His sudden change in topic surprised Lisa, but she answered him anyway, “I think that when I’m in love with a man, I’m the only one allowed to spend his money. All those other wh*res are not allowed to be near him. You’ve had so many women, Jackson. Have you never had any real feelings for any of them?”As he stared at Lisa, he was suddenly disgusted by women like her. That was not love. That was no different from a material transaction. What felt even more terrifying was the fact that every other woman he had been with was just like her. In the past, he never really cared and had always felt that spending money for a bit of pleasure was the most normal thing to do, “I don’t think I have…”They didn’t go back to the hotel at night. Instead, they found a nice spot along the beach, set up a camping tent and a barbecue. Their goal was to watch the sunrise.The winds at sea were strong at night, and the temperature plummeted as well. Arianne sat on a small portable stool and stared at t
Lisa acted as if nothing had happened when she arrived back at the beach. She continued talking and joking with Jackson. Realizing that Jackson was too busy barbecuing skewers to eat or drink, she took the initiative to feed him some barbecued meat skewers and some beer. She even remembered to glance provocatively at Tiffany from time to time.Tiffany was enraged, but her head was clearer thanks to the icy sea breeze. Why was she angry? Jackson could be nice to anyone to whatever degree he wanted, and it had nothing to do with her. However, why did she have to get involved? She had always had a bad impression of Lisa, even on the plane. Wasn’t Jackson to blame for causing all of this?Now that her mind was clear, she could no longer be bothered to compare herself with her. She concentrated on eating and drinking and would chat with Arianne from time to time.Tiffany and Arianne huddled together in a tent late at night, listening to the rolling tides and chatting softly. Tiffany sudd
Jackson and Tiffany’s seats happened to be next to each other during the return flight. The pair did not speak throughout the entire journey. The past few days seemed to have drained Tiffany. She put on an eye mask once she got onto the plane and fell asleep. Arianne was the one who woke her up when the plane landed.They went home on their own. It was past nine in the evening, and Arianne had just stepped through the door. Mark was behind, bringing the luggage. Initially, Henry wanted to send some staff members to greet them at the airport, but she refused, as she did not want to draw attention. If Henry were to do it, it would be a great display of extravagance.A Tremont Estate housemaid suddenly stepped forward to greet them, “Madam, someone’s sent something over, saying that it’s for you.”She wondered who it could be from, “What is it? Do you know who sent it?”The housemaid shook her head, “I don’t know, I’ve never seen them before. I think it’s a letter.”Then, the house
The housemaid shrunk into a corner, too afraid to speak. She had given her the letter but had not expected to cause such a commotion. Henry and Mary ran out to the living room and saw it happen. No one dared to say a word. Servants like them were not allowed to get involved in such matters.Mark slowly walked towards the sofa and sat down. His face was deathly still. He raised his trembling hands and placed them on his chest. He felt as if a thousand knives had pierced through his heart. The one thing that he had feared most of all had finally happened…Half an hour later, he forced himself to steady his breathing, “Have someone follow her, make sure that she’s safe…”Henry agreed, summoning a bodyguard and leaving quickly.Arianne was all on her own. Tiffany was the only person she could turn to. She walked to the intersection, flagged down a cab, and gave the address. She did not notice the black Rolls-Royce behind her.She sobbed as she banged on Tiffany’s door when she arrived
Tiffany had just bought some beer from a small shop and made her way onto the road. Suddenly, a van arrived and blocked her way. Before she could react, two burly men got down from the vehicle and covered her nose with a cloth soaked in chemicals. Then, they carried her into the vehicle. She dropped the plastic bag full of beer bottles onto the ground, causing the bottles to shatter. The last thing she felt was a splash of cold beer on her ankles.After some amount of time, she opened her blurry eyes and found herself in a completely unfamiliar place. It seemed to be an old shack. The ground was cold and damp and unbearably dirty. A group of men sat on one side, drinking beer and chatting with filthy speech.She had only moved a little when one man turned towards her, “Oh, the girl’s awake. Quick, ask them for instructions. I can’t stand it any longer.”She was gripped with fear. Based on her current observations, there were at least five men in front of her. Her hands were tied beh
Ethan. Not only was he the cause behind her family’s bankruptcy and her father’s early demise, but now, because of him, she was reduced to this state! She had initially thought that Aery was behind it all, but now it hit her. Aery’s family had gone bankrupt as well. She wouldn’t have the money to pay for this. It was Ethan all along!Slap!A loud slap was heard. Aery stared at the man in front of her in astonishment, “Why did you hit me?”She received another slap. The man’s chest was rising and falling rapidly from his extreme rage.Aery was too afraid to speak now. “What have you done to her?” the man asked in a grim voice.Aery avoided his gaze; she held her cheeks as she answered in a hushed voice, “It wasn’t me… It was them… They’d already started by the time I arrived. Wasn’t that part of your instructions? The picture you gave wasn’t clear enough. They’d gotten the wrong girl because they couldn’t get a clear view of Arianne’s face.”The man’s tone grew even colder, “Are y
She continued ringing the doorbell for about five minutes before the door finally opened. Jackson was dressed in his pajamas, staring drowsily at her, “What are you doing here?”She answered in a weepy voice, “Tiffie… Tiffie went out to buy some beer and hasn’t come home yet. I’ve been searching for a very long time, but I can’t find her… It’s been a few hours; I don’t know what to do. That’s why I’m here…”Jackson’s sleepiness immediately disappeared when he heard that Tiffany had gone missing, “Wait right here. I’ll grab my car keys!”The pair drove a few times around the roads near Tiffany’s home until it gradually turned to daylight. “Call the police,” Jackson finally suggested.Arianne was bawling her eyes out. Jackson had also realized that this matter wasn’t as simple as it seemed, “What on earth happened? Tell me everything.”She explained the matter in detail. Jackson pursed his lips and remained silent. He had long been aware of this, but he never imagined that Arianne w
Arianne was at a loss. She had suddenly left the Tremont Estate and was now unsure of where to go, “I… I don’t know what to do… Just drop me off at a hotel. I’ll grab my luggage bag from Tiffany’s and stay at a hotel for the time being.”Jackson pursed his lips. He paused in thought then suggested, “Stay at my place. It’ll be risky for you to stay in a hotel all by yourself. This doesn’t really seem appropriate either, but it’s the best idea we have, given the circumstances.”She nodded. She didn’t want to give Jackson any more trouble at a time like this. If anything were to happen to her in the hotel, Jackson would end up worrying about her too.In the Tremont Estate, Mark stood in front of the French windows in the living room, watching Arianne as she followed Jackson into his car then disappeared from view. His gaze lingered for a long time. At a time like this, he was the only one who wasn’t allowed to be near her…After a lengthy moment, he took out his phone and sent a messa