[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-260322F482CA-435":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},435,87,"Chapter 87: She Asked for the Hand Cream","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Once she was back home and the timing felt right, Arianna messaged Gemma.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">【Are you home yet?】\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Gemma, clearly already glued to her phone, fired back an instant reply: 【Home sweet home! Just kicked off my heels. Ready for a hot shower and a long sleep.】\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna’s lips quirked into a smile. 【Good. Get some rest.】\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">【Wait!】\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Gemma’s typing speed was frantic: 【Ari, have you seriously considered telling your guy how you feel?】\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">In the kitchen, Maxwell was busy heating up milk. Arianna glanced at him, feeling like a thief caught in the act. She typed back cautiously: 【Not yet… not really.】\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Gemma: 【Put it on your calendar, girl. Trust me—you might be in for a massive, unexpected surprise.】\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">【A massive surprise? Like what?】\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Gemma: 【No clue, but my gut says it’s coming.】\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">After all… she still couldn't shake the image from earlier that evening. Outside the restaurant, Arianna had been dead serious about negotiating for an iced milk tea. Maxwell had looked down at her, his expression a mix of surrender and exasperation, as if he simply had no defense against her. But in that gaze, there was nothing but boundless, doting tenderness.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">In the middle of the bustling street, surrounded by a sea of strangers, his eyes had been anchored solely on her. They never once flickered to anyone else.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">***\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The next day, Arianna and Maxwell arrived at the gala.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The ballroom was a masterpiece of light—intricate crystal chandeliers, pristine white linens, cold, gleaming cutlery, and delicacies that looked like works of art. Every single detail screamed perfection.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">This was Arianna’s second time meeting Maxwell’s friend, Spencer Miller. Spencer was the type of person who skipped the formalities and went straight to friendship. As soon as he spotted them, he strode over with a grin. \"Hey, sister-in-law!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna froze. \"...\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She stopped dead in her tracks, blinking.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"We met a while back, remember?\" Spencer gestured toward Maxwell with a laugh. \"That time he got wasted? I was the one who drove him home.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I remember. Spencer, right?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Spot on!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Spencer flashed a wide smile, stealing a triumphant, side-eyed glance at his best friend. Maxwell let out a sharp, cynical scoff, clearly unimpressed by the performance, but his mood noticeably darkened. He felt an irrational flare of annoyance—back at the glamping site, the first time they met, she hadn’t even recognized him. Even if the lighting had been dim, the memory still pricked at him.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Spencer, blissfully unaware, kept the conversation flowing. \"Your memory is incredible, Arianna. I didn't think you’d actually remember me after all this time.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Of course I remember,\" Arianna said, her eyes softening. \"Because you're Maxwell's friend.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It wasn't because of Spencer himself. It was because he was part of her husband’s world. That was the only reason she had bothered to store his face in her memory.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Spencer looked like he’d been hit by a truckload of sugary romance. He clutched his chest, jokingly reeling from the impact. Maxwell, on the other hand, had a look of smug, unadulterated pleasure. He looked down at her, though he kept his tone carefully restrained. \"Is that so?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Yes,\" Arianna replied with a soft laugh. \"Why would I lie to you?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell hummed, satisfied, and was about to reply when a figure burst from around the corner, squealing with excitement. Before anyone could react, April Turner had hooked her arm through Arianna’s, physically wedging herself between Arianna and Maxwell.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Oh my god—Arianna! You look absolutely stunning tonight!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna was wearing a champagne-colored, off-the-shoulder gown dripping in rhinestones—a custom piece from a high-end couture house. The fabric clung to her frame, highlighting her graceful curves, while her long, slender legs were pale enough to glow under the lights. With her hair cascading down to her waist and her shoulders partially veiled, she looked like a princess who had just stepped out of a period drama.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Her eyes were clear and bright, flickering with a natural shimmer. From the moment she stepped into the hall, she had become the gravitational center of the room. Yet, she seemed entirely oblivious to her own beauty.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">April stared at her, mesmerized. \"Ari, you are so beautiful. How are you even real?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna smiled gently. \"Thank you. You look wonderful yourself.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">April clutched her heart, looking like she’d been hit by a spell. \"And that voice! Are all gorgeous women this soft-spoken?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell watched the scene with a cold, unimpressed gaze. He let out a dry, pointed scoff.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Spencer shuffled over, nudging Maxwell. He took in the sight of the two women laughing together, then looked at his glowering friend. \"You might want to take notes from April. Your wife clearly responds to that kind of energy.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell sneered, \"Why would I ever take notes from her?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">A few feet away, April was leaning in, stars in her eyes. \"Can I touch your hand? Your skin looks incredible. What kind of hand cream do you use?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna laughed and simply reached out to take April's hand.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell: \"...\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Spencer didn't miss a beat, pouring salt in the wound. \"Tsk, tsk. Look at that. Holding hands already.\" He added, with a heavy dose of mock innocence, \"But hey, they’re both girls, right? It’s totally innocent. You wouldn't be jealous of a little hand-holding, would you?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna and April drifted ahead, leaving Maxwell and Spencer to trail behind.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The moment Maxwell entered the room, he had commanded the space. Dressed in a charcoal-grey suit, he moved with the effortless, stifling authority of a man who owned the room. He kept his expression loose, as if he were bored by the entire affair, but his eyes were locked onto the woman in front of him with predatory intensity.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Spencer adjusted his cufflinks, gritting out a smile, \"Buddy, pull yourself together. If you stare any harder, your eyes are going to pop out of your head.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell finally reined it in.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Up ahead, Arianna and April were deep in a discussion about hand cream scents. As Arianna turned her head, her gaze flicked to the other side of the room. She spotted Cameron Hughes standing with Miles Young, Noah Carter, and their entourage.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Her smile didn't waver. Her eyes skipped over them as if they were nothing more than empty space, and she went right back to whispering and laughing with April.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">From the second she’d arrived, Cameron had been tracking her. It was impossible not to—she was the magnet drawing every eye in the room.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna was even more beautiful than she used to be. Or rather, she had always been this beautiful.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Back then, seeing other guys try to chat her up had triggered his deep-seated insecurities. He’d tried to suppress her, constantly bringing up her background, trying to chip away at her confidence. She could be successful, sure, but she wasn’t allowed to outshine him. She was Arianna—*his* Arianna.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Even the most decent men had shadows, and Cameron had convinced himself that his behavior was justified. But she had bloomed anyway, forcing her way out of the mud and into this high-society inner circle.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Watching her from afar, a heavy, suffocating pressure built in Cameron’s chest.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Miles Young felt a sudden flash of admiration at the sight of her, but he didn't dwell on it. His attention quickly shifted back to the conversation at hand. He elbowed Cameron. \"So, tell us—what’s going on with you and Alexis? You guys aren't even sitting together anymore?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">They used to be joined at the hip. Now, one was on this side of the room, and the other was off in a different corner, as if a vast, unbridgeable canyon stretched between them.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Alexis glanced over at them, her eyes searching.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Cameron, however, refused to give her so much as a single look.\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272909223]