Betrothed To The Cold Billionaire

*The day before*

“My necklace. Oh how I missed you.” Ariel muttered as she stared at the necklace in shock and happiness.

“What do you mean by your necklace?? That’s Alice’s. She gave that to me that night.” Adrian said and wanted to collect the necklace but Ariel moved her hand.

“I don’t know why you still think Alice was the one that night after what I have just said but I’m not giving you back the necklace. It’s mine and I’m taking it back.” Ariel said. When Adrian noticed how serious she looked, he started questioning himself.

“It isn’t yours and I can prove it. There’s a marking on it…”

“At the top corner… my initials.” Ariel said as she showed him the spot that had AA written on it. Adrian was shocked as to how she knew. It wasn’t really that obvious until one decides to stare at it carefully.

“Alice’s initials are also like that.” Adrian argued.

“But how do I know where it is. It’s engraved in a very hidden place on the necklace. Also, if the necklace isn’t mine, that means today’s the first time I’m seeing it so how would I know when the marking is??” Ariel asked.

Adrian knew Ariel was making a very valid point but he just couldn’t believe it. All his life, he had believed that Alice was the one in that room, that was the main reason he even became friends with her.

He saw her as his savior. But if it wasn’t true, that only means that she had been lying to his face for years. Posing as someone she isn’t and making a fool out of him. No.. Alice couldn’t do that to him.

“I don’t believe it. Alice can never fool me. She’s my best friend.” Adrian muttered as he shook his head in denial.

“What even makes you so sure that she was the one??” Ariel said when she noticed that he still had that look of denial on his face.This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

“I saw her. The girl I saw with me that night was Alice. She looked scared at first but calmed down when she noticed that someone was in the room with her….” Ariel stared at him in surprise as he kept rambling on and on.

Something was obviously wrong with him as he was so sure that Alice was who he had seen that night. He didn’t even want to believe her, his wife and that was really surprising to Ariel.

Also, he kept on repeating what he was saying over and over like a robot. It felt as if someone had imprinted that memory in his head. Every other detail was correct except for the person that was there.

“Adrian, why don’t you talk to Alice then.” Ariel suggested.

“And what do you expect me to tell her?? That I think that she isn’t the one that night?? That’s a very sensitive topic for her. Do you have any idea of how she would feel??”

“What about me?? How do you think I feel now that you don’t want to believe me??” Ariel asked in a sudden annoyed tone.

“It isn’t like that..”

“It is Adrian. It’s very painful that you would choose to believe your friend over me despite all of the things I’ve said to defend my claim. You mentioned that the incident is a very sensitive topic for her, it’s the same for me too.”

“Do you know how hard it is to talk about this with you?? Do you think that I still don’t remember that day?? It might not be as traumatic as yours but it still haunts me till this day. Why do you think I get panic attacks anytime I’m locked in a room??” She asked, reminding him of how she reacted the day he locked her up.

“That was the reason??” Adrian asked in shock.

“You think something like that just happens?? I was triggered by that event. That’s the reason I don’t like being in locked spaces. Look Adrian, I’m not giving back this necklace until you talk to Alice and clear whatever issues you have. I’m done trying to explain things to you.” Ariel muttered before leaving without waiting to hear what excuses he had.

The outburst from Ariel made him really suspicious. She had many evidences to back up her claim but Alice doesn’t have one. She wouldn’t even talk about that night anytime Adrian tries to bring it up.

Adrian always thought that she didn’t want to talk about it only because she didn’t want to remember it but now, he thinks she’s only avoiding the topic because she wasn’t really there. He needs to talk to her first like Ariel had suggested so he can be sure.

************************************

“What’s wrong with you Adrian? Why are you bringing that up now? You know I don’t like talking about it.” Alice said.

“Me neither but I need to do this to clear the air. If you can’t answer this, then I would know that you weren’t the one with me that night.” Adrian said.

That sentence frightened Alice. If Adrian finds out the truth, she won’t be able to stay in his life anymore as that was the main reason they even got together in the first place. She smiled when an idea suddenly crossed her mind.

“You don’t really expect me to remember those words. It’s been really long.” She said making Adrian scoff.

“You don’t remember??” He asked and she nodded.

“Those words have never left my head once. Even Ariel could say it without blinking.”

“Ariel??”

“Yes Ariel. How was she able to say it if you were the one with me that night??” Adrian asked.

“You might have told her.”

“I would remember if I did but I see you’re still in denial so I have one more question for you. A very simple one but if you can’t answer it, any relationship you think we have is gone.”

“Okay then. Let me hear it.” Alice said without blinking an eye but within her she was shivering tremendously.

“On the necklace you gave me, there are some words engraved on it. What and where are those words??” He asked.

Alice stared at him quietly as she tried to recall of she had seen any words on the necklace. He had shown her the necklace once but she doesn’t remember seeing any words engraved on it. Or is it a trick question to test her.

“Oh.. I know what you’re trying to do Adrian. You’re trying to trick me into believing that there are words on the necklace but there actually isn’t.” She answered with a wide smile.

Adrian stared at her silently for a while before he walked close to her and suddenly gripped her tightly by her neck.

“How dare you!! How dare you lie to me all my life???” He asked angrily. His actions made Alice realise that her answer was wrong but it was already too late as he was choking her to death.

It took the help of a few police officers around before Adrian finally released her from his hold. At that moment, her face was really red as she was struggling to breath.

“I don’t want to ever see you anywhere close to me, my wife or even Emily. If you do, no one’s going to stop me from taking you to an early grave.” He muttered before he stormed out of the station angrily.

At that moment, Alice realized that she had lost Adrian forever and it was all Ariel’s fault. She is really going to make that bitch pay dearly.