Jackson punched his steering wheel and stared at the Smiths’ courtyard through his windshield. He was sorely tempted to burst in, but he knew that he couldn’t. Otherwise, the headlines tomorrow would be filled with news of him breaking into private property, and would surely include some unnecessary gossip about him. He wouldn’t be able to keep anything from Tiffany once that happened. This was only one of the possibilities. Another was that once he went in, he would never be able to get out.However, could he afford to sit idly by? Lynn was in trouble because of him. He was now regretting asking her for help. If he hadn’t met her or asked, they could remain completely unrelated, and this would never have happened.Since he had no way of solving this, he had no choice but to turn to Mark.He called Mark and heard Aristotle’s childish babbling as he learned how to talk and Arianne’s giggling. He was instantly unsure of what to say, he felt as if he shouldn’t be interrupting Mark’s li
This matter had forced Tiffany into magnanimity, even if she objected to it. She chose to spend the weekend at the Tremont Estate to give Jackson some time. She didn’t dare go to Summer’s, and she didn’t go to Lillian’s either. She was worried that the elders might find Jackson’s behavior inappropriate if they found out.She, who had always been insensitive, seemed worried and became very quiet. She buried herself on the couch, staring into space for an entire afternoon.Arianne couldn’t bear the sight of it. “Tiffie, are you… not happy that Jackson’s managing Lynn’s funeral? I think you should just leave him be. She’s dead—let’s be more open minded.”Tiffany shook her head dazedly. “I’m not being close-minded. That’s not why I’m unhappy.”“Then what is this about?” Arianne asked, confused.Tiffany took a deep breath. “I think he’s keeping something from me. He won’t tell me no matter how many times I ask. On the night of Lynn’s death, he suddenly said that he had to go out right
After a short pause, Mark changed the topic. “Renovations at Wynn Mansion are almost complete. When would you like to have a look?”Arianne’s spirits were finally lifted. “Next weekend. I can’t wait to see it. Wynn Mansion must have looked very similar to Tremont Estate in the past.”“It’s just a pity that it’s so lifeless without anyone living in it,” Mark said. “I’ve already sent someone to check on the house. I’ll have people cleaning and maintaining it regularly, so don’t worry.”Arianne had nothing to worry about. She was always comfortable with the way Mark handled things; that’s why she left everything to him. She didn’t do anything except give out orders. He had even paid the bill. “Thank you.”“What are you saying?” Mark asked with a sunken look on his face. “I’ll regret helping you if you speak to me in such a courteous manner. Do you have to be so modest with me?”She smiled helplessly. “It was a sincere display of gratitude. It’s not some feigned display of courtesy. L
The reason sounded similar to what Arianne had told her, which did make it a bit more convincing to Tiffany. “So you’re telling the truth? Can you swear to God on it? Now? Cause if you lie, this relationship will be over very, very soon.”Jackson was at his wit’s end. Swear on this? No way in hell would he be able to swear on this! “Tiffany West! I’m not gonna swear on something because the whole concept of it is ridiculous! And we’ll never be over! You’re bound to me forever, and that’s that!”Tiffany pulled him closer to her. “Scared, huh? Why? Is it because you’re lying? That’s it, isn’t it?! You think I’m stupid? You think I’m a fool?! You—urgh, you are the worst!”He kissed her. It was the best way to stop her from escalating the quarrel.On her end, Tiffany responded by putting more force into the kiss while her hand snaked around his waist. She was about to do more when he stopped her. “That’s enough. Sleepy time.”Tiffany was displeased. “So I’m not even desirable to you a
Jett had a pretty good guess as to why Melanie left. Nonetheless, he asked Alejandro gingerly, “Was it really you who killed Lynn?”Alejandro shot him a meaningful, sidelong glance. “What do you think?”“I don’t think it was you,” Jett admitted, shaking his head. “None of your people had been mobilized that day, while I received no directives from you. So… It’s from the Don, isn’t it? Why didn’t you tell Madam the truth?”Alejandro flashed him a self-deprecating smile. “Why would I do that? Does it matter how she thinks of me? I’ll never love her, and neither will I let her love me. Her affection’s only going to get in my way. Besides, she’s made it clear that she’s never gonna divorce me, which is all I need from her,” he said. “I’m exhausted, and I need a rest. Go.”Jett gave a grunt of understanding and went out of the room, shutting the door.After a night of heavy snowfall, the city woke up to see itself blanketed by white flurries. Even before the morning broke, city cleaner
Aery’s appearance had changed a lot. Her erstwhile garishly technicolor hair had been dyed to black. She wore no makeup, which made her look like a sweet, youthful ingenue. For a moment, she looked a little identical to Arianne with her modest outfit.“Hey now, Ari, don’t misunderstand me. I’m not here looking for trouble,” she stated. “I’m only here because… Well, Mom’s sick. She didn’t want me to let you know about it, but I thought you’d probably liked to know and visit her sometime, so I came here. I can’t take too many breaks to care for her all the time, especially since I’m gonna go back to studying overseas after a few days. Sorry to trouble you, Ari, but you might have to take care of Mom for a bit.”Arianne frowned. Since when had Aery become so… prim and proper? She called her “Ari” and Helen, “Mom”. The difference between her present and past was so jarring, Arianne wondered if the woman standing before her was someone else wearing her skin.“Don’t call me Ari. I can’t s
After a momentary pause, Helen continued. “You’re now living a good life, Arianne. You may not even need any reparation from me anymore. The future hides behind a fog. We don’t know how it’ll be. All I know is that we’ll definitely be in different cities, so please, make sure you continue living well.”For some reason, Arianne was starting to feel a little irritated. “I’ve never wanted any ‘reparations’ from you. It has always been your idea. And honestly, it’s not like I can stop you from going anywhere you want.”Faint despondence lingered in Helen’s eyes. “I only worry that, since you believed that I’d abandoned you out of my selfish reasons, you would think the same as well this time. I know you don’t need me anymore, I do, but… I can’t stop myself from going there. From feeling a deep sense of regret, and then hesitance—”Arianne rose to her feet. “No, I won’t even think that way at all. You don’t need to feel regret, either. Anything I was denied in the past, I have them now i
Arianne had automatically treated Mark as someone worthy of sharing her joy and troubles, just as a typical human was wont to do. People would always leave very little of themselves secret from their close ones.Mark looked at her, serious. “What happened?”She flashed him a forced smile. “She’s sick, but it didn’t look too serious. She had just undergone some small-scale surgery, which is why she hadn’t been able to visit Smore and me. And then she told me she’s gonna leave this city with Aery before Jean’s release. She wants to make sure that Jean won’t be able to find them. I guess I agree with her decision? I just don’t get why she had to keep nagging about how remorseful she feels for abandoning me again or something. As if I care!”Mark ruffled her hair. “It’s alright, Ari. Everyone walks a path made only for them. She might not stay in this city, but that doesn’t mean you two won’t be able to contact one another in the future! It’s all parts and parcels of human lives, I’m af