Chapter 90 His Confession

Chapter 90 His Confession
Ariadne was in her room, drinking coffee while sitting on the sofa. She gazed outside, deep in thought. 

They suffered a severe setback after Crystal's interview. Everyone was distraught and trying to deal with the situation. The media even came to the old mansion to get an answer from them. 

Previously, everyone called her a homewrecker. Now, a new title had been added to her, that of a murderer. She had killed an unborn baby. But for Xander, things were even worse. People called him a rapist. They felt powerless. They knew the truth but couldn't prove it. 

Crystal showed the hospital records from her pregnancy and miscarriage five years ago as proof. People were convinced that all of the accusations were true. They were outraged, and some even demanded legal action against them. People were even demanding for Xander to be removed from his position as Blake Corporation's president. On the other hand, they boycotted the Autumn Collection. William was terrified of the situation as well. Nobody knew what would happen next.

Her phone's ringtone snapped her out of her thoughts. It was Toby's call.

Ariadne frowned. "Hello."

"Will you please come to the penthouse, Aria?" Toby asked as soon as she received the call.

"Has anything happened?" she asked, terrified.

After a long pause, Toby sighed. "Aria... He's completely broken. Only you can console him now. Can you please come?"

Ariadne fell silent. "Okay, I'm coming." she finally agreed. 

.

One hour later, she stood at the gate to Xander's penthouse. She pressed the doorbell again, but there was no response. Toby had told her to wait. He would definitely open the door. She was about to press the doorbell for the fourth time when it opened.

"What are you doing here?" Xander asked as soon as he opened the door.

It started to rain heavily outside.

"May I come inside?" Ariadne asked.

Xander stepped aside.

"I thought you would be in the hospital." Ariadne said as they entered the living room.

"I was feeling low today." Xander replied.

"Is this because of the news?" she asked, turning towards him.

Xander averted his gaze and walked to the glass wall, looking out. The sight of the rain was beautiful. But the sound was chaotic, much like his current situation.

Ariadne cleared her throat when he didn't respond. "Toby told me that..."

"So he told you to come here.." he interrupted. 

"Yes."

"You didn't have to." he said, his eyes fixed outside.

"You're doing so much for us. At the very least, I can do this." Ariadne replied hesitantly.

"So you're here just because I'm helping you?" he asked, clenching his jaw.

Ariadne fell silent. It was true that she decided to come mainly because she felt she owed him that much. But there was still a part of her that cared for him. However, she refused to tell him this.

"Xander, we all know Crystal's accusation is false. We just need to find evidence."

"I'm not upset because she has accused me. I'm worried at the thought of how this will affect my kids. If I couldn't prove my innocence, they would be humiliated. And it's killing me. What kind of father would I be, in their eyes?" his voice broke as he said.

Ariadne walked over and touched his shoulder.

"We will find a way."

"How?"

Ariadne rounded him and stood in front of him. His eyes were red. He looked completely broken. Her heart ached at his state. She grabbed his arms. 

"There must be a way." she said, looking into his eyes.

He looked at her for a moment before abruptly hugging her. Ariadne stiffened. But she let him do what he wanted. She also embraced him. After a while, Xander released the hug and looked at her face, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm afraid, Aria. What If there's no way to prove my innocence?"

A tear fell from his eyes. Ariadne shook her head, cupping his face in her hands. 

"Don't lose hope." she said.

They stood very close. Xander lifted his hand and caressed her cheek. Ariadne stood still. She could see the affection and guilt in his eyes. Time seemed to stop as they stared at each other silently. And then Xander leaned in for a kiss. Ariadne froze when his lips touched hers. He kissed her lips softly. But Ariadne quickly snapped out of her trance and pushed him, then stepped back. 

She turned around and put her hand on her mouth, her breathing quick. She couldn't believe what had just happened.

"I'm sorry." she said.

"No. I'm sorry." Xander sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He appeared to be hurt. "I've made so many mistakes. I deserve this." he added.

Ariadne shook her head.

"It's not only about your mistakes, Xander." she said. "When I reflect on the past, I realize it wasn't entirely Crystal's fault. We never had a strong relationship. That was why she was able to create misunderstandings between us. There was always a distance between us. She simply watered it until it grew into a large, giant tree. We never trusted each other enough. We treated each other arrogantly. Maybe we were not meant to be together." she lowered her face.

Xander approached and grabbed her hand. He led her to the couches, made her sit and knelt in front of her. Ariadne stared at him silently. He didn't hesitate to approach her today. 

