone to hack our systems? We can¡¯t just me our employees without any proof.¡± Xavier said.


    ¡°Then what should we do? We have to present that n in France in two days. And above all, his name is before ours in the presentation list that came from France. That means he¡¯ll present first and I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll present our n then what will we do? Who will believe that it was our n and our team worked on it?¡± Daniel asked, looking distraught.


    ¡°I think we should hire a professional hacker to get into Chris¡¯spanywork. I know we have one in our IT department but right now we can¡¯t trust anyone.¡± Sean said.


    I was sitting there, listening to them. They were worried and devastated. I didn¡¯t me them, they had surely worked hard to win thatnd in France. It¡¯s their dream to establish their business in France. They needed help and I agreed with them in this situation, they couldn¡¯t trust anyone right now.


    And the most important thing was¡­ I could help. But how should I tell them that? Would they believe me?


    ¡°What if we send someone in hispany to delete that information,¡± Sean suggested.


    ¡°I can help.¡± I butted in.


    ¡°No!¡± Daniel


    ¡°Not gonna happen!¡¯ Sean


    ¡°We are not sending you there!¡± Xavier


    Three of them shouted in unison. Not their fault.


    ¡°Who said anything about going there?¡± I frowned.


    ¡°Ariana, stay out of this. We¡¯ll handle it. It¡¯s aplicated situation and I don¡¯t want you to get involved in this situation.¡± Xavier said.


    Okay then¡­


    ¡°I can hack hisputer,¡± I said confidentiality.


    ¡°You what?¡± Three of them stood from the couch with lightning speed.


    Yes, that¡¯s something no one knows about me.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a joke, Ariana,¡± Sean said with a serious expression. I stood up from the couch and faced them squarely. That¡¯s the only thing I¡¯m confident about in my life.


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking. I think you don¡¯t know that I have a degree in software engineering. And apart from that, I have done a professional diploma in Ethical Hacking which no one knows about.¡± I said.


    Three of their eyes went wide in surprise and they looked at me like they were looking at an alien.


    ¡°That¡¯s new. Have you ever hacked any system on a professional level?¡± Daniel asked, shing a smile.


    Okay¡­ I was asked to keep that secret but I think I have to tell them to gain their trust. They won¡¯t tell anyone. Right?


    I bit the inside of my cheek and scratched below my ear.


    ¡°Err¡­ I kind of have worked as a professional.. hacker in.. New York Cyber Crime Branch.¡±


    Their jaws dropped on the floor and their eyebrows went up the ceiling.


    ¡°When?¡± Why are they asking questions in unison?


    ¡°It was contract-based. I have worked with them for 6 months, one and a half years back. Actually, they approached me when they got to know about me from my colleague, whopleted his diploma with me. At that time he was working with cybercrime branch.¡± I exined.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell anyone. It was supposed to be kept secret. Cybercrime branch told me strictly not to disclose this to anyone. I just told you because you needed to know this¡± I added. In no time, I was pulled into a bear hug by Daniel.


    ¡°Goodness, Princess, you seriously shocked us today,¡± Daniel eximed happily.


    ¡°We have a talented person between us and we don¡¯t even know?¡± Sean said, hugging me.


    Xavier came and stood in front of me. His eyes were showing admiration and he had a hint of a smile on his lips but he didn¡¯t smilepletely.


    ¡°How will you do that?¡± Xavier asked. Ohkay, he¡¯s testing me. Acting like a hard nut to crack? Then let¡¯s show him.


    ¡°I can get root ess to theirwork by creating a back door. I just have to find an unused ount that will help me gain ess to theirwork. Once I find the ount I¡¯ll remove it & re-install it under the same name. In this way, my identity will remain anonymous. And I can fluctuate IP address so they won¡¯t know from where the ount is being essed.¡± I exined.


    ¡°How much time will it take. What if their system administrator gets to know about it during security check?¡± Sean asked.


    ¡°Finding unused or disabled ounts will take time and during this, they will not know that their system is being essed by someone else. After I gain ess to the ount it¡¯ll take some more minutes to check the wholepany¡¯s data. And before they¡¯ll know I¡¯ll be out of thework.¡± I said confidently, looking at Sean.


    ¡°What if they involve cops after knowing that their system is hacked?¡± Daniel asked.


    ¡°We have nothing to be scared of, it¡¯s our n that he stole,¡± Xavier said.


    ¡°He won¡¯t dare do that. What will he tell the cops? That someone broke into hisputer to steal the n which he stole from someone else? He must be stupid but I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll dare to do anything which will expose him & will ruin his own reputation.¡± I said.


    Xavier Knight


    My jaw dropped on the ground floor. She¡¯s so Damn smart.


    Just how manyyers has she been hiding? In how many ways she¡¯ll surprise me? Or rather, in how many ways she¡¯ll give me shock?


    I knew that she has a software engineering degree but I didn¡¯t know she had worked for Cyber Crime Branch? That¡¯s a shock of my life.


    She spoke so confidently, she looked different while talking about that. I had never seen her so self-assured about anything else before.


    ¡°I think we should give her a chance. We don¡¯t even have any other option for now.¡± Sean said.


    ¡°I trust her on this,¡± Daniel said.


    ¡°Me too,¡± I said, looking at Ariana.


    ¡°What will you need to do that?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Just myptop.¡± She replied.


    ¡°Then bring it on,¡± I said. She smiled widely and ran out of my office to bring herptop.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°I told you she¡¯s a gem.¡± Sean patted my back. Indeed she is.


    ¡°And she¡¯s my sister. I¡¯m so proud of her.¡± Daniel added proudly.


    When she came back with herptop I let her sit on my chair and let her do her work. Three of us sat on the couch, away from her because she said she needed concentration. She projected herptop screen on the TV hanged on the wall so that we could see what she was doing.


    She typed furiously on herptop and we watched everything on TV;mands were running at high speed. Three of us looked at each other, obviously not knowing what she was doing. We weren¡¯t getting anything shown on the screen. Thosemands were going above our heads.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ariana screamed, making all of us jump on our feet. We ran towards her.


    ¡°I got ess to thepanywork. Now I just have to run amand to check for your work.¡± She eximed happily. We stayed quiet, we stood at a distance from her, watching her do her magic.


    ¡°I found it. And you were right, he indeed stole your work. What you want me to do now?¡± She asked.


    ¡°We just want our work to be entirely deleted from hisputer or hiswork. Nothing else.¡± Sean replied.


    ¡°Done. Now there¡¯s no single file that¡¯s simr to your work.¡± She said after clicking the button on hisptop.


    ¡°Done? Just like that?¡± Daniel asked surprisingly. My jaw was noting up from the ground floor.


    ¡°And here, I¡¯m out of their system. They¡¯ll not even know someone even broke into their system.¡± She said, typing on theptop. After shutting theptop, she stood up and faced us.


    ¡°And one more thing, I simultaneously ran a security check in yourpany¡¯s system and I found out that someone broke into the system passing the firewall. None of your employees betrayed you. It¡¯s like Chris Silva hired some extremely professional hackers to crack thepany¡¯s firewall and it¡¯s not easy for random hackers to do so. It needs high skills which are not provided to engineers during their studies. That¡¯s why your security administration didn¡¯t get hold of the loop.¡± She said nonchntly like it was not a big thing that she hacked our ownpany¡¯s system in front of our eyes without letting us know.


    ¡°You hacked our system too?¡± Sean and Daniel gaped at her. She rubbed the back of her neck and smiled sheepishly.


    ¡°Sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry? Are you crazy? Goodness, Princess. You blew our mind away. I¡¯m so, so, so proud of you.¡± Daniel enveloped her in a bear hug.


    This time I couldn¡¯t hold it, a proud smile broke on my lips. My chest puffed with proudness. She proved herself today that she¡¯s not arm candy. She has her own worth. She¡¯s smart, sharp, and intelligent. She totally stands out of the crowd.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even understand why are you even working as this dumbass¡¯s P. A when you have this mind-blowing talent?¡± Sean said approaching her and embraced in a hug.


    ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you,¡± Sean said to her. When Sean backed away, Daniel again hugged her.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough,¡± I said and pulled Daniel away from her.


    ¡°You have made me so proud today. You didn¡¯t let our hard work go in vain.¡± I appreciated her. She must know that what she did is worth appreciating.


    I saw her eyes started glistening up with moisture.


    ¡°Hey, hey, what happened? You really did a great job. You should be proud of yourself. Why tears?¡± I asked cupping her face.


    ¡°What happened Ariana?¡± Sean asked.


    ¡°Why are you crying, princess?¡± Daniel asked as well.


    ¡°Nothing, It¡¯s just¡­ It¡¯s been ages since someone appreciated me.¡± She gave a forced smile.


    Her father¡­


    I immediately pulled her in my embrace. No one ever saw her worth. Even I was a fool not to know this. It feels like her so-called family never gave importance to her.


    Daniel and Sean patted her back tofort her.


    ¡°Okay, I think we should go and have a talk to our IT team about the matter. Let¡¯s go, Daniel.¡± Sean said.


    ¡°Oh,e on, I want to watch this beautiful scene here. It¡¯s not always you see Xavier caring for someone like this.¡± Daniel whined. I red at him and in response, I got a wink from him. He leaves no single chance to tease.


    Ignoring Daniel¡¯sment, Sean dragged him outside. At least Sean is a bit mature.


    ¡°One thing is bugging me that when my father gave me a file of your details, nothing was mentioned there about your work. You have a great talent then why you never worked? Many big IT firms would love to have a talent like you.¡± I asked when I let her free from my embrace.


    ¡°I wanted to but¡­ Mr. Smith never allowed me.¡± She said hesitantly.


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked, clenching my jaw.


    ¡°H.. he never wanted me to be recognized so Inded a job in a small IT firm to stay unnoticed.¡± She replied, looking at her feet.


    That scumbag Andrew took her dreams away from her. He kept her at the back, never let her free, he cut her wings. But her talent was bigger than anything that the New York Cyber Crime Branch recognized her.


    I was no different from Andrew. I also forced her to work with me not recognizing her worth. But she did her job as my P. A very efficiently like she had experience in that. But I knew what I did and I¡¯ll correct my mistake.


    I¡¯m here to give her what she was kept away from. I¡¯m here to make her every dreame true. I¡¯m here to make her recognized.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to fly Ari,¡± I whispered and kissed her forehead.

 49

    Ariana


    ¡°Ariana.¡±


    I heard my name being called by Xavier. I was in the closet of his room-our room, changing into my nightclothes. True to his words, he asked Mrs. Molly to transfer my clothes to our room.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I came out of the closet to see him sitting on the bed. He gestured for me to sit beside him on the bed. As I sat, he took my hands in his.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Ariana.¡±


    Sorry? Again?


    ¡°You¡¯re saying too much sorry for the past two days. Now for what?¡± I asked, frowning.


    ¡°Even hundreds of sorry are less to the mistakes I havemitted.¡± He shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°And this time, I¡¯m saying apologizing for forcing you to work as my P. A. I was so blinded in revenge that I ignored that being my P. A. is not your field of work. Today, I realized that you¡¯re made for something else.¡± He said in a low tone, not looking at me but my hands. He was feeling guilty for what he did. He melted my heart again.


    ¡°Xavier look at me.¡± Slowly, he craned his eyes up. I smiled and sped his hands tightly.


    ¡°Xavier, you don¡¯t have to be sorry about this. By employing me as your P. A., you made me realize what I¡¯m capable of doing. I had never imagined myself working in a hugepany. You know, people are ready to kill each other to grab the opportunity to work in yourpany.¡± Xavierughed at myment.


    ¡°And I got the opportunity without even asking for it. You made me stronger, boosted my confidence, unleashed my worth. And you most definitely have not to be sorry for making me see my worth.¡± I reasoned out.


    ¡°You have a very positive approach, Ariana. You inspire me.¡± He smiled faintly.


    ¡°And this time I won¡¯t mess up. This time I¡¯ll give you a perfect offer. *Ahem* So Would you like to work in XDS AUTOTECH as IT security head?¡±


    ¡°Wh.. what?¡± Did I hear it right?


    ¡°You heard me.¡±


    ¡°B.. but how? Wh.. when? I mean I¡¯m not trained to work in bigpanies. I work as your P. A and what will others say? Just like that, I¡¯m appointed as an IT security head? What about the current person working on that position?¡± I said everything in one breath.


    ¡°Do you really think after what you did in my office I¡¯ll ask you about training? You have worked with the Cybercrime branch which is more than enough for anypany to recruit you. And no one can question my decision of employing someone in mypany. You¡¯re the perfect choice for that position. And besides, your favorite brothers want the same. So will you?¡±


    ¡°What about your P. A?¡± I asked.


    ¡°As much as I want to be selfish to keep you as my P. A, I can¡¯t. Now that I know what you can do, I can¡¯t let you waste your talent. And about my P. A, with a heavy heart, I¡¯ll appoint a new one.¡± He said, showing fake sadness.


    ¡°As much as I want to work as your P. A, your new offer sounds too tempting. And if I ept your offer, it¡¯ll be a dreame true. So I think I¡¯ll take your offer.¡± I grinned.


    ¡°Good. So, it¡¯s settled. Aftering back from France, you¡¯ll work in a new position.¡± He replied, giving me a most dazzling smile.


    ¡°Coming back from France?¡± I asked in confusion.


    ¡°Yep. Because my Ari.. you¡¯reing with me to France.¡± He grinned.


    ¡°Now, stop talking, and let me give you a small reward for saving us.¡± Saying that he pressed his lips on mine. Without breaking the kiss, he pushed me softly making mey on the bed, and hovered over me. He groaned and abruptly broke the kiss and pulled away bncing his weight on his arms by putting them on either side of my head.


    ¡°You¡¯re not wearing anything underneath your shirt?¡±


    My face flushed. I closed my eyes in embarrassment. I was in haste that I forgot to wear it. I don¡¯t wear a bra while sleeping but I wore it yesterday as I was conscious that I¡¯ll be sleeping with him then how did I forget to wear it now? How can I be so careless?


    ¡°Goodness Ari, you¡¯re making me lose control.¡± He groaned, burying his face in the hollow of my neck.


    ¡°Open your eyes, Ari.¡± This time he whispered while trailing his hand up my curves. I closed my eyes more tightly. A gasp left my throat when I felt his touch on my breast. Fully covered in clothes but it felt like he touched me bare.


    ¡°Look at me, Ari.¡± He whispered huskily, rubbing his thumb on my erect peak. My eyes shot open due to the heat that rushed in my body. My body shuddered due to the unexinable desire that developed inside me. My breathing became ragged.


    ¡°Xa.. Xavier¡± In no second his lips again came down on mine. Closing my eyes again, I gripped his biceps with my hands and returned the kiss with equal passion. He trailed kisses down my neck and his hand reached up the top button of my pajama shirt. Opening it, he showered kisses down my cleavage. My eyes shot open when I felt him unbuttoning the second button.


    ¡°Xavier.¡± I panted heavily. I can¡¯t let him see my scars. I¡¯m not ready yet.


    I was about to stop him when he slumped onto me burying his head in the valley of my breast. He was panting hard. After regaining his breath he pulled up and looked into my eyes, searching for something.


    ¡°As much as I want to loose control & ravish you, I can¡¯t.. I can¡¯t Ari. You¡¯re not ready yet.¡± He whispered & kissed my forehead.


    I felt a tug on my heart. How did I get so lucky to have him in my life? I had never met a man who¡¯s so understanding. He always senses my difort, he never forced himself on me. I wanted to give him all of me but I was still scared. I was scared that my past, my scars, my insecurities would snatch him away from me which I couldn¡¯t afford. I didn¡¯t know till when I¡¯ll be able to keep him like this. At some point, he¡¯d demand it, and then what will I do?


    Rolling over his back, he made me rest my head on his chest. I could hear his raging heartbeat.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for the day when there¡¯ll be no hesitation in your eyes. On that day no force on Earth will be able to stop me. On that day, I¡¯ll own every inch of yours. Till then just have mercy on me.¡± He chuckled, kissing my hair. I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be courageous enough to tell him everything.


    ¡°Good night, Ari.¡± After mumbling good night to him I closed my eyes and slept, listening to his heartbeat.


    When I woke up in the morning I didn¡¯t find Xavier beside me which made me look at the clock. The clock indicated 7:15 am. Oh goodness, I¡¯mte. Why didn¡¯t Xavier wake me up? I immediately bolted up from the bed and rushed into the bathroom, took the quickest shower, and wore my work clothes. After getting ready I ran downstairs to the kitchen. Mrs. Molly and Xavier must be waiting for me to have breakfast. My steps halted abruptly when I saw the scene in the kitchen.


    Mrs. Molly wasn¡¯t there in the kitchen, instead, Xavier, Sean, and Daniel were standing near the stove wearing an apron and paper chef hat, arguing about something like kids. The kitchen counter was messed up.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on over here?¡± I asked in confusion. Their heads shot up and the look on their face almost made meugh.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re up. Good morning. We¡¯re making¡­ breakfast.¡± Xavier replied, scratching his head.


    ¡°Breakfast? Why? Where¡¯s Mrs. Molly?¡± I asked, frowning.


    ¡°We asked Mrs. Molly not toe today because we wanted to make breakfast for you,¡± Daniel said, waving a spat in his hand.


    ¡°For Me?¡±


    ¡°Yep. This is a small payback for what you did yesterday for us.¡± Sean replied.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that. You are making big deal out of it. Now get aside, I¡¯ll cook for you.¡± I said, walking towards them.


    ¡°Nope, breakfast is almost ready. You just sit here and wait for breakfast to be served.¡± Xavier forcefully made me sit on the barstool. I sat there without uttering a word. I admired them lovingly. Expressions on their faces and their actions made them look so cute. Daniel¡¯s eyes were twinkling while looking at the pan as if he had achieved something great. Xavier was standing crossed hand near the toaster, staring at it intently while tapping his foot on the floor. Whereas Sean was in his own world concentrating deeply on whatever he was making.


    ¡°Why are you all wearing that cap?¡± I asked them.


    ¡°Oh, that.. it gives the feel you know,¡± Daniel said adjusting his hat which made meugh.


    ¡°Have you three ever cooked before?¡± I asked, leaning forward on the counter.


    ¡°Nope.¡± Their unison reply made my hands slip from the counter. What? Then how are they cooking?


    ¡°Here, your breakfast.¡± Xavier severed the breakfast te to me.


    ¡°Let me tell you, I cooked the scrambled eggs,¡± Daniel said proudly.


    ¡°I made vegetable sandwiches,¡± Sean eximed.


    ¡°And I made butter toast.¡± Xavier said proudly. I stared at the breakfast thinking what will it taste like.


    ¡°Wait, we forgot about the coffee,¡± Daniel said a bit loudly.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t drink coffee,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Tea?¡± Xavier asked.


    ¡°Nope. I don¡¯t take caffeinated drinks.¡± I replied casually.


    ¡°Yeah, I haven¡¯t seen you drink coffee. Are you allergic to it?¡± Xavier asked staring at me intently.


    ¡°Not allergic. Actually, the doctor advised me not to take caffeine in any form because of my headache issues-¡± I bit my tongue after saying that.


    ¡°Headache? Are you on medication?¡± Xavier came near me. Oh uh! Now I have to exin.


    ¡°Umm¡­I used to have a headache problem a few years ago. I¡¯m not on medication now but the doctor advised me to cut caffeine from my diet.¡± I exined in the simplest way I could. Three of them were looking at me with concern.


    ¡°Do you experience headaches now?¡± Xavier asked.


    ¡°Not really. Only happens when I¡¯m extremely stressed.¡± I replied lowly.


    ¡°If you ever feel even a slight headache, inform me immediately. Get that?¡± Xavier said with concern. I nodded my head. Then he ced a ss of juice in front of me.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you eating?¡± I asked them.


    ¡°We¡¯ll eat after you. First, tell us who cooked well. You know we made a bet. The one whose food tastes good will win and the other two will have to give $1000 each to the winning person.¡± Daniel replied.


    Competition.. I nodded my head and ate breakfast. Well, the toast was a little burnt, scrambled eggs were salty and sandwiches were okay. Sean yed safe by making sandwiches. I told them the truth and appreciated their effort. Xavier and Daniel¡¯s faces fell, not because of the breakfast they made but because they both lost to Sean. They tasted their food and made faces. Iughed and asked if they wanted me to cook but they refused, saying that they will eat whatever they have cooked as it was their first time cooking. I let them eat and prepared coffee for them.


    ¡°Ariana these are for you,¡± Xavier said, pointing towards four gift-wrapped boxes ced on the center table in the living room as we walked there.


    ¡°Me? Why?¡± I asked but then I realized why. ¡°You know this is too much. Cooking breakfast for me was the best gift from your side. I can¡¯t ept whatever there is in these boxes.¡± I said, putting my hands on my waist.


    ¡°Ohe on, princess, it¡¯s just the way of saying thank you. We won¡¯t ept your NO. So, take this.¡± Daniel ced one of the boxes in my hands. I argued back again but he opened the box himself and ced an apple smartwatch in my hand.


    ¡°This is from my side. Smart health monitor on the go. Always stay healthy.¡± He said and kissed my forehead. My heart melted at his exnation. He could have just said it¡¯s a smartwatch for you but no, he especially gave it to me for an extremely beneficial purpose.


    ¡°I saw yourptop wasn¡¯t thetest model so a brand newptop from my side,¡± Sean said. I wanted to say that theptop I have is working well but I decided against it. I can¡¯t make him upset by saying so. He bought it with love.


    ¡°And these two are from my side.¡± Xavier came in front of me and ced one box in my hand and opened the other one himself. He took out sses from the box and put them on my eyes.


    ¡°Anti-re/anti-blue light sses for you so that your beautiful eyes don¡¯t get any strain due to working onputers as you¡¯ll be working on them a lot,¡± Xavier said, adjusting sses on my eyes. ¡°And the second box contains smart sses to ease your work.¡± He said, tucking the loose strands of hair behind my ears.


    ¡°Considering your field of interest we thought gadgets will be best to gift you,¡± Xavier added. I love gadgets but I never had money to buy them on my own.


    ¡°So, You like them?¡± Three of them asked.


    ¡°Like? I love them. But seriously, you shouldn¡¯t have.¡± My voice cracked.


    ¡°You deserve that,¡± Xavier mumbled, pulling me in a hug.


    ¡°Group hug,¡± Daniel said and all of them wrapped their arms around me. A lone tear escaped my eye but I wiped it before they could see. They always make me feel special, wanted, and loved.


    I love them.


    Xavier Knight


    ¡°I¡¯m bringing Ariana with me to France,¡± I said to Sean and Daniel as she went upstairs to grab her bag.


    ¡°You what?¡± They asked shockingly.


    ¡°You never bring anyone with you on any business trips,¡± Sean said.


    ¡°She¡¯s my P. A, I want her there.¡± I shrugged my shoulders.


    ¡°You never took any of your P. A¡¯s to any business trip before,¡± Daniel stated, crossing his arms in front of his chest.


    ¡°Okay fine. She sometimes gets nightmares, so I don¡¯t want to leave her alone.¡± I replied. Their facial expressions changed.


    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Daniel asked, arching an eyebrow.


    ¡°We live together. Remember?¡± I didn¡¯t know he could be that foolish. They both looked at each other and smirked. What¡¯s going on in their head?


    ¡°You sure this is the only reason you¡¯re bringing her with you?¡± Sean smirked. I rolled my eyes and ignored his question.


    ¡°Of course this is the only reason. Right, Xavier? I¡¯m on your side, man.¡± Daniel said but I knew that was the teasing remark.


    ¡°Well, Daniel isn¡¯t joining us in France so I guess the flight won¡¯t be boring with her beside us,¡± Sean eximed.


    ¡°You¡¯lle in your ne after us. Ariana and I will go in my private ne.¡± I snapped abruptly. I want to spend alone time with her.


    ¡°Ohe on, Xavier. It¡¯ll save fuel and time.¡± Sean whined. Seriously? I looked at him to see him smiling mischievously.


    ¡°Do as I say.¡± I shot back.


    ¡°Well, whatever the reason is, I just want my sister carrying my niece or nephew when you both love birdse back from France,¡± Daniel eximed excitedly. I smacked his head.


    ¡°Shut the Fuck up. That¡¯s a business trip. And we don¡¯t love each other.¡± I said.


    ¡°Yet. But you like her.¡± Sean said. I looked at him and the warm look he gave made me smile.


    ¡°Yes, I like her¡­ she¡¯s my wife and I want her beside me as my wife,¡± I said with a satisfying smile. I can¡¯t hide it from them anymore.


    ¡°Finally.¡± They both grinned and embraced me in a hug.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Ariana¡¯s voice made us break our hug. Daniel immediately approached her.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh, nothing, just heard something which Sean and I wanted to hear for so long,¡± Daniel said.


    ¡°Listen Princess.¡± He gripped her shoulders. ¡°Sean is apanying both of you to France but I¡¯m not as I have to look after ourpany here. So, let me remind you of some Dos & Don¡¯ts because I¡¯ll not be there to take care of you. So, eat your food on time. Don¡¯t roam here and there alone. Make sure to be away from strangers and if Xavier annoys you or makes you upset then immediatelyin to Sean or just give me a call.¡±


    Ariana was looking at him with amusement, she was on verge ofughing. I knew he¡¯s doing it to annoy me. Sean chuckled, standing beside me. I nudged Sean with my elbow and approached Daniel and smacked his head again.


    ¡°Ow,¡± He groaned as if I had hit him with an iron rod. Drama queen.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there to take care of her. And she¡¯s not a five-year-old kid to whom you¡¯re exining your ridiculous rules.¡± I snapped at him. Ariana, who had been holding herugh, broke into fits ofughter which lit up my mood. And then we allughed for no reason.


    ¡°Okay, now let¡¯s get back to work. Ariana, today, you have topile all the documents rted to the project as we¡¯ll be leaving for France tonight.¡± I said to Ariana.


    We all then left for work.

 50

    Ariana


    I was extremely excited to visit France, may it be only for work purposes. It was noon and I was going through the documents. Ipiled and arranged the documents systematically. The documents had details of a manufacturing project including the original map of the manufacturing unit that was to be built if they acquire thend. I checked the documents multiple times in order not to miss anything. I printed out all the papers which I had edited at thest moment and after giving themst look I ced them in a folder. I didn¡¯t seal the folder as I wanted Sean to give them a look as Xavier wasn¡¯t here. He had gone to attend a meeting, he said he¡¯d meet me directly at home. I also checked the PowerPoint presentation that Lauren forwarded me which Sean and Xavier needed to present in the meeting.


    I headed towards the cafeteria where Lauren and Mrs. Miller were waiting for me for lunch. I was walking towards the entrance of the cafeteria when the door opened and Kevin walked out.


    ¡°Hey, Ariana.¡± He waved his hand.


    ¡°Hi, Kevin.¡± I smiled.


    ¡°How are you, Kevin?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Heartbroken.¡± He eximed.


    ¡°Kevin?¡± I looked at him in disbelief.


    ¡°Ariana, I¡¯m just kidding. I¡¯m perfectly fine. I was just teasing you.¡± Heughed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that again. And where are you going? You¡¯re not gonna have lunch?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Got some work to do so, I can¡¯t right now. I just informed Lauren and Mrs. Miller. They¡¯re waiting for you inside.¡± He replied.


    ¡°Umm.. okay, so, see youter,¡± I said. Saying goodbye, he walked away and I entered the cafeteria.


    ¡°You¡¯re so damn lucky,¡± Lauren said, looking at me while we were eating lunch.


    ¡°You know you¡¯re the first P. A who is going on a business trip with Mr. Knight. What¡¯s special with you? Even my boss is not bringing me with him.¡± She said, wiggling her eyebrows.


    ¡°I d.. don¡¯t know. It¡¯s his decision and I can¡¯t just say no to him, he¡¯s my boss.¡± I felt the heat rising my face.


    ¡°Yes, we all know he¡¯s your boss.¡± She emphasized the word- your.


    ¡°Ohe on, Lauren, don¡¯t tease her. See, her face has turned into a shade of pink.¡± Mrs. Miller said and Laurenughed. I mentally face palmed myself for being so transparent.


