In truth, Brian had already returned. He just did not resume his duties immediately. Brian arrived at Tremont Estate within half an hour.When he entered the house, his forehead was covered in sweat. He asked the girl, “What are you doing here?”The girl snorted. “I knew I would be able to find you here. Weren’t you avoiding me by hiding yourself away from me? You could’ve not come here if you had the balls! I’ll ask you again, are we still getting married or not?”Brian looked at the girl for a moment with a dark face and said, “No.”Startled, the girl immediately went up to Brian and began to hit him. Brian endured her behaviour for a moment before grabbing both her hands. “I’m sorry, I won’t be able to marry you. We could’ve gotten back together had you not come here and caused a scene. Now, it’s no longer necessary, and I will not be able to fulfill your requirements. I’d gladly spend everything I have for you, but I would most definitely not land myself in debt for you because
Arianne tutted and said, “It doesn’t matter to me whether you break up or not, as my gifts are not meant for you anyhow. So long as you’re involved, I won’t even give a single cent. Plus, you’re wrong. Brian’s not our dog. Each career is to be equally respected. Brian’s been working for us for so long, he’s literally a part of our family. Why don’t you stop looking down on people and leave him? You don’t deserve him at all. I find people who don’t even understand their worth very laughable.”Brian did not want to waste his time on the girl any longer. He waved his hand to call on the security guards to throw her out of the house.The girl struggled against the guards and refused to leave the door. The guards’ threats were completely useless.Brian was on the brink of flipping out. “I did not expect for it to turn out like this. I thought she was just being childish because of her young age, but now, I finally see what she truly thinks of me. I’m sorry for being such an embarrassment
Arianne said to her in a harsh tone, “I wouldn’t interfere in your matters if you hadn’t brought your argument to my doorstep. Now that you’ve done it, how could I not interfere? Who would dare to bully you when you’ve got so much demeanor on you? Obviously, you’ve been the one who’s been bullying us. You’ve already taken all the glory for yourself; what else could you possibly want?”At that point, the girl began to feel that Brian would not bother with her, so she might as well stop herself from making matters worse. The girl named her price. “$45,000—I’ll leave when I receive this amount, or otherwise, there won’t be peace for anybody. I wouldn’t be sent to prison even if you tried, since it’s just a lovers’ quarrel.”Arianne saw that the lights in her bedroom on the second floor had turned on and was afraid that Mark would cause an even bigger scene. She coldly said, “I don’t wish to make matters worse, so leave now! He hasn’t even touched you. He has even paid for your living ex
Brian had been tortured into looking down on himself, which was a pitiful sight to see. “What are you thinking? You deserve a lot better. It’s she who doesn’t deserve you. Stop overthinking things. Your resignation is out of the question. Mark would never agree to it. Why don’t you rest a few days? Treat it as a vacation and come back to work when you’re feeling better. There are a lot of fish in the sea. When you meet the right person next time, I will fulfill my promise and give you the house and car that I mentioned. Cheer up.”Brian was emotionally down in the dumps. He was even dragging his feet when he left the Tremont Estate.Mark teased Arianne when he went downstairs for dinner and said, “Are you so passionate about doing this kind of stuff because you’re too idle? Wouldn’t it be better to just get the guards to send her to the police station?”Arianne glared at him. “Why are you being like this? Isn’t this Brian’s matter? He’s been of service to you for so many years now;
Sylvain was half-suspicious. “Fine, I’ll buy your cr*p. Who knew that you could do it that way?Arianne giggled. She went to the company cafeteria with Sylvain during her lunch break. Tremont Enterprises’ cafeteria hall was quite imposing; there were all sorts of dishes available—self-service. She could have whatever she wanted and it was free. No one needed to pay for food that tasted even better than a restaurant outside, so most employees chose to eat in the cafeteria.When Arianne and Sylvain sat and ate together, they were crowded around by a group of women. “Sylvain, you’re pretty close to our Madam CEO.”“Stop bullsh*tting, we’re just getting along,” Sylvain replied bitterly. “We’ve known each other for a while now. What if Mr. Tremont hears this? Are you trying to get me fired?”The women peered carefully at Arianne’s face. If Arianne should seem remotely displeased, they would stop tactfully. However, Arianne did not. She was still smiling, so their jokes became bolder. Ar
Arianne shook her head. “The work isn’t tiring, eating is. I don’t even dare waste a piece of fried chicken that I’m too stuffed to eat. I’m so bloated. You’re horrid, docking $15 every time someone wastes food. Three more times, and I can buy a new lipstick.”Mark smiled and stroked her hair. “You silly goose. Can’t you throw it away in secret? Can I really punish you? You’re the exception. Everyone else has to pay.”Arianne stared at him in disbelief. “We agreed to be professional. Didn’t we agree to no nepotism? Were you joking around? You’re playing favorites…”Sylvain returned just then and placed the drinks that he had brought in front of Arianne. “Mr. Tremont.”Mark immediately reverted to his serious exterior, straightened up, and said, “Mm.” Then, he walked away.Arianne’s heart was filled with glee. This guy was getting good. Working in his company really was the best decision.That night, everyone gathered at Jackson’s house for dinner. Arianne went back to the Tremont
Jackson laughed. “Tiffie, maybe we should hurry it up and have a second baby? Who knows, maybe it’ll be a daughter this time?” he said, half-jokingly.Tiffany rolled her eyes at him. “I don’t mind, but would you take care of it? You’d throw the baby to your mom right after it’s born. You might be fine with that, but I’m not.”Just as she had spoken, Tiffany suddenly turned to the side, covered her mouth, and made a retching noise. “Jackson, did you clean the fish properly? The fishy smell is strong.”Just then, all eyes turned toward her. Jackson’s face was filled with disbelief. “I was just joking. You’re not really pregnant, are you? Don’t you trust my cooking skills? I cleaned the fish very thoroughly…”Tiffany stared at the grilled fish on the table, lost it, and bolted to the washroom. Arianne immediately knew that she was pregnant when she saw this. “I don’t think you can run from this. She’s pregnant again. You’re pretty awesome, Jackson. Very spot on.”Jackson didn’t answe
“Don’t be angry, that’s not what I mean,” he said helplessly. “I just think that you’ve just had a baby not too long ago and I’m worried that your body won’t be able to take it. If you insist on keeping in, we’ll transfer to the best hospital and have another examination. As long as we can confirm that your health won’t be affected, we’ll keep it. I’m not mean to the kid, and it’s not that I don’t like kids. Don’t make assumptions.”Tiffany felt much better. “I want to keep this baby. It’s here anyway. It’d be heartbreaking to get rid of it. I’m exhausted today, so let’s do the check up tomorrow.”Jackson nodded, then drove to the West Residence. Knowing that Tiffany was pregnant again, Summer took Plato away. Taking care of their kid was now Summer’s favorite pastime.Summer’s dog, Little Bean, dashed towards the pair, wagging its tail when they arrived. Its position in the family had been on decline ever since Plato’s arrival.“Tiffie, are you… keeping the baby?” Summer asked as
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