เข้าสู่ระบบMARL'S POV:Mary patted my back, and I cleared my throat, stepping back."You're not treating me like your daughter, are you?" I asked, my voice light and teasing.Mary lightly smacked my back before letting go. "Don't be ridiculous. My daughter is much better behaved than you."I laughed, the sound was so genuine. "I'm offended.""You'll survive."We stood there for a moment, the tension between us shifting into something lighter, easier. I could feel the warmth of her presence still lingering and her embrace still imprinted on my skin. I wanted to stay in that moment, to freeze it and hold onto it forever.But I couldn't.I had work to do. Alistair was still on the phone.When I returned to the living room, Alistair was surprisingly still on the other end of the line.I had left my phone sitting on the table with the call active, leaving him talking to empty air, but he had apparently spent the last ten minutes rambling to himself in frustration. His voice drifted faintly t
MARL'S POV:At the same time, I thought, I can't believe there would ever be a day when I'd worry about being rude. I can't let my family know. They bet I'd have a day like this, and if they find out, I'll lose.I could already imagine their faces, the smug satisfaction, the knowing glances, the endless teasing. My siblings had always said I would eventually find someone who made me soft. I had always denied it, laughed it off, insisted that I was immune to such things. But here I was, standing in my own kitchen, worrying about being rude to a woman I barely knew.Just as I was about to explain, Mary noticed my hesitation. She reached out and touched my arm, her fingers light and reassuring. The touch was brief, barely more than a brush, but it was enough."Everyone has their secrets," she said gently. "You don't have to tell me anything you're not ready to share."I felt warmed by her thoughtfulness. It was a small gesture, but it made everything easier. She wasn't pressing, was
MARL'S POV: I grabbed Mary's hand without thinking. The cupcake was still half-eaten in my other hand, the taste of vanilla and sugar lingering on my tongue. But my mind was elsewhere, spinning, searching for connections that had been buried for over a decade. The flavor had unlocked something in me, something I had kept locked away for years, something I had been afraid to touch. I stood frozen in the small kitchen space, the quiet noise of the refrigerator filling the heavy silence between us. The air in the room suddenly felt thick, almost difficult to breathe. "Did your mother teach you how to make this cake?" I asked. The words came out rougher than I intended. I could hear the urgency in my own voice, the barely contained desperation. I was so agitated that I didn't realize how tightly I was holding her wrist until I saw her wince. My fingers were wrapped around her like a vice, the bones of her wrist pressing against my palm. Mary replied in surprise, her eyes widenin
MARL'S POV:I slowly raised one dark eyebrow at her question. "Of course I live alone. Are you holding onto some silly old stereotype that grown men are not capable of enjoying cooking in their free time?"She let out a soft, genuine laugh that sounded light and musical. "No, of course not. I was just—""Though to be completely honest with you," I continued, offering her a subtle smile, "I certainly would not complain about getting the chance to eat a delicious meal prepared by someone else for a change. It seems like I am a very lucky man tonight.""Oh, you should not get your hopes up too high," she clarified, her soft face turning gentle while her eyes took on a distant, loving look. "I am actually baking these sweet treats specifically for my daughter. Whenever I am forced to stay away from her side, I always try my best to bake her something special as a little gift to bring her comfort."I placed my right hand flat against my chest, pulling a dramatically hurt expression on
MARL'S POV:She and I had once mourned the loss of a sweet life together. I owed a massive personal debt to her late sister. That was the simple, undeniable truth of the matter, a heavy debt that weighed on my shoulders, a deep moral obligation, and a shared sorrow that had briefly tied our lives together before the terrible weight of it pulled us apart forever. I had given my absolute word to protect her younger sister, and I had failed to keep that promise. The heavy guilt of that failure had followed my footsteps for years, serving as a dark shadow I could never shake off my back.Only a complete fool like Alistair would ever look at a cunning woman like Vesper and treat her like some kind of precious treasure, while completely failing to see that she was nothing more than a dangerous, venomous snake sitting in his house. She had been playing him for a fool from the very beginning, manipulating his emotions, using his family name, and taking full advantage of his wealth. And he wa
MARL'S POV:A sudden, sharp silence fell over the other end of the telephone line, heavy with pure shock. I could easily picture the exact look forming on Alistair's pale face back at his desk, the deep frown pulling at his mouth, his dark eyes narrowing into slits, and the intense irritation swelling up inside his chest because someone had dared to refuse his generous offer. His proud ego was going to be deeply wounded by my rejection, and his sense of total control was rapidly slipping through his fingers.It was glaringly obvious that Alistair was going to feel deeply enraged by my firm refusal, but I simply no longer cared about his personal feelings. The time for caring about his opinion had passed long ago. The time for playing the part of his loyal, passive associate was officially over. For years, I had quietly watched him break his wife's heart, destroy her self-esteem, and tear down every good thing in her life, all while I stood by in the background saying absolutely noth







