Arianne Wynn had pins and needles at once. Was he no longer on a business trip? Why was he suddenly back? Fear emerged from within. In hindsight, luckily she did not go ice-skating with Tiffany. She was only unfortunate that her bicycle chain popped off…Heading to the bathroom, Arianne felt uneasy when she showered, knowing that he would surely look for her.She caught a lean shadow on the couch from the corner of her eyes when she came out of the bathroom and passed by the living room.He was wearing light grey loungewear, looking more casual than in his usual full suit attire, as it made him look less icy. – Except his eyes were still distant when he looked up at Arianne.“Come over here.”Letting her head hang down, Arianne moved to stand straight beside him.“You’re back.”“…Cold?” He had wanted to question why she was home late, but his query became one singular word when he saw the cracked wound on her hand.Slightly dumbfounded, Arianne dared not look at him. “Um… It’s fine…”M
Arianne Wynn froze.“I’m fine sleeping in the storeroom!”Mark Tremont glanced at her, a wave of disapproval swept in his cold eyes.“I’m not asking you to sleep in my room upstairs. Mary will help you prepare the guest room next to me.”Having been exposed of her wrong assumption, Arianne felt rather awkward.Thereafter, one of the maids had served their dinner in the dining room.“Sir, miss, it’s mealtime.”Mark Tremont closed the magazine he was holding and stood up.“Eat.”He had asked her to eat together. How long has it been since she ate with him at the same table? She did not remember.Arianne Wynn, with her head lowered at the dining table, ate without making a single sound. She helped herself only to dishes that were closest to her. Mark Tremont ate slowly, making close to no sound as well. Their manner only served to emphasize the silence of the wide dining room.Butler Henry who stood beside the table sighed and picked up some dishes for Arianne with the serving spoon. “Don
This occurred frequently when Arianne was younger, yet she did not remember since when she began to feel awkward about it.Being so close to Mark Tremont, she caught a whiff of the faint tobacco emanating off him and the smell of… alcohol – he drank again!“Will Sivan is gone, who is it this time? Hand in hand, with you I shall grow old… Tell me, who is it?” Mark Tremont’s voice was chillingly bewitching.Arianne Wynn was too scared to answer. He had already ‘ushered’ Will Sivan overseas, if she were to admit that the gift came from him, what sort of fate would befall upon him? She dared not think about it.“I… I don’t know…”“Don’t know? Why were you hiding it so carefully if you didn't know? Ari… you’re misbehaving…” Mark Tremont’s hand seemed to be casually resting on Arianne’s waist, which he then subtly pressed into her when he spoke.Arianne Wynn was high-strung, not knowing when she might crumble. “I really don’t know…”Mark Tremont stopped pursuing, as he buried his head at her
Arianne Wynn kept quiet, turning to lean against the wall of the corridor as she struggled with her stomach ache.Tiffany Lane was disgruntled but she was not one to make an unreasonable fuss when she was at fault. She stood beside Arianne and gazed afar at the dorm building currently under construction, saying, “Do you know that the dorm over there is sponsored by Mark Tremont? It’s quite extravagant. He’s really rich. In comparison, our families are basically nothing. Ari, I heard that he’s coming to visit the campus today…”There was no reply from Arianne. Her gastric was giving her hell.Then, the tutor walked out pompously. “The two of you are really something huh! I’ve penalized you yet you’re in the mood to chat? Take out your drawing boards, complete your drawing in the corridor! See if you can submit the assignment by dismissal!”With a tipped chin, Tiffany Lane marched into the classroom for her drawing board while Arianne Wynn stood paralyzed, her vision was already blurry.
The dean shuddered.“Mr. Tremont… It’s just a one… a one off case. That tutor is a temporary worker, a temporary one. I’ll ask her to leave!”Mark Tremont said nothing. There was only the flickering flame in his eyes reflecting his current fury.Tiffany Lane scoffed. “Temporary worker? Sure.”The dean was speechless. “Miss Lane, don’t be a busybody. You students don’t know about any school affairs!”Wearing a frown, Tiffany was about to retort when the doctor came out.“Patient’s family?”“Me,” Tiffany Lane and Mark Tremont replied simultaneously.Tiffany was quite surprised by Mark Tremont’s voice. For this matter, she assumed the family role, since she was unable to contact Arianne Wynn’s so-called brother but what was Mark Tremont on to?It was well-reasoned that the doctor opted for Mark Tremont, who looked more reliable, to explain the situation. “The patient is alright. It’s gastritis. She is young but in bad health. Watch what she eats and make sure she consumes more nutritious
It was a fleeting instant before Mark Tremont’s gaze restored to his usual aloofness. Were her eyes playing tricks on her?“Any discomfort?” His tone was void of emotion as always.Arianne Wynn shook her head. Noticing that his hand was over hers, warmth crept up her face.“I’m fine… I didn’t know that you’re coming to the campus. I’ve caused you trouble.”Caused him trouble? Mark Tremont frowned. “Don’t want to cause me trouble, but it’s okay to inconvenience others? Arianne Wynn, no need to look tragic in front of the others. Does it cost your life to ask something from me?!”Arianne Wynn bit her lips in fear. He was angry again…After a while, Mark Tremont stood up to see the drip was nearly empty and called for the nurse to remove it. He spared no glance at Arianne when he announced frigidly, “Let’s go back.”Arianne hastily flipped the blanket to pick herself up, but the bruise on the back of her hand from the perforation of the IV drip throbbed with her every action.Mark Tremont
Mark Tremont pinched her chin. His tone was apathetic and it commanded obedience. “Go back to school only when your body has properly recovered and nourished. Stop seeking pity with how frail you look!”Arianne Wynn lost her cool and pushed herself up. “No way…”Not saying a word, Mark Tremont looked down at her forbiddingly.Arianne bit her lips. Tensed, her voice quivered as well. “I’ll study hard and return all that I owe you when I make money in the future. I’m thankful that you’ve kept me around for ten years. I’ll move out as soon as possible when I’m on my internship.”The truth was revealed. She had never believed upon depending on him her whole life. She had owed him too much, and she did not wish to remain indebted.Mark Tremont laughed all of a sudden. His smile looked like the distant moon, unattainable and unreachable, and unwelcoming as well. “Let me spell it out for you now then. Don’t you even think about leaving in your lifetime!”Arianne’s heart sank. For the first ti
It was only now when Arianne Wynn remembered today was the campus function event and he would be here as well… He had not returned home since he left that day. What would it be like to see him again today? For an instant, she felt a flurry of emotions.“Did he… say anything that day?”Tiffany Lane did not notice her inattentive manner.“Nope. But I complained about your brother to him. That brother of yours is a real jerk!” Arianne was speechless. Now she was no longer surprised why her singular reply that day triggered his fury, like an eruption of a volcano – no, more like the eruption of an iceberg… He must have felt horrible to be condemned like that and right in his face too.Shouting and cheering came from the downstairs abruptly. Fueled by adrenaline, Tiffany tugged Arianne and bolted down the staircase. “Mark Tremont’s here! Let’s go see him!”Arianne was rather nervous for she had not yet figured out how to confront him.“Tiff, let go… You can go ahead, I’m not going…”“Ari,
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