Henry nodded and went out.Mark drove to the Tremont Tower and passed the key to the security to park his car. When a senior citizen fell down by the road, Mark subconsciously wanted to go up and help, but he was suddenly reminded of Arianne’s hysterical words when she left, “Stop acting with a mask, okay?”Was he being too hypocritical like this? He was supposed to be someone cold. He should not have been so kind.Ultimately, Mark stepped into the tower without turning back while the security, who was striving to showcase himself, helped the senior citizen up.…In the White Water Bay villa, Arianne and Tiffany were just done fooling around. The living room and the couch were a mess. Luckily, Jackson was not home. Otherwise, he would have grumbled.“Ari, now that you’ve left the Tremont’s, what’s your plan?”Arianne thought about it for a moment. “I haven’t gotten a clue yet… I don’t want to stay in this city anymore. I want to go somewhere completely foreign and start anew.”Tiffany
Arianne nodded. “Yeah, Tiffie says that she’s leaving with me. We’re planning to start a dessert shop, but we’re not sure yet. If all else fails, we’ll find a job and feed ourselves.”Hearing that Tiffany was leaving too, the smile on Jackson’s face faded. “Oh… Have you girls thought about where you’re going?”Arianne shook her head. “Not yet. We aren’t in a hurry. It’s too sudden, and we haven't decided on much yet. Right, can you ask Mark to give Rice Ball back to me? I have to take it with me; Mark doesn’t like it.”Jackson suddenly thought that his best friend was pitiful. He was less valuable than a cat to Arianne. “You really aren’t thinking about taking the man too? Just the cat?”Arianne replied seriously, “Stop kidding around. I don’t want to have anything to do with him again for the rest of my life. I won’t make it public that my dad’s innocent, nor will I have the case be checked again and expose him. I just really can’t live with him anymore.”Jackson scratched his head an
Ethan looked colder as his tone reduced in warmth too. “My patience is limited. If I really wanted to do something to you, I would have done it in the car, and you wouldn’t have been able to resist anyway.”Tiffany knew that it was futile to keep this up, so she gritted her teeth and got out of the car to follow him into the house.The house maintained its old look. Nothing was changed. The interior and furniture all held her memories. Ethan had played his cards well, knowing that Tiffany could relax the most when being here. This was also why he had brought her here.The nanny had already served the dishes on the table. Smelling the aroma of dinner, Tiffany was dazed for a moment, as if she had gone back to the past where her family of three lived happily. It was this man in front of her that caused her to become what she was now, yet in the end, he was taking her back here as the owner of the house. Did he want her to feel touched or agonized? Whatever it was, it was laced with a sen
Suddenly, a car sped past her and made a swift U-turn to stop beside her. Tiffany wiped her tears. “Jackson? Why are you here?”The first thing Jackson did after coming out of the car was to grab her and scan her from head to toe, breathing in relief when he saw that she was fine. God knew how anxious he was when he found out that she was with Ethan. He had been cooking but had tossed the spatula aside and rushed off, running red lights and speeding through stop signs all the way. “Ethan has something against you, right? If he looks for you next time, tell me. I won’t let him blackmail you constantly. Did he do anything to you!?”Tiffany shook her head. “Nothing. He let me go. He has nothing to hold against me either. I can live my life with a fresh start from now on, walk out of his shadow and live well…”Unable to hold himself back, Jackson pulled her into his embrace. Tiffany widened her eyes. “What… what are you doing? Don’t tell me that you were in such a hurry just to come look f
She spoke explicitly and clearly. Jackson would have been an idiot not to have understood it. There was a flash of dejection in the bottom of his eyes as he feigned nonchalance. “Sure, all the best to you girls. Remember to bid farewell to me, someone who lives in your past, before you leave.”Thinking that he was joking, Arianne chuckled. Tiffany and Jackson, however, felt differently. One was making a resolution while another was respecting the resolution.After dinner, the two women began to clean up. Jackson added. “Right, Arianne, didn’t you ask me to ask Mark for the cat? He said that he’s not giving it.”Arianne instantly became upset. “Why not? He banned me from keeping a cat last time. He doesn’t even like it. Why isn’t he returning the cat to me?!”Jackson quickly replied, “Don’t get upset with me, I’m just the messenger. He simply said that he’s not giving it back. He didn’t say anything else. How could I know why that is? Don’t worry, if you really do leave, it’ll be inconv
”Purposefully choosing a time when I’m not around to come back... Are you that eager to avoid me? If you’re going to leave, you should at least say goodbye. “ It was difficult for her to distinguish the emotions in his tone, but great suffering lay beneath the undercurrents of his calm facade. She did not turn around, as she was unsure of how to face him. How was she supposed to speak frankly to him, acting as if nothing had happened? After a bout of silence, he took her luggage downstairs. This surprised her. She thought that he would stop her from leaving, restricting her in every way, like the madman he was in the past, and force her into staying with him. She was afraid of that, if she was being honest. However, to her surprise, he seemed perfectly calm. She heaved a sigh of relief. At the very least, she could bring herself to say a few kind words to him. Arianne tucked her hair behind her ear as she followed him down the stairs. Lowering her head, she mumbled, “I’m on
Upon their arrival in a new city, Arianne and Tiffany spent half a day trying to find a place to stay. Then they spent the second half decorating their small home. By the time the pair collapsed from exhaustion on their newly set up bed, they were smiling with satisfaction. Arianne turned her head to the side, looked at Tiffany and asked, “Are you really okay with leaving your mom on her own?” Tiffany paused thoughtfully and said, “I’m a bit worried, but it’s fine as long as we stay in contact. We’ve moved quite a distance away and found a city that’s neither too big nor too small. My mom won’t be interested in visiting me. I’ve told her that I’m here to start a business and want to travel the world, so she can’t be bothered with me. You, on the other hand… Do you think Mark will send someone to watch over you?” Now that she had mentioned it, Arianne believed that this was highly possible because Mark seemed too calm when she left. Perhaps he never really intended to release her in
Helen smiled, “You’ve misunderstood me. I’m only here on business for two days. I heard that you started a shop and I was hungry. I couldn’t decide on what to eat, so I came here to have a look. It’s alright if you’re closing, I’ll leave.” Her heart softening, Arianne asked, “What would you like to eat?” Helen walked to the front desk and picked up a menu. She glanced through it and chose two desserts and a cup of latte, “Just these. I hope I won’t take up too much of your time. I’ll just have my order to-go.” Arianne didn’t answer. She simply put on her apron and walked into the kitchen. Tiffany quickly made Helen’s latte and packed it up. Once the desserts were done, Helen left after paying for the items. She did not say anything more to Arianne. “Ari, I have a feeling that your mom is truly here on a business trip. Just treat her like a normal customer. You’re always smiling at strangers, try to be a bit… nicer to your mother. Okay?” Tiffany suggested, unable to stop herse