Arianne instinctively glanced at Mark as she asked, “Can we search for it now? We need it urgently!”“Of course!” Lilian answered excitedly as though she was high on drugs, “It’ll be good if you can find it as we’re in need of money now. The land is like an umbrella on a rainy day since it’s so valuable! You’re like a lucky star to me, Ari! I don’t even know we have a piece of land. It definitely belongs to us mother and daughter since my father-in-law and Tiffie’s father have passed away. There’s no doubt about it! Hurry up, help me find it!” Mark rose from his seat since they were ready to depart. However, the phone on his desk suddenly rang. He heard Ethan’s voice at the end of the line before he even managed to speak. “I guess you’re heading to Lilian’s house to find the certificate of the land, aren’t you? Well, I have something to tell you before you leave.”Mark asked with a frown, “What are you trying to do?”Ethan chuckled coldly, “I found an unsent letter when I was goin
Panic filled his eyes as he cut the call. After a short pause, he said, “I think this isn’t a good time to tell Tiffany. I’ll talk to Ethan. Just leave it to me.”She could not understand his actions. However, she chose to trust him. “Alright, please try your best to sort it out. I truly don’t want Tiffie to go through another hard time, please?” He nodded stiffly before he returned Arianne’s phone. “Remember, don’t tell Tiffany about it. Let me handle it.”She agreed. “I got it. Go get busy then, I’ll head back home.”Mark made a sound of acknowledgment as he stood at the same spot. He had no intention of sending her off right now.Arianne did not think much of it and left the office obediently. She was not completely obtuse, she had noticed the drastic change in Mark after receiving that phone call....Mark drove to the hospital where Ethan was staying during lunchtime. Surprisingly, Ethan did not escape but waited for him patiently.Ethan absolutely did not look like a vic
Suddenly, Ethan got agitated, “Why should I feel guilty about it? I did in the beginning, but not anymore. No, not at all. After all, not only was he a watchdog for your family that couldn’t change his habit of being loyal, but he also made me your scapegoat for so many years! I honestly would have thought that our plan succeeded if I hadn’t found the unsent letter he left for you.“The reason he decided to hide it from me until he passed away was to protect you, isn’t it? Apparently, the grace of the Tremont family was so great, to the extent that he was willing to be a loyal servant. By the way, I’m really curious about what made you kill your family members.”Mark remained silent but tried his very best to suppress his urge to kill someone. His hands shook more vigorously at the mention of his ultimate secret, which he hadn’t wanted to remember about. Mark’s father called him into the study the night before the air crash.He entered with a heavy heart. While an 18 years old ric
After listening to Ethan’s words, Mark discovered the lengths Mr. Sloane had gone to conceal Ethan’s involvement in the plane crash. He even chose to shoulder the burden alone.Ethan was only about ten years old, and yet, he already harbored such intense malice and hatred. It was no surprise that such a boy would rise to this position today by leaving a trail of blood in his wake.The most ironic thing, however, was that George was wrong. He knew about Mark’s conversation with his father in the latter’s study, but he had no inkling of what came after; the young boy had gone to his mother’s room immediately later. It was that fateful night that Mark Tremont had to discard his innocence. It was that night when he finally understood how bitter reality was.He had gone to his mother’s bedroom straight from his father’s study because his poor mother had become so bedridden that it was a toil for her to walk. He did not expect his mother was already aware of her husband’s illegitimate son. S
Ethan relished in the ecstasy of revenge as he watched the conflicting emotions dancing on Mark’s face. “If you don’t want this letter to fall on Arianne’s lap, then, stay out of my business. That land is mine and no one else. If you so much as let Tiffany know what I’ve done, you can bet Arianne will know about your matter as well.”Mark closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, steeling himself against the emotions rioting in his chest. He would never reveal the truth regarding the plane crash. He would rather shoulder it alone than to expose his mother. After all, his fervid impression of his mother being a reasonable and kind woman lay in the depth of his heart. He would not taint one of the last few pure impressions he had of her.“What happens after you get that land and Tiffany? How long are you going to hold that letter against me?”Ethan sneered. “Would you believe me if I say this will end with both of us enjoying our life peacefully with our most treasured women by our sides as we
Mark extended his hand in her direction and beckoned her over. “Come here.”Arianne obeyed him obediently. It felt as though all the barriers between them had disappeared.He pulled her to him, seating her on his lap before he rested his chin on her shoulders. He inhaled her scent, allowing it to soothe the turmoil in his mind. “Ari, do you truly wish to leave me?”This was the first time Arianne had heard him referring to her as Ari while he was sober. It made her nervous for some reason. Her palms began to sweat, and her body stiffened. She stammered, “W-w-why are you asking me that right now? Y-you’re acting really weird!”He responded by tightening his arms around her, it was almost as though he was worried she would run away. “I want to know.”Arianne turned the question over and over in her head. She had always wanted to leave him, right? However, why was it so difficult for her to answer the question now?As though he could sense Arianne’s dilemma, he did not persist with the qu
What fueled Arianne’s dallying had less to do with it being a hard choice and more to do with Mark’s sudden change of outlook in the matter. It was enough to make her second-guess herself and wonder if she had taken her conclusion too far. Could it be that reconciliation was possible? Were there indeed sound reasons to look the other way for Ethan?Ultimately, this was a private matter between Tiffany and Ethan; the last thing Arianne wanted was for it to spark an argument between her and Mark.“Alright, I’ll mull it over,” she relented, before adding, “You know, if it was meant to end this way, then you shouldn’t have told me anything in the first place. I mean, how do you expect me to pretend I know nothing now? Gosh! Anyway, it’s getting late, and I wanna go home. You coming?”Mark was never the kind to spend the night in his office, and now that she had come to him personally, it threw his only reason to do so out of the window. “Let’s go.”Meanwhile, inside a hospital ward, a fati
Lilian produced the title deed for her daughter to see. “This, right here, pertains to a plot of land your grandfather owns. It’s super-valuable right now, and guess who wants it? None other than Mark Tremont himself, and he’s coming to sign the agreement today! How do you expect me not to be chipper? Thank god we forgot about that piece of land, which is still legally your grandpa’s, and that we didn’t list it as one of our assets when we declared bankruptcy. Now, if you’d excuse me — Mommy’s got several places to be to carry on with the procedures. Tata!”Tiffany was bewildered. For a while, she could not collect herself at the thought that Mark had his eyes on a plot, which, of course, automatically affirmed its value, that belonged to her family. It was very darn near a dream come true, especially when it could very well be their ticket out of poverty!After Tiffany had sluggishly washed herself up, Ethan had called her to inform her that he was on his way home from the hospital.T