Chapter 716

Even Celeste was taken aback. How could Marcus be in such a hurry to coerce Rhea into marriage?

He had never evinced interest in such matters before.

“Marcus, has Rhea wronged you in some manner?”

Marcus retorted disdainfully, “She aspires to be my wife. She doesn’t merit such a station!”

Today, Marcus exuded a particularly frigid demeanor; his utterances were exceedingly ruthless,

oblivious to the presence of servants in their vicinity.

The moment Millie drove him away, he got panicked. He swore he couldn’t put Millie in the harm’s way

any longer.

Flushed with embarrassment, Rhea felt akin to a clown whose carefully crafted facade had been

ruthlessly shredded by Marcus.

In this instant, she experienced the sensation of plummeting into the abyss. Was her affection

unwarranted? Was it improper to harbor feelings for someone?

If she admired him, she would employ every conceivable measure to win him over!

Celeste’s countenance assumed a complex interplay of emotions. Her goodwill towards Rhea stemmed

from the car accident that transpired years ago. Shera Evans, Rhea’s elder sister, had been in the car

with Marcus and tragically perished in the accident.

Both Celeste and Marcus harbored guilt over Shera’s demise. After all, Shera had lost her life in the car

crash, while Marcus had survived.

Rhea, having been reared by Shera, was cared by Celeste after Shera’s untimely demise.

Previously, rumors had circulated about a purported connection between Shera and Marcus. In the

aftermath of Shera’s demise, Celeste resolved that Rhea wouldn’t engage with Marcus in any manner.

Such a relationship would only be fodder for malicious gossip.

“I’ve endeavored to rectify any debts owed to the Evans family throughout these years. Mother, you

needn’t persist in carrying guilt.”

Before Marcus assumed control of Thomas Group, Rhea’s father Bolton had been marginalized within

the company, sidelined by a contingent of senior executives who denied him true authority. It was

through his subsequent assistance to Bolton that the latter was propelled to prominence.

Yet under Celeste’s guardianship, Rhea had evolved into an unassailable princess, a figure whom no

one dared provoke.

Millie’s eyes gleamed with curiosity. What did Marcus owe the Evans family? Why did Celeste shower

Rhea with such indulgence?

Noting Millie’s frigid hand, Marcus enclosed it within his own, offering a reassuring grip.

“Let’s depart.”

“Now that you’re back, you could remain here,” Celeste implored, wishing to retain Marcus’ presence.

“I’ll return after Rhea’s marriage.”

A metaphorical boulder plummeted onto Rhea’s psyche. She surreptitiously pinched her thigh, noting

its swelling beneath the fabric.

Each utterance from Marcus today seemed designed to compel her into matrimony.