    ¡°When will you leave for France, Ariana?¡± Mrs. Miller asked.


    ¡°Tonight. But I¡¯ll leave from here early just after showing documents to Mr. Peterson and will take those documents with me. I still have to do packing¡± I replied.


    ¡°Looks like someone is excited to spend time with Mr. Knight.¡± This statement from a female voice came from behind. I recognized the voice without turning back since she had the habit of talking behind my back.


    ¡°What¡¯s with you, Katherine? Mr. Knight chose her to spent his time with. If you have any problem then talk directly to Mr. Knight.¡± Lauren snapped. I didn¡¯t look back.


    ¡°The fact is she¡¯s not worth spending time with Mr. Knight.¡± It was Diana.


    ¡°Look who¡¯s talking about worth. Do you think you¡¯re worthy? Butst I remember¡­ Mr. Knight threatened to fire you two.¡± Lauren countered back. I and Mrs. Miller tried to stop her but she didn¡¯t listen.


    ¡°Oh, we took our revenge on the person who was responsible for that,¡± Bianca replied. Yeah, they sprained my ankle.


    ¡°And are you herwyer that you¡¯re speaking on her behalf? Doesn¡¯t she have a mouth to speak?¡± Katherine snapped at Lauren.


    ¡°She has but you all are not worth..¡±


    ¡°Stop Lauren.¡± I stopped her from speaking any further.


    ¡°They¡¯re right, you don¡¯t have to speak for me.¡± I stood up and faced the women who were trying to mess with me for no reason.


    ¡°As Lauren told you, Mr. Knight asked me to apany him and I¡¯m going there as his P. A because it¡¯s a work-rted trip. So, don¡¯t assume anything on your own.¡± I said confidently. Their face turned sour and they red at me.


    ¡°You¡¯ll not be spared for talking to us like that. Do you think you can seduce Mr. Knight by acting all innocent and shy? By acting like you can do any work? Mark my words, Ariana, one mistake and you¡¯ll be out of thispany.¡± Bianca snapped, gritting her teeth.


    ¡°Mistakes are bound to happen and I try my best not to make any. But if it happens I believe in correcting them. And Mr. Knight believes in giving second chances, didn¡¯t he give second chance to two of you?¡± I replied calmly. Lauren, who was sitting on chair pped excitedly.


    ¡°How dare you?¡± Diana charged towards me but Bianca stopped her.


    ¡°Calm down Diana. I¡¯ll see how many second chances he¡¯ll give to her.¡± Bianca smirked. Saying that they left the cafeteria.


    ¡°What was that?¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother, sit, and finish your lunch.¡± Mrs. Miller said.


    After lunch, I went to Sean¡¯s office to make him see the documents. When Sean made sure that all the documents wereplete, I sealed the folder so that I wouldn¡¯t lose any single paper. I went to my office to collect my things. Finn was waiting for me in the parking lot. I grabbed all my belongings and exited my office. But as soon as I stepped outside I bumped into someone, all the things in my hands fell on the floor, including the folder which had documents in it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have eyes? See, because of you all papers fell on the floor.¡± Not again! It¡¯s Bianca.


    Instead of replying, I bent down and helped her pick up the papers. Ipiled them and stood up and handed the papers back to her. She handed me my belongings and the folder. Strange.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Next time, better watch.¡± Saying that she went away.


    I gaped at her disappearing figure. That¡¯s it? She didn¡¯t say anything else? I shrugged my shoulders thinking she must be in a hurry otherwise she would have argued with me.


    I went home and packed my clothes. I didn¡¯t pack much as it was just a one-day work-trip. I ced myptop and folder in my handbag. Then I wore loose jeans, a t-shirt, a jacket, and wore my sneakers. When Xavier came he changed his clothes then we headed to the airport.


    Considering that I was with Xavier, I thought we would be flying in business ss. But here I was standing in his private jet and I waspletely awestruck by the interior. In off-white and brown colors, it looked like a luxury room of some luxury hotel.


    All the female flight attendants were looking like runway models in a knee-length navy blue dress. Not bothering about their questioning looks, I greeted each of them.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Sean?¡± I asked Xavier.


    ¡°He had some work to do. He¡¯ll take a flight an hourte.¡± He replied. We could have waited 1 more hour, it would have saved resources.


    I nodded my head and cing my handbag in the upper cab, I sat across Xavier. But he made me sit beside him. The ne took off in the air sharp at seven. After flying for ten minutes in the air Xavier called a flight attendant for ordering dinner.


    After dinner, Xavier started doing some work on hisptop and I sat across him, looking at the night sky out of the window, I was feeling sleepy.


    ¡°It¡¯s a 9-hour long flight. You should sleep.¡± Xavier said looking up from hisptop.


    ¡°Go and sleepfortably in the room at the back.¡± He said.


    ¡°You¡¯re not gonna sleep?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Can¡¯t sleep without me?¡± He smirked, arching an eyebrow. I blushed and averted my eyes which made himugh. I stood up from the chair and made my way towards the room but he stopped me by grabbing my wrist.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll put you to sleep first then I¡¯ll continue with my work.¡± He said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that. I can sleep on my own, you continue with your work.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Was that a mocking remark?¡± He smirked and hoisted me up in bridal style and walked towards the room.


    ¡°Xavier, what are you doing? We have an audience here. Put me down.¡± I whisper yelled. But he didn¡¯t listen and walked his way into the room. He settled me on the bed and removed my shoes then he removed his jacket and shoes.


    ¡°You want to change?¡± He asked. I scowled and shook my head in no. I was disappointed in him, he can¡¯t just pick me up and walk like a king.


    ¡°Your wish.¡± Saying that he slipped beside me. Turning my back towards him, I covered myself with the duvet. In no second he scooped me towards him and ced a feather kiss below my ear. And just like that my disappointment went out of the ne. I closed my eyes and went into a deep slumber.


    When wended in Lyon, France, it was ten in the morning ording to French timings. We went to a magnificent hotel. He talked to the receptionist then led me to the top floor. He and his obsession with the top floor.


    He punched the key card on the digital lock and stepped inside. The room was not just any other room, it was a luxurious suite. Attendants dropped our bags and left.


    ¡°This is so big,¡± I mumbled looking around.


    ¡°It¡¯s a presidential suite,¡± Xavier said.


    ¡°Ariana, you must be tired after the long flight, so, take a rest. The meeting starts in two hours. I¡¯ll just check on my work.¡± He suggested.


    ¡°You¡¯re not tired?¡± I frowned.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m used to traveling.¡± He replied.


    ¡°Okay.¡± I nodded my head and went into the room.


    ¡°Ariana, pass me the documents of the meeting.¡± He said,ing into the room. I pulled out the folder from my bag and handed it to him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll read the papers outside.¡± He said and went out. Within a minute he came back in the room with angry expressions. What happened to him?


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you check the documents before putting them in the folder?¡± He asked firmly.


    ¡°I did. What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, frowning.


    ¡°Then where are those documents? Because the documents in my hand are not the ones needed here.¡± He snapped. I ran towards him and snatched the folder from his hand.


    ¡°H.. how can this be possible? After showing them to Sean, I sealed the folder in front of him.¡± I wentpletely nk.


    ¡°Then where are the documents?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I.. I.. I¡¯m sure this is the same folder I ced the documents in. I.. I don¡¯t know where are the documents g.. gone.¡± I stuttered. I was so scared at the moment. How did this happen? I tried to recall the events if I mistakenly left that folder somewhere or it got exchanged¡­.


    Oh my goodness¡­. Bianca¡­.


    She handed me the folder when I bumped into her. She swapped it. She ruined everything. She took her revenge on me. She was so lost in revenge that she forgot that she was stepping on thepany¡¯s future.


    ¡°Goodness, Ariana, those papers were important! The meeting is in two hours. What will I show there?¡± He ran his fingers through his hair.


    A lone tear escaped my eye. It happened just because of my carelessness. I should have checked the folder before putting it in my bag. This deal was important for thepany, for him, for Sean, for Daniel.


    ¡°I¡¯m s.. sorry Xav..¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± He muttered and stormed out of the room.


    I slumped down on bed and tears started flowing out like a waterfall.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let this happen. I have to do something. I still have time to correct my mistake. I can¡¯t let his trust fade away on me.¡± I mumbled to myself.


    I wiped my tears and picked up myptop and I ran out of the room. Xavier was nowhere to be seen so I ran out of the suite down to the reception desk. I asked the receptionist if there was a printing facility avable in the hotel or somewhere near the hotel. She guided me to a control room full of men working onputers.


    I took a deep breath and pushing back my fear and insecurities, I entered the room. Not bothering about their stares, I asked one of the men if I could connect myptop to the printer. After he agreed I immediately opened myptop and printed all the documents from the backup I had on myptop. I always keep backup of important files. After printing, I arranged all the papers in the folder. I paid for using the printer and thanked the man who helped me. Then I ran back to the room.


    ¡°Where the hell were you? How many times do I have to tell you to keep your phone with you?¡± I was weed by angry Xavier.


    ¡°Here. All the documents,¡± I said lowly, passing him the folder. He took it from my hand and read the papers.


    ¡°From where did you get them?¡± He asked, waving the documents in front of me.


    ¡°I had the backup. I printed all the documents again.¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Where did you find the printing facility?¡± He asked.


    ¡°In the control room of the hotel,¡± I whispered, looking at my feet.


    ¡°Fuck Ariana.¡± I flinched.


    ¡°You should have told me about that. You just ran away without informing me. I was worried.¡± He said a little softly. ¡°Anyway, thank you for saving me again.¡±


    ¡°Now, you stay in the room and take rest. I¡¯ll attend the meeting. Don¡¯t leave the room until Ie back. Okay? Just order anything you want on the inte. Don¡¯t step out.¡± He mumbled, kissing the side of my head.


    Then he went out of the suite to attend the meeting.


    Xavier Knight


    The meeting went well. Sean and I presented our work in front of the government officials and other businessmen who came from around the world. We had a chance of winning as our n of car parts manufacturing unit was most appreciated. I had high hope that thend would be ours. The officials would give results in two days after discussing every detail of every project presented today.


    Chris Silva also presented his work. During the meeting, he avoided looking at us. I think he was aware of the fact that we knew about his dirty deed. But I wasn¡¯t going to let him go away without warning so, after meeting Sean and I caught him outside the meeting hall when he was about to sit in his car.


    ¡°Ohe on, Chris, leaving without even meeting your friends in a foreign country?¡± Sean smirked.


    ¡°I like the work you presented,¡± I eximed. His expressions were still full of arrogance. He smirked and said,


    ¡°My work was beyond good. I have a high chance of winning.¡±


    ¡°Our team also did a great job. May the best n win.¡± I said as I extended my hand for a handshake. His face instantly lost the colors. I think he received the message I wanted to give in my first statement. Good.


    He hesitantly extended his hand for the handshake, I grabbed it a little tighter and moved closer to him.


    ¡°Next time you dare pull that act again, you will find yourpany under my foot,¡± I said, gritting my teeth. He started sweating in the cold weather.


    ¡°What he means to say is¡­¡± Sean grabbed his suitpels lightly not wanting to make a scene. ¡°If you dare steal our work.. again then be ready to kiss your fuckingpany goodbye.¡± Sean clenched his jaw and let go of his suitpels.


    ¡°I know you have many questions running in your head like how do we know all this? Then let me remind you, we have the world¡¯s best people working for us as a team.¡± I said.


    Best people¡­ Shit¡­ Ariana. I forgot about her.


    ¡°You were leaving, right? You¡¯re free to go now. But don¡¯t forget what we said¡± Sean stepped away from him. Chris hastily sat in his car and left.


    ¡°And you Xavier, I didn¡¯t ask before but I¡¯m asking now. Why you didn¡¯t bring Ariana to the meeting?¡± Sean asked me.


    ¡°I brought her to France for a vacation not for work,¡± I replied.


    Well, this is the truth. But I messed up big time again. I snapped at her but still, she did her best to bring back the documents. I even cursed. I didn¡¯t want to snap at her but it happened all of a sudden. Whatever happened must have happened by mistake but I didn¡¯t listen to her. And It was nine at night now, I even didn¡¯t call her a single time to know her whereabouts since I was busy in the meeting. I have to apologize.


    ¡°Listen, Sean, I have to run back to the hotel. I have something very important to do. Youing?¡± I asked him as he too was staying in the same hotel.


    ¡°You go. I¡¯ll just catch up with other businessmen.¡± He replied.


    I sat in my car and went back to the hotel. Before going to the suite I asked the receptionist to show me the control room. I wanted to see the atmosphere of the room where Ariana went to print the documents. I cursed under my breath when I saw a room full of men. Goodness, Ariana must have been so ufortable. Damn!!


    I went to the top floor and entered the suite but I didn¡¯t find her in the room. I searched for her in the suite but couldn¡¯t find her. I tried calling her but she didn¡¯t pick up the phone. I frustratingly ran my hand through my hair. Where is she? Is she okay? What if she went out of the hotel in the street? What if something happened to her? All these questions filled my mind.


    My heart starting beating fast in fear. I became so scared. I hope she¡¯s okay. I instantly ran out of the room to search for her.


    ¡°Fuck Ariana where are you..¡±

 51

    Xavier Knight


    Exiting my suite, I ran to the reception area to ask the staff if they saw my Ariana. I showed them a photo of Ariana which I have on my phone. I clicked photos of her without letting her know. They said that they didn¡¯t see her going out of the hotel which made me more worried. I even asked the guards if by chance they saw her but they also denied. Then one of the hotel staff members informed me that he saw her entering the bar of the hotel. I refused to ept that because she always avoids the crowded area, she wouldn¡¯t go there. But I decided to give in, what if she really was there?


    I entered the bar which was huge and lighted up with neon lights. It was based on the silent disco theme, people there were dancing and drinking with their headphones on. I searched for her in the sitting area and even on the dance floor but she wasn¡¯t there. I walked near the bar counter but couldn¡¯t find her there. After a failed attempt of searching her, I made my way out of the bar but my steps halted when I saw her sitting in the utmost corner.


    All my senses came alive when I looked at her. Without thinking twice I ran to her and kneeling I hugged the life out of her.


    ¡°Goodness Ariana you almost gave me a heart attack,¡± I mumbled, kissing her head repeatedly.


    ¡°Go away¡­ I¡¯m mad at you.¡± She pushed me away.


    ¡°I know you are¡­wait? Are you drunk?¡± I asked when I smelled alcohol in her breath.


    ¡°Drunk? I don¡¯t take alcohol remember? I wanted to drink juice but the bartender said they don¡¯t serve in juice here. Then I searched the menu card & I came through a drink named tequ sunrise shot which contains orange juice so I ordered it but it tasted so bitter. But then I thought that my mood is bitter because of you that¡¯s why my taste buds also got bitter. So I drank all the cute little sses.¡± She bbered.


    ¡°How many cute sses have you had?¡± I asked in amusement. Cute sses? Seriously? I was worried but her cuteness threw my worry away.


    ¡°Are eight sses counted in ¡®how many¡¯?¡± She asked, giggling.


    She drank eight shots of tequ sunrise shots? Though it contains less amount of tequ, still, it¡¯s enough for a non-drinker to get drunk.


    ¡°Listen, Ari¡­¡±


    ¡°Why should I listen to you?¡± She snapped which made me look at her in surprise. Did she just snap? Wow! That¡¯s new!


    ¡°Did you listen to me? No, you did not. I wanted to tell you that it wasn¡¯t my fault. I¡¯ll never make such a mistake even in my dream when I know how important this project is for you. I wanted to tell you that your PR employee Bianca swapped the folder when I bumped into her. She wanted revenge on me. I don¡¯t know what problem Diana and Bianca have with me. They even pushed me which sprained my ankle. I wanted to tell you but what you did? You cursed and said¡­ DON¡¯T and then left.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± I asked in shock.


    ¡°Yes, they even insulted me. And you know what Diana said? She said I¡¯m not worth spending time with you. Is that true? Am I that bad?¡± She mumbled sadly. I sat beside her and embraced her in my arms.


    ¡°No Ari, you¡¯re not bad at all. You¡¯re the only woman with whom I want to spend my time. You¡¯re worthy of everything.¡± I said.


    These things are going on in mypany and I was not aware of it? How dare they insult her? How the hell they dare push her? Ariana never lies. I would have a serious talk with them after I reach there. And if I get proof of Bianca swapping the folder, I¡¯d fire her and even Diana for not concentrating on work and misbehaving with Ariana.


    Thanks to drunk Ariana that she told me everything. Sober Ariana wouldn¡¯t have told me that. She always saves others.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry Ariana that you had to go through all that. Why didn¡¯t you ever tell me anything? I would have taken some action.¡± I mumbled, stroking her hair. She pulled away and picked up her half-eaten burger.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to give you an answer.¡± She said, stuffing the burger in her mouth.


    ¡°Okay don¡¯t answer but stop eating that, it¡¯s unhealthy.¡± I snatched that greasy burger from her hand. But she snatched it back.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do everything that you stop me from doing because I¡¯m mad at you.¡± She scowled and took a big bite of the burger and finished it in another bite. I huffed and rubbed my face with my palms.


    ¡°Are you done?¡± I asked. She nodded her head in response. I stood up from the chair and helped her stand too.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take you to the room.¡± I bent down to lift her in my arms but she stepped away.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just pick me up anytime and walk like a king. I can walk.¡± She shrieked and started walking but stumbled on her steps. I immediately steadied her by snaking my arm around her waist.


    She¡¯s bossy when she¡¯s drunk, bossy but cute. I like this side of her.


    ¡°See, I can walk.¡± She eximed proudly. I didn¡¯t correct her, instead, I helped her walk to the suite.


    Forcing her to sit on the bed-because she was denying-I stood in front of her.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your phone? Why don¡¯t you ever pick that up?¡± I asked.


    ¡°My phone is in my waist bag and I was ignoring you that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t pick up your call.¡± She stated, removing the bag from her waist.


    ¡°How many times should I remind you to always keep your phone with you and always pick it when someone¡¯s calling.¡± I scolded her like I was scolding a kid. She guiltily looked down forming a wavey pout.


    She¡¯s my definition of cute.


    My piglet¡­


    She always saves herself from scolding by making these adorable faces.


    ¡°Now you sit right here. I¡¯ll go get water for you. Don¡¯t move, okay?¡± I ordered. She nodded her head and sat in a lotus pose then cing a pillow on herp and she rested her elbows on the pillow. She cupped her face between her palms.


    I brought water and extended my hand to give it to her. She shook her head vigorously.


    ¡°No, I want food. I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    ¡°No you¡¯re not, you just ate. Now drink this water.¡± I said sternly.


    ¡°No, I want food.¡± She¡¯s is stubborn as hell.


    ¡°Okay fine, I¡¯ll order food but first drink water.¡± She again denied it. I groaned and pressed ss on her lips but she refused to open her mouth.


    ¡°Ari, I¡¯m helping you to reduce your hangover. Just drink it.¡± I said frustratingly.


    ¡°Nooooooo. Pizza.¡± She shrieked. I smacked the ss on the table not bothering if it¡¯ll break.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to make you sober and you¡¯re demanding some unhealthy food? You just ate a greasy burger. Now you want pizza?¡±


    ¡°Pizza.¡± Goodness, this woman.


    ¡°Pizza.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll order it, but first drink water, change your clothes.¡± I slightly raised my voice but instantly regretted it because her eyes glistened up with tears.


    Goodness women and tears. I was pretty sure those were fake tears. She just wants that fucking pizza.


    ¡°Why are you so stubborn?¡± I asked. Now she started crying and let me tell you, tears are nowhere to be seen, she was just making a crying sound.


    ¡°You scolded me.¡± She cried.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°I. Did. Not.¡± I gaped at her.


    ¡°Yes you did, call Sean here.¡± She started faking a cry.


    ¡°Are you listening to yourself? I¡¯m standing right in front of you and you¡¯re asking for Sean? Why?¡± I gaped at her.


    ¡°Call Sean, I want to talk to him. I¡¯ll tell him that you scolded me.¡± She scowled.


    ¡°And what he¡¯ll do?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s my brother, he¡¯ll scold you.¡± She stated nonchntly.


    ¡°And I¡¯m your husband. And If your dear brother wants to live, he won¡¯t dare do that besides he didn¡¯te to France. He canceled at thest moment¡± I lied. She narrowed her eyes and red at me.


    ¡°Liar. He¡¯s here, he informed me the moment hended here in Lyon.¡±


    Fucking Sean. Bloody traitor.


    ¡°Call him now. Now, now, now, now, now.¡± She screamed and starting throwing pillows at me.


    I take my words back, she¡¯s not cute when she¡¯s drunk. She converts into a monster when she¡¯s drunk. And I don¡¯t like this side of her.


    ¡°Goodness, woman stop. Fine, I¡¯m calling him, just calm down.¡± I snapped. It was the wrong idea to leave her alone.


    She stopped screaming and shed a cheeky grin.


    I rolled my eyes and called Sean but he didn¡¯t pick up the call.


    ¡°Your brother isn¡¯t picking up the call. He must be sleeping. You should sleep too¡± I said to her and in no second a flying pillow came towards me hitting me in the face.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying, you didn¡¯t call him. You¡¯re saving yourself from being scolded.¡± She scowled.


    ¡°Stop hitting me. What¡¯s my fault if he¡¯s not picking up the call?¡± I snapped.


    I picked up all the pillows and ced them back on the bed and went out of the room. I immediately called Sean but damn he wasn¡¯t picking up. I called again and again until he picked up.


    ¡°What on Earth you want to talk which can¡¯t wait till morning? I¡¯m in the middle of something.¡± Sean growled the moment he picked up the call.


    ¡°And I¡¯ll chop off that middle part of yours and you¡¯ll never be in middle ever again if you don¡¯te in my suite right now.¡± I snapped at him.


    ¡°Why do you want me toe to your suite? Don¡¯t you have your wife to entertain?¡± He groaned. She¡¯s the reason you fool.


    ¡°Just fuckinge now,¡± I growled.


    ¡°This better be important.¡± Saying that he cut the call. I waited for him in the living room not wanting to face that monster sitting in bed.


    The doorbell of my suite rang after five minutes indicating the arrival of Sean. I opened the door to face scowling Sean.


    ¡°You better not dying of cancer.¡± He growled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not but¡­¡± Before I could say anything a high-pitched cry came from behind.


    ¡°Sean.¡± Again fake cry.


    ¡°What did you do to her? Why is she crying?¡± Sean immediately ran towards her and gripped her shoulders.


    ¡°Why are you crying, Ariana? Did this fucker said anything to you?¡±


    She gasped out loud and pulled away from his grip. I stifled myugh. Now, this fucker will get the scolding.


    ¡°What did you just say? Sean, you used a bad word!¡± She narrowed her eyes at him by putting her hands on her waist.


    Cute¡­ No, not cute. She¡¯s a monster.. monster, monster.


    Sean¡¯s face was worth watching for. I secretly opened my phone camera and started recording everything. I¡¯ll send it to Daniel and will save this moment for life to tease him.


    ¡°S.. s.. sorry Ariana, it just came out of my mouth because I can¡¯t see u cry. Please forgive me.¡± He pleaded because he knew he won¡¯t be forgiven easily.


    ¡°No, you are not sorry because you didn¡¯t hold your ears.¡± She stated. Iughed but closed my mouth when they both send me a  deathly re.


    ¡°Okay, here I¡¯m holding my ears. Sorry Ariana, I won¡¯t curse again.. in front of you.¡± He saidst words under his breath but I heard him.


    He really fond of her that¡¯s why he easily gave in. That¡¯s rare in the case of Sean. She changed the three of us for good.


    ¡°Okay, I forgive you.¡± She smiled brightly.


    ¡°Now, will you please tell me why you were crying.?¡± He asked. Her eyes again moistened up and she made a crying face. Here we go again. She¡¯s such a drama queen. Guess, Daniel got apetition. How is she even doing this?


    ¡°He scolded me.¡± She said, pointing a finger at me.


    ¡°I did not.¡± I slightly raised my voice.


    ¡°See? He is raising his voice again. Sean, scold him and tell him not to do it again.¡± She pouted and that fucker looked at me in amusement. Before he could say anything, I spoke.


    ¡°Ariana, he will scold me but only when you¡¯ll go to your room. Right, Sean?¡± I gave him a warning look.


    ¡°Y.. yeah Ariana I¡¯ll scold him. You just go and take a rest, okay?¡± He said to her.


    ¡°Okay.¡± She smiled at him and after ring at me, she left.


    Thank goodness¡­ I sighed in relief.


    ¡°How much did she drink?¡± He asked.


    ¡°8 tequ sunrise shot,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Goodness, she¡¯s a cute drinker.¡± Heughed. I shot him a re.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t see the monster behind that cute face¡± I grumbled. He justughed and patted my back.


    ¡°Now, what did you do to her? Why was she behaving like that?¡± He asked after he stoppedughing.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything, I was just trying to reduce her hangover and just refused to order pizza for her then she started throwing tantrums and asked for you so that you can scold me,¡± I replied in frustration.


    ¡°You called me for this matter? You¡¯re her husband, you could¡¯ve handled it by yourself. Just because of you I had toe leaving a woman on my bed and fuck now after watching that adorable face of Ariana I can¡¯t continue what I was doing. You¡¯re such a cockblocker.¡± He groaned and left the suite.


    I shook my head and headed towards the bedroom. Hope she is asleep.


    When I reached the room she wasn¡¯t there, the bathroom door was open so I stepped inside and found her lying in the empty bathtub. She had changed her clothes. I sighed and went near her. A smile formed on my lips when I saw her sleeping in the bathtub with a pout on her face.


    No one can say that this cute woman is hiding a monster inside her. Cute monster..


    I picked her up in bridal style and walked back to the room.


    ¡°I¡¯m mad at you Xavier. You didn¡¯t listen to me.¡± She mumbled sleepily. She was hurting because of me.


    ¡°I know my piglet, I know. And I¡¯ll make it up to you.¡± I whispered, cing her on the bed. After covering her up with a duvet I kissed her forehead and sat there, watching her sleep.


    She really made me worried. I thought I lost her which turned me into a mess. I can¡¯t afford to lose her. I can¡¯t see her going away from me. She¡¯s making me feel what I haven¡¯t felt for anyone. With every passing day, my feelings are intensifying towards her.


    I kept on making mistakes after mistakes. I don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ll apologize. I¡¯m such a fool, instead of getting mad at her, I should appreciate her efforts. She¡¯s so perfect. She is pro in handling every situation. And she¡¯s forgiving, I know she¡¯ll forgive me when she¡¯ll wake up in the morning. And I don¡¯t deserve that. I don¡¯t deserve her but I can¡¯t leave her and can¡¯t let her leave me. I¡¯m addicted to her now, her fragrance, her eyes, her smile, herughter, her pout, her res, her kisses, I¡¯m addicted to everything. In a short period she became my happiness, she became my world.


    I got up from the bed and changed my clothes then I slipped beside her and scooped her towards me making her stick to me. I kissed her cheek and whispered..


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for what I did.¡±


    ¡°Good night my world¡±

 52

    Ariana


    ¡°I¡¯m going to die¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to die..¡±


    I cried clutching my head tightly. I got up from sleep with an unbearable headache. Why my head is hurting so much? What happened overnight that caused a headache?


    ¡°You won¡¯t die just because of a hangover,¡± Xavier said entering the room.


    ¡°Hangover? To get a hangover you have to drink alcohol first and I do not drink.¡± I stated and heughed.


    ¡°When I found you in the bar, you were drunk.¡± He stated.


    ¡°I just ordered a drink which I never drank before. I¡¯m sure that didn¡¯t have alcohol in it.¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Oh? Well for your information, the drink you ordered had tequ in it which by chance is alcohol.¡± He stated sitting on the bed beside me.


    That exins the headache. How could I be so careless? Well not my fault, I don¡¯t know the names of alcoholic beverages.


    ¡°Have this medicine first, you¡¯ll feel good.¡± He said, giving me medicine.


    ¡°Umm.. no this medicine won¡¯t work. I have my regr medicine in my handbag. Can you take it out of my bag?¡± I said. He then gave that medicine to me.


    ¡°Did I behave strangely?¡± I asked after a few minutes when I felt okay. People behave strangely when they¡¯re drunk. Hope I didn¡¯t do anything embarrassing.


