Soon, Don returned with some men. Ethan’s face had been so badly burnt, it was no longer recognizable. Since he had the same build as Alejandro, Ethan had hidden his past from the public and undergone numerous plastic surgeries. Appearance-wise, he had practically become Alejandro Smith’s twin. To make his disguise even more convincing, he had destroyed his own fingerprints.After all that he’d been through, Ethan no longer wanted to fight for anything from Mark anymore. The only regret he had was Tiffany, the girl who had given up everything she had for him. There was nothing that would make him happier than to live with his loved one in peace, so he planned to look for Tiffany the moment he returned, making amends for everything he had done in the past.Don grabbed his injured leg when he saw that Ethan was silent. “There’s nothing you can do now. It was Melanie who had been secretly passing you information, am I right? Here I was, trying to get rid of her eyesore, but who would’
Arianne scowled, “What are you talking about? What has using your brain got to do with your child’s intelligence? You silly goose! Anyways, you aren’t in contact with Alejandro anymore and you should stay away from him. To be honest, I always get a very strange feeling when I see him, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. Anyway, you should rest at home and prepare to be the most beautiful bride tomorrow.”Tiffany smiled and said, “Alright then, you should come early tomorrow morning and accompany me. I’ll leave Smore with Mark; he’s married, so he can’t be the bridesman. The same goes to you; you can’t be my bridesmaid either, so I had to spend a sum to hire someone to do it, and neither of them are people I know.”As she said this, Arianne thought of Eric again. He would be the bridesman if he were still around.Shortly after, Jackson had arrived for Tiffany, but Lilian stopped him right by the doorstep. “Jackson, you’re not allowed to enter this door before the wedding day—it’s
Mark seemed amused as he looked at her. “What do you mean? Go on, tell me what you think.”She lost confidence from the way Mark had looked at her. “I’m not as smart as you, so you can think about it yourself. I’ve got nothing to say.”He got up and stood in front of her, then slowly picked up Smores. “I know what you’re trying to say. You’re suspecting that this Alejandro isn’t the real Alejandro, and you’re suspecting that… Ethan is somehow involved with him, right? I have the same suspicions, but where’s the evidence? There is none. So unless we can get our hands on some concrete evidence, we have no way to confirm or prove it.”Arianne knew that Mark had the same thoughts as she did. “I haven’t told Tiffany about this since it’s only our suspicions. I’ve met Alejandro before, and I felt strange when I did. He felt so familiar yet so distant. He has always been going against you, yet he wasn’t being nasty about it. But he’s trying to get close to Tiffany on purpose, and that’s wh
She had never missed Helen more than she did at that moment, her feelings mixed with hatred.When it was almost eight, Jackson and his crew arrived and parked downstairs. A lot of details had been skipped because of Tiffany’s pregnancy, not wanting to make it hard for her. Therefore, Jackson entered the house without any obstructions and personally carried Tiffany out of the house and into the car.Arianna was supposed to take care of Tiffany closely, getting in the car with them as well, sitting in the driver’s seat while the couple sat at the back. Lilian had gotten into the second car.After going around almost half the city, they arrived at the hotel past eleven.It was hard for her to miss a handsome man with a child in his arms, so Arianne saw Mark carrying Smore amongst the crowd as she entered the hotel lounge. She was afraid that Smore would make a fuss if he saw her, so she decided not to meet up with them.The ballroom had been well decorated. it was not an exaggeration
At that moment, Tiffany didn’t dare to breathe too heavily, scared her tears would ruin her makeup.The priest then looked at her and asked, “Ms Lane, do you take Mr. West as your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to be faithful to him in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love him and to honor him for all the days of your life?Tiffany choked and firmly stated, “I do!”The priest gently smiled, “You may now exchange your rings.”The bride and bridegroom held out each other’s rings, putting it on their wedding ring fingers. Before the priest could even say that he could kiss the bride, Jackson rushed up and impatient kissed Tiffany on the lips. Other than the taste of the lipstick, he could taste her lips. Finally, she was his.Summer’s cheers were the loudest from amongst the guests below the stage. She did not bother with the etiquettes of being a rich man’s wife, clapping her hands excitedly. With tears of joy falling from her eyes, she looked at Atticus
“I’m going out then. You stay and talk,” Summer said.Topics of conversation between the pair grew bolder once Summer left as Tiffany did not need to concern herself with her image anymore. She had to remain reserved while Summer was around. “Ari, why won’t you ask Mark to do a wedding ceremony too? I was stunned when I walked into the venue. They’ve really spared no effort. It’s like a dream. But when I thought of how it’ll all be taken down after the wedding, it seems like such a waste. A lot of money must have gone into this wedding. I never lifted a finger. The Wests really care about me, and I feel so important, like a precious treasure. I’m so blessed…”Arianne shrugged. “Mark and I are pretty much an old married couple. Why should we have a wedding ceremony? We’re just getting by. It does feel like a shame sometimes, but there’s no need. Humans should be more mature. We’ve already had our son’s one month celebration, so it’d look like a joke if we have a wedding ceremony now.”
