Dangerous Love: You Are My One and Only Bride novel Chapter 1797

Mark had never divulged on his past relationships, and he did not intend to let loose a whiff of a clue now. “You said so yourself. How is it plausible that someone like me could ever deign to pine for anyone? As if there’s anyone in this world who’s worthy.”

‘As if anyone’s worthy’? What, not even Arianne herself was worthy?!

She swung a fist gently at him. “Oh, sorry I’ve asked, then! I forgot that none of us mortals deserve someone as highfalutin and above-it-all as you. Yep, none whosoever deserve your immortal affection; nope, nada, zilch!”

Anyone who could read between the lines would hear her offended undertone. Yet, Mark seemed to have committed one of the cardinal sins the male species was sometimes accused of—either their crippling inability to interpret things beyond their literal meaning, or their inclination to feign that inability. “Do refrain from stating the obvious.”

Arianne was miffed. “Oh, so even I’m unworthy, then? Someone’s making this seem as if I was the one who was pining for you back then!”

Mark’s lips quivered slightly. “Please. You’re not someone I’ve pined for—you’re someone I’ve made mine.”

Damn him and his gift of gab. He always possessed just the right amount of suave glibness!

A busy mundane life always seemed to make time pass faster. A week passed in what felt like a blink of an eye, and by next Monday, Smore would begin formal schooling. Truthfully, there was still a summer break before his school formally began, but the Tremonts had signed their son up for summer classes to help ease him into his school life, with the side hope that their son could learn something too. Smore had become quite naughty at home, and no one knew how to discipline him.

Melanie did not know about this, Arianne realized, biting her lips helplessly. “Er… maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned this…? Okay, this is all on me. I was just… saying… Uh, Alejandro didn’t seem to have done anything to him? If that helps? I mean, Mateo didn’t sound distressed when he talked about it. Maaaybe it was just an innocent tête-à-tête between men? …Come on, Melanie, don’t overthink this, would ya? Alejandro isn’t that rotten a person, right? He’s certainly above making things hard for a person over trivial, unfounded claims, right? Look, if you’re gonna talk to Alejandro about this specific incident, please pay attention to your toe and attitude. Like, don’t blow this issue up.”

Melanie, however, could not force herself from calming down. “On what grounds does it have to do with that, huh? There’s nothing immodest between Teo and I—don’t you think his stupid intervention just crossed the line?! It’s not like I haven’t made myself clear to him—I’ve explained, so why is he still acting this frickin’ way? God, I swear, his late-blooming ‘love’ is worth less spit than weeds on a sidewalk! And that’s if we delude ourselves into thinking this is out of ‘love’; for all I know, he might just be pissed because I’ve stopped following him around and wagging my tail like he’s my master and I his slobbering dog!”

Her uncharacteristically harsh choices of word betrayed the raw pain Melanie had suffered since she was bound to Alejandro’s side. Even Arianne could glimpse the wealth of her abject desolation. “Melanie, please, chill a little. If you’re gonna question Alejandro in this state, you’re only gonna make things worse. It’s… what men are like, you know. They are always a bit childish when it comes to relationships. The way you deal with this has got to be correct, or else it will seem like you’re hiding something shady.”

Even through the phone, Arianne could hear Melanie’s response. It was a sigh, heavy with her lion’s share of helpless desperation.