Dangerous Love: You Are My One and Only Bride novel Chapter 1636

Arianne herself was just as reluctant to let Shelly be near Smore, so she intuitively backed away as well.

Seeing her reaction coupled with Smore’s words was enough to trigger Shelly’s temper. “Gosh, I just love how you brainwashed your child. Taught the boy to address some random, non-blood-related woman as Granny while despising his true biological grandmother, didn’t you? Are you going to teach your son not to recognize Mark as his father next? Just as I thought, allowing you his custody was a grave mistake!”

Arianne was not in the mood to clarify, so she replied simply, “We’re here to see Henry.”

Shelly turned to Mark and bristled. “You saw what happened with your own eyes, didn’t you? She brought her son back here for a mere butler on Christmas! Isn’t this the most preposterous, asinine bull ever? Just look at how she indoctrinated her son… Tell me, how could you still think she’s beyond reproach, huh?”

Mark wrapped his arm around Arianne’s shoulders and led her away to the living room. “I’m very well aware of how she raised Smore, thank you. Besides, I told you they were coming to see Henry yesterday, didn’t I? How did you miss the memo? Never mind that; where’s Henry?”

Shelly set the plate of neglected cookies down on the coffee table with a loud clang. “How should I know? He’s been outside since the early morning. Can’t say I know when he is coming back.”

‘Outside since the early morning?’ Arianne frowned. She did not think Henry would be so urgently needed on Christmas Day. She suspected Shelly to have made up some sort of excuse-quest for Henry to attend to, therefore keeping him away by the time they visited the estate.

Still, Arianne did not plan to expose Shelly, so she just replied, “I’ll call Henry and tell him to come back now.”

Shelly stared at Arianne with daggers in her eyes. “The hell’s that for? He’s the goddamned butler of the Tremont family! What’s wrong with him carrying out what’s well within his duty, even if it means he has to be a bit busy on a holiday?” she rebuffed. “He’ll come back when he has to, okay? Unless… You think I somehow made up an excuse to send him away. Despicable accusation—how cynical can you be, woman?”

Arianne pressed her lips into a thin, firm line as she willed herself to not be provoked. She had to do it for Mark.

A moment of disquieting silence later, Shelly glowered at Arianne for a split second before regaining an affectation of serenity. She walked away from the group and proclaimed, “I’ll call the butler and tell him to come back as soon as possible.”

Arianne breathed a sigh of relief as she thought back on that lethal glare Shelly shot her a minute ago. It had unnerved her, making her feel like a prey that was moments away from being torn into pieces by a wolf. Shelly made her skin crawl.

It was hardly a challenge to deduce why Shelly was becoming more and more brazen with her antagonism, though. Arianne and Mark were divorced, so the mistress of the Tremont family had become Shelly. Now, Arianne was merely an outsider.

However, the way Mark had come rushing to her defense in front of everyone was at least reassuring. If it was not for the divorce certificate’s existence, Arianne could be fooled into thinking that the divorce had never happened. Her relationship with Mark did not seem to have changed at all, and that was despite their ugly confrontation on the night before the divorce.

If anything, today’s event had been an enlightening window into Mark’s true thoughts about her. As a result, Arianne could no longer find it in her to be livid at him for covering up Shelly’s role in the plane crash anymore.