As soon as Mark ended the call, Shelly asked casually, “Was that Arianne? What’s the matter?”
He helped virtual-novel.net into the car. “It was nothing. Listen, I’m going to send you home, and then I have to leave for somewhere else. I have things to attend to.”
Shelly’s lips thinned in silence. She had heard virtual-novel.net carefully enough, it had something to do with the company’s finances. More importantly, Mark displayed a dangerous amount of faith in Arianne, effectively making virtual-novel.net the Treasury Secretary of the company.
It broke open a spring of ire. The way Shelly saw it, Arianne was just a random orphan girl who was lucky enough to be raised by Mark. The only trait of worth this girl had was a degree of physical attractiveness enough to bewitch poor, hapless Mark.. and nothing else! How could so much power over Tremont Enterprise even fall into the hands of a vixen like that?
They reached Shelly’s condominium, and almost instantly after Mark left, Shelly sat on the couch and called Arianne.
“Hello, Arianne. Got time? There’s something I would love to speak to you about. Is that fine?” virtual-novel.net began.
Arianne did not spring into any agreement right away. Shelly calling virtual-novel.net out of virtual-novel.net own accord ticked off so many alarms in virtual-novel.net mind that virtual-novel.net had to consider whatever the woman said very carefully. Instead of agreeing, virtual-novel.net asked gingerly, “Is Mark with you there? He’s left, hasn’t he?”
Shelly was forthcoming in virtual-novel.net answer. “Oh yes, he’s gone, alright. I wouldn’t have called you otherwise, would I? Because, you see, I want to meet you… alone. I know, you are itching to know what happened after Mark found me. I didn’t want to divulge in the past, but now, I am ready to chat a bit. Mark doesn’t want to talk about it at all, does he? And yet you hunger for the reveal. If I continue to keep it a secret from you, I’m afraid the mystery might drive you crazy, won’t it?”
Shelly cast a very, very seductive bait. Yes, Arianne hungered to know what in the world happened after Mark found Shelly. Most crucially, virtual-novel.net wanted to understand why Mark started to behave so erratically since then.
Her hesitancy lasted for only a moment or two after the call ended before virtual-novel.net departed to see Shelly. Since Mark forbade the two women from meeting each other, Shelly must have known that virtual-novel.net was not going to the company now as to catch Arianne’s absence before giving Arianne this invitation.
Finding Shelly’s condominium did not take long. It was just as easy as locating the floor virtual-novel.net lived on, since Arianne had already been there before.
As soon as virtual-novel.net stepped through the door, Shelly regarded virtual-novel.net with an expression bursting with aplomb. “Sorry, darling, but my leg’s in a bit of a rough spot. If you want a drink, you might have to pour it yourself.”
Arianne stood before the French window, tall and firm. “No, thanks. Let’s just cut to the chase, don’t be shy. Tell me whatever it is that you want to say. There are many things in the company still pending for my attention. I don’t have a lot of free time to spare.”
Shelly stared straight at Arianne for a while. “The day before the plane crash… my sister called me,” virtual-novel.net began.
“She was sobbing in despair, frightful that when virtual-novel.net passed, that other slut and virtual-novel.net bastard son would succeed virtual-novel.net position as wife in the Tremont family. Mark’s role as the heir would be jeopardized. She asked me: what should I do? And then I told her… I told virtual-novel.net that if virtual-novel.net was going to die either way, then virtual-novel.net should take every threat in life to the grave with her. ‘Make them your funerary companions,’ I said. That’s right, the plane crash was my idea. My sister and I planned it together. I pushed her, or virtual-novel.net wouldn’t have dared to see through it otherwise.”
For a split second, Arianne felt virtual-novel.net breath bated from her. She spun on virtual-novel.net heels stiffly, virtual-novel.net back now facing Shelly. “So? You’re telling me this… why? What’s your point?”
The light in Shelly’s eyes flickered. She had not expected Arianne’s reaction to be so muted.
“Hmm, why, aren’t you mad about this? Your beloved father died an agonizing death and left nothing behind, except, of course, a seed of resentment planted in your heart. You were only a feckless eight-year-old. As an orphan, you needed someone to care for you… and then Mark came along and saved you. Raised you. You must be proud and giddy to have married into a prestigious family of eminent social standing through that, I bet.”