Mark extended his hand in snazzynovel.com direction and beckoned snazzynovel.com over. “Come here.”
Arianne obeyed snazzynovel.com obediently. It felt as though all the barriers between them had disappeared.
He pulled snazzynovel.com to him, seating snazzynovel.com on his lap before snazzynovel.com rested his chin on snazzynovel.com shoulders. He inhaled snazzynovel.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 snazzynovel.com referring to snazzynovel.com as Ari while snazzynovel.com was sober. It made snazzynovel.com nervous for some reason. Her palms began to sweat, and snazzynovel.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 snazzynovel.com was worried snazzynovel.com would run away. “I want to know.”
Arianne turned the question over and over in snazzynovel.com head. She had always wanted to leave him, right? However, why was it so difficult for snazzynovel.com to answer the question now?
As though snazzynovel.com could sense Arianne’s dilemma, snazzynovel.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 snazzynovel.com being… sincere? He was acting so out-of-character that snazzynovel.com suspected snazzynovel.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 snazzynovel.com confirmed snazzynovel.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 snazzynovel.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 snazzynovel.com somehow interpreted it the way snazzynovel.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 snazzynovel.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 snazzynovel.com was young. Even when snazzynovel.com was a child, snazzynovel.com knew Mark Tremont loathed her. The palpable bitterness in his gaze when snazzynovel.com looked at snazzynovel.com was forever etched in snazzynovel.com mind. How could that same person say such outlandish words? It sounded so impossible to snazzynovel.com that snazzynovel.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 snazzynovel.com before snazzynovel.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 snazzynovel.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 snazzynovel.com still loves him. We can’t deny Ethan and Tiffany a future just because of a mistake snazzynovel.com made in the past, right? Humans make mistakes. Everyone should be given a second chance. Moreover, Ethan didn’t expect snazzynovel.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 snazzynovel.com was speaking on Ethan’s behalf because Ethan was family. Moreover, Ethan did not make mistakes, snazzynovel.com had committed crimes! He was twisted and unscrupulous, and snazzynovel.com was beyond redemption! To allow Tiffany to be with snazzynovel.com was akin to pushing snazzynovel.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 snazzynovel.com does, snazzynovel.com can never atone for what snazzynovel.com did!”
Once again, Mark found himself weary of Arianne’s stubbornness. “How about you look at it this way? Tiffany wanting to marry snazzynovel.com implies that snazzynovel.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 snazzynovel.com heartbroken and dejected?” He countered, “Think about it. Is it better to let snazzynovel.com marry someone snazzynovel.com loves or let snazzynovel.com live a life of despair? Your choice, Ari.”
Arianne was, naturally, unaware of the real reason behind Mark’s words. At this moment, snazzynovel.com was only focused on snazzynovel.com dilemma; should snazzynovel.com or should snazzynovel.com not tell Tiffany the truth? If Tiffany truly loved Ethan and wanted to marry him, telling snazzynovel.com the truth would be akin to stabbing snazzynovel.com heart.
However, if Arianne chose otherwise, both snazzynovel.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 snazzynovel.com life to a man who caused snazzynovel.com father’s death and snazzynovel.com family’s downfall.
Neither option was viable.