Chapter 74 You Are Mine, Always

Chapter 74 You Are Mine, Always
“I told you not to touch me,” Ariana said.
“Please don’t punish me again. I love you,” Christian replied, his voice low and hoarse.
There was a painful honesty in his tone. The awareness he had only just found after five years of living like a walking corpse felt suffocating.
Ariana gave no response.
Christian pulled her closer, burying his face against her, pressing a kiss to her shoulder before moving to the warm curve of her neck.
“I’m dropping the lawsuit. The child will stay with you,” he whispered again.
Ariana’s cold, narrowed eyes widened instantly. Her teeth released her lower lip. Her fists loosened slightly as she tried to process his words.
“Does that mean you’ll let us go?” Ariana asked.
Christian let out a short chuckle, but his voice was dark. “Do you think I’m generous enough to let my wife and child belong to another man?”
The corner of his lips lifted into a faint smirk. The obsession that had long been locked away surged back, uncontrollable. He brushed a kiss against the heated skin at her nape.
“Wherever you go, I’ll be there.” Christian roughly turned her to face him. His hand clamped around her chin, forcing her to tilt her head up and meet his sharp, gleaming gaze. “Don’t ever think you can run from me with those damn suitcases. You’re mine, Ariana.”
“Look at how pathetic you are, Christian,” Ariana sneered. “You still can’t live without seeing Michelle in me. Do I remind you of what it was like when you fuck with Michelle?”
“Stop saying things like that about Michelle,” he said firmly.
Ariana’s smirk vanished. With a sharp motion, she slapped his hand away and shoved his broad chest hard enough to make him step back.
“You’re angry? Why? To me, the two of you are equally disgusting,” Ariana said, her low voice cutting. She raised her finger, pointed straight at the front door of their stone house. “Get out of my house. The Ariana you’re looking for died in that fire. Now she’s in hell because she was foolish enough to love a man who saw her as nothing but another woman’s shadow.”
Ariana turned away. “I hope this is our first and last meeting. I’ll make sure Lucas won’t remember you after this.” Her voice grew rougher as she added, “Go home and take care of Sophia. She needs you.”
A single tear formed at the corner of Ariana’s closed eyes when she said Sophia’s name. She could still feel the moment she carried that child, a bond that had never truly been severed.
“I’m grateful she survived that fire,” Ariana whispered inwardly.
Her chest tightened painfully, hoping Sophia would live a better life because her father loved her more than anything.
She took another step toward the bedroom door, but suddenly her body was lifted into the air.
“My heart really hurts hearing you drive me away again,” Christian said.
He stared intensely into Ariana’s widened eyes. He carried her by force, ignoring her small struggles.
“What are you doing? Put me down, you bastard!” Ariana shouted, her voice piercing the silence of the house.
“Shh.” Christian lowered his face until the tips of their noses touched. “You’ll wake them. You know children need more sleep, don’t you?”
“You’re insane! Get out of my house, now, hmph!”
Ariana’s words were cut off instantly. Christian crushed his lips against hers, rough and forceful. She kept her mouth tightly closed, shaking her head from side to side to break free, then pushed at his face with all her strength, but he was far stronger.
“You won’t be able to avoid me anymore,” Christian hissed against her lips.
He held firm, pressing insistently against her closed mouth. When he finally pulled away, he bit down on her lower lip before continuing toward a room.
The door was kicked shut. Christian quickly turned the lock, then dropped Ariana onto the creaking bed.
“Does this shabby room belong to David?” Christian sneered. His sharp eyes swept across every corner of the simple space. “David is utterly incapable of providing his wife with a decent home.”
“Shut your mouth!” Ariana snapped. She immediately pushed herself upright on the bed, her hands gripping the sheets tightly. “You have no right to say that. David is far better than you!”
“Really? The two of you sleep in separate rooms despite being husband and wife. That’s quite an interesting fact if the villagers here were to hear about it, isn’t it?”
Ariana gritted her teeth, “Lucas must have told this bastard,” she thought bitterly.
“He won’t be getting out of prison,” Christian said as he stepped closer. His footsteps were heavy, threatening against the floor. “That’s the price he pays for daring to marry my wife.”
Ariana let out a cold laugh. Quietly, she edged her body toward the side of the bed, searching for a chance to escape. “I’ll marry David if he wants it. Because of him, my son and I can live. Meanwhile, my own husband killed me and his child in that fire.”
“I didn’t know you were pregnant back then,” Christian cut in quickly.
A bitter smile spread across Ariana’s lips. “You never wanted to know from the beginning. Because you hated any child of mine.” She turned her face away. “You made the right choice. You live with your daughter from your ex wife and I’ll live with David and Lucas. Let him go.”
“What nonsense are you talking about? You will never be with another man except me.” One by one, the clothes clinging to Christian’s muscular body were stripped off in rough movements. He quickly caught Ariana by the waist when she tried to jump off the bed.
“Where do you think you’re going? I’ve already locked the door,” Christian whispered right beside her ear.
He threw her back onto the bed, trapping her beneath him. Both of her hands were pinned tightly above her head.
“You psycho! I swear I’ll report you to the police!” Ariana threatened, her gaze sharp.
“Then I’ll show them our marriage certificate. What do you think about that?” Christian challenged.
Christian pulled Ariana’s clothing up, exposing the wrinkled burn scars across her abdomen. He fell silent for a moment, then lowered his head and pressed soft kisses along the length of those scars.
Ariana struggled fiercely, her legs kicking at the blanket, but Christian didn’t budge.
“You’re even more beautiful, my wife. I can finally breathe again,” he murmured heavily, pressing his nose against the scarred skin of her stomach. “Should I burn myself too, so you’ll forgive me?”
Ariana’s tear filled eyes flashed with hatred. She stared at Christian as he lifted his head from her abdomen.
“Would that erase my fear? Erase the nightmares I’ve had for the past five years?” Ariana asked, her voice trembling.
Hearing that, Christian’s once arrogant expression faltered. He was at a loss for words. Slowly, he lowered his face onto Ariana’s stomach.
“Then what should I do to make you accept me again?” Christian asked, despair in his voice.
“Nothing. Let us go. Because I'll never accept you again. I wanna kill you, Mr. Matheus.”