Chapter 3
1515 Words
CHAPTER 3
“STOP, ARIEL! IF YOU DARE TO LEAVE ME, THEN I—”
Gavin’s voice echoed through the grand hallway of the mansion. His body swayed, his breath reeked of alcohol, and his bloodshot eyes were unfocused. Ariel stood still, turning slowly, her face showing not the slightest surprise. But before Gavin could finish his threat, his body collapsed to the floor.
Thud!
“GAVIN!” Ghina screamed in panic. “Oh God! Gavin!”
Ariel didn’t move. Her eyes stared at Gavin lying unconscious on the floor, like looking at something hollow and meaningless. The man she once loved was now a complete stranger.
“WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!” Ghina turned and grabbed Ariel’s arm harshly. “THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!”
SLAP!
The second slap was harder than the first. Ariel’s head jerked to the side, but she didn’t react. Her cheek reddened, but her eyes only grew colder.
“Are you happy now? Look at my son! Look at him! He could die, Ariel!”
“I never asked him to drink five bottles of wine, Aunt. That was his choice,” Ariel replied flatly, her voice nearly void of emotion.
“HE DID IT BECAUSE OF YOU!” Ghina screamed. “YOU BROKE HIS HEART!”
“If his heart broke, it’s because he built it on lies,” Ariel answered softly but sharply. “Don’t blame others for his poor decisions.”
“SHUT UP!” Ghina raised her hand to slap again, but the door suddenly burst open. Several staff rushed in, carrying Gavin on an emergency stretcher.
“The doctor is on his way, Mrs. Ghina,” one of the staff reported.
Ariel didn’t follow. She simply stood there, staring at the floor, feeling disgusted with it all. As the footsteps faded, Ghina returned to Ariel, breathing heavily.
“If anything happens to Gavin, you’ll be the first to pay!”
Ariel sighed. For the first time, her eyes welled up—not with sorrow, but anger. “If I could erase those five years, I would. But unfortunately, I have to learn from this pain.”
Without waiting for another insult, Ariel turned and walked away. Ghina called out after her, but Ariel didn’t care. She descended the mansion’s grand staircase and stepped into the cold night air. No direction, no destination. She just wanted to be far away from everything.
***
At two in the morning, Ariel sat in the corner of a small downtown bar. The place was quiet, occupied only by two drunk couples and a bartender who looked sleepier than ready to serve. Slow jazz played softly in the background.
“One more glass, please,” Ariel said.
The bartender nodded and poured the drink into a tall glass.
Ariel stared at it for a long moment before downing it in one go. It burned her throat, but the bitterness was lighter than the ache in her chest.
She closed her eyes, trying to shut out the image of Gavin collapsing, Ghina’s screaming, and all the beautiful dreams now turned to ash.
“I can betray you too, Gavin,” she whispered. “If that’s what it takes to stop you from holding me back.”
Meanwhile, at the Chandra residence, the doctor had just finished checking Gavin’s condition.
“Doctor, how is Gavin?” Ghina asked, clearly distraught.
“His condition is very serious. His stomach is severely irritated—any more alcohol and it could have ruptured,” Dr. Harry explained, removing his gloves. “I’ve told you, Gavin must not drink. But he still went ahead like this?”
Ghina nodded, her face deeply troubled. “I know. He’s stubborn. He’s heartbroken, Doctor.”
“Mrs. Ghina, this is serious. If he drinks again, it won’t just be his stomach—his life is at risk.” Dr. Harry looked her in the eyes. “Please take care of him properly.”
Ghina nodded slowly. After the doctor left, she entered Gavin’s room. Her son lay pale in bed, an IV in his arm, his face looking much older than his age. His eyes slowly opened.
“Mom…” Gavin’s voice was hoarse, dry from deep within his throat.
“Gavin! Oh my God, sweetheart… you’re awake.” Ghina quickly held his hand. “How are you feeling?”
“I…” he murmured, eyes drifting around the room. “Ariel… where’s Ariel?”
Ghina paused for a moment, then took a deep breath. “She’s gone. That woman is cruel.”
