When they arrived at White Water Bay Café, they were informed that all of the seats had been reserved. Tiffany promptly threw a tantrum. “I was already prepared for a huge meal, and now you’re telling me that there are no more tables left? What on earth is this restaurant’s boss thinking? Business is booming, yet he couldn’t have thought of expanding into two branches? He’s got no business sense at all. He must not have a high social status. He’ll be stagnant for the rest of his life!”Arianne didn’t respond. She wanted to tell Tiffany that this café belonged to Jackson, but it seemed that it was better to keep her mouth shut… “Forget it. Let’s eat somewhere nearby. We’ll go shopping after our meal. Let Mark stay at home and wait.” Tiffany was reluctant to leave just like that. She enjoyed the meals at White Water Bay Café. The meal she had at Jackson’s house made her crave it. To this day, she still wondered how Jackson had managed to come up with dishes that tasted exactly like th
Mark overheard her and immediately turned towards them. Death sounded pretty good to Arianne at this point. “Mark is here!”Tiffany realized her idiocy and lowered her head, keeping silent. Mark approached them and stared at them with a forced smile. “You certainly know how to enjoy yourselves. Should I ask Jackson to personally make a meal for you?”Arianne pricked up her ears when she heard this and mumbled glumly, “No need. I thought you’d only be coming home in two days?”He sat down right across from them. “That was the plan, but your tantrum put me off work. So, I had to come home early. Can we discuss what you’re so mad about now?”Tiffany pulled out the screenshot that she had saved in her phone and showed it to him. “Look. Look at it yourself!”Mark’s eyes sank when he saw the update that Aery had posted up on social media. “We just happened to bump into each other. She took the picture, and I didn’t reject her nor allow it. I had no idea that she had posted it up and sho
Arianne had completely lost the will to laugh at this point. “Alright, alright. Next time, if you have anything you want to eat, just let me know. I’ll take you there. I have to go home now. Mark’s going to nitpick at me if I get home too late.”Tiffany noticed a taxi driving towards them from not too far away and raised her hand to flag it down. “Go on. You go on ahead.”…White Water Bay Villa. Mark was smoking out of frustration, finishing his cigarettes one after another as if he had no intention of stopping.Jackson couldn’t resist opening a window for ventilation. “Alright. What’s going on?”Mark pulled out a file from his briefcase. “Have a look. Someone’s setting me up.”Jackson lit up a cigarette as well then skimmed through the file. “F*ck!” he exclaimed, unable to resist blurting out a swear word, “Who’d have the balls? His objective is pretty clear; he’s after you. He’s managed to sway a few of your long-term partners in just two short months. This guy’s definitely
Early in the morning, the very next day, Mark had disappeared. Arianne was feeling listless because of George Levin. When she went downstairs for breakfast, Mary stepped forward and began nagging. “Ari, have you been fighting with Mr. Tremont again? He just returned from his business trip last night, and he looked upset when he left this morning. You looked gloomy as well.”Arianne shook her head, “I didn’t quarrel with him. I don’t know what’s up with him either. I’m just in a bad mood, but it has nothing to do with him. Don’t worry, Mary. I’ve been busy lately. I’ll have to work overtime over the next few days since I haven’t been working overtime lately. Please do me a favor and watch over Rice Ball.”Mary heaved a sigh of relief. “I’m glad you haven’t been fighting. Don’t worry. Rice Ball eats better than I do. I’ve let it try every delicious thing in the house that it likes. It’s all fat now, and its tummy is nearly sweeping the ground when it walks.”Arianne naturally trusted
Eric’s father brandished his walking stick forcefully. “Are you giving me parenting advice? Eric, you shouldn’t bring your disreputable friends into the company. You won’t be able to manage it that way. I’ve made my decision. I’ll give you a week to hand Glide Designs over to your second brother!”Eric balled his hands into fists. “On what grounds?”“Because I am your father! Whatever I say, goes. Do as I say. If you’re not happy, you can leave the Nathaniel family home!” Mr. Nathaniel was extremely enraged, his wizened face was completely red from anger.Arianne was suddenly reminded of Helen. While Helen was not openly hostile, she had chosen Jean and Aery and abandoned her. Aery enjoyed everything that she did not have. She hated parents like these. Her heart burned with rage as she said, “Mr. Nathaniel, are you saying that my husband, Mark Tremont, is a disreputable friend? The Nathaniel family certainly has high standards. Us Tremonts are certainly unworthy of you. Even your ow
Eric suddenly laughed. “Alright. From now on, I have nothing to do with the Nathaniels. I’ve heard that my oldest brother has been trying to convince Mark to work with him. Do you know that Mark hasn’t agreed to it? Since Mark’s wife is here today, let me make this clear to you; you can all forget about establishing a relationship with Mark Tremont. As long as I am around, it’ll never happen! Profits may be important to Mark, but it’s not as important as friendship. If you don’t believe me, give it a try!”Mr. Nathaniel stared at Eric before shifting his gaze to Arianne. No one could tell what he was thinking. In the end, he stayed silent and left. Arianne heaved a sigh of relief. She was really afraid. She was afraid that not only would Mr. Nathaniel beat Eric, but he would beat her as well. That was why she had mentioned Mark in the beginning. It seemed like Mark’s name was very effective. Moreover, Mr. Nathaniel seemed to be unaware that Eric was such good friends with Mark. In a
The Nathaniel family home.Mr. Nathaniel called for a family meeting when he arrived home. Naturally, Eric was not invited.All those who wanted to benefit from Mr. Nathaniel, naturally, had to pander to him before he took his last breath.His eldest and second sons had arrived. The two brothers had dragged their family members along as well. Only his daughter who had been married off did not attend the meeting.“Why did you call us here so urgently, dad?” His second son was slightly upset because the meeting had interrupted his fun. However, he did not show his displeasure.Mr. Nathaniel replied grimly, “I didn’t expect Eric to be affiliated with Mark Tremont. Moreover, they’re good friends. Mark’s wife is a designer in the company as well. I’ve miscalculated this time. I don’t know if he’s trying to trick us, but if it’s true, we can forget about establishing a connection with Mark.”Mr. Nathaniel’s second son was not bothered at all. When things got rough, he would push his re
No one understood what she meant. The eldest son’s wife could not stand her sister-in-law’s despicable methods and said disdainfully, “Don’t drag your unsightly affairs into this. Lest we end up penny-wise and pound-foolish.”The second son’s wife glared at her, “What are you saying? What unsightly affairs? I’m suggesting we convince Mark’s wife to betray Eric. At that time, Eric would definitely sever ties with Mark. If Eric has a problem with Mark’s wife, Mark will certainly have a problem with him. At that time, we can take advantage of it to smooth things over and lure Mark to our side. I’m sure Mark won’t mind working with us to seek revenge from Eric!”The eldest son’s eyes lit up. “Dad, I don’t think that’s a bad idea. Lily is still in Glide. I’ll have a talk with her so we can start our plan from there. Mark’s wife might not betray Eric, but Lily can do it on her behalf. What do you think?”Mr. Nathaniel nodded heavily after some thought. “That’s the only way now. I’ll leave
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