Chapter Nineteen

Ariel looked at him, her eyes filled with curiosity. "But why? Why are you suddenly being so nice to me? And why did you kiss me?"

Xavier hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to answer. He took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. "Ariel, I've realized that I've made a lot of mistakes. I've pushed you away, treated you poorly, and I can't live with the thought of losing you. I want to make things right, to rebuild our connection and show you how much you mean to me."

Ariel's expression softened, her eyes filled with a mix of surprise and hope. "But you do know that everything that happens between us is just fake?” Ariel said to Xavier as she stroked her neck where Xavier had marked her when they first met and agreed to mate each other for the circumstances they had.

Xavier was speechless, unable to find the right words to respond to Ariel's statement. He knew she was right, that their initial agreement to mate had been based on necessity rather than genuine love. But in that momen