The driver promptly ignited the engine.
Melissa and Matthew barely stepped through the door when Marcus arrived.
Observing this, Julie whisked Shawn off.
Shawn grumbled, âMom, youâre so weak in front of Marcus.
You canât stand up for Melissa like this.
Women should be more restrained around men.
â
âI know,â Julie conceded.
Marcus appeared unexpectedly.
Despite Melissaâs surprise, she chose to maintain harmony for
Matthewâs sake.
She carved out space for Marcus and Matthew, then retreated to the kitchen to prepare a meal.
Opening the fridge, she heard Marcusâ voice behind her.
âs BunnyBookery
âWhipping up some homemade meatballs?â
Melissa paused, and then replied softly, âYeah.
â
His demeanor toward her suddenly softened, and she was fine with him getting along with Matthew, but she preferred if they could meet somewhere else.
She didnât want Marcus to come directly to her house in the future.
The warmth of the house enveloped them.
Marcus removed his coat and assisted Matthew in taking off his padded jacket.
He then settled against the sofa, attending to his work on his laptop, while Matthew sat beside him, engrossed in playing with building blocks.
He occasionally touched his sonâs head, gently patting it as one would pet a small animal.
But Matthew thoroughly enjoyed the gesture.
Melissa turned, her eyes glistening with emotion.
Marcus wasnât the only inhabitant of this room haunted by memories of the past.
Matthewâs presence softened Marcusâ demeanor toward her.
No more casual sneers.
For Melissa, it felt like a welcome change.
Following dinner, Melissa retreated to the kitchen to tackle the dishes.
Marcus trailed behind, shutting the door behind him.
Melissa shifted, her posture defensive.
Marcus placed a pack of cigarettes on the counter, extracting one and igniting it.
Observing her profile, he said nonchalantly, âI need to talk to you.
â
âWhat about?â
With a cigarette in hand, Marcus took a long drag and exhaled the smoke before speaking.
âWe discussed this last time.
This place is too cramped.
Letâs move into that villa.
â
Worried about potential misunderstandings, he added, âI can give you the villa.
Iâll let you know beforehand whenever I want to see Matthew.
Plus, the villa is spacious, and itâll be more convenient for you.
â
He gestured towards the cramped kitchen and suggested, âFor instance, if I need to talk to you about something, we can find a more suitable place to have our conversation instead of being stuck in the kitchen.
â
Her cheeks flushed.