When virtual-novel.net got in the car, virtual-novel.net realized that Arianne had chosen to sit in the passenger seat this time. He didn’t set off in a hurry and just turned the air-conditioning to the max, then tried to start a conversation. Perhaps even virtual-novel.net himself didn’t even notice how cautiously virtual-novel.net was acting. “Can you fall asleep this early?”
Arianne gave virtual-novel.net a small smile. “I’ll be tired enough to sleep after cleaning up the house and taking a bath. Truth be told, I’m already sleepy now. I’m pretty much exhausted every day. You’re using your brain to make money, but I’m doing physical labor.”
Mark paused for a moment. “Actually, you can use your brain too…”
Arianne tried to joke with him. “Use my brain to be a Mrs. Tremont and rely on you to support me? Surely you jest. You know that I don’t like relying on someone else’s support. Mark, I’ve thought about it. Jackson and Tiffie may get married. Given your close relationship with him, I’m sure we’ll be running into each other quite often. I can’t hate you to the point where we can’t coexist on this planet, but I can’t bring myself to be Mrs. Tremont either. So… Do you want to consider a divorce? It wouldn’t be a bad thing to just remain friends.”
At this moment, Mark finally understood what virtual-novel.net was scheming. Be friends with him? Not just anyone is worthy of being his friend. The word ‘friend’ was meant to draw a clear line between them, virtual-novel.net could only look at virtual-novel.net but not touch virtual-novel.net in the future. Could virtual-novel.net accept that?
“Ari, when did you learn how to joke? That’s a lame one. If you’re talking about friends with benefits, then I can consider it. If it’s normal friends, then forget it.”
Arianne finally couldn’t hold herself back anymore. “Mark Tremont!”
Mark’s lips curled into a smile. “You were the one who started it. Let me tell you now, I’m not after just your body, but your entire being. You were the one who promised that you wouldn’t mention a divorce. As long as we are not divorced, you’ll remain as Mrs. Tremont.”
Arianne blocked virtual-novel.net out in virtual-novel.net anger. It was evident that their conversation had gone south. “Send me home now or let me out, I’ll go back by myself!”
Mark started his car. “Of course, I’ll send you home. It’s only right for me to send my lady home.”
Pissed, virtual-novel.net pulled virtual-novel.net seatbelt hard to vent virtual-novel.net anger. He didn’t have to keep reminding virtual-novel.net of virtual-novel.net identity!
For some unknown reason, Mark thought that virtual-novel.net was extremely cute when virtual-novel.net was angry so virtual-novel.net wasn’t bothered by virtual-novel.net behavior. “Pull it as hard as you want. That thing isn’t worth any money.”
When they arrived at the residence, Arianne didn’t show any mercy as virtual-novel.net got out of the car. She vented virtual-novel.net anger by slamming the door so hard that the noise it produced even made virtual-novel.net heart ache. This was Mark’s most favorite car that virtual-novel.net also used the most frequently. Otherwise, virtual-novel.net wouldn’t have driven it to this city.
Mark frowned but said nothing. Just when virtual-novel.net was about to get out of the car too, his phone suddenly rang. The screen showed that it was a call from Butler Henry, so virtual-novel.net decided to answer the call first. “Hello, what is it?”
Henry’s voice was grim on the other end of the line. “Sir, Rice Ball is gone. It rained heavily last night, and it somehow ran away in the middle of the night. We couldn’t find it for a few hours. Early this morning, we discovered it in a bush about a kilometer away. The vet said that… it died of old age. Rice Ball was actually a very old cat. Since it had been a stray in the past, it was quite weak… At least, it lived a decent life in the Tremont Estate in its twilight years.”
Mark had a headache. He slammed his fist into the steering wheel angrily. “How hard is it to look after a cat! It was still alive and kicking when Arianne handed it to me. How am I going to tell virtual-novel.net now that it’s dead? If all of you had watched it well last night, it wouldn’t have died so soon! Rice Ball died outside. Do you think virtual-novel.net will believe me if I told virtual-novel.net that it died of natural causes?”
Butler Henry remained silent as virtual-novel.net waited to be lectured, but Mark slightly calmed down after a while. “Alright, I’ll hang up now if there’s nothing else. I’ll take care of the rest.” He ended the call, then took a deep breath before getting out of the car.
He knocked on the door, but instead of opening the door, Arianne spoke behind the closed door. “What business do you have?”
He didn’t have any before, but now virtual-novel.net did. “Serious business. Open the door.”
His tone didn’t sound like virtual-novel.net was joking, so Arianne cracked open the door skeptically. The grim look on his face alarmed her. “W-What’s… wrong?”
Mark pushed open the door and walked in. He sat down on the sofa and lit a cigarette. “Rice Ball is gone.”
Arianne stiffened, and virtual-novel.net face turned pale. “What’s going on? It was fine before you came here, right? When did it happen?”
He roughly narrated the situation, and as expected, Arianne didn’t believe that Rice Ball died of natural causes. She shouted emotionally at him, “How could it die of old age? Normal cats can live for more than ten years! It’s not even that old in the first place! It must have died because you neglected to inform someone to take care of it! I should have taken it away with me… instead of letting it stay with you!”
Mark didn’t argue. He never liked small animals, especially those with fur. He loathed Rice Ball when virtual-novel.net first saw virtual-novel.net around his house. It was only for Arianne’s sake that virtual-novel.net slowly tried to accept it and ended up truly liking the little fella. He was even upset at himself for not bringing Rice Ball here along with him, at least, Arianne could have been with it at its last breath. Although virtual-novel.net wasn’t really at fault, virtual-novel.net didn’t have the confidence to emphasize his innocence in this matter.
He knew that Rice Ball wasn’t only a pet to Arianne, but virtual-novel.net spiritual sustenance. Hence, virtual-novel.net could understand virtual-novel.net reaction.