A Ruling Passion – Chapter 1661

Arianne slumped against her desk in low morale. “How am I supposed to present my case? If it’s true, then my name is cleared. But what if we can’t get that substantial incriminating evidence that Shelly did it, hmm? It’ll become slander, and then what will Mark think of me? We’re divorced, man. Our relationship is a bit testy now, it’s just not as stable as it used to be. Honestly? I don’t dare stake the shaky remains of our current relationship for this,” she murmured. “Besides... I trust his capabilities. I’m sure he’ll uncover the truth through his investigation. And it’s gonna be a lot better if he finds out on his own rather than hear it from me, right? God, if the suspect were literally anyone else in the world, I’d rat them out without batting an eyelash. But it’s frickin’ Shelly-Ann Leigh! I can’t afford to be rash and reckless here, and you know why, Sylvain. Guess I’ll just have to... endure this for now.”

A change came into the gaze Sylvain fixed on Arianne. “Huh. Gotta admit, that’s some impressive self-control you’ve got there. Most people would have broken down over this already, methinks. Doesn’t keeping your mouth sealed over a secret this big legit eat you inside?” he commented. “Though, you know what’s the thing that captures my curiosity the most? Well, why the hell does she hate you so much in the first place? Seriously, holy sh*t. Did you kill her parents with a gun the way Batman’s parents died or what?”

Arianne rose and made a show of swinging her lily-gentle arm in front of Sylvain. “Does this weaksauce hand even look like it’s ever held a gun before? Her issue is that I’m still within Mark’s social vicinity, and as long as that stays true, my existence will always pain her way more than if I killed her parents or pet dog or whatever with a gun,” she replied. “I’m practically a thorn in her flesh and a scourge in her side. Which is just... godforsaken irritating, you know? What’s her twisted psyche got to do with me? I’ve never crossed her before to deserve all of her ire.”

When it was time to go home, Arianne, with her handbag in tow, walked toward the building’s main entrance and found herself staring at Mark’s car parked by the roadside.

There was no way Mark would anticipate anyone else so publicly when he knew Arianne might see him, so there was only one person he could be waiting for. With that in mind, she approached his car matter-of-factly and asked, “Looking for me?”