Jude waved his hand with mild annoyance, “Don’t give me that crap. When a man has nowhere else to go and no means of survival, he can only think of how to survive by any means. If you don’t like it, that’s your business. I just want money. What do you think your father would do if word of his son from an extramarital affair ever got out? The perfect Tremont Enterprise, built from generations of Tremont blood, sweat and tears, would be gone, along with your father’s kindly image. This would definitely make headline news. If you don’t give me the money, I’ll have no choice but to sell the Tremont family secrets to the media. Then, the media will certainly help you unearth your long-lost brother, who’d come back to take half of the family fortune. You’d lose even more. I don’t want much, just give me a hundred million and I’ll be off your back.”Mark’s face seemed to lack emotions. He picked up the phone on his desk and called Henry. Henry walked in and handed him a cheque, “Sir, are you
The fact that Jackson left Tiffany alone as soon as they arrived at the banquet hardly bothered her. She was content with simply enjoying her time there and all of the luxuries the party had to offer, even if she was surrounded by strangers.The banquet hall, glowing in its opulent, golden glory, was the perfect site for the highfalutin ado typical of the upper-classes. Here, one could find famed elites in stylish garments as well as gentlemen and ladies in their most debonair manners. They were actors, all of them being perfectly aware of their roles and being more than keen to play them flawlessly.Some of those mingling among genuine genteel, however, were also looking for a shortcut to high society — even if it meant having to sacrifice what little they had to complete the ruse. These types of men were business hawks, and the women gold diggers. Masked under layers of expensive brand-wears and jewellery, there might as well be an indulgent husk piloted by a compromised soul.“What
An unwanted hand snaked around her waist suddenly before the middle-aged man’s breathy voice loomed close to Tiffany’s ear, “That kind of sleaze won’t give you the time of their day, my dear. But I will. I know girls like you very well, like the back of my hand. You’re all looking for a sugar daddy, aren’t you? How about I be direct with ya—let’s spend some time together tonight. If you make me a happy man, I’ll make you a happy woman, starting from a luxury apartment.”Tiffany’s face twisted into a glower a split second before she decked the man’s face hard. As a stark, scarlet handprint surfaced on his cheek, she shrieked hotly, “Fat chance if I’ll sleep with a disgusting horndog like you!”Their altercation silenced the room instantly; every pair of eyes was now turned to the pair. At a distance, the conversational smile on Jackson’s face froze before he approached them quickly, “What’s the matter?”The look on the middle-aged man’s face was of one desperately evading scrutiny. “M-M
Arianne had little doubt that he orchestrated it: Mark Tremont had sent his own biological uncle to jail, collecting every single dime of that one hundred million dollars back in the process.She was at a loss as to how to judge this turn of events. Sure, Jude was a trashy piece of sh*t and an affront to human decency, so he deserved the deserts he got. However, the fact that it was Mark, out of anyone else, who became Jude’s ultimate undoing left a strange taste in her mouth. The way he had given away that much money without putting up a fight made the extortion accusation appear less genuine and more like a bait begging for Jude to bite.“Mr. West, good day. Mr.Tremont is in his study.”Spurred by Henry’s greeting, Arianne looked up from her spot in the living room couch and caught Jackson entering through the front door. He greeted the girl with a curt nod before hurrying up the stairs.Arianne found it mind-boggling. Mark had recovered tremendously this month; he could now walk aro
Conflicting emotions danced on Charles’ face. “You got me, kid. Your dad told me about it before that fateful accident. I was shocked when I heard about it. He had such a loving relationship with your mother, you know? He spared me the details, but he mentioned explicitly that if there ever came a day when his two sons become bitter enemies, he would want me to step in. Now that I think about it, it sounds pretty foreboding, doesn’t it? Maybe he foresaw his end, or maybe it was never an accident …Of course, that would be the Tremonts’ private matter. I wouldn’t understand.”Mark lowered his gaze to the table. His eyes became two perfectly opaque screens masking his aroused emotions, leaving his balling fists as the only clue to his true feelings. “Don’t bring him up in the same sentence as my mother, Uncle. He doesn’t deserve it,” he said. “Regardless, that was his last wish, wasn’t it? You honor him as you see fit, then. But I will tell you this: I’ve never wished harm upon that littl
In the ward, Mark didn’t close his eyes for even a moment throughout the long, silent night.The next morning, Arianne slowly opened her eyes. The anaesthetic had worn off and her face was pale from the pain. Even her forehead was beaded with cold sweat.She was startled the moment she saw Mark. “My babies…”He parted his thin lips slightly. “It’s alright, let’s not have babies anymore. I’m glad you are safe.”Arianne exhaled slowly. She already knew that she would lose her babies last night during the dinner, she just didn’t expect it to happen so suddenly. Just when she thought she could wait for her two babies to arrive in peace, things still turned out this way...“Why? How could that happen? Wasn’t I doing fine before? I didn’t eat or do anything that I shouldn’t…” she mumbled to herself. Her eyes turned glassy, making her look like a pitiful rag doll that had lost its soul.“It’s your physical condition that doesn’t allow you to get pregnant again. It’s negligence on my par
Jean got up from the ground with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. “That’s right... Arianne still has the money and house in her hand. Those add up to about three million dollars, which will be enough to last us for a while! Let’s go find her!”After doing some investigating, Aery learned that Arianne had been hospitalized since last night. She stormed to the hospital, only to be stopped by the bodyguards at the door. By now, she no longer cared about keeping up her image as a lady from a wealthy family. “Let me in! Let me find that bitch!”Mary heard the commotion outside the ward. Her face sank as soon as she went out. “Why are you here?”Aery tried her best to stand on her toes to catch a glimpse inside the ward. “Arianne is in there, right? Let me in! I have an urgent matter!”Aery looked more like she was here to kill instead of looking for someone. Naturally, Mary wouldn’t allow her to pass. “Miss Kinsey, our madam isn’t well enough to receive guests. Please leave or I’ll have t
Mark frowned at her use of profanity then walked up to her and grabbed her chin. With a pleasantly deep yet dangerously low voice, he said “You are challenging my limits.”Aery was so scared that she burst into tears and her body trembled like a leaf. “W-What… are you going to do?”He pushed her away suddenly. “I don’t have the habit of laying a finger on women. But if you continue to be ignorant, then I don’t mind letting my bodyguard do it in my stead.”Aery fell to the ground on her butt. The heels that she had carefully selected to wear for their meeting turned into quite the nuisances right now. She got up strenuously and limped her way out, only to be stopped by a bodyguard who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. In her panic, she couldn’t even spit at him like she did earlier. Only now did she finally realize that Mark’s gentleness was only a facade. His smile could turn the world into a spring wonderland, but his anger could conjure a winter blizzard.“I won’t go to Arian