?Chapter 22:
Marissa and Connor both turned in surprise to see Arabe standing at the doorway! Startled, they quickly got up to reassure her
“Grandma, it’ste. Why aren’t you resting?” Connor asked, offering aforting smile
“Connor, don’t try to change the topic!” Arabe retorted sharply, rolling her eyes. “I’ve heard you talking about divorce. Are you nning to leave my granddaughter-inw?”
Connor offered a sheepish grin, shaking his head. “No, Grandma. You’ve misheard. We weren’t talking about divorce.”
Arabe looked skeptical of Connor’s exnation. She turned to Marissa, questioning, “Tell me, is Connor mistreating you? He was initially opposed to this marriage. Is he lying to me now?” To show her support and reassure Marissa, Arabe urged, “Don’t worry, my dear. You are family. Tell me the truth, and I’ll take care of him for you!”
Marissa had never felt such support and protection before. Arabe’s genuine concern touched her deeply. She would hate to see Arabe get upset
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Holding Arabe’s hand, Marissa smiled and reassured her, “No, Grandma. You’ve misheard.”
“Really?” Arabe remained unconvinced, looking back and forth between Connor and Marissa. Quickly, Connor wrapped his arm around Marissa, saying, “Grandma, we’re happy together. Let me show you.” Without waiting, he leaned in and kissed Marissa on the cheek
Marissa was shocked. She felt exploited, and anger welled up inside her. She fought hard to restrain herself, nearly swinging a punch at Connor. Who did he think he was to do that?
Despite her boiling anger, she forced a smile, nodding at Arabe, and said, “Yes, Grandma, we are good.”
Arabe’s face lit up with a joyful smile. She even felt slightly embarrassed. “Connor always had such a serious demeanor that it scared away any potential suitors. I never thought I’d see him fall in love, much less witness him kissing a girl in front of me. I’m so pleased. It’s all thanks to you, dear. Keep it up and bring me a beautiful great-grandchild soon!”
Arabe smiled broadly, covering her mouth with her hand in delight. Marissa, on the other hand, felt so embarrassed she wished she could disappear from the room. But Arabe wasn’t done yet. “Sweetie, why don’t you give him a kiss too? It would make me so happy; I’d sleep peacefully tonight.”
Marissa was stunned. She managed a forced smile, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Grandma, I really don’t think that’s necessary. It’s just too embarrassing!”
“Come on, don’t be shy. You two are a couple! A quick peck, or I’ll be tossing and turning all night. If I can’t sleep, I might get sick and end up in the hospital. Who knows what could happen then…” Arabe ended her sentence with a somber tone
“Grandma!” Connor quickly interjected. “Let’s stay away from such grim topics.” Turning to Marissa, he then added, “Please, don’t upset Grandma.”
In response, Marissa gave Connor a sharp look. While his arm was still securely around her waist, Marissa felt the urge to break free from his embrace, imagining herself detaching his fingers one at a time. She was troubled by the persistent thought that he might be taking advantage of the situation to touch her
With Arabe eagerly awaiting the kiss, Marissa felt she had little choice but to go along with it. She slowly leaned in to Connor, intending to give him a brief peck on the cheek. However, as she got closer, Connor suddenly stood up, his height of 6.2 feet overshadowing her 5.6 feet, making him unreachable
Marissa began to suspect that Connor had deliberately orchestrated this awkward scenario! Internally, she simmered with frustration towards him. Summoning her courage, she took a deep breath and reluctantly ascended onto her tiptoes in an attempt to bridge the height gap. But just as she did so, Connor unexpectedly turned his head. Instead of a gentle brush on the cheek, her lips unintentionally made contact with his
Once again, Marissa was stunned
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