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For the past three years, Ariana Ari Harlow has given her all to her husband. The two of them got married because her sister chose to run away on the night of the wedding, as she believed the rumours that the Nelson Corporation was bankrupt. Ari loved Noah since she was sixteen, she thought it was her dream come true. However, she did not know that her sister had dug a trap for her, and it was not the beginning of her new life, rather it was her new hell. She was forced to give up her training as a doctor because the respectful Mrs Nelson could not have her hands covered in blood. Ari agreed. For the sake of Noah, she became a perfect wife who took care of her in-laws and husband. However, what waited for her was nothing but insults, her husband was ashamed of her and her mother-in-law believed that her sister, Ariel was well-matched for her son. However, Ari persisted. She thought that she would warm the heart of her husband one day. But she caught him kissing her sister! Heartbroken, Ariana decided to divorce her husband, but she somehow found herself entangled with Nicolai. The enemy and rival of her husband. They were not meant to be together. But Nicolai doesn’t seem to care about the odds stacked against them. In fact, he was determined to break into Ari’s life and set everything on fire. In his drunken stupor, he once held her by her throat against the wall of a dingy pub, “You can deny it all you want princess, but you want me.” His eyes raked over her heaving chest and his eyes darkened, the red appearing unhinged, possessive as if he wanted to wrench her soul out of her body and embed it in his own. “Bet if I take a peek, you will be dripping wet for me.” Heat flared up Ariana's cheeks as she snarled, “Shut up.” “Make me,” said Nicolai as he smashed his lips on hers. His kisses burned into her soul, and his warmth seared her skin every time they touched. She thought that her biggest mistake was getting entangled with Nicolai. However, Ari soon realised the hard way, Literally, being wanted by such a beautiful nightmare was much worse than a mistake. And things turn complicated when her husband finds the truth about everything. “Shoot me in the heart, Ari,” said Noah as he brought the gun's nozzle where his heart lay. “Because a life without you is one that I don't want, so either kill me or come back. I beg of you.” Now that Nicolai had given her a choice, would Ari fall in love with him and jump into a life of nothing but danger? Or would she go back to her husband, Noah, whom she loved ever since she was sixteen? And would Ariana avoid the danger that lurks in the dark, waiting for her to make a mistake and lose everything dear to her? Would she find the key to all the secrets that tied her to Noah and Nicolai as well as her twisted fate? ******* Excerpt: “It's all about money, isn’t it? Take it and get lost,” He shouted while throwing the black card at Ariana’s face. Ariana couldn’t believe her ears when she heard her husband or her future ex-husband humiliate her like this. Three years. Ariana Harlow gave Noah Nelson, three years and yet when she caught him kissing her elder sister, Ariel—— this was what he said to her. “I am going to divorce you,” Ari declared and left. She left penniless but Ari stumbled into Nicolai. The enemy and rival of her husband, the Mafia prince of the Lonest City, a notorious bastard known for his violent tendencies. The ill-fated meeting placed her in Nicolai’s path, and just like that he set his eyes on her. The first time they met, Nicolai asked her to invite him to dinner. The second time, when they met, he handed her a million dollars. The third time when they met, he declared, “You will look good in my arms, what do you say princess?” ********
'Why am I still wasting my time?' Ari thought as she swirled the red wine in her glass while looking out of the window on her left.
Deep in the hollow of her heart, she knew all too well why she was stupidly sitting at the restaurant alone for six hours. She had hoped that this time, things might be different.
Ari glared at the set of untouched dishes and then at the empty seat across from her, where her husband should have been sitting.
Her husband, Noah, had dared to stand her up during their wedding anniversary celebration, despite her husband claiming that he wanted to celebrate it before. She had worked in a cafe for the past six months so that she could afford this dinner at this expensive restaurant, hoping that she could use the chance to clear up all the misunderstandings from the past three years.
But of course, he didn't show up.
Just the very thought made her blood boil. She drowned the rest of her wine in a huge gulp before slamming her glass on the table.
She should have never trusted her husband's words. Ari had taken his words as though they were carved in stone, but it turned out that Noah's words were as good as scribblings on sand, too easily washed away by the waves to matter.
