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 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 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

Ariana felt upset? Certainly. When she tried to change her mind about accepting Gerald and this marriage, another surprising fact confronted her. Her mother-in-law did not want her there. From the beginning, the woman had approached Ariana only to ask for help so that their family wouldn't be embarrassed if her son's marriage failed. She was cut from the same cloth as Mrs. Caitlyn. Perhaps that's why the two of them could be friends. After Axel's words in the room, Ariana found her mother-in-law sitting casually in the dining room. The woman asked her to sit down and talk face-to-face. "Do you know if your twin sister has returned?" she asked without beating around the bush. Ariana wasn't really surprised. Hearing what the woman had said to Axel, her mother-in-law must have communicated well with Mrs. Caitlyn, so she knew when Karenina would be back. Ariana was reluctant to answer the question; she would let the woman say whatever she wanted to say. "I just want to thank you because

Ariana attempted to rise, her head still throbbing. She made her way to the bathroom, searching for the headache relief she usually kept there. She forgot that she hadn't bought it the last time she intended to. As a result, she went back downstairs, intending to buy the medicine from the nearest store. However, her plans were hindered by the presence of Adel and other staff members who were ready to work. Consequently, Ariana shifted her focus to her duties. She ignored the pulsating pain in her head as she tried to push away all the negative thoughts in her mind. For her, it was just a matter of time until the bomb containing the word 'divorce' escaped Gerald's lips. Shouldn't she be happy? Yes, she should be happy because that's what she had been hoping for all this time. But why did her heart say otherwise? Why wasn't she willing? Why did she feel disliking? Why did she feel disappointment and sadness? Customers started to arrive, and Ariana chose to continue working in the k