    ¡°Strange? Don¡¯t you remember?¡± He asked stifling hisugh.


    ¡°I only have blur memory ofst night. I don¡¯t exactly know what I said or what I did.¡± I said truthfully.


    ¡°Then let me give shes of what you did. First thing, you drank 8 cute sses of tequ shots which made you drunk. I helped you to the room then you demanded pizza which I denied then you know what you did? You screamed and hit me with pillows. You act like a monster when you¡¯re drunk.¡±


    I gaped at him. No, I can¡¯t do that, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s exaggerating. But I feel delighted that I hit him in that state because sober me wouldn¡¯t have done that. He deserved it for how he behaved. And did he just call me a monster?


    ¡°You know what was the funniest part?¡± I shook my head. Hope it¡¯s nothing embarrassing.


    ¡°You made Sean hold his ears to apologize to you. See, I recorded it.¡± Heughed out loud and showed me a video from his phone.


    Oh no, what was I even thinking? I hid my face in a pillow, feeling embarrassed. Goodness, what Sean must be thinking of me? Please someone bury me deep inside the ground.


    Xavier removed the pillow from my face and pinned his gaze with me. His eyes left all the yfulness. He became serious.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ever tell me that at the office some employees are behaving rudely with you?¡± He asked out the blue. How does he know?


    ¡°Last night you told me everything about Bianca and Diana. What they did and the way they behaved with you. You should have told me before, I would have taken strict action against them. They hurt you and you saved them by telling me you slipped in the kitchen?¡± He asked sternly.


    ¡°I may have not taken action before but now that I know what they did, I surely will. And you won¡¯t have any say in it.¡± He ordered.


    ¡°No one can hurt you.¡± He stated.


    Oh, he is concerned about me now? Where was his concern when he left me alone for the whole day? He didn¡¯t even call once to ask how I was doing alone in this foreign ce. What about the hurt he gave me?


    ¡°What about you?¡± I whispered. His expressions softened instantly.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re talking about and I also know that you¡¯re mad at me.¡± He said in low voice looking down on hisp. Oh? He knows! Well, then he must be aware of the reason why I¡¯m mad at him.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of my mistake, I shouldn¡¯t have done that. And I¡¯m sorry about that. I promise that this will not happen again.¡± He mumbled. I sighed and made him look at me.


    ¡°How many times will you apologize? What if you do it again? What will you do then? You¡¯ll apologize again?¡± I asked softly.


    ¡°I promise I won¡¯t ever shout at you again, I¡¯ll always trust you. Just forgive me thisst time and if I repeat the mistake, you can even p me.¡± He pleaded.


    ¡°Xavier, I¡¯m not asking you to be partial to me. If I make any mistake regarding work then it¡¯s your right to correct me because I know every minor mistake is huge in such a big business. I just want you to listen to me first, listen to my reasons, and if after that you feel like it¡¯s not a good reason or it¡¯s just an excuse then do whatever you want. I¡¯ll ept it wholeheartedly. But never behave like you did yesterday. It felt like you don¡¯t trust me.¡± My voice cracked inst.


    ¡°No Ari, It¡¯s not true. You¡¯re one of my most trusted people when ites to work. Not just work, I trust you with everything. It¡¯s just that I have high hopes with this project and when I didn¡¯t find the papers I lost control. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± He said, cupping my face in his hands.


    Should I forgive him? I think I should because he epted his mistake again, he apologized again and I know he¡¯ll try his best not to behave like that again. At least he¡¯s not like many others who don¡¯t even ept their mistakes.


    ¡°Ariana, ept those as my apology. Please¡± He said pointing at the corner of the room filled with many bouquets of three types of flowers. Why I didn¡¯t notice it before?


    He went there and picked up three bouquets and came near me. First, he gave me a bouquet of purple hyacinth. A flower that symbolizes regret. Then he gave me a bouquet of Freesia flowers. Flower of ultimate trust. Then he gave me White Poppies. A flower that symbolizes peace.


    ¡°Please forgive me.¡± He smiled like a kid asking for forgiveness. His thoughtfulness made me all mushy. How can I not forgive this man?


    I jumped out of bed and lunged onto him. Snaking my hands around his neck, I nuzzled my face in his neck.


    ¡°I forgive you,¡± I mumbled. He snaked his arms around my waist and kissed my head.


    ¡°Are we at peace?¡± He asked.


    ¡°We were never at war,¡± I said, pulling away.


    ¡°Is that so? The way you hit me with pillowsst night, I thought you were dering war.¡± Heughed making me blush but I recovered soon.


    ¡°Whatever. And I¡¯m not a monster.¡± I narrowed my eyes at him.


    ¡°You are. I saw a monster unleashing out of youst night.¡± He said betweenughs. I hit his chest yfully. He tugged my wrist and pulled me closer.


    ¡°You¡¯re so perfect.¡± He whispered. Only if he knew.


    ¡°Nowe on, get ready we¡¯re leaving for Paris.¡± He said.


    ¡°P.. Paris? I thought we¡¯ll return today as your work is over.¡± I asked.


    ¡°Mm.. hmm.. but what¡¯s the reason toe to France if you do not visit Paris? So you wanna visit or not?¡± He flicked my nose.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes, a hundred times yes.¡± I jumped excitedly.


    I wore an off-white woolenyered ruffle dress which ended inches above my ankles. I let my hair down and applied matte dark red lipstick.


    I went out of the room to find Xavier waiting for me while sitting on the couch. He stood up when he saw me and walked closer to me. His eyes were lingering on my lips.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°You look beautiful.¡± He said.


    ¡°Thank you. You too look good.¡± I whispered tucking my hair behind my ear.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He smiled boyishly.


    ¡°Is your lipstick smudge-proof?¡± He askeding more closer to me.


    ¡°Umm¡­yes? Why?¡± I asked in confusion.


    ¡°Good because I haven¡¯t received my morning kiss yet.¡± He said and crashed his lips on mine.


    We left for Paris on his private ne. I wanted to ride on the train but he said it¡¯ll use up our time. Sean didn¡¯te with us, he left for New York. When I met him I apologized to him for my behaviorst night but he justughed it away.


    When we reached Paris, we roamed on the streets of Paris. I pleaded with Xavier to bring me to see Eiffel Tower but he said it was not the right time. We visited the Louvre Museum, Sainte-Chapelle, Paris Aquarium Cineaqua, and did too much shopping. And finally, when the sun was about to go down he took me to the Eiffel tower. Only then did I found out that he booked tickets to see the Eiffel tower two days ago and for the whole fifteen minutes the top floor was ours.


    He led me up on the top floor and the view of the sunset from there was breathtaking. The blend of yellow, orange, red, and purple was giving the sky a mesmerizing look. I was lost in watching the view when Xavier hugged from behind and rested his head on my shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful,¡± I whispered. He turned me around and pulled me closer. His eyes were stuck on my face.


    ¡°Not more than you.¡± He whispered and leaned forward to capture my lips. Closing my eyes, I kissed him back. We kissed at a slow pace. It felt as if time had stopped for us, letting us feel our emotions through the kiss.


    I asked Xavier to click photos. He obliged but clicked all the photos with his phone. We clicked many selfies. He asked me to kiss his cheek and when I kissed his cheek, he clicked the photo. Then he pecked my lips and took a photo of it too. Thankfully no one else was there watching us otherwise I would have died of embarrassment.


    When we went down from Eiffel tower, the tower lit up with lights sparkling the whole area. I wasn¡¯t able to take my eyes off of the tower. My eyes twinkled watching the lights twinkling in the night sky. Intertwining my fingers with Xavier, I rested my head on his shoulder and watched the beautiful view.


    We stood there for a few minutes when we heard an announcement being made from near us. The person announced a dance on romantic music for the couples present there. Some of the couples started to rush there to dance and some just stood there to watch.


    Xavier dragged me there, I thought he wanted to see the couples dancing but he dragged me on the dance floor.


    ¡°Xavier, what are you doing?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to dance.¡± He stated. I gaped at him.


    ¡°N.. no, I¡¯m not d.. dancing.¡± I stuttered.


    ¡°Why?¡± He asked arching an eyebrow.


    ¡°There are people around here,¡± I said looking around.


    ¡°You have to dance with me, not with people.¡± He said, putting my hands on his shoulders


    ¡°But..¡± he shushed me by putting his finger on my lips.


    ¡°Just look at me.¡± Saying that he snaked his arms around my waist and pulled me closer. He started to move but I hesitated because I was aware that people were watching us.


    ¡°Don¡¯t break the eye contact,¡± Xavier whispered which made me look into his eyes.


    ¡°Just focus on me, on us.¡± He said and made me move.


    Without breaking eye contact, I started swaying with music matching his every step. Deep, slow romantic music was ying making us flow with it. Slowly, slowly I was catching up with the rhythm and in no time I was no more hesitant. Our moves started bing more intense and sensual. He twirled me around and caught me to lift in the air. Our bodies rubbed with each other when he put me down. He embraced me from behind and swayed side to side without breaking eye contact. His hold on me was loose making me move the way I wanted.


    I guess it was his magic that faded every other thing. We were in our own world; oblivious to many other couples and people around us. His presence gave me the power to be strong. His eyes said a lot. His captivating eyes were sparkling with delight. There was a state of deep connection and trust between us.


    Music embraced us in its magic which made us dance for so long. Our feet didn¡¯t stop moving, our body didn¡¯t detach, our hips didn¡¯t stop swaying, our eye contact didn¡¯t break until we heard loud cheering and ps.


    We stopped dancing and looked around and then only I saw, we were the only ones dancing on the dance floor. All the other couples stopped dancing and were watching us. We became the center of attention. An old couple came near us and looked at us adoringly.


    ¡°Both of you make a beautiful couple. Your chemistry during the dance was mind-blowing. And your eyes.. my, my your eyes never left each other. May the love between you two always sparkle like the lights of the Eiffel tower, like the stars in the night sky. God bless you.¡± The olddy said with a smile and patted my back.


    A blush crept on my face and I hid my face in Xavier¡¯s chest. Heughed and embraced me in warmness.


    ¡°She¡¯s so cute.¡± I heard the old man say.


    ¡°She is,¡± Xavier replied, chuckling.


    In the end, I was contented that I was with the love of my life in front of the symbol of love in the city of love.

 53

    Ariana


    After returning from France, the first thing Xavier did was he assigned me to my new post. He announced to his employees that I¡¯d be working as an IT security head of thepany.


    The second thing he did was he fired Diana and Bianca. Bianca forgot that the floors on which three of the bosses worked were equipped with hidden cameras and those cameras caught Bianca swapping the folder. I was present in the office with Xavier when he fired both of them.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    Xavier also asked them if they behaved inappropriately with me. They both got surprised after listening to the question and tried to argue and also med me for many things that I never did. They started shouting at me in front of Xavier. Xavier couldn¡¯t handle their behavior and fired both of them on the spot. I tried to interfere but Xavier silenced me with just one look.


    Now it had been a week since I had been working in the IT security department. I became the favorite topic of every employee¡¯s gossip. All the employees were having many questions like how I was appointed as Xavier¡¯s P. A. when he never had a female P. A? And then, how did I get the privilege of going with him to meeting abroad and most importantly what I did that I was appointed as IT security head without any training or promotions.


    I told everyone that I have a degree in software engineering, but still, they all looked at me with doubt. Xavier told me not to give any exnation to anyone, he also told me to inform him if other employees behave rudely with me.


    So, ignoring everyone I just concentrated on my work. With the help of other staff working with me, I ran a security check over thepany¡¯swork and fixed the bugs. I gave every colleague a specified task.


    I was more than happy working in the field I chose. My talent, my degree was being used now. It was not like before anymore where I was not regarded as anything. Now I was working to make my own identity. And it was happening just because of Xavier and my beloved brothers.


    The most amazing thing that happened this week was that our proposal for France¡¯s manufacturing unit got epted by the France government. We all were so happy that our hard work paid off.


    Xavier still hadn¡¯t appointed a new P. A, in the meantime, Mrs. Miller was handling the work. I wanted to help him but my tied-up schedule didn¡¯t allow me.


    For the past few days, Xavier had started behaving like a child who lost his candy. He would call me to his office at least ten times a day saying that he missed me. Like seriously? We live together but still, he misses me all day at work?


    Whenever he felt restless or angry at someone he would call me up to see me because ording to him, my presence calms him down. He would never leave a chance to kiss me whenever he calls me to his office. I doubted that he only called me just to kiss me and not because he¡¯s restless or angry at someone.


    Daniel¡­well Daniel is Daniel, teasing me to death, asking me if something happened in France. Was something supposed to happen? I didn¡¯t know what he wanted to know but he always wiggled his eyebrows whenever he would see me, asking a question with a gesture.


    Sean¡­Sean is also the same, less talkative but supportive. Sometimes he would join Daniel to tease me but he never said much.


    My friends were happy when they got the news about my new post, they didn¡¯t react the way all other people reacted. They indeed are my best friends.


    ¡°Miss Ariana we¡¯re leaving. You¡¯re not?¡± One of my colleagues asked me. It was five in the evening, it was time to go home.


    ¡°No Nikki I have some work. I¡¯ll leave in fifteen minutes.¡± I smiled. She nodded her head and left.


    I was waiting for Xavier, he told me not to leave in any case until he arrives back. Finn was with him so Finn also couldn¡¯t drive me home. Sean and Daniel were also not here. Xavier had one meeting to attend and then he went to meet his parents who were back after a long vacation. He asked me toe with him to meet them but I refused, not because I didn¡¯t want to but because they arrived this morning, they must be tired from the long journey. And if I had gone to meet them, considering their sweet nature they would have engaged me in a talk, ignoring all their exhaustion.


    Mr. And Mrs. Knight are a very sweet couple. I didn¡¯t know them much but the small talk I had with them on my wedding day created a soft spot for them in my heart.


    Ipleted my work and when I looked at the wall clock, it indicated 5:15. Xavier said he¡¯de to pick me up at 6:00 pm. What will I do till 6? He even strictly ordered me not to act stubborn by going against his order by taking a bus to go home. Guess I have to wait for him.


    I picked up all my belongings and walked out of the building to take a stroll. It was chilly outside, I buttoned up my coat and stuffed my hands in my coat pocket.


    I looked to my right and saw many shops there. I was tempted to go there. It had been a long since I walked alone on the streets. Izily strolled on the pavement, going towards the shops. Walking alone on the street reminded me of the days when I had no one to walk with, to talk with, to share my feelings with but see how my life has turned 180 degrees. Now, I had many people to spend my time with. But still, there were some things I couldn¡¯t share with anyone. I wanted to share it with Xavier but I was still waiting for the right moment.


    Gazing at every shop which was brightly lit up with lights as the sun had already gone down, I squeezed myself away from people and walked forward. I was so engrossed in looking at the dressed mannequins visible from the ss outside the clothing shops and other eye-catching stuff that I didn¡¯t notice when I reached near a supermarket. I decided to buy some groceries from there but before I could walk towards the supermarket someone tapped my shoulder making me spun around with lightning speed.


    The moment I turned around I came face to face with the person who tried to degrade ourpany¡¯s reputation, the one who stole the proposal which was to be presented in France. Chris Silva.


    ¡°Hi, we met again.¡± He waved his hand. I looked left and right, clutching myptop bag tightly. I was standing near the dark alley at the side of the supermarket.


    ¡°Umm¡­h.. hi.¡± I stuttered. I was getting negative vibes in his presence.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re now the new IT security head of XDS AUTOTECH huh?¡± He smirked and took a step forward, making me step back.


    ¡°H¡­how do y.. you know?¡± I asked. My heart was racing furiously. I think it was a bad idea to walk alone.


    ¡°Oh,e on, give some credit to yourself. You¡¯re the talk of the business world since you became Xavier¡¯s P. A. and now you¡¯re hispany¡¯s new IT security head. News travels fast.¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°I.. I have to go.¡± I tried to walk past him but he stopped me by blocking my way.


    ¡°I¡¯m not done talking yet. We were not able to talk at the party because of Xavier. Now he¡¯s not here so we can talk.¡± He grinned but it was evil.


    ¡°Tell me one thing Ariana¡­¡±


    ¡°How.. d.. do you know my name?¡± I asked, stepping back again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t act dumb. You are famous among businessmen, everyone linked to Xavier knows your name. Now answer my question which is bugging me sincest week. What did you do that you got promoted as an IT security head? You were just a P. A¡± He asked in a serious tone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s any of your business,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Actually, it is. Why you were given that post after the France conference? Why not before? Do you even have the qualifications of being an IT personnel? How can an eye-catching and hot woman like you handle IT security? Do you even know anything about it? Or is it your slender body that gave you everything?¡± He mocked me.


    ¡°Women can do anything they want. They¡¯re more than just eye-catching and hot.¡± I shot back.


    ¡°Ipletely agree with you, that¡¯s why I want to know what you did to get into XDS AUTOTECH?¡± He smirked evilly, eyeing me from head to toe. Pervert.


    Without replying to him, I walked past him but he tugged my wrist roughly with one hand and covered my mouth with another hand, and dragged me into a dark alley where no one was there.


    ¡°Leave me!¡± I tried to pull away but his grip was too tight. He pushed me against the wall but didn¡¯t leave my hands and mouth.


    ¡°Ohe on, baby girl. I too want to see what Xavier saw in you.¡± He chuckled evilly. I was scared to death. My heartbeat was gaining more speed.


    ¡°I know you have satisfied him with this gorgeous body of yours otherwise how can you get two big positions in such a bigpany? I also want to taste you. I have heard somewhere that Xavier has good taste when ites to women.¡±


    His words disgusted me. I felt so cheap that tears started running down my face. I struggled under his hold and tried to hit him with my free hand but he held both of my hands above my head in a tight grip. He still had his one hand on my mouth stopping me from screaming.


    ¡°Stop struggling. I know women like you. You do anything to get money out of rich people. You spread your legs for every rich man. You did the same for Xavier. Right? Now when it¡¯s my turn, you¡¯re behaving like an innocent?¡± He said gritting his teeth. His eyes were zing with anger.


    In no second he dipped his head and buried his face in my neck. I cried, wiggled, and tried to hit him with my legs but he pped me and trapped my legs between his. I was helpless again. I was feeling nauseated. His touch was sickening.


    His touch, his force, his tight grip, his cheap words brought back all my memories. They also forced me to do many things. They also made me feel cheap, they also used to hit me. Those touches¡­.


    I panicked when those painful memories shed in front of my eyes. I was getting short of breath. I forcefully tried to turn my head but he didn¡¯t let me. He ran his filthy mouth down to my breast.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t..¡± A weak muffled sound came out of my mouth. I cried harder, all the strength left my body as I was not able to breathe. I was on the verge of getting a panic attack. I tried to save myself, my dignity but I was impotent. All the pain and agony I had experienced before came back to life.


    My eyes started to droop, I lost all my hopes. Hopes¡­hope¡­ Xavier.. Thought of Xavier hit me like a thunderbolt. His thought awakened my lost senses. He¡¯s my hope, my ray of sunshine, my strength. I had to go to him. It was hard to regain my hope, I couldn¡¯t lose my hope this easily.


    With all the power that was left in me, I freed my legs and hit him in his weak point. He groaned in pain and fell to his knees. Taking this as the opportunity I picked up myptop bag and ran out of the alley.


    And thest thing I saw was the headlights of a car before I lost my consciousness.

 54

    Xavier Knight


    ¡°Xavier, son, how are you!¡± My mom lunged onto me the moment I entered the living room of Knight¡¯s mansion.


    ¡°I¡¯m good. How are you?¡± I asked, embracing her in my arms.


    ¡°Now that I have seen you, I¡¯m more than fine.¡± She replied.


    ¡°Hey, dad.¡± I side hugged my father.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your wife?¡± Dad asked.


    ¡°Yes Xavier, where is Ariana? How is she? I wanted to meet her too.¡± My mom asked.


    ¡°She¡­had some work,¡± I replied in low voice.


    ¡°Xavier, are you still upset with us?¡± Mom asked sadly.


    Was I? Well, I was but not anymore. They are my parents and I love them to death but they shouldn¡¯t have done that. They shouldn¡¯t have ckmailed me into marriage. It¡¯s my luck that Ariana didn¡¯t turn out a bad woman, she¡¯s the best woman I have ever met. My parents were so confident about her nature. But what if they had emotionally ckmailed me to marry some brat?


    I wanted to bring Ariana with me to tell my parents about our developing feelings but it¡¯s good that she wasn¡¯t with me right now because I wanted some answers from my parents. I wanted to know what was the emergency that they had to take that step to marry me off. If they were that much eager to marry me to Ariana they should have asked me to meet her first.


    ¡°I¡¯m not upset anymore.¡± I sighed silently.


    ¡°You don¡¯t sound like that. Xavier tell me, Is everything okay between you two?¡± Mom asked hesitantly. Her hesitation proved that she knew that what they did was not right.


    ¡°Mom, Dad, before I tell you anything about me and Ariana, I want you to answer my questions,¡± I said. They both looked at each other then at me.


    ¡°We know you¡¯re confused with our behavior. We didn¡¯t give you time to think about marriage. That was our mistake but trust us, Xavier, we didn¡¯t have time. It had to be done that way.¡± Dad replied, slumping his shoulders. That is what I wanted to know. Why it had to be done that way?


    Before I could ask anything, my phone vibrated. It was Ariana. She must be waiting for me in the office.


    I picked up the call but before I could speak an unknown voice spoke.


    ¡°Hello..¡± I frowned hearing the voice.


    ¡°Who¡¯s this? Where¡¯s the owner of the phone? I asked sternly.


    ¡°Sir, the owner of this phone has been rushed to the hospital. She met with an ident. Your number was on the emergency call list that¡¯s why I called you. Pleasee to 24/7 health care hospital.¡±


    ¡°A.. .. ident?¡± My heart dropped in the pit of my stomach.


    ¡°I¡¯m on my way.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± My parents asked.


    ¡°A.. Ariana is in hospital. I.. I have to go.¡± I stuttered. Fear gripped inside me.


    ¡°What?!¡± My parents got rmed as well.


    ¡°You go. We¡¯ll follow you.¡± Dad said.


    I rushed to my car and ordered Finn to drive as fast as he could. When the car stopped in front of the hospital, I ran inside.


    ¡°Excuse me. A woman named Ariana has been admitted to this hospital a few minutes ago. It¡¯s an ident case. What¡¯s the room number.¡± I asked the receptionist in a hurry.


    ¡°She is in room number 130.¡± The receptionist replied, typing on herputer.


    When I reached the floor I saw a female doctoring out of room number 130. I immediately ran towards her.


    ¡°Excuse me, Doctor. How¡¯s Ariana.¡± I asked in a hurry. I was impatient to know about her.


    ¡°Xavier? Hi? Do you know the patient? A friend?¡± Amanda, the doctor, who by chance is my friend, asked.


    ¡°Yes, Amanda I know her. What happened to her? Who brought her here? Is she okay? Can I meet her?¡± I asked. My heart was pumping blood furiously.


    ¡°She is okay. She¡¯s lucky that she wasn¡¯t hit by the car. She has some small wounds and cuts on her arms and legs but that will heal in no time.¡± I sighed in relief after hearing that.


    ¡°This couple brought her here,¡± Amanda said pointing towards a middle-aged couple.


    ¡°Hello, I was the one who called you. Here, these are her belongings.¡± Thedy said and passed me her bag and phone.


    ¡°Thank you so much for bringing her here. Where did you find her?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We were heading back home from the supermarket, the moment I pulled my car out of the parking lot, thisdy came running out of dark alley which is beside the supermarket. I pushed the break before my car would hit her but she dropped on the floor unconscious. I even tried to search for someone in that alley but I couldn¡¯t anyone. We immediately brought her to the hospital.¡± The man said.


    Dark alley? What was she doing there? And from whom she was running?


    I thanked the couple again and gave them my card so that they could call me in case they needed any help. Then they left.


    ¡°Xavier, please call her family. There¡¯s something I need to talk to them about her.¡± Amanda said.


    ¡°Tell me then. Is something wrong?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s personal Xavier, I can¡¯t tell this thing to a friend. Please call her family.¡± She insisted.


    ¡°Tell everything to me.¡± I again said.


    ¡°Xavier why don¡¯t you understand. I have to tell this to her family.¡± She argued.


    ¡°Goddammit, I¡¯m not her friend. I¡¯m her family, I¡¯m her husband. So just tell me what you have to say.¡± I shouted in annoyance. Her eyes grew wide and her jaw hung low.


    ¡°Hu¡­husband? You¡¯re.. married?¡± She asked in shock.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the time to discuss this.¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Yeah right. Sorry. Soe with me inside.¡± Saying that she led me inside the room.


    The moment I saw my Ari lying on the bed with IV tubes and a heart rate monitor attached to her body, my body trembled. I walked near her bed and ran my hand on her face. She looked so pale, so fragile, her always twinkling eyes were closed and her soft luscious lips were dry, her bright face lost the shine.


    ¡°Xavier, when she was rushed here, she was trembling and mumbling ¡®please leave me, it hurts, I¡¯m sorry¡¯ repeatedly.¡± Amanda paused for a moment and looked at me.


    ¡°Her heart was racing, she was sweating in this cold weather and the situation was very bad. After checking her condition I concluded that she had a panic attack.¡±


    ¡°Panic attack?¡± I frowned.


    ¡°Yes. And when I was checking her body for any injury I saw something that I concluded the reason for her panic attack.¡±


    ¡°What did you find out?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Scars.¡± She mumbled.


    ¡°Scars?¡± I asked in surprise.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know? You never saw them? You¡¯re her husband. Right?¡± She asked in confusion.


    ¡°I am. We married recently and¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay. Has she ever talked to you about this?¡± She asked.


    ¡°No, she never but I saw her having a nightmare, she was mumbling the same as you said before,¡± I replied while looking at Ariana¡¯s face.


    ¡°Xavier, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going between you two and I don¡¯t want to know but let me clear you that¡­ she was abused, her scars say that all, and this has traumatized her.¡± She replied softly. Abused?


    ¡°Can¡­can I see her scars?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Of course. You have all the right.¡± Saying that she pulled her shirt up from her belly and my heart stopped beating when I saw red marks on her lower abdomen. My hand trembled when I tried to touch those marks. My hand fisted automatically before it could touch her.


    ¡°She has some on her thighs and lower back,¡± Amanda eximed and a chill ran down my spine. More scars? That¡¯s why she never wears clothes that show her skin?


    ¡°When will she be up?¡± I asked, swallowing a lump formed in my throat.


    ¡°I gave her a light sedative to make her sleep. She¡¯ll be up in an hour or maybe early. I¡¯ll leave you two alone now. I¡¯ll be back.¡± Saying that Amanda left the room.


    I extended my trembling hand again to feel those scars. My heart constricted the moment I felt her cold skin with my fingers.


    ¡°Ari, who did this to you? Why you never told me about this? Don¡¯t you trust me enough to tell me about your fear, your insecurities? What are you hiding Ari, please tell me? I¡¯ll listen to you and I promise I¡¯ll punish every single person who hurt you.¡± I said,cing my fingers with her.


    My eyes were filled up with tears but I didn¡¯t let them flow.


    ¡°Please Ari, wake up, look at me. Tell me what were you doing outside the office building when I told you to wait for me there? Why are you so stubborn? You always defy my orders. Why? What happened there that led to a panic attack?¡± I asked in a trembling voice.


    ¡°Wake up fast my piglet.¡± I kissed her hand which wasced with mine.


    She¡¯s still a mystery for me. I didn¡¯t know how much she had gone through, how many times she had cried, how many times she had asked for help, how many time she was¡­ abused. Who did this to her? It¡¯s better not Andrew and if by chance I get to know that he¡¯s the one, I would send him to his death bed. I¡¯d not care if it¡¯s Andrew or anyone else I¡¯d not spare anyone who hurt my Ari.


    I had never felt this before. Fear, that¡¯s what I felt when I received the phone call. Fear of losing her. I can¡¯t imagine my life without her. She has be more than an addiction to me. She¡¯s someone who turned my world upside down. She changed me for good. She¡¯s someone who I want to see happy and satisfied.


