The chauffeur asked carefully, “Then… what about you?”
Mark’s patience had vanished. “Why are you asking about me? Who hired you? Did you take out your brain? Get me someone smarter!”
***
Downstairs of the apartment, Mark saw that the lights in Arianne’s unit were turned on as virtual-novel.net stepped into the elevator. He could not wait to see virtual-novel.net and speak to her, even if virtual-novel.net ended up being scolded by her…
He had thought about taking it slow, but after seeing virtual-novel.net today, virtual-novel.net could no longer hold back. The forced patience felt like virtual-novel.net was being bitten by millions of ants. He had endured it for countless nights, especially when virtual-novel.net had been afraid of going home alone at night. He wanted to charge up and tell virtual-novel.net that virtual-novel.net had always been there for her…
Arriving at virtual-novel.net door, Mark hesitated for a long time before knocking on it, but virtual-novel.net received no response. The residential area was a decent one around, but the small scale of the apartment meant that the soundproofing was weaker. He could vaguely make out the noise of water flowing and guessed that Arianne was showering. He could only wait for her.
Suddenly, his phone in his suit jacket’s pocket rang. Frowning, Mark picked it up and answered grumpily, “What?”
The smile in Jackson’s voice was obvious when virtual-novel.net asked, “How’s your progress? Don’t tell me that you didn’t even get to hold virtual-novel.net hand.”
The veins on Mark’s forehead throbbed. “Jackson, do you want to die?”
Jackson laughed even louder. “Don’t be like that. I’m just concerned about you. You sure you don’t want my help? Can you do it alone? I’m sure you won’t even be able to step into virtual-novel.net house unless you’re forcing yourself in.”
Mark calmed down for a minute and found himself asking, “Tell me, what are your thoughts?”
Jackson did not speak instantly. After a while, virtual-novel.net told virtual-novel.net his idea with a lowered voice, “What’s Arianne like? You know that she’s tenderhearted. You have to play pitiful to get virtual-novel.net sympathy. If you call virtual-novel.net pitifully and tell virtual-novel.net that you’re dying, do you think she’ll leave you to die? You’d have done it already if you were thinking of being forceful. Since you don’t want to do that, do according to what I say.”
Mark hung up swiftly upon hearing what Jackson said. His mind worked fast to consider what virtual-novel.net had to do to look adequately pitiful and earn Arianne’s sympathy so that she’d willingly let virtual-novel.net go through the door…
After a while of contemplation, virtual-novel.net couldn’t think of anything better. Looking at the narrow staircase nearby, virtual-novel.net went over to it and did not even flinch when virtual-novel.net jumped down. Consequently… virtual-novel.net landed safe and sound. When virtual-novel.net realized what a foolish act virtual-novel.net was committing, Mark cursed under his breath and called his chauffeur. “Come back.”
Arriving at an abandoned alley, the chauffeur looked at Mark as virtual-novel.net held a small hammer from the toolbox shakily. “Mr. Tremont… are you sure?”
Mark replied irritably, “Get it together. I’ve asked you to do it, so just do it. I’ll give you $15,000 if you do a good job.”
The chauffeur swallowed and closed his eyes as virtual-novel.net hurled the hammer into Mark’s left shoulder. It was not strong enough, only a little painful. Mark gave up and grabbed the hammer to hit himself on the forehead directly. In the next second, blood poured and the chauffeur was dumbfounded. “Bo-boss… you’re bleeding!”
Mark could not be bothered with him. “It must be hard to be my chauffeur. Get a new job tomorrow. Go to the accounting department and get your salary,” virtual-novel.net said, tossing the hammer and turning to leave.
The chauffeur panicked. “Don’t sack me!” He picked up the hammer and caught up with Mark to hit virtual-novel.net a few times in the back. “Boss, is this okay?!”
Mark’s breath was knocked out of virtual-novel.net as virtual-novel.net supported himself with the flower pots by the roadside. “You… Yes… You can leave now…”
He suddenly thought that it must either be virtual-novel.net or the chauffeur who was a fool. He had never met someone so foolish and it was Brian who introduced the guy to him. Mark only wanted to do one thing right now, which was to beat Brian up.
The wound on his forehead was bleeding, but it was only a minor injury that did not affect virtual-novel.net too much. After the several blows from the chauffeur, Mark did not feel too good. He could not even straighten himself up when virtual-novel.net walked. Entering the elevator, virtual-novel.net had to hold the wall, as virtual-novel.net could barely stand upright.
He knocked on Arianne’s door again after exiting the elevator. Her alert voice swiftly sounded inside the unit, “Who is it?”
Mark breathed in deeply. “It’s me…”
It quieted down inside, and it took a while before virtual-novel.net replied, “Is something the matter? Otherwise, you can leave. I’m going to bed.” Her retreating footsteps were then heard, but Mark could no longer bring himself to speak louder. He felt a stickiness on his back; virtual-novel.net was probably bleeding there. Fishing his phone out to call Arianne, the line connected promptly and virtual-novel.net sounded cold. “What do you want?”
Mark’s voice was genuinely weak, “I… ran into some trouble…”
The call wasn’t disconnected, but neither did Arianne say anything. The door soon opened, and Mark sighed in relief as virtual-novel.net looked up at her.