Chris chuckled. But he then followed Ariana to the trunk and helped the girl unload her actual luggage, not much. "Have you been virgins?" sneered Chris. Ariana kicked the man's leg until the man groaned. "Damn you!" he cursed. He pulled a paper bag from the trunk roughly. When he turned around, he saw Gerald staring intently at him. "What is he doing here?" asked the man sarcastically. "Suits me. This is a public place," Chris replied before Ariana could retort. Fine, let these ownerless dogs bicker with each other. Ariana chose to ignore them and went back towards the restaurant entrance. "What about you? Why are you here?" Chris's question reached Ariana's ears before she opened the door. "Finding my wife," Gerald answered. He walked closer, and perhaps due to his long legs or maybe he was half-running, because his steps were in line with Ariana's when she opened the door. Amber stared at the three of them in turn. Her face clearly displayed her confusion. But Ariana ignored h
Gerald looked at Ariana, astonished. In the brief duration of their marriage, it was the first time he had seen Ariana laugh. Was that old cartoon character story really that amusing to her? Gerald wondered. Nonetheless, he found himself smiling at her reaction. Their breakfast was clearly over, but because Chris was still there, Gerald felt reluctant to leave. That man was a threat to Gerald. Seeing how close Ariana was to Chris, it made Gerald feel incredibly alone. "Boss?" Vivan tried to remind him. She knew her boss had seemed uneasy since earlier. Not for any particular reason, but Gerald had a lot of schedules today that he couldn't afford to miss due to his absence while searching for Ariana. "She already invited you to leave, why don't you?" Ariana said, wiping the corners of her eyes that were watering. Gerald looked at her with narrowed eyes. "Fine, you go far away. If necessary, don't come back here again. Ariana is clearly happier with me than with you," Chris said. A
It was already ten in the evening, and Gerald found himself in front of Ariana's restaurant once again. Not that he wasn't tired – he was utterly exhausted. His shirt, which had been neatly buttoned earlier, was now undone, and his tie had been removed. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows, and his perfectly combed hair was now disheveled. If only Ariana was an easy-to-handle girl, he wouldn't have to go through all of this trouble. But he did all of this because he knew Ariana wouldn't return willingly. She would either stay at the restaurant or, worse, she might go back to her apartment. And Gerald didn't want that. He didn't know why, but he felt that being possessive of Ariana was something he needed to do. Torn between entering the restaurant or not, Gerald decided to wait in his car until he saw the last customer leaving the restaurant. After about fifteen minutes, he saw one of the employees exiting the front door, ready to put up the announcement board. "Is
Ariana quickly got out of the car and went inside, ignoring Gerald, who remained silent in the car, his eyes glaring at Vivan sharply. Vivan, who got out and opened the car door for his boss, fell silent out of confusion. Gerald gestured with his finger, signaling for Vivan to bow. And as Vivan did so, the man immediately opened his mouth and exhaled his breath in front of his assistant. "Does my breath stink?" he asked Vivan. "Answer honestly," he commanded. Vivan smiled and then shook his head. "No, Boss," the man replied. Gerald furrowed his brow. "You're speaking the truth, right?" he asked incredulously. "Honestly, Boss, one hundred percent," Vivan replied earnestly. "In that case, why did she say something so mean?" Gerald had now risen and stepped out of the car. His gaze was fixed on Ariana, who had already walked far inside her house. Vivan shrugged. "Your wife is quite a remarkable woman, Boss," he replied with suppressed amusement. Gerald narrowed his eyes, looking at
Ariana stared. She knew this couldn't be done. She couldn't just give her body to Gerald because they had no love. Moreover, later, Gerald will become Karenina's husband. But her brain and body don't work in sync. When her brain said no, her body said otherwise. And she liked his touch. Just like the first day, she became that man's wife. She enjoyed it. Her body just writhed, wanting more than just the deep kiss her husband gave her. Can he do it? Will he regret it later if he does this? Ariana didn't want to think. She just wanted to enjoy all the pleasure that the man's hands and mouth gave her. Gerald lowered his head and started kissing her neck. Ariana was tempted. Even when the man's hand touched her chest, she didn't mind and instead arched her body, asking for more. Other parts of his body felt hot and wet. Oh God, Ariana's brain warned her to stop all this. But her body wasn't willing if the man's touch just stopped. Gerald's head lowered even further. Continue kissi
Gerald emerged shortly afterward, a towel hanging low on his hips. Ariana went back into the bathroom to replace him. "Where are you going?" Gerald asked, confused. Ariana didn't answer; she just went in and started cleaning herself again. Less than five minutes later, Ariana returned to the room, her body shivering and her fingers wrinkled. Gerald was sitting on the bed, wearing a short-sleeved shirt and pajama pants. "Are you alright?" he asked, concerned. Ariana just nodded and walked back to the walk-in closet, grabbing her own sleepwear. She clearly wasn't alright now. Wasn't she running a fever just yesterday? And today, correction, tonight, she had already drenched herself in the bathroom three times. Ariana quickly dressed, choosing clothes randomly. As a result, she ended up wearing a thin silk nightgown. Fortunately, the bottom of the gown touched her ankles, although the top almost revealed her chest. But Ariana promptly covered it with a matching robe. When she stepped
Gerald went upstairs shortly after instructing his staff to deliver breakfast to their room. Midway up the stairs, he met his grandmother. The woman looked at Gerald inquisitively. "Ariana came home last night?" she asked. Gerald nodded. "She's feeling unwell," he informed briefly. Mrs. Rosaline just nodded. "Is there any recent news you haven't shared with Grandma?" she asked again. Gerald smiled. He was quite proud of his elderly grandmother's sharp mind, despite her advanced age. "It seems like a surprise will be coming our way soon," Gerald replied. His grandmother simply nodded. She continued her way downstairs, while Gerald proceeded upstairs to their room. Gerald sensed a different atmosphere when he opened the bedroom door. Ariana's gaze had returned to its usual intensity. Sardonic and challenging. Not soft and compliant like it was last night. What had changed in her during the few minutes Gerald had been away? "Axel, sweetheart. Shouldn't you be getting ready for schoo
Panic. Gerald left the room, intending to find Ariana's whereabouts. However, at the same time, he saw Yosef climbing the stairs. "Mrs. Ariana is already downstairs, sir," the old man said. Gerald immediately stopped in his tracks. He felt a sense of relief instantly. He had been afraid Ariana might pull her silent act again and leave the house abruptly, just like she did some time ago. Gerald nodded and walked back to his room, asking Yosef to follow him. "What happened yesterday when I didn't come home? I didn't get any report from you," Gerald asked. The old man remained silent, his usual expression unchanged. "Your mother-in-law came again yesterday. But not for long. Other than that, there's nothing else, sir." "I heard Mommy telling all the staff that Axel's mother is not Ariana," Gerald inquired. Yosef nodded. "You don't need to worry about it. I've asked all our staff to keep their mouths shut," he replied. "I don't want any more rumors about that woman. Especially not rea