    I couldn¡¯t see her like this. I wanted to see her smile, herughter, her bright face. I wanted to see her cute expressions. I couldn¡¯t see her lying here almost¡­lifeless.


    She had be my happiness, she¡¯s in my every thought, her presence soothes my eyes, herughter is a treat to my ears, she has be a reason for my smile, she had be my world, my everything, my love.


    L.. Love? Did I say, love? Was I in love with her? Of course, I was. All these strange things happen when someone is in love and I loved Ari.


    ¡°God, Ari¡­ You didn¡¯t have toy on a hospital bed to make me realize my love for you.¡±


    I was so damn stupid. I was in love with her and I didn¡¯t know about it?


    ¡°I love you, Ari. I love you so much.¡± I kissed her forehead, her eyes, and her cheeks.


    ¡°I never thought I would confess my love like this,¡± I mumbled, holding her hand tightly.


    I sat there holding her hand. After a few minutes, my parents entered the room.


    ¡°What happened to my daughter?¡± My mom rushed towards the bed.


    ¡°I never thought that I¡¯ll meet my daughter in a hospital bed.¡± Mom said sadly. Dad patted her back.


    ¡°Mom she¡¯ll be okay. The doctor said she¡¯s fine, she just has some bruises.¡± I said. I couldn¡¯t tell them about the panic attack.


    ¡°I¡¯m relieved that she¡¯s okay.¡± Mom said, brushing Ariana¡¯s hair. Her eyes were filled with worry. She was behaving like she knew Ariana very well.


    ¡°Mom, Dad, I¡¯m going outside for a few minutes. Don¡¯t leave the room until Ie back.¡± Saying that I went outside the room and out of the hospital building into the front garden of the hospital.


    I needed fresh air, my head was spinning because of unanswered questions that were striking the wall of my head. Mom and Dad know Ariana very well, that¡¯s for sure, but how? I had never heard about her from them. And Ariana, what happened to her? Who did that to her? When did all this happen? And what the hell happened in that alley that triggered a panic attack? There were many questions but I didn¡¯t have the answer to any of them.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration. To calm myself down, I inhaled and exhaled several times. I called Daniel and Sean and informed them about Ariana¡¯s ident.


    I sat on a bench for a few seconds. Suddenly, my phone vibrated, phone screen indicated my Dad¡¯s number. I picked up.


    ¡°Xaviere in the room now. Ariana is up and she¡¯s screaming.¡±


    Without thinking twice, I ran to the room and when I reached there I saw Ariana sitting on the floor in the corner of the room, screaming, while two male ward attendants trying to hold her.


    ¡°What the hell is happening here?¡± I shouted and rushed towards them.


    ¡°Xavier they are just trying to help,¡± Amanda said.


    ¡°They were manhandling her. Can¡¯t you see she¡¯s scared? Get out you two.¡± I shouted pushed the attendants away and kneeling I hugged my Ari but she cried and struggled to get out of my hold.


    ¡°It hurts¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tie me¡±


    ¡°It hurts, go away.¡±


    ¡°Xavier help me. They¡¯ll hurt me. They¡¯ll hit me.¡±


    ¡°I want Xavier. Please call him.¡±


    ¡°Hey, shh.. I¡¯m here, your Xavier is here. I have got you. No one¡¯s gonna hurt you. I¡¯m right here Ari.¡± I cooed, stroking her hair. She immediately stopped struggling and looked at me with teary eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± Saying that she encircled her arms around my neck and hiding her face in my neck, she cried. And the tears I was trying to hold flowed down my face. My heart broke in million pieces watching her in a vulnerable state.


    ¡°Th.. Thank you foring. Th.. they we.. were trying to h.. hit me.¡± She cried.


    ¡°No one will dare to hit you, my love. I¡¯m here for you. I¡¯ll always keep you safe.¡± I mumbled in a cracked voice, kissing her hair. She sobbed harder which made me tighten my hold to make her realize that I was with her.


    I pulled away and wiped her tears with my hands. I saw blood on the back of her hand. She must have pulled the IV tube harshly which made that spot bleed.


    ¡°Why did you get up from bed? See, now your hand is bleeding.¡± I took hold of her trembling hand.


    ¡°I w.. was so sc.. scared. I.. I thought they¡¯lle again. They¡¯ll hit me a.. again.¡± She sniffed.


    ¡°Who are they, Ari? Please tell me. I¡¯ll punish them for hurting you.¡± I asked her but her tears again started to flow. I shushed her and didn¡¯t ask the question again. She was not in the right state. I¡¯ll ask afterward. For now her health, her stability is important.


    I helped her stand, her legs trembled a little but I steadied her before she could fall.


    ¡°Princess.¡±


    ¡°Ariana.¡±


    Sean and Daniel entered the room and rushed towards us. Ariana looked at them with teary eyes and stretched her one hand towards them. Both of them immediately snaked their arms around us. We stood there for a minuteforting Ariana by embracing her between us.


    Then I helped her to bed and helped hery down.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t leave me alone.¡± She mumbled in a weak voice, gripping my hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere,¡± I whispered, kissing her forehead.


    Amanda cleared her wound and again attached IV tubes to her hand. She then infused medicine in the IV bag. Ariana kept her eyes on me to make sure I was right there with her. I sat beside her to make her aware that I¡¯ll not leave her. I¡¯ll be always there with her.


    Writer¡¯s PoV


    Amanda, the doctor, was amazed looking at the scene in front of her. First, she never knew her friend who was considered the most eligible bachelor is married. Since when? She didn¡¯t know. Her heart also constricted looking at the woman who was Xavier¡¯s wife. She seemed so vulnerable, so fragile, she must have gone through a lot. The scars she saw on her body proved that she was badly abused.


    She was surprised to see that the woman who didn¡¯t stop struggling and screaming when she tried to help her, she even didn¡¯t calm down when Mr. And Mrs. Knight tried to console her but immediately calmed down the moment she heard Xavier¡¯s voice, she stopped screaming the moment she felt his touch.


    And did she see tears in Xavier¡¯s eyes? The scene in front of her eyes indicated true love. She didn¡¯t know for how long they both were married but she knew that they both love each other. She saw it with her own eyes.


    M Knight was crying, hugging her husband who was holding her tightly. M and Rupert Knight couldn¡¯t believe what they saw. Ariana, the girl they had tried to keep safe from any injury or other bad things was broken from inside. Something had happened to her which they weren¡¯t aware of. Since the day her father died, they both tried their best to protect her but it felt like they failed. They failed to keep the promise they made to her father. They failed to protect her.


    But one thing surprised them to the core, the way she reacted in the presence of their son. Both of them thought that Xavier was still not happy with the marriage. Xavier would never ept her as his wife. They thought they couldn¡¯t ever make Ariana happy. They thought their son would never forgive them. Those thoughts were eating them from inside.


    But what they saw warmed their heart. The trust Ariana has in Xavier, the way she was asking for Xavier like he was the only one who could help her, keep her safe, almost made them cry in happiness. Xavier also embraced her as she¡¯s the most important person in his life. Their son¡¯s tears proved that they hadn¡¯t done anything wrong by marrying him to Ariana. They both have developed intense feelings towards each other.


    They might have failed Peter by not being able to fully protect his daughter from the cruel world but they were sure that now Peter¡¯s soul would rest in peace looking at his daughter who had got someone to protect her from the bad eyes of the world. Peter would be happy up there that his daughter who was alone had got her support, had got someone who¡¯d love her more than he ever did.


    M and Rupert decided to tell everything to Xavier so that he could understand why they forced him to marry Ariana. So that he could find out and punish whoever made Ariana so vulnerable. So that he could do something that they failed to do. Protect her.

 55

    Xavier Knight


    After shifting Ariana into a private room we all sat in the room to be with her. I sat on a chair beside Ariana¡¯s bed watching her sleep. My parents, Sean and Daniel were sitting on the couch.


    I asked Amanda about Ariana¡¯s condition, she called me outside the room to talk in private.


    ¡°Xavier, Ariana¡¯s physical injuries will heal in one or two days but I¡¯m concerned about her mental health, her emotional health. I was thinking to suggest her a psychologist.¡± She said.


    ¡°A psychologist?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°Yes, Xavier. I think that she has gone through something extremely bad. Something is there that is eating her from inside and that can¡¯t be healed by any drug. It¡¯s not she¡¯dpulsorily need to see one. And from what I saw I guess that you can treat her.¡±


    ¡°What can I do?¡± I asked in a dejected tone.


    ¡°Talk to her. You know, what a professional would do? He¡¯ll talk to her; will try to bring out everything that is hidden deep inside her. Some patients get scared or refuse to see a psychologist. So, I suggest you talk to her first¡­ but not right now. She needs rest, give her time to heal or she might get a panic attack again. If you feel like she¡¯s not recovering from her past then make sure to contact a professional.¡±


    ¡°When can I take her home?¡± I asked.


    ¡°After a day. I want to keep her in observation to make sure she doesn¡¯t get panic attack again.¡± She replied. I nodded my head and thanked her.


    ¡°What did she say?¡± All of them asked the moment I entered the room.


    ¡°Nothing. She just wants to keep Ariana in observation for a day.¡± I replied.


    ¡°Xavier, can we talk?¡± Mom asked. The concern, worry, and hesitation in her voice told me that it was time to know the truth. I nodded my head.


    ¡°Xavier, I think it¡¯s time to answer all your questions,¡± Dad said.


    Sean and Daniel stood up from the couch and came to me.


    ¡°We¡¯ll give you some space to talk, clear all the things.¡± Sean patted my back.


    ¡°We¡¯re not leaving. We¡¯ll wait in the cafeteria.¡± Daniel said and they both left the room.


    I sat on a single couch and my parents sat together on another one.


    ¡°Tell me everything,¡± I said in low voice. My dad started to talk.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Xavier, Ariana¡¯s father Peter was our college friend. I and Peter were best friends. Your mother and I married just after finishing college and Peter concentrated on his work. One day Peter¡¯s family decided to marry him off with Jade, Ariana¡¯s mother. He was ready because he never had anyone in his life but Jade, she never wanted to marry him because she wanted money and Peter didn¡¯t have much. Nheless, they got married and had Ariana. She never loved Ariana, it was visible in her every move. One day when Peter was returning from his work he met with an ident, he was taken to hospital. We went to see him and there we got to know he didn¡¯t have much time. That day on his death bed we promised him that we¡¯d take care of his little girl.¡±


    ¡°Ariana was just 10 when he died. Jade remarried a yearter of her husband¡¯s death. She didn¡¯t have any kind of remorse. She also never let us see Ariana. We were worried about her whereabouts so your mother and I decided to appoint a PI/bodyguard who always followed her when she was outside Smith¡¯s mansion. We even sent him to Chicago when she went there for college. We did everything to keep an eye on her. We made sure that Arianaes back from Chicago without any harm.¡± Dad paused. I was looking at Ariana while listening to him.


    ¡°And suddenly one day I got the news that Andrew wanted to marry off Ariana to some rich businessman to prevent hispany from drowning.¡±


    My head shot up towards him. My Ari with someone else? No way in hell.


    ¡°He was in a hurry to marry off Ariana. Your mother and I couldn¡¯t let that happen and Xavier¡­at that time you were our only hope. So to save Ariana from those cruel people we asked or rather emotionally ckmailed you to marry Ariana. I invested money in Andrew¡¯spany to keep Ariana with us, in our protection. And we passed the responsibility to you.¡± My dad stopped talking. Then mom spoke.


    ¡°We always considered her as our daughter. But what we saw today made us realize that we failed to protect that sweet girl. We may have protected her from the outside world but we failed to protect her from people close to her. They have traumatized her. They have mentally abused her. We failed her, we failed her father. We couldn¡¯t keep our promise.¡± My mom cried, resting her head on dad¡¯s shoulder.


    I was sitting, resting my elbows on my knees and my hands on my face. I was trying to hide my tears which were welling up in my eyes. I wanted to tell them about scars but I stopped myself, they were ming themselves for her condition and they will break if I tell them about scars.


    My parents are so humble, kind, understanding, and loving. They did their best to protect Ariana from any harm. If my parents weren¡¯t there I wouldn¡¯t have met Ariana. If my parents weren¡¯t there for her she wouldn¡¯t have been with me.


    ¡°We failed¡­¡± My mom whispered again.


    ¡°I failed you too. You thought that I¡¯d protect her but I failed too. She¡¯s lying here because of me.¡± I sniffed, looking at Ari. Mom immediately came and sat on the armrest of the couch and hugged me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that Xavier. You never failed, you won. Since the day her father died, we never saw her having trust in someone like she has on you. You won her trust. You didn¡¯t fail us, instead, you proved that we did nothing wrong in marrying her to you.¡± Mom¡¯s words made my tears flow again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even have words to exin my feelings. I just want to thank you, thank you so much for keeping her safe. Thank you for bringing her into my life. I love her so much. I can¡¯t imagine my life without her.¡± I cried, hugging her tightly.


    I don¡¯t remember myself crying for any reason since highschool. And I didn¡¯t care if I was crying now because I may not have experienced it but I could feel the pain my Ari had gone through. She grew up without the love of her parents. She had no one to support her.


    ¡°I know Xavier, I know. We witnessed your love for her. Your concern, your worry, your tears proved that all.¡± Mom whispered.


    Dad came to me, patted my back, and spoke. ¡°Xavier son, you did what we failed to do. You gained her trust, you became her hope. And I can¡¯t be more proud of you.¡±


    I stood up and hugged him. ¡°Take care of her.¡± He whispered and pulled away.


    I sent them back home to take a rest. Sean and Daniel came to the room and I told them everything that my parents told me, I even told them about the scars Ariana has.


    Daniel, whost cried when his family died, shed a tear listening about Ariana. Sean¡¯s eyes too glistened up, which shocked me as I had never seen him cry for any reason. Ariana had changed them too. I approached them and pulled them closer in a hug. They have always been my support.


    ¡°I love her. I love her so much  and I¡¯ll not spare anyone who did this to her.¡± I said with determination.


    ¡°We¡¯re with you in that.¡± They said and pulled away.


    I asked them to go home and rest, they denied but I insisted. They didn¡¯t want us to leave alone but I didn¡¯t budge because they had to handle thepany in my absence so they needed rest.


    After they were gone, I sat on the chair beside the bed holding her hand in mine, looking at her sleeping form. I was relieved that she hadn¡¯t got any severe injury but what she got from her past scared me.


    I hope she recovers soon physically and mentally too. I¡¯ll do whatever I can to bring back my bubbly piglet. Her smile, herughter, her bright face, funny expressions, I¡¯ll bring everything back. And I¡¯ll give her what she never received from anyone.. love.


    Ariana


    I tried to open my eyes but it seemed difficult to do so. With effort, I opened my eyes but I blinked several times to clear my vision. When my vision rified I found myself surrounded by white walls. All the memories of that dark alley shed in front of my eyes which gave me a sudden jolt of headache.


    My eyes moistened when I saw Xavier sleeping sitting on a chair with his head down on the bed.


    Xavier, my love, was there when I needed him. He didn¡¯t leave me alone.


    Lifting my hand, I brushed back the stray hair from his face which made him open his eyes. I immediately pulled my hand away.


    ¡°You¡¯re up.¡± His face lit up and standing up from his chair, he showered kisses on my face.


    ¡°Xavier..¡± I groaned. He¡¯s not letting me breathe.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that to me. I was so worried.¡± He said in a cracked voice, cupping my face.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± I assured him.


    ¡°You have to be because you can¡¯t leave me. I won¡¯t ever let you leave because I love you. I love you so much. I can¡¯t live without you.¡±


    I got stunned, my eyes grew wide and I became speechless. Did he just..? He¡­he loves me? The way I do?


    ¡°You¡­you lo.. love me?¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Yes. I do and will love you to death. I know I realized itte, I¡¯m at fault. I should have realized it much before. But now that I realized I will give you all my love.¡± He said in one breath which made my tears flow out my eyes.


    ¡°Ari.. why are you crying? It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t love me now¡­¡± I cut him off by putting my index finger on his lips.


    ¡°I love you too.¡± I cried. A lone tear escaped his eye and leaning down, he buried his face in my neck.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry. I can¡¯t see you like this.¡± I mumbled. But he ignored my plea as I felt wetness on my neck.


    ¡°Thank you so much foring into my life. I love you.¡± He mumbled in my neck.


    I couldn¡¯t be happier. Xavier, my husband, my love, loves me back. All my hopes were fulfilled, my dream of having a man who¡¯d love me had be a reality.


    He loves me. He saw me in a vulnerable state and didn¡¯t leave me. He confessed his love to me, he deserved to know about me. He deserved to see my scars. But how? How should I start?


    A sudden wave of ache passed my head which made me groan. ¡°What happened? Are you feeling pain anywhere?¡± He asked with concern pulling away from me.


    ¡°Yes. My head hurts.¡± I replied rubbing my forehead.


    Xavier immediately called the doctor and within seconds a female doctor apanied by a nurse entered the room. She checked on me and gave me a shot for a headache. Then after giving me instructions on what to eat and what not she left.


    ¡°Xavier.,¡± I called him in a low whisper. He gave me a concerning look.


    ¡°I know what you want to say but you don¡¯t have to tell me right now. Don¡¯t force yourself, tell me when you¡¯re ready. I¡¯ll wait.¡± He kissed my forehead and that was enough for my unsettling thoughts to stop jumping in my head. I was satisfied that he gave me time, he was not forcing me to know the truth.


    ¡°But I¡¯ll not spare you from asking aboutst night.¡± He said which made me gulp. He¡¯d definitely get angry but I had to tell him everything.


    ¡°Xavier please take me home. I¡¯ll tell you everything there.¡± I said.


    ¡°You¡¯ve not recovered yet. You have to stay here for a day.¡± He exined.


    ¡°Please¡­ I¡¯m okay. Hospitals give me negative vibes.¡± I pleaded.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll talk to the doctor.¡± He said.


    With a knock on the door, Daniel and Sean entered which diverted our focus to them.


    ¡°Hope we¡¯re not disturbing you two?¡± Daniel smiled mischievously.


    ¡°Good morning Princess. See, I brought breakfast.¡± He ced the breakfast bag on the side table.


    ¡°Good morning Ariana. How are you feeling?¡± Sean asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling okay,¡± I replied. Xavier adjusted the bed to help me sit.


    Putting breakfast in front of me, Xavier made sure I ate every single bite and had my juice. Xavier didn¡¯t eat his breakfast until he was satisfied that I was full. He gave me my medicine and then ate his breakfast.


    ¡°Xavier you should go and freshen up, you stink,¡± Daniel said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t overreact. Nobody stinks for not bathing just for one day and I¡¯m not leaving her alone.¡± Xavier argued.


    ¡°Xavier, you should go. You are sitting here sincest night, you need rest too.¡± I tried to make him understand.


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you alone. That¡¯s final.¡± He said sternly.


    ¡°She¡¯ll not be alone, Daniel will stay with her until your parents arrive. And I¡¯ll take care of the work. So just go and at least take a shower.¡± Sean said. Xavier was about to argue back but I stopped him by tugging his wrist.


    ¡°Please¡­for me.¡± I pleaded.


    He sighed. ¡°Just for you. But I want answers aboutst night when Ie back.¡± He said. I nodded my head in response.


    ¡°Sean drop me home. I sent Finn homest night.¡± Xavier said. Sean nodded his head and came near me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back to see you. Get well soon.¡± He kissed my forehead.


    ¡°Hey don¡¯t do that to my wife,¡± Xavier said grumpily.


    ¡°What? She¡¯s my sister.¡± Sean gave him an innocent look.


    ¡°She¡¯s my wife first.¡± Xavier red at him. Danielughed and I smiled secretly. He¡¯s now openly epting me as his wife.


    Xavier and Sean left arguing about the kiss.


    ¡°Guess someone is getting importance,¡± Daniel smirked and I blushed. But suddenly his expressions became serious.


    ¡°Princess, you really made us worried. If you were asked to wait then you should have waited for him.¡± He scolded me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I mumbled. I was feeling guilty.


    ¡°You should be, Princess. We all care for you. Promise me you¡¯ll always inform someone before going out alone?¡±


    ¡°I promise. Daniel please tell me one thing and don¡¯t ignore this time.¡± I said.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Why do you call me Princess?¡±


    ¡°This is not the right time.¡± He replied averting his eyes from me.


    ¡°Daniel please tell me. I want to know, since day one you have been calling me by this endearment. Why?¡± I asked.


    His face became glum, he averted his eyes for a second and then again looked at me.


    ¡°You remind me of my sister.¡± He replied in low voice.


    ¡°Your sister? You have a sister, I never knew. I don¡¯t know anything about your family.¡± The topic of his family gained my interest. I wanted to know about his family.


    His face portrayed something that I never saw in him. Sadness and pain. And in a painful voice, he whispered ¡°Had.¡±


    ¡°H.. had? What d.. do you mean by that?¡± Please don¡¯t let it be what I¡¯m thinking. I prayed.


    ¡°I had a sister, a family. They died in a ne crash. It¡¯s been many years.¡± A painful tear slipped from his eyes. A weird sensation ran through my body and tears slipped from my eyes too.


    ¡°When I saw you first time in office, for once I thought my sister was standing in front of me. Same ck eyes, the same height, and the most surprising thing is, her name was also Ariana, Ariana Adams. I used to call her Princess because she was a sucker for Disney princesses.¡± He let out a sadugh. He was not looking at me but on hisp.


    ¡°I saw my sister in you. So I started calling you Princess.¡± He sniffled. He was crying.


    ¡°I miss my family. They never got a chance to see me graduate. They didn¡¯t see me making my name in the business world. I don¡¯t have a family anymore. I¡¯m all alone.¡± He said in a cracked voice.


    IV tube was attached in my one hand so I extended my free hand and took his hand in mine.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t ever say that you¡¯re alone. You consider me as your sister which means I¡¯m your family. Xavier and Sean are your family, they consider you as their brother, they both love you. And I, I¡¯ll be always there for you as a family. You¡¯re never alone.¡± I cried.


    ¡°Hey, hey, don¡¯t cry otherwise Xavier will chop my head and will y ser with it.¡±


    Augh escaped my lips. I never knew he was hiding this much pain behind his funny face. He had mentally suffered a lot. I could feel his pain because I too had been alone until Xavier entered my life.


    ¡°You also stop crying. I want your real smile back.¡± I said wiping his tears.


    ¡°And never consider yourself as alone. Get that?¡± I yfully narrowed my eyes.


    ¡°Never Princess¡­never.¡± He smiled and kissed my forehead.


    He stayed with me until Mr. And Mrs. Knight arrived. He then left for work. Xavier came back an hourter dressed in casual clothes. He thanked his parents and sent them back home.


    He came to me and I knew I had to tell him aboutst night. I couldn¡¯t hide it from him. But I was worried about how he would react.

 56

    Xavier Knight


    ¡°What?!¡± My blood boiled after hearing what happened with Ariana in that dark alley.


    How dare that bastardy his filthy hands on my wife? Doing that, he himself dug his own grave. I spared him once but not now.


    ¡°Xavier, please calm down.¡±


    ¡°Calm down? You¡¯re really asking me to do that? How can I calm down when that fucking bastard is roaming freely afterying his hands on what¡¯s mine. How can I calm down when the one who put you on the hospital bed is still unharmed.¡± I chided.


    ¡°Xavier, please don¡¯t..¡± She took hold of my hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for cursing Ari, but right now all I¡¯m thinking is the ways to kill him. He can¡¯t get away that easily after disrespecting you.¡± I gritted my teeth.


    ¡°Xavier please don¡¯t indulge in a fight.. please.¡± She insisted but my eyes were seeing red, anger was boiling inside me likeva in a volcano, it was rising to erupt.


    ¡°I will. For you, I will. I can fight the world for my loved ones and he¡¯s just a scumbag who needs to know his right ce. He¡¯ll regreting near you.¡± I dered.


    Her eyes watered, I wiped her tears with my thumbs and kissed her lips lightly.


    ¡°Shh, don¡¯t cry. I¡¯ll make him pay for doing this to you. And Ari, today, I¡¯m making a promise to you that you¡¯ll get the respect you deserve. The whole world will respect you, I¡¯ll make sure of it. People will think twice before saying anything to you.¡± I said truthfully.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how I got so lucky to have you in my life.¡± She smiled weakly through tears.


    ¡°I¡¯m the lucky one here. You¡¯re the best thing that happened to me without any nning.¡± My statement made her chuckle.


    I stayed with her until she fell asleep. I asked Finn to guard her and I went out of the hospital building to teach someone a lesson.


    ¡°To what I owe you this pleasure, Mr. Knight?¡± Chris smirked. He was sitting on his chair when I entered his office.


    ¡°Don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t know.¡± I red at him while gritting my teeth.


    ¡°Oh! So that bitch of yoursined to you.¡± Heughed. I charged towards him and pulled him up by his cors.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking dare disrespect her.¡± I raised my voice.


    ¡°Why so much anger just for an employee? Why you can¡¯t listen to anything against that bitch?¡±


    I punched him straight in his face. ¡± What did I fucking tell you? Not to say anything against her.¡± I punched him again in the face. He cursed and touched his lips which got a cut that was bleeding.


    ¡°How dare you?¡± He yelled. ¡°I did nothing wrong, I was just looking for a good time. If you can have a taste of that woman so why can¡¯t I?¡± And again he earned a punch from me, this time in his stomach, he groaned and tried to attack back but I blocked him by holding his wrist.


    ¡°You did everything wrong. You touched the woman I love. She¡¯s my wife you bastard.¡± I shouted in his face.


    ¡°Y.. your w.. wife? When did you get married?¡± He asked in surprise.


    ¡°That¡¯s not your fucking business. Last time I spared you for stealing my work but this time you crossed your limit. Youid your filthy hands on my wife. You¡¯ll have to pay for this because No one touches what¡¯s mine.¡± I kicked him in legs which made him fall on the floor.


    I squatted in front of him and harshly gripped his cors. ¡°Touching any woman against her will is the vilest behavior. And let me be clear to you, you¡¯ll shed tears of pain after what I¡¯ll do to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll not put you in prison or beat you to death. No! I have another n for you that will kill you like slow poison. You love your empire, right?¡± I spat angrily. He tried to stand up but I didn¡¯t let him.


    ¡°Your business. That¡¯s what I¡¯ll take away from you. Not in one go but slowly. Every single day you¡¯ll see yourself losing your shares. And one day, it¡¯ll be out of your hands, you¡¯ll not be able to do anything.¡± I chuckled menacingly, looking at his scared expressions.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that.¡± He said, gritting his teeth.


    ¡°Watch me,¡± I said and stood up making him stand too. He looked putty in my hands. I wanted tough at him but I was blinded with rage.


    ¡°This is what you get when you mess with Xavier Knight.¡± I pushed him and turned to walk away but I stopped and turned back. I punched him on his jaw.


    ¡°This will remind you not to talk trash about my wife.¡± Saying that I walked out of his office.


    Enough is enough, I had had enough of hiding Ariana from the world. I can¡¯t take any more of people thinking low of her. Now I¡¯ll introduce her to the world as my wife. She¡¯ll get respect what she deserves.


    I just have to find a way to introduce her to the world which will force everyone to respect her, not just as my wife but as a woman. I want her to give her own identity, I don¡¯t want her to be called just my wife, I want people to know by her work too. She has got talent, she needs to show that to the world.


    She¡¯ll not easily ept whatever I¡¯ll n for her but I have to convince her for her betterment and I¡¯ll support her at every step.


    It had been two days since she came back from the hospital. Everything was alright but Ariana was not like she used to be. She smiles but her smiles are forced. Sheughs sometimes but not her heart out. I didn¡¯t leave her side since the day she came back from the hospital.


    I just go to important meetings otherwise I give all my time to Ariana. I know what she was thinking and I told her not to stress herself. I wanted to know about her past but not at the cost of her health. I told her that she could tell me when she¡¯s ready, I was not forcing her but she was thinking too much which is visible on her face.


    I assured her that I would have Chris pay for what he did to her.


    When I came back from the meeting at 7 pm, I found her standing in the rooftop garden near the edge looking at the skyscrapers,pletely lost in her thoughts.


