Chapter 189

All the noise had alerted Calhoun about the situation. He walked out of his study and slowly went into the living room. The sight in front of him was surprising. He immediately walked to Ariana 's side to stand protectively by her.

"What's going on here?" He growled as he approached them.

Blood drained from Lisa's body immediately and Ethan only looked sadder than he had been earlier.

"I thought you said he wasn't home!" Lisa cried out to Ariana.

"I lied and I am glad I did! Imagine what you have done?" Aria snapped back.

Calhoun got to her and held her protectively. He analysed the situation and tried to find a solution. He could easily call the security forces to throw Ethan into the streets, but Lisa was Ariana's closest friend. Unlike Aria, he didn't believe her close friend would purposely want to bring her trouble.

Besides, during his travels, he heard on the news that Ethan had been going through therapy. Maybe the man wanted something else in a civilised way.

"I said I want you out of here! Do you want me to call security!" Ariana asked Ethan, who was still on his knees.

Calhoun held her hand and placed a peck on her neck to try and calm her down. "Honey, I think we should hear him out. Please," he whispered to her.

Her body grew rigid with anger. She couldn't understand why Calhoun wanted to listen to Ethan. What could he possibly say that they hadn't heard before?

"Calhoun, he is crazy! We shouldn't listen to him. We should call the asylum and have him sent back!"

"Honey, he came all the way, the least we could do is to listen to him. For my sake, please," Calhoun begged.

Ariana wanted to refuse but she looked into Calhoun's eyes and her anger melted to a normal state. "Fine. We will do it for your sake and afterwards he should be thrown out."

Calhoun sat with her on a couch and then he looked at Lisa, who was white with shame. "Lets all sit down and talk like adults."

Lisa sat down first and Ethan struggled for a seat beside him too. It was then Ariana noticed the limp in her right foot. He also had a very bad scar running across his left arm.

"So, what do you have to say?" Calhoun asked Ethan as he caressed Ariana's hands.

"First of all, I want her to forgive her friend Lisa. I made her bring me here. I have been searching all around for you and no one knew where you were. When you moved to the Lawsons' house, Sofia told me but I thought she was just being her bitterself," he said in a gentle voice.

His voice sounded broken and pitiful, yet Ariana refused to have her guards down. The guy could he up only to cause more trouble. Ethan was pretty good at all of that.

"Even if I thought otherwise. I could still come over there because I would be causing you trouble with your new family. I know what Sofia and Lily planned against you..."

Calhoun could feel the heat coming off of Ariana and he kept on caressing her. He could see a broken man searching for redemption and the least they could do for him was to give it to him. But that decision had to come from Ariana alone and not him. Ethan was her past. She had to be the one to make the decision.

"Can you just tell us why you are here and stop beating around the bush like this?" Ariana hissed. She was growing even more angry at his speech because to her it made no sense at all.

"I want to ask for your forgiveness Ariana," he whimpered, and Ariana felt her heart stop beating.

"I have wronged you in so many ways I cant even count. I have brought so much pain to you because I was an arsehole! I broke your heart and the promises I made to you... and it brought us to this point..."

Ariana felt her bottom lips wobble as his words took her back to the moments she had passed through all of those horrible hurdles in her life. If Calhoun hadn't been there for her, she might never have made it out alive —and it was all because of Ethan.

"I kept going after you even when I realised that I never truly loved you... you were like a trophy I wanted to keep hidden from the world... but now I realise that you are light. And no one keeps light under a table. I should have let you go a long time ago to sort out my own mental issues. But I was obsessed with your kindness. I was obsessed with your sweet voice; your beauty and the way you handled things... now I know I was wrong..."

"I shouldn't have dragged your parents into this... I should have known how they were and I decided to use it against them, not considering how bad it would look to you. I am sorry Ariana... Please find it in your heart to forgive me."

Ariana felt the tears drop on her cheeks and she tried to wipe them away but Calhoun beat her to it. He held her hands, giving her the strength she needed for that moment.

"I want to move on with my life... I want to travel far away and start my life afresh, but I cant do any of that if I don't ask for your forgiveness..." he once again tried to go down on his knees and Ariana stopped him.

"Stop!" She whispered. "There is no need to knee. I do not hate you Ethan. I just didn't want to have anything to do with you anymore because you were becoming toxic... I just didn't want to be reminded of everything that had happened between us..."

"I am truly sorry for all of that..." he whispered, wiping his own tears.

"I forgive you Ethan..."