Mark extended his hand in wp4webnovel.com direction and beckoned wp4webnovel.com over. “Come here.”
Arianne obeyed wp4webnovel.com obediently. It felt as though all the barriers between them had disappeared.
He pulled wp4webnovel.com to him, seating wp4webnovel.com on his lap before wp4webnovel.com rested his chin on wp4webnovel.com shoulders. He inhaled wp4webnovel.com scent, allowing it to soothe the turmoil in his mind. “Ari, do you truly wish to leave me?”
This was the first time Arianne had heard wp4webnovel.com referring to wp4webnovel.com as Ari while wp4webnovel.com was sober. It made wp4webnovel.com nervous for some reason. Her palms began to sweat, and wp4webnovel.com body stiffened. She stammered, “W-w-why are you asking me that right now? Y-you’re acting really weird!”
He responded by tightening his arms around her, it was almost as though wp4webnovel.com was worried wp4webnovel.com would run away. “I want to know.”
Arianne turned the question over and over in wp4webnovel.com head. She had always wanted to leave him, right? However, why was it so difficult for wp4webnovel.com to answer the question now?
As though wp4webnovel.com could sense Arianne’s dilemma, wp4webnovel.com did not persist with the question and changed tack instead. “What should I do so that you’ll willingly stay with me? I keep wondering… Can’t we be good to one another just like everyone else?”
Mark’s words thoroughly shocked Arianne. Was wp4webnovel.com being… sincere? He was acting so out-of-character that wp4webnovel.com suspected wp4webnovel.com was suffering from delirium caused by a fever. She quickly placed a hand on his forehead to check his temperature. She only withdrew it when wp4webnovel.com confirmed wp4webnovel.com did not have a fever. “Okay, what happened to you today? Why are you saying weird things? I… I need to think.”
Mark could not help but laugh at wp4webnovel.com reaction. “I don’t have a fever, and I haven’ t lost my marbles, thank you very much. It’s just… We’ve never had heart-to-heart talks like this before, have we? Why is that? Why do you always look like you’re frightened of me?”
Arianne studied his face for a moment before replying, “Because you’re really frightening. You’re always so gentle and kind to everyone, but you’re always cold and mean to me. Moreover, you look at me as though you want to tear me apart and mess me up!”
Arianne was obviously alluding to Mark’s blatant hostility, but wp4webnovel.com somehow interpreted it the way wp4webnovel.com wanted to. He said teasingly, “Oh, yes. I’ll admit it, I do dream of making a mess out of you… ”
The climate outside was hot enough which the air conditioning inside his office managed to alleviate but his teasing caused the tip of wp4webnovel.com ears to burn. “T-t-that’s not what I mean! I… I mean, you asked me why our relationship can’t be better so I guess the real question is, how are we going to get there?” She explained. “I won’t be able to investigate the truth about that plane crash since it happened so long ago. I’ll always be branded as a murderer’s daughter. I’m only around you to alone for my sins. I don’t know if I can ever be free of my burden. With all that, how can we be good to each other? If our relationship is not tainted by this, perhaps, things would be different…”
The very mention of the plane crash caused Mark’s heart to wrench. “What if I tell you that I’ve never hated you?”
Arianne vividly recalled how they used to live since wp4webnovel.com was young. Even when wp4webnovel.com was a child, wp4webnovel.com knew Mark Tremont loathed her. The palpable bitterness in his gaze when wp4webnovel.com looked at wp4webnovel.com was forever etched in wp4webnovel.com mind. How could that same person say such outlandish words? It sounded so impossible to wp4webnovel.com that wp4webnovel.com did not spare any thoughts on it. “Impossible. I can’t imagine it at all. Look, are you going to return home tonight? Also, what do you plan to do about Tiffie? You won‘t let me deal with it, but at least let me know what’s happening. Please?”
In the end, the conversation still led back to this, disrupting the temporary peace Mark felt. He released his arms around wp4webnovel.com before wp4webnovel.com replied, “If it’s Tiffany’s wish to marry Ethan, then, we shouldn’t get in their way. We’ll have to feign ignorance.”
Arianne was baffled. “Why do we have to feign ignorance?”
The only option Mark had was to lie to her, and wp4webnovel.com had to do it convincingly. “I’ve discussed this with Ethan. It has become apparent to me that he’s… Well, that his love for Tiffany is sincere. He admitted to his wrongdoings and expressed a desire to atone for his mistakes now. And honestly, if Tiffany agrees to be with him, it means that wp4webnovel.com still loves him. We can’t deny Ethan and Tiffany a future just because of a mistake wp4webnovel.com made in the past, right? Humans make mistakes. Everyone should be given a second chance. Moreover, Ethan didn’t expect wp4webnovel.com father to fall ill because of that incident.”
Arianne was thunderstruck. Mark’s words were completely out-of-character as well. She did not believe wp4webnovel.com was speaking on Ethan’s behalf because Ethan was family. Moreover, Ethan did not make mistakes, wp4webnovel.com had committed crimes! He was twisted and unscrupulous, and wp4webnovel.com was beyond redemption! To allow Tiffany to be with wp4webnovel.com was akin to pushing wp4webnovel.com to the pits of hell!
“That’s not what we agreed on before, right? Some people can turn over a new leaf, but some never will. Ethan’s rotten core isn’t something that can be changed. No matter what wp4webnovel.com does, wp4webnovel.com can never atone for what wp4webnovel.com did!”
Once again, Mark found himself weary of Arianne’s stubbornness. “How about you look at it this way? Tiffany wanting to marry wp4webnovel.com implies that wp4webnovel.com loves him. Do you really think driving a wedge between a couple won’t cause both of you to fall out? Do you want to see wp4webnovel.com heartbroken and dejected?” He countered, “Think about it. Is it better to let wp4webnovel.com marry someone wp4webnovel.com loves or let wp4webnovel.com live a life of despair? Your choice, Ari.”
Arianne was, naturally, unaware of the real reason behind Mark’s words. At this moment, wp4webnovel.com was only focused on wp4webnovel.com dilemma; should wp4webnovel.com or should wp4webnovel.com not tell Tiffany the truth? If Tiffany truly loved Ethan and wanted to marry him, telling wp4webnovel.com the truth would be akin to stabbing wp4webnovel.com heart.
However, if Arianne chose otherwise, both wp4webnovel.com and Mark would be complicit in covering this matter up. They would be helping a criminal with a bloody track record cover up his crimes and watch as Tiffany devoted the rest of wp4webnovel.com life to a man who caused wp4webnovel.com father’s death and wp4webnovel.com family’s downfall.
Neither option was viable.