Dangerous Love: You Are My One and Only Bride novel Chapter 1463

Helen made sure her emotions were in-check before climbing up the stairs, this time for Arianne.

Arianne was just about to fall asleep when quick rapping on her door stopped her. Groggily, she opened it and stared right at Helen before asking, “What’s the matter?”

Helen appeared transfixed on the woman for a second too long, her eyes grave. Then, a quiet current of yearning broke through her gaze, and she finally said, “I’m leaving, Arianne. We’re flying tonight. Jean… He isn’t going to trouble you anymore. I also don’t know when the two of us will meet again in the future, so until then, promise me that you, Mark, and Smore will live happily forever.”

Hearing her words chased away at least half of Arianne’s bleariness. “Why so sudden? And in the middle of the night, no less! Can’t you wait until tomorrow?”

‘But if we wait until tomorrow, who knows what could happen?’ Helen countered in her mind. Outwardly, however, she merely replied, “It’s alright. We have to leave sooner or later, anyway; I’m only here to inform you. You may now go back to sleep. Goodnight… and goodbye.”

A soft glint of forlornness crossed into Arianne’s eyes. “No, wait. I’ll get Mark so we can drive you two to the airport. Aery’s broken foot would make taking care of these suitcases a very demanding chore, so I can help you with those. Wait for me downstairs. I’ll be with you after I get changed.”

Helen's eyes faintly reddened. She did not reject her offer. She wished she did not have to hide the truth about Aery’s action—the guilt was chipping away what courage she had left to look at Arianne in the eyes. And yet, at the same time, spilling the truth was a surefire way to engender an uproar.

To prevent that from happening, Helen could only choose to silently bear the secret and take Aery away from Arianne, as far away as she could. It was the only way to foster peace in all of their lives.

The journey to the airport saw Helen and Aery in the backseats, Arianne in the passenger’s seat, and Mark behind the wheel. Occasionally, Mark would exchange small talk with Helen, their topics as mundane as taking care of one’s safety while in a foreign country, etc.

Arianne caught his hand in mid-action. “The way Aery looked at you. It was like she wished she could tear off your clothes and get it on with you right there and then,” she murmured. “I’ve already guessed it, you know. Smore didn’t fall off the stairs himself—Aery staged it so she could stay here longer. It’s infuriating, and if I could have it my way, I would tear that woman into pieces with my bare hands. But then Helen was there and I… I don’t want to make her feel terrible. Honestly, Smore being unharmed is the only reason why I could turn the other cheek; otherwise, not even Helen could stop me from exacting my wrath. God, the moment Helen suddenly wanted to leave in the middle of the night like that was when I knew what had happened. But I couldn’t tell her that I already knew because she didn’t look like she wanted to air the truth out, either…”

“Hey, hey. Listen to me, it’s alright. They’re gone now, okay? Don’t think about this too much,” Mark comforted. “Both of you are her daughters. That means no matter how she looks at it, your mom is trapped. Even if she told the truth and needed to make a show of punishing her, what else could she do other than, well, a stern lecture? The main point is that Smore’s fine and unscathed, and that’s enough grounds to give them some leeway. Agreed?

“Besides, if you really think about it, I don’t think your mom’s going to return this readily after this debacle. That means it’ll be even more difficult for you to see her again in the future,” he added, “Back then, she was the one who had abandoned both you and your dad without reservation and considerations outside her own. Now, the same man—Jean Kinsey—and the daughter the two of them produced have become Helen’s punishment. She’s trapped in a hell of her own making, doomed never to escape, isn’t she?”

Mark had a point, Arianne realized. Helen’s life at present had been one of strife and ceaseless tribulations.