Dangerous Love: You Are My One and Only Bride novel Chapter 390

Mark extended his hand in her direction and beckoned her over. “Come here.”

Arianne obeyed him obediently. It felt as though all the barriers between them had disappeared.

He pulled her to him, seating her on his lap before he rested his chin on her shoulders. He inhaled her scent, allowing it to soothe the turmoil in his mind. “Ari, do you truly wish to leave me?”

This was the first time Arianne had heard him referring to her as Ari while he was sober. It made her nervous for some reason. Her palms began to sweat, and her body stiffened. She stammered, “W-w-why are you asking me that right now? Y-you’re acting really weird!”

He responded by tightening his arms around her, it was almost as though he was worried she would run away. “I want to know.”

Arianne turned the question over and over in her head. She had always wanted to leave him, right? However, why was it so difficult for her to answer the question now?

As though he could sense Arianne’s dilemma, he did not persist with the question and changed tack instead. “What should I do so that you’ll willingly stay with me? I keep wondering… Can’t we be good to one another just like everyone else?”

Mark’s words thoroughly shocked Arianne. Was he being… sincere? He was acting so out-of-character that she suspected he was suffering from delirium caused by a fever. She quickly placed a hand on his forehead to check his temperature. She only withdrew it when she confirmed he did not have a fever. “Okay, what happened to you today? Why are you saying weird things? I… I need to think.”

Mark could not help but laugh at her reaction. “I don’t have a fever, and I haven’t lost my marbles, thank you very much. It’s just… We’ve never had heart-to-heart talks like this before, have we? Why is that? Why do you always look like you’re frightened of me?”

Arianne studied his face for a moment before replying, “Because you’re really frightening. You’re always so gentle and kind to everyone, but you’re always cold and mean to me. Moreover, you look at me as though you want to tear me apart and mess me up!”

Arianne was obviously alluding to Mark’s blatant hostility, but he somehow interpreted it the way he wanted to. He said teasingly, “Oh, yes. I’ll admit it, I do dream of making a mess out of you…”

“That’s not what we agreed on before, right? Some people can turn over a new leaf, but some never will. Ethan’s rotten core isn’t something that can be changed. No matter what he does, he can never atone for what he did!”

Once again, Mark found himself weary of Arianne’s stubbornness. “How about you look at it this way? Tiffany wanting to marry him implies that she loves him. Do you really think driving a wedge between a couple won’t cause both of you to fall out? Do you want to see her heartbroken and dejected?” He countered, “Think about it. Is it better to let her marry someone she loves or let her live a life of despair? Your choice, Ari.”

Arianne was, naturally, unaware of the real reason behind Mark’s words. At this moment, she was only focused on her dilemma; should she or should she not tell Tiffany the truth? If Tiffany truly loved Ethan and wanted to marry him, telling her the truth would be akin to stabbing her heart.

However, if Arianne chose otherwise, both she and Mark would be complicit in covering this matter up. They would be helping a criminal with a bloody track record cover up his crimes and watch as Tiffany devoted the rest of her life to a man who caused her father’s death and her family’s downfall.

Neither option was viable.