Arianne rarely took the initiative to talk to him, but they had been interacting a lot recently, much more than the first half of their lives. Mark answered her question to the best of his ability, “It’s Jackson. His photos at the nightclub were taken and posted online. It’s nothing serious.”Arianne’s eyes widened. “Risqué photos? Weren’t you together with Jackson and Eric at those places last time? Have people taken photos of you?”Mark glared at her and said huffily, “I went there for the ambiance. They went there for the fun. It’s not the same. Even if they took photos of me, it won’t be interesting.”After dinner, Mark returned to the room and texted Ethan. “It was you, right?”He got a reply swiftly. “Tell me that when you have proof.”The matter was not severe so it was unnecessary to pursue it. However, it was likely that Ethan was the culprit. After all, he considered Jackson his love rival. In the end, Mark only warned Ethan. “Stop laying your fingers on people around me.”Wh
“Don’t… Stop it…”Her rejection was soft, unaggressive, causing Mark to disregard it. With a simple flip of their bodies, he caged her under him and pinned her struggling arms. Her wrists were thin, both of them fitting in only one of his hands.Realizing what was about to happen, Arianne panicked. “Mark! Please don’t!” She was subconsciously repelling the act, an indescribable feeling coming over her.Losing himself in the heat of the moment, Mark littered kisses around her lips and asked, “Why?”Why? Arianne didn’t know why either. How was she supposed to answer him? They were lawfully married, husband and wife. Something like this was normal, expected even, but she was subconsciously resisting. So why? She thought about his past with Aery and her three babies, none of them able to greet this world. The torment that she had gone through in the hospital was a neverending nightmare.There was also her past, which she had sealed away, regarding Will and regarding the absent Sivans. All
Tiffany flatly denied, “I’m not worried. It’s a roast, get it? A roast! Speaking of, what happened to that desert you made? I’ve heard that Mark nearly lost his life after consuming it. And that he’s even had to go to the hospital for an IV?”Arianne felt depressed at the very mention of this matter, “No improvements. If I could make the exterior of the desert look good, that would already be an achievement, but it just won’t taste good. Not even Rice Ball wants to eat it. Now, every time anyone at home sees me in the kitchen, they tremble with fear. I’m so worried.”Tiffany burst into laughter but did not go overboard with teasing her. She stopped at just the right time, “Ari, would you like to come look at houses with me? My mother wants to move, and I’m afraid that she might nitpick. Come and help me convince her so that once it’s nearly done, we can just decide. At least, I won’t have to deal with her walking around the entire day and still feeling unsatisfied.”Arianne agreed.
They arrived at a tea shop near the shopping mall. Arianne was melting from the heat and had just managed to cool down after having a seat, when Tiffany’s phone rang.They initially thought that it was a call from Lillian. Tiffany did not plan on answering it at first. However, she glanced at the call notification screen on the phone and found that it was Ethan.Ethan would usually be at the office at this time and wouldn’t contact her. She pressed the call answering button, “Hello? What’s up?”“Come into the shopping mall. I’ve got a surprise for you,” Ethan sounded mysterious on the other end.The shopping mall was right next door. The pair waited for their milk tea before slowly walking over. A sea of pink balloons came into view from the moment they entered the shopping mall. Arianne let out a girlish giggle, “What’s going on in the mall today? Look at all of these balloons; they’re so pretty!”Tiffany’s brain circuitry had always been different from the average person’s, “Pre
After dropping Arianne off at the Tremont Estate, Tiffany finally spoke her mind, “Ethan, you should know that I only agreed to your proposal to spare you from being publicly humiliated. I don’t want to get married this quickly. I mentioned this long ago.”Ethan didn’t seem too surprised by her revelation, but he hadn’t expected her to speak up so soon, “So?”She took the ring off her finger, “Could we talk about this after I’ve decided to get married? It’s really not what I want right now.”He curled his lips into a smirk, as if in self-mockery, “You used to push me into getting married, and now it’s the opposite? What changed? I love you more than ever, yet you’ve gradually lost your feelings for me. I admit that it’s all because of me, and I’m trying my best to fix it. But I’m afraid that there might be some unforeseen events, so I’d rather get married first. If you have any doubts or anything you don’t like about me, we can always work on it in the future. All I want is for you
Arianne didn’t really like places with blaring music, but she agreed, just to pander to Tiffany’s mood. However, she was too afraid to tell Mark about it. She didn’t even have to think about it to know that he would never let her go.She got ready to go out before Mark returned from work and sent him a message: I’m going out for dinner with Tiffie and then we’re shopping afterward. I might be home very late.Mark was under the impression that she had gone stir-crazy from boredom during her confinement period, so she was more inclined to going out and having fun now. Therefore, he did not think too much of it: Mm.She heaved a sigh of relief when she received his message. She asked Henry to drop her off at a restaurant next to Zero Degrees Bar and waited for him to leave before meeting Tiffany at the bar. The thick smell of cigarettes assailed her senses from the moment she walked in. A myriad of personalities adorned the dazzling hall. One could tell that it was a posh place at firs
The man looked sullen. “How much did you have to drink?”His voice sounded familiar. When she looked up, she was dumbfounded. It was Jackson.The exposé of his activities in nightclubs flashed in her mind. She forced herself to reply cheekily, “Why? Is Mr. West looking for some fun again? I haven’t had too much to drink. Ari is waiting for me at our seat. I’m going back. You have fun.”Jackson did not release her. Instead, he dragged her to a secluded staircase, “It’s bad enough that you came here, but you even brought Ari along? What do you think is going to happen if Mark finds out? Is it just the both of you?”Tiffany pushed him away, “That’s right, it’s just both of us. I’m pretty sure Ari has never been to a place like this since she has always been with Mark. She hasn’t even experienced one of life’s greatest entertainment. Isn’t that a waste? Anyway, are you here to lecture me? I’m not going to listen to it. Let me go!”Jackson realized she really had too much to drink so h
Arianne followed her line of sight, and her heart skipped a beat. Mark was as eye-catching as ever even when he’s surrounded by a crowd. She could not miss him even if she tried. She was not sure if it was due to the alcohol, but she was not as afraid as she usually would be. For an extra dose of courage, she poured herself another glass and downed it. “Tiffie, I’ve got to go. Call me if you need anything…”Mark and his group of bodyguards arrived at their booth soon after. Arianne bravely threw herself into his embrace before he lost his temper. “I was out having dinner with Tiffie, and it was still early so we came here. What are you doing here?”Mark’s face looked grim. The inebriated expression on her face made him boil over with rage. He forced himself to restrain his temper. “I came for you. Let’s go home.”Arianne secretly waved goodbye to Tiffany and left the bar with Mark. She discovered Jackson was also in the bar, and he had been the one who disclosed her location to Mark