Just as he fell deep into thoughts, he suddenly heard Melissa’s cries. Her adorable little face entered his mind unbidden, and he felt compelled to hold her so he turned around and walked out. He found Melanie anxiously trying to soothe the bawling baby, looking completely helpless. “I’ll take her downstairs,” he said, “Fresh air will be good for her. Maybe she’ll stop crying.”Melanie thought she was having auditory hallucinations. This was his first time patiently offering to help with the baby. She stared at him apprehensively for a few seconds before she handed the baby over to him. “She’s been crying a lot lately, I’m so tired. If you can take care of her for a while, I’ll take a nap. Just an hour will do, even half an hour is fine too.”He took the baby and cradled her gently in his arms. “It’s not like we don’t have maids. One of them should know how to take care of a baby. Leave her with them if you really can’t do it.”Melanie shook her head. “I can’t do that. I’ll do it my
Aristotle scoffed. He turned his head to the side sulkily. It seemed like he was really fearless.Arianne giggled. “I love watching you two quarrel. The little one is so fearless, and the big one is all bark and no bite. It seems like your son is the only one who has you twisted around his little fingers. If I made such a mess when I was young, you would’ve flayed me alive. That’s the difference.”Mark suddenly remembered that she had once mentioned being very scared of him when she was a kid. It seemed like she had a traumatic childhood because of him. He stroked his chin and wondered if he was really that scary? Why was Aristotle unafraid of him? Was it because Arianne used to think that she had wronged him? Unbeknownst to her, he was the one in the wrong. He had let her live submissively in the Tremont household for years. Now, it was time for her to hold her head up high. At that moment, his phone began to ring. He rose to his feet and stepped aside to answer it. “Hello? Are the
“Why are you stopping me from engaging with other transportation companies?” Mark asked coldly, “Don’t think that I’m unaware of what you’ve been doing behind my back. I didn’t sign an exclusive contract with you.”Alejandro curled his lips. “That’s right, it’s not an exclusive contract, but I don’t like competition. I’m entirely capable of handling your company’s transports. You don’t need other transportation companies. You don’t need to be so vigilant with me. Take it easy, okay? Aren’t you tired of being on your toes all the time?”Mark would, naturally, never let his guard down in front of Alejandro. “You know that’s not possible. I can’t trust you. We have two options; either we end this contract or you let me find another transportation company. That way, we’ll both have a way out. Don’t try your dirty tricks with me, and don’t test me. Understand?”Alejandro sighed. His expression suddenly turned solemn. “Why won’t you trust me? Am I not the closest person to you in the worl
When Tiffany arrived at the West family residence, she immediately alighted from the car and ran into the house. “Mum, is Plato awake?”Summer walked toward her with Plato in her arms. “He’s awake. He’s used to seeing you here at this hour so he was waiting for you eagerly. His sleeping hours are completely mixed up. I was just about to carry him and wait for you by the door before you arrived. Is there no traffic today? You’re here early.”Tiffany took Plato from Summer and held him in her arms. She looked at him affectionately. “What a good boy! The roads are pretty clear today, there’s not much traffic. Do you still have any milk powder, mom? Should I buy some more? We’ll buy Plato’s milk powder in the future, you’ve been so kind as to take care of Plato for us, we can’t possibly ask you to pay for his milk as well.”Summer laughed as she said, “I’ve always been a kind person. Moreover, Plato’s my grandson. What’s wrong with buying him his milk? You’re seriously taking the fun ou
Jackson knew very well that his father wanted to carry Plato so he instantly handed Plato over to his father and said, “Have a look and see.”Atticus happily carried Plato in his arms and checked his diapers. Plato’s diapers had actually just been changed and were still as clean as a whistle.Tiffany rolled her eyes when she saw that Jackson was no longer carrying Plato.Jackson was almost in tears, he had no other choice but to hand Plato over to Atticus. What was he supposed to do about it?During dinner, Plato was sipping on his milk in his baby carriage next to Summer. Summer would occasionally play with him. Tiffany genuinely respected Summer, she had thought that Summer would only take care of Plato temporarily before she grew tired of it. However, it was clear that Summer enjoyed it and was doing a good job. For those reasons, she felt completely at ease with Summer taking care of Plato.Suddenly, Summer turned to look at Tiffany and asked, “I’ve been so busy looking afte
Tiffany could not hold in her excitement and immediately informed Lillian about the arrangement the moment she left the West family residence. Lillian had a neutral reaction and had wanted to see the man before she decided. Once bitten, twice shy. Lillian wanted to find out everything she could about the man first.During the weekend, Tiffany canceled her initial plans with Arianne to hang out over the weekend.Arianne did not find it strange after she found out about Tiffany’s intention to introduce a suitor to Lillian. Such were humans, it did not matter how old one was, they needed someone they belonged to. Humans had always been social creatures, there was no one who truly wanted to live alone.When they arrived at the elegant room that was reserved for them in White Water Bay Cafe, Jackson had arranged for some delicacies to be prepared for their table. Everything was ready except the male main character was still nowhere to be seen.Lillian’s blush was obvious on her fair com
Lillian blushed even harder. “Alright, s-sure… My daughter loves buffet spread. We’ll visit together someday.”Tiffany stifled a laugh when she saw that things were beginning to kick off between them. Who knew Johnny would own a buffet restaurant that coincidentally suited her taste buds? Did that mean she could eat as much she wanted in the future?It was a quiet lunch for everyone since Johnny was not a chatty person. When they left the cafe, Johnny looked at Lillian and asked, “Are you living alone at the moment?”It was a strange question to ask someone whom he had just met. It sounded like he had some ulterior motive.However, Tiffany could see there was no evil intent in Johnny’s question and answered on Lillian’s behalf, “My mom’s living alone at the moment, but I visit her often since it’s not too far from here.”Johnny nodded. “Well, I wanted to offer your mom a ride home since I’m the only one who would pass by her house. It’ll save all of you the trouble then.”Johnny
Tiffany pouted. “Didn’t you provoke me first? How am I supposed to remember your parents were there? It was an honest mistake… I’m sorry, is that alright? I feel embarrassed as well because both your parents saw me. My heart’s still racing so fast it feels like it’s about to jump out. I’m the one who’s the most embarrassed, alright? Do you think they’ll think that I’m rude? I didn’t notice anyone else by the entrance. It was just us.”Jackson was not actually angry because he knew that Tiffany was a simpleton and did not think before she acted. “Enough, there’s no need to explain any further. You’d only be digging a hole for yourself if you do. I’ve never been slapped in the… Forget it, it’s not like you haven’t been doing it at home anyway. My parents already know what you’re like from the beginning, and it’s engraved in their memory. Relax, that fact will never change.”Tiffany curiously asked, “What sort of person am I to them?”Jackson’s lips curved into a sly grin. “A hyperacti
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