Her husband also loved having double standards. Ari remembered the time when she was late for a birthday dinner that Noah had arranged for her.
It was rare for Noah to agree to take her out for dinner. However, the cafe had a sudden influx of customers that day, causing her to be late by a mere ten minutes past the reservation.
She apologised immediately when she saw Noah already sitting at their reserved table. Back then, he was dressed in a royal midnight blue suit, his blonde hair gelled back. Paired with eyes that were as grey as a rising storm, he was a vision of handsomeness that took her breath away.
But his attitude was the exact opposite of his looks. Noah had slammed his hands against the table and stood up with an annoyed look on his face as he glared at her.
'Ten minutes. You were ten minutes late. What on earth were you doing that was so important? Do you think that I have the same luxury as you, Ariana? How dare you waste my time!'
'There was a rush in the cafe——'
'I have had enough of your lousy excuses. What kind of hard-ass job do you do in that cheap cafe of yours huh? I am the CEO of a multi-million dollar company and yet I was right on time! But you…' he glanced at her with disdain. 'A minimum wage waitress was too busy to take a look at the clock!'
With that, he had left her without even looking back.
"A mere ten minutes delay and he acted like I caused him to lose his entire fortune and yet here I am, sitting here for six hours like an idiot," the alcohol coursed through her system, causing her to laugh while her eyes were brimming with tears. She helped herself to another glass.
Meanwhile, upon seeing her getting more and more drunk, the restaurant staff could not help but get worried.
"Psst, why don't you go and ask her?" A server whispered to his colleague. They did not know who this woman was, they only knew that she had been sitting in the same spot for the past six hours after extending her reservation. But she didn't even eat the food she ordered; only choosing to drink wine.
"What do you want me to say to her?" The waitress said with annoyance. "Can you not see for yourself? This is the typical show of a pitiful woman being dumped by a heartless man?"
"But we are going to close soon. She can't sit here all night!"
"Fine…. I will go and talk with her," the waitress also resigned because her colleague was right. They were closing soon and someone needed to speak to the woman.
The only reason she was being forced to volunteer was because she was a woman and a woman should know a woman best, right?
….
" Madam, I'm sorry to inform you but the restaurant is closing soon… Do you want us to help you pack up the food and cake?" The waitress asked as she looked at Ari nervously. She was afraid that the woman in front of her would beat her to death.
However, contrary to her expectations, Ari only nodded politely.
" Okay," Ari answered with a fake smile as she did not want to trouble the restaurant staff.
The server bowed as she went back inside the small kitchen to bring out the cake that Ari had ordered earlier.
Ari watched the waitress leave as if she was scared and suddenly felt even stupider. Why did she sit here for so long? Making a joke of herself?
Tick.
Because you are a joke.
Tick.
No one wanted you ever. Why did you even hope that this time would be different?
Tick.
You are a fool.
Those thoughts whirled around in her mind, and she soon felt nauseous. She took deep breaths to force her stomach to settle down.
It was fine, she was fine.
So what if her husband of three years refused to come to their anniversary celebration for the third time? It wasn't the end of the world.
Breathe. Breathe. F*cking breathe.
But she could not breathe properly as ——
Rage. Rage bubbled within her, and her mind was filled with thoughts of dousing her husband in gasoline and setting him on fire.
Ari picked up her phone and looked at the time. It was past midnight and Noah had yet to reply to any of her earlier messages,
"Madame, here's your cake."
Ari looked up at the server who returned with her cake packed in a fancy bag. Her eyes were filled with sympathy for Ari.
' So, the final chance I gave Noah went to waste huh?' Ari thought while blinking her tears away. She was not going to cry this time around as Noah had done the same thing many times already, there was no point in wasting any more tears on him.
Ding.
The sound of her phone chiming with a new message echoed in the now-silent restaurant. Ari's heart leapt as she quickly picked it up. Hope bubbled in her heart as she thought Noah had finally responded, but then as she opened the message.
Her hopes shattered and tears began to trickle down her eyes, falling her face like pearls dropping after the snap of a string.
Someone had sent her a picture of her husband, cuddling with her older sister, Ariel.
