Chapter. 14

{Third person's pov}

The bathroom door was still shut, water running softly inside while Everett sat there in silence, staring at the phone resting on the nightstand.

He wasn’t angry because she had a life before marriage. But something about the message, about the familiarity of it, unsettled him more than he expected.

And Everett hated unexpected feelings.

The bathroom door finally clicked open..Arizona stepped out, drying her damp hands slightly before pausing. Because Everett was looking at her.

His fingers tapped once against the phone beside him.

“Max,” he said calmly. “Who is he?”

“And before you answer,” he added quietly, “I’d prefer the truth over comfort.”

Arizona sighed, "Just a classmate from the college." She said and sat infront of the dressing table to dry her hair.

Everett watched her through the mirror, “Classmate,” he repeated slowly, like he was testing the word against the message he had read.

His gaze shifted briefly to the phone again before returning to her reflection. “He calls every classmate ‘babygirl’?”

Arizona continued drying her hair, avoiding his eyes for a second too long, and Everett noticed that immediately.

He leaned back slightly against the headboard, studying her quietly before speaking again. “You don’t have to hide things from me to avoid problems,” he said. “I dislike lies more than complications.”

Then his voice lowered, more focused now. “Did he bother you today?”

His expression remained controlled, but there was something colder underneath now. “Arizona.... Look at me when you answer.”

"He proposed me a long time ago and I rejected him, ever since then he keeps following me in the campus and bothering me." She said, looking right into his eyes.

"Today he held my wrist so I slapped him in front of the whole campus." She added.

And just then her phone rang it was an unknown number. "Pick it up." he said.

She picked up the call. "Miss. Arizona? I am your Head of the department speaking, I would like to speak to your gaurdian."

The phone was on the speaker, Everett looked at her and streched his hand for her to hand him the phone.

Arizona placed the phone in his palm. Everett brought it to his ear, posture calm, composed, the kind of calm that usually made people nervous.

“This is Everett,” he said evenly. “Her husband.”

There was a brief pause from the other side.

“Yes, Mr. Everett,” the HOD replied carefully, tone changing immediately. “There was an incident on campus today involving Miss. Arizona and another student...”

“A boy held her wrist,” Everett interrupted calmly. “And she defended herself.”

Arizona looked at him instantly. His eyes met hers briefly.

The HOD cleared his throat awkwardly. “There were… complaints regarding public disturbance, Mr. Everett. We thought it appropriate to inform the family before the matter escalates.”

Everett leaned back slightly against the bed, one arm resting casually, too casually. “And the boy?” he asked.

Another pause.

“He claims there was a misunderstanding.”

Everett’s jaw ticked once. “A misunderstanding,” he repeated softly.

Then his tone became professional. Cold. Precise.

“Let me make something clear, Professor. If a man grabs my wife against her consent and she slaps him for it, then she showed more restraint than most people would.”

Beside him, Arizona stared at him quietly.

“If your institution is more concerned about the slap than the harassment leading to it, then perhaps we should reevaluate where accountability lies.”

The HOD immediately shifted tone again, more cautious now. “N-No, Mr. Everett, of course not. We only wished to avoid conflict...”

“Good,” Everett cut in smoothly. “Then handle the student appropriately.”

“Sir the boy's father is our trustee and he has complaint about your wife, it will be better if you come and solve this matter with them, in person." The HOD said.

Everett’s eyes darkened slightly at the added sentence.

Of course. Trustee’s son.

That explained the misunderstanding. He brought the phone back to his ear slowly, expression unreadable now.

“What time?” he asked. The HOD sounded relieved he hadn’t outright exploded. “Tomorrow morning, sir. Around eleven, if possible.”

“I’ll be there.” The call ended. A heavy silence settled in the room afterward.

Everett placed the phone down with controlled precision before leaning back slightly, one hand rubbing briefly against his jaw.

Then he looked at Arizona. “You slapped him hard enough to create campus gossip,” he said evenly. “Good.”

There wasn’t even a hint of disapproval in his voice.

If anything, it sounded approving.

He stood up from the bed and walked toward the window, staring out into the dark grounds of the mansion for a moment.

When he spoke again, his tone had changed, that cold CEO edge settling fully into place. “Tomorrow, you won’t say a word unless I ask you something directly.”

Not because he wanted to silence her.

He walked back toward the bed, stopping in front of her. “Did he leave marks on your wrist?” he asked quietly.

Arizona looked at her wrist and then shook her head, Everett’s gaze stayed on her wrist for another second anyway.

Like he was checking for himself. Only when he was satisfied did he straighten slightly. “Good,” he said quietly.

"What exactly did he say after you slapped him?” The question came instantly.

Because Everett was the kind of man who paid attention to threats.

"He said he will get me.... and then he left." She said as she walked towards him and stood next to him near the window.

"I am sorry for causing the trouble." She added. Everett went completely still beside her.

“He said he’ll get you,” he repeated quietly.

Like he was memorizing the words.

“What exactly are you apologizing for?” he asked.

There was no anger in his voice.

“You were harassed. You defended yourself. And now a college is asking you to justify it because the boy’s father has influence.”

“And somehow you think you’re the problem?”

His gaze held hers steadily. For the first time since she met him, there was visible irritation, not at her, but at the fact that she instinctively blamed herself.

“You need to stop apologizing for things that were done to you.” The words came quieter this time.

“When people are treated badly for long enough,” he said calmly, “they start thinking survival itself is inconvenience.”

“You don’t have to survive alone anymore.”

Silence settled,“And for the record,” he added dryly, “if you had broken his nose, I’d still be attending that meeting tomorrow.”

She bit her lips, "Umm can you hold me?" She looked into his eyes, her eyes were shining with tears, for the first time she felt understood.