After meeting up with Jackson and Tiffany, the four of them chatted for a bit before splitting up into groups of their own. It was a given that the men would begin talking about business and money, while the dullness would inevitably bore the women.It was said that the owner of this luxurious estate was a powerful magnate who had built a sprawling business empire within the country and outside of it. As a result, many would trip over themselves to flatter him and get into his good graces. The reason why Mark and Jackson were here, however, was simply because they were old friends with this magnate, whom they had partnered with several times in many different ventures.Tiffany, standing in the estate’s courtyard, where a large swimming pool sprawled before her eyes, exclaimed, “Holy Mother Mary, this guy’s as rich as Scrooge McDuck! He built this grand, pompous place despite not staying here too often! I mean, the fees for these renovations must have been as much as the cost of the e
Alejandro and Melanie’s presence brought a biting charge to the air. Thankfully, Seaton and Beau had no inkling of the antagonism between Alejandro and their two friends. Hence, they were saved from the creeping disquietude.Still, both Mark and Jackson’s expressions darkened slightly.Alejandro scanned the faces before him and stopped for a few seconds at Tiffany, his possessiveness glinting from the deepest reaches within his eyes. Quickly, however, nonchalance rushed to supplant his true emotions as he replied, “Sooner or later, everyone has to meet the Reaper. It’s fine.”Melanie, on the other hand, waved at Tiffany. They exchanged smiles when their eyes met.After learning that Mark was Alejandro’s (or more accurately, Ethan’s) older brother, Melanie felt pressured to greet her apparent brother-in-law somehow. In a spur of the moment, she blurted weakly, “Good evening, bro—I mean, Mark. And Ari.”Just like that, Melanie’s slip-of-tongue aggravated the already uneasy atmospher
The party’s attention had turned to the stairs. A feminine silhouette crossed into their line of sight, her hair disheveled and blocking half of her face.But Arianne knew who she was. It was Janice Bell—again.The first thing that came to Arianne’s mind was her annoyance at meeting that woman yet again. But when she noticed the blue-black spot at the corner of Janice’s lips, a new understanding—that things might not be as simple as they were last time—dawned on her.Janice’s injuries, barefaced as they were, prompted Seaton to drag the strange man upstairs by the collar, his well-maintained image abandoned in the midst of his fury.No one knew what happened next up there, as Seaton had not emerged since then. Quickly, whispers began to fill the hall.Janice remained still on the stairs. Even when the guests murmured among themselves, stealing glances and pointing fingers, she stood as wooden as a marionette, her unblinking eyes trained on Mark, as though they were never going to
Smith Manor was located a little further away so by the time Alejandro and Melanie arrived home, it was already very late.The pair remained silent during their journey home.Melanie was worried that Alejandro would be upset at her using the word, ‘Bro’, to Mark earlier so she was too scared to speak up. She ran straight to the bedroom as soon as they arrived home to remove her makeup.Surprisingly, Alejandro followed her into the bedroom as well, but he ignored her. He only took his clothes off before he took a shower.Feeling uneasy, she tried to dispel the awkwardness by saying, “Are you angry?”Alejandro glanced at her. “Why would I be angry?”“Because I accidentally called Mark Tremont ‘Bro’ in front of everyone,” she said, almost whispering.“No, I’m not,” Alejandro calmly replied, “Come here.”She got up and walked toward him. However, when she realized his intention, she paused in her steps. “I… I have to check on the baby!”He pulled her toward him before she could tu
She did not reply. Instead, she bent down and carefully searched the bed. Alas, she still could not find the ring.Alejandro’s patience was at its limit. “If you can’t find it, forget it. Just get a new one tomorrow.”She bit her lips. “If you can get a new ring after losing it, does it mean you can do the same to people? I’ll find it. You go to bed.” She turned around and left after that.Alejandro was bemused. He believed that her irrational tendencies were acting up again. However, when he lay down again, he found himself unable to fall back asleep. After tossing and turning for a long time, he got up, strode to the window, and lit a cigarette. He swept his gaze across every corner of the room. Then, he noticed a faintly glittering object in a corner under the bed. He walked toward it, leaned forward, and found Melanie’s wedding ring. The glimmer of light was from the sparkle of the diamond.He picked the ring up, placed it against his lips, and blew on it to get rid of the dust
Just as he fell deep into thoughts, he suddenly heard Melissa’s cries. Her adorable little face entered his mind unbidden, and he felt compelled to hold her so he turned around and walked out. He found Melanie anxiously trying to soothe the bawling baby, looking completely helpless. “I’ll take her downstairs,” he said, “Fresh air will be good for her. Maybe she’ll stop crying.”Melanie thought she was having auditory hallucinations. This was his first time patiently offering to help with the baby. She stared at him apprehensively for a few seconds before she handed the baby over to him. “She’s been crying a lot lately, I’m so tired. If you can take care of her for a while, I’ll take a nap. Just an hour will do, even half an hour is fine too.”He took the baby and cradled her gently in his arms. “It’s not like we don’t have maids. One of them should know how to take care of a baby. Leave her with them if you really can’t do it.”Melanie shook her head. “I can’t do that. I’ll do it my
Aristotle scoffed. He turned his head to the side sulkily. It seemed like he was really fearless.Arianne giggled. “I love watching you two quarrel. The little one is so fearless, and the big one is all bark and no bite. It seems like your son is the only one who has you twisted around his little fingers. If I made such a mess when I was young, you would’ve flayed me alive. That’s the difference.”Mark suddenly remembered that she had once mentioned being very scared of him when she was a kid. It seemed like she had a traumatic childhood because of him. He stroked his chin and wondered if he was really that scary? Why was Aristotle unafraid of him? Was it because Arianne used to think that she had wronged him? Unbeknownst to her, he was the one in the wrong. He had let her live submissively in the Tremont household for years. Now, it was time for her to hold her head up high. At that moment, his phone began to ring. He rose to his feet and stepped aside to answer it. “Hello? Are the
“Why are you stopping me from engaging with other transportation companies?” Mark asked coldly, “Don’t think that I’m unaware of what you’ve been doing behind my back. I didn’t sign an exclusive contract with you.”Alejandro curled his lips. “That’s right, it’s not an exclusive contract, but I don’t like competition. I’m entirely capable of handling your company’s transports. You don’t need other transportation companies. You don’t need to be so vigilant with me. Take it easy, okay? Aren’t you tired of being on your toes all the time?”Mark would, naturally, never let his guard down in front of Alejandro. “You know that’s not possible. I can’t trust you. We have two options; either we end this contract or you let me find another transportation company. That way, we’ll both have a way out. Don’t try your dirty tricks with me, and don’t test me. Understand?”Alejandro sighed. His expression suddenly turned solemn. “Why won’t you trust me? Am I not the closest person to you in the worl