A smile shadowed Summer’s lips. “I knew you still cared about your mommy, which, by the way, you should, since I’ve hauled my bum just to rear you to the fine young man that you are today. This is why Mom would like you to do something for her,” she said sincerely. “Please, don’t give you dad your nasty grimaces, okay? He’s got a thin skin much like yourself, you know. Anyway! About your engagement with Tiffany, should you need my help, just ask. You know I don’t have much to occupy my time these days.”
Jackson nodded in understanding and responded with his own advice, “When you see Tiffie, make sure you don’t leave any hint that you know, okay? She will kill me if she finds out about my goof.”
Summer gave a sprightly okay and left. Passing by the cubicles, she greeted Tiffany as she usually would, “I’ll be off. Godspeed in your work.”
Tiffany rose from her seat and watched Summer leave. “Thank you, Auntie. Take care.”
Evening came. Jackson picked Tiffany up by the curb after work and steered right into the West family residence.
She noticed the route differing from the one they usually took and voiced her realization, “Oh, are we heading to your mother’s place for dinner tonight?”
“Yea,” he confirmed with a nod, despite looking slightly upset.
Of course, Tiffany knew the reason behind his mood. Hence, she mimicked what he usually did to her whenever she was the one feeling bummed. “Aww, cheer up! You’re going home!” She chirped and rubbed his head. “You’ve got me for company, don’t you?”
Disinterested in discussing family issues, Jackson consciously swerved the conversation in another direction.
“Say, do you know that Arianne actually has a surviving aunt and granny? It’s true,” he began. “They came to her about two days ago, and that aunt dumped the grandmother in her care. Of course, Mark and his mission to drive Arianne back to the Capital had compelled him to take the old lady into his care. In other words, you’re probably gonna see Arianne very soon.”
This gossip was enlightening to Tiffany. Suddenly, the context behind the previous video-call she had with Arianne was laid bare to her. Back then, Tiffany had been asleep when her best friend called her, so she had not paid much attention, but now that she reflected on it, Arianne must have been very antsy during the call, was she not?
Her best friend had always been a pitiful, lonely girl since they were kids, so why did she only know about her surviving relatives now? Had she not been taken as Mark’s charge on the ground of being an orphan with no living relatives?
The news was hard to swallow. “Are you sure they are who they claim to be? I mean, they could be fake. Maybe they want a piece of the Tremonts’ glory?” Tiffany inquired.
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