Chapter 272

“Yes, he is dining here. | crossed paths with him in the restroom. Weren't you aware of his presence?”

Asilent shake of her head was her response. Millie hadn’t noticed his presence, presuming he was sequestered in a private

dining area while she managed the main hall.

“| need to attend to other guests. Excuse me.” Sensing Patrick’s probing interest in her relationship with Marcus and the

tenderness reflected in his gaze, Millie felt an urgency to break off their conversation.

Bound by her marriage, it was important for her to maintain a certain distance.

“Wait. How is your relationship with him? You don’t strike me as an ordinary couple.”

Just as Millie prepared to leave, Patrick's words rang out, his clenched fist betraying his internal struggle.

In his eyes, Millie was an exemplary woman, a bright moon in a starlit sky, deserving of admiration, not degradation.

Even the renowned Marcus didn’t measure up in his estimation.

“You seem to be under a misconception. We are on good terms. I’ve not been working here long; I’m just filling in for a friend

who’s traveling. Once she returns, I'll revert to my role as a lady of leisure at home.” Millie attempted to keep her tone light.

But Patrick suspected a facade. Marcus’ own admission of their relationship that night at the orange orchard fueled his doubts.

He never considered them to be a pair. Was it even possible for such a distant couple to exist anywhere?

“| observed him sharing an intimate moment with a woman as ] left the restroom.

He even draped his coat over her before escorting her to the parking lot.”

Patrick was hesitant, not wanting to cause Millie distress, yet he relayed what he had seen.

Millie’s brows drew together.

Marcus, ever the obsessive-compulsive, never let anyone touch his clothes. His willingness to drape his coat over a woman

suggested her significance to him.

As the thought wormed its way into her consciousness, a twinge of jealousy flared within Millie.

“| do not wish to sow discord. | just want to shield you from potential harm.”

Once she resumed her duties at the front desk, Millie punched in a customer’s order into the computer.

Looking up momentarily, she spotted Marcus ambling towards a private room, his coat missing, replaced by just a white shirt.

Drawing a deep breath, Millie was filled with an increasing curiosity. Who was this mysterious woman that had piqued Marcus’

interest?

Without warning, Marcus lifted his eyes, locking onto Millie’s figure.