Chapter 314
The Love From Vengeance
314: DRENCHED IN RAIN LUKEâS POV âOf course, Iâm asking you that! Why wouldnât I be asking you that?â Harriet snapped at me. We once shared this remarkable love, and it was so passionateâyour wonderful touch, your passionate kisses.â
âEnough!â I snarled. âThat was in the past. Itâs never happening anymore.â
âBecause of that witch, right? Itâs because of Ariel, right?â
âI warned you to stop talking about Ariel,â I growled, my hands trembling with rage as I grabbed Harrietâs neck, tightening my grip around her. She gasped for air, her eyes widening in fear as she struggled against my hold.
âYou⦠youâre crazy,â she wheezed out, her voice barely audible between choked breaths.
âYou have no idea,â I spat, my anger boiling over as I remembered Harriet threatening to fire a gunshot at me and Ariel during our wedding. And I could imagine the scene. where she shot Ariel at the bridge.
I wasnât there, though, but I could just picture it. How could she have the audacity to stand there and slander Ariel after everything she had done?
âYou donât deserve her,â Harriet managed to croak out, her face turning red from lack of oxygen.
âAnd you donât deserve to breathe another breath,â I snarled, my fingers digging deeper into her throat.
Every insult she hurled at Ariel fueled the fire burning inside me, driving me to the edge of sanity.
Before she could utter another word, I thrust her backward with all my strength, releasing my grip on her neck. Harriet stumbled and fell to the ground, gasping for air as she clutched at her throat.
âGet out of here,â I spat, my voice trembling with fury. âAnd donât you ever come near me or my family again.â
Harriet scrambled to her feet, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and hatred, as she 314 PRINCAID IN RA stumbled away from me. I watched her go, the anger still burning inside me like a raging inferno.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions swirling within me. But the memories of what Harriet had doneâwhat she had put Ariel throughâlingered like a dark cloud over my soul.
I turned and walked away, leaving Harriet behind me in the park. But I knew that this was far from over.
The wounds she and that scumbag, Mason, had inflicted on Ariel ran deep, and the scars she had left behind would never truly heal, killing her beloved son. That was really malevolent. But one thing was certain: I would do whatever it took to protect the woman I loved from monsters like Harriet, no matter the cost.
ARIELâS POV It had been a long day discussing with Andre at his company, and all I wanted to do was go home and relax. But first, I decided to go meet Luke to see if he was still at his place of work so the both of us would go home together. And yes, I noticed that his car was parked outside with the windows rolled up.
I could see him sitting inside, lost in deep thoughts. I walked up to his car and knocked on the window, calling out his name.
âLuke? Are you okay?â I asked, concerned.
He slowly rolled down the window, and his face was wearing a serious expression. I wondered what could be bothering him. I knocked on the window again, this time a little louder.
âUhmm, how was your day at work?â I queried, but he remained silent, staring ahead. â Luke, whatâs wrong? You seem upset.â
He still didnât respond, and he didnât even turn to look at me.
âDid something bad happen at work? Did you get into a fight with somebody?â
He finally turned to me, but he didnât say anything. We looked into each otherâs eyes, but it didnât take long before he turned his face away. It was not nice, honestly.
I stood there, not knowing what to do. I didnât want to intrude on whatever was going on in his mind, but I also didnât want to leave him alone.
âPlease, whatever it is, talk to me. Iâm here for you.â
914 DRENCHED IN RAIN.
He finally let out a deep sigh. âItâs nothing, Ariel. Just a rough day.
That didnât convince me. âAre you sure? You seem really troubled.â
âItâs nothing, Ariel.â
âLuke, please tell me whatâs wrong,â I pleaded. Whatever youâre going through right now, I can help.
Trust me.â
He refused to answer, so I stood there in silence, staring at him, not taking my eyes off him. If he did not wish to converse, I had no intention of entering that vehicle. I would stand here until his mind was settled.
The both of us were still silent, with me staring at him while he had his eyes fixed on somewhere else and his mind on a different place.
Suddenly, the rain started pouring down heavily. I stood still, getting wet, and it seemed he didnât care.
But even with that, I still stood my ground, and I wasnât going I anywhere if this man wasnât going to act normal.
What in the world happened to him? Who broke him now?
I He finally turned to look at me; his eyes showed how worried he was, and that was when he noticed that I was in the rain. âWhy are you standing outside in the rain?
Come inside the car.â
I didnât move; I just continued to stare at him. I wanted him to open up to me and share whatever was burdening him. I could feel the raindrops on my face, but I didnât care anyway.
âAriel, get in the car,â he told me again. Now it was my turn to ignore, my turn not to give a response.
But even with that, I wanted a response. He needed to tell me what was going on with him so we could fix this make things right.
âArenât you going to get inside the car?â He asked, his voice now louder than before.â Please get it;
youâll get soaked,â he pleaded, but I remained rooted to the spot, still staring at him.
âAriel pleaâ¦â He trailed off. After that, he got out of the car and walked towards me, standing close to me. We looked into each otherâs eyes, the rain pouring down on us. At that moment, I felt like we were the only two people in the world.
Luke gently took hold of my hands, and we were both now drenched in rain. âWhatâs wrong, Ariel? Why wonât you come inside?â
I met his gaze, searching for his, as I spoke softly, âI was worried about you. You seemed so distant.â
âBut you shouldnât stand in the rain. You could get a fever or something.â
I smiled faintly at him, placing my hand on his cheek. âWhat are we doing now, my love?â
âWe are standing in the rain,â he answered.
âExactly,â I responded softly. âBut you tell me, why were you ignoring me? I was worried about you and what you were thinking back there. And I tried to talk to you, but you ignored me.
Luke exhaled deeply, gently squeezing my hand on his face. âIâm sorry, Ariel. I was thinking about something.â
âAnd what is that?â I asked in a calm tone.