    I approached her and embraced her from behind. I rested my chin on her shoulder and whispered ¡°You¡¯re overthinking again. I told you not to do so.¡±


    ¡°It feels good, No?¡± She whispered.


    ¡°Ari?¡± I looked at her and found her still looking down at the building. I turned her towards me and cupped her face.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I asked. Removing my hands from her face she again turned and walked towards the edge to look at the buildings.


    ¡°Standing here. Feels good, No? It feels like you¡¯re on top of the world.¡± She said.


    ¡°You know, I have always dreamt of this.¡± She closed her eyes and inhaled the air. ¡°Freedom. This air around me feels so different.¡± She said, pure satisfaction was evident in her voice but I heard a hint of pain.


    ¡°Come here.¡± She said to me. I walked near her. Intertwining her fingers with mine she pointed the finger of another hand at ground level.


    ¡°I used to live there, on the ground level. I used to live in the Mansion but that was just for others to see. For me, it was a prison, I wasn¡¯t allowed to roam freely, breathe freely. Those big walls of the mansion never amazed me, they just suffocated me, those big walls never allowed me to see the sky. But see how life takes unexpected turns, I am now standing on the top, almost near the sky like I could touch it if I lift my hand.¡± She looked at the sky admiringly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself,¡± I whispered. She was hurting, she was in pain, her expressions, her eyes, her cracked voice proved that.


    ¡°Let me, Xavier. It was hard to find the courage to tell you but now that I have found it, don¡¯t stop me. I finally have someone with me who¡¯ll listen to me. This will be the first time I¡¯m going to share my past with anyone and I¡¯m d it¡¯s you.¡± Her eyes moistened. Pulling her in a hug, I kissed her hair.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be always here to listen to you,¡± I assured her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go inside first,¡± I said.


    ¡°No. I want to talk here, in the open. This will give me the courage to tell you everything.¡± She mumbled in a drained voice.


    We sat on an outdoor bed ced at the side of the garden. I pulled her closer by snaking my arm around her shoulder. She rested her head on my shoulder. She stayed quiet for a few minutes, I also didn¡¯t force her to talk. If she wanted to change the decision of telling me everything, I¡¯ll respect her decision.


    ¡°My father loved me so much.¡± She voiced out. I squeezed her shoulder to give her support. She continued.¡± I too loved him, still do. My world was so tiny including just my mom, dad, and me. I thought we were a happy family until my father¡­.¡± Her voice cracked. I kissed her hair and rested my cheek on her head.


    ¡°Everything changed the day my father left this world. My mom wasn¡¯t the same, she started ignoring me. I didn¡¯t say anything because I thought she was hurting because of her husband¡¯s demise. Then she married Andrew Smith, I epted her decision without hesitation because it¡¯s her life, she can live it the way she wants. Mr. Smith already had Scarlet when my mother married him. She¡¯s of my age. Andrew became my stepfather. I prepared myself to adjust to a new environment and I also epted my new family but I guess they didn¡¯t because one day out of nowhere Mr. Smith stopped me from going to a family gathering saying that it¡¯s for family only. I looked at my mother but she refused to look at me, to give me any kind of exnation. That day I cried remembering my father and no one was there to console me. That day I became¡­alone.¡± Her voice was full of pain. She wiped her face, she must be crying.


    ¡°Anyway, I epted that too, I epted that I was not weed in that family. Mr. Smith used to curse me while paying for my school fee because for him it was like wasting his money. I became a burden for Mr. Smith, so, to reduce their burden I started working part-time. When I entered high school I was on my own, I worked in a cafe shop, automobile shop, and wherever I got a chance of working to pay for my expenses. I always used public transport to travel. I never sat in any of his cars because I wasn¡¯t allowed to.¡± I clenched my jaw, I was angry at myself for misjudging her. I made her use public transport because I was a fool and thought she was a brat.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why but Scarlet hated me. She started ming me for the things I never did and as a punishment, Mr. Smith used to cut my food. He started pping me if he heardints about me and my mother¡­ she said he¡¯s my father and fathers do punish their children if they do something wrong. But I never did anything wrong, she never understood, she never listened. I wasn¡¯t allowed to be seen with them, not allowed to go to any party, not even allowed to tell anyone that I belong to Smith¡¯s family.¡±


    ¡°I thought going out of there was the only way to find freedom, so I studied hard and earned the schrship in a college in Chicago. I was so happy, I thought my time hade and I¡¯d be free and live the way I wanted but to my dismay, Mr. Smith didn¡¯t allow me to live in a dorm or campus hostel, he sent me to live with his brother Baron Smith and his family in Chicago and that¡¯s when I lost all my hopes, I never knew going there will give me the worst scars of my life.¡± She couldn¡¯t control herself and cried harder hiding her face in my shoulder.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°They traumatized me, they broke me, they broke my hopes.¡± She cried. I embraced in a tight hug to console her.


    ¡°What happened there, Ari? What they did?¡± I asked. My heartbeat started picking up the pace. I was scared of listening further but I had to. She pulled away and looked at herp, still crying. She stopped crying and inhaled sharply, she opened her mouth to speak but no words came out.


    ¡°Goodness, this is so tough. I never thought that talking about myself will be so tough.¡± She groaned and wiped her tears furiously.


    ¡°Hey hey, take your time. No one is forcing you.¡± I said, brushing back the strands of hair masking her face.


    ¡°This is so painful. Please give me strength so that I can tell you.¡± Her tears fell again. I pulled her on myp. I kissed her hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m here, always will be; to give you support, strength, and courage you need.¡± I cooed to soothe her pain. She rested her head on my shoulder again and I tightened my hold around her waist.


    ¡°Baron, Mr. Smith¡¯s brother lived with his wife Chloe and their son Nics who was a year older than me. When I went there, then only I got to know that they needed a free maid that¡¯s why I was sent there.  And they all were drug addicts. Baron was losing his business because of his gambling habit. They used to fight all the time, they used to shout and curse at each other. I was forced to cook for them, wash their clothes, and do the cleaning. I epted my fate and did all the work I was asked to otherwise they would curse me. I managed my time to study and to do the house chores. One day, aunt Chloe ran away from the house and never came back. I was left alone with those two.¡± She paused and after a few seconds, she continued.


    ¡°They became aggressive, they sta.. started hitting me if the food was served on time. They used everything that came in their hand to hit me. Most of the time Baron used the belt to hit me. I used to cry but my cries were unheard. Nics was in the same college as mine, he never allowed me talk to anyone, never let me make friends because he was afraid that I¡¯ll tell everything about them to someone. One day, I came backte from college because I had toplete an assignment. That day Baron said vile words to me, s.. slut-shamed me and he hit me until I was unconscious and Nicsughed looking at the scene.¡±


    ¡°What?! I¡¯ll kill that fucking bastard.¡± I cursed. How dare they do that to her! Her tears were never stopped. I was seeing red and one thing was still bugging me.. if she was¡­


    ¡°Did they to.. touch you inappropriately?¡± I stuttered. Her hand fell on the side like she lost all her strength. Fear crept inside me. They fucking did something with her.


    ¡°Ari, please tell me.¡± I pleaded.


    ¡°Baron used to say that Mr. Smith forbid him from doing anything in¡­inappropriate with me but it didn¡¯t stop him from¡­ touching me. Nics too touched me whenever he got a chance.¡± She cried even harder. I clenched my hands in a fist.


    ¡°My dignity was saved but I was tormented, was left to live in agony. I c.. called my mom but she never listened¡­ never¡­ never¡­never. What did I do to deserve all this? Why I was left alone? Why no one heard my cries, my pain? Why no one ever listened to me? Why everyone gave me pain! Why did they give me scars? Why? Why I was treated like trash?¡± Her cries became louder. She cried, burying her face in the crook of my neck.


    I couldn¡¯t hold more and my tears fell too. My Ari had always been alone. She had gone through a lot. No one deserves this, no one deserves to be treated like trash.


    ¡°Xavier please stop my tears. I can¡¯t control them. Please do something.¡± She huped. I pressed her head in my neck and stroked her hair.


    ¡°Today I won¡¯t stop you, Ari. Cry your heart out, let it all out because this will be thest time you¡¯ll be crying out of pain, this is thest time you¡¯ll be remembering your past.¡± I mumbled and she cried her heart out, clutching my shirt cors.


    That¡¯s why she¡¯s so conserved, so diffident. That¡¯s why she hates being in the crowd because she¡¯s scared that someone could.. touch her. Fear has made it¡¯s home in her heart. She lost herself because of them but now it¡¯s enough. She had endured enough, now they will pay for doing this to her. I¡¯ll make sure of it.


    And I¡¯ll give her everything she was deprived of. I¡¯ll bring her confidence back, I¡¯ll make her so much capable that people will think twice before trash talking about her.


    ¡°My mother never loved me. I never received the love of a mother, she gave all of it to Scarlet. They gave me emotional and physical pain. It hurt so much, still hurts. They gave me scars that are hard to be healed.¡± She mumbled in a defeated voice.


    I made her look at me by cupping her face.


    ¡°I¡¯ll heal your every scar and I promise you that I¡¯ll give you everything, I¡¯ll give so much love that you¡¯ll never remember your past again. I promise you.¡± I kissed her eyelids and forehead.


    ¡°Thank you for listening to me. I kept it all in my heart, it was killing me from inside. Now I feel relieved. Thank you for being with me. I love you so much, Xavier.¡± She said looking into my eyes.


    ¡°I love you too.¡±


    ¡°Ari¡­can I see the scars?¡± I asked. I only saw a glimpse of them in the hospital but I wanted to see them now, all of them. I wanted her to trust me on this too. I wanted to take her pain away from her. I wanted to show her how much I love her.


    I hope this time she¡¯ll let me.

 57

    Ariana


    ¡°Ari.. Can I see the scars?¡± He asked with pleading eyes.


    He must have thought I would say no. But now is the time for me to take this step a d he has all the right to see those because he is the only person I have ever opened up to.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    With that, I stood up and went into the room. I stepped out of the closet wearing a bathrobe and there he was, standing in the room with his back towards me. Closing my eyes, I inhaled and exhaled a few times to muster up the courage. I have to do this. This is now or never.


    ¡°Xavier,¡± I said a little above whisper. I knew he heard it because he immediately turned towards me and our eyes met.


    I was hesitant but his eyes, his look gave me the courage to take a step. But still, doubt was there inside me. I waved off my doubt and opened the knot of my bathrobe, looking straight into his eyes, his eyes were only on my face as if he was reading my face for any fear, but I threw all my fears out of the window because I knew he was here for me to give me strength, to protect me, to console me, to take away my pain.


    Closing my eyes, I slid the robe off my body, and there, I stood wearing only my undergarments. My heart was beating fast, I was embarrassed about my body. I didn¡¯t care if he said that I looked ugly, I just cared that he was the only one who¡¯s going to see me like this.


    He didn¡¯t say anything. I just heard his footsteps which were approaching me. My heart was thumping loudly, I flinched a little and immediately opened my eyes when I felt his fingers on the marks, on my stomach. He was examining the marks by touching them, his touch sent warmth in my body. I could feel the muscles of my stomach moving with every brush of his fingers.


    He still didn¡¯t say anything and went around me to see marks on my back and felt the marks there. He came in front again and sliding down on his knees, he kissed the scars on my stomach. The weight which was drowning me in my sad past automatically lifted and tears started pouring out of my eyes. A sob left my throat, he immediately stood up and embraced me in a tight hug.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry Ari, these scars show your strength, your courage that you never gave up on your precious life while you were experiencing the most horrible moments of your life. Don¡¯t waste your tears on those who don¡¯t deserve these. You¡¯re not alone anymore, I am here with you. I¡¯ll take away all your pain, your agony. I just need your permission to do so. Will you allow me to give you the happiness you deserve? Will you allow me to get rid of your awful memories?¡± He asked cupping my face with his palm, he was looking directly into my eyes with love.


    No one ever understood me and no one has ever consoled me like the way he¡¯s doing. And there¡¯s no doubt that only he can do this miracle, only he can free me from those memories.


    ¡°Yes¡± I whispered and next thing I know, his lips were on mine, kissing me hungrily, it was a promising kiss as if promising me that he¡¯ll act as a shield against every pain that wille near me.


    Without breaking the kiss, he scooped me in his arms and deposited me on the bed. Hovering over me, he kissed me like never before. He ran his hands on the side of my body, sliding them under my body he unsped the hooks of my bra. Breaking the kiss, he looked into my eyes. My breathing was ragged and my mind was hazy.


    ¡°Xavier, I don¡¯t know how to¡­¡± I felt embarrassed and couldn¡¯tplete my sentence.


    ¡°Shh¡­ I¡¯ll teach you. Just trust me. Okay?¡± I nodded my head and without breaking eye contact he removed my bra. Then only, he looked down to my exposed upper, I felt shy and closed my eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful Ari. Perfect in all senses.¡± His husky voice shot tingles in my body. I gasped out loud when he took my erect peak in his mouth. It made me feel so hot. I clutched his hair in a tight grip which made him groan. I moaned in anticipation, I didn¡¯t know what was happening inside my body, it was beyond expectations. After giving all of his attention to my breast, he trailed feather kisses down to my stomach.


    ¡°Xa.. Xavier, what are you doing?¡± I asked hastily when I felt his warm lips on my womanhood. My face must be red because I felt the heat on my cheeks.


    ¡°Just feel it.¡± He whispered and slid down my panties. And Iy there naked and embarrassed. I closed my legs tightly in embarrassment and turning my face, I rested my cheek on the bed. I closed my eyes tightly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. You¡¯re breathtakingly beautiful Ariana, you don¡¯t have to be embarrassed, it¡¯s just me a d will always be me looking at this masterpiece body of yours.¡± He said, turning my face towards him with his fingers under my chin.


    ¡°Open your eyes, Ari.¡± And as of habit, I clutched them more tightly.


    ¡°Have you forgotten what I¡¯ll do when you close your eyes instead of opening them when asked?¡± He said huskily but yfully. I opened my eyes slowly to see him looking at me. Desire, lust a. d anticipation was evident in his eyes.


    ¡°This feels dirty.¡± I whispered shyly.


    ¡°This won¡¯t happen without being dirty.¡± He replied immediately with a chuckle. I wanted to hide my face somewhere because his reply made me shocked, stunned, and red-faced.


    ¡°Keep your eyes on me. I want you to watch me pleasuring you. Get that?¡± He ordered with urgency in his voice. Saying that he went down on me and spreading my legs, he kissed my inner thigh. My body shuddered in anticipation of what will happen next. I was new at it, I didn¡¯t know what to do, what to think.


    I gasped out loud clutching the bedsheet on my side when I felt the stroke of his tongue on my feminine part. My upper body arched and raised from the bed involuntarily. I shivered and a loud moan escaped my lips. He increased the pressure of his tongue hungrily down there like he was hungry for ages.


    This intimacy was making me so hot, It felt like fire was burning inside me. I was pooling in unexinable desire. I moaned and he groaned as he pushed further into my core. I was breathing heavily.


    ¡°Please.. please Xavier.¡± I don¡¯t know what was I pleading for but my body and mind were asking for it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you. All of it.¡± He chanted huskily. Something started building up my body, like a ball of fire that was nearing to explode. I was twisting and turning my upper body because my lower body was pressed in bed by Xavier¡¯s grip.


    ¡°Xav.. Xavier.. I.. c.. can¡¯t¡± I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, I needed to let it out. I don¡¯t know what was it but it needed toe out of my body. It was killing my senses, my thinking capability, my vision was getting blurred. He continued devouring me as if he didn¡¯t hear my pleadings.


    ¡°Xavier..¡± I whimpered, it was getting too much.


    ¡°Let it go.¡± As if just his permission was needed, It went out like an explosion. I cried his name and tears fell from my eyes. The satisfaction was unquestionable but I felt drained. I closed my eyes in order to bring myself down from the height I reached.


    ¡°What was that,¡± I whispered looking at him with half hooded eyes.


    ¡°That.. my love was your first orgasm.¡± He said and kissed my lips. Removing his body from mine, he took off his shirt, unfasten his trousers; he stood there in all his naked glory which made me even shyer. I had never seen a man naked in my whole life. I averted my eyes and I heard a wrapper being torn.


    Hovering over me again he kissed below my ear.


    ¡°I wanted to do this for so long.¡± He whispered huskily, fanning his warm breath on my neck.


    He kissed my lips and looked at me. ¡°Ari, this is going to hurt a little but trust me it¡¯ll fade away quickly and will give you pleasure.¡± He assured me.


    He entered into me which made me shriek in pain. My nails dug in his back in response. Tears poured out of my eyes. Resisting his movement, he braced himself on his forearms and kissed away my tears.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Ari, I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯ll be okay soon, look at me, I¡¯ll take your pain away.¡± He whispered, showering feather kisses on my face. I looked at him to find the strength to handle this, he moved his fingers in my hair to soothe me. His face was showing pain too but he was focused on erasing my pain.


    Goodness, I Love this man. He¡¯s the most amazing person I have ever met.


    I pulled him closer and kissed his lips to assure him that I was okay. Taking it as a cue he started moving. Initially, his strokes were painfully slow which made me a mess of need.


    ¡°Xavier..¡± I cried in need. My body was no more in my control.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get it, Ari, you¡¯ll get it. Let me feel you first. Let me treasure you.¡± He whispered moving more slowly. He was controlling my body the way he wanted because my body was giving in to him, to his every move like he hypnotized it.


    After I don¡¯t know after how many torturing minutes he picked up his pace and started thrusting like a mad man, groaning and grunting. I was a moaning mess, I was chanting his name like a prayer.


    ¡°Yes just like that, call my name. I¡¯ll make love to you until my name is imprinted in your mind and soul. I want to remove every trace of past from inside you.¡± He whispered hoarsely moving at a high pace. I whimpered, shivered, and cried.


    ¡°You have to remember just me, no one else because you¡¯re mine. Mine.¡± He said and kissed me roughly yet sensually drinking all my moans. Our body moved in rhythm like it was meant to be.


    ¡°You feel like heaven. You feel so good.¡± He moaned. He worshipped every inch of my body, gave me intense pleasure. It was euphoric, amazing, and thrilling. It was all worth it.


    ¡°Xavier,¡± I screamed when I experienced another release of fire. My vision blurred and my body trembled furiously. He stroked for some more time and then stilled inside me.


    Slumping onto me he buried his head in the crook of my neck. I was exhausted, I didn¡¯t have strength left in my body. None of us made a single move, no one spoke for long, only our heavy breathing was heard in the room.


    ¡°I love you.¡± He said, kissing my forehead he looked at me, the way all women want to be looked at by a man. He looked at me with the utmost respect.


    ¡°I love you too.¡± I smiled with teary eyes.


    ¡°Hey, hey, why are you crying? Did I hurt you?¡± He asked worriedly, wiping my tears.


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t. These are happy tears. I feel soplete. I¡¯m happy that it¡¯s you.¡± I gave him a reassuring smile.


    ¡°And it will always be me till ourst breath. And for me, it¡¯ll be only you because you¡¯re the only woman I want. You¡¯re the only one I want to love, to hold in happiness, and when times get tough. All my good days and bad days, I want to experience it with you. Not just your body, I want all of you. And I swear to you, I have never been so sure about someone in my entire life like I¡¯m for you.¡±His sweet words made me more emotional than I was. Pulling him closer, I pressed my lips on his forehead.


    ¡°You¡¯re the best.¡± I whispered.


    ¡°I never knew that a simple forehead kiss could do wonders to me.¡± He smiled in satisfaction.


    ¡°Like the way yours does to me,¡± I whispered back.


    Xavier Knight


    I admired the beauty sleeping peacefully on my chest. Her arms were possessively circling my torso. I exhausted her to the highest level but I couldn¡¯t help it, she felt so good, I couldn¡¯t get enough of her.


    I made love to her three times, I wanted more but she was worn out. All I wanted from her was that she forget everything and everyone else than me.


    Having Ariana in my arms.. naked¡­ felt surreal. I waited impatiently for this to happen and now that it had happened, I feel content. Her body felt so soft against mine, the way she molded into me, the way she chanted my name darkened my desires. The feel of being inside her was magical and hypnotizing.


    She satisfied me to the core making me addicted to her body. I hope I satisfied her. Well, her nail marks on my back give the images of her satisfaction. Her digging of nails didn¡¯t give me pain but pleasure.


    She awakened the desires in me that are never going to drown. Her every moan heightened my lust for her. The warmth that I felt was indescribable. I worshipped every inch of her body the way she deserves.


    The intimacy I shared with her was so pure and out of this world. I made her mine in every sense. Her exquisite body is just for me. She¡¯s my personal treasure to cherish. I¡¯m not ever going to recover from this intimacy.


    I used protection because I didn¡¯t want to scare her. She¡¯s still fragile fighting with her past. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want babies with her, it¡¯s only her with whom I want everything. I just don¡¯t want to force anything on her, I want her to be free, I want her to feel every moment of bliss till we mutually decide to have babies.


    I kissed her hair and tightened my grip around her waist. I trained my gaze at her sleeping form without blinking, not wanting to forget any moment. I want to keep this moment of our first time locked in a secure ce of my heart and mind.

 58

    Ariana Knight


    Waking up I found myself entangled with Xavier. My head rested on his shoulder, arms wrapped around his torso & legs intertwined with his. His arms were also wrapped around me possessively.


    A sudden blush crept on my cheeks when I nced at my naked form. The things that happenedst night came shing in front of my eyes. Xavier was sleeping peacefully like a baby. I tried to untangle myself from him but he tugged me closer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stir, I want to sleep more.¡± He mumbled sleepily but I was blushing profusely, I needed to wear clothes. I again wiggled but in no second I found myself on my back with Xavier on top of me.


    ¡°You¡¯re really stubborn, aren¡¯t you?¡± His morning voice sounds so sexy. Goodness, what am I thinking?


    ¡°Instead of thinking you can directly call me sexy.¡± He opened his eyes & gave me a devious smile. The blush deepened on my cheeks. How does he manage to listen to my thoughts?


    ¡°Well, Good morning Mrs. Knight.¡± He said and kissed my lips. It was the first time I was being called by that name and I would be lying if I say that I don¡¯t like the feel of it.


    ¡°I wanted to call you this for so long.¡± He whispered, rubbing his nose with mine.


    ¡°Good morning to you too. Xavier can you¡­can you please get aside? I have to.. we¡­wear clothes.¡± I said shyly.


    ¡°But I like the way you are, naked in my arms.¡± He eximed without hesitation. My eyes went wide hearing him.


    ¡°How can you be so shameless?¡± I voiced out but immediately covered my mouth with my hand. Smirking, he removed my hand from my mouth.


    ¡°You didn¡¯tinst night, why now?¡± He cocked his eyebrow.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have work to attend?¡± I asked, changing the topic.


    ¡°Oh yes, I have, I have to be on duty of my wife. I have to pleasure her.¡± He said in the most innocent way. I hit his chest yfully.


    ¡°I never asked for it.¡± I was a heap of embarrassment.


    ¡°But like a good husband, it¡¯s my duty to please you without even asking for it.¡± I pushed him away with all my strength, heughed out loud and sat up, the nket was covering his glory. I tried to sit up but winced when I felt pain down there.


    ¡°Hey don¡¯t jerk your body, you must be sore.¡± He said with concern. I sat there lowering my head, clutching the nket on my chest. I indeed was sore.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s take a warm bath.¡± He said and tried to snatch the nket from me. I gasped on his action and his words. I clutched the nket more tightly, jerking my body back.


    ¡°Why are you hiding from me? I saw everythingst night, remember?¡± He wiggled his eyebrows, shing a yful smile.


    ¡°Goodness, Xavier you¡¯re incorrigible. And.. that.. that happened in n.. night. It¡¯s daytime.¡± I stuttered, looking everywhere but him.


    ¡°So what? And you know what? The view in daylight is more clear.¡± He said bringing his face closer to mine.


    ¡°You¡¯re really shameless.¡± I rebuked.


    ¡°For you, I am. And I¡¯ll make you shameless too.¡± He said and snatched the nket away from my body and from him. Squealing, I covered my body with my hands and closed my eyes.


    ¡°Hey, I failed to see thisst night. You have a birthmark below your right breast. See I told you daylight gives the clear vision.¡± Heughed.


    ¡°Xavier¡± I rebuked with my eyes closed. I was blushing hard.


    ¡°What? You can check my body too, I won¡¯tin. Look at me.¡± He said yfully, trying to open my eyes with his index finger and thumb but I refused to open them.


    ¡°Shy looking at me here? Then you can check me out in the bathroom during our bath.¡± Saying that he scooped me in his arms.


    ¡°Xavier we can¡¯t bathe together.¡± I chided.


    ¡°Oh, we will.¡±


    Ignoring all my protests he took me inside the bathroom and there he did all his sweet touchers on me, showed me different ways of making love without being in thefort of a bed. I was sore but Xavier made sure to fade away that too. We dipped ourselves in aforting warm bath after our intense lovemaking.


    After almost three hours of being in the bathroom, I stood in front of the mirror in the walk-in closet, in my bathrobe looking at myself. I opened the knot of a bathrobe to wear my clothes but as soon as I opened the knot, my eyesnded on scars. Those scars again made me emotional. My heart again felt so heavy.


    ¡°What is my beautiful wife looking at?¡± Xavier hugged me from behind, nuzzling his face in my neck.


    ¡°Why do you call me beautiful?¡± I asked with a heavy heart.


    ¡°Because you are.¡± He mumbled, kissing my neck.


    ¡°But this mirror says otherwise,¡± I whispered. His lips stopped moving. He turned me to face him and cupped my face.


    ¡°Then make me your mirror, see yourself in my eyes because I don¡¯t see any ugly scars. I see a strong & beautiful woman who never gave up & moved forward amidst the difficulties. Your ws make you beautiful. Never ever consider yourself ugly. Get that?¡±


    ¡°You really have a way with your words. You know how to light up someone¡¯s mood.¡± I smiled looking at him.


    ¡°Learnt it from you.¡± He winked, making meugh.


    ¡°I wish I had confidence like you,¡± I said out of nowhere. It just came in my mind instantly.


    ¡°You have it. It¡¯s just hidden somewhere inside which you have to bring out. I¡¯ll help you with that.¡± He replied, brushing his thumb on my cheek.


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ First I¡¯ll make you confident about your own body. You should always feel positive about your body. I¡¯ll start by giving a change to your wardrobe. Honestly, I don¡¯t have any problem with the way you dress but in order for you to trust your body features a little twist in your wardrobe is needed.¡± He said and started rummaging through his clothes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with this.¡± He picked up his hoodie and showed it to me. I looked at him questioningly.


    ¡°You have to wear this and for that, your bathrobe has toe off.¡± He pealed the bathrobe away.


    ¡°I would have done it by myself.¡± I rebuked.


    ¡°Where¡¯s fun in that? Now raise your hands.¡± Before I could raise them he did it for me and slipped his hoodie on me. It was loose and reached just above my mid-thigh.


    ¡°Perfect.¡± He eximed, scanning me from head to toe.


    ¡°When we¡¯re alone, you¡¯ll wear my hoodies or shirts or yours. Or you can wear any short dress of yours. Well, I would prefer you not to wear anything but it is just the start so, I¡¯ll settle with this for now.¡± He snaked his arm around my shoulder.


    ¡°Umm.. no jeans or pants?¡± I asked blushing and shifting on my feet.


    ¡°Nope.¡± He said and nuzzled his face in my neck.


    ¡°Your legs are smoking hot.¡± He mumbled, trailing his hand on my thighs making a tickling sensation to start in my body. Slowly he trailed his hands under the hoodie and goes up.


    ¡°Xavier what are you doing? Leave.¡± I blushed.


    ¡°You¡¯re so tempting. I can¡¯t resist myself from touching you, making love to you.¡± He whispered huskily. I pushed him away but stood there, holding me.


    ¡°We.. we can¡¯t do that. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m hungry.¡± I stuttered looking everywhere but him.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re hungry for me. I¡¯m hungry for you too.¡± He smirked, wiggling his eyebrows.


    ¡°You must learn to control your tongue,¡± I said in disbelief.


    ¡°My tongue lose control when ites to you.¡± He winked. I blushed hard and mentally scolded myself for the choice of my words.