“Stop it, you. You clearly want to go to sleep, and you’re using the baby as an excuse,” Jackson exclaimed snobbishly. “It’s agreed. We’re sleeping together. Don’t touch me or I won’t be able to sleep well and wake up tonight, and... Do whatever you want.”…Nighttime, Smith Estate.Jett drove Alejandro back from the hospital and helped him into a wheelchair. However, this time, it was no longer an act.Don Smith had prohibited Alejandro from getting medical treatment in the hospital for his legs, so he was discharged early. From now on, a personal doctor would administer an IV to him in order to decrease the inflammation.Jett stayed silent the whole time, unnerved. He had never expected so much to happen over the past few days, all during his time off of work. Alejandro’s real identity was no longer a secret, but Don Smith hadn’t had time to speak to him yet. He had been by Alejandro’s side for a while, so it would be impossible for him to say that he was unaware of it. He wasn’
Jett kept his head very low, answering, “I did not. He’d always be extra cautious with me. He wouldn’t let me get too close to him.”Obviously, the old man didn’t believe him, commenting, “I’ve always liked you, Jett. I hope you’re not lying to me. You’re very different from how you used to be. You used to be a loner, but now, you have a family to feed…”Jett frowned, “Sir, I really had no idea. I’ve never… Betrayed you either.”Melanie hesitated for two seconds when she heard this, then strode forward. “Grandfather, may I have a word with you in private?”Don Smith’s face switched to a kindly expression when he saw Melanie. “Of course. Come, talk to me. Jett, you may be excused.”Jett shot Melanie a grateful look, then hurried away.Melanie secretly let out a sigh of relief, then got straight to the point. “Grandfather, it was wrong of Alex to fake his handicap and lie to you. I told him about your plans to kill Tiffany because I didn’t want him to be upset. It’s all my fault.
Arianne had not heard that name for so long, she had to reel back in bemusement for a few seconds before finally remembering her face.Shelly-Ann Leigh… She must have spent all those years in the mental institution, right? God knows if the woman’s hair was now grey and white all over.When someone was near death, one could stand to forgive all of the history between them—even the dark ones, even if the ledger was brimming—for good. So, Arianne replied, “I’ll go with you. No matter what happened, she’s still your mother.”Mark did not expect that answer from her at all. In his surprise, he bent down and left a kiss on her lips. “I knew I picked the right woman as my wife. I thought you wouldn’t agree to let me accompany her for the last of her days…”Arianne replied nothing. She was not so obtuse that she would try to win over a woman whose days were numbered. No matter how much of an a**hole Shelly was, Arianne was still the one who came out on top. That victory was all she needed.
Arianne sneered. “You confused, little thing. I wouldn’t be daft enough to anger the mother of the man I like if I were you, girl. I would especially not say anything as low IQ as that, too. Let me be completely frank with you: no one who bears the surname of Leigh will ever get the better of me—the last one failed. Hard. I can guarantee that you’ll leave us in the span of three days. If I lose, you can stay here forever. Wanna bet? I dare you.”She left her threat hanging at that and turned her wheelchair away, leaving the scorned young woman behind.Rage came out of Raven as waves of quakes all over her body. She was lurching close to hyperventilation, but right before it became impossible to stop, she came around and battled herself to calm down. She had a feeling that even if she fainted right there and then, no one would discover her, would they?Now that Arianne and Mark had returned, the Tremont Estate had recovered its vivacity and life. It had become merry.And Raven Leigh
Melissa was the type who always pushed things to go as festive as logically possible. She leaped to her feet and raised her cup, “Yo, everyone! Let’s toast to Cindy becoming my cousin-in-law!”The crowd answered enthusiastically with their cups in the air and a roar—except Raven, who remained seated. “I have a sickly constitution. I can’t drink. I’m sorry.”Her smile was so mechanical, her face too ashen. Something flickered in Arianne’s eyes before she replied, “Sure.”After the revelry faded, Arianne steered her wheelchair to the courtyard. The outward appearance of the Tremont Estate seemed to have frozen in time, which was why being here made her feel so… safe.Of course, that was despite Henry and Mary’s passing. In the end, time passed and things changed, characters and objects came and went, and all these missing years left lingering regrets in their wake.Arianne espied the silhouette standing alone at a distance and approached her, sighing, “Nothing beats being home.”Ra
Arianne grabbed the two beauties by the hands and smiled. “Thank you! Gosh, to me… it’s like you two have grown older in the blink of an eye! How gorgeous the two of you are! Cindy, where’s your brother? Plato hasn’t come home yet?”Mentioning the name of her dear brother made Cynthia pout. “He said he was coming home half a month ago—that’s what he said. Who knows what he’s actually doing, though? Anyway, who cares about that no-good. He’s always like this anyway. Oh, um, the weather is quite hot. We should probably get inside.”Arianne nodded and shot a brief, uneasy look at Aristotle. Not once did he look like he wanted to talk to her… Could the boy be counting his grievances in his mind? Mark and Arianne had stayed in Switzerland for so long; life must have been hard for him all alone.It took until she reached the living room to finally notice Raven. “Millie, is this your younger sister?”Melissa quickly sprung to correct her. “What? Noooo. This is Ares’ classmate or something
