“Stop it!” Tiffany interjected furiously. “Him, doing this for me? Who frickin’ wants this nightmare around anymore? I don’t because he wrecked my life enough! Hell, had it not been for that piece of sh*t, my dad might still be alive now, and my family would not have suffered so much hardship, and I—! I wouldn’t have gone through so much pain. Isn’t doing just one of all of these enough? Why can’t that disgusting piece of sh*t just let—me—live? I bared my heart to him—I loved him for three frickin’ years, and what did that douchebag do to repay me? He used and abused me! And now the same jacka** comes back, uninvited, with the delusion that he ‘feels sorry’ and wants to atone for his sins? F**k him!”The more she thought back on how Alejandro had methodically tried to ingratiate on her since they first met, the more terrifying everything seemed. God, how she dreamed to never, ever cross path with anything related to Ethan for the rest of her life!Her emotional outburst stunned Smore
“Why are we going to your mother’s place?” Jackson asked apprehensively. “If you want to see her, go tomorrow morning. Why must we go in the dead of the night?”Tiffany pouted. “Can’t you listen to me? I’ve suddenly remembered that the plant from Alejandro is with my mom. I want to throw it away! If my mom finds out that that plant was a gift from Ethan, she’d grind it to mulch, let alone water it and fertilize it every day!”Jackson immediately understood. “Yes, yes, you should get rid of it.”They drove over to Lillian’s, who was surprised when she saw them. Of course, she was happy too. “What are you two doing here? You should have said something. Have you eaten?”Tiffany couldn’t be bothered to chat with Lillian. She strode towards the balcony in the bedroom and searched for the potted plant.Jackson was left with no choice but to deal with Lillian. “Uh… We’ve eaten. Tiffie just wanted to grab something, that’s why we’re here.”Lillian could tell that they were only here
Jackson felt uneasy. “I think… You should just throw it away. There’s no need to give it back to him. Tiffie… Are you okay?”Tiffany smiled at him. “What do you think? When have I not been okay? What are you so worried about? I’m an unkillable cockroach. I provoked Ethan on my own. Otherwise I wouldn’t have ended up ruined and homeless. I caused it. I can’t keep running away and relying on all of you. I’m not scared. Regardless of how scary Ethan is, we were together for three years. He’s human too, not the devil. Although, everything he’s done is scarier than the devil…”Jackson reached out and soothingly stroked her head. “Okay, let’s go home.”Tiffany thought that she was being strong enough, but she lost in her dreams.She was plagued with nightmares that night and was startled awake a few times. As a result, Jackson couldn’t get a good night’s sleep either.It was daybreak, but she couldn’t go back to sleep at all. She curled up in Jackson’s arms, sobbing. “I dreamt of my dad
Her abnormal behavior made Jackson’s heart thump. “Tiffie… Are you alright? You don’t have to act tough. If you want to cry, just do it. You’ll feel much better after that.”Tiffany rolled her eyes at him. “Why would I cry? Just because Ethan’s back and he’s deliberately trying to get close to me means I’m going to burst into tears? I’m not a three year old. Don’t underestimate me. I’d feel pressured, or at most, a little stressed. Don’t worry, it’s fine. Try my cooking today.”Jackson didn’t believe her. Her abnormal behavior was an example of her current mental state. He couldn’t help repressing his emotions too.He washed his hands and headed to the dinner table. He looked at the considerably sumptuous variety of dishes, but wasn’t in the mood to eat. “Why? Are you ignoring my food?” Tiffany asked, feeling upset. “I rarely ever cook and you’re ignoring me? You won’t ever get another chance.”He scooped a helping of salad into his mouth with a bitter smile on his face. Only the
Don Smith’s eyes filled with yearning as he stared out at the warm afternoon sun outside the window. “Ale… I’d like to go outside and enjoy the sun.”Alejandro didn’t answer. He got up and carried Don Smith onto his wheelchair. Unbeknownst to him, he moved very carefully and gently, afraid that the frail old man would get hurt somehow.They arrived at the courtyard outside. The temperature was just right, with a slight breeze in the air. There was the pleasant fragrance of green grass and earth too. A smile hung on the corners of Don Smith’s lips, a long-forgotten sight. “Ale, is this our first time enjoying the sun in peace?”Alejandro nodded. “Mm, it’s the first time.”The old man’s ruddy eyes lit up with a smile. “That’s right… It’s the first time… Maybe the last time too.”Alejandro frowned. “If you want, I can take you out here whenever you want. What do you mean, ‘last time’? You’re talking as if you’re about to breathe your last at any moment. You’re so good at tormenting,
Alejandro stood calmly in the doorway. “I haven’t done anything to her,” he replied insipidly. “She was still around this morning. This is Ayashe. Even if I wanted something to happen to her, would the Larks agree? I’ve already got my hands full with you. How could I possibly have the time to do anything to her? I won’t be responsible for you getting a stroke.”Don Smith finally calmed down when he realized that Alejandro was telling the truth. He stopped flinging everything in the room. “Find her! I’ve called Lark Mansion. She’s not there!”Alejandro had the staff clean up Don Smith’s bedroom, then headed to the courtyard. Jett tagged along and said, “Don Smith’s abnormal temper is expected in his current condition. Please, don’t mind him, sir.”Alejandro lit a cigarette. “Find Melanie. See where she’s gone off to. As long as she’s not around, the old man would think that I’ve done something to her. Once you’ve found her, tell her to come home and watch over the old man until he cl
Alejandro suddenly moved forwards and held up her chin. He spoke in a very cold tone, “If I hadn’t wanted you to give birth, this child would’ve been long gone instead of being kept till now. You’ve never believed me and have always had your guard up against me, thinking that I would get rid of you and your child the moment the old man died. How absurd!”Melanie was in so much pain, tears filled up her eyes. She was slightly startled as well. Could she have overthought it? She was uncertain of how things would turn out but did not dare put both her and her child’s life on the line. If she lost, the child would be gone for sure.Alejandro impatiently released his grip when he saw Melanie’s tearful look. “Don't you dare cause me any more f*cking trouble! Come home with me at once!”As Melanie lowered her head, her tears fell from her eyes and stained the white quilt. “I won’t go back with you. I have all the more reason to do this since you already think that way. This is grandpa’s on
Alejandro sat in his chair and said expressionlessly, “The old man has ordered me not to leave your side. Besides, it’s better that I stay, as I get to have some peace and quiet. Further, I don’t feel like serving him anyway.”Melanie lowered her head and kept quiet. She knew that he did not actually feel that way. Whatever the reason, the moment Alejandro realized Don Smith did not have much longer to live, he’d been serving by his side constantly. Even if Don Smith threw a fit and lashed out at him, Alejandro neither complained nor retaliated; he was not even able to take care of his leg. Melanie thought that this was a good chance for him to relax.It was also a blessing in disguise for Melanie as well—how else would Alejandro stay by her side in the hospital willingly?The next morning, the doctor brought over the consent papers for Alejandro to sign as Melanie laid on her bed nervously. She had never even gotten a scar in her life, let alone entered an operating theatre. It was
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