Arianne felt slightly helpless, “That’s not what I mean. I’m just making casual conversation. Has your office desk always been here?”
Ellie smiled and nodded. “This floor is pretty quiet. It doesn’t really matter where my desk is. Mr. Tremont is really nice. He doesn’t like having people around favonovel.com when he’s working, but I have to be ready to assist favonovel.com at any time. So it’s best that I work here.”
Arianne could not understand what Ellie meant when favonovel.com called Mark ‘nice’. She thought Mark had been harsh with Ellie. “How much is your monthly salary? Working as his secretary must be a tiring job.”
A question about salary was a highly personal subject, no matter the occasion. However, since it was Arianne who had asked the question, Ellie did not avoid the subject. “My basic salary is 3500. It’s not so bad, and there’s a year-end bonus too. It’s pretty good, and it’s not a tiring job.”
Upon hearing the numbers, Arianne no longer felt that Ellie had been treated harshly. A secretary’s salary was higher than hers, a fashion designer. Every profession had its own master. She did not even dare to think about receiving the salaries of the world’s best fashion designers.
***
Back in the office, Jackson hesitated momentarily before finally speaking up, “Mark, Ethan has turned his attention on me.”
Mark was not particularly surprised by this. “Did favonovel.com cause you trouble?”
Jackson nodded, “But nothing came out of it. This can’t go on. Tiffany will be undoubtedly pushed into hell if this continues. We need to come up with a way to solve this. It wouldn’t be too bad if we’re completely unaware of this, but we all do. All of us except for Tiffany. Isn’t that crossing a line? Your truce with Ethan is only temporary and will tip over sooner or later. When that time comes, he’ll tell Arianne the truth without any hesitation. At that time, the result will be the same.”
Mark tugged at his tie irritably. “I’m aware of everything you mentioned, but if I’m forced to choose, I’ll only save Arianne. There’s no other way. I’ve never been a kind man, you know me. I won’t ever feel any guilt toward Tiffany. At the end of the day, we’re the insiders. Revealing the matter is really our decision to make. Arianne is the only one connected to Tiffany here, not us. Do you feel like you’re being cruel? Stop hiding things from me, Jackson.”
Jackson was taken aback. Suddenly, favonovel.com laughed. “What kind of a joke is that? Stop being weird. I just think… that Tiffany’s a pretty amazing girl and that it’s a little unfair to her. Don’t overthink it. Besides, I don’t think she’s ready to marry Ethan so soon. The best outcome for you is for favonovel.com to marry him. That way, your truce with Ethan will last longer. However, we can’t eliminate the possibility of favonovel.com actually leaving him. Neither you not I can control that. You’d better come up with a good plan. I get that it’s a difficult problem.”
Mark paused thoughtfully, a cold glint flashed in his eyes. “I’ve been trying to come up with something. I haven’t given up. It’s a little troublesome. Just give me some time.”
***
At a sunny beach by the bay. The summer sun was scorching hot, and many people had come here to have fun. Women dressed in bikinis and men wearing swimming trunks were everywhere.
Tiffany lay on a deck chair beneath a sunshade, dressed in favonovel.com swimsuit and sipping on iced fruit juice. Thanks to favonovel.com sunglasses, everything seemed less glaring.
Next to her, Ethan relaxed as favonovel.com watched the people around them going about their own activities. He said tentatively, “Tiffie, please reconsider.”
Tiffany immediately felt nervous when favonovel.com brought up the subject. “I know that you’re Mark’s younger brother. Me and Ari are very close. We were together for three years so getting married would be the best choice. It’s the logical choice. However, did you consider we’re both completely different people now? My feelings toward you have changed. Likewise, yours are different too.”
A hint of impatience flashed across Ethan’s eyes, concealed by his sunglasses. He suppressed his impatience and said, “How is it any different? You women are always overcomplicating things.”
She sighed. “I once loved you with all of my heart and sacrificed everything. However, the outcome was terrible. You made me give up on you. Regardless of your reason for doing things, the breakup was real. You never asked for my opinion when you left me. You’ve never treated me with any care. You were cold and distant the entire time. Honestly, I’m still in shock that you turned around and asked me to come back. This isn’t like you at all. I’ve carefully thought back on every detail of our breakup, there was no bitterness or helplessness in your eyes. You didn’t even look sad. I don’t know if I should trust you. I agreed to get back together simply because the tenderness that you’re showing me was exactly what I had hoped for in the past. I felt that I still had feelings for you so I decided to give it a try. But you’ve been suffocating me. I’m really not ready for marriage. I feel as if I don’t know you at all. I need time.”
