Yet, from the beginning to the end, the only thing he offered her was clandestine happiness within the confines of that apartment.

He never even acknowledged their relationship publicly.

*

Mark sat inside the car.

As the car halted near the apartment building, he placed a call.

In truth, he shouldn’t have come but he couldn’t resist making this special trip, even keeping it hidden from his personal secretary.

Cecilia declined his offer.

Mark ascended the stairs and unlocked the door to the apartment.

He had already arranged for it to be cleaned beforehand.

Everything remained unchanged, except for the absence of that one person.

Mark, known for his scheming nature, had never felt such deep desolation and longing to see someone in his entire life.

He sat on the sofa throughout the night.

Recalling the intensity of their past connection, he remembered how she would lie in his embrace and affectionately call him Uncle Mark. @

There had never been a girl as pure and uncomplicated as her.

Everyone around him seemed seasoned and sophisticated.

Individuals like him had long lost their innocence, but in his early forties, he found himself entangled in a love affair with a young woman. He cherished her, yet he didn’t wish for her to be entwined in his dangerous world.

His world held too many perils.

However, she lacked the means to protect herself, so he had to divert his attention to safeguard her.

Subsequently, following that incident two years ago, she appeared disheartened, and he also began to feel that they were ill-suited for each other…

They had been separated for over two years, and he had believed that he had moved on, but Waylen had unintentionally reopened his old wounds.

As it turned out, he hadn’t truly gotten over her.

The first rays of morning sunlight streamed into the apartment.

Mark rose and prepared breakfast. Subsequently, out of habit, he made his way to the bedroom, intending to wake the girl and share their usual meal together. She had a hearty appetite but was undemanding. She always had a fondness for junk food.

However, the bedroom was empty.

The fragrance of her hair had long dissipated from the bed.

Mark walked out of the bedroom with a heavy heart and ate breakfast alone…

Peter called, informing him of a meeting scheduled for ten o’clock.

Mark responded casually, “Postpone it until tomorrow. I’m in Duefron. I want to see Rena and Alexis.”

Peter understood the situation all too well.

He sighed, recognizing that Cecilia was the sole person in Mark’s life whom he had failed.

Mark indeed went to visit Rena.

He brought toys that Alexis adored and arrived early.

Fortunately, he managed to avoid encountering Waylen, as the man had departed on a business trip early that morning.

However, Rena was perceptive. She felt a slight unease upon seeing Mark.

Observing the loving expression on Mark’s face as he spent time with Alexis, Rena couldn’t help but think of Edwin.

In a hushed voice, she inquired, “Uncle, have you ever considered starting a family?”

Mark smiled. “What? Are you here to persuade me on behalf of your grandmother?”

Rena remained silent and prepared coffee silently.

After a while, she softly said, “I’ve noticed how fond you are of children.”

Mark lifted Alexis and planted a tender kiss on her cheek. “I have Alexis, and that’s enough.”

Alexis returned the affectionate gesture, holding Mark’s handsome face in her small hands. Speaking softly, she remarked,

“Edwin is handsome too. He has brown hair and smooth skin, just like me.”

Mark furrowed his brow and inquired, “Who is Edwin?”

Rena placed the coffee on the table and cradled Alexis in her arms. “He is a child from the Fowler family.”

It wasn’t a falsehood.

Without dwelling too much on it, Mark forced a smile.

He had come here to inquire about Cecilia, yet Rena remained tight-lipped, refusing to utter a single word regarding her.

Mark thought Rena was astute.

While conversing with Mark, Rena tossed a phone to Alexis.

Alexis glanced at Mark and then at her mother.

Rena smile, and Alexis instantly grasped her intention.

With determination, Alexis began typing on the phone.

“Auntie Cece, I miss you.”

“Mom isn’t feeling well. Can you come and drive me to school?”

Afterwards, Alexis tossed the phone onto the sofa.

Mark voiced his disapproval. “It’s not suitable for such a young child to play with a phone.”

Rena discreetly checked the messages and smiled. “She was just checking her kindergarten homework. Waylen always insisted that she do it on her own.”

Thereafter, Mark fell silent.

He remained seated for a while before preparing to take his leave. His mood was already sour.

Rena invited him to stay for another cup of coffee. Just as the sound of a car echoed in the courtyard, she smiled and remarked, “Alright, I won’t keep you any longer if you have other business to attend to. I’ll bring Alexis to visit Grandma in Czanch another day.”