    We had our breakfast which I prepared in the presence of Xavier. He didn¡¯t leave my side even for a second. It was hard to concentrate on cooking as he was acting all touchy-touchy.


    After having breakfast he made me sit on the kitchen counter and stood in between my legs. He started kissing and nibbling my earlobe. His hands were traveling above from under the hoodie.


    ¡°Is this why you made me wear your hoodie so that you can touch me?¡± I questioned trying to swat his hands away. He stopped his sweet toucher on my ear and looked at me.


    ¡°You understood it now? You are a dense student. But I¡¯m a smart teacher, I¡¯ll make you smart too. I won¡¯t let my efforts go in vain.¡± He smiled toothily, pulling me closer to him.


    ¡°On a serious note, mom and dad invited us for dinner tonight.¡± He said, tucking loose strands of my hair behind my ear.


    I froze in my ce which he sensed so cupping my chin he made look at him. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Umm.. nothing¡­ it¡¯s just..¡±


    ¡°Ari, my parents love you. They adore you more than they ever adored me.¡± He chuckled. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to think negative about.¡± He said softly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not thinking anything negative and I know they love me, they are very sweet and loving. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m nervous.¡± I said fidgeting my fingers.


    ¡°Nervous? Why? You have already met them.¡±


    ¡°I know but this will be the first time I¡¯ll be meeting them officially. You getting me?¡± I asked.  I have met them but we only had short talks and this time it¡¯s dinner, that too in Knight¡¯s mansion. It means it will be the first official meeting and there will be a lot of talks. What if they ask me a question which I¡¯ll be unable to answer. He sighed and kissed my cheek.


    ¡°I¡¯m totally getting you but you really don¡¯t have to be nervous about anything. They see you as their daughter, not as my wife so there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±


    My eyes started to prickle up with tears.


    I was sitting on the couch beside Xavier in the living room of Knight¡¯s mansion with Mr. And Mrs. Knight. The revtion of Mr. And Mrs. Knight moistened my eyes.


    I thought I was being paranoid while walking in the streets but I never knew I was being protected by my guarding angels. They always had their eyes on me. I was never alone.


    And thatptop which I badly needed at that time was given by none other than Mr. And Mrs. Knight. I can¡¯t be more thankful to them. They were supporting me at every step.


    ¡°We were present at your graduation ceremony to watch you graduating.¡±


    And that¡¯s when tears ran down my face. I stood up and hugged Mrs. Knight tightly. I cried on her shoulder.


    ¡°Thank you.. thank you for everything you did for me. Today I realized that I was never alone.¡± A sob escaped my throat. She patted my back and stroked my hair in a motherly manner. I wish I had received this love when I needed the most.


    ¡°We promised your father that we¡¯ll never leave you alone. But we¡¯re sorry we couldn¡¯te in front of you. We had to do it from far.¡± She mumbled in a sad tone.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°And there¡¯s one more thing we both regret.¡± It was Mr. Knight who spoke. I faced him to see he had sad expressions on his face. ¡°We¡¯re sorry dear. Although we did our best to protect you, still, we failed. We protected you from physical harm but we never knew those Smith¡¯s were mentally torturing you. We still don¡¯t know what exactly they did to you. We couldn¡¯t keep our promise we made to your father.¡±


    My eyes moved to Xavier who was looking at me. He shook his head in a slow manner which only I noticed. I smiled with teary eyes and mouthed ¡®thank you¡¯ to him. He nodded, giving me an encouraging smile.


    I understood that he didn¡¯t tell his parents about the scars for which I¡¯m thankful to him otherwise they would have been devastated.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be sorry for anything. You never broke your promise, you did your best to protect me. It was not in your hand to control what was going on inside that house. But you never left me alone, I¡¯m more thankful for that. And about what happened in the past, it is past. I¡¯m learning to forget. You should also forget what happened in the past.¡± I said, approaching Mr. Knight.


    He smiled and gave me a fatherly hug. ¡°You really are an angel. We¡¯re happy that whatever happened, you never lost your hope. You¡¯re very strong Ariana.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really, really thankful to both of you Mr. And Mrs. Knight,¡± I said truthfully.


    ¡°Ohe on, call us mom and dad already. We¡¯re dying to hear it from you.¡± Mrs. Knight huffed yfully. I smiled and gave both of them a bear hug.


    ¡°Thank you, mom. Thank you, dad.¡± It feels good to call them my parents. They truly proved themselves that they are the sweetest parents in the world.


    ¡°That¡¯s more like our daughter.¡± They both patted my back.


    ¡°I feel left out. Come on, I need a hug too. I¡¯m also your son remember? I too belong in this family.¡±


    We allughed at Xavier¡¯s exasperated breakout and weed him in our family embrace.


    Xavier Knight


    ¡°You two make a very cute couple.¡± Mom gushed, pping her hands.


    ¡°Xavier make us grandparents already,¡± Dad whined making meugh and Ariana blushed even more.


    ¡°Soon dad, soon. Right now I just want to spend more alone time with my wife. I want to have all her attention because if baby arrives early, my wife will forget her big baby and will give all of her attention to our little munchkin.¡± I said and received a nudge in my stomach from Ariana.


    She was blushing profusely and was trying to hide her face. We allughed at her cute reaction.


    ¡°That¡¯s all right, we totally agree that you two need some alone time.¡± Mom smiled.


    ¡°But Xavier, at least take thepany and free this old man from responsibilities.¡± Dad looked at me.


    He has been persuading for long to be the heir of the business he built but I always refused. I think now I should take responsibility as my father needs retirement. He too has the right to live without any load. He has done enough for us now I should free him from his responsibilities.


    ¡°Okay, dad I will.¡± I smiled. His eyes lit up, he came to me and hugged me tightly.


    ¡°Finally, now I too will be able to give my alone time your mother.¡±


    ¡°Rupert.¡± Mom chastised. Iughed out loud.


    ¡°Dad, I need to talk to you in private.¡± I have something I wanted to discuss with him.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s give your mother and wife some privacy,¡± Dad said, and leaving those two in the living room we went to my Dad¡¯s study.


    There, I told him everything Ariana has done for thepany, how she hacked Chris¡¯swork, and ours too at the same time.


    ¡°She really did that?¡± He gasped.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Iughed at his reaction.


    ¡°Goodness, she is really talented. I never knew this. I¡¯m really proud of her.¡± He smiled proudly.


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    ¡°Dad, I have something more to tell you. Actually, I¡¯m thinking to give Ariana her own identity. She deserves more than just being called my wife. She¡¯s talented and I don¡¯t want her to waste it. I want her to make a big name.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good. Have you nned anything?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Actually yes.¡±


    ¡°Tell me.¡±


    I was hesitant first but I told him what I was nning. I didn¡¯t know how he¡¯ll react but what I was nning needs his agreement too.


    After a few minutes of being in deep thought, he spoke. ¡°After what you told me about Ariana, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s a master in her field.¡± He tapped his fingers on the desk. Then he stood up came to me. I was sitting on a chair opposite to him.


    ¡°I think.¡± He squeezed my shoulder lightly. ¡°What you have nned is.. great.¡± He smiled.


    ¡°Really?¡± I stood up in excitement.


    ¡°Yes son, I trust your decisions. You have my full support. And if she stumbles at any step, you and I are here to give her support.¡±


    ¡°Goodness, thank you, dad. You¡¯re the best.¡± I hugged him.


    ¡°You¡¯re the best, my son. I always knew we raised you well. And your decision puffed my chest with proudness. You proved that you¡¯re real Knight.. understanding, loving, caring, and helpful.¡± He patted my back with happiness.


    ¡°When are you nning to do this?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Very soon.¡±

 59

    Ariana


    ¡°No. I c.. can¡¯t..¡±


    We were back to our home from Knight¡¯s mansion. We were about to go to bed to sleep when Xavier told me something which he wanted me to do. And that¡¯s a very big deal for me to handle.


    I was pacing back and forth in the room. Xavier came up to me and stopped me by gripping my elbow. ¡°First, stop pacing around. And second, tell me why not?¡±


    ¡°Xavier, the thing you¡¯re asking me to do is not small. It¡¯s huge.¡± I stretched my arms to show him how huge it was. ¡°I¡¯m happy with what I¡¯m doing. I¡¯m happy the way I am. I have always done jobs which could hide me behind before I started working for you and I¡¯m still learning to work in that environment and instantly you want me to do that?¡± I said in one breath, in a panicked voice.


    ¡°Yes, you are still learning and will always learn. The thing is I don¡¯t want you to waste your talent working in obscurity. I want you toe in front, show the world what you can do so that the world can praise you for your work.¡± He said in a calm voice, holding me by my shoulders.


    ¡°Why me?¡± I asked in a drained voice.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re born to conquer. And this is something for which I can trust only you.¡± He gave me an encouraging smile.


    ¡°What if I make some unforgivable mistake? What if I won¡¯t be able to take any decision? What if no one epts me in that? I don¡¯t know anything about it. What if I let you down?¡± I asked, turning around from him. I was feeling anxious. He sighed audibly and again came in front of me.


    ¡°You. Can. Do. Anything. You. Want.¡± He cupped my face. ¡°If you can be the best P. A without having knowledge about it; if you can work in Cyber Crime Branch; if you can save the biggestpany in the world from theft, then you can do anything. Just believe in yourself.¡±


    His words gave me little strength but I was still in doubt.


    ¡°Don¡¯t doubt your worth, Ari. And if you¡¯re thinking about how you¡¯ll do it then let me remind you, I will always be there for you, I have your back. I¡¯ll teach you everything about it. And not only me, dad, Sean, and Daniel will also help you with this. We will never let you fall. We all want you to rise high.¡±


    I was looking in eyes throughout. The confidence that he has in me was visible in his eyes and face. He believed in me when I myself didn¡¯t. His confidence stated that he knows me more than I know myself. How can I not love this man?  He¡¯s not like men who never want women to step up and rise. He wants me to walk with him, not behind him. He has done and still doing everything he can, to bring out best in me. And I know he will always be there for me to catch me before I fall.


    How can I not ept what he wants me to do? How can I say no to him when he believes in me? I don¡¯t have guts to say no to him. His trust in me is so much that he¡¯s giving me this huge responsibility. I can¡¯t break his trust.


    ¡°Okay. I will do it.¡± I said with determination. ¡°And I¡¯ll try my best not to let your trust fade away on me.¡±


    He smiled and kissed my lips lightly and then my forehead. ¡°I know you¡¯ll never let that happen.¡±


    ¡°This is the first step you took towards gaining confidence. I¡¯m very proud of you.¡± I smiled at him.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s final. I¡¯ll proudly announce to the world that you¡¯re my wife on the day my father passes hispany to me because it will be a huge press conference. And that is the best stage to reveal the secret. And on that day only I¡¯ll announce what I have nned for you.¡± He said cheerfully.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see everyone¡¯s reaction.¡± He said excitedly which made meugh.


    ¡°When is the press conference?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Next week.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too close.¡± I gasped.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll prepare you for your big day.¡± He winked.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Xavier can I invite my friends.. you know Lauren, Mrs. Miller, and¡­¡± He cut me off and said.


    ¡°You can invite who so ever you want. That¡¯s going to be your day, n it as you want.¡± He assured.


    ¡°Ari..¡± He looked at me hesitantly.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Er.. do you.. umm¡­do you want to invite your mother, Scarlet, and Andrew?¡± He asked hesitantly.


    ¡°Will I be a bad daughter if I say that I don¡¯t want them there?¡± I asked to which he shook his head.


    ¡°Then I don¡¯t want them there. They¡¯re the people who are a huge part of my life but¡­. They¡¯re not my well-wishers, they never wanted me to earn my own name. They were never happy in any achievement. My own mother was never there for me in bad and now I don¡¯t want her in my good.¡± I stated with heavy heart, tears were threatening to fall but I blinked them away.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy that our parents will be there to support us. Sean and Daniel will be there. My friends will be there. That¡¯s enough for me.¡±


    Xavier hugged me and kissed my head repeatedly then looked in my eyes.


    ¡°I too don¡¯t want them there. I don¡¯t want them to ruin your mood.¡± He huffed ¡°Forget about them. Let them know through the media. Let them experience the shock of their life.¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°And I love it when you call my parents, our parents.¡± He hugged me again.


    ¡°Because they are,¡± I mumbled, burying my face in his chest.


    From that day on, Xavier started doing whatever he could do to boost my confidence. He did slight changes in my wardrobe. The clothes weren¡¯t at all revealing but had a different touch like off-shoulder/one shoulder shirts, pencil skirt, dresses which reach my knees, and so on.


    He even arranged many IT department meetings and most of the time it was me who he asked to give presentations. I was hesitant the first day but as the days go by it became my habit to speak in front of people without hesitation.


    Xavier, Sean, and Daniel trained me on how to give orders. Including mom and dad, they all started helping me to face my insecurities.


    And I was almost ready to face the world.


    A weekter¡­


    The day came when my life was going to take a 180-degree turn. I would no more be Ariana I used to be. Today, the world wille to know about my existence. Today, I¡¯ll be given the biggest responsibility that I have ever handled.


    So, to wee the change, I was standing at the backstage of the press conference hall with mom. Xavier and dad were discussing something in the front stage.


    Though I have been learning topose myself sincest week. Still, right now I was getting nervous. I was showing that I was calm but only I knew what I was feeling from inside.


    ¡°Dear, your hands are sweating. You¡¯re worrying too much. Don¡¯t do that.¡± I looked at my hand which mom was holding. I immediately pulled my hand away and wiped them with my dress.


    ¡°I¡¯m not doing it intentionally, It¡¯s happening on its own,¡± I said.


    ¡°Should I call Xavi?¡± She asked, looking at me in worry.


    ¡°No!¡± I replied immediately. ¡°If he gets to know this, he¡¯ll not leave me for even a second.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± She chuckled. ¡°But please try to calm down. Okay? Everything¡¯s gonna be alright.¡± She patted my cheek.


    ¡°Hey, Princess.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Ariana.¡±


    ¡°Where were you two? I have been waiting for you for so long. Were you nning to skip the event?¡± I red at Daniel and Sean.


    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t dare. Anyway, you look gorgeous, Princess.¡± Daniel smiled widely and kissed my forehead.


    I was wearing a white one-shoulder knee-length dress with T-strap heels in my feet. Xavier chose the outfit for me.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I smiled.


    ¡°Ready for everything?¡± Sean asked.


    ¡°I guess?¡± I hugged him. He kissed my forehead.


    ¡°We¡¯re always with you.¡± He whispered, patting my back.


    ¡°Mom, Sean, Daniel, I think you all should go in front. The event is about to start.¡± I said.


    ¡°Who will stay with you? You¡¯ll panic if we¡¯ll leave you alone.¡± Mom said.


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll be fine. You can¡¯t skip that moment, you should be there to see your son taking over the business dad build with his hard work. All of your presence is needed there.¡± I reasoned out.


    I was about to say something more but I was dragged away from them.


    ¡°What is Kevin doing here?¡± Xavier who dragged me in the corner asked. He had an annoying scowl on his face.


    ¡°Err.. he¡¯s my friend so¡­¡± I scratched the back of my ear.


    When I had invited Kevin for the event, he had asked me if he could bring his girlfriend, Eva, who was a huge fan of Xavier, Sean, and Daniel. I could not have denied his request because honestly, I too wanted to meet the girl and besides, her dream of meeting the three of them was going to get fulfilled. How could I have taken away the fan-girl moment from her?


    ¡°I understand Ari, but he better stays at a notable distance from you.¡± He grumbled. Here he¡¯sining about Kevin and there Kevinining about his girlfriend being interested in Xavier more than him. Men will never change.


    ¡°But I also know that no one can steal you from me. So I won¡¯t stop you from meeting anyone but let me rify this¡­ If any other man ever tries to touch ore closer to you, I will kill him.¡± He scowled.


    ¡°You look cute when youin.¡± I pinched his cheek yfully. He raised a mocking eyebrow and smirked.


    ¡°Oh? Then how do I look when I make love to you?¡± Blush instantly crept on my face. I hit him on his arm.


    ¡°Xavier.¡± I rebuked.


    ¡°Are you two nning on making me uncle?¡± I got startled when I heard Daniel¡¯s voice close to me.


    ¡°You should change your habit of startling me.¡± I scolded him.


    ¡°I will. Hey, you haven¡¯t answered my question. In the corner of backstage are you two doing family nning? Am I going to be an uncle soon?¡±


    My blush deepened listening to him. I stood there dumbfounded not knowing what to say.


    ¡°Fuc¡­¡±


    ¡°Xavier.¡± I narrowed my eyes at him.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± He gave me an apologetic look then looked at Daniel. ¡°Back off Daniel. What do you think? What do you think, we¡¯ll n a baby in the corner of the backstage of some event?¡± Xavier shot back at him.


    ¡°You never know. People do weird things these days.¡± Daniel shrugged.


    ¡°Yeah, but not that weird. I know, Xavier and Ariana must have already done family nning.¡± Sean said approaching us.


    Goodness, why are they talking about this? Do they want me to die in embarrassment?


    ¡°Will you two leave us alone?¡± Xavier red them.


    ¡°Oh,e on boys leave those poor love birds alone.¡± Mom said approaching us.


    ¡°If both of you wants to y with kids then have your own. Get married already.¡± She pulled both of their ears.


    ¡°Ohe on Aunt M, I¡¯m still young to get married,¡± Daniel whined like a baby.


    ¡°I too am happy being single. I¡¯m satisfied that one out of three of us is married.¡± Sean raised his hands in surrender.


    ¡°Then you two should mind your own business. Don¡¯t disturb us.¡± Xavier said. I mentally rolled my eyes and shook my head. These three argue like kids.


    ¡°Come on you two,e with me.¡± Mom dragged both of them at the front stage with her.


    ¡°Sometimes all I want is to kill them¡± Xavier frowned, looking at their disappearing figure.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re talking about my brothers.¡± I narrowed my eyes at him. He just rolled his eyes in response.


    ¡°Jokes apart, are you ready?¡± He asked taking my hands in his.


    ¡°I am.¡± I smiled assuringly.


    ¡°Good. You remember what you have to do?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yes. I have to wear a smile and walk like a queen.¡± I responded. He has been reminding this to me sincest week.


    ¡°That¡¯s like my Ari.¡± He kissed hands.


    ¡°I have to give you a new ring. Until now it didn¡¯te in my mind that the ring you¡¯re wearing is my parent¡¯s choice.¡± He mumbled rubbing the wedding ring I was wearing. He too was wearing his wedding ring.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a new ring which will show our love.¡± He said.


    ¡°Then I too will have to give a new ring to you because it was my mother¡¯s choice¡­


    Not mine.¡± I said looking at his ring.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about itter. Now I¡¯m going there. You wait here till your name being called. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    He kissed my forehead before heading out. The press conference started in a few minutes and I stood there listening to what was happening there and waited for my name being called.

 60

    Xavier Knight


    ¡°Wee everyone¡± My dad starts off his speech, standing at the podium on the stage. The hall was filled with news reporters of different channels, other media personnel, and some special guests.


    ¡°Today, we have gathered here to know the future of mypany which I have been running since I graduated. Softtech Corp. Has been running sessfully since then. The best of the best team has created much brilliant software over the years maintaining the trust of our clients. To continue the trust and faith, I wanted my son to take over thepany to continue the Knight¡¯s legacy but he has built his own empire which he and his friends are running very well. Seeing his progress, for once, I thought of selling thepany but Xavier didn¡¯t let me. He never wanted me to let go of the hard work put into the business. He wanted time to set up his own business so I gave him all the time he wanted.¡± He paused for a second then continued.


    ¡°Now, as my son is ready for the responsibilities, so today, I, Rupert Knight announce my retirement. Finally, I¡¯ll be a free bird. I¡¯ll be able to give more time to my lovely wife. Sheins a lot about that.¡± The crowd erupted in fits ofughter. He too wasughing, which caused mom to blush.


    ¡°Now, as the throne has been passed on to my son, it¡¯s in his hands how he handles it. He has got every right to decide for thepany. Now I think my son should say a few words. Xavier,e up here.¡± Dad gestured me to step on the stage. When I did, he passed me the mic to speak.


    ¡°Wee everyone. Today I¡¯m really d that I freed my father from his responsibilities. He has done so much for me and is still doing. I know how business works¡­ so dad, yes, finally you can give your time to mom.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Talking about the future of Softtech Corp, It¡¯ll be great, I assure you,¡± I said with determination.


    ¡°There¡¯s something more I wanted to add. As you all know that I along with my friends runs a business and I have many other businesses running, so it¡¯ll be difficult for me to give all my attention to Softtech Corp. So, discussing this with my father, I have concluded that a highly talented and deserving leader should be appointed as CEO to run thepany.¡±


    As soon as those words left my mouth, murmurs started erupting in the hall. All the media personnel bombarded me with questions.


    ¡°Is the person already appointed?¡±


    ¡°Who is the person?¡±


    ¡°Is that person from your family?¡±


    ¡°Where is that person?¡±


    ¡°Is that person a Knight too?¡±


    ¡°Okay okay, silence, please. I¡¯ll answer your every question. Let me start.. yes, that person is already appointed and yes, that person is from my family and yes, that person is a Knight.¡± I said.


    ¡°Is that person here?¡±


    ¡°Can we meet him?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the person is here. Let me introduce you all to that person.¡±


    ¡°So everyone, please wee the new CEO of Softtech Corp¡­. Mrs. Ariana Xavier Knight, my wife.¡±


    The hall filled with the sound of gasps, all the media members stood up from their respective chairs in shock and started asking questions like a maniac.


    No question reached my ears as all my senses were on thedy who walked up the stage as she owns it. The confidence in her walk and face made me emotional. All the work done on her to boost her confidence paid off. And that dazzling smile of hers took my heart away.


    Stepping away from the podium, I walked towards her, took her hand in mine, and as I thought, her hand was cold. I knew she was nervous but not showing it on her face was a huge aplishment for her. She is a fast learner.


    Pulling her closer, I gave a peck on her lips. Her face turned into a shade of pink.


    ¡°Xavier we are in front of the media.¡± She scolded me in a whisper.


    ¡°So what? I just announced to them that you¡¯re my wife. And this is normal between husband & wife.¡± I winked.


    ¡°Ariana, You¡¯re doing awesome. I¡¯m very proud of you.¡± I whispered to her.


    ¡°Thank you. But stay with me.¡± She said in a low whisper.


    ¡°Always.¡± Saying that I intertwined my fingers with hers and turned my focus to the raging crowd.


    ¡°Quiet everybody,¡± I eximed. They all stopped shouting instantly. ¡°I know you all have many questions running in your minds. We¡¯ll answer every question, just please ask it one by one.¡± I finished.


    ¡°It¡¯s a big surprise you just gave. How much time since your wedding?¡± One of the female reporters asked.


    ¡°3 months.¡± I smiled, looking at my wife.


    ¡°3 months? Why did you keep it hidden?¡± Other reporters asked.


    ¡°Was waiting for the right moment to reveal,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I must say your wife is beautiful.¡± One of the male reporters said which obviously made me stick Ariana closer to me.


    ¡°Yes, she is. My wife is the most beautiful woman in the world.¡± I said, giving emphasis on my wife.


    ¡°How did you two meet?¡±


    ¡°Luck, that¡¯s all I would say,¡± I replied.


    Many questions were asked about our rtionship and I was the one answering all the questions. Ariana was a bit hesitant. Everything was going well until one of the female reporters asked a question.


    ¡°So, she¡¯s the new CEO of Softtech Corp just because she¡¯s your wife?¡±


    Ariana squeezed my hand tightly. This question made her more nervous.


    ¡°I think you weren¡¯t listening to what I said. I said that the new CEO is talented and deserving too,¡± I replied with sternness in my voice.


    ¡°Does she know anything about business or that field? I mean, is she good enough to handle the responsibility of the softwarepany? There are many deserving candidates, you could have promoted anyone from thepany for that position but no, you chose your wife for it. I think being a Knight gave her privilege.¡± A male reporter said mockingly.


    I clenched my jaw. How dare he say that? My eyes went on to my dad, Sean, and Daniel. Their faces were also showing displeasure. I was about to show him his ce but Ariana stopped me.


    ¡°Let me.¡± She whispered, looking into my eyes. The confidence I saw in her eyes made me smirk. She passed one more level sessfully. Facing her fears.


    ¡°The new CEO will answer your question,¡± I said with a smirk and took one step back and let Ariana own the stage. I let her defend herself on her own. I¡¯ll always be there with her but at the back, supporting her. She will face many situations like this and I want her to face them herself. Then only she¡¯ll be stronger than she¡¯s right now.


    ¡°Hello, sir. I hear that you¡¯re not pleased with me for being CEO of Softtech Corp. Well, I respect your views, I am not at all displeased because I have epted the fact that people will always judge without knowing you.¡±


    Woha.. What a reply! Did she just really mocked him? I shook my head, smiling like a fool. My friends and parents were smiling too.


    ¡°And Yes, you¡¯re right, he could have promoted anyone to that post but he chose me because he and the former CEO saw talent in me. They find me deserving enough to run thispany. They are not kids, they are masters in their field, they know who and what is good for thepany. They will never make a decision that will make them fear to lose their business.¡±


    ¡°Coming to me now. Sir, I am a software engineering graduate & I hold a diploma in ethical hacking. And for your information I can develop softwares pretty well. And no, I am not perfect, I am a learner & will learn till my body functions. You don¡¯t have to worry about ¡®will I be able to run thepany?¡¯ because I¡¯m learning from the best of the best. I may not know many things now but I am confident that one day I will. And Sir, I assure you that I will try my ultimate best not to give you or anybody any chance toin. So, before judging please just first see my work & have a little trust on me. Thank you.¡±


    She answered very calmly, smiling throughout.


    Including me, every single person present in the hall cheered and pped for her. She defended herself in the sweetest way possible. She didn¡¯t mock him directly but grilled him with her sweetness by calling him Sir. She showed everyone why she deserves that position, she forced them not to take her lightly. In her short speech, she warned everyone that a newpetitor has entered the game.


    Taking a step towards her I encircled her waist.


    ¡°You nailed it. His face was worth watching for.¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°And I think I just got a newpetitor,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°You yourself created one.¡± She chuckled.


    ¡°Hmmm.. if I created thatpetitor then she must be really tough.¡±


    ¡°Are you scared?¡± She raised an eyebrow,ughing lightly.


    ¡°Actually, I am. For the first time in life, I¡¯m scared because my newpetitor has enough capability to beat me in my own game.¡±


    ¡°You think so? Then the game is on.¡± She winked.


    ¡°Game on ma¡¯am.¡± I winked back.


    I wish she proves herself to everyone who judges her, who judge every woman for their work. I won¡¯t be surprised if she beats me at work because she can, she has got the capability. And honestly, I would love to be called as Ariana Knight¡¯s husband.


    Ariana Knight


    I was literally trembling inside while answering to the media. I could have chosen to stay quiet and let Xavier defend me but no, I chose to do it by myself. I couldn¡¯t let Xavier¡¯s hard work on me to go in vain. And besides, I have to act tough if I have to survive in this business.


    The photography session started after all the questionings were done. Many photos were clicked but my favorite was the one which includes my whole family, my world, mom, dad, Sean, Daniel, Xavier, and I were there in a single frame.


    After that, Xavier introduced me personally to many people. He was so proud of introducing me to them. I was overwhelmed. Even mom and dad introduced me as their daughter-inw to their special guests.


    I wanted to meet my friends, I saw their faces from the stage. They all had shock painted on their faces. So, excusing myself from the guests I approached my friends.


    ¡°You got to be kidding me! I¡¯m literally freaking out right now.¡± Lauren almost shouted the moment I reached there. I bit my lower lip and smiled.


    ¡°Goodness, I have been training you to seduce your own husband? And that too Mr. Knight?¡± Lauren said loudly making my face heat up.


    ¡°Lauren.,¡± I whisper yelled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t Lauren me. I¡¯m still trying to digest all this.¡± She raised her hands in the air.


    ¡°Are you not happy?¡± I asked in a low tone.


