Chooses Madness 198

Chapter 198 

“Maria, I’m sorry, I just–seeing Tristian put his hands on you like that, kissing you–jealousy got the better of me. I lost control. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” 

Marianna’s lips curved into a cold smile behind her tears. ‘You can’t handle watching me kiss Tristian? she thought with bitter amusement. If you knew what else we did in there, you’d lose your damn mind. 

But she wouldn’t breathe a word of this to Davon. 

Instead, Marianna struck first. “Seeing Tristian kiss me–do you think I’m dirty now? Are you disgusted by me?” 

Davon pressed his lips together and said nothing. 

Marianna let out a quiet scoff of contempt in her mind. ‘Men. Always so possessive,‘ she thought. 

The truth was, Marianna could have dodged Tristian’s kiss earlier. But she hadn’t. 

She’d wanted to stir up Davon’s competitive streak, to ignite that possessive fire burning inside him. That was why she’d let it happen, let him witness every second of it. 

Only by making him see how desirable she was–how many others wanted her–could she drive home the point that winning her favor would cost him dearly. 

Those were her calculations, cold and precise. But on the surface, she wore an expression of wounded. vulnerability. 

“Do you have any idea who I came to Sexton Villa for? Everything I’ve endured here–and you have the nerve to look down on me? Dav, you’re breaking my heart. If you really think I’m so dirty, then don’t come near me. Just stay far, far away from me.” 

As she spoke, Marianna gave Davon a gentle push. 

Panic flashed through Davon’s chest. He grabbed her small hand, his voice urgent. “Marianna, please, don’t misunderstand. I’m jealous. I’m jealous of how other guys look at you–how they want you-” 

He couldn’t finish, fighting to keep his temper in check. 

His voice grew gentler. “I’m sorry. This is all my fault. I said the wrong thing. I like you too much to ever look down on you. Besides, you were doing this to help me. If anyone’s to blame, it’s me–for putting you through. 

this.” 

A barely visible smile curved Marianna’s lips. She was clearly satisfied with Davon’s reaction. 

Her expression remained pitiful and devoted. “Don’t say that, Dav. I did all of this willingly. And Tristian already handled those thugs for you. We don’t have to worry about Kayla causing trouble anymore.” 

Davon’s spirits lifted immediately, his eyes brightening. “Really?” 

“Tristian worked that fast?‘ he thought, surprised. 

But something else occurred to him, and his expression darkened again. 

Davon asked, “Why would he agree to help so easily? And you were in there with him for so long. Did he do something to you?” 

The thought of what Marianna and Tristian might have done alone together ignited a jealous rage in Davon’s 

chest. 

Marianna pressed her lips together and shook her head. “No. Nothing happened except that kiss just now. I’m still so young–what could we possibly do?” 

The truth was, Marianna had started regretting things the moment their sex. 

She’d let the Sexton family’s wealth cloud her judgment. Seeing Kayla’s luxurious lifestyle had gotten under her skin, stirring up envy and a sense of ambition. That was why she’d given in to Tristian earlier, letting things go further than they should have. 

At first, she thought, ‘If I could get knocked up by Tristian, even with my crappy family background, I could totally use that baby as leverage to marry into the Sextons and become the lady of the house! 

But now that the heat of the moment had passed, regret settled in like a cold weight. 

First, there was Tristian’s pathetic performance. Front to back, the whole thing hadn’t even lasted ten minutes -nothing like the legendary “seven times in one night” she’d read about online. 

All she’d felt was pain. Before anything else could register, it was over. The experience had been thoroughly disappointing. 

‘If I end up married to someone this useless,‘ she thought, ‘I might as well resign myself to a lifetime of frustration.”