[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-260322F482CA-362":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},362,14,"Chapter 14: \"Marry Me, Arianna.\"","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna Stone didn't notice his sudden shock.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She was still lost in her own thoughts, frowning slightly, and said with a touch of embarrassment, \"But I don't really have many friends. I'm not sure I can be of much help to you.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"You can,\" he said, his tone absolute.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna doubted him. \"Are you sure?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell King looked up at her, his voice unwavering. \"You’re the only one who can help.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"What do you mean?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I mean,\" Maxwell said, staring directly at her before calmly dropping the bomb, \"I want to ask you to marry me.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">This time, it was Arianna’s turn to be stunned.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The weight of that bombshell left her reeling for a long moment. Her mind went blank, her thoughts swirling into a chaotic mess. She sat there, rigid, staring at Maxwell with a near-vacant expression before finally managing a slow, breathless, \"What did you say?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell patiently repeated himself. \"I want to ask you to marry me. Would you?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">...Wait.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">This wasn't a question of \"would you.\" After a long silence, Arianna finally gathered her scattered thoughts. \"Can I ask... why?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"For one thing, I’m at that age where my family is starting to push for marriage. I’m constantly being dragged to blind dates—it’s exhausting. For another, the media is always cooking up baseless rumors about me, which affects the firm's reputation.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna understood immediately. \"So you need a partner to fend off the tabloid gossip and stop your relatives from breathing down your neck?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Exactly.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Then why... me?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell rested his arms on the table. A speck of white frosting clung to his fingertip, his knuckles long and elegant, his wrist bones sharply defined and cool-toned.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He looked up, meeting her gaze head-on. \"We’ve known each other since college. We understand each other's characters, temperaments, and habits. We shouldn't find living together too difficult.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Finally, he concluded with calm precision, \"So, it makes perfect sense for us to marry.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna: \"...\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He had a point, but still...\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna gave him a complicated look, offering a subtle warning. \"You should know, Maxwell, that Cameron Hughes and I dated. In a way, you were one of the witnesses to that.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I know,\" Maxwell replied, looking entirely unfazed. \"That’s all in the past. It doesn't matter to me.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna: ...\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">But it mattered to her.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Entering into a marriage with her ex-boyfriend’s friend—no, skipping the dating part entirely and heading straight to the altar—was, quite honestly, a pill she wasn't sure she could swallow.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">When she said Maxwell was a witness, she wasn't joking.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Back when she and Cameron were together, their hand-holding, hugs, and even the birthday gifts they exchanged—it had all happened right under Maxwell’s nose. Aside from the two people involved, no one understood the details of their relationship better than he did.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The affection, the arguments, the reconciliations, the silent treatments—he knew exactly what stage they were in at any given moment. Sometimes, he had even acted as the mediator when they fought.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">***\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">After dinner, Maxwell drove her home.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna sat in the passenger seat, still reeling. She had been through so much today—the gala, bumping into Cameron, meeting Alexis Morgan, and then being blindsided by Maxwell’s marriage proposal. Her brain felt like it had been hit by a tidal wave.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She stared out the window. High-rise buildings and roadside trees blurred into a rhythmic pulse.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell drove slowly. The trees distorted into thin, translucent lines in her vision. When they stopped at a red light, he glanced over at her.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna was clearly drifting. Her head bobbed, her eyes fluttering shut before she forced them open again. She was fighting a losing battle against sleep.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell’s lips curled into an involuntary smile, and he suppressed a chuckle. \"Are you tired?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna forced her system to reboot. \"I'm okay. Not really.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She felt it was impolite to fall asleep in someone else’s car, especially while they were driving.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"If you're tired, just sleep,\" Maxwell said, checking the green light before pulling away. \"I’ll wake you when we get there. It’s fine.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna tried to keep her heavy lids up, sitting straighter. \"I'm fine, really.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">But the exhaustion hit like a freight train. Eventually, she lost the battle, sinking into the seat and drifting off into a deep sleep.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">When she woke up again, the car was already parked downstairs at her apartment complex.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">In the dim light, Arianna didn't notice the way Maxwell quickly pulled his gaze away from her. A moment later, he looked at her as if nothing had happened. \"Awake?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna gave a sluggish \"Mmh.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Coming straight out of sleep, her voice carried a lazy, nasal quality—soft, delicate, and entirely lacking in defense. Maxwell’s eyes darkened for a split second.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna reached up to rub her eyes, sitting up to scan the environment. \"Did I sleep for a long time?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"No.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">As soon as Maxwell spoke, Arianna lit up her phone screen and glanced at the time in the top corner. She gasped, \"I slept for two hours?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She immediately realized her mistake and began to apologize. \"I'm so sorry, I must have kept you waiting...\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"It’s fine,\" Maxwell said, not wanting her to feel guilty over such a trivial thing. He lied smoothly, \"I was driving slowly, and with the traffic, you’ve only been asleep for about ten minutes.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Really?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell smiled. \"Do I have any reason to lie to you?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Still half-asleep, Arianna leaned back against the seat, seemingly considering it with all seriousness before nodding firmly. \"I guess so. Man, I’m so groggy.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">But she missed one crucial detail:\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">At three in the morning, where would traffic come from? Especially enough to cause an hour-long gridlock!\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">After saying goodbye, Arianna got out of the car. She had only taken a few steps when Maxwell called out from behind her, his voice crisp and warm. \"Arianna.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She turned around.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Under the streetlamp, Maxwell leaned lazily against the car door, his long, defined fingers resting against the frame. He looked effortlessly cool.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He hooked his lips into a smile, his eyes glinting with amusement. \"Think about what I said tonight. There’s no rush for an answer.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna paused for two seconds, finally registering that he meant the proposal.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Okay,\" she replied. \"I'm heading in. Get some rest.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Goodnight.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Goodnight.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Around three in the morning, the street was deathly quiet. Only the glow of the streetlights and the faint illumination from the distant security booth bled into the heavy night.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell leaned against the car, watching her swipe her key card and head inside. Her elegant silhouette slowly vanished from sight.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">A few minutes later, a light flickered on in an apartment on the fifth floor, the one with the spider plants on the balcony.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell stared at the window for a few seconds to ensure everything was fine. Then, he turned back to the car and grabbed a pack of cigarettes from the dashboard.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He wasn't a smoker, only lighting up when his mind was troubled.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Like now.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell lowered his eyes, biting the filter with a nonchalant air, and watched the flame lick the end of the cigarette. A spark of crimson flickered in the darkness—a perfect mirror to his own unsettled heart.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Thin wisps of smoke curled into the air. He kept his eyes lidded, his expression distant, his handsome features softening into a blur behind the haze.\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272904793]