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65. Welcome Home
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The Billionaire's Replacement Bride 66. Spoiled
Ariana opened the door to the balcony, and instantly, the cool air rushed into the room, tousling her hair. The scent of damp earth wafted into her nose. Ariana stepped outside. The balcony was spacious, very spacious. Some parts of the floor were covered with wood, while others were covered with Japanese grass that tickled anyone who walked on it. A wooden swing was on one side of the high glass balcony railing. On one side of the balcony, there was a long chair that looked comfortable to sit on. In the middle, there was an empty area that seemed deliberately left unfurnished. "We can camp here," Gerald said casually. He was already sitting on the swing, cross-legged, his eyes fixed on Ariana. "You like camping, don't you?" he asked again. Ariana just turned towards him and shrugged. "Back then, you went with that jerk," she muttered. Ariana smiled. Was he jealous of Chris now? She wondered to herself. "Do you even have camping gear?" Ariana challenged. Gerald just shrugged. "If
The Billionaire's Replacement Bride 67. Open Up
Ariana knew she had misspoken. She was upset with herself for saying it, but the words couldn't be taken back. "Why did you bring up your sister's name?" the man asked, clearly trying to contain his anger. "Didn't we agree to start fresh?" Ariana fell silent. She didn't know what to say. An apology wouldn't fix the situation at all, so she chose to remain quiet. Gerald seemed reluctant to continue the conversation. He pretended to be engrossed in the meat grilling on the barbecue. Soon, he placed the fragrant and delicious-smelling steak onto a plate, adding vegetables as a side. "Does camping like this remind you of Chris? Is that why you said Karenina?" Gerald asked sharply. Ariana looked up, and at that moment, he handed her the plate. Ariana accepted the plate and murmured her thanks. She placed it on the square table between them. "Chris and I don't have any relationship," Ariana replied flatly. Gerald continued to stare at her with sharp, probing eyes. "To me, he's just a
The Billionaire's Replacement Bride 68. You Don't Have To
Gerald rose from his seat, pushing the table aside that had been separating them and moving it to the farthest corner. He then slid his chair closer to Ariana. "I'm not someone who has to be served all the time, Ariana," Gerald began. "But I can't deny that gradually, I have become accustomed to all of this," he confessed. "Once, I was an independent man, just like you. I lived abroad relying on my own body and mind. Although I don't deny that financially I depended on my father, but when I was a teenager, I found my true identity. "I stood on my own feet. I started everything from scratch. I mingled with people whose situations were far below mine. "So don't think that I can't socialize with carpenters, gardeners, or even rickshaw drivers. I mingled with them much longer than I have with socialites these days. "You need to know, all the socializing with socialites, it's not something I genuinely desire. It's just a demand of the role I'm playing right now. "Socializing is essen
The Billionaire's Replacement Bride 69. Open
Ariana's smile faded. She turned and looked at Gerald. Truthfully, his ego was bruised because Ariana didn't offer any other response to his recent confession. It's foolish to say that genuine love doesn't need a reply. Because in reality, Gerald wanted an answer. But then, he faintly heard Ariana say, "Forgive me," her voice barely audible. Gerald furrowed his brow upon hearing this. She didn't need to apologize. Apologies were synonymous with the rejection he anticipated. And he didn't like that. "I've been trying to reject everything, honestly because I was afraid," her continued words clearly made Gerald sense something deeper. He gazed at Ariana, who seemed to be staring into the darkness far away. "I've been trying to shut myself off at every opportunity. I refused to like anyone. And I refused to fall in love. Falling in love was never in my vocabulary," she replied honestly. Gerald again gently rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. "Why?" he asked, curious to know.
The Billionaire's Replacement Bride 70. We Can Try
"Are we going to start everything anew?" Gerald returned to his initial question. They had finished the fried rice Ariana had made, and now they were watching a TV show that didn't fully capture their attention. "I don't know," Ariana replied softly. Gerald raised one of his legs onto the sofa. He deliberately turned his body toward Ariana. As he had done before, he played with a strand of Ariana's hair and tucked it behind her ear. "We can give it a try," Gerald made the decision for both of them. Ariana looked up at him, staring at him intensely. "We can give it a try," Gerald repeated with confidence. "Me, you, and Axel. We can be a simple little family. I won't ask much of you. I'll give you my loyalty, and that's all I ask for in return," Gerald requested. "I won't force you to cater to me as a 'husband' in the bedroom," he said jokingly. "I'll wait until you're ready to give yourself. Well, with a sprinkle of spice, as usual, seems fair enough," he continued, teasingly. Re
The Billionaire's Replacement Bride 71. Cute
Standing side by side in front of the sink, each holding a toothbrush in hand and mouths filled with foam, Ariana suddenly imagined a scene from a Korean drama. It made her chuckle to herself. Gerald, towering in front of her, stared at her with a furrowed brow. "What?" he asked, his mouth filled with white foam. "It's nothing," Ariana replied casually. She had finished brushing her teeth and was now rinsing her mouth. Gerald helped her by holding Ariana's long hair at the back of her neck while he also rinsed his mouth using his right hand. They then washed their faces with the magical face soap that was already in the bathroom shelf. Again, Ariana found this amusing. They were like kids asked by their mom to go through bedtime routines. The difference was, they did it willingly. Their faces and mouths felt fresh. Ariana was about to leave the bathroom when Gerald tugged at the hem of her shirt. "Are you planning to sleep in these clothes?" he asked. Ariana looked down at her outf
The Billionaire's Replacement Bride 72. You Think
Gerald left Ariana with a pair of short workout shorts in her hands. After he closed the walk-in closet door, only then did Ariana realize what they had just done in there. She slumped down weakly onto the long chair in the room, gripping Gerald's shorts tightly. Oh God, what had they just done? No. Ariana shook her head vigorously. It wasn't what 'they' did. It was what 'she,' she herself, had done. Why had she allowed herself to be treated like that by Gerald? Ariana covered her face with the pants still in her hands, stifling her scream. Oh God, why had she acted so cheap? She wondered in her heart. She was utterly embarrassed. Truly. Even though it wasn't the first time they had flirted, and they had even gone further than that, still. Arrggghhh… Ariana quickly took off her jeans and put on Gerald's workout shorts. That darn guy. Ariana thought he would give her workout pants the size of basketball shorts, covering her legs down to her calves. In reality, he gave her workout sh
The Billionaire's Replacement Bride 73. Feedback
"According to you?" Ariana replied, her tone ambiguous. "Just answer," Gerald grumbled. Ariana chuckled. "I see him as a big brother. That's all. Nothing more," she replied honestly. "Is there no man you consider a man, someone you could fall for?" Gerald asked again. "Why? If I say there is someone like that, will you go digging for information about him?" Ariana asked again. Gerald seemed to shrug his shoulders again. "Perhaps," he replied. Ariana laughed. "In that case, I prefer to remain silent." "Why?" Gerald asked again. "I don't want you to do something unreasonable. Disturbing someone's life who may not even be aware of my existence," Ariana replied flatly. "So, there is someone. Your first love?" he asked again, his voice tense. "I'm human, Gerald. I'm a woman who went through adolescence. I experienced puberty like any other kid. If not, maybe I wouldn't be a normal woman now, would I?" Ariana retorted. Gerald fell silent. What Ariana said was true. But for some rea
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