Chapter 9 An Awful Ride

Before Denver could go to call on Ariadne, Molly dragged him by his arm and pulled him into the first cable car. "Denver, let's sit together"

Denver was confused.

"I thought you're aware that I want to sit with Ariadne instead"

With a smile, Molly waved her hands dismissively. "Hey, don't get me in the wrong. I mean we should sit here and wait for her return. There's no need to go looking for her, she just went to use the restroom."

She looked confident while fixing her gaze on Denver as she continued, "what if she returned after you've left and you missed her? We'll have to start waiting for you instead then."

Denver paused in his tracks. He raised his hand to his head and smoothed his fingers into his hair, thinking that whatever Molly said made sense. Hence, he decided to return in the cable car with her to wait for Ariadne.

A smug smile appeared on her lips when she saw that Ariadne still wasn't back a few minutes later when the cable ride was getting ready to leave. But she felt contrition in her chest when she noticed Denver glancing at his wristwatch repeatedly, obviously tense.

'Don't worry, bitchhh. I will soon keep you away from him and wrap him around my fingers as always'

When Denver was about to stand out after running out of patience, they noticed Ariadne walking towards the direction of the cable cars and his face lit up immediately.

But then, the cable ride was about to take off and the door of the car they were in was shut, so she hurriedly hopped into the next one in the nick of time as the door was closing.

Finally, it was time for the cable car to leave and the ride commenced.

Denver wanted to get out of the cable car so that he would join Ariadne in the next car, but the door had closed. And he was now stuck in the same cable car alone with Molly.

Glancing at the sly woman seated beside Denver, Ariadne's eyes flickered and she snorted.

'It's obviously her scheming for me to be locked in the restroom. I'm sure she did it so she can ride the same cable car with Denver. It looks like Molly is a very guileful one and wouldn't hesitate to use anyone to attain her goals.'

'Otherwise, how do you explain that I surprisingly got trapped in a bathroom when I was doubly sure I was the only one inside there at the time I walked in? She must have planned this with that staff that directed me to the restroom, because I noticed that staff seemed sneaky'

With this thought in mind, Ariadne swore never to let her guard down around Molly ever again.

Ariadne noticed Molly shot her a look, as if daring her to eat her out in front of Denver. She forced back a smile at her, pretending not to know that Molly was behind her getting trapped in the restroom.

Instantly, a grin flitted across Molly's face. 'Oh, what a fool you are. I didn't know you're very easy to deal with. Wait till I'm done with you'. She thought.

Her heart fluttered upon seeing Denver's bright smile. 'Oh, he looks so warm and cute with his smile. If only he can smile at me like that... I will be the happiest person alive.'

But she noticed that his attention was elsewhere, so she trailed his gaze and upon noticing his gaze on Ariadne, her heart shrieked.

As for Denver, he felt uncomfortable to see Ariadne sitting alone in the next cable car instead of sitting by his side like he initially wanted her to. He also felt awful when he noticed a glint of sadness flash across her eyes.

He would appreciate it if she would at least lit a satisfactory smile on her face. Thinking about his efforts to give her a pleasurable day at the park and how he had bought out the entire park for their time together, he felt disgusted at himself for not being able to bring a smile to her face.

He thought that she should at least be happy, seeing as she gets to enjoy an exclusive and top notch experience of having the entire park to herself, something which most girls her age would die for.

Just then, Molly broke the silence. "Denver, I'm glad to be here with you today." He shifted his gaze towards her questionably, as if trying to figure out the hidden meaning behind her words.

With a plaid look, he flashed her a light smile and immediately drifted his gaze back to Ariadne, as if she was the one in the same cable car with him and not Molly.

This action made Molly very furious and she seethed in anger.

Having the feeling of being watched, Ariadne looked in their direction and noticed Denver's gaze locked on her. Unsure of what to do, she waved at him while plastering a very sweet smile on her face.

Molly felt awkward by Denver's distant attitude but her awkwardness was soon by delight recalling that he would be stuck with her in that car for the next thirty minutes whether he blew hot or cold. This realization alone served as consolation to her angered heart.

Meanwhile, he was annoyed by Molly's attempt at striking a discussion as he was not even in the mood to have any discussion, especially if the other participant in the discussion is not Ariadne.

