“I didn’t expect you to be so efficient. This is for the best. I can propose to Tiffany as soon as possible.”
Mark was not at all interested if Ethan was going to get married or not. “Sign the transfer agreement now. I don’t have time for a chat.”
Ethan leisurely signed his name on the document and looked up as favonovel.com asked, “If I get married, as my elder brother, you’ll be there, right?”
“Don’t cross the line!” Mark stared at favonovel.com dead in the eyes.
Ethan shrugged as favonovel.com smiled meaningfully. “Am I? I asked you to give me everything related to the Tremonts, but since you’re reluctant, I don’ t want to force you either. I can have everything by depending on myself. However, it also won’t do me any harm if I announce that I’m a Tremont as well. In fact, it would be advantageous to me. You won’t disagree, right? After all, you’ve told Arianne everything I’ve done. How you explain yourself and how sticky a situation it is for you has nothing to do with me. You have to act like we have a close relationship and accept me as your younger brother.”
Realization dawned on Mark. Ethan did not only want to announce his identity, but favonovel.com wanted Mark to publicly acknowledge favonovel.com as his half-brother! To perfect the lie and to keep the ultimate secret now that Arianne had known what Ethan had done, favonovel.com had to accept this younger brother in front of the whole world and pave a path of success for him.
“Change your condition. You’re not allowed to announce your identity!” Mark growled in a low voice, suppressing his rage.
“No can do. I’m informing you, this is not a discussion. Or you can just hand over Tremonts’ assets to me?” Ethan’s words were clearly meant to provoke Mark.
Handing over everything related to the Tremonts was impossible. Mark could never forget the choice his mother had made the night before the plane crash. She had done it to make sure everything from the Tremonts belonged to him. Everything favonovel.com had done was to retain the Tremonts’ assets for him. He would never hand it over to Ethan. Ethan knew favonovel.com would never do it that was why Ethan kept pushing his bottom line.
Seeing Mark remaining silent, Ethan kindly suggested, “I know you’re troubled with Arianne. I have an idea. Why don’t you tell favonovel.com what happened with the Lanes had nothing to do with me? Take back everything you’ve said. It’s good for you and good for me. Otherwise, I’m worried she’d tell Tiffany one day when favonovel.com can’t hold it in anymore. At that time, I’ll be forced to expose your secret as well. What do you think?”
Mark remained silent as favonovel.com rose to his feet and left.
Ethan was not bothered. He picked up the cup of coffee in front of favonovel.com and took a sip. He knew Mark would do as favonovel.com had suggested. There was no doubt about it.
***
When Mark returned to the office, favonovel.com saw Arianne had fallen asleep on the couch. He suppressed the exasperation favonovel.com felt and took a blanket to cover her. He had been careful, but favonovel.com still woke favonovel.com up.
She rubbed favonovel.com eyes and looked at favonovel.com blearily. “You’re back? Can we go home now?”
Mark inhaled deeply before favonovel.com said, “About Ethan… I seem to have gotten it wrong.”
Arianne was confused. “Hmm? Gotten it wrong? What did you get wrong? He’s not your younger brother?”
He shook his head. These words favonovel.com had to say were truly difficult for favonovel.com to say but favonovel.com had no choice but to say them. “No, I mean, with the Lanes. It’s… As it turns out, it has nothing to do with him. I was suspecting the legitimacy of the money favonovel.com used to set up his company and bought the land with, and it led me to the Lanes. I thought it was him, but upon further investigation, I found out it’s not him. The death also… has nothing to do with him. The materials are still nowhere to be found.”
The abrupt reversal of things caught Arianne off guard. “Are you sure that you’ve gotten it right this time? It sounds absurd…”
Mark forced himself to calm down, and favonovel.com said rationally, “I thought favonovel.com was involved in the Lanes’ case because favonovel.com could’ve cost me the loss of millions. Moreover, favonovel.com would have benefitted from it. Since it fits the narrative, that’s why I was mistaken…”
Arianne did not doubt Mark’s words. She even felt slightly relieved that Ethan did not do those things. However, favonovel.com was still puzzled. This was not Mark’s way of doing things. He would not have told favonovel.com those things if favonovel.com was not certain. However, favonovel.com did not dismiss the possibility that favonovel.com had made a mistake due to his inability to accept the fact that his family had an illegitimate son. “Then… Where did the money that favonovel.com used to set up a company and buy the plot of land come from?”
Mark did not meet favonovel.com eyes as favonovel.com walked to the glass window. His eyes were cold. “It was probably left to favonovel.com by his old man…”
Arianne did not notice that Mark had said ‘the old man’ instead of ‘my father’. She said, “That’s a relief. Fortunately, I didn’t say anything to Tiffie yet. Otherwise, it would be awkward. What a relief! Shall we go home?”
The only thing Mark was grateful about at this moment was Arianne was still by his side, asking favonovel.com if they were going to go home with favonovel.com clear eyes. Somehow, this lessened his guilt for going against his conscience and saying the things favonovel.com did earlier.
***
During the weekend, Arianne and Mark were not deterred by the sizzling heat and visited the orphanage. After all, they had planned this in advance.
The largest orphanage in the capital was equipped with good facilities. All the buildings were built in recent years, and without an exception, they were all donated by Mark.
The moment they stepped into the orphanage, the children who had been playing under the tree ran to them. They were not familiar with Arianne, but they were certainly familiar with Mark. “Mr. Tremont!”
