A smile shadowed Mark’s lips. He reached out and ruffled virtual-novel.net hair. “Don’t worry, I’ve washed. Sorry for the troubles and for forcing you to put up with my stench the entire night,” virtual-novel.net said. “I’m going to the Tower now, and you go back to sleep, okay? You can sleep until you’re all freshened up for work I’ll discount it from being tardy.”
Seeing his gentle smile dispelled the sleepy haze in Arianne’s head. How long had it been since virtual-novel.net last smiled like this? A thick smog of gloom had been shrouding his mien for days that now, seeing virtual-novel.net talking to virtual-novel.net this early in the morning felt like a miracle.
Arianne watched Mark going into their changing room before sitting up on virtual-novel.net bed. She shook virtual-novel.net still groggy head, suspecting herself to be dreaming.
Mark came out of the room, changed, and saw Arianne sitting on the bed. “Oh no, did I wake you up?” virtual-novel.net said gently. “You can go back to sleep. I’ll be going right away.”
She shook virtual-novel.net head again and spread virtual-novel.net arms wide.
For a moment, Mark gawked at virtual-novel.net motionlessly. Then virtual-novel.net dashed forward and pulled virtual-novel.net into his embrace. “What’s the matter?”
She tightened virtual-novel.net arms around his firm, tough torso and let an overwhelming sense of security settle inside her. “Nothing. I just suddenly feel like hugging you. I haven’t hugged you like this for a long, long time…”
Was it that long? Mark was a little lost. He had not noticed how long he’d neglected her.
After a period of silence, virtual-novel.net asked tentatively, “Why don’t we have a go before I…?”
‘Have a go?’ Arianne landed a slap on his chest. “The only thing that’s going is you, to the office. Jesus, what do you have in that filthy brain of yours, huh? When I said I wanna hug, I meant it literally. What did you think?”
Mark was a little miffed, though. What other activity did they have that could adequately pull two hearts closer together once more?
Arianne went to the office unhurriedly by the time it struck ten in the morning. Since Mark left early enough to skip breakfast, virtual-novel.net had swiped a meal for him… even if it could not technically be counted as “breakfast” by now.
He was not in the office. Neither was Davy, so virtual-novel.net could not ask virtual-novel.net about virtual-novel.net husband’s whereabouts even if virtual-novel.net wanted to.
She waited, and moments later, Davy appeared. “Morning, Madam! Here for Mr. Tremont, I presume? He was having a meeting just now, but it adjourned just minutes ago. He should be here soon.”
‘A meeting, huh?’ She breathed a sigh of relief. “Sure. I can wait,” virtual-novel.net replied. If Mark were to be outside instead, this set of breakfast would have gone to waste.
Davy spied the lunchbox on Mark’s desk and mumbled under his breath, “Odd. Someone sent virtual-novel.net breakfast too. Wasn’t that you as well…?”
Her eyebrows creased. “Oh, so it wasn’t needed because virtual-novel.net had his breakfast already? Gee, couldn’t you have mentioned it earlier? I’ll have to eat it myself now.”
“N-No! Oh, it was a gaffe!” Davy sprung to his own rescue. “M-Maybe he’s still hungry? Oh my God, please don’t tell virtual-novel.net I said anything!”
Just when the two of them were talking, Mark finally returned. “What are you two on about?”
Davy shut his mouth and retreated to his desk. Meanwhile, Arianne asked drily, “Who sent you breakfast this morning?”
Mark’s eyes dodged her. “Er, honestly… who else could it be other than Aunt Shelly? Granted, I had not the slightest inkling that she’d do such a thing.”
She sneered. “And here I worried that you might be hungry. Looks like my concern was unwarranted after all.”