Aristotle’s entire being stilled.He had waited for this news for nineteen years. As time passed, the flames died little by little, the heart grew more numb, until the very thought of it was no different from a pipe dream. But today, news of it coming true reached him and plunged him into a torrent of feelings.A long while later, he finally muttered under his breath, “When… When will they be back?”Jackson closed the distance between them and gave the young man a light, comforting pat on the shoulders. “Not so soon, I bet; not when your mother has just woken up and is in need of some time to recover. She did sleep for nineteen years, you know. So maybe after she’s recuperated enough for a while…” he answered. “We’ve waited for nineteen years for this, right? What’s waiting for just a little bit more compared to that? The most important thing for you to do is to manage the company to the best of your abilities. That’s the way to not disappoint your father’s expectation.”Aristotle
Cynthia had never had a relationship before, so she did not know what love was. However, one thing was for certain. She loved the feeling of being with Aristotle and how he had protected her since they were kids. Even though Aristotle had become a little domineering and “naughty”, she was not taken aback by him. Instead, she even felt a little moved, which was amazing.It wasn’t known how they ended up in bed, with their breaths synchronized. Apart from the final step, they had done just about everything else that could be done.Just as they were about to hit the final step, Aristotle suddenly stopped and helped pull the covers over Cynthia. “Let’s sleep, good night.”Cynthia was still lost in a daze from before. She did not know why Aristotle had suddenly stopped, nor did she have the courage to ask him. She had struggled for so long before having persuaded herself to go with the flow…The next day, when Cynthia woke up, Aristotle had already long gone to his company.She took a
Cynthia heard what Aristotle said, but her hands did not stop doing what they were doing. Her head was in a complete mess. “There’s no… no need. I’ll be able to be done with these now. Go ahead and get some sleep first. By the way, where am I sleeping tonight? There are so many rooms here, I’ll ask Agnes to help me clear one up.”Aristotle walked up to her and squatted. He grabbed onto her arm with one hand while the other closed the luggage. “Just sleep with me here and stop tidying already.”Cynthia suspected that she might have misheard. She took a look at the big bed behind him in a daze and suddenly felt her palm, which was held by him, burning up. “Y… You’re kidding, aren’t you, Ares? Although we used to sleep with each other a lot when we were kids, we’re all grown ups now, so wouldn’t that be a little inappropriate?”Aristotle said with a straight face, “I wasn't joking.”Cynthia panicked a little and recalled Melissa’s words once again. ‘Would Ares, whom I’ve known for so
Melissa knew that Aristotle had kissed Cynthia, so she knew what was going on. Hence, she very naturally boasted, “Of course, they’ve been engaged to each other since they were born. Coincidentally, the both of them felt the same way about each other as they grew up, so wouldn’t this make it even better? From the way I see it, your illness isn’t going to recover for the rest of your life and the both of them are probably going to have to wait until Cindy graduates before they get married. So, you’d be better off moving back to France as early as possible. Don’t worry, you’ve saved Aristotle’s life before, so he wouldn’t be stingy with you financially.”Raven wanted to control the unhappiness she had in her heart very much, but her emotions refused to follow her will. Hence, she fiercely struggled to wring free from Melissa’s grasp. Melissa was startled for a moment. “Are you crazy?”After that, Raven regained her senses and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry… I was a little unwell just n
‘You’re not that worried?’ Melissa was so furious that she laughed. “Am I the only one who’s being worried for nothing? I thought you loved my brother, didn’t you? The man you’ve been dreaming of every day has returned from France but brought a woman with him, yet you’re actually not that worried? Let’s put aside your parents’ intentions for a moment. Do you dare to say that you don’t love him? I’m only helping you because you’re my best friend, so could you not be so relaxed, as if I’m helping you for no reason?”Cynthia shook her head and lowered her volume as she said, “He… might have confessed to me. We also… did that already. So, I think he doesn’t feel that way towards Raven. It’s purely because she saved his life once. I trust that Ares will be able to handle the situation properly.”Melissa’s eyes opened wide. “What? He’s only returned for a few days, yet the two of you have already had sex? That fast?! I never knew it, but you’ve really got it in you!”Cynthia’s face flushe