로그인NATHAN'S POV I could only smile and shake my head at her stubbornness. She was still as headstrong as ever.Ariana had already put her walls back up, acting as though she hadn't buried her face against my chest just moments earlier while the doctor stitched her wound. I didn't mind at all. Knowing she had instinctively turned to me in her moment of pain, without pushing me away, stirred a quiet sense of pride within me.It was the first time she had shown me her vulnerable side. Throughout our marriage, she always acted as though she didn't need me.Or maybe she did, and I was the one who always ignored it.I figured she must be exhausted, so I decided to let her rest. I was about to close the door to her room when something made me take one last look. Before I knew it, I found myself walking into the room.Ariana?” The room was so quiet because its owner had already drifted off to sleep on the bed.Ariana's expression was peaceful, and her eyes were tightly shut. I adjusted her posi
ARIANA'S POV The doctor had to stitch my wound again after it reopened. I don't know why, but the pain felt much worse this time. Maybe it was because I was awake while they were treating it. The pain made it hard for me to think straight, and I didn't even realize I had been holding tightly to the back of Nathan's shirt the entire time.He didn't say a word. He simply let me cling to him as I tried to bear the pain. Every so often, I felt his hand gently stroking my back, silently comforting me.When the treatment was finally over, embarrassment slowly crept over me.His neatly pressed shirt was now creased, and only then did I realize I had spent the entire time hiding my face against his chest, too afraid to look at my own blood.“I'm sorry,” I murmured after clearing my throat.Nathan didn't seem bothered by what I had done, and that filled me with relief. At least he understood. It's alright. You should get some rest now. Your cousin's brother has already been dealt with ; He wo
ARIANA'S POV The clock had already passed midnight. I had drifted off about an hour earlier, shortly after the doctor came in to check on Lillian. I waited until she was fast asleep before settling onto the sofa. I had been flipping through a magazine, but eventually, sleep got the better of me.“Miss?” A man's voice stirred me awake.As my vision slowly came into focus, I finally made out the man standing in front of me. He was staring at me with a look of shock and disbelief.“Ariana?”Daniel?” A warning bell immediately went off in my head. I quickly got to my feet.Daniel instinctively took a step backward. His face had gone pale as his eyes swept over me from head to toe.“What are you doing here, Daniel?” I asked sharply.I could still clearly remember everything Lillian had said during her earlier conversation with him. I had seen the way he treated her, just as he used to treat me, perhaps even worse, and it filled me with anger. Lillian was his own sister. How could he treat
ARIANA'S POV Ariana?” Lillian swallowed hard, quickly ending the call and slipping her phone into her pocket. “Why are you here? You should be in bed resting.She gestured toward the bandage on my arm with a tilt of her chin. That just made me grin with a hit of bitterness.She was the one who needed proper rest.Lillian looked as pale as a sheet , and I knew it wasn't just because I caught her talking to Daniel; She truly looked unwell. She must have lost a lot of blood due to what happened earlier.What about you?” I reached out my hand. “Is that Daniel? Can I speak to him right now?I used to avoid talking to him. No one in the family ever dared to stand up to him. My uncle and aunt spoiled him, treating him like a fucking king, and that made him believe he could treat everyone around him like servants.If I refused to do what he wanted, he would hurt me.I had always been afraid of Daniel, yet this was the first time I actually wanted to speak to him.“What do you want?” Lillia
ARIANA'S POV I reacted on instinct. My first priority was keeping my daughter safe. The moment I regained my composure, I hurried to where Elena was standing. Her eyes were wide with fear after hearing the gunshot.I scooped her into my arms and buried her face against my shoulder, wrapping a hand around her as I tried to shield her from everything.I looked around, trying to figure out where the gunshot had come from.“We have to get out of here right now,” Damian insisted. He stepped in front of Elena and me, doing his best to protect us.What's happening?” I asked, completely confused.Just a few moments ago, everything had been calm and peaceful. Then the sound of gunfire sent everyone in the restaurant into a panic, scrambling to find safety.“I don't know. It could be a mass shooting, or maybe the police are after a fugitive nearby,” Damian said. “We need to get out of here now.I nodded.My hands shook with fear, but I held my daughter tightly in my arms. Just as I was about t
ARIANA'S POV Damian offered to take me anywhere I wanted, but honestly, I don't feel like going anywhere today. So we decided to go along with Elena's choice. Where else would we end up but the amusement park? After going on a few rides, she started looking a little tired, so we decided to rest at a restaurant for a while.I sat down the moment I saw an empty chair. I had no appetite while my daughter went to order something.“Maybe you'd like something to eat? You haven't had breakfast,” Damian asked as he took the seat beside me.“I'm not hungry.Are you not hungry, or did Sophia make you lose your appetite?” he asked.Damian looked at me with gentle eyes before saying, “Don't worry. I've already asked someone to take down those ridiculous news posts.Did he know? Of course, he did. He must have seen the same thing while scrolling through social media.Thank you,” I said. Even with everything he had on his plate, he still took the time to deal with something as insignificant as thi







