Chapter 21: Wedding Anniversary
It was finally the day of the Griffins’ anniversary.
The celebration was held at their mansion, the same place Vivian had held her birthday party and the same place that Arianna had caught Logan balls deep in her best friend’s vagina.
The valet was handling several luxurious cars, influential people flooding in like waves, dressed in their most expensive attire, so expensive that if a piece was stolen, the thief would live a lavish life for a few years before they ran out of money again.
Huge chandeliers hung up on the ceiling, casting a soft light on the guests. Waiters dressed in corporate uniforms passed around with trays of drinks in their hands while the guests bragged to each other about the latest jet they’d recently bought.
Back outside, Arianna’s heart thumped hard against her chest. Her hand fisted around the hem of her dress while she inhaled and exhaled, trying to calm herself down.
’Why am I scared?’ She wondered.
There were two reasons.
If she walked out of the car with Daemon, while the media was out there taking pictures of the guests, hers was going to circulate on the internet, reaching her family. She couldn’t imagine the look on her father’s face if she told him that she was married to Daemon now.
She wanted to tell him personally. Him finding out about it from some social media outlet would only fuel his anger.
Second, she feared that Vivian and Logan might do something to her.
Daemon had already told her that the attacker had confessed it was Logan who’d sent him to her.
She wasn’t surprised he’d done so. Appearing after months of letting them believe they’d finally gotten rid of her, she was expecting them to send someone after her, to kill her.
She thought she was prepared but if it wasn’t for Daemon, she would have been sent to the ER immediately.
Daemon gave her a once-over and noticed her hand was trembling. Without thinking, he placed his over hers, causing her to stiffen.
"You don’t have to worry. I won’t let anything happen to you," he promised.
Arianna was stunned at first, then completely confused.
She turned her head to look at him.
He held a genuine look on his face, the type that made it seem that he would lay down his own life for her first before letting anything harm her.
Gently, she pushed his hand away. If trying to sweet-talk her into trusting him was his plan, then she wasn’t going to let that happen.
She only agreed to the marriage contract because of the situation her father was in.
The words of comfort were unnecessary.
Something flashed across Daemon’s face. Hurt.
He looked hurt by her action but that look completely disappeared from his face.
"You don’t have to worry about anything either. I can protect myself," she said, then turned to the other side of the car and got out.
Daemon followed her, quickly marching to her side and wrapping his arm around her waist.
The media were deeply shocked when they saw both of them together.
Two months ago, she’d come to the same house for her best friend’s party with her husband. And now, her best friend is married to her ex-husband, and she is with another man.
They could sniff the hot gossip that would sell out their article, but no one was ready to talk.
Quickly, they rushed towards her like flies.
"Ms. Wesley, you’ve come to this celebration with Daemon Langford. Do you two have something going on between you?" A reporter asked, shameless and blunt.
"Vivian Henderson is now married to Logan Henderson. Did something happen between you three that you’re not telling us?"
"Are you and Logan Henderson divorced?" The reporter glanced at Arianna’s fingers and didn’t spot any ring. Still, he went ahead to ask. "Are you and Daemon Langford together?"
Arianna took a deep breath.
She’d been put in the spotlight several times in her life, especially after she left her family to fend for herself and while helping Logan build his business. She knew if she didn’t answer any of their questions, it wouldn’t stop them from following her into the mansion.
They didn’t care how shameless their actions were, as long as they received the answers they wanted.
Clearing her throat, she parted her lips with a smile and said, "Logan and I are divorced after he cheated on me with Vivian Henderson, his newlywedded wife."
The media people gasped in shock while camera shutters echoed, trying to capture every moment.
Arianna continued. "It was heartbreaking at first, considering that I tried to be the best wife I could be for Logan and the best friend I could be for Vivian but in the end, they both betrayed me."
Quickly, the media people scribbled on their papers in case they missed anything.
"Fortunately for me, I found Daemon," she said, smiling at Daemon who was stunned at first. That was the first time she was smiling at him, and he wished she could always smile at him like that, except genuinely and not because they had to put up an act in public. "Daemon and I are married now and we hope to start a family soon."
The media people tried to stop Arianna but she was done talking. She gripped Daemon’s hand tightly that he’d lent to her earlier as they walked through the crowd, the bodyguards immediately coming to their aid when they saw that the crowd was trying to push through.
Finally inside, Arianna sighed in relief.
"You said you wish to start a family soon," Daemon teased. "Does that mean we might have to start tonight or..."
Arianna turned to him with a glare.
"I only said that to sound as genuine as possible," she explained with a sigh. "And besides," she gulped down her saliva. "I can’t have children."
Daemon’s eyes narrowed slightly in confusion but he didn’t insist she explain.
Arianna suddenly felt a gaze on her. She scanned around and found that pair of conniving brown eyes on her.
