A Ruling Passion – Chapter 1532

Mark’s answer flowed out of him in a heartbeat. “Of course! She’s our guest. We can’t leave her at home while we have an enjoyable dinner outside, can we? Let’s bring Smore with us later this evening, too! Oh, the joy of a family dinner!”

Arianne let out a drawn-out sigh and closed her eyes. Nope, she would not waste any more time talking if she could use it for sleeping. Mark could do whatever he fancied, for all she cared.

Arianne’s nap lasted all the way to the late evening, only waking up when Aunt Shelly carried Smore — who, in turn, was brought to the company by Brian — to Mark’s office, introducing quite the commotion in the room.

After briefly considering Arianne’s state, Shelly remarked offhandedly, “Hey, I get that you’re awfully tired, but you should take your nap home instead of sleeping in the office. It just doesn’t bode well with the optics. To be clear, as ‘the’ Mrs. Tremont, you don’t actually have a real reason to work, right? So, why keep up a public front of ‘working’ and overtax yourself by doing that? Doesn’t seem worth it.”

Fresh out of her nap, Arianne’s head was still too foggy to understand Shelly’s implications right there and then. Mark, however, stared at his aunt, slightly puzzled. “That’s not true, Aunt Shelly. She’s only tired today because she hadn’t slept at all last night. Arianne finds it hard to sleep on a foreign bed.”