A Ruling Passion – Chapter 1605

Surely, this could not be Shelly’s doing, right? At least, it did not seem like it on the surface. But he had to admit, following a series of happenings, Mark had been passive and reactionary. But how could he act otherwise? Seeing Shelly living alone after a surgery uneased him. He could not stop fussing over her.

“I... I understand. I will try to bear this in mind and not do anything that may chaff you. I’ll ask someone to do what I’ve done for Aunt Shelly in my stead, as long as that’s possible. When her leg recovers, I’ll stop letting her dominate my life.”

On the surface, it sounded as though Mark was reassuring Arianne, but the truth was that he was hammering it into himself. Every time he saw Shelly, the truth behind his history would overwhelm him before it consolidated into an unreachable thorn embedded deep in his throat.

That night, Mark tossed and turned in his bed, tortured by his loss at telling Shelly he was not coming. He remembered how Shelly had excitedly rambled on and on about the dishes she would make tomorrow for them, making it impossible.

The next morning, Mark took Arianne and Smore to the West family residence. Summer, who already knew about their arrival prior, had prepared a sumptuous feast for lunch.