Gavin shook his head weakly. “I need to talk to her. Please, Mom, call Ariel. I can’t lose her.”
Though hesitant, Ghina complied. She picked up Gavin’s phone and called Ariel.
Ariel’s phone vibrated on the sticky bar counter. The screen lit up: My Love calling.
Ariel scoffed lightly. She tilted her head, staring at the screen with blurry eyes. She could barely sit upright.
“Miss? Are you alright?” the bartender asked, starting to worry.
Ariel gave a soft laugh, her eyes puffy. “I’m fine.”
She got up from the bar stool, wobbling, picked up her bag, and walked toward the door. As she pushed open the heavy bar door, her body lost balance.
Ariel’s vision darkened. The world spun.
“My head… it hurts. Did I drink too much?” she muttered weakly.
She stumbled sideways, then collapsed. But before she could hit the pavement, strong arms caught her.
“Ariel?” The voice was panicked but gentle. “Hey! Hey! Look at me!”
Ariel half-opened her eyes, gazing at a blurred face. The bar music echoed faintly, as if from a distance.
The young man—tall, dark-haired, with sharp features—held her up.
Ariel could barely hear clearly. But in her daze, she murmured, “Don’t… hold me back, Gavin… please… let me go, okay?”
The man looked down at her pale face, confused. “Relax. I’m not Gavin.”
Before everything faded to black, Ariel caught a glimpse of the man’s eyes. Moments later, she passed out in his arms—unaware that he was her boss, Zayden Chandra.
The scent of cigarette smoke drifted into Ariel’s nose. She blinked slowly, her eyelids heavy but finally opening. The first thing she saw was a pristine white ceiling and the sound of night wind slipping through an open balcony.
She turned her head. A spacious room, tall glass walls, a luxurious modern chandelier—this was clearly not her room. She looked toward the balcony. A man stood there. Of course, she recognized him.
Zayden—cold, arrogant, and ruthless—was sipping a cigarette between his long fingers. His black shirt still clung to his frame, sleeves rolled to his elbows, exposing the veins on his forearms. His gaze pierced into the darkness of night.
Ariel slowly sat up. Her head throbbed, but her eyes now held full awareness. She knew exactly who he was. Her boss for the past year. Zayden Arkael Chandra—the workaholic CEO with a sharp tongue and barely a hint of a smile.
She stepped off the bed and walked quietly toward the balcony. Her steps were light, graceful. Her clothes had been changed—into a thin black satin dress, by someone unknown.
Zayden didn’t turn around as she stood behind him. “If you’ve recovered, then you should go home,” he said flatly, without looking back.
Ariel smiled faintly. “So, it was Mr. Zayden who saved me?”
Zayden merely raised an eyebrow, exhaling smoke. “I saved my reputation. It would’ve been humiliating if my executive secretary was found unconscious on the sidewalk.”
Ariel wasn’t offended. Instead, she walked closer. Then without warning, she hugged him from behind.
Zayden froze. “Ariel, what are you—”
“I’m tired of being the good girl,” Ariel whispered near his ear. “Now I want to be the kind of woman who can bite you.”
Zayden tried to pull away, but Ariel held his wrist. “You know, I can be a fox, Zayden. Wild, agile... and I can make you weak, mmm…”
“Ariel—”
Suddenly, Ariel’s lips pressed against his. Warm, soft, and sweet. Zayden’s eyes widened. He flinched, even swallowing hard when she pulled away.
“You’re insane.” His voice was hoarse, eyes wide in disbelief.
“Why? Did Mr. Zayden feel nothing?” Ariel smiled sharply. “Oh, so the rumors are true, then—that the CEO of Chandra Group is…”
Zayden grabbed her arm. “Is what?” he demanded.
“That what’s between Mr. Zayden’s legs doesn’t stand properly.”
“What did you say?” His grip on her wrist tightened.
“That Mr. Zayden’s manhood is dead. Limp.” Ariel whispered.
“You—”
Zayden’s breathing quickened. He couldn’t accept that rumor—the one claiming he was not a real man.
“Fine! I’ll prove to you the rumor isn’t true!”
- Writer
