Arianne got off the bed, enduring the discomfort virtual-novel.net felt. She grabbed virtual-novel.net clothes and headed to the bathroom to change. By the time virtual-novel.net got out, Mark had already finished packing and was waiting at the door.
His gaze sunk when virtual-novel.net noticed virtual-novel.net 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 virtual-novel.net fell asleep. She could tell virtual-novel.net was in a bad mood. He had not confronted virtual-novel.net over virtual-novel.net unapproved trip to Ayashe.
Upon his return to the Tremont Estate, Mark immediately went back to his bathroom to take a shower.
“When did virtual-novel.net 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 virtual-novel.net intentions for resignation. He must have leaked that piece of information. She hadn’t thought of this at the time. She thought, knowing virtual-novel.net current relationship with Mark, virtual-novel.net would never abandon his work to go look for her, even if virtual-novel.net did leave.
“Change all of the bedroom sheets,” virtual-novel.net said, remembering Mark’s bad cold. “Sun dry the quilts a little longer, and make sure to prepare lighter meals for now.”
Marry nodded. “Alright, Ari. You look a little pale. Has sir troubled you again?”
Arianne shook virtual-novel.net head as virtual-novel.net ice-cold hands touched virtual-novel.net cheeks. Realizing that virtual-novel.net cheeks were scalding, virtual-novel.net ran upstairs. Mary was an experienced woman, when virtual-novel.net saw the way Arianne walked, virtual-novel.net knew what had happened. She grinned.
Back at the bedroom, Arianne felt awkward when virtual-novel.net heard the pattering sounds of water in the bathroom. The snowy afternoon made virtual-novel.net feel a little sleepy too. She picked up a few books on painting, headed downstairs, and curled up on the sofa. Before virtual-novel.net could finish reading a few pages, virtual-novel.net fell fast asleep.
By the time virtual-novel.net got up, it was about seven at night. The light above virtual-novel.net was slightly dim and from a single glance, virtual-novel.net saw that the Tremont Estate was rather dark. It looked like Mark had gone out again.
She got up and stretched virtual-novel.net back. Mary stepped forward and asked, “Are you hungry? Would you like to eat something? Sir has gone out, and I’m not sure if he’ll be back tonight. I think I’d better be the one to tell you this, virtual-novel.net left after receiving a call from a woman…”
Arianne’s body stiffened, and virtual-novel.net was temporarily at a loss for words. “It’s alright, I’ll just have whatever’s available. Leave him.”
Mary was more anxious than her. “Ari, do you really have no feelings for Mr. Tremont? You’ll be sorry if virtual-novel.net actually gets seduced by another woman!”
She paused in silence, then replied, “Why keep someone who hates you to his very bones? It’s not that I don’t want to, Mary. I can’t. To be more precise, I’ve never hoped that virtual-novel.net would love me. Rather than falling in love with me, I’d much rather hope for virtual-novel.net to let me go…”
***
January 7th, Mark Tremont finally returned to the Tremont Estate a few days later.
Arianne had turned an empty room upstairs into an art studio and had been spending virtual-novel.net time there over the past few days.
When virtual-novel.net heard virtual-novel.net coming upstairs, virtual-novel.net hand stiffened in the midst of virtual-novel.net painting, nearly making a mistake. Now that virtual-novel.net was ill-at-ease, there was no need for virtual-novel.net to continue painting. So, virtual-novel.net stopped.
The atelier door was suddenly pushed open. “Ari,” Mary called out in a lowered voice, “Sir wants to see you. He’s in the bedroom.”
Arianne looked at virtual-novel.net hands and clothes, which were dirtied from virtual-novel.net paint. “Just a moment, I’ll go clean up.”