316: DRENCHED DISCLOSURES ARIEL’S POV I continued to stare at Luke, giving him a surprised face. Apparently, his actions were shocking. Quite shocking, yeah, the perfect words to use. But no matter what he did, Harriet deserved it. She was a rotten woman, after all. And she didn’t deserve mercy in any way, not at all. “You strangled her? Are you serious?” I blurted out, still having my eyes firm on him. Luke scratched the back of his head, avoiding my gaze. “Well, not exactly. “I mean, I was so furious, and she was saying all sorts of terrible things about you, so I grabbed her by the collar, but then I had to let go. I was kind of relieved at the moment, but then I wasn’t pleased with what I was hearing. “Did you let go? Just like that?” “Yeah, I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t bring myself to hurt her.” I let out a shaky breath, trying to process everything. “Well, I’m glad you didn’t go through with it. But still, Luke, you can’t just go around strangling people, even if they deserve it.” I was attempting to impart some knowledge to him, but I believe Harriet shouldn’t be subject to the law. Although I wanted to hurt that woman so badly, there was still a part of me that didn’t want to see her dead. “I know, I know,” he mumbled, looking sheepish. I couldn’t help but chuckle at his guilty expression. “You’re lucky I’m not calling the cops on you right now.” “Hey, come on, don’t be like that,” he said, trying to lighten the mood. “Let’s focus on something else, like how ridiculous it is that Harriet thinks you kidnapped her.” I raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on my lips. “She said that?” “Yeah, she was going on and on about how you kidnapped her and tortured her of something.” DRENCHED De I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. “Wow, she really is delusional. I mean, kidnapping? That’s a new one.” Luke chuckled along with me, shaking his head. “Yeah, she’s definitely something else.” I sobbed up a bit, a hint of determination creeping into my voice. “Well, whether she believes it or not, Harriet needs to pay for all the evil things she’s done.” Luke nodded in agreement, his expression serious. “Yeah, she definitely does.” We sat in silence for a moment, the weight of our conversation hanging in the air. But anyway, Luke uttered it, breaking the silence the moment he asked. “Did you really kidnap her?” His tone was serious, not the larky one that was going about a moment ago, I had to take a deep breath, looking forward, and then I glanced at him. “What do you think?” “I don’t know; I’ve got a million thoughts running through my head right now. I can’t actually find the perfect answer.” He installed his hands on the steering wheel, and it was like he was about to start the car. “But be honest with me.“What do you think? Do you think I’d do such a thing?” “I can’t tell, actually,” he answered, and he suspired. “You can be really cold sometimes. No lie about that.” I tossed him a strained smile, replying sarcastically, “Yeah, thanks for the compliment. It really means a lot to me.” “No joke, Ariel. I’m just saying that sometimes you can act a little bit different.” “And by different, what do you mean?” I asked, my tone slow and one of my brows raised. Luke was quiet for seconds, but in hushed tones, he stated, “I’m not going to talk much.” “You’ll have to.“We can’t just end the conversation like that. “Yeah, I’m not saying anything.” He started the car after that; the rain was still falling. I decided not to say anything. I wasn’t going to argue or take the discussion further. Sometimes, silence could speak volumes, allowing you and your partner to reflect on the weight of your relationship. As the car moved through the rain–soaked streets, the tension between me and Luke lingered in the air. Each passing moment felt heavy with unspoken words and unresolved emotions. I couldn’t hold back wondering about the implications of his words and my actions. Despite the silence, the rhythmic sound of the rain on the car’s roof provided a strange comfort, a backdrop to the turmoil within my mind. I glanced out the window, watching as the city lights blurred into streaks of color against the dark backdrop of the night. After a while, Luke broke the silence with a soft sigh. “Look, Ariel, I didn’t mean to upset you. I just… I don’t know what to think anymore.” I turned to him, meeting his gaze briefly before looking away. “It’s okay, Luke. I understand.” He nodded, his grip on the steering wheel tightening slightly. “I just want to make sure you’re okay. That’s all.” I nodded in response, a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips. “I know, and I appreciate it.” The rest of the car ride passed in relative silence, punctuated only by the occasional sound of tires on wet pavement. Despite the tension that still lingered between us, there was a sense of mutual understanding, a silent agreement to navigate through the uncertainty together. Luke pulled up to our destination–my destination, actually. He had taken me to Laura’s mansion, and that was so kind of him. But honestly, I didn’t feel like spending the night here. I didn’t even want to live with her anymore. I didn’t want to work with her since she was turning into something else. Yes, I was really grateful for her saving my life and strengthening me. She executed great actions, but now she was giving me different thoughts about her. I didn’t want 1316 DRENCHED DISCLOVURES to follow through; I didn’t want to belleve those thoughts, but she wanted to push me to stick to those things. And now I could see myself getting separated from her any moment soon. Still settling down in the car, I turned to Luke, offering a small nod of gratitude.” Thanks for the ride, Luke.” He smiled softly, his eyes reflecting a mix of emotions. “Anytime, Ariel. Take care of yourself, okay?” With a final nod and a smile, I stepped out of the car and into the rain. I felt like a sense of relief had washed over me, but I didn’t really think so. I was standing right here outside a mansion, and I didn’t feel too good about stepping inside. If only the rain could alleviate these heavy feelings, I would stand here in various positions, still drenched by the drops, and if the rain continued for hours, I would find myself firmly rooted there. Luke’s car was still present, and he didn’t say anything, but I could still tell he was still heavy with our recent conversation. A moment of laughter turned into a moment of silence. It was not what I expected or what I wanted, but it shot me pretty hard. So yeah, there it was. As I stood there contemplating whether to go inside or not, a voice called out from behind me, breaking through the sound of the rain. “Ariel?” I turned around to see Laura standing on the mansion’s grand porch. And I turned back to see Luke in his car, and he was still staring at me.