He looked at her face. Their eyes locked.

"Do you remember our last marriage anniversary?" he asked, grabbing her hands on her knee.

Ariadne nodded, recalling that day.

"I wanted to express my feelings to you and begin our new life. I had a lot of things planned for our anniversary. But everything was ruined." he paused and looked at their hands.

"I was devastated when Crystal told me that morning that I had slept with her. I couldn't show you my face after that. It felt like I had lost you forever. But, like a fool, I was also angry at you for that. I thought if you hadn't done those things, it wouldn't have gotten to that point. But I was wrong."

Ariadne remained silent, her gaze fixed on him.

"Crystal told me about her pregnancy on our anniversary. What was supposed to be the happy start of a new life became the day of our separation." he sighed. 

"But I never enjoyed the way I treated you... I was never able to be happy while hurting you... I never stayed in the mansion because I knew that if I stayed with you, I would be unable to remain angry at you." 

He said everything he had kept hidden in his heart for years. He told her everything. Ariadne sat silently and listened to him.

"I love you, Ariadne. I've loved you since I first saw you. You're my Angel... and.. I want to ask for your forgiveness. But I'm affraid if I ask and you deny, I'll not be able to take it." he looked into her eyes. 

"I don't deserve you. But you... Angel... you deserve all the happiness in the world. It's okay if you don't want me anymore. But I want you to be happy. If you find happiness with someone else, then don't hold yourself back. You deserve everything." his voice trembled as he said those words.

Ariadne's eyes welled up. He tightened his grip on her hands.

"But I promise you one thing, Angel. I'll never bring a stepmother into our children's lives. You will be the only mother in their lives."

After pouring his heart out, Xander rested his head on their joined hands. They sat like this in silence. After a while, Ariadne took a deep breath.

"I should leave now." she said, breaking the silence.

Xander lifted his head and looked at her face.

"No way," he said as he got up. "It's raining heavily. You shouldn't have come here in the first place. Now that you have arrived, I'll not let you travel in this weather. It's risky."

"But." Ariadne stood up as well.

"No but. I'm going to the hospital. Stay here for the night. Toby will drop you off in the morning."

"But is it safe for you to go outside?"

"Yes. I'm not injured, I've my bodyguards, and their target isn't me."

Xander went to the kitchen and brought her a mug of coffee.

Ariadne sighed in defeat. "Show me a guestroom. I will stay there" she said, taking the mug from him. 

She didn't want to stay in his room. Xander didn't object either. He thanked her for coming to meet with him. He felt a lot better. 

After a while, he left for the hospital, leaving her alone in his penthouse. 

...

She looked at the door while eating her breakfast. It was the next morning. She was ready to leave when Toby arrived with breakfast. She refused, but he insisted. He told her to check the room once before leaving.

After finishing her breakfast, she entered the room. This was Xander's secret room. Unlike the other rooms, the room was brightly colored. Some sofas were in the center, with a table and chair against the far wall. One side of the room had cupboards, while the other was covered in a curtain. She approached the cupboards and opened them. She frowned when she noticed there were only female dresses. Each one was stunning. She suddenly remembered her first visit there. Xander had given her a dress. She suspected he brought the dress from here. However, she was unsure who owned these dresses.

She froze when she realized something. She shut it and moved towards the curtain. She drew the curtains aside to reveal a massive glass cupboard. There were necklaces, bracelets, rings, pendants, and even some antics. They were all gorgeous.

Her gaze came to a halt on a ring, and she froze. She approached and opened it. She grabbed the ring with trembling hands.

It was the 'Stone of Love'. She checked them all. The name 'Angel' was engraved on the back of each one. They were all for her. She covered her mouth with her hand when she realized this. 

.

Toby was waiting for her at the entrance, when she came out of the building. She quickly got into the car. There were only two of them in the car. Another vehicle with bodyguards followed them as they drove away.

"Have you checked the room?" Toby asked.

"Yes." Ariadne replied after a while.

"Those belong to you. Whenever he liked something, he would buy it for you. But he never had the nerve to give them to you. He was afraid you wouldn't like them."

"Why are you telling this to me, Toby?"

"To make you realize how much he loves you."

"I loved him too, Toby. But some things are unforgetable, and some mistakes are irreversible."

"Yes, I know. But there's one thing I want you to know. He has suffered in this relationship just as much as you have. He was never able to find happiness. Every day, he suffered and regretted. He may not admit it, but I know him."

Ariadne remained silent. Toby stopped talking and focused on the road.