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
Tiffany had been by her side through the good times and the bad times, and now she was even talking about not having a child. She had indeed done everything a friend could do.Arianne's cold heart turned warm again. “Tiffie… Thank you. I'm fine now, just feeling a little sad. I felt so much better after talking to you. I want to divorce, but what can I do if Mark isn’t willing?”Arianne truly wanted a divorce. She had given it a good thought when she was hospitalized and realized that she just couldn’t let go of the past. Besides, she couldn’t bear children anymore. This meant that there would be no successor in the Tremont family. There was no way Mark wouldn’t think of wanting a child at some point in his life. An heir was necessary for the Tremont family, given the huge business they run. Arianne would rather end things now than have to worry about those troubles in the future. Besides, she never planned on staying in the Tremont family for the rest of her life. To her, the Tremon
She clenched the hem of her blouse nervously and tried her best to remain calm on the surface. “No, I insist on getting a divorce. I’ve once tried to convince myself to continue living like this. When I got pregnant this time, I looked forward to the birth of my children and believed that things would get better. Yet, fate told me that I should leave. Thank you for telling me that you’ve loved me, but I’m sorry, I’ll never be able to fall in love with you. When I’m with you, I always tremble, walk on eggshells, and feel burdened by guilt. How can we carry on living together without love? Aren’t you tired of it?”Mark stood up abruptly and loosened his tie. He wanted to smash things but was worried that it would frighten her. “You don't need to fall in love with me. I won't agree to a divorce. Do whatever you want! I’m going out since I still have something to attend to. Find Mary if you need anything.”He took his coat and left the Tremont Estate. In the car, Brian asked him “Where d
At the West family residence. Tiffany was having a nice chat with Summer. They seemed just like a pair of mother and daughter at first glance. Their relationship was so good that Jackson appeared rather out of place even though he was Summer’s son. He sat there, hugging Summer’s poodle in his arms. It was a rather adorable sight; a tall man in a suit carrying a fluffy puppy. Even Tiffany could not help but glance at him a couple more times.Summer seemed to have recalled something when she suddenly said, “Tiffie, it’s the second time you’ve been here, right? Don’t leave tonight. It’s so late now, just stay the night and accompany me. It’s also been a while since Jackson had stayed here with me.” Tiffany’s expression gradually turned tense. She said, “I don’t think it’s appropriate. Mrs. West. My mom will definitely give me an earful if I stay the night. She won’t let me spend the night outside, not even in my boyfriend’s house. She’s strict about things like that.”Summer was sli
As soon as Jackson entered the bathroom, Tiffany took the towel off and got into bed. The scent on the pillow smelled just like him. The scent was fragrant. She was suddenly reminded of the first time she had met him. She had been dazzled when she saw his face. One’s heart would definitely flutter when one saw his face. However, it was not like that for her since she was still with Ethan at that time.Although her mind was filled with messy thoughts, she soon fell into a deep sleep. The cozy giant bed, fluffy pillow, and comfortable blanket contributed to her good sleep. It had been a while since she had felt so at ease. It was unknown how much time had passed, but she woke up, feeling uncomfortable. It seemed like she had drunk too much water while she chatted with Summer after dinner. She was still in a groggy state as she flipped the blanket aside. At this moment, there was only a single thought in her mind; she needed to go to the bathroom. In just a blink of an eye, she stumble
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