56: STAND FOR ME ARIEL’S POV 1/5 Luke slowly approached us, his eyes locked onto Mariam, a fierce and intense glare eminating from the both of them. But the anger and fury within him were almost palpable, making it clear that he was not one to be trifled with. The intensity of his gaze was like nothing Mariam had ever seen before, sending a chill down her spine. If looks could kill, this woman would probably be dead by now. It was as if he was a completely different person, consumed by a burning rage that seemed to consume him. With each step he took, the tension in the air grew thicker, creating a sense of unease for Mariam. His eyes were like a storm, and she couldn’t help but feel like she was standing in the eye of it. Well, that’s what I’m thinking about her. I don’t know if other thoughts are still revolving around in her head. “I asked a question, didn’t I? What the hell are you doing?” Luke’s tone clearly showed how his anger got harder and harder. Mariam was speechless, yet she returned the angry stare. It was a war zone at the moment, more like a staring competition. When Luke got close to me, his piercing gaze met mine, causing a rush of emotions to flood through me. But then he turned to Mariam and gave her the intense glare once again. Yup, that’s his true nature; an angry baboon. But at this moment, my anger towards him vanished, I guess. Well, it was because it looked like he was against Mariam, and so was I. So, it’s the two of us against the grumpy witch. Oh, wait, Riley was here. It was three of us, actually. 56: STAND FOR ME 2/5 “Are you okay?” Luke asked, and I was kind of surprised about that. That was a caring tone right there. But come on, I wasn’t going to let this wash away the passion for vengeance. The hatred was only gone for the moment. It would definitely materialize after this whole thing. “Look here, you. I wasn’t talking to you, alright? So, don’t you dare stick your nose in this!” Mariam snapped. Luke chuckled. “First of all, this is my house–my room, for that matter. Secondly, this is my wife right here.” Luke wrapped his arm around my neck. I gave him a weird look. “So you need to respect her.” He had to make it clear to Mariam. “No, the two of you need to respect me.” Mariam brought her thoughts out. She glared at me. “And you? I don’t know where you came from, but you are definitely leaving this house.” Mariam seized my hand and wanted to drag me out of the room. Well, Luke captured my other hand, and you know he was stronger than this witch. “She’s not going anywhere,” Luke told her. “Why the hate all of a sudden? It’s not like you know her from somewhere.” Yeah Mariam. Why the hate all of a sudden? “This woman does not deserve to be your wife,” Mariam said, twisting my hand. “Says who?” Luke queried, raising an eyebrow. “Says me,” Mariam responded. Lue sighed, looking down. “That’s too bad. We all know your words are never right. No one takes your opinion seriously. Get things straight; it’s not like they don’t like you; they hate you. Get that through that thick skull of yours.” 56: STAND FOR ME “No respect for your elder ones, I see,” Mariam said lowly. “How many times do I have to keep on telling you this? Respect is given to people with sensea, to people who actually think straight. Not to people like you.” 3/5 “How dare you?” Mariam was about to slap Luke, but I seized her hand that very moment. I literally had no idea what had gotten into me. But this was not normal. Mariam gave me a dark look and shoved me a little bit backwards, putting an end to the grip. Her eyes flashed with anger as she continued to glare at me, her hand itching to strike me in the face. But before she could make her move, Luke intervened, grabbing her hand and twisting it in a swift motion. A cry of pain escaped Mariam’s lips as she winced, her fury momentarily.replaced by agony. Yup, I felt a sense of satisfaction at Luke’s quick action. Whatever that lady got, she deserved it. This was quite entertaining. Just imagine how the rest of the days in this house are going to be. Luke eventually let go of her hand. “Try to act stupid next time, and I promise you, it’s going to be worse than this,” he warned her. Mariam’s eyes narrowed in a fierce glare, a piercing that cut through Luke like a razor–edged knife, revealing the intense anger and frustration brewing within her. It was clear that her rage had gotten to a whole new level, and her insides must probably be burning with a fiery intensity. It’s not like she’s going to do anything anyway. All the disrespect she received, she was the one who brought it upon herself. “You will pay for this, Luke Reynold. You will pay,” Mariam told Luke in a cold tone. “You can leave now,” Luke told her, gesturing toward the door. 56: STAND FOR ME 4/5 Mariam took her eyes off Luke before turning her attention to me, with that dark look on her face. I couldn’t resist returning the stare, as we both shared the same feeling of annoyance and hate. Our eyes were so fixed on each other, and it was quite clear that this woman was not backing down any time soon. But she eventually left anyway. Luke held his waist, watching her as she walked away. “Damn, how does her husband even put up with her?” “Same way I did with you,” I said, and Luke turned to me immediately. “But we only lasted three years. That woman and her husband have been married for more than ten years.” “I don’t care,” I told him coldly. “Hold on,” Riley chimed in, and the two of us looked at her. “Is she the one?” “Yes, Riley, she’s the one I divorced years ago,” Luke answered. “Ariel Walker. But since grandpa wanted me to get married to her, I have no choice.” I shot him a look of disgust. Yes, this hate has come back. Just what I was expecting. “Don’t look at me like that. We know this wedding is happening all because of my grandpa. If he didn’t want this, you think I’d be wasting my time with you?” “Take it easy, brother,” Riley told Luke as his tone got louder. I refused to speak. “I’m taking it easy, alright? It’s just that this pain and all that, passes through me whenever I think of that man.‘ 56: STAND FOR ME “I know. Same thing here,” Riley stated. “But why are you pouring out all your anger on her?” “When did I do that?” Luke queried, his tone softening. 5/5 I looked at him right away. If I wanted to curse the living soul right out of him, I would have done that with style. But I’m actually here, trying to compose myself, and this idiot just wants me to terminate this little self–control. Damn, it’s not easy, you know. Luke’s eye met mine, and he could see the anger within me. “Excuse me,” I said softly, and I left the room.
