Marcel stiffened, his entire body going rigid and Arianna didn’t need to be told she just roused a sleeping lion. But what could she do? If she was going to spend her days in misery, she wasn’t going to let him be either. Arianna planned to torment him until he had no choice but to kill or set her free. He has just one choice.
Suddenly, Marcel straightened and turned around to meet her. He had a hard, cold, dead, look, that made her gulp hard.
‘He doesn’t scare her,’ Arianna kept chanting to herself even as Marcel walked purposefully towards her. With that look in his eyes, he looked like he would tear her into pieces with his bare hands. But she would stand her ground.
However, in the next minute, Arianna was treading backward as Marcel boxed her in. Yes, she was strong, but it was incredibly hard to stand a person with murderous intent. Marcel was scaring her.
And he proved that when he grabbed her chin and lifted it to his gaze, “Say that again!” he snarled at her face.
Arianna forgot how to breathe but she still managed to sneer at him, “Why? Are you going to hit me?”
His nostrils flared in warning, “Don’t push me, Arianna!”
She laughed sarcastically, “I’m just stating the obvious, Marcel. You can’t take oxygen away from a fish and expect it to live,”
But he was quick to correct her, “First of all, you’re not a fish. Second, humans are adaptational creatures with ability to survive in any environment they find themselves in. You are just the only one who doesn’t want to move with the wind of change!” He said to her, his temper flaring. Arianna would be the death of him.
.....
If she was someone else, he would have tortured her to submission already, but Arianna, sadly was not other people. First of all, she was a guest – who has crossed the lines several times and he wouldn’t be held accountable if he disciplined her – that was precious to his enemy, Elijah.
Sadly, he now had a soft spot for her as well. And as much as he loved her fighting spirit, it was beginning to annoy him now. Any woman who would be by his side must be willing to submit to his rule. But Arianna seems to be an alpha female and the both of them together was a destructive combination.
There can’t be two alphas in a pack, one had to renounce his title or they had to fight to the death to show dominance. And that was what Marcel was avoiding, the fight to the death. Can’t she see how much he was trying here? He already even compromised a little, what has she done? Nothing!
“I would rather live a short but happy life than a long, miserable, and meaningless one. So unless you are going to move in with me twenty-four hours, seven days, to supervise and stop me from ending my miserable life, I suggest you make a decision,” Arianna spat out at him.
She has tried reasoning with him to no avail, now, she would use extreme measures to get what she wants – even if that means putting her life on the line.
Arianna could already see the gears turning in Marcel’s head so she was quick to add, “And don’t even think of threatening me with the cuffs because there are lots of creative ways I could end my life and you are not going not like it one bit.” She threatened him.
A tick appeared in Marcel’s jaw which showed he was close to losing his temper but Arianna was not a chicken either; she could hold her own. They had an intense staredown that lasted for a while and this time, Marcel didn’t back out easily.
They stared at each other to the point that Arianna’s eyes were beginning to water, she couldn’t keep this up for long – and it means Marcel intentionally let her win the first time. It hurt to the point that she was close to taking her eyes off when Marcel pulled off.
When she says “pull off”, it means he released her chin and stepped back creating space between them and making this confrontation less awkward.
“Fine, go and die,”
“What?”
“Since you want to die so much, go and do it then,” Marcel told her nonchalantly as if her death wouldn’t affect him.
Arianna glowered at him, “You think I’m not going to do it,” She said through gritted teeth. Marcel must think she was bluffing. She had to show him.
“I don’t care whether you do it or not, however, if I were you, I would reconsider my decision, especially how it affects my loved ones,” He hinted.
Arianna froze, her mouth dropping open having sensed there was more to that story than he was letting on. She swallowed limply and asked, “What did you mean by that?”
Marcel didn’t reply, rather he gave her an answer by pulling out his phone, flashing the screen at her face and she stiffened.
Her blood ran cold and she forgot to breathe as she stared at the image of her friend Mimi, gagged and strapped to a chair. Although her head hung low because she seemed to be asleep, Arianna could recognize Mimi even with acid all over her face.
Arianna didn’t even think before her hand cracked across his face. Her hand reacted before her brain could think about the consequences. Well, damn consequences because she was full of fury.
“You bastard!” Arianna raised her hand to slap him a second time but he stopped her.
“The first was enough -”
Pah.
Arianna cut him off when she landed the second slap with her left hand and Marcel couldn’t stop her either because he didn’t see it coming.
How dare he threaten her with Mimi?! If Arianna disliked Marcel previously, she loathed him now. How could he be so cruel? How could he do that to Mimi?
Her heart was breaking so much, she broke down in heart-wrenching tears. Of all people, why Mimi? Why couldn’t it be her wicked aunt or Claudia?
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go? Marcel was suddenly in regret. Arianna was so fierce and strong that he didn’t think she would buckle under his threat. He had thought they would fight as usual and he would force her into submission with the threat and she would have no choice but to accept his fate. But then, she was crying. Did he push her too hard?