Dangerous Love: You Are My One and Only Bride novel Chapter 598

With that, Arianne spun on her heels, palpably sulking.

Suddenly, Mark reached out and hurriedly tugged on her wrist. “Granny was kidding. Please, don’t pay her words any mind,” he explained. “Listen, how about you come home to the Tremont Estate with me after this party’s over? It’s been a while since you’ve come back to the Capital — spending time with your grandmother is something that’s long overdue between you two. Besides, Mary and Henry both expressed wishes to see you home.”

Arianne swung her hand away from his grip in a fit of discomfort. “We’ll see, okay?” she fumbled an answer, her eyes avoiding him. “I’m going to accompany Tiffie. She’s nervous.”

Mark let her go in silence. He knew how much Tiffany meant to his wife.

Summer and Atticus had both left by the time she returned to the lounge. Tanya, upon seeing her return, suddenly piped up, “Um, Ari? I get this feeling that we’re very different from everyone else out there… Everyone’s wearing suits and tux and gowns and stuff, and here we look so, um, homely? Are we a little embarrassing?”

Tiffany swung her arms in dismissal. “Oh, who the hell cares? Clothes are just glorified second-skins, man. Had this not been about my engagement, you bet I wouldn’t wear this annoyingly complicated gown I’m stuck in right now. Do you know that I have to lift so much of my skirt just to walk a few inches, or else risk slamming my face onto the floor? Ri-di-cu-lous. Besides,” she added. “It’s not like any of you would ever have any business with those people in the future, so who gives a damn about what they think? We live only once, people! We eat, we drink, and we play to our heart content! Then when this party is over, I’ll get changed before we have our very own girls’ hangout!”

Arianne was not the least surprised that such a thought would creep into Tanya and Naya’s minds. “Tiffie’s right, it’s no big deal. See? I’m not wearing any gown or dress either, just like the two of you! Lemme tell you, those people out there aren’t here to celebrate Jackson and Tiffany’s engagement so much as to look for profits and whatnot. You know, typical shticks of a typical upper-class party. All they talk about is business, which has got nothing to do with us, so we don’t need to care.

“C’mon,” Arianne beckoned. “Let’s not coop ourselves in here and enjoy some good food out there.”

As the group joined the crowd outside, Tanya and Naya became noticeably queasy about the world around them since one had an old man in tow while the other was bringing her daughter along. Tried as they might, their appearances quickly became oddities garnering everyone’s questioning gazes, which furthered their discomfort.

Tiffany, however, felt not a modicum of unease. She carefreely hooked her hand with Lulu’s before asking, “So, Lulu, wanna have that cake over there?”

The little girl cast her dewy eyes to a delicate piece of cake in the distance and nodded with a longing look. “Yes!”

Tiffany took a piece and handed it to Lulu. “Here you go, I’m repaying you for the cake you gave me back in the lounge. If you like it, don’t be shy and have some more!”

The little girl grinned sweetly, showing off beads of pearly whites. “Thank you, Auntie Tiffany!”

Tanya was in anxious tears. “It’s all my fault! I was so focused on listening to my friends talking that I hadn’t noticed Grandpa running off on his own! Oh, God… The Capital is such a big place. If he somehow left this hotel, we’ll never be able to track him!”

Arianne was relatively calmer. “Don’t panic, Tanya, don’t cry. I’ll go talk to the hotel security and tell them to stop an elderly man from going outside and to contact us instantly, okay? As long as Old Anderson doesn’t leave this hotel, he’ll be fine,” she suggested. “Now, I’m gonna head downstairs while the rest of you continue your search. Tiffie? Get Jackson to arrange someone to help.”

Crimson shades of panic had already overtaken Tiffany’s mien. “God, I can’t!” she wailed. “I don’t know where Jackson went, too! I didn’t see him anywhere when I was looking for Old Anderson. I did see Mark though. Should we get his help instead?”

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and desperate measures demand that Arianne cast aside her personal sentiments for the time being. Hurriedly, she found Mark among the partying crowd.

“Tanya’s grandfather has gone missing. He was last seen on this floor. We looked everywhere, but no luck. Can you help recruit a few more people to help search again?” she asked. “Her grandfather is not exactly in a clear state of mind, so if he’s really lost out there, all alone, well…”

“Go down a floor and tell the security to halt any elderly person trying to exit this building,” Mark replied instantly, apparently having the same idea as Arianne. “After we made sure that her grandfather hasn’t left, I’ll enlist help to search for him.”