Chapter 519
Her mind was spiraling and Arianna found herself unable to breathe. What was she going to do? She finally saw Elijah’s face. In the past, she would have been excited at the prospect of escaping, but not anymore, not now that she has a life with Marcel. But then, she couldn’t tell Marcel about Elijah either, no, she couldn’t. He would kill him.
God, what was she going to do? Arianna ran her hands through her head in both confusion and annoyance. She might have seen Elijah’s face but there was no way to communicate with him and change his mind.
He was trying to get himself killed and she didn’t want his death to be on her. It would kill her. But she couldn’t lie to Marcel as well, not when Elijah was too forward with his feelings for her. What if the next time he threatens her to get into bed with him? What would she do then?
Arianna was torn within.
Seeing the shadow cast between the little space beneath the door, Arianna quickly got into bed. It wouldn’t help matters if Luca caught her pacing up and down the room and reported it to Marcel. For now, she would keep a calm head and think of how to solve this problem.
Marcel can’t know of this. He was too hot-headed and would plunge deeply into searching for Elijah. That can’t happen yet. Not now. There were other desperate issues to solve, like Clara and Daniel. This one would have to wait.
Luca didn’t come into the room, he just stood there and after a while, Arianna was almost tempted to climb out of the bed when the doorknob clicked and she forced her eyes closed immediately, willing her body to relax and assuming a sleeping state.
It wasn’t Luca, Arianna realized with a furrow of her brows. With her eyes closed, her hearing was heightened and she was able to pick up sounds easily. Arianna could tell the footsteps apart having spent time studying them, it wasn’t Lucas’ yet it felt oddly familiar. What was she missing?
.....
And while she was lost in her thoughts, the footsteps came closer till she felt a dip in her bed and Arianna’s body went rigid. A stranger was climbing into her bed? But it didn’t make sense, Luca wouldn’t let anyone else into her bed but Marcel unless he was tired of living.
Then it hit her, the same time Marcel’s scent washed over her and her heart galloped. Marcel was here, her heart fluttered like the wings of a butterfly, however, guilt crept in at the same time when she remembered what happened between her and Elijah moments ago. She didn’t deserve Marcel, and Arianna was plunged with guilt.
“Hey love,” Marcel murmured, kissing down her exposed neck and leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake.
Arianna managed to murmur something incomprehensive to convince Marcel that she was deep asleep and funny enough, Marcel chuckled, finding it cute. The gesture seem to motivate him either way and Marcel continued to attack her neck with kisses, leaving Arianna no choice but to force her eyes open.
“Marcel...” She murmured sleepily, hoping that was enough to convince him.
“Wake up, sleepy head,” He said, his kisses now moving upward, kissing her cheeks and brushing across her lips teasingly.
“What are you doing here?” Arianna tried to gently pull Marcel away from her – she couldn’t act intimate with him, not after what happened with Elijah – however, he was persistent and trapped her beneath him with his body.
“Why? What is wrong?” Marcel finally asked, having sensed her resistance.
“What?” Arianna pretended to be dumb.
“I can’t help but feel like you’re not happy to see me?” Marcel pointed out, regarding her intensely.
Arianna’s mouth fell open and closed at the same time. What was she going to do? She can’t just tell him that Elijah came out of nowhere and kissed her? It would destroy everything they’ve built so far. Marcel was possessive and quite sensitive about Elijah, so you can imagine what would happen if she told him the truth.
Would Marcel even believe her? That she wanted nothing to do with the kiss and her feelings for him haven’t changed one bit even with Elijah’s return? Arianna doubted that. He would be too blinded with rage and betrayal to see the truth staring right at him. That was why she couldn’t tell him the truth now.
“Of course not, I’m just surprised to see you!” Arianna denied it, hoping to God that he believed her.
Unfortunately, there was still that look of suspicion in his eyes and she gulped. She had to do something to draw the attention away from her.
“What about Clara?” She said, startling Marcel with the suddenness of the question.
“Oh,” A smile slowly crept up Marcel’s face. Arianna was jealous and eager to hear the details of the wedding, he thought. If only Marcel knew that was exactly what Arianna wanted him to think.
“What do you think happened?” He teased her.
Marcel then climbed over her carefully so he was straddling her without pushing all of his weight on her. Her breath caught in her throat when he intertwined their fingers together, pressing them to the bed, and leaning over her so they were staring right at each other’s face, their breaths interchanging.
Arianna was distracted by his delicious body pressing down on her and asked without thinking, “Did the both of you get married?”
Marcel rolled his eyes, “You’re such a dummy,” He called her, making her pout her lips.
“Would I be seducing you right now if I had a bride at home waiting for me at home to fulfill our nuptial, not that I ever planned on doing it with Clara even if she was the last woman on earth?” He confessed boldly.
Arianna was relieved. Although she looked calm, beneath the surface, she had been anxious about the news. But it looks like she had nothing to worry about in the end. Marcel did it again. He fought for both of them.
“How did you do it?” She was curious to know.
“You ask too many questions,” Marcel complained as he leaned down and kissed her, the heat of his mouth and the force of the kiss stealing her breath away.