Mark decided that he would deal with that situation depending on how it presented itself. Mark couldn't lie to Pat for too long; Pat was too smart for that, but that doesn't mean that Mark was going to allow Pat to reveal Arit's real identity either. And Mark knew that if Pat asked his sister to keep Arit's role in those deaths a secret, then she would most likely agree.
Mark just had to play his cards right!
Mark yawned as he left his room and slowly went towards the kitchen. Talia had been sitting on the kitchen counter and watching Arit as she cooked, but once Mark stepped into the kitchen, Talia jumped down from the counter and ran towards him! Mark grinned and easily caught her when she jumped at him before raising her up into the air!
"Big Brother!"
"Hey, Talia. I feel like I haven't seen you in years! You've grown so big!"
Talia chuckled cutely!
"You dummy! You saw me two days ago!"
Mark gasped sarcastically, as if he couldn't believe that she had grown this large in one day!
"Maybe we should start looking for universities for you! At this rate, you'll be too big to go to elementary school! You're growing far too quickly!"
Mark started to tickle Talia and Talia laughed loudly as she tightened her hold around Mark's neck! She begged Mark for mercy, but Mark wasn't having any of that as he continued to tickle her until she was breathless and blushing furiously! Mark just chuckled as she slumped against him like a dead body!
Mark looked up to see Arit staring at the two of them with a small smile on her face, and he raised a curious brow as he saw Arit holding her stomach with one hand. What do we have here?
"Don't tell me you want some of this too."
Arit's eyes widened in shock as she saw the mischievous glint in Mark's eye, and she immediately moved to place the table between the two of them!
"You called Pat and warned him about it as soon as you realized that I was in danger. That was the best choice you could've made at that point. You really helped me, Arit, so don't feel like you didn't do anything."
Mark squeezed Arit's waist tight before he loosened his hold slightly to allow Arit to turn around and face him. Arit knew that she really didn't do anything to help Mark against the killer; Mark was just trying to make her feel better, and she absolutely loved him for it. Arit leaned up and kissed him with her hands around his neck.
"Muah~ Thank you for coming back, Mark."
Mark grinned.
"Always."
"Blergh."
Talia suddenly made a barfing sound from the side as she saw Mark and Arit kissing. Talia was still a child, so she didn't enjoy seeing things like that yet. Mark snorted as his hand traveled down and squeezed Arit's ass, and Arit frowned up at him in anger! Mark grinned playfully and squeezed her ass one more time before giving Arit a kiss.
Arit just shook her head at him, and she patted his chest gently while moving towards the food that was still steaming.
"Alright, go get a seat, I need to bring the food out before it gets ruined."
Mark left Arit and went to grab Talia before carrying up her bridal style! Talia cheered happily as she was carried by Mark, and the both of them went to the dining room to wait for Arit. Arit brought out the large pot of smoking spaghetti and meatballs and placed it in the middle of the table and served it before she also took a seat.
As they ate, Mark asked Arit about what she did with Maria. Maria was the only witness who saw what really happened in that bathroom, that meant that she was a weak link who could expose what they were trying to hide. Arit smiled, and Mark could see a sinister aura in that smile.
"Don't worry, she won't be saying anything to anyone. She knows what can happen to her if anyone ever finds out about what I did, so she is actively helping me to cover up the tracks. She's afraid of you because of what you can do to her family if she ever opens her mouth, and she is afraid that I will kill her if anyone finds out about it. So, she will keep the secret."
Mark nodded as he ate a meatball. He knew that Arit must've scared the hell out of Maria, so it was unlikely that Maria would say anything to anyone for now, but fear can only hold someone hostage for so long. In time, Maria would try to reveal the secret if she thought that it was going to help her get out of Arit's hold.
Mark had to make sure that he trapped Maria properly in a web so that she did not have any choice but to keep this secret, and Mark had the perfect method to do that. Maria's family company, Triston Transportation, was currently going through a small internal civil war, and if Mark chose the right side and supported that side, then he could control the entire company in the aftermath of the war.