Zoey and her husband were very attentive. One hastily helped Tabitha along while the other carried her bags. Zoey watched as Arianne left and asked, “Mother, did Arianne send you here? Why won’t she come inside and have a seat? Does she hate us for living in such a small space?”The old woman wore a sunken expression on her face as she answered, “Yes, it is beneath her. I don’t want to be snubbed, even with your good intentions. Don’t embarrass me.”Hearing this, Zoey’s husband felt that something wasn’t right, “Mother, we’re all family; it’s not like we can’t talk. Where did that come from? It’ll be the new year soon. We’ll be doing business in the capital, so we plan on staying here for a while. The kids will be on their winter holidays soon, so the whole family will be here. We might as well spend the new year in our niece’s big mansion.”Zoey agreed, “That’s right. The more the merrier.”The old woman smirked, “Don’t call her your niece like you’re on friendly terms. I can’t afford
The old woman was so angry that her face turned ashen, “Your brother has been dead for many years, yet you still insist on sucking the blood out of him. Is he some kind of bloody meal to you? Are you even human? If I’d known about this, I would have chosen to have only one child for the rest of my life, instead of taking in a heartless thing like you! I might as well have raised a dog!”Zoey saw nothing wrong in her actions. In her point of view, she was the one who had suffered the most injustice. She burst into tears, “So you’ve finally said it. You’ve never treated me like your own child. You only adopted me so that someone would take care of your corpse for you, isn’t that right? That’s a business deal, not love! You think that I’m heartless, that I’m cruel. But you’re the meanest old woman! If my big brother hadn’t had any children, I admit that I’d have to take care of you, but he has Arianne. Why can’t I recount this debt? Let’s take ten thousand steps back and say that it would
Tiffany guffawed so hard in Schadenfreude that she could almost be mistaken as having a seizure. “Oh my god! Oh. My. God. So you’ve lost your personal agency now? Come on, bae, you’re the one with the crowned jewel in your tummy! You’re the boss now, not him! You could lynch Mark to death, and he still wouldn’t be able to harm a single hair on your head in defense, get it? You gotta’ be ruthless right now, like right frickin’ now, cause’ you aren’t getting that chance anymore. Don’t you know that a woman is at the height of power during her pregnancy? So hell yeah, be a tyrant, sis! Once that child’s born, you ain’t never getting that power back!” she reminded. “Now, if you manage to obtain his ‘permission,’ tell me, and I’ll ring up Tanya. We’ll have hotpot together at night! We’ll get the spicy one, and you can have the non-spicy broth. I mean, I heard that food that is too spicy could harm an expecting mother.”Just mentioning hotpot made Arianne swallow her saliva. Few things in li
Ultimately, the final deal was Mark approving Arianne’s hotpot hangout with the compromise that he tagged along. He did not particularly like hotpots, but he joined in as Arianne’s companion anyway.With a tack-on bodyguard she did not want, Arianne felt as though she was put on a leash, and her excitement naturally plummeted. But when she reached the destination and saw Tiffany mirroring her expression, she perked up — Tiffany was not exactly given the liberty to party hard either, for Jackson was with her.Finally, Tanya brought Eric — who was probably looking for a place to spend his free time — along, and the ensemble was complete.Since they disembarked, Mark’s hand had never once left its protective position on Arianne’s waist, making one wonder if he would gingerly place the girl right in the center of his palm if he could help it. That was not all; he punctuated between every few steps with a “The floor is slippery, please be careful.”Arianne relied on his directions so much t
Arianne’s eyes darted to Mark for a millisecond before she lowered her head and focused on her food. Thoughts ebbed in her mind like ripples.Once again, Mark terrified her with his abnormal perceptiveness. It was as though his eyes always bore through her skull, allowing him to read every thought that took form in her mind.With his “assistance,” Arianne had the most fulfilling meal she ever had since becoming pregnant. For some reason, she was exceptionally voracious today. When the dinner was nearing an end, Tiffany dragged Arianne and Tanya to the washroom.She could not wait a moment longer before japing, “God, I thought Mark was gonna offer his companionship to the bathroom! Just look at that ‘I-must-be-alert-at-all-times!’ butler mode he’s been in throughout the entire hangout; I almost believe he’s been replaced by someone else! Real talk, though: watching him right now reminds me of the way Will treated you back then.”This would be the first time Tiffany ever ruled one of M
With a frown, Arianne pulled Tiffany beside her and answered on her friend’s behalf, “That thing with Ethan has been over for so long, Angel… And for a good reason, too; Tiffany is way out of that bastard’s league. As a matter of fact, she was just recently engaged with Jackson West — which, judging from your voracious consumption of news, I’m sure the name rings a bell, doesn’t it? Had you reconnect with Tiffany sooner, she would definitely invite you to the engagement party too.”Truthfully, before Arianne spoke, her presence had escaped Angel. But now, her attention turned the spotlight on the person most famously known as Mark Tremont’s woman. Angel was well-aware of her story — again, it was all through the news.She sized Arianne up for a while before replying in a suspect tone, “Oh, no! I missed the engagement party; what a pity! Curious, isn’t it? Both you and Tiffany ended up marrying someone who aren’t the ones you loved in the beginning, once again proving that nothing in th
“If that’s the case, then it’s in your best interest to regard him as dead,” Arianne said, straightening Tiffany's collar. “No use dwelling in the past. All that matters now is your happy life with Jackson; everything else is lost to the sands of time. More importantly, your future will never be tainted by that douchebag’s presence ever again. He can’t hurt you anymore.”It was at this moment that the door to the next cubicle creaked open, revealing Tanya gingerly walking out. “U-um, I…! I mean to say…” she stammered. “I didn’t hear a thing! I mean… Um, I’m sorry I overheard some things?”Tiffany placed her hand on her forehead. “Oops, almost forgot about you. You hid for so long; I almost thought you got stuck on the toilet bowl or something. Think nothing to it, really; if you overheard it, you overheard it. Who was I with, who was she with — who the eff gives a damn? Anyway, let’s go. If we don’t come outta here any sooner, Mr. Tremont’s gonna FBI-bust in!”Tanya nodded in silent ap
Seeing that he really had gone to lie down on the bed, she relaxed. She was still shocked. She truly wasn’t used to leaving the door open during a shower. Although the bathroom door was quite transparent, it got fogged up and could conceal her figure in the shower. But now, with the door open, she felt awkward even if he wasn’t looking…She closed the door just a little more when he wasn’t looking, leaving half a crack in the door.Mark turned off the light once she had finished washing up and laid down. It was easier to fall asleep in the dark.Arianne was in a strangely good mood and did not feel sleepy. It was likely because she had managed to eat something that she really craved after having zero appetite for a long time, and then having the refreshing shower. It was a cold winter’s day and the blanket was nice and warm. There was nothing more comfortable than this, throwing one’s worries to the back of their minds and enjoying some peace and quiet.Suddenly, Mark reached out and h
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