Arianne didn’t reply. How could Mark Tremont possibly trust her? He’s never trusted her…Mary’s heart ached at the sight of her looking like this. However, she was powerless too.That night, at Arianne’s insistence, Mary went home to rest. There was no need to stay with her at the hospital; she’d simply caught a cold and could take care of herself. At most, she would have to stay in the hospital for one day under observation. She would be discharged the very next day.She couldn’t seem to fall asleep, probably because she had too much sleep in the day. She shut her eyes and lay on the hospital bed, a myriad of thoughts plaguing her mind.“What are you doing?!” someone outside the ward cried out all of a sudden.Arianne jumped in fright. She opened her eyes to catch a quick glimpse of a man’s face disappearing from the small window above the door. Who was spying on her in the dead of the night?!She was too frightened to stay any longer. She packed up her things and left the hospi
Arianne gently stirred a bowl of steaming porridge with a spoon; she didn’t respond to Mary’s suggestion.Did Mark go looking for her for so long last night because he felt responsible? She never felt that she could influence his behavior. If Mark wasn’t willing to come home, then he would only feel disgusted even if she got on her knees and begged him.The news continued brewing on the Internet, but Mark never directly responded to it. He even donated to an elementary school on New Year’s Eve.Arianne accidentally discovered the latest article while she was flipping through the news. It was a photo that was taken secretly when she was in the hospital. She was lying on the bed, looking pale and lifeless. The content of the article was questioning whether she had been hospitalized due to domestic violence and if Mark Tremont’s gentle nature was nothing more than a facade. Now that she thought about it, the person outside the hospital ward must’ve been the one who snuck a shot of her.
“You wouldn’t have come if you were truly worried,” Mark's voice was cold.Aery pouted at him. “Aww, come on.”Butler Henry looked at Arianne but swallowed back his words. He went up and greeted Mark, “Sir.”Mark acknowledged him then asked, “Have you taken care of everything at home?”“Yes, they have been rewarded accordingly,” Butler Henry replied.Mark took out a card and handed it over to Butler Henry. “This is yours, thanks for all your hard work this year.”Mark did this every year; he was very generous to his servants. Butler Henry didn’t refuse it. “It’s my job.”Food was quickly served on the table. Mark sat down at the table with Aery. Arianne involuntarily lowered her head and tried not to look at them. They just had to sit so closely just across from her. It was as though… she was an outsider...“My parents have gone on a vacation abroad. I was bored out of my mind alone so I came with Mark dear. Hope you don’t mind, big sis!” Aery deliberately showed off the huge d
Aery’s heart sank. She rarely saw Mark looking this serious and terrifying.She just couldn’t understand why Arienne wouldn’t leave Mark even though she didn’t love him. Nor could she understand why Mark didn’t want to give them his blessings even though he didn’t seem to care about her. Was this all because of his pride as a man? If this continued, she would forever be Mark’s secret lover. She, more than anything, wished to be Mrs. Tremont. Arianne got this so effortlessly, yet she didn’t value it at all. Aery couldn’t help but be incensed at the thought of it.While Mark was working in the study room, Aery strutted into his room to take a shower. She then picked out one of Arianne’s silk pajamas and put them on. Looking as though she was the mistress of the house, she walked into the living room and haughtily commanded Butler Henry, “Go get the guest room ready.”Butler Henry remained standing still and directed his gaze to Arianne.Arianne was nonchalantly reading a magazine on
Arienne got up and went upstairs, but stopped again when she was in front of Mark’s room.While Arienne was hesitating, Butler Henry pushed open the door, leaving no room for her to mentally prepare herself.She reflexively averted her gaze from the room. How would she react if she saw something she shouldn’t?“Sir, madam isn’t in good health, so she needs to rest now. Please send the insignificant person to the guest room.” Butler Henry’s tone was humble, yet carried the weight of authority.Mark was smoking a cigarette on the chair before the French window. He merely cast a silent glance at Arianne.“Who are you calling insignificant?” Aery was quick to retort. “Mark dear is still smoking. If you don’t feel well, then why don’t you sleep in the guest room, big sis?”Arienne said nothing. She only looked at Mark.Butler Henry gently nudged her into the room. It was his silent push that reminded Arienne that she shouldn’t continue being a coward. “You’re not fit to sleep in this
Mark mistook her confusion for hope. The anger in his eyes burned even more intensely. He clenched his hands into fists before silently unclenching them again. In the end, he left and slammed the door behind him.As his car drove away from Tremont Estate, Arianne sat on the cold floor with her back against the bedside. She hugged her legs and buried her face in her knees. Maybe that would take some of her loneliness away...Mary came back three days later. “Ari, why did sir choose to go on a business trip during New Years Eve? Didn’t you try persuading him to set aside work for a bit? You must be feeling lonely now that you’re left all alone.”Arianne sat on the sofa and didn’t reply to her. All of a sudden, her phone rang. It was a greeting message from Eric, and a holiday bonus sum attached along with it.Arianne didn’t accept the money. She only replied to him with a smiley face emoticon and attached her letter of resignation. She turned her gaze back to the magazine in her hand
Before she could regain her senses, Mark pounced forward and pressed against her lips. “I won’t allow it. You cannot leave! You are not allowed to leave my sight!” he whispered hoarsely, brushing his lip against hers.Arianne wanted to explain that she was merely heading out to relax and enjoy the art exhibition, but he didn’t give her the chance. She could tell that Mark was sick, and it was pretty severe too.His mind was slightly muddled. With him holding her down, she lost all means of resistance. Then, just as she was about to suffocate, he finally moved his lips down to her neck… She gasped, her breathing growing unstable. “Mark… You’re sick, let’s go to the hospital… Stop it…”He ignored her as if he didn’t hear her at all.Arianne’s mind was in a blur. In the end, he did not let her get away… Would he be disgusted by her filth when he returned to sobriety?He finally collapsed into sleep when the storm ended, still lying on top of her...She found it very hard to brea
Arianne got off the bed, enduring the discomfort she felt. She grabbed her clothes and headed to the bathroom to change. By the time she got out, Mark had already finished packing and was waiting at the door.His gaze sunk when he noticed her slightly unusual walk. His expression turned cold as well, and his thoughts were unfathomable.Arianne kept dozing off on the plane but was afraid of touching Mark if she fell asleep. She could tell he was in a bad mood. He had not confronted her over her unapproved trip to Ayashe.Upon his return to the Tremont Estate, Mark immediately went back to his bathroom to take a shower. “When did he arrive home?” Arianne softly asked Mary.Mary stared blankly at her. “Sir never came back at all. He just arrived today.”Arianne was feeling slightly annoyed. She shouldn’t have told Eric about her intentions for resignation. He must have leaked that piece of information. She hadn’t thought of this at the time. She thought, knowing her current relations