It was too much for his mind to digest.
Time crawled into the wee hours. Mark drove Shelly to a hotel owned by Tremont Enterprise for virtual-novel.net accommodation.
“This is where you’ll stay for today. Tomorrow, I’ll have Brian move your things to you,” virtual-novel.net said before virtual-novel.net left. “I’ll arrange lodging for you in the hopes that… you never meddle into my life ever again. The truth is, I never wanted you to appear.”
Shelly opened virtual-novel.net mouth, but whatever virtual-novel.net wanted to say never came. All there was left to virtual-novel.net answer were the tears that refused to stop streaming down virtual-novel.net cheeks.
Mark returned to the Tremont Estate. Instead of entering his bedroom, however, virtual-novel.net retreated straight into his study.
The house was in still silence, and none of Mark’s movements broke it. He forfeited turning on the lights but sank into his chair, spreading his long, lean legs wide while dropping his arms tiredly at either side. Right now, this laidback posture was the only means virtual-novel.net had to keep his cool and sense afloat.
He kept asking himself if there was anything that made virtual-novel.net different from Ethan Connor. After spending his life frowning at his brother’s illegitimacy, it turned out that virtual-novel.net was a bastard himself all along!
Mark had a nagging feeling that his father might have already known the lengths his mother had gone to in the shadows. Father might have chosen not to expose her, but virtual-novel.net was still disappointed, and that was why virtual-novel.net continued his relationship with Ethan’s mother. A few years later, that relationship bore Ethan.
The sudden croak of a door pushing open grated jarringly against the silence of the night.
Arianne stood by the doorframe. Weak lights from the corridor outside launched virtual-novel.net elongated shadow into the unlit study. She was not sure if Mark had returned home or not, but virtual-novel.net did catch some murmurs of movements a few moments earlier. Arianne would not go to sleep before Mark was home.
Searching eyes found Mark’s silhouette shrouded in the darkness, and virtual-novel.net quickly hurried forward. “Why aren’t you heading straight to bed after coming back, huh? Did you manage to locate Aunt Shelly? Or was there no lead at all?” virtual-novel.net asked.
Mark pressed his lips into a thin line, unsure of what to say. Every muscle in his body revolted against the idea of breaking the truth to Arianne because virtual-novel.net just could not fathom letting anyone know.
When Arianne finally saw how utterly despondent Mark was, virtual-novel.net was shocked into thinking that something terrible must have befallen Shelly. Gingerly, virtual-novel.net crouched close to him, resting virtual-novel.net upper body on his lap.
“Mark, dear, did… Did something happen to Aunt Shelly? Please don’t bottle things up to yourself, okay? Talk to me.”
Mark ruffled virtual-novel.net hair mechanically. “It’s nothing. Just… having a bad mood, that’s all. I would like to be left alone for the moment, please. Don’t fret about me, go to sleep.”
Even the most intimate couple may need to grant their partner some personal space every now and then. Despite virtual-novel.net anxieties, Arianne obliged to his request and left the man alone.
The next morning, Arianne woke up to find Mark already gone.
Mary informed virtual-novel.net that virtual-novel.net left with Brian early that day, but Arianne noticed the marked hesitancy in the housekeeper’s manner. She found it strange and pursued it, but Mary refused to be forthcoming, citing an order from Mark that banned virtual-novel.net from explaining outright.