    ¡°Yes, exactly I am not¡­ Wait, what? Why won¡¯t I be happy? Goodness, Ariana.¡± She embraced me in a tight hug. ¡± I¡¯m really happy.¡± She whispered and slightly moved away and held my shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I behaved strangely, I was just freaking out. I have always told you that I want you to end up with Mr. Knight. And now that I know you¡¯re already his wife.. I¡¯m.. I¡¯m just getting emotional.¡± Her voice cracked. I immediately pulled her in a hug again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll always pray that you two always stay happy, healthy, and together.¡± She mumbled. My eyes too moistened up.


    ¡°Thank you, Lauren,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°And no matter what, I am going to be the godmother of your child. Goodness, I am eagerly waiting to hold your little one.¡± She squealed making me blush. She poked my cheek making all of usugh.


    ¡°This was something unpredictable. But I¡¯m really happy for you Ariana. Secretly, I was shipping you two but I never knew you two were already married.¡± Mrs. Miller chuckled and gave me a warm hug.


    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Miller.¡± I smiled.


    ¡°So he¡¯s the lucky one,¡± Kevin said.


    ¡°I¡¯m the lucky one,¡± I replied and gave him a friendly hug.


    ¡°I¡¯m genuinely happy for you.¡± He whispered.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you introduce me to your girlfriend?¡± I asked.


    He then introduced me to Eva, his girlfriend. ¡°Goodness, I always dreamt about him thinking that he¡¯s single but no, he¡¯s married,¡± Eva said in disbelief.


    ¡°Can¡¯t help it.¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me Sean and Daniel are also married.¡± She squeaked.


    ¡°No, they are not.¡± Iughed.


    ¡°Can I meet your husband¡­If that¡¯s okay with you.¡± She asked innocently.


    ¡°Eva, I am your boyfriend and I. Am. Standing right beside you still, you¡¯re thinking of him?¡± Kevin said in displeasure. Eva¡¯s face got dull and she pouted.


    ¡°Kevin, this is not right. She¡¯s just a fan of him and I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong in meeting the one you admire. It¡¯s not that she¡¯s going away from you. You should have trust in her.¡± I scolded him.


    ¡°I am sorry. Okay, you can meet him.¡± Kevin smiled. Eva squealed and hugged Kevin.


    ¡°I like you already.¡± She said hugging me.


    I then took her to meet Xavier who was talking to some guests. I asked Xavier to excuse himself from them ande to me. When he came I introduced him to Eva.


    ¡°Xavier, this is Eva, she is¡­ Whoa¡­¡± I squealed in surprise when out of nowhere Eva lunged onto him, embracing him in a tight hug.


    ¡°I¡¯m your big fan. I always wanted to meet you.¡± She said excitedly. Iughed at Xavier¡¯s reaction who was blushing very hard and had shock stered on his face. Obviously, she caught him off guard. Sean and Daniel approached us and joined me inughing.


    ¡°Okay, I get it. Can you please step back?¡± When Xavier said that Eva pulled away but the smile didn¡¯t leave her lips.


    ¡°Xavier, she is Kevin¡¯s girlfriend.¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°Oh okay, hello Miss?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Just call me Eva.¡± She waved her hand in front of him. Daniel snickered beside me. I nudged him in the stomach.


    ¡°Oh okay, Miss Eva.. nice to meet you.¡± He smiled awkwardly. This time I snickered too. He¡¯s so cute. He nced at me and raised an eyebrow which made me stop snickering. He mouthed something which I didn¡¯t get but I knew I was in trouble.


    ¡°Since when you started blushing Xavier?¡± Danielughed.


    ¡°She truly is big fan of you,¡± Sean said, stifling hisugh. They were teasing him. They have teased me too many times and I had a perfect idea to take my revenge on them.


    ¡°Actually she¡¯s two of your fan too,¡± I eximed looking at them. Then I turned to Eva.¡± Eva, I think you didn¡¯t see that Sean and Daniel are here too.¡±


    Squealing she jumped onto them hugging two of them together. This time Xavier couldn¡¯t stop hisughter because Sean & Daniel were having same expressions like Xavier was having moments ago.


    ¡°Let them have a fan and celebrity moment. Come Ari, I have something to talk to you.¡± Saying that, Xavier dragged me backstage in a silent ce.


    Pushing me softly against the wall, he didn¡¯t give me even a second to register what was happening and crashed his lips on mine. Encircling his arm around my waist, he pulled me closer to him. I returned the kiss with equal passion and need. My hand automatically moved up to hold thepels of his suit when I felt my legs turning onto jelly.


    ¡°I was dying to kiss you senseless since the moment you walked on the stage.¡± He said, breaking the kiss. We both were trying to catch our breath.


    ¡°Why were youughing when she hugged me?¡± He frowned.


    ¡°Because that was funny.¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°Funny? You weren¡¯t jealous?¡± His frown hardened.


    ¡°Jealous? Why?¡± This time I frowned.


    ¡°Why? Some other female hugged your husband in your presence and you are not jealous? Don¡¯t you fear that they might try to take your husband away from you?¡± He asked. I smiled and kissed his cheek.


    ¡°Xavier, I am aware of your fan following. And I know that there are lots and lots of females who swoon over you, they will always try anything to catch a glimpse of you or to touch you. I will never be jealous of those females because I know they are just your fan, they can never take you away from me.¡± I said looking into his eyes, rubbing his stubble with my thumb.


    ¡°And most importantly I know my husband, I trust my husband. He will never do anything which will hurt my feelings. And if by chance¡­anybody ever tries to take you away from me, he or she has to go through me first.¡±


    ¡°Because you are mine,¡± I eximed and pecked his lips.


    ¡°And you¡¯re mine.¡± He kissed my forehead.


    ¡°I love the way you imed your possession on me.¡± He smiled broadly.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°If you can im your possession on me then I can too.¡± I shrugged.


    ¡°And Xavier, I know that I said that I won¡¯t be jealous but don¡¯t ever pull any stunt to try make me jealous.¡± I yfully narrowed my eyes at him.


    ¡°Oh? But I will. I would love to see a jealous wife. You know a little jealousy is healthy in rtionships unless it causes misunderstandings.¡± He caressed my cheek.


    ¡°And you know, I love this new Ariana. Confident and flirty.¡± He smirked and I blushed.


    ¡°What if I returned back to old Ariana? Won¡¯t you love me then?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I will always love you, no matter what. In any shape, size or behavior, you will always be mine. I will never stop loving you.¡± He said, cupping my face between his hands.


    Removing his hands from my face, I snaked my arms around his torso and rested my face on his chest. His one hand encircled my waist and one hand stroked my hair.


    Peaceful; that¡¯s what I felt. Embracing him, I embraced my future. He¡¯s my peace, my home, my future, he¡¯s my everything.


    He gave me new life, new confidence, new identity. He changed me.. for good.


    And I wish I make him more proud by working hard. I hope that I never let him down. I wish that his trust never fades away on me. I wish to be a good wife for him. I wish to be a better person for him.

 61

    Ariana Knight


    First day at work.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Xavier, mom, and dad apanied me to Softtech Corp. Dad introduced me to all the employees. Everyone was weing, all the employees greeted me with a smile. Some smiles were genuine and some were¡­ fake. But obviously, they couldn¡¯t say anything as I was the new boss.


    ¡°And this is your office,¡± Dad eximed when we reached in front ofrge double doors on the top floor of the building.


    CEO


    ARIANA KNIGHT


    I couldn¡¯t hold my smile when I saw my name boldly written on the door. Xavier patted my back and gestured me to open the door.


    ¡°Ariana dear, from today onwards you¡¯re going to continue the Knight¡¯s legacy. You will make decisions. I just want to say you that I am very proud of you. Don¡¯t ever listen to what people say about you, they can¡¯t be here so they¡¯ll try their best to make you feel non-deserving. What they don¡¯t know is that you are deserving and to shut their mouth, the only thing you have to do is prove all of them wrong with your hard work and passion. It will take time for you to adjust but I know.. you will.¡± Dad said and patted my head, making me all emotional. Xavier, who was standing beside me holding my hand gave a little squeeze to my hand to give me emotional support.


    ¡°Peter would have been so happy today,¡± Mom muttered lowly when I sat on the CEO¡¯s chair.


    Standing up, I approached her and took her hands in mine. ¡°Mom, I never had a chance to see my father¡¯s face, his smile when I achieved little things in my life. I never experienced parents proudness until you two came in my life.¡± I said looking between mom and dad. ¡°Today I see my father in you, mom, and in you, dad. Seeing your smile and your expressions, I can now imagine what my father would have felt. Thank you for being my parents.¡± A lone tear escaped my eye.


    ¡°We¡¯re the proudest parents in the world.¡± She wiped the tear and patted my cheek.


    Dad called a girl inside the office and introduced her as my P. A, her name was Liza. When she left the office, a wackyugh escaped my lips.


    ¡°What was that for?¡± Xavier asked, raising his eyebrows.


    ¡°Nothing.. It¡¯s just..¡± I chuckled again. ¡°Just a few days ago I was working as P. A and now I have my own P. A. It feels strange.¡± Iughed at myself. They all joined me,ughing at my crazy thoughts.


    Mom and dad left but Xavier stayed. Looking at him, I raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t leaving?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I am, but I need one thing from you before leaving.¡± He stepped towards me.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°A kiss.¡± He smirked, caging me in his arms.


    ¡°Goodness Xavier, this is office,¡± I whisper yelled.


    ¡°So what? Office romance is more interesting than any other kind of romance. And we have done it before.¡± He whined.


    ¡°But that was your office and this is mine. And I have some rules for my workce. No kissing in the office is one of them.¡± I teased him and smiled innocently.


    ¡°Oh, the boss already has rules? Then the boss must be aware that her husband likes to break rules.¡± He winked & pressed his lips on mine.


    ¡°I love you.¡± He whispered, touching his forehead with mine.


    ¡°I love you too.¡± I smiled back.


    The first thing I decided to do was to go through the currently running contracts to know about the status of thepany. Going through them I came up to a contract which was signed three months ago and we were already going in loss because of that.


    And that contract was signed with Mr. Smith¡¯spany to save me from them.


    I rang up dad to ask for his advice on this topic. He told me to do whatever I would like to do. As a CEO I have got every right to decide for thepany. So not thinking twice I asked Liza to call Mr. Smith here as soon as possible.


    It¡¯s time to get over with this because it¡¯s now or never.


    ¡°You should have waited for some time before doing this. It¡¯s just the start and besides, I don¡¯t want you to meet him. I don¡¯t want him close to you.¡± Xavier wasn¡¯t pleased with my decision. He immediately came over when I informed him about my decision.


    ¡°I know I made a rash decision but try to understand me. Today or tomorrow, I have to face him so let it be today. I want to get over with all of this. I don¡¯t want any of their thing to be linked with me.¡± I reasoned out. He turned his back towards me and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. After muttering something under his breath he huffed and looked at me.


    ¡°Okay. But I am staying with you.¡± He said firmly.


    ¡°No Xavier,¡± I said as I reached for his hands. ¡°Please let me fight my own battle. I have issues with him so let me clear all of it on my own. Just this once, please let me do it.¡± I pleaded.


    ¡°But Ari¡­¡±


    ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°Okay fine, but I¡¯m not going anywhere. I¡¯ll hide in the bathroom so that I cane out if the matter goes out of hand.¡±


    I settled with that because I knew he won¡¯t leave me alone.


    My inte buzzed and Liza informed me about Mr. Smith¡¯s arrival.


    ¡°He¡¯s here,¡± I said to Xavier.


    ¡°Remember I am here with you. Okay? I¡¯ll go and hide.¡± He pecked my lips and went to hide in the bathroom.


    I took deep breaths to prepare myself to meet him. After I was fully prepared, I asked Liza to send him inside.


    ¡°Why did you call me here?¡± His impatient, frustrated, and angry voice filled the room.


    ¡°To talk business,¡± I responded, straightening my posture in the chair.


    ¡°You? Business? Rupert Knight may have been foolish enough to pass his legacy to you but that doesn¡¯t mean you can talk business. It is not your forte.¡± He snapped irritatedly.


    ¡°Whose forte it is and whose not, let¡¯s leave it on time. First, take a seat, I have a very important matter to discuss.¡± I said calmly. I was trying my best not to stutter, he always intimidated me and I never had a long conversation with him that I was going to have now.


    ¡°Don¡¯t waste my time. Just tell me why you called me here?¡± He didn¡¯t sit on the chair.


    Okay then¡­


    ¡°The money invested in yourpany by Softtech Corp is drowning,¡± I said, resting my elbows on the desk.


    ¡°What are you getting at?¡± He clenched his jaw.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get straight to the point. Softtech Corp will withdraw the investment if we don¡¯t see valuable results in the next two months.¡± I said with finality in my tone.


    ¡°What? Are you even listening to yourself? This is not your ything, this is an official contract. First, read the terms before barking rubbish.¡± He yelled. I almost flinched but I controlled myself. I can¡¯t lose today. I can¡¯t turn weak again.


    ¡°I read them that¡¯s why you are called here. I think you didn¡¯t read them. Here have a look.¡± I slid the file on the desk. He didn¡¯t pick it up instead he red at me.


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll tell you what it states. The terms in contract states that Softtech Corp can withdraw the investment made immediately after three months if results don¡¯t turn in our favor.¡± I stated, standing up from the chair.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that. You don¡¯t have any right.¡± He shouted ring at me.


    ¡°Oh? Well, I am the CEO and I have all the rights.¡± I crossed my arms in front of my chest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that all this you have is because of me. If I wouldn¡¯t have married you off to Xavier you would have been rotting in hell. All this luxury is because of me and you are threatening me? The one who gave you shelter and food?¡±


    A humorlessugh escaped my lips. Now he¡¯s counting the favor he did to me.


    ¡°Yes, I know¡­I know everything you did for me and everything you did to me. And I am thankful to you that you married me off to Xavier. Trust me when I say I am the happiest person alive. That¡¯s why I gave you two months to show results otherwise I would have asked you to return all the money that is wasted on yourpany.¡± I said.


    ¡°You slut. How dare you!¡± He shouted and strode towards me. He raised his hand to p me, as a reflex action, my face automatically turned sideways, a few seconds passed but I didn¡¯t feel anything. To know what was happening I slowly turned my face to see extremely angry Xavier holding Mr. Smith¡¯s hand mid-air in a tight grip.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I warn you not to ever raise your filthy hands on my wife?¡± Xavier gritted his teeth. His grip on Mr. Smith¡¯s hand was getting tighter.


    ¡°This slut can¡¯t threaten me like that.¡± Mr. Smith snapped angrily & earned a tight punch on his face from Xavier. I gasped out loud, my hands went to cover my mouth.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking dare say that to her.¡± Xavier spat angrily. ¡°You have done enough damage to her. Not anymore.¡± Saying that he raised his hand to punch him again but I grabbed his arm in order to stop him. When he nced at me I shook my head slowly in no. He closed his eyes and sighed frustratingly.


    ¡°Remember, She is the boss now that means You are under her mercy. And you better behave if you want to keep yourpany intact.¡± Xavier gave him a deathly re, pulling him by his cor.


    ¡°She is kind enough that she gave you two months. I wouldn¡¯t have done that. Now get the fuck out of here.¡± He shoved him away harshly.


    Mr. Smith gave me a deathly re before heading out of the cabin.


    I let out a breath I never knew I was holding. The strength I tried to give to my legs in order not to tremble in front of him left my legs. I stumbled and before I could steady myself, Xavier did it for me. Lifting me up, he made me sit on the desk and engulfed me in a tight hug.


    Snaking my arms around his neck, I sighed in relief. This is all I want at the end of all the chaos. To be in my love¡¯s arms. His embrace makes me forget all the bad things.


    ¡°You okay?¡± He asked. I nodded my head on his shoulder.


    ¡°Come on, we¡¯re going home.¡± He said pulling away.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why? You¡¯re trying to act all tough but I know you are not okay.¡±


    ¡°Xavier, I am perfectly fine. See, I didn¡¯t even cry.¡± I said pointing towards my eyes. Yes, I didn¡¯t cry. That vile man isn¡¯t worth it, I have learned it.


    ¡°Good, your tears are too precious to be wasted.¡±


    ¡°That means I can stay?¡± I asked tilting my head.


    ¡°The things I do for you.¡± He huffed. ¡°Fine, you can stay.¡± He furrowed his eyebrows.


    I smiled and kissed his furrowed eyebrows. This time he stayed with me in the office. I read a few more documents under his distracting stares, touches, and kisses. The whole time, I was sitting on hisp while he was sitting on the chair. It was hard to concentrate on work but anyhow I did it.


    When one hour was left to leave for home I received a call from Liza.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am ady named Jade Smith is insisting to meet you.¡± She said.


    What? Really? Mother? Wow¡­. What made her realize about my existence? Oh! Who else, it¡¯s Mr. Smith. He must have sent her to beg for more time.


    Let¡¯s get over with this too.


    ¡°Send her in.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Xavier asked.


    ¡°Umm.. Mom¡± I replied, biting the corner of my lip.


    ¡°Mom? Why is she here? She didn¡¯t inform about her arrival.¡± Xavier furrowed his eyebrows.


    ¡°Xavier¡­ Umm.. it¡¯s my mom.¡± I said in low voice fidgeting my fingers.  He was about to say something but stopped when he heard the knock on the door. Mom stepped inside.


    ¡°Can I talk to my daughter alone?¡± The first thing she said looking towards Xavier when she entered.


    ¡°No. Whatever you have to say, say it in front of me.¡± Xavier said, crossing his arms.


    ¡°Xavier..¡± I whispered touching his shoulder. He turned around to look at me.


    ¡°No. Ariana, I listened to you once, not now. What if she hurt you?¡± He whispered, caressing my cheek with his thumb.


    ¡°She won¡¯t. Please.¡± I pleaded. He scrunched his face and looked away. I cupped his face and made him look at me.


    ¡°Xavier, it¡¯s been three months she came to see me, to talk to me. Let me listen to what she has to say. I have to clear many things with her.¡± I exined.


    ¡°I am waiting outside.¡± He went out with a scowling face. Uh.. he¡¯s now mad at me but he won¡¯t be for too long. I¡¯ll make sure of it.


    ¡°You look different.¡± Mommented after both of us sat on the couch. I kept a reasonable distance from her.


    I didn¡¯t reply to herment and also refused to look at her. Obviously, I was looking different because I never wore the types of clothes before that I wear now.


    ¡°How are you, Ariana?¡±


    My face shot to her at fast speed. Did I hear it right? Did she ask about my whereabouts?


    ¡°Really? Are you aware that this is the ever first time you asked me that?¡± I asked sarcastically.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to exaggerate it. You¡¯re my daughter, I gave birth to you. I always worry about you.¡± She scowled.


    ¡°Daughter?¡± Iughed. ¡°I am not your daughter¡­never was,¡± I said in a low tone. ¡°Scarlet is.¡± All my emotions started getting heavy on me.


    ¡°And giving birth doesn¡¯t give you the title of mother. You have to act like one to earn the title. You never became my mother.¡± I tried hard but failed to control my tears.


    ¡°What? I never did anything for you? Only because of me you had a shelter to live, food to eat, you were able to study just because of me. If I hadn¡¯t married Andrew we would have been living in a hell hole. Your father didn¡¯t leave anything for us, he left us to live in dirt. I gave you luxurious life and you¡¯re ming me that I wasn¡¯t a good mother?¡± She said angrily, standing up from the couch.


    ¡°These are the things that I never wanted. I just wanted you. You didn¡¯t give me luxuries, you just gave me pain and agony. And my studies? I worked hard for that. It¡¯s not because of you, it¡¯s just because of me. You were never there when I needed you, you never listened to me. I have gone through a lot just because of you. I was traumatized just because of you. And what you did? You just ignored your own daughter. You left your daughter with those cruel people who tortured your daughter every single day. Tell me did you ever listen to me? Did you ever call by yourself to know about your daughter¡¯s well-being? Did you ever ask if your daughter had eaten or not? Did you ever praise me for any of my achievements? Were you present at my graduation ceremony? NO. YOU DID NOTHING. I am even ashamed to call you my mother.¡± I yelled. Tears were streaming down my face. Thankfully my office is soundproof otherwise it would have be a scene.


    ¡°I see, you have got your voice.¡± She said unaffected by what I said. She came and stood close to me.¡±But you¡¯re forgetting that no matter what, I am your family, Smiths are your family.¡±


    ¡°Family? You never became my family.¡± I cried. I wiped my face with the back of my hands. ¡°You know what? I never had a family but I have now. I am with someone who is proud to have me.¡± I said.


    ¡°And your new family is also given by me and Andrew. Everything you have is just because of us.¡± She shouted. Not again, I am not gonna listen to this rant again.


    ¡°What are you here for?¡± I asked crossing my arms.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that to Andrew. You can¡¯t threaten him. It¡¯s business, you know two months are very less.¡± She gritted her teeth.


    ¡°Are you talking about the business that was saved by me?¡± I mocked. ¡°Well, if I can save his business then I surely can make him lose it too,¡± I said sternly.


    ¡°How dare you!¡± She tried to p me but this time I didn¡¯t flinch and grabbed her hand mid-air.


    ¡°Not anymore. You have lost all your rights.¡± I said, swatting her hand down.


    ¡°Your husband has only two months. Now you can leave.¡± I stepped aside and pointed at the door.


    ¡°Ariana¡­¡±


    ¡°I said leave,¡± I shouted.


    When she left, I copsed on the couch. I covered my face with my hands and cried.


    I felt myself being engulfed in a hug. I didn¡¯t have to think twice before leaning in because I knew who he was.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry for crying. I couldn¡¯t hold it.¡± I sobbed.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You needed it.¡± He kissed my hair.


    ¡°Are you mad at me for not listening to you?¡± I asked, slightly pulling away but I was still in his arms.


    ¡°I am mad but not at you. I am mad at those who made my cute Ari cry.¡± He said wiping my tears. I smiled and again rested my head on his shoulder.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna see her again,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡± He said tightening his grip around me.

 62

    Xavier Knight


    This woman is so stubborn. I warned her not to meet them but she never listens. But the fact which even I can¡¯t deny is that¡­she needed it. She needed answers. I was thankful that I was fast enough to save her from Andrew. If she hadn¡¯t stopped me, I would have beaten him to pulp. And I don¡¯t know what happened between mother and daughter, I just know that I have to keep her away from her mother. As of Andrew, she has to see him a little more because of work but after that, he too will be out of the story.


    Whatever happened, happened. It was the first day of her work as a boss and I had nned something to celebrate that. It was nothing fancy¡­ it was a simple and cozy romantic dinner at home itself¡­just the way she likes. And something really very special which I wanted to do for so long.


    ¡°Ari, change your clothes first. Mrs. Molly will be arriving anytime soon to cook dinner. You should freshen up.¡± I said looking at her. We were back home and she immediately jumped on the bed as soon as we entered our room.All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I am tired¡± She yawned while rubbing her eyes.


    I smirked deviously when a naughty idea cane in my mind. Time to have some fun. Taking off my suit jacket and tie I hovered over her.


    ¡°Aaaaaa!¡± She squealed with eyes wide open. I stopped her squealing by pressing my lips on hers.


    ¡°I can help you change,¡± I whispered huskily, scanning her face with desire.


    ¡°Wh¡­what! No..¡± She stuttered.


    ¡°You are acting like I haven¡¯t dressed you up before.¡± I chuckled and trailed my index finger on the exposed skin of her neck to her cleavage but I didn¡¯t lose eye contact. I felt her body shiver under my touch.


    I love the way she reacts to my touch.


    ¡°No, y.. you can¡¯t. I know what th.. this will l¡­ lead t.. to.¡± She blushed, biting her lip. Damn!


    ¡°What will this lead to? I am just gonna help you change clothes. That¡¯s it.¡± I asked innocently, caressing her lower lip with my thumb.


    ¡°N.. no. That¡¯s not it.¡± Her blush deepened and she averted her eyes.


    ¡°Okay? Then enlighten me because I don¡¯t know what will happen if I change your clothes.¡± I unbuttoned the top two buttons of her shirt. I was trying hard not tough at her cute expressions.


    ¡°Get away.¡± She pushed me and stood up from bed but I pulled her back under me by pulling her through her waist.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere until you answer my question,¡± I said holding her hands above her head.


    ¡°What question?¡±


    ¡°Really? What question? Let me remind you.¡± I started tickling her which made herugh.


    ¡°S.. st.. stop. I.. I can¡¯t b.. breathe.¡±


    ¡°Then.. tell me..¡± Before I couldplete my sentence, the doorbell rang. I stopped tickling her.


    ¡°It must be Mrs. Molly. Go open the door.¡± She said while trying to catch her breath. I huffed and pulled myself away from her.


    ¡°I am not done with you yet. I¡¯ll get all my answers after dinner. For now, change.¡± I winked and made my way to open the door.


    ¡°What are you all doing here?¡± I frowned looking at the people standing outside the door.


    ¡°Oh! We are here to celebrate our daughter¡¯s first day of work.¡± Mom didn¡¯t give me a chance to speak as pushed me away and walked inside followed by dad then Sean, then Daniel and finally Mrs. Molly.


    ¡°Way to ruin private moments.¡± I muttered under my breath. Annoyance rose inside me and I shut the door with a loud thud.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Princess?¡± Daniel asked when all of them made themselvesfortable in different sitting ces in the living room. Mrs. Molly went to the kitchen.


    ¡°She¡¯s tired¡­so she¡¯s sleeping. It would be better if you alle tomorrow.¡± I made an excuse. It would be better if they leave because I wanted private time with my wife.


    ¡°I think we should stay. It¡¯s just 6 in the evening, she¡¯ll be up soon.¡± Sean said. I scowled at him and mouthed ¡°just fucking leave¡± but he smirked in return.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you alle tomorrow? She won¡¯t wake¡­¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­ What are you all doing here?¡± I cursed under my breath when I heard Ariana¡¯s excited voice from behind.


    ¡°You were not sleeping?¡± Daniel asked her. I turned to see her.


    ¡°Umm.. No?¡± She frowned. All of them looked at me with raised eyebrows.


    ¡°It feels like Xavier didn¡¯t want us to meet her,¡± Sean smirked crossing his arms.


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why he said..¡±


    ¡°Shut up Daniel.¡± I groaned. Thest thing I want is Ariana to know that I was trying to send them back.


    Mom shuts them up and greeted Ariana. Then the rest of them congratted her. Then we all sat to have some chat. Dad asked her about Andrew¡¯s matter and being a smart woman, she handled the situation by not telling him extra about the incidents that happened today. In between the talk, Daniel stood up and went into the kitchen to drink water.


    And I was just waiting for them to leave but I guess they were not going to leave anytime soon.


    ¡°Hey, I found this box in the fridge. I guess it¡¯s a cake. Can I eat it?¡±


    I immediately stood up, ran to Daniel and snatched the box from his hands. ¡°It¡¯s for Ariana. Not for you.¡± I snapped. Goodness, this was a part of my n.


    ¡°She will not mind. Right, Princess?¡± Daniel asked her.


    ¡°No. I won¡¯t. I didn¡¯t even know we had cake in our fridge.¡± She frowned looking at me.


    Daniel smirked and snatching it back from my hand he ran to my parents and opened the box. My hand automatically reached my face to cover it. Goodness, this is going to be embarrassing.


    When I didn¡¯t hear any voice for a few seconds I looked at them by removing my hands from my face. They all were gathered together and were looking inside the box like a team of doctors look at their patient on the hospital bed. Then they all looked at me in a strange manner. Scratching an eyebrow with my index finger, I lowered my head. I looked up through eyshes to see them looking inside the box, then again they looked at me. They all did that at least five times.


    ¡°Umm.. Xavi son..¡± Mom starts off. ¡°This cake is for Ariana.. that¡¯s okay¡­and trust me this cake is cute.. but..¡±


    ¡°But why this?¡± Danielpleted mom¡¯s sentence.


    ¡°This is the most adorable cake I have ever seen. But why did you bring this for me? And why this?¡± Ariana asked and came to me.


    Fuck privacy. I grabbed the box from Daniel¡¯s hands and went back to Ariana but only after scowling at Daniel and everybody forpelling me to do it this way.


    ¡°I asked one of the best pastry chefs to make this cute cake for the most adorable person I know. And about the question¡­ why this? Because it resembles you.¡±


    ¡°Do I look like a piglet to you?¡± She raised a sarcastic eyebrow at me.


