Ariana nervously swallowed her saliva as she noticed a different aura on Gerald's face. "I told you, I let her go," he growled. "If I truly wanted to keep her as my wife, I would have pulled her back even before she set foot at the airport. Which part of that sentence didn't you understand?" Gerald asked, clearly annoyed. Ariana looked at Gerald in confusion. What was going on? How could the situation flip so quickly? Wasn't she the one who had been upset with Gerald just a moment ago for violating her privacy? She should be the one angry with him. But why was he now the one annoyed with her? "Gerald..." Ariana called his name. Gerald ignored her. He, like a sulking child, chose to turn away. Ariana was left gaping. Dear God, was this the adult version of Axel? she wondered inwardly. "Are you now mad at me?" Ariana asked incredulously. Gerald shot her a glare and turned his face away. Ariana was stunned. "Are you angry with me? Because I mentioned Karenina's name?" Ariana asked ag
“Mommy!” Axel's shout, accompanied by banging on the door, made Ariana immediately push Gerald away. His tall frame fell onto the bed instantly. Ariana glanced at him briefly, noticing the annoyance on his face before she got up and walked towards the door that Gerald had locked from the inside. “What's the little one bothering us for at such an important moment?” Gerald's grumble was clearly audible behind her. He had risen too and was following her. Ariana opened the door and saw Axel, already dressed in his school uniform. His hair looked messy, either wet from a shower or perhaps he had applied too much baby hair oil. But Ariana loved the fragrance wafting around him. “Mommy said she'd take Axel to school. Why are you still here?” the little boy complained. "Sorry." Those were the only words that escaped Ariana's lips. She then extended her hand to Axel, asking him to hold it tightly. Gerald faithfully trailed behind Ariana. "Where are you going?" Ariana asked the man. "To tak
"You... with Chris?" Ariana instantly furrowed her brows. Adel nodded weakly. Ariana herself felt weak just hearing it. "But why? Who arranged this for you?" Ariana asked again. "Papa. He and Uncle Jason planned it all," the girl replied. Jason was Chris's father, a cousin of Ariana's stepmother. "But what about Daffin?" Ariana asked. Daffin was Chris's younger brother, born from a different mother. He was the one Adel had liked all these years, her first love since she was fifteen. Everyone knew how much Adel liked Daffin, including Adel's parents and Chris's parents. So why were they suddenly pairing Adel with Chris and not Daffin? "I know Daffin never liked me. He always saw me as a nuisance. But Chris? Am I really being forced to marry Chris? He's so old-fashioned. Adel doesn't like him," the girl whined. Then, a name popped into Ariana's head. "What about Amber? Does she know about this?" Ariana looked at Adel with a furrowed brow. Adel's sulking face nodded. Damn it. Amber m
"That's my business, and I don't like my personal matters being interfered with," the voice said, causing Ariana and Amber to turn. Chris was standing behind them, his gaze sharp and directed at Amber. "Whether it's you or Adel, neither of you will be my choice for a wife." Chris then grabbed Ariana's arm and pulled her up. She stood up instantly, her knees aching from crouching for so long. "Chris..." Ariana tried to restrain him. Chris's words were unpleasant to hear, and Ariana was sure they would only make Amber more convinced that Chris had feelings for her. "I need to talk to you," he said. He then led Ariana out of the kitchen, pulling her towards the stairs, ignoring Adel who was staring at them in disbelief. Ariana followed Chris wherever he took her. She was no longer worried about Gerald listening to their conversation because she knew he had removed the listening device he had installed. Chris entered the room first, then let Ariana in before locking the door behind the
"I came back here with new hope, in the beginning," the man said seriously. "But then, that new hope vanished in an instant. And like you said, maybe this is the fate that God has planned for me." He continued softly, "Initially, I thought I wanted to try everything in a new way. With you," the man admitted. "But it turns out I was too late. Because you're already married to Gerald. Although I was hesitant at first, but now I know that you're captivated by his charm." Chris looked at Ariana teasingly. "You know, all of this feels funny to me. Only you know my story, and I hope this will always be our secret," Chris replied, looking hopefully at Ariana. Ariana smiled and nodded. "But leaving isn't the right choice, Chris," Ariana replied later. "You just came back recently. Don't you feel sorry for Uncle Jason?" she asked sadly. "I love my dad, Ana. You know that. But staying by his side isn't the right choice either. I just hope that when I come back again, Dad will finally realize
"In fact, I am older than Adel. She's still young, beautiful, and born into an esteemed family, just like you and Chris. You won't feel embarrassed to take her everywhere because she's fashionable, just like my twin. And most importantly, she's a girl who will obey all your desires. Not a defiant woman like me," Ariana replied passionately. Gerald was taken aback. Ariana was currently sulking at him. The word 'old' was indeed very sensitive for women. And he knew he had made a fatal mistake. Everything had already improved this morning after their quite intense dispute. Oh God, did they have to argue every time they met? They had fought twice today alone. And it was all because of two people Ariana disliked and Gerald hated. Who else but Karenina and Chris. "Darling, I'm sorry. I was jealous. She clearly did all that to make me angry. And I fell for it, I'm sorry," Gerald said, moving closer and holding Ariana's arms. Ariana glared at him. "He just called me 'darling,' and you're
Days passed by just like that. The agreement they made slowly began to take shape. Ariana tried to get to know Gerald, attempting to understand his daily life, his favorite foods, and dislikes. Trying to figure out what Gerald hated. And Gerald did the same. They now tried to understand each other better. Ariana started being friendly to Gerald, and Gerald had stopped trying to control Ariana. They both tried their best to make this relationship work. After intense negotiations, Ariana agreed to live in Zeroun's residence because she didn't want Mrs. Isidora to hate her even more, thinking that she was trying to separate the woman from her beloved granddaughter. But even though they lived together, slept in the same bed, they still held onto the agreement not to engage in a husband-wife relationship. Although, deep down, they both started to find it hard not to touch each other. But Ariana insisted that she wouldn't give herself to Gerald until she believed that his feelings were ge
Amber truly left. Even when Ariana tried to contact her, the girl had already turned off her phone. It seemed Amber intended to avoid everyone. In the end, Ariana had to take over her position at the restaurant. Ariana had informed Gerald that she couldn't have lunch and dinner with him due to Amber's sudden departure, and there was no one to replace her because all of their employees were busy with restaurant orders and catering. Adel, somehow aware of Amber's departure, came to the restaurant in the afternoon. The girl looked at Ariana apologetically. "Sorry, Ariana," she said. Ariana just chuckled. "What's there to forgive?" Ariana asked. "Everything. If only I hadn't openly rejected this arranged marriage, maybe Chris would still be here. Maybe Amber wouldn't have left," Adel said remorsefully. Ariana raised an eyebrow. "So you regret Chris leaving? Do you actually want to be arranged with Chris?" Ariana teased. Adel shook her head vigorously. "Not like that," she said. "Ade