Rise of the Enigmatic Daniel Wells

Chapter 003

Aria's footsteps were light as she stepped into the living room. It was the wee hours of the morning, so the lights were out, and the curtains were drawn. Her insides still tingled from the exhilarating night with her lover.

She moved slowly in the direction of her bedroom when the light flickered on sharply, causing her to squint. She had thought everyone would be in bed.

Frankly, she was too tired to begin to explain her whereabout to anyone, especially to Daniel. He was the reason she could not stay as long as she wanted to with her true love.

Hence, the disappointment on her face when she saw Daniel standing by the switch. He looked terrible. His hair was out of place, and the sadness on his face was almost tangible. He had rings below his eyes, and his clothes were crumpled.

Her face drifted to his right, where she caught sight of the dinner. It was beautifully set. That was when she noticed that he was actually dressed quite decently from his usual ordinary house-husband clothes.

He stared at her questioningly, his eyes piercing into hers and his palms clenching, but she watered down the guilt that threatened to consume her with a scoff.

Pointing carelessly to the set table with a shrug, she jeered, "What's all these? Are you having some kind of party?"

Daniel could not believe the guts of this woman. This Atia standing in front of him was so much different from the sweet woman he once knew.

"They were for you," he gritted out emphatically. "But you never came because you were—"

She let out a disgruntled laughter. "Really? Do I look like a peasant that you're preparing this pathetic dinner for me? I don't need you to do these rubbish. What you can actually do to please me is to get responsible. Go out there and get a job like responsible husbands. Do something meaningful with your life."

Her words were like a sharp slap on Daniel's face. This was the first time she was talking to him like that. He pressed his teeth together to hide his shock and sadness. He was not going to let her break him any more than she already had.

He watched, void of words to say for a moment, as she sauntered towards a sofa, letting out a low groan.

"Gosh, my body hurts," she groaned, trying to gain pity from Daniel. She knew he would do anything for her. He could not stand seeing her hurt or in pain, so she opted to use that card. The sad and angered expression on his face made the room feel like it was closing in on her. "Will you give me a body massage?"

As much as it seemed like a gentle request, Daniel could sense the disrespect and order behind her tone. She was mistaken if she thought she could keep using him as her servant.

He stood transfixed. He felt anger bubble inside him at Aria's words. He would have granted her request in a heartbeat if that picture had not shown him what she was capable of.

"No."

The coldness of his tone set Aria's heart on a race. She turned to him with her eyes wide open in shock. The indifference in his eyes made her tremble. Daniel had never said no to her or any of her requests before. Had he found out something?

"What do you mean?" She shot back, feeling her anger rise within her. Who did he think he was to refuse her order? John Slade would not think twice before rushing over to her to give her a massage if she asked him. He was always gentle with her. She felt her frustration peak.

"I said no. You can go and ask your lover to give you one!"

Her heart skipped a beat momentarily. Then, her face grew hard. "How dare you accuse me of having an affair, Daniel? I have been loyal to you, sticking with you despite the fact that you have been of no benefit to me!"

Her words stung, but Daniel remained stoic. Without another word, he flung his phone in her direction. It landed by her side, and she picked it with a perplexed expression.

"Who is that man, Aria?" He seethed. He watched her to see her reaction. "He is all over you yet you never allowed me touch you ever since we got married. Now cruel and shameless can you be?"

Blood drained from her face as she stared at the picture of her sharing a kiss with John. She wondered who had taken the picture and sent it to her husband.

She fumbled over words, thinking of what to say. There was no denying that it was her in the picture, and Daniel was no fool.

Suddenly, she let out a chuckle. It was humourless. "Daniel, don't tell me you believe this?" She cackled, but he remained indifferent. "This is just a behind-the-scene shot for my next movie."

Her words gashed his heart even more. He saw right through the lie. He would know if she was acting in any movie like that. Wasn't he the one who got her every role she had acted? There was obviously no new movie, nor were there any kissing scenes.

"Indeed. Aria, you should be ashamed of yourself. Not only are you cheating on your husband, but for being caught kissing a stranger in a questionable place. For an actress of your kind, that's very low."

Her face hardened even more as his words stripped her naked. "You have no right to accuse me of being immoral. Who do you think you are to judge me? What have you done yourself? All you do is sit on your high horse and wrinkle your nose at whatever you think is immoral. Your irresponsibility disgusts me. Go out there and make a living for yourself before judging me about something you know nothing about!"

Daniel was getting riled up at this point, but he kept his cool, his hands tucked into his pockets as he watched her rave like an angry lioness.

"You should thank me for being accommodating of you for the past years. A lot of people would love to be in your shoes as my husband, and they would even do their best to impress me. But what have you done for me? Prepare some chappy dinner and do the chores?" She vented.

He could not be more disappointed. 'After all I did for this woman. Is this how she repays me? I have the choice to be known as the billionaire who owns the biggest entertainment companies and the owner of a large chain of movie distributors, but I decided to stay at home with her and have time with her but this is how she repays me?'

"What an insult!" She lashed, flinging herself at him. Her hands were raised, and his face was the target.

Before her palms could connect with his cheeks, he caught her hands midair. He would not let her continue to treat him like a peasant.

Blinded by his rage at this point, his hands connected with her cheeks in a swift motion, sending her flying to the ground.

"Hey, Aria. I forgot to give you—" John paused in his words as he took in the scene before him. His eyes grew dark.

He rushed over to Aria like some knight in a rusty armour while she sobbed like a baby to draw his pity..