Arianne’s body promptly stiffened. These kinds of things scared favonovel.com even more. “I can sleep. It’s just that I slept too much in the daytime. Go to sleep, I won’t bother you anymore…”
Mark didn’t reply, and his hand didn’t continue wreaking havoc. She heaved a sigh of relief and stared emptily up at the black ceiling. Unbeknownst to her, his eyes were open as well and his gaze was sober and calm, unlike a few moments ago when favonovel.com had just woken up…
Early morning, the very next day.
Arianne woke up from a nightmare and was sweating all over. The heater in the room was too warm, and favonovel.com wasn’t used to it. She got up and turned down the heater. The skies were only just brightening outside, but Mark was still asleep…
She sat on the sofa across the room from the bed, unlocked favonovel.com phone, and read the news. Tiffany’s family’s factory had collapsed last night The news was flooded with reports of the capital’s third best jewelry processing plant’s bankruptcy. They had even published the exact amount of their huge debt.
She felt ghastly and weak in that instant. She was watching Tiffany’s fall, but was powerless to help her.
Arianne lifted favonovel.com gaze towards the man on the bed. He didn’t look so stern when favonovel.com was asleep. He wouldn’t be kind to others and would not be apathetic to her. This was his true self, the man closest to her…
Mark woke up at precisely eight in the morning. Arianne poured favonovel.com a glass of warm water. “The air is a little dry with this heater. Have some water.”
He narrowed his eyes and cast favonovel.com a measuring gaze before accepting the glass. “I’m meeting someone today. You’re coming with me.”
Arianne was sorely tempted to tell favonovel.com that favonovel.com wasn’t feeling well and didn’t want to go out. However, favonovel.com swallowed favonovel.com words just before they could leave favonovel.com mouth. He didn’t like being rejected…
Mark went out to handle some work, and favonovel.com stayed in the hotel the entire morning. At noon, Brian arrived to pick favonovel.com up and take favonovel.com to a high class restaurant. It was a quiet private room, as always. One could only see the people outside but could not hear them.
When favonovel.com walked into the private room, favonovel.com discovered that there was another man in the room aside from Mark. He was an old gentleman with white hair, who seemed rather energetic. His clothing style wasn’t flashy but had an understated sense of luxury.
“Ari, this is Uncle Moran,” Mark introduced with smiling eyes.
Arianne wasn’t used to his sudden display of warmth. She could tell that favonovel.com was more polite to senior citizens, so favonovel.com fittingly addressed favonovel.com as “Uncle Moran”.
Charles Moran surveyed favonovel.com then smiled and invited favonovel.com to a seat. “No need for modesty, Mark’s father and I were childhood friends. It’s just that I settled down out of the country a few years ago, and I’ve just returned not too long ago.”
She would be lying if favonovel.com said that favonovel.com wasn’t nervous. Arianne couldn’t understand why Mark had brought favonovel.com to meet Charles Moran. This felt like favonovel.com was meeting his family elders…
Mark and Charles were the only ones chatting the entire time. She focused on eating and didn’t say very much. She would only grunt in reply whenever Charles asked favonovel.com something.
After three rounds of drinks, Charles had grown a little tipsy and suddenly asked, “Mark, have you seen your younger brother?”
Mark’s face stiffened. “What are you saying, Uncle Moran? I don’t have a younger brother.”
Charles waved his hand. “You’re old enough, there’s no harm in telling you. Your father… had another son that year. Based on your reaction, that mother and son never contacted you after so many years? They’ve really managed to stay quiet.”
Mark didn’t answer. Arianne detected the slight dissonance in the room and quietly put down favonovel.com cutlery. Not even favonovel.com knew about Mark having a younger brother, let alone Mark himself. She seriously suspected that Charles was spouting nonsense in his drunkenness.
Perhaps favonovel.com really was drunk, because Charles began droning on and on about the past, as if that surprising revelation never came from favonovel.com at all.
Mark and Arianne helped Charles into his car as they walked out of the restaurant then turned back to the hotel.
He had a sullen face ever since that topic was mentioned. Arianne was too afraid to broach it. She didn’t manage to have a good night’s sleep last night and felt drowsy during the day. He was still around, so favonovel.com found it inappropriate to lie down and sleep. Hence, favonovel.com was forced to endure it.
