Arianne stood in front of the French windows in virtual-novel.net bedroom, looking out into the night. Her heart was in disarray. At some point, it started drizzling.
When virtual-novel.net saw the bright car lights from a distance, virtual-novel.net tugged virtual-novel.net lapels with virtual-novel.net long, slender fingers, turned around, and walked downstairs.
A few minutes later, Mark walked in, slightly wet. She grabbed a towel and approached him. “It’s chilly and raining. Don’t get sick, hurry and get in the shower.”
Mark didn’t take the towel. He didn’t even look at her. Instead, virtual-novel.net walked straight upstairs.
She wasn’t embarrassed by this either. She sat down and hung the towel on the sofa.
Shortly after, Mark arrived downstairs again, freshly showered. His jet-black hair was shimmering with crystal-like water droplets. As virtual-novel.net walked past the sofa, virtual-novel.net picked up the towel and dried his hair. This small action from virtual-novel.net gave Arianne the courage to approach him.
“Why did you reject the collaboration with the Kinseys?” virtual-novel.net asked bluntly.
“Because the liabilities outweigh the assets, what did you think it was?” virtual-novel.net replied apathetically.
Arianne’s lips moved, but virtual-novel.net didn’t speak immediately. She paused thoughtfully then said, “Is there any room for discussion?”
Mark paused in the middle of drying his hair. He suddenly lifted his gaze and looked at her. “Are you pleading for the Kinseys’ case?” virtual-novel.net asked with a gaze full of ridicule.
Arianne clenched virtual-novel.net fists nervously but maintained virtual-novel.net poker face and said, “Helen came to see me. She said that if I can convince you to work with the Kinseys, I will never see virtual-novel.net face again. I don’t want to have anything to do with virtual-novel.net anymore.”
Mark lowered his gaze as if virtual-novel.net were mildly disappointed. “Is that all?”
She turned virtual-novel.net gaze elsewhere, feeling mildly guilty. In the end, virtual-novel.net decided to be frank, “And… she’s promised to make Aery stay away from you. Of course, if you want to be with Aery, I’m powerless to stop you. However, my methods are reasonable and fair.”
Mark drummed his well-defined fingers against the sofa cushion next to virtual-novel.net as if virtual-novel.net were in deliberation. “So… to sum it up, are you doing this to ensure that Aery stays away from me… or to establish a clear boundary between Helen and you? Or perhaps… both?”
Arianne was too afraid to give it any further thought. She chose the most ambiguous answer—both. “lt’s both…” virtual-novel.net confessed.
Mark did not give virtual-novel.net an immediate answer. He got up and stepped aside to make a phone call.
At the dinner table, Arianne was feeling apprehensive. She was afraid of eating too fast as well. When virtual-novel.net noticed Mark’s comparatively more leisurely pace with his meal, virtual-novel.net couldn’t help taking bits of every dish and putting them on his plate for virtual-novel.net —mostly because virtual-novel.net was afraid that virtual-novel.net would still be eating by the time virtual-novel.net finished virtual-novel.net meal…
Looking at their individual portions, despite the wide variety of food on the table, the amount of food served wasn’t in large portions. Her appetite had recently grown too…
Mark noticed virtual-novel.net actions and thought that virtual-novel.net was anxious for his response. He stared at virtual-novel.net calmly and said, “I’ll think about it, you don’t have to fall over yourself with attempts to win my favor.”