Mr billionaire's regret chasing his irresistible wife by Gabby Emmanuel

(ARIELLE'S POV)

The bathroom door creaked open, and out stepped Dwayne. His hair was damp from a shower, droplets sliding down his broad, muscled chest. For a split second, we both just stared at each other, equally startled.

"Arielle?" His deep voice broke the silence, his brows knitting together in concern.

My mind foggy, I blinked repeatedly to ensure it was indeed him not my hallucination.

"What are you doing in my room?" I asked, trying to sound strong. I looked around the room, taking in the familiar surroundings. The bed, the dresser, and everything in it-everything looked like it belonged to me, but something felt off. "This is my room." His frown deepened as he stepped further in. "I've been staying here since we boarded the ship."

I shook my head, a feeling of panic enveloping me. "No, no, this is my room," I insisted. "I remember vividly. I was just... just in the..." I paused and tried to recall my earlier actions, but my memories were hazy.

Frustration welled up inside me. "You get the wrong one," I said, louder now, my fingers curling into fists. "I'm sure of it. This is my room." I looked around again, trying to find some piece of evidence to back up my claim. But everything seemed in its place.

Then, my eyes locked on something-a small key card on the bedside table, Dwayne's name printed on it. My heart skipped a beat, and my breath caught in my throat as I realized the truth.

"Sofia," I muttered as both a wave of discovery and anger hit me simultaneously. "She must have switched our room numbers."

Dwayne's eyes narrowed as he quickly processed the situation. Then, as the truth settled in, they darkened with disgust. "What's in her damn head?" He shook his head, his eyes never leaving mine. "You're shaking. What's wrong?"

I didn't respond but tried to brush it off, but it seemed my body had other plans. I felt my head spinning as I still tried to process what was Sofia's whole plan. And then, suddenly, another wave of intense heat hit me. My skin prickled, hot and sensitive, as though every nerve had been set alight.

"She... she did something," I managed to gasp. My head was spinning, the room blurring around me. "Sofia. The drink..."

My body started to feel like it had been set on fire, and I stumbled in my frantic attempt to get relief.

But Dwayne was swift, and he quickly caught me. His face darkened, and he swore under his breath. Stepping closer, he reached out but hesitated, his hand hovering near my arm. "Arielle, look at me!" He held me upright, his arms draping around me.

I tried to speak, but my words were slurred and raspy. I tried to stay sober, but the burning was overwhelming.

The heat is driving me crazy, and Dwayne's mesmerizing emerald eyes make him like Adam in the Garden of Eden, no, the poisonous snake that tempted others to eat the apple.

My hands moved to my blouse, clawing at the fabric as if peeling it away would cool the fire beneath my skin.

"Shit," Dwayne's hand shot out, gripping my wrists firmly. "No." His voice was low, steady, and laced with something I couldn't quite name. "Don't do that."

I whispered hoarsely. "Dwayne... it's killing me!" Tears

what's wrong with you," he said, his voice dropping an octave, rough and intimate. "You don't understand what you're asking of me. If I do anything right now, we'll

The fire inside

He swore again, then scooped me up effortlessly, his arms cradling me against his solid chest. "Come on. You need cold

body still radiating heat as he carried me into the bathroom. The sharp scent of his aftershave mingled with the steamy air, and I felt my pulse quicken coursing through me. He set me down gently, his touch lingering just a fraction longer than

myself in, his strong hands steadying me. My body jerked in protest, my skin pebbling from the cold, but it was exactly what

shirt was damp from the splashes, clinging to his chest in a way that made it impossible to ignore the

His breathing wasn't steady.

felt heavy, my energy drained, but at least the unbearable heat was gone. I looked up at Dwayne, who was crouched beside the tub, his face etched with worry and... something else. Something that made my stomach flip. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, but it only made the weight of what had just happened press down harder. It felt humiliating, and I resented myself for losing control like that. The memories of how

then I winced when Dwayne reached for my face, his fingers brushing softly over my skin to wipe away the tears

okay," he murmured, his voice softer now,

whispered, my

a voice outside the room made

are you in there? Can you hear me?" a woman's voice called, each word

the door, and I followed his gaze. My heart immediately sank when I realized who the voice belonged to.

hissed. Damn woman, you came just

I heard the voice of another person seeping through the door, hesitant. "Ma'am, are you absolutely sure this is the room? There are a lot of guests aboard the

her tone dripping with conviction. "I lost my diamond watch earlier this evening, and I saw this man behaving suspiciously near the lounge. I have every reason to believe he took it and stashed it in here." The

gripping Dwayne's arm. "She's trying to set

she suddenly

allegation of theft, but we must proceed carefully. Sir, if you're in

delicate matter, and

let it

sure he won't mind clearing

and I froze, exchanging

got to work, as I tried to piece

sense now. She swapped the name tags on our doors before I realized, so that I would walk into Dwayne's room while I was delirious due to the drug effect. It was easy to imagine what would happen next, and there was no way she would miss the show. That's why she insisted on gathering this group of people to Dwayne's door with

was already in full effect, so she'd walk in the perfect time and

face mirrored my thoughts. His jaw was tight, but he gave nothing away. I could feel my hands tremble as anger

around, how could she stoop this low, risking not just my reputation but Dwayne's too? Was she really that desperate to ruin me? To what end? Outside, Sofia's patience was wearing thin. "If he has nothing to hide,

mockery.

I could even respond, another voice cut through the chaos,