    I felt the heat rising up my cheeks. Fuck.. Was I blushing? No! .. Damn!


    ¡°Err.. yeah.. a foodie piglet,¡± I mumbled, rubbing the back of my neck.


    My parents including two idiots who are supposed to be my friendsughed out loud.


    ¡°A piglet.. hahahahahah.¡± Daniel and Sean wereughing a little extra, clutching their stomach.


    ¡°Shut up. You all ruined this already.¡± I grumbled scowling at them. Ariana was standing, folding her arms in front of her. Uh oh! I knew this was a bad idea. Like which woman would love being called a piglet? Fuck Xavier, you made her upset.


    ¡°Ari.. I promise I¡¯m not making fun of you. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t want any secrets between us. I want to tell you everything I feel about you. When you pout you look extremely cute, adorable and like a piglet. It¡¯s apliment, I swear. Please don¡¯t be mad at me.¡± I said in one breath, taking her hands in mine. She kept looking at me with raised eyebrows without saying anything.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I won¡¯t ever call you that.¡± I mumbled lowly. She won¡¯t forgive me for this.


    Leaving her hands, I lowered my head and turned my back towards her. I was about to leave but stopped when I heard a loudugh of¡­Ariana?


    I turned around with speed to see herughing her heart out. Her eyes were gleaming because ofughter. She was looking so carefree and full of life.. just the way I want to see her all my life.


    ¡°Goodness Xavier, you think I will get mad at you for such a silly reason?¡± She said after herughter died. Shaking her head she came closer to me.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you call me. What matters to me is your happiness. If you¡¯re happy calling me a piglet then I don¡¯t mind besides piglets are too adorable.¡± She smiled widely.


    ¡°You sure you¡¯re not mad? Or are you saying this just because these people are here?¡± I asked pointing at the audience who were looking at the scene with amusement.


    ¡°Whatever I said is true.¡± She said looking in my eyes which assured me that she was not mad at me.


    ¡°The cake is soo cute, I don¡¯t even wanna eat it.¡± She pouted.


    ¡°Daniel.¡± She turned towards him. ¡°Sorry.. but now you¡¯re not getting the cake.¡± She said to him.


    ¡°Noo.. Princess, you are my sister. You can¡¯t do that to me.¡± Daniel gasped making his eyes wide.


    ¡°She is right. You¡¯re out.¡± I said with a smirk. ¡°Ariana, I¡¯m so happy that you said no to Daniel for the first time. I should note the date.¡± Iughed.


    ¡°Kids these days.¡± Dad sighed and shook his head.


    ¡°My babies are soo adorable.¡± Mom gushed excitedly.


    ¡°Ari, I have one more thing for you. I nned something special for you but as they all are here so there¡¯s a change in n. Now, I want them to witness my love for you.¡± I said.


    ¡°We know it already.¡± They all said in unison which made me roll my eyes.


    ¡°What more do you have?¡± Her face started turning pink.


    ¡°Wait here.¡± Saying that I ran to our room and came back with the thing I had to give her. Switching off all the ceiling lights, I let the living room illuminate withmp lights which created a romantic environment. With slow romantic music ying in the background, a slide show of our photos started to y on the big LED screen.


    ¡°Ariana¡­¡± I stood in front of the LED screen. ¡°Our marriage is not the usual one. Our wedding entangled us together. I never thought that I would agree for an arranged marriage. To be honest.. initially, I hated you, I thought you were like Smiths, Ipared you with them. I was being a jerk to you. I behaved rudely to you thinking that it¡¯ll keep you away from me. But I never knew that being rude to you will bring me closer to you. Despite being rude to you, you never talked back to me, you never yelled at me or never acted like a brat and that started to change my thinking towards you.¡± I started taking slow steps towards her.


    ¡°Your sweet and selfless nature changed my thinking towards you. You.. my love, are full of surprises and you¡¯re stubborn as hell. Do you know what is the first thing that made me feel you¡¯re different?¡± I chuckled and she shook her head.


    ¡°The very first coffee you made for me.¡± Her eyes went wide then she smiled sheepishly. ¡°Yes, from the very first day, I know that you love to experiment with my coffee.¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°You¡¯re a good different ¡­you are perfect for me. It is only you who I want.¡± I stopped in front of her. Raising my hand, I softly stroked her cheek. ¡°Your entry in my life changed many things. For the first time, I felt jealous, for the first time I feared losing someone other than my parents, for the first time this penthouse became home for me. For the first time, I fell in love. Ariana, we have a long way to go and I know there will be some fights which happen between every couple. But we¡¯ll work out on it together because I don¡¯t wanna lose you. I promise you that I will always be there for you in your good and bad days. I promise you that I¡¯ll always encourage you to do big, dream big because I¡¯ll be there to make your dreamse true.¡± I held her eyes with mine.


    ¡°I promise you.. I¡¯ll make you an icon for all the women out there who have dreams, who want to fly high.¡± I wiped the tear which escaped her eye.


    ¡°I promise you that I¡¯ll love you to death.¡± I created little distance between us and went on my one knee. ¡°So my love, my piglet¡­ ept this as a token of my undying love for you.¡± I said, forwarding a diamond ring in front of her. She started to cry and bent down on her knees in front of me.


    I embraced her in my arms and shushed her.


    ¡°You¡¯re so sweet.¡± She said,ughing between her tears. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to wear this ring as the eptance of your love for me. Hurry, slip it on.¡± She extended her hand. Everyone present there including meughed at her eagerness.


    Removing the old ring from her finger, I slid the new one on. I brought her hand to my mouth and kissed the ring on her finger. ¡°I love you.¡± I whispered, smiling like a fool.


    She too kissed the ring and wiped her tears away and she stood up.


    ¡°Hey, are you not going to say ¡®I love you too¡¯?¡± I frowned.


    ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll be back.¡± Saying that she ran upstairs.


    ¡°What is she up to?¡± Mom asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± My eyes were fixed on the stairs.


    ¡°Is she running away? Goodness, if she ran away how will I get a niece or nephew?¡±


    Removing my eyes from the stairs I red at Daniel. Mom and Dad scolded him.


    ¡°You stupid, why would she run away?¡± Sean hit his head.


    ¡°Xavier¡± I looked at Ariana who was now standing at the end of the stairs. I forgot that I was on my knees, I stood up and focused on her. She started moving towards me.


    ¡°You are right¡­we started on the wrong note. The way you entered my life almost gave me a mini heart attack because that was unexpected anf sudden.¡± She chuckled. ¡°I was terrified thinking about my life, about you. After marrying you I thought I lost all my hopes but¡­I was wrong.¡± She came and stood closer to me.


    ¡°I never knew that I¡¯ll find my hope in you. You gave me everything I was yearning for.. love, care, respect, freedom and family.¡± She smiled looking towards our family then again looked at me. ¡°When you weren¡¯t there¡­I used to search myself in the mirror, used to find who I am. What I am made for? I always saw weak and worthless Ariana in the mirror. Then you came. You became my mirror and then only I realized that mirror was showing just my image.. but you.. you showed me what I am, what I can do. You believed in me, you made me strong. You fulfilled my every dream.¡±


    I felt my emotions taking over me. My heart started beating a little faster.


    ¡°It is you who made me.. me. Thank you so much for trusting me, for giving me what I never had. Thank you for giving me your love. I promise you that I will give you mine. I will love you to eternity.¡± She lowered her head and gazed at her hand which was closed in a fist. I didn¡¯t notice that.


    Opening her fist she extended her hand to show me the ring ced on her hand.


    ¡°This is my father¡¯s ring. The only memory I have of him since the day he¡­¡± Her voice cracked..¡±This ring is precious to me because it reminds me of my father.¡± She looked up at me with teary eyes. ¡°You know it is said that a girl tries to find her father in the man she wants to spend her life with. I see him in you.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know when my eyes moistened up with tears.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll fit in your finger or not but I couldn¡¯t find anything more precious then this to give to you.¡± Saying that she went on her knees and looked up to me.


    ¡°Xavier¡­I love you too.¡± She smiled with teary eyes. ¡°ept this ring as a token of my unending love for you.¡±


    My legs became week and dropped me on my knees in front of her. A lone tear of happiness and love ran out of my eye.


    ¡°dly.¡± I smiled at her and removing the old ring from my finger I forwarded my hand to her. She slipped the ring on my finger, surprising both us as it fitted perfectly.


    ¡°I guess this ring was meant to be passed on to me.¡± I smiled & embraced her in a tight hug.


    And this is how I became the luckiest person in the world. She¡¯s the most beautiful, smart, kind, loving, caring, sensible & cute woman in the world.


    And she is mine¡­. For ever¡­..

 63

    Ariana Knight


    He was right¡­the ring fitted him so perfectly like it was meant to be passed on to him. Closing my eyes, I thanked my dad for this day. Thanked him for sending Xavier in my life.


    Xavier enveloped me in a hug like his life was dependent on me.


    He slightly pulled away and cupped my face between his palms. ¡°My piglet..¡± He smiled and dipped his head to capture my lips. The kiss was slow and sensual. I responded to the kiss circling my arms around his neck. He pulled me closer to him and deepened the kiss.


    ¡°This is the cutest proposal I have ever seen.¡± Mom¡¯s voice made me realize that we had the audience watching us. I abruptly pushed him and stood up. I became a mess of embarrassment, heat rose up my face. Biting my lip, I lowered my head to hide my beet-red face from them.


    Xavier chuckled and stood up.¡±You don¡¯t have to be embarrassed in front of them. They are family and will see more of it.¡± Saying that he hid my face in his chest to make it easy for me to hide my blush.


    ¡°Sean, our hard work paid off,¡± Daniel said making all of our eyes focus on him.


    ¡°What hard work?¡± Xavier asked.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°If we hadn¡¯t acted cupid.. you two wouldn¡¯t have been proposing to each other like this.¡± He winked.


    ¡°You two.. and cupid? What did you two do else than being disturbing elements?¡± Xavier grumbled.


    ¡°If we hadn¡¯t nned that trip, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. You should be thankful to us¡± Sean eximed.


    ¡°In your dreams,¡± Xavier muttered rolling his eyes. Iughed at their banter.


    Whileughing, my eyes fell on the LED screen which suddenly disyed the photo of me and Xavier hugging each other in the.. farmhouse? That was the picture taken when I ran to him while Daniel was making fun of me with piglets on the farm. Many other pictures also shed on-screen which were clicked randomly.


    ¡°Who clicked these pictures? And where did you get these from?¡± I asked Xavier in surprise.


    ¡°Credit goes to your brothers. I collected these from them.¡± Xavier said. I looked at them to see they both were smiling at me.


    ¡°Consider these pictures as a small gift form our side, Princess.¡± Daniel grinned. I ran and hugged both of them.


    ¡°Thank you for capturing the best moments of my life. You two are the best brothers in the world.¡±


    ¡°That we are.¡± They hugged me back. Xavier, mom, dad came and hugged us too. Caring & loving.. this is.. my family.


    Mom and I went into the kitchen to help Mrs. Molly with dinner. Then we all had our dinner together. Xavier was acting a little grumpy because the romantic dinner he nned got converted into a family dinner.


    Well, I didn¡¯t mind that because we have all our life for romantic dinners. Eating together with family is something special as nowadays gathering together is hard so whenever we get this chance we should cherish it.


    After having dinner they all left at 10 pm, actually¡­ Xavier forced them to leave.


    After bidding goodbye to all of them I shut the door and suddenly squealed when I was lifted up from the floor.


    ¡°Xavier what are you doing? Put me down this instant.¡± I rebuked.


    ¡°No way in hell I¡¯m gonna do that. After all those torturing hours I finally have you all by myself.¡± He made his way up to our room.


    Reaching the room he put on the floor again and backed me against the wall.


    ¡°Time to get my answers.¡± He said, putting his hands on either side of my face on the wall.


    ¡°Wh¡­what answers?¡±


    ¡°Really now? Do I have to remind you again?¡± He raised his eyebrows bringing his face closer to mine.


    ¡°I¡­I¡­umm..¡± I pressed myself more against the wall.


    ¡°Tell me, Ari¡­¡± He brought his lips closer to mine but didn¡¯t touch them. His eyes were pinned with mine. ¡°Do you want me?¡± He whispered huskily making me squirm in my ce.


    ¡°Answer me, Ari. You want me?¡± He whispered bringing his lips closer to my ear. He was too close but felt so far as not even a single part of his body was touching mine.


    I was dying in anticipation, I wanted him to touch me. He blew his breath at my neck making me shudder. ¡°Tell me.¡± He again held my eyes.


    Anticipation was so strong that I lost my voice, my senses were not in my control so I nodded my head slowly.


    ¡°Words, Ari. Words.¡±


    ¡°I.. I want you.¡± I blushed. He smirked deviously and backed away.


    ¡°Thene and get me.¡± He said, taking two steps back.


    ¡°Wh.. what?¡± I felt embarrassed.


    ¡°Yes Ari, this is your new lesson. Tonight you¡¯re gonna initiate things. So.. if you want mee and get me.¡±


    That was unexpected. Though we have made love many a time but I never took initiative. I felt heat crawling up my face. I was blushing profusely.


    I could have resisted his demand but I wanted him. He turned on the desire in me. I wanted him to im me.


    ¡°Come Ari.¡± He whispered. I licked my dry lips and gulped. The atmosphere in the room turned hot. Hesitantly, I took a step towards him. I wasn¡¯t looking at him but at my feet.


    Taking one more step I stood closer to him. He didn¡¯t move. Looking at him through my eyshes I raised my trembling hands to unbutton his shirt but he gripped my wrist mid-air.


    ¡°First look into my eyes.¡± His voice was getting heavier. Gulping, I looked up at him. His eyes were filled with desire and his face was portraying control.


    ¡°Don¡¯t break the eye contact.¡± He said letting my hands-free. I didn¡¯t move for a few seconds.


    ¡°Ariana.. you¡¯re killing me. Do it now. Don¡¯t hide you desires from me.¡± He was getting impatient. I hesitantly brought my fingers up to his shirt button, he took a sharp intake of air when my fingers brushed his chest.


    Unbuttoning his shirt, I lowered my hands and nervously shifted on my feet.


    ¡°Why did you stop? The shirt is still on my body. Remove it.¡± He ordered huskily. His impatient authoritative voice send a delicious shiver down my spine.


    I ttened my hands on his chest and felt his muscles flex under my touch. Trailing my hands up his shoulder I slid the shirt down which fell on the floor. I tried to back away but he stopped me by putting his hand behind my neck.


    ¡°Pants Ariana.¡± He whispered bringing me closer to him.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°My pants are still on.¡± Taking my hands in his, he slid them down his chest to his stomach to his pants and left them there. My heart was thumping loudly. I fiddled with the button but failed to open it.


    He grunted. ¡°Ariana your slow moves are making me insane. If you¡¯ll continue this pace I¡¯ll burst anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°I.. can¡¯t help it.¡± My voice was low and trembling.


    ¡°The fact is¡­only you can help it.¡± He groaned closing his eyes.


    ¡°Damn it. Enough of the lesson for tonight. I can¡¯t take it anymore.¡± Saying that he swiftly lifted me up and dumped me on the bed softly. Removing his pant in a jiffy he removed my clothes too.


    He was so impatient that in the blink of an eye he was inside me. His swift movement fired heat in my body.


    ¡°You feel like heaven.¡± He moaned and kissed me. His thrust were hard which made my body quiver by the force of his thrust. I moaned and whimpered with his every thrust. The intimacy intensified passion in me. It didn¡¯t take us long to shudder in ecstasy. My eyes rolled up and my toes curled due to force of turbulence that developed inside.


    ¡°I love you.¡± He breathed heavily touching his forehead with mine.


    ¡°I love you too,¡± I whispered back regaining my breath too.


    ¡°My piglet.¡± He smiled kissing my forehead.


    ¡°My Xavier.¡± I smiled kissing his neck.


    And we both again danced on the tune of our desires. The whole night he demanded his answers. I gave him all the answers he needed. He made me promise to answer his every question forever and that too without hesitation.


    And I promised him to give all the answers till myst breath.


    Sometimes life entangles us in situations from which we don¡¯t want toe out.


    Life entangled me with Xavier which is the most beautiful & memorable part of my life. And I wish to be entangled with him.. for ever.

 茅PILOGUE 64 ??

    Ariana Knight


    If anyone wants to know the definition of bliss and paradise, they should contact me because I can now perfectly define those as I have experienced and is still experiencing happiness more closely.


    Thest 6 months have been so beautiful that I can¡¯t exin them in words. Life with Xavier is no less than paradise.


    I have been growing as a working woman. It wasn¡¯t easy to make way for myself but despite being judged at every step I tried to give my best. With Xavier supporting me as my backbone I walked forward confidently and took many decisions as the CEO.


    Initially, it was hard as I was unable to finalize some deals and was criticized for that but my family¡¯s support didn¡¯t let me down. I even started learning software development again to get in touch with new enhancements so that I could keep pace with time.


    Xavier and I always make time for each other. No matter how busy we get at work, we always find time to meet each other. We never discuss work when we¡¯re in bed. There, we cuddle, snuggle, and love to keep our feelings intact.


    Xavier has done everything in his power to punish every single person who gave me pain. When the deadline I gave to Andrew Smith crossed, he wasn¡¯t able to give the promising result so for the betterment of thepany I discontinued the contract signed with hispany. He got angrier and tried to harm me but as always Xavier was with me, he didn¡¯t let Andrew Smith touch me.


    Xavier sued the whole Smith family for mentally and physically torturing me. My statements were taken by the police and court. Xavier made sure that no news reaches the media to keep me away from tortures of media.


    When police went to Baron Smith¡¯s house, they found both father and son overdosed with drugs so the court sent them to a drug rehab center to bring them back in their sense. After a few days of being in rehab, they were brought in front of the court and there they epted what they did to me. They both have to stay in rehab until they get normal and after that, they will be sent to prison for 4 years.


    Andrew Smith didn¡¯t ept his doings and even my mother didn¡¯t speak against Andrew so, for now, he¡¯s not behind bars as no proofs were found against him but Xavier didn¡¯t spare him from his wrath. ording to Xavier ¡°to bring someone down on their knees, all you have to do is an attack on their most precious thing.¡± And for Andrew, his businesspany is most precious to him. I don¡¯t exactly know what Xavier did but Andrew¡¯spany is now in the state of bankruptcy which has made Andrew lose his mind. This is Xavier¡¯s way of mentally torturing him.


    Xavier did the same to Chris Silva, his business too is falling apart and he is struggling to keep it intact.


    Xavier is fighting for me with every one and this is making me fall for him even more. I was going through so many things but Xavier didn¡¯t let me feel low even for once.


    I had lovely news to share with Xavier so I went to his office building. The moment I reach there I was cornered by my friends. After assuring them to have talk with themter I reached Xavier¡¯s floor. He still hasn¡¯t appointed any P. A for himself. I knocked on the door and after the sound of e in¡¯ I entered inside to give him a surprise.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said cheerfully keeping my hands at the back holding a bag in them. His face lifted up from the files which portrayed surprise.


    ¡°Hey, What are you doing here? I mean.. suddenly. Is everything okay?¡± He stood up and came up to me.


    ¡°Everything is perfect. I just have something for you. I couldn¡¯t wait to give it to you so I here I am.¡± I replied.


    ¡°What is it?¡± He asked in confusion.


    ¡°Remove your suit jacket.¡±


    ¡°Woah! Someone is in mood in broad daylight. Huh?¡± He smirked stepping towards me. I blushed profusely at hisment. Not his mistake, it was mine. I should have said something else.


    ¡°Well, I am always ready to fulfill my wife¡¯s wish.¡± He removed his jacket hastily and started opening his shirt buttons.


    ¡°Xavier stop. It¡¯s not what I meant.¡± I grabbed his hand to stop him from opening his shirt buttons.


    ¡°No?¡± He made sulky expressions. ¡°Then why you want me to remove my jacket?¡± He sighed.


    ¡°Because of this,¡± I said showing him the paper bag in my hand. ¡± A t-shirt for you. Try it on.¡± I said.


    ¡°A t-shirt? You came here just to make me try a t-shirt?¡± He asked in disbelief. I mentally rolled my eyes and taking out the t-shirt I made him wear it.


    ¡°Now go and look in the mirror.¡± My eyes started welling up with moisture but I didn¡¯t let them fall instead I smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a t-shirt Ari which is a bit oversized. What is in it to look in the mirror?¡± He rolled his eyes.


    ¡°It is not just a t-shirt. Now go and have a look.¡± I forcefully pushed him in the adjoining bathroom.


    He took almost five minutes toe with and when he came he had tears in his eyes.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± He asked pointing his fingers at the words written on the t-shirt.


    ¡®Dad, I am on my way.¡¯ It was written on the shirt with a photo of baby.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Nodding my head I let the tears slip out of my eyes. Xavier ran towards me and hugged the life out of me.


    ¡°Thank you. Thank you so much for giving me this happiness.¡± He sniffed resting his head on my shoulder.


    ¡°When did you find out?¡± He asked, slightly pulling away.


    ¡°Today itself. I was suspicious so to confirm it, I visited the doctor and then I found out that I am three weeks pregnant.¡± I smiled with teary eyes.


    ¡°Why I¡¯m not aware of your visit to a doctor?¡±  He frowned.


    ¡°Because I hid it from you.¡± I said in the ¡®duh¡¯ tone andughed.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re going to be parents.¡± He whispered dreamily touching my stomach. Then all of a sudden he started shouting excitedly jumping up and down on the floor.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be a dad. We are going to be parents.¡±


    ¡°We are.¡± Iughed at his excitement.


    ¡°This is the best news I have ever heard.¡± He said cupping my face and leaned in to im my lips.


    ¡°How should we tell it all?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a family dinner.¡±


    We invited them to our home to give them the breaking news.


    ¡°Are you fucking serious?¡±


    ¡°Daniel. Sean.¡± I rebuked. We were sitting in the living room after dinner and when we told all of them about my pregnancy, Mom, dad started crying and both of my brothers shouted in astonishment.


    ¡°Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. I have been waiting to hear this for so long. I am sorry Princess but I can¡¯t hold my excitement. I. Am. Going. To. Be. An. Uncle.¡± Daniel shouted on top of his lungs and enveloped me in a bear hug.


    ¡°Let her breathe.¡± Xavier scowled and pushed him away from me. Leaving me, Daniel jumped onto Xavier making him stumble on his steps.


    ¡°Goodness, Ariana you just gave the best news of all time.¡± Sean too pulled me in a bear hug and kissed my forehead.


    ¡°I am so happy today. I¡¯m going to be a grandmother.¡± Mom cupped my face, she had tears in her eyes.


    ¡°And I grandfather. Finally. Thank for making this possible.¡± Dad kissed my forehead.


    ¡°I will be the best uncle in the world for my niece or nephew.¡± Daniel pped his hands.


    ¡°Excuse me? I am also in line.¡± Sean scowled at him.


    ¡°So what? You will be uncle number two and I uncle number one.¡± Daniel narrowed his eyes at him.


    ¡°I will be number one.¡± Sean too narrowed his eyes at him.


    ¡°Princess, Xavier. Are you listening to him? Tell him that I¡¯ll be number one.¡± Daniel whined looking at both of us.


    Xavier and I shook our head and listened to their never-ending bickering.


    9 monthster


    Xavier Knight


    It¡¯s a baby girl


    My heart skipped a beat when I heard that. This happens when you keep the gender secret.


    I nced at my love who was lying on the hospital bed; had her eyes closed and was heaving heavily. My eyes glistened with tears when I looked at the woman who endured immense pain to bring the beautiful life into existence. I kissed her forehead.


    The nurse gave the baby in Ariana¡¯s hands who cried pulling the little angel to her chest. My lips quivered watching my little world. I tried not to cry but I couldn¡¯t hold the tears.


    ¡°Xavier, our baby.¡± Ariana cried.


    ¡°Our little world.¡± I whispered admiring the angel.


    Ariana held our baby towards me for me to take her in my arms. Without hesitating I held her in my arms securely to feel the essence of the first touch of our daughter.


    And at that moment I cried even harder. I kissed her forehead with drenched eyes.


    ¡°Hey baby AMARA. It¡¯s your dad.¡± I cooed. We decided the name long ago. She stirred in my arms.


    ¡°Ari, see Amara responded to me. She heard me.¡± I looked at Ari in astonishment.


    ¡°Of course, you¡¯re her dad.¡± Ariana smiled.


    I looked at our daughter with admiration. ¡°Amara, my baby, you don¡¯t know how happy I am to hold you in my hands. And today I am promising you I will protect you from the bad eyes of the world like I am doing to your mother. I will never let anything happen to you. You¡¯ll be kept at the highest level in the family. I love you, baby.¡± I kissed her forehead again.


    cing her back in Ariana¡¯s arms I kissed Ariana.  Tears again fell from my eyes. I took her hand in mine and held it tight. ¡°Ari, I.. I am sorry. I am really sorry that you had to go through so much pain. I can¡¯t even tell you how much I cursed myself watching you going through the pain.¡±


    ¡°It was worth it. And don¡¯t cry, smile that our daughter is here.¡± She wiped my tears. She¡¯s so strong. Not for once sheined about the changes and pain she had endured for 9 months.


    I looked at her in adoration. ¡°You¡¯re stronger then I think. Thank you, Ari, for bringing a new life into existence, for giving me new life, for extending our sweet little family. I love you more and more and more.¡± I kissed her face repeatedly.


    ¡°I love you too.¡± She kissed my forehead too.


    Other impatient members of our family choose the moment to barge in the room.


    Mom took Amara in her arms and cried. Dad too cried.


    ¡°Wee to the family, baby.¡± Mom and dad said in unison.


    I looked at my friends who were still standing at the door, shifting on their feet.


    ¡°What are you two doing there? Come over here.¡± I gestured them toe closer.


    Both of them looked at the baby who was in Ariana¡¯s arms now. They both smiled with teary eyes.


    ¡°Come here, hold her¡± Ariana said to them. They both seemed hesitant. ¡°Come on, you both were excited to hold her in your arms. What happened now? Why are you hesitating?¡± She asked them.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡± Daniel whispered. Sean didn¡¯t say anything, he just looked at Amara with adoration.


    ¡°Daniel, hold her, she wants to be in her uncle¡¯s arms.¡± Ariana smiled at him. Daniel hesitantly held her in his arms and cried.


    ¡°Goodness, she¡¯s so adorable.¡± He said. ¡°Hello, Queen Amara. It¡¯s your favorite uncle, Daniel.¡± He said loudly making usugh and Sean scoffed.


    ¡°Hey hey, she smiled at me.¡± He said in astonishment. ¡°Queen Amara, I am going to spoil you rotten and no one will be able to stop me. Not even your grumpy father.¡±


    I scowled at him ¡°You can¡¯t talk bad about me to my baby.¡± Ignoring myment he continued his talk with baby.


    ¡°I¡¯ll teach you so many pranks and we will form the greatest team. And if your Dad ever scolds youe to me directly, I¡¯ll take care of him. It¡¯s a promise of your favorite uncle.¡±


    I rolled my eyes and Sean scowled more.


    ¡°Let her decide the favorite one.¡± Sean took her in his arms. ¡°Hey baby Amara. This is your uncle Sean. Make me your favorite.. please.¡± He pleaded. We allughed at him. ¡°I promise you that I¡¯ll protect you from Daniel¡¯s bad teachings. I will give you so many toys that you¡¯ll never be short of them. Hey, hey see she¡¯s smiling at me too.¡± Sean¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Daniel and Sean¡¯s never-ending bickering started again. Taking Amara in my arms I ced her back in Ariana¡¯s arms.


    Sitting beside Ariana on the bed I ced my head on hers and watch our daughter fondly who was lying on her mother¡¯s chest. I kept my hand on Ariana¡¯s which was ced on the back of the baby.


    I never knew that Ariana¡¯s unexpected entry in my life will change my life. She made me realize what love is. In a very short time, she became my world. And now our daughter has entered our little world.


    I vowed to myself to keep them safe, will make their every dreame true, and will love them till myst breath.


    I vow to remain entangled with my love for ever.


    ¨CTHE END-


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