Chapter 373
Cornelia had been working with Marcus for quite some time, but this was the first time sheâd seen him in this state. His eyes were vacant, like heâd lost his soul. She quessed something must have happened with his mom As to what it was, it wasnât her place to ask
Since joining the Hartley Group, shed rarely heard coworkers chat about the Hartley familyâs private affairs Rumors did circulate that Marcus had clawed his way to the top of the Hartley Group with ruthless tactics, hence the talk about his coldness towards his family
Working with Marcus for so long, she hadnât paid much attention to his personal life. Only today did she find out that his and his sisterâs relationship with their mother, Courtney, was bad. Bad was an understatement They were like of and water with Courtney There must have been some deepâseated reasons why they despised their mother
Cornelia couldnât help but feel sorry for Marcus in his current state President Hartley, are you okay?â
When Marcus came back to his senses and looked at her, his sexy thin lips opened slightly It took him a while to say, âCorneliaâ
His deep voice calling her name always made Cornelia feel like it carried a wealth of unspeakable emotions.
Maybe he wasnât calling her, but his wife, Cornelia
Cornelia wanted to comfort him but didnât know how. She decided to be his listener, offering him a chance to vent âPresident Hartley, if thereâs anything you want to say, you can tell me. I
promise not to tell anyoneâ
âMy relationship with Courtney is terrible. I just told her to get lost, never to show her face to me again Do you think Iâm a heartless person?â Marcus pushed his glasses up slightly, his gaze never leaving Corneliaâs face He cared about her opinion.
âNoâ Cornelia answered without any hesitation, sounding very certain âMy grandma told me never to judge without knowing the whole story. I donât know what happened between you and your mother. I have no right to judge you, nor to demand that you be a filial son. People may say youâre heartless, but thatâs not the person I know.â
In her freshman year of college, she had a firsthand experience of being verbally abused by people who didnât know her truth. Even though the real story wasnât what they heard, those ignorant people took out all their negative emotions on her. They insulted her with the most vicious words.
Marcus gave a bitter smile, unlike his usual carefree demeanor What if the person you see is just a facade, and I am really like what people say?â
Cornelia replied, âIâm with you every day Donât I know you better than those outsiders?â
Cornelia admitted that Marcusâs mood could sometimes be hard to read Like these past few days, he always looked displeased at her, but he never really mistreated her. From what she had learned about him in this time, he was a boss that she could totally trust
Her simple words were like the best medicine in the world, instantly healing the pain in Marcusâ heart. He gently touched her hair. âCornelia, thank you.â
This time, Cornelia didnât back away President Hartley, I didnât really do anything to help, you donât need to thank meâ
Marcus smiled âYour words made me feel warm and comforted.â
His gentle tone made Cornelia feel a little flustered. She quickly changed the subject. President Hartley, I still have one more dish to prepare. The kitchen is smelly You better go out.â
Marcus replied, âTll stay with youâ
Cornelia hesitated for a moment, then nodded, âAlright, hand me the sauce, pleaseâ
Marcus complied. âSureâ