Mark gently patted her head, turned around and departed.

accompanied him

way, a white Bentley

from the car’s backseat, wearing a smile. “Rena, Lexi mentioned that you weren’t

her

Likewise, Mark stood motionless.

here. His gaze grew

in ways

upon Cecilia, his eyes filled with a mixture of curiosity and

remarkable transformation had overtaken Cecilia, altering her appearance

slender figure while exuding an air

metamorphosis she had undergone signified her transition from a girl

very moment, Mark was hit with a profound realization that his longing for

her visage as he softly uttered, “It has been a while,

to be more overwhelmed than Mark

to summon her strength and responded, “Mr. Evans,

greetings, acknowledging

She carefully scooped up Alexis, her daughter, and requested the assistance of the trustworthy driver and maid to escort Alexis to kindergarten. Alexis, displaying obedience, planted

reassured Alexis, “I’ll be there to

clutching the maid’s hand,

turned around, she discreetly cleared her throat and declared, “I shall prepare some fragrant

Rena, grasped her arm and

a gentle smile and responded, “You two carry on with

above a whisper

silently

threshold, he firmly grasped her wrist, compelling her into

enclosing them in a

herself cornered by Mark, who positioned his arm above her head. The faint scent of tobacco emanating from him momentarily distracted her,

parties lost in

what seemed like an eternity, Cecilia, her voice quivering,

to scrutinize her, lowering his voice as he responded,

met

eyes welled up with tears, poised to

dared

breakup had inflicted immense suffering upon her and crying in front

too, bore his own

briefly towards the door before returning to lock onto her face. Softly, he inquired, “Why

of you, Mr. Evans? If I had chosen not to return surely I must have been occupied elsewhere… What right do you have

Occupied…

revealed an

out, tenderly grazing her face, evoking a

teeth chattered

found someone else?” he

pallor swept across Cecilia’s

teeth and replied,

instant,

his

you are a man of

Evans? Cecilia… Once upon a time, you used to call me Uncle

my youthful naivety, I failed to

will be here soon. Release me, I implore you. Let

relinquished his

teeth, summoning her strength to open the door. Behind her, in a raspy voice, he murmured, “Cecilia, are you truly forsaking me? We can resurrect our former bond. You may refer to me as Uncle Mark once again, and I

always

believed that if she found her true love, he would offer his

would be prepared to grant her

ever so slightly, her restraint palpable, before finally uttering in a

the events of the

Czanch, intending to surprise him, only to be ensnared by

in a darkened room for 36 agonizing hours, she endured thirst and denied even the simplest bodily

kidnappers had demanded the chip

Fear had gripped her.

spare no effort

the phone,

had finally

in his heart. But as she emerged from the dilapidated cottage, it was not his embrace that awaited her. Instead, she witnessed a picturesque tableau of

upon her that she was not the sole victim of

for her well-being, yet he had utilized the chip

beheld him cradling that woman in his arms,

that the woman

worshipped Mark. And those women

him, her

bring herself to

night. The first words

her gaze, still filled with

Why?

sofa, he had quietly observed her for a prolonged moment before stating, “We

up in her

not try to make

sorrow, as she softly uttered, “Alright. Farewell, Uncle

referred to him as Uncle Mark, as well as the last

couldn’t bear it

but she evaded his grasp and uttered in a restrained

his gaze fixed upon her before

door

bathroom counter, a used pregnancy test

arrival, she had contemplated

he had declared that they were ill-suited for

in her heart still lingered as she recollected the

the living room, two cups of fragrant

in Cecilia’s eyes, Rena gently smiled and asked, “Have you concluded your conversation? Come, have some

let out a sob and cried out,

settled beside Rena, her countenance

an ardent love for Mark all along, but he

she still harbored affection for this man, and she could not forgive herself or him exactly

allowed Cecilia to lean

the air as

explain to Cecilia, let alone to Rena…

of her. I will return to Czanch

He prepared to depart…

you had considered starting a family. Now… I wish to pose the question

in

truth, he had pondered the

with Cecilia, he had entertained the idea, for it had been a blissful period in his

did it matter

could not voice

Softly, Mark responded, “No.”

way… Grandma is here. She is en route to the Fowlers’

Mark turned around.

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255