Ariana found herself under the weight of a gaze she couldn’t shake off, feeling like she was caught in the act of something she hadn’t done. The discomfort swirled inside her, leaving her unsure of her next move. She couldn’t bring herself to meet Holden’s eyes.
Just when she was trying to muster up something to break the silence, a cold huff interrupted her thoughts. Holden moved to sit on the sofa, his expression stormy.
With her heart pounding and a sense of guilt creeping up, Ariana cleared her throat and edged closer to Holden. In a voice barely above a whisper, she asked, “What’s going on? Why the silence? Have you decided we’re not fighting anymore?”
Holden shot her a frosty look and kept his silence.
Ariana had initially brushed off the matter with the phone call as a product of Holden’s baseless accusations and jealousy. Yet, after the call, she felt guilty.
She approached Holden tentatively, tugging at his sleeve. “Are you mad?” she asked.
“I’m not mad,” Holden replied, his voice icy, his face a mask of sullen jealousy.
Hearing this, Ariana hastened to explain, “There’s truly nothing going on between Mitchel and me. He’s been a huge support. I couldn’t just ignore him. If it weren’t for his quick action to operate on me five years ago, I might have lost Melon or even my life. And Melon hasn’t been well. All these years, Mitchel has been coordinating with the hospital, working on medication to stabilize Melon. He’s been a pillar for me for a long time.”
Ariana kept speaking. She didn’t realize that she had praised Mitchel too much.
Initially, Holden felt a wave of gratitude towards Mitchel for his timely intervention five years ago. Yet, as Ariana continued to elaborate on the role Mitchel had played in her life, Holden’s emotions took a sharp turn into the realm of jealousy. He was envious that Mitchel had been the one by Ariana’s side these years.
As Ariana continued to praise Mitchel, Holden reached a breaking point. Overwhelmed by a mixture of feelings, he leaned forward and captured Ariana’s lips in a ki*s.
Ariana, caught off guard, attempted to push him away without success.
The warmth from his lips left her feeling both weakened and numb, and she found herself surrendering to the moment, her eyes closed.
Her clothing was removed with care as Holden peppered her skin with ki*ses.
Ariana felt his embrace tighten as he continued to ki*s her gently on her body.
Holden’s eyes, burning with desire, watched her intently.
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He then deepened their ki*s, causing Ariana’s face to flush and her body to soften under his touch.
This moment, so intense and familiar, transported Ariana back to a night on a cruise ship, jolting her back to reality. She pushed Holden away a bit and said, “Wait a minute.”
At her interjection, Holden, puzzled, ceased his actions and looked at her, his curiosity piqued. “What’s the matter?”
Ariana, now on the verge of tears, finally mustered the courage to reveal her past encounter. “Before… When I was at a dinner party on a cruise ship…”
She hesitantly recounted the night she had been drugged and ended up in the wrong room, leading to a one night stand with a stranger. Her voice faded to a whisper, and she could not bring herself to meet Holden’s gaze.
To her surprise, Holden responded not with anger but with affection, sealing his understanding with a ki*s. He gazed at her tenderly, saying, “Actually… That man was me.”
“What?” Ariana was left stunned by Holden’s words. Before she could process what he had said, Holden ki*sed her again.
She still harbored burning questions. Why was Holden the man from that night? How had he come to know she was the woman in that room?