A Ruling Passion – Chapter 1406

Arianne shyly stared into his eyes. “You’ve... lost weight. What have you been up to over the past few months?”

Mark was different from her. He wasn’t shy, so he boldly stared at her, surveying her from head to toe. One look alone was not enough. “I was washed onto a nearby shore after the shipwreck. I drank too much seawater and it was too cold. I was dying, but a fisherman saved me. It was a small, poor little place. The family that took me in used primitive medication to save my life. Now that I’m mentioning it, it’s kind of funny. The people there had some strange beliefs. They even asked someone to perform a ritual. I guess it’s kind of like... witchcraft? This dragged out for a few months. I thought I was going to die from the delay. Thank goodness I managed to contact Henry. He took me to the hospital then. I was in bad shape. I don’t know if I would survive, so I didn’t dare tell you until I was sure that I could come back to you alive, then go straight to you. I was afraid that you’d abandon everything to look for me if you found out that I was alive. It would have been a long journey, and I didn’t want to tire you out. So, I thought I should just come home. You’ve been through a lot. You’ve handled the company beautifully too.”

Only now did Arianne understand why Henry kept coming up with excuses to go out around Christmas time. She didn’t have time to ask, but now she knew that he had gone to look for Mark

She felt resentful towards Mark’s methods. “What do you mean ‘didn’t want to tire me out’? Your survival would have saved me. You have no idea... how much pain I’ve been through...”

The look in Mark’s eyes slowly burned with heat. “I know... I know it all...”