Seething quietly, he was so mad that he felt like smashing the window to vent his anger. Yet, thinking that his inability to stay in the same cable car with Ariadne is not Molly's fault, he could only try his best to suppress his anger.

Denver could feel his throat throbbing as he longed for Ariadne's presence. He sat there searching for a chance to lock gaze with her as he silently wished that she would at least spare him a glance once again.

The entire ride in the cable took thirty minutes for a round trip. Initially, he thought he could retain his composure but as time passed, he couldn't help but hiss repeatedly.

By then, he could no longer see Ariadne's face as the latter had turned her back in the direction facing him.

Although Ariadne had her back facing him, she could still feel his gaze piercing through his back.

She tried stealing a glance at him through the corner of her eye as she fought hard to draw back the tears that were about tingling down her face, but decided against it.

'It's his freedom to be with other women if he chooses to. It has nothing to do with me so I can't possibly tell him to tell the other women off'

Pursing her lips, she tilted her head backwards and shifted her eyes back to the spot she had initially pinned it on, in an attempt to avoid looking back at them.

'Why should I be so sad about them spending time together alone? It's not like they didn't know each other and haven't been doing this in the past' She thought.

Forcing herself to smile, anyone can tell that her smile carried a tinge of bitterness by just sparing her a glance. She was indeed doing a very bad job of hiding her emotions.

Ariadne sat alone in the cable car, her fingers lightly tapping against the cold metal railing as her heart danced to a rhythm only she could hear.

Eventually, she swallowed her frustrations and decided to sing to herself in order to feel better.

With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and let the wind caress her cheeks. Her lips parted, and a soft, melodious hum escaped them. The first notes were hesitant, like fragile blossoms just beginning to unfurl.

Her voice flowed effortlessly into the air, like a river of honey, and wrapped itself around her like a warm embrace.

But as the gentle tune enveloped her, her voice gained strength and confidence. Her voice was rich and pure like fine wine, echoing through the cable car as if threatening to blast the cable car and travel further miles.

Denver watched from the cable car ahead, his dark eyes fixed on the solitary figure in the other car. His lips curled into a soft smile as he listened, captivated by the way her voice kept rising and falling to create a sweet melody.

He couldn't help but get trapped in her melodious outburst. His eyes widened as he beheld Ariadne, lost in her private world, her voice resonating like a siren's call.

He could feel the haunting beauty of her melody intertwining with the rustling leaves of the surrounding trees, creating a symphony that seemed to pause the very heartbeat of the world.

Ariadne's voice soared higher, and the notes seemed to mingle with the sunlight, casting a warm golden glow over everything. Her heartache and worries all seemed to be dissolved into the melody. With every note, her worries seemed to drift away, carried off by the gentle wind.

Pouring her heart into every word, the melodies she conjured seemed to take on a life of their own, carrying her away from the weight of her thoughts as she clung to the song like a lifeline.

Her fingers lightly grazed the cold glass of the cable car's window, her touch leaving a fleeting imprint on the cold air, much like her song.

As the cable cars drew closer, Denver's heart raced. He didn't want the music to end, didn't want to lose the connection he felt. He had never heard her singing before and was surprised to realize that she had such an angelic voice.

Their eyes met for a fleeting moment, and a smile tugged at the corners of Ariadne's lips before she quickly snapped her eyes away. It was as though she knew he was listening, but calmly shrugged it off.

Molly sensed Denver's captivation towards Ariadne's singing voice and felt another well of hatred building up within her. She kept glaring at Ariadne's direction, as if trying to shut her up with her eyes.

'Wow... now, the bitch is trying to lure him in with her voice. What's so great about her singing anyway.' She sneered.

Denver closed his eyes for a fleeting moment, wishing that the singing would not come to an end. But his longing didn't help as her voice began to fade, while the final notes of her song lingered in the air like the last rays of a sunset.

Seeing the ride coming to an end, Ariadne's face brightened up. She unclenched her hands which were initially clenched over her knees.

Denver looked up to gaze at Ariadne who was now facing his direction in readiness to hop out of the cable car, he noticed the slight tinge of redness in her eyes and his face darkened.

'Did she not enjoy the cable ride? What could have possibly gone wrong?'

Just then, the cable car suddenly jerked and his heart shrieked when he saw her bump her forehead on a corner of the cable car. He watched her as she rubbed the sore spot, as if she was trying to numb the pain with her hands.

'What a character... Playing damsel in distress, huh?'