Chapter 762 A Sudden Baring of Teeth

Davy quickly answered, “Y-yes! I’m on it right away!” The first thing that came into Mark’s line of sight once he stepped into the Tremont Estate was Arianne. Suddenly, all of his stress melted away. Only her presence could dispel every dark cloud swirling in his mind. Relaxed, he cooed, “Has the kid been kind to Mommy? Or are we expecting a little troublemaker, Ari?” His gentle, loving tone struck true to Arianne’s soft spot. Chuckling softly, she looked down and traced invisible circles on her belly. “Oh, the child’s been good. No one could be that much of a trouble at this size and age, right? Now, why are you back so soon today? Don’t you have anything at work? Either way, you’re just in time for lunch. Are you going back to work for the evening?” Mark crouched, placing his ear as closely as he could to her belly, hoping to catch any indication of the child’s movement. All he could hear was a series of burblings not dissimilar to the sound of bubble-blowing. It was nothing interesting nor novel, yet for some reason, to hear it was a most wondrous feeling. As though worried that he would rouse the sleeping child, Mark’s voice became featherlight. “I’ll be off to the company after lunch since I still have some errands pending, but I’ll be back as soon as I finish, I promise. I just… I just have this nagging sense of dread — I felt that I had to see you now. So, here I am.” Since her pregnancy, Arianne’s sense of smell had heightened. Quickly, she caught a whiff of tobacco from Mark’s shirt and questioned, “Did you smoke?” He froze then briskly rose to sit on a couch across her. “I’m sorry. I was in a pretty turbulent headspace back in the office, so I puffed a single cigarette. Is it strong?” “It’s fine, but it’s a bit discomforting to me. In fact… It kinda makes me sick,” Arianne said, shaking her head. “I think it’s best you stop this bad habit once and for all, you know? Second-hand smoke is harmful to young children too.” “Right, I agree,” Mark answered quickly with a smile. “To be honest, I haven’t been smoking for a long time now…” It was all because Harris showed his stupid face at his door, slobbering for money. His presence infuriated Mark so much, he had to rely on a cigarette to calm himself. Frankly, Arianne was the only reason why that scumbag managed to leave his office in one piece. While the two were having lunch, Arianne suddenly piped, “Did my uncle visit you just now?” Every muscle in Mark’s face tensed. “Who told you that?” “What’s the matter?” she asked, taken aback by the magnitude of his response. “I overheard Henry and Brian. Did something happen? Why did he come to you?… Is it because of money? If it’s about money, you must not — I repeat! — must not give in to his demands! What, he thinks your money’s harvested from trees? And also… the more I think about it, the more I believe I should bring Granny back to the Tremont Estate after I gave birth — oh, speaking of giving birth! God, Mark, did you know that childbirth is legit dangerous? Even a healthy mother may expect complications such as amniotic fluid embolism or hemorrhage and all kinds of fatal stuff. It kinda makes me worry, you know? I’m a bit too frail, so doesn’t that make me even more susceptible to all these terrifying complica—” A stormy Mark hurled his utensils to the table before Arianne could finish. The woman automatically halted herself. She had not seen him in rage for so long that her mind blanked at giving him a response. The air gelled for a few seconds. Mark visibly took a deep breath. “Ari, don’t say things like that. Nothing will come to you; I’ll see to it that you birth the child safely. Regardless, I’m sorry for… my outburst; it wasn't directed at you. I’ve been getting so many troubles lately that I’m not in the right mood,” he explained. “Anyway, the time’s almost up. You carry on your own; I have to go.” At the end of his explanation, Mark stood and left briskly without a moment to lose. Arianne was hurt. She wondered if she had accidentally provoked him, yet nothing she said was remotely out of line. Then, why did he lash out like that? He said he had been getting troubles lately — but how were those grounds enough to take it out on her? Worst of all, he just excused himself from the table after a cryptic explanation. Was she supposed to play ball and pretend that none of that happened? Once he stepped into the car, Mark glared at Brian. “Could you be so kind as to make sure Ari isn’t within hearing distance the next time you and Henry gossip? Mark my words — if she hears anything she isn’t supposed to one more time, you can kiss your job goodbye.” Brian broke out into beads of cold sweat, but outwardly, he answered, “Understood, Sir. I’ll be wiser. But, well, what you did just now… I don’t think Ma’am is going to take